Best Small & Affordable Valve Guitar Amp Shootout - Updated for 2019
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- Äas pĆidĂĄn 12. 07. 2024
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đ ERROR IN THE VIDEO - we say that the Marshall has a 12â speaker & that the Orange is the only one with a 10â speaker. This is wrong - they both have 10â speakers (although the Marshall doesnât sound like it!). Links to the amp prices & specs are below...
Marshall Origin 20W Combo - tinyurl.com/yyh9aeux
Orange Rocker 15 Combo - tinyurl.com/y2qfu2eo
Fender Blues Junior IV Combo - tinyurl.com/y4crywjz
Supro Blues King 12 Combo - tinyurl.com/yyoaa2fj
Vox AC15 Combo - tinyurl.com/y5cezdkv
Blackstar HT20R MkII Combo - tinyurl.com/y3o7rvwl
Each amp is mic'ed up using a Shure SM57 - tinyurl.com/y42vtnj5
Pete is playing a PRS guitar. Full range here - tinyurl.com/ybk8xvcf
The drive pedal we use is the Greer Lightspeed - a very transparent & low gain boost. www.andertons.co.uk/greer-amp...
Interested in other Andertons CZcams channels? Click on one of these links to find out moreâŠ
Andertons Guitar & Bass CZcams Channel: goo.gl/kRJCpb
Andertons Drummers CZcams Channel: goo.gl/9yKSS9
Andertons Keyboard CZcams Channel: goo.gl/ns172M
Andertons Shopping Web Site: goo.gl/TPsG2Q
Buy a T Shirt: goo.gl/TrTe78
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#TubeAmps #DanishPete #TheCaptain - Hudba
ERROR IN THE VIDEO - we say that the Marshall has a 12â speaker & that the Orange is the only one with a 10â speaker. This is wrong - they both have 10â speakers (although the Marshall doesnât sound like it!)
Boasting 2" up. You never get rid of that.
I was really hoping you guys included the new Marshall SC20 and SV20 in this, the comparison I really wanted to see was the Blackstar vs the new Marshall Studio amps.
Also just as an FYI on the Blackstar. The first clean voice is the Fenderish voice, the second is the Voxish clean voice. As for the OD voices, the first is the Classic voice and the second is the Modern voice with more gain on tap. But keep in mind the ISF control on the OD voices lets you change the EQ response and feel of the amp in a way that allows the Blackstar to cover the spectrum of Classic and Modern amp tones from US and beyond to British and beyond and everything between. From experience Blackstar ISF rarely likes to be at 12 and sweet spots are 9-11 and 1-3. Also EQ rarely sounds best at 12 on the Blackstar including Tone on the clean channel AND it is important to remember that the way ISF effects the EQ response the EQ on the British side behaves differently to the US side and the full sweep of ISF effects the EQ response.
Pretty sure the Blues Junior has 3 ECC83s/12AX7 tubes... Unless that is a new change for the MKIV... I have a MKII, and it definitely had 3...
@@fritsvanzanten3573 you win! haha
TIMESTAMPS
Marshall origin 20 (clean) - 3:31
Marshall origin 20 (crunch) - 10:05
Marshall origin 20 (crunch /w pedal) - 11:11
Orange rocker 15 (clean) - 4:08
Orange rocker 15 (crunch) - 12:16
Orange rocker 15 (crunch /w pedal) - 13:58
Fender Blues Junior IV (clean) - 4:45
Fender Blues Junior IV crunch) - 15:23
Fender Blues Junior IV (crunch /w pedal) - 16:47
Supro Blues King 12 (clean) - 5:20
Supro Blues King 12 (crunch) - 18:07
Supro Blues King 12 (crunch /w pedal) - 20:33
Vox AC15 (clean) - 5:49
Vox AC15 (crunch) - 21:30
Vox AC15 (crunch /w pedal) - 22:46
Blackstar HT20R MkII (clean) - 6:30
Blackstar HT20R MkII (crunch) - 24:16
Blackstar HT20R MkII (crunch /w pedal) - 26:18
The host's favorite amps and discussion - 28:08
___________________________________________________
Marshall origin 20c: ÂŁ499
Orange Rocker 15: ÂŁ659
Fender Blues Junior IV: ÂŁ579
Supro Blues King 12: ÂŁ599
Vox AC15 Combo: ÂŁ549
Blackstar HT20R MkII: ÂŁ649
___________________________________________________
Thank you for the video guys!
Thanks for the breakdown
Thanks
really appreciate this, thank you!
Thanks man!
You bloody legend!
Conclusion: everything sounds good when Pete plays it?
They should have me demo them. I could make a Dumble sound bad.
That's a dumble comment... Thanks, thanks very much. I'll show myself out.
I know people with really budget set ups, like not even 200 quid of guitar and amp and they make it sound great. Just through loving playing and practising all the time. Nice gear is probably 20% of the picture đ
I concur.
I wish a cheaper guitar was used - would be more useful to ppl with this kind of budget range get a more accurate idea of options
21:40 Lee's face during that whole dirty AC15 demo says it all. That is *the* sound of british rock. So good!
Trevor Reniger I can attest! I love my AC15c1. I drive it with an Oddfellow Caveman and a Marshall Guvânor. Itâs fantastic!
Pete - "It's more of a bluesy tone." - About the Fender Blues Junior
"When you realize that the Blues Jr. sounds more like a blues amp"
*roll safe*
2019
The effort that yall put into the seemingly small edits in your videos just make them top notch. Also, that Vox sounds ace!
Indeed. I own the blues jr. Though I wish I woulda spent the two hundred more for the Vox.
@@harrysachs2274 I agree.
I love my AC15. Once you get the master up to a certain level it just opens ups and sounds fabulous.
Supro-"It's got a sound"...that sound is called character.
- by far my fav amp of the lot as well ;)
That Supro's tone is wicked, especially with Pete's very funky rhythms.
I have to say Lee you put a lot of time and effort into providing great information to the guitar playerâs community. We appreciate your dedication!
Pete I like your descriptions of the sounds you hear in the guitars and amps you review. They make the audience u derstand clearly. Thanks. And you do play excellent may I add!
That driven broken tone on the Supro (18:15)! Everything sounds as if it is going to fall apart!
I really dig it man!
Thank you for the new small valve amp shootout, these are always great to watch! Lots of new stuff this year. I do have to say, I've seen a couple of stores say that the Blackstar HT20 MKii has only one ECC83 in the preamp - I own one, it's a great amp, and I can confirm that it actually has two ECC83s in the preamp, as well as two EL84s in the power section. I love the videos, thanks for all that you do!
Just played the new Supro at Guitar Center!!! Hearing it live is just amazing. The cleans are great but it definitely wants to break up and it sounds phenomenal when it does. Some of the best gain Iâve ever heard out of a $600 amp
1. Love the amp switcher. Much easier to compare tones without the delay while plugging into various amps.
2. The depth of knowledge on Andertonâs is amazing.
The Marshall Origin and the Vox AC15 were my favorite. All sounded good. I was really surprised with the sound coming out of the 10" speaker for the Marshall, it really held its own and even excelled.
Pete's playing never fails to bring a smile to my face.
That Supro sounds fantastic. That's definitely going on my wish list.
I tried a Supro Blues King the other day, and it was magnificent. Great dirty tone.
Those new post-production signs and information are brilliant! Really really useful, well done!
Loving the new things going on in this episode. Production values continue to ride the bleeding edge wave of "special" effects, and I for one love them dearly.
Seriously mates, I love what you're doing here! Emojis to prove it: đđđđđ€đ»đ€đ»đ€đ»đ€đ»
I think some of these smaller tube amps are designed to sound good specifically in the bedroom without a band involved. It's that "golden tone" vs "usable tone" thing where the tone by itself may sound amazing but the tone that cuts through the band and sits well in a full mix is sometimes less beautiful on its own.
Always the case: it's a matter of how things 'fit' in the mix that is more important than anything else.
Took me a long time and experimentation to get it right.
Bedroom vs gig tone is a lot different.
I would happily listen to Pete playing through a wasp in a jam jar. He's by far the best and most versatile guitarist on this channel.
I just love the way Pete plays "Good King Wenceslas Looked Out" at the beginning of every demo. Very seasonal.
loved the editing on this one, nice job!
A big factor with Fender is how good they sound mic'd up. Also, dirty sound on the Vox was killer.
I love Vox and gig a CC2x but they all make you sound like Vox. There is simply no room for the character of the guitar to shine through.
Both my Fenders mic up like total badasses.
@@cgavin1 Nonsense; I use a Tele and a PRS SE through my 65 AC-15; are you suggesting they sound the same? LOL.
Am I the only one that just doesn't like the way Fenders sound when they get dirty? That doesn't go for all of them, but for a lot of them.
@@GuitarQueero1 They're made to get loud and stay relatively clean except maybe the Bassbreaker. Your favorite drive or boost in front should get you there.
Thanks for this. I'm thinking of buying this kind of amp, and this video was very helpful. One thing you might have mentioned is the difference in weight between the various amps, since portability is one of the features of amps in this range. The Vox is about twice as heavy as the Supro, for example.
Had one of the original (USA) BluesJr for many years, and considered many times "trading up". Thing is, it's perfect and consistent for every application, especially with the speaker upgraded . I determined, for more unique signatures, that using it wet /,dry , with other similar wattage amps, does the job well, while also satisfying that urge to tinker and experiment.
I greatly appreciate you both. Very informative and entertaining comparison. I own a Blackstar HT 20 MKii Head ... It sounds epic through my Peavey 6505+ Cabinet. I actually prefer the Clean and Crunch modes from this amp. Cheers from Florida
VOX. Love them. You can do anything with them. They play super well with all types of pedals too...
Holy smokes, that Supro! I'm in love!
loving the on-screen edits!
Was in London recently from California was bummed not to be able to visit such a rad shop. Love all the videos ! Thank you!!!!
I really like the Supro Blues King. It reminds me of the Fender Excelsior Pro, which with the right tubes and speaker in it sounds oddly great. Yep. the Blues King gets my vote.
It shines bigtime in this video. Supro can make an amp
I love the supro blues king..Great sound, great personality.
Please do more from Supro!!! That little one sounds great, lets here more from the rest of the line!
The the Captain mentioned the Koch amp, I picked up the Jupiter Junior and love it! 10" speaker but feels great.
The AC15 from Vox sounded by far the best. Then Marshall and Fender, then Blackstar (which sounded like a Boss Katana). The others sounded muddy or simply not capable.
Yeah, the Vox is such a great amp, no wonder hendrix and blackmore and many more used them, even remember seeing status quo with a wall of AC30's
@@dingushussey4100
Almost every big amp brand has a line up of great artists.. and a Vox made in the 60's (used by Hendrix) isn't necessarily the same as a recent one...
I love the Fender to use with pedals :) Spring reverb is amazing
I'm just a home/bedroom player and love my Tweed Blues Jr, but I am loving the Vox and may have to grab one.
Favorite amps Ive ever owned have been Orange, so I obviously love that sound, but the Vox is a clear winner here for me.
The supro sounds better w/single coils.
Played my tele through one and loved it.
âđ»â€ïžđȘđ»
Just played a tele on one today and I fell in love. And I never liked teles or single coils that much. The Supro really sounds incredible.
Just snagged that supro on clearance. Canât wait to play it!
@@theendofacircle Sweet !
Same here, thanks Sweetwater !
@@auntjenifer7774 hope you love it!
@@theendofacircle it's a great amp ! Does a lot abs best.
Orange and Blackstar are the nicest clean sounds imo. Dirty Orange for that inimitable stoner rock dirt. The Blues Junior sounds great with the lightspeed switched on. That Supro's gain is delicious and the Vox, surprisingly, does the British dirt in a way that's edgier than the Marshall. They really all have great things going for 'em.
the vox killed it! the clear winner by a mile! tempted to buy one after seeing this
Great demo from DP and the CPT, loved the animations in the video, good show, Jeff In LA USA
Really liking the Supro Bluesking
the marshall is so clear imo, love it! AC 15 still good as ever!
I was very surprised at how much I liked the AC 15!
I heard the same as well.
With Marshall and Vox, you instantly think "YEAH, it's THAT sound", with the others not so much. Which is a testament to how much those brands and their tones are part of modern music...
And I'm 100% with Pete on the Blackstar thing: in a band context, each and every Blackstar amp I ever played instantly disappeared, no cut whatsoever. But I'm a Marshall guy, so I'm used to these mids and that authoritative presence.
I've got an AC15 and the Origin 50 and run them together. GLORIOUS!
@@NicD5150 Absolutely. "Authoritative presence"... that's for damn sure. Never really been a Marshall guy before, but the one time I used one live (when my twin crapped out and I had to rent one... a DSL40), it was shocking, and in a totally great way. Couldn't stop smiling at the way the sound just JUMPED out of the thing. I'll never forget that and have wanted to become a Marshall guy ever since. I realize that was 40 watts vs. the Origin 20 here... but the same characteristics seem to apply. I was always leery of "the Marshall thing"... but it's like once you feel that, you can't go back.
Well the wharfdale I bought from you guys, i added a reverb tank and added an effects loop and for such a small tube amp it's great now :)
Since you asked. I am hearing exactly the same as you have described. On a personal note, and for my playing style, I like the orange, the fender, the Vox, and the Black Star. Thanx guys!
oh that Supro dimmed with Pete's purple tele would be MAGIC!!!!
The Blues Jr and the Vox sounded the best in my opinion. The blues jr seemed much warmer, which works great for clean tones in my opinion. The Vox was definitely more present in the upper mids, which cuts great in a live setting. Also really liked the Supro, which I think would work great for recording gain tones.
Great idea to use a guitar where you can split the pickups. Single coil/humbuckers sounds massively different on these amps and it's definitely helpful when see how they perform with each. The Marshall always seems much more accepting of humbuckers than say the Blues Jr is.
there's a reason that Marshall, Vox , and Fender are (and always will be) the Daddy's...my personal favourite here is the Marshall, but there were great sounds to be found in all of these amps. great video guys! :)
That supro sounds awesome! :-D Completely unlike the others and s voice completely unto its own
That Vox AC15 was badass!
Great video once again! I know to be fair and diverse you canât have two fenders in the lineup but the Fender BassBreaker is amazing!
The Blackstar was such a warm clean tone. Loved it..!
Interesting. My favorite tones in order: Vox, Fender (I expected this to be my favorite), Blackstar (That one surprised me a bit)
Least favorite tones in order: Supro (hated it, but it's just not my sound), Orange (See Supro), Marshall (I actually kinda liked it. I think i'd prefer the Origin 50 though with the 12 inch speaker and more headroom)
I say the Supro was the tone winner!
Gorgeous new annotations!
I just bought a fender 68 custom princeton. a couple amps on this video were some of my options. for now I'm glad with my princeton.
God I love that Supro! I'm sitting here thinking "man, it almost sounds like it's got a light fuzz in there, then Lee hits that switch and I thought Pete had stomped a fuzz box... Always been a fan of guitars and amps that sound like they have been abused and beaten up for decades and are on the verge of falling apart.
I also actually liked the orange as well, and you can't beat that Marshal for classic rock tone, and that Vox was crazy good! If I could play well enough to make any of them sound like Pete can, I'd have all four of those. The Fender and Blackstar aren't bad at all, just not my cup o' tea
Happy without reverb. Vox wins overall, but the Supro has a really cool sound for a garage album.
That Marshall sounds awesome! Great video!! Great playing.
You guys crack me up. I defer to all of your opinions (and the opinions of That Pedal Show) about tone. Cheers Cap'n!
From a multi Fender amp owner..THE VOX WINS!!!
My fav was the blues junior. It just sounded like it was the best most rounded sound. The black star did seem overly scooped, the Marshall sounded great but lacked that low end, and the supro and the orange did their own similar distinct thing, which made it seem almost limited. The Vox sounded great too, but I prefer the overdriven sound of the fender just a hair more. I just felt with an overdrive into
It on the fat mode, the blues junior sounded like it had a great eq balance overall, then again Iâm a big fender guy, so Iâm slightly biased. đ
You guys should do a blindfold shootout with small valve amps.
đđđ
I love how Pete was continually going more and more insane throughout the whole episode.
I just Picked up a Vox AC15. Iâve been very impressed.
Video editing has reached a whole new level. Hilarious, man!
As always, great video, guys.
Fender and blackstar for me.
Cheers
I'm actually hearing the same as you, Lee, except for the Orange -- it didn't sound small to me. As for a favorite, I was a bit surprised, but I think that my favorite would boil down to a choice between two: the Vox and the BlackStar. Keep in mind that the BlackStar's loud-button style bottom end will carry over in the studio and in recording situations, so it is still a valid choice.
Agreed! Listened multiple times and have come to the conclusion that that PRS sounds lousy. No personality in its pickups.
Loved it when you hit the sweet spot with the Supro. Reminded me of Caleb Quayes Hookfoot tone. Beautiful!
All I can say is I have the head version of the Marshall, and that thing sounds immense through a bigger cab!!! Also works extremely well through impulse responses 'n' such. Lovely amp.
Would love to see a deeper review on the Blues King. Maybe a head to head between Pete and Ariel with the Fender and Supro?
Supro blues king has effects loop, line out, foot switch for the gain and boost. And the sounds... omg. I had to pick one up. Traded the my blues junior for it.
Michael Mike Nice isnât it? I love mine
How is the head room from your experience?
I had one of the first Blues Junior amps. Bloody hated it.
Just picked up the Supro for $349.00....with cover, foot switch and cable....and free shipping...Sweet Deal at Sweetwater..
@@petersindo6981 yeah they are sold out before lunch today.
Pete, youâre on fire with your sexismâs jisms and guitar and ampisms
Î've been watching your videos for quite a while you made me find a lot of stuff that I've added to my rig over the years but I'm currently into a situation that I have to play on a bedroom volume level or with headphones, so I would suggest if you guys could make a video with valve bedroom amps that can maybe have a headphone output too? Also, you should add a DB meter on the back as well to help people with that! Continue doing this amazing work really love it!
The Vox for me, then the supro because it does that "thing". My old AC15 has done that thing that shocked you both and I probably use it more than my plexi or JTM45.
Dang, I'm having a hard time choosing between the Marshall, Orange and Fender. They all sounded great. I think it would depend on what style I was going to play more. I loved the gain from the Orange, and the Fender cleans are hard to beat. The only common factor, is Petes amazing playing.
They all had their thing, and I liked them all. Personally if I were gonna buy one it would be the Supro. I've never heard an amp before that had that fuzzy attack. Loved that unique sound.
I like the less travelled amps, particularly the 90s reissue Ampeg Reverberocket (best amp I ever had), but the Supro appeals to me. I have the Blues King 12 enroute and can't wait to try it.
Perfect timing, was thinking about purchasing my first tube amp soon then this pops up.
What did you buy? Iâm trying to figure out which one to get.
That AC15 sounds amazing
Blackstar HT-20R MkII Guitar Amp Combo sounds the best to me.
I tried a creamback loaded VOX AC15 at a local shop today and was really impressed, the blues junior sounds good but the AC15 is really great at around the same price!
Great video as usual! Iâve always loved Marshalls but the Vox blew me away. It had something that the others did not as far as what I want to hear. Marshall second and Fender third.
I really like Pete's playing in these demo videos. I get a better sound of what the amp/guitars sound like. Certain other unamed players just... sound like themselves and don't let the gear speak on its own.
You guys should do a studio tour! Would love to see it.
Pete eating a fly had me in stitches đ€Ł love the vids love the editing đ¶đžđ¶
Vox 15 sounded great to my ear.. here in the states alot of folks think the Blues jr sounds boxey.. There is a few places doing some serious mods to them , volume pot is always done. the list is long but you would not believe how good they can actually sound.. as far as buying new, Vox , used at a cheaper price with room for modding, Blues Jr. great video guys.. keep up the good work.
The Laney Lionheart L5T-112 is an AMAZING 5w 1x12 combo. Single Ended Class A 2 channel valve/tube amp, takes pedals extremely well and absolutely just ROCKS!
I own a Blues Jr. Really good sounding little amp. Takes pedals very, very well. Ive played the AC 15 with the green speaker.....wow. sounds really good as well. Very different than the Fender. I think it is louder when cranked as well. I have not been able to run my pedals on the Vox yet.
The Fender and Vox together sound fantastic cranked at the same time............. you will however be asked to leave Guitar Center when you do this!!! Lol
#itwasworthit
Best quality reviews on youtube! Although being a music shop may affect some of the impartiality...
Havenât even watched yet but thumbs up for the amp selection!
The Blues King is an amazing amplifier
Those Oranges just have so much character in them
Hm, in general yea. I used to play an orange thunderverb head for big stoner metal sounds and it sounded ace, I love orange. But I think this rocker 15 sounds like garbage which makes me very sad. Reminds me of absolutely gunning the gain on an old slightly broken peavey rage combo
@@Juiceboxbrian I have a Rocker 15 head and and it sounds nothing like this. I don't know if a 10' speaker vs 12'' speaker makes that much of a difference, but in this video it sounds terrible! There's also the fact that the volume was a bit low; it does lack a lot of low/low-mid range under 50% volume.
@@Raklarpt All very good points. however, I see the problem as extending beyond the issues of lacking the low mid punch. The structure of the gain as well as the way the low end breaks up just makes me think of guitar tone in high school punk bands. Lots of fun but not a good sound haha.
Amen! And HUGE balls when they're cranked. This one would have sounded better with a little more tweaking. Orange can be finicky.
I like the old school stuff like the AD series. Knobs don't do much, just one channel that goes louder or quieter pretty much. But they are some of the purest most expressive and inspiring amps I have ever used. I feel like tube rectifiers and proper ply cabs make a fair difference, things missing on a lot of valve combos these days
I used to think Vox amps were hard to work with and brittle sounding, but you just need to get them dialled in or cooking (on one with an attenuator thatâs easy) also the normal channel is your friend!! So good I ditched my Marshall and fender and have been gigging AC15s for 2 yrs now.
I've got a Gibson GA-18T from ~1959/60 era, of which they are very few. She was beat a bit when I acquired her services, but after playing through the old girl I understand why she was so well used. She still had her original P10R, which sounded excellent, but we wanted to preserve the original cone (!), so opted for an aftermarket replacement speaker. After researching the forums online, it was obvious the Weber 10F150 (C10N copy) was the holy grail in this amp, so I bought one from Mr. Ted himself (still alive back then he was). That speaker sounds so WICKEDLY AWESOME & KILLER in this amp, that we just had to agree with other people's assessment. I also recommend the Weber 12F150 (C12N copy) for Fender Deluxe Reverbs, or Princeton Reverbs too (10F150 or 12F150) and you will be in tonal nirvana. I'm not playing with you, I'm praying with you for better tone.
RIP Ted Weber (you are not forgotten brother, because you were a man who cared)!
a shame that the Bassbreaker was not participating :(
Seems to get overlooked doesn't it
Thought the same thing, especially the praise in previous videos. Andertonâs, why no bassbreaker?
Sean Davis with a limit on how many amps, they likely didnât want to include more than one Fender.... the blues junior is by a landslide the more ubiquitous amp. Also the design of the bassbreaker is more âmarshal likeâ, so testing the blues junior is a little more interesting in this context. Just guessing of course :)
The 3 gain stages make it sit well above the competition. Wouldn't be fair to compare.
Agreed
I love how that PRS 594 is getting so much exposure as "the guitar that the Captain never plays", it's the worst kind of advertisement PRS could ask for haha.
It does sound rather characterless. Me, I wouldn't thank you for a PRS.Rather have a Woolies Audition.
How many of these affordable amplifiers can you buy for that PRS I've been wondering???
@@doctiberius2717 You can buy 26 x 50W Boss Katanas...
@@Ndlanding thanks! LOL
I mean those amps that are used here, which are ÂŁ5/600
Does that PRS cost 3K or more?
Doc Tiberius good point. I think in these demos that the amp and guitar level should match up. They should have used an SE or S2 line guitar if they were gonna use PRS
Marshall again cleans up better than u might think and the vox was very surprising and the black star was great AS expected
My preference on the cleans by far was the Vox AC15.........so much so, I bought one! Such a cool sound, such a professional sound, such a versatile amp............as my bass player said at first rehearsal, âwow, that Vox has such authority of tone!â đđđđ