Amps Under $500 | A Tech's Perspective | Part 1 of a Series
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- čas přidán 27. 06. 2024
- Good amps under $500 are harder to pick out than you might think.
As the series progresses there will be more options, but I started with amps below $500, some new, some used. - Hudba
The worst part of amps that aren’t repairable is that they become landfill. And trust me, at some point our great grandchildren are going to be shaking their fists at us because we didn’t bother to make good purchasing decisions. I know most people don’t care about this. But absolutely they should. We ought to be adults not children pretending they don’t know, and not buy electronics that are manufactured to become landfill.
"This planet isn't going anywhere, we are." George Carlin
Blah blah blah
We won't be around that much longer, so no worries. The Biblical end times are unfolding before our eyes, but no one is paying attention. People are busy about worshipping the Creation rather than the Creator, in my opinion.
@@lukehelpmetakethisdangmaskoffamen. Soon every knee will bow and tongue confess Jesus is Lord.
@@phunkyjunkee ok whatever, crazy cultist.
This is the most objective analysis I've seen on the pros and cons of buying an amp. While many reviewers focus only on tonal qualities or reputation, you've touched two of the most important considerations for those of us who gig in various conditions....reliability and "fixability". When you amp fails in the middle of a gig, all of the marketing propaganda quickly fades into the night. Looking forward to the next instalment in the series.
Excellent points. There seems to be a bit too much focus on reputation, both good and bad.
Enjoyed this very much. I am currently researching an amp in this catagory and found your points and insights very pursuasive.
As I mentioned above, TWO Katanas are priced below what many other amps cost for a single unit. They're light, consistent, and feature packed and can be cloned for redundancy. In case of failure? 30 second replacement on the road. Why guitarists overlook this utility is mystifying, other than they judge on cost alone, which is silly. A Katana in a live environment with tasteful patches is about as useful of a frontline amp as has ever been made.
@@swingset1969 Let’s see if you still think this in 5 years time, when the current generation of the Katana is likely to reach its EOL and the firmware updates then stop coming, and all the patches and the software for installing/writing/downloading them no longer work with the latest computer/smartphone/tablet operating systems! That’s my problem with it: Even if it doesn’t die from component failure, it’s likely to die from planned obsolescence, like so much other high tech stuff nowadays. As someone with a computer science degree, I’d much rather have an amp that is simple and highly serviceable in the long term than one that needs to be thrown out and replaced every 5-7 years or else see it gradually lose its original functionality. This is EXACTLY what has already happened to some modeling amps like the older generations of the Fender Mustang, for example, who can no longer download patches to their amps, and I happen to know some people who are NOT happy about it.
Looks like the perennial gadgeteer has @Craig Gibson by the short ones! Game Set Match...
Finally, something like "Consumer Reports" for amps. Nice to see someone delve into the engineering and construction, bypassing the layers of marketing, five star Sweetwater reviews, and fanboy CZcams videos. Well done. I'm really looking forward to seeing where this goes.
And it's crazy the way the fan boys get triggered by these types of videos.
Calling actual experienced highly skilled techs haters and calling them liars because i have x amp and it's amazing sounding and have no quality issues .
Bro, it's a VIDEO not a podcast nor a Power Point.
I own a Hot Rod Deluxe with a damaged power cap. I'll be able to fix it only because you've shown me how. Thanks for your killer content.
Right on!
And you already know that capacitors can have lethal voltages in them?
(I'm not the tech guy who made the video and I don't actually know anything about fixing guitar amps!)
RIP
There's a reason they're called death caps. Be careful and make sure you know what you're doing.
It's easy, put a clip on a wire, and a wooden dowel on the other side, with a resistor in between. Attach the clip to a ground, and yes the dowel to touch the wire to the leads on everything in the unit. Only use one hand while reaching into a cab, so you don't lose track of your other hand
Bought my AC15C1 a year ago after watching this video and have done a good bit of gigging with it since. After putting in some new tubes I couldn’t be happier with an amp under $500.
I love my Vox AC-15. Extremely pleased, I've had it for years. The tone I can dial in is so lux, the break-up is just terrific. I am so grateful that the shop guy back in the day basically pointed at it and said, "You'd be hard pressed to do better for what you want to do." He was right.
This is a brilliant idea for a series. Really looking forward to where this goes.
Thank you!
Yes really a good idea !
Looking forward to part 2 too. This is awesome even though i got one of the Blackstar Ht40 amps . :D I still got a 50 watts Katana, Bassbreaker 007 head and a Engl Rockmaster 20 combo. So there will be always some amp to function ok i hope ;)
Agreed. yeah
This is the most objective an informative episode I've seen. Lyle the quality of your videos and content has improved greatly over the last year. Keep doing what your doing. 👍
Excellent breakdown with a lot of factors most of us would never consider when looking at an amp, especially from the second hand market. Thanks for the time and effort you put into this presentation.
As a guy who almost exclusively buys used and is interested in trying a lot of different amps and sounds in the studio, this video and hopefully the rest of this series is a real eye-opener. Detailed, clear, realistic, and helps temper expectations. Great video. I'm glad I watched so I can go into future purchases more prepared.
Fantastic video Lyle!
Enormous value add.
Thank you so much for taking the time. I appreciate the information you share.
I’m happy videos like these are popping! The younger generation that are looking to start a band will really appreciate this!! 10-5yrs ago, videos like this did not exist! I had to jam with MANY people and try many amps (invested WAY too much time) just to see what I preferred best! Excited to see more videos from you!
This is amazing. Please don’t stop doing these. Thank you.
Very enjoyable video. It's always good to hear the opinions of someone who really knows what he's talking about. I like your repair videos but I would like to see more like this one.
Such a great service for newer players looking for a dependable amplifier.
Thank You Sir
Such a great service you're providing by doing these overviews for a selection of amps. So interesting.
I bought an Orange CR60 used for I think $350 a few years ago. It had a couple nicks and stains but it's an excellent solid state workhorse that sounds pretty darn close to tubes. I highly recommend that amp to players who want a low-maintenance gigging amp
Awesome engineering review. By that I mean a dispassionate assessment of pros and cons of features likely to be important (not frills) within an electronics product lifecycle framing. Delivered with balanced and precise reasoning. Thank you!!
THANK YOU for persevering through the countless a**holes filled with ignorance and hatred so that the rest of us can truly appreciate your exceptional content! Don't ever let the dark steal your light, brother!
Hey man, just wanted to thank you for this content. I appreciate your rational and empirical approach to laying out the facts and your observations. Amps are also clearly a passion of yours, and I'd like to sincerely thank you for sharing some of that passion with us.
Subscribed!
FANTASTIC... THIS is what i've been waiting for. Brilliant topic. This is the conversation i have with myself before i buy ANYTHING. This is the best video i've seen it a LONG TIME.... Well played sir.
W/ a personality to mach his astounding expertise at very detailed information that we all want more of. This is golden and he's just raised the bar for these web tech. Yep. Whole next level, thank you sir, please continue.
I don't know about you people but I really appreciate free advice from a highly experienced expert thank you.
Thank you so much for this series, I am learning so much about amps and generally how to choose one for my personal needs.
I no longer need to think of budget, but I spent decades in destitution, so I'm still addicted to videos just like this LOL Nice job. Subbed!
This is one of the best videos on amps ive seen in a long time. I subbed and am eager for the rest of the series. Good job!
Yes, this is exactly what I wanted to see. Thank you. Cool editing. Love where you’re going with the channel.
This was fantastic, Lyle! You given me some great insights at higher price points and I look forward to those videos.
I own the Boss Katana Artist Series Mk2 and I love it, but this is an excellent video and I agree with near all the points. The Boss was excellent for my needs as a gigging musician/home recording artist, but hard to beat a good tube amp, but that being said for this price point, highly suggest giving the katana series a go. It's perfect for me.
Like number 1000. Great job. Going through this right now with my 18 year old son, who is ready to upgrade from his little Mustang. Repairability; durability; sale-ability; and a good clean sound are what is important to "us". We have priced ourselves out of the local $500 market, but for a stroke of good luck.
Fantastic - informative and objective insights from an expert. Very helpful in considering an Amp purchase ! Looking forward to more content like this.
Thank you so much. Looking forward to the rest of the series. You are truly helping me make my decision.
Excellent video! Refreshing to hear an alternate perspective on gear. Might be something for a future episode in a more expensive category, but the rig I've used for the last 3 years is a Helix into an Orange Pedal Baby and Hughes and Kettner 2x12 cab on it's side. It's very compact, insanely loud and covers any style I want. Though, like you mentioned about power, the Line 6 suffered from an internal power unit that went bad that I had to get fixed out of warranty. Always worth carrying something like a cheap Boss DS1 to get you out of a pinch!
I wish I wouldn't have sold my DSL40C. The CRs are almost $1100 now...more than twice what I paid for mine brand new. This is the BEST amp review I have ever seen. Viewed, liked, subscribed, and I'm yours (a little Stevie Wonder parody reference)!
Thanks for making this video! Great to see a tech perspective on quality over time. Will help when shopping for a tube amp.
Great idea, great video and well done. Looking forward for the next part of the series.
I've switched to playing quilters only. I used to use a Blues Jr, then a blues deluxe reverb, then a vox AC15, then a carvin - all tube. The quilter is like half the weight. And truly has a way better crystal clear scooped country-rock sound than almost any fender i've played.
Have you ever swapped the speaker in a fender? Besides the reissue stuff (excluding champs) they all kinda suck with speaker selection. A blues deluxe with a Swamp Thang, Cannabis Rex, or Creamback is a whole new world.
I see so many geeks on their CZcams channels pedaling the latest Fender style with a lead-in line like "Do XX branded guitars are remind you of your middle school leased guitar? Well, maybe the new Super XXY model will change for mind about XX for ever!" Then the formula starts with show and tell, followed by a demo of clean sounds playing funk riffs, and High Gain sounds playing hard rock riffs. They'll play the neck pickup,bridge pickup then the two pickups together, and finally the bridge pickup and play random lead lines, Power chords, or a heavy metal tune or two for variety. If it's a Strat, they'll demo the 5-way variants.
What they rarely show or tell is the most important factor of every guitar sound -- what amp is driving what speaker?
Thank you for doing so here. I can interpolate what a double-wound Humbucker is going to do when driven into overdrive, or how a Fender 60s standard will sound in the neck position using a good Solid State amp. I played jazz-blues with a great Ampex Solid State in the early 70s with a Les Paul Standard and a 1971 Strat that I bought brand new from Sam Ash with case for $300. What a beautiful guitar that was. It looked, sounded, and played like a dream. I sold it three years later, with the Les Paul and two Ampex 2 x 12, for $1500 to fund my new life in LA. That changed my life and gave me wings, but I still with I had those those instruments! I've never been able to replace them, especially the Strat which was not "pre-CBS", but just a high quality Corona, California product. Thanks Leo.
And thank you for this channel, Man. As a former player, and a trained EE, you speak my languages. As a tech, you've been filling the gaps of my experience and education. -kwgm
Awesome series! Looking forward to the next video. Thanks for all you do!
This is absolutely priceless comparison. Extremeyl helpful! Thank you
I just picked up a gently used Bugera Infinuim V22 for a little over $300 + shipping. Such a great little amp.
I was told by a gigging musician that a pro for the modelling amps is consistency under fluctuating power supplies. He said that he was playing a gig in a pub (tube amp), any time someone played one of the slot machines the sound would change. The sound of the tube amps would change from gig to gig, his katana would sound the same wherever he played (and he didn't break his back carrying a tube amp and cab up and down stairs. In an emergency it's usually easier to grab a new Katana than your tube amp of choice.
They make something called a voltage attenuators like brownbox which addresses the changes in voltages. Its crazy out there!
Power conditioners . . . no one should gig without power conditioners running all their gear.
I also play mainly modeling amps in bars (where a tube amp’s potentially superior tone is drowned out by background noise anyway). In addition to the reasons you mentioned, I’ll add that I was able to buy my Katana used for $150. I can take it to any gig knowing that if it gets stolen or somebody spills a beer on it, I can just buy another one for close to what it costs just to retube some of my other amps.
Gday, great comment re: variable power supply fluctuations. I gig on Rote Island , Indonesia. PLN , the power supply mob, are experts at power voltage variance, surges and blowing up all kinds of electrical equipment. I need an amp that can handle that problem , cheers .
@@PulauSwan Do you have an anti-surge extension lead? I have one that I connect my computer to. It's supposed to protect against lightning strikes on the power grid.
It may help you with PLN 'your stable power suppliers' ☹.
I cannot thank you enough for this video. Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us subscribers.
I am so thankful Lyle puts out videos. I have always wanted to learn about amps and he explains things so well. He is not swayed by endorsements and he is a truth seeker. He thinks very logically and analytically, doesn't play favorites but recognizes quality.
Well done Lyle your editing chops are impressive besides the well thought out and important information. As a 62 yr old "Geezer" and FNG at guitar the best home use amp I have is the 50 watt Boss Katana, you add a USB cable, laptop and internet service and you have a pedalboard. Its quiet/loud enough to make me happy and/or the wife, kids and neighbors at the same time. When its day is done I'll send the solid state innards to the landfill and use the cabinet and pretty decent full range/frequency speaker for my own modestly evil purposes.😈
Picked up a Bugera V55 HD with a 1x15 cab for $300 and it’s been ABSOLUTELY KILLER! I’ve had an Ac 15, HR Deluxe and many more and this takes pedals better as well as having one of the nicest master volumes I’ve heard. Killer deals on the Bugera stuff for sure
Thanks for this series. Looking forward to the future editions!
Immediately understood you knew what you are talking about. Your years of experience shows. Great presentation with the facts being laid out so decisions can be made from an individuals needs and preferences.
Looking forward to the next round, just got a good deal on a vht d-50. Quite versatile for the price and looks more amp tech friendly than that last vht I saw you work on.
This was a good listen I'm not a tech just a player so it was interesting to hear your considerations. Looking forward to the next few parts in the series 😀 I've got a few Mesa amps so I'm interested to see if one makes it on your list and what a tech thinks of something like a Tc-50 or a mark V 25 etc.
THANK YOU for this video (and the forthcoming series)! Considering new-ish amps (lighter weight!) and great to have this information provided. Cheers!
Fantastic idea for a series, I'm looking forward to the rest
As a bass player, I've given up on buying new amps. Everything seems expensive and fragile, so I found 2 cheap old solid state heads, a Marlboro and a Musicman. Took them to get inspected and cleaned and now I have a versatile and powerful pedal platform rig that cost me like 300 dollars, repairs included.
The 70s Carvin bass amps were brilliant
Stage Right makes a 5 watt x 8" Celestion speaker with a 8/16 ohm speaker output jack on the back. It has a volume and a tone knob and a push button for the full 5 watts and then 1 watt and has white Tolex and a leather handle. It uses a 6V6GT power tube and a 12AX7 preamp tube. I bought my first one in December 2021 for $119 and then purchased a second one in February 2022 also for $119. They go on sale from $109 to about $175 (today's price May 5, 2022).
They are good sounding amps and because it has the 8/16 speaker output jack I connect to two Marshall Origin 412 cabs at 16 ohms each for a total impedance load of 8 ohms and when I do that I only need to set the volume at 1/2 and that covers all my normal living room studio playing. Of course I can push the volume higher and achieve much more volume and a more distorted tone any time I want. But for my day to day playing I prefer loud enough clean tones and this amp delivers.
Go ahead and find another 6V6 combo amp for anything near this price, you wont. The 6V6 power tube is now my preferred tone, replacing 6L6 (5881) which has always been my preferred tone since the mid 1990's.
I use these Stage Right 5 watt 6V6 tube amps every day and now all my other 18 tube amps just collect dust. True the 5 watt Stage Right is not a stage amp unless connected to a full Marshall Stack or a P.A. System. But realistically I don't perform on stage nor do I perform in clubs, so I am very happy with these "loud enough" great sounding 5 watt Stage Right 6V6 tube amps. - Peter age 72.
And also, thanks for the outstanding comparison of these amps and value that can be attributed beyond the typical "it sounds great" review. Looking forward to the next video on this.
Splendid rundown. Thank you for sharing. Have a blessed day.
Brilliant! Remove all the “mojo” talk and what you have is this; straight pros and cons. Can’t wait for the next >$1000 instalment.
I really appreciate that you added the Katana and the Catalyst to the mix. I would argue though that they are nowhere near as prone to failures as traditional amps. I think the biggest issue is with issues from production. You may get one that doesn't work out of the box. No problem, return it. But those that do work last quite a long time. I have a Behringer VAmp Pro that is about 15 years old. That thing still works and it was very cheap compared to a real amp. As with valve amps, take care of your gear and it will last.
But there's another thing that is sort of in the favour of modelling amps. If it does break, replacing it is an upgrade. You can get a newer unit, with better modelling, better effects, better everything. So it's not quite as devastating as with a total loss of a valve amp. You don't have to go and find the exact same model otherwise it's a deal breaker.
But yeah. Ultimately, everyone has to decide what works better for them.
I heartily agree with you about the modeling amps and the practice of replacing the pcb's. My son's big. screen TV was struck by lightning and when the tech come to our hose he just took the back off the TV and swapped the boards. He we here less that thirty minutes.
Awesome idea for a series! Very interested to see your choices in the next categories. It is super helpful for a gigging musician and tutor like myself. I'm always getting asked to recommend amps and all I've had up until now is experience gigging them and the sound they give. Also as someone who dabbles in repair and DIY your quality of work is inspiring.
Based on your past commentary I just bought a brand new AC15C1 as a backup to my main amp. I like having onboard reverb and tremolo. I bought a used one years ago but had to sell it. I loved that amp and the new one works flawlessly. I'm confident in the purchase and look forward to the rest of the series! Great content as always.
I have a Bugera V22, V55, and a 6262. I absolutely love them. Mine are the later Infinium versions. I think the issues were more with the runs prior to the Infinium stuff.
I love mine.
Thanks for this info! Been looking at the v22.
Outstanding series. I can't wait for part 2. I had a blackstar HT20 that I bought new from sweetwater that had to go back to them for warranty repair due to in input jack failing. The amp not being user serviceable ended up being a deal breaker so it went along it's merry way and I picked up a vox ac15c1 to replace it.
Great info! Thanks for sharing and educating buyers. You repaired my Marshall JVM several years ago and I asked you for your opinion of what were the best quality amps. You taught me some of these same points and I have used that for selecting the amps I buy and build....thank you for that. Looking forward to more videos in this series!
Wow, that's a refreshing approach - I dig it!
Frankly, I think the bigger issue with the modern "modelling" amps is that they have become more and more dependent on third party devices to unlock their full potential. E.g. with the Katana and Catalyst you need a compatible device like a phone or tablet to access all settings and parameters - devices that Boss and Line6 neither make nor control.
I still have a bunch of classic "modelers" like the Rocktron Chameleon, various Digitech GSP models, Zoom 9150. Although 30 years old, they're still usable today because you can control everything on the unit itself. Imagine those had required a Windows 3.11 program on an i486 based PC with a COM port to configure and program them...
Most features on the Catalyst can be accessed from the amp itself but for me it's nicer to have the app instead of having to push multiple buttons, it's easier to look at and provides the user with the amount of control as if they were using separate devices. The same was true when I used the Behringer V-amp pro and Johnson J-station years ago.
Thanks for the tech insights. I'm not an amp tech, just a player with enough tech knowledge to repair/build my own amps and effects. I own an older red stripe Peavey Bandit, and while it does not sound as good as my hand built tube amp, it's still pretty damn good. Especially for the price: used they go around 150-200USD where I live, the new Bandit is 500USD new on Sweetwater. I've of course opened up mine to take a look, but honestly I don't really see any specialized parts in it. Maybe the transformer, the switches in the preamp and the IC that does the channel/fx loop switching. Otherwise pretty generic stuff all over the boards. Since the schematic is available online, even those specialized parts can be replaced with some creativity if needed, even though I have to admit not as easily, as in a Blues Junior (an amp that I had the luck to repair too). So I would be curious why you wouldn't recommend them? As I said: I don't know the newest version, but the red stripe version seems to be a good middle ground between the modellers and the tube amps you mentioned. Not as limited and prone as tube amps and not as plasticy and artificial in sound as the modellers. Thanks!
Excellent video ! Straight forward and factual breakdowns, just the facts... no value statements! Excellent!
This kind of information is SO great to have when amp shopping. Wow. I wish everyone did this.
I enjoyed this video so much that I went to my local independent music store and bought the Boss Katana MKll 50...I'm beyond satisfied with the tones I get from it.
I trust and respect your opinions. I would love to see a video on "Tube Amps At or Under $1000". Or $1200.
This is an excellent summary! In particular the pro's and con's of tube amps were very good. I am an electrical engineer and have build a couple of amps myself, trying to get the ultimate jazz sound out of my archtop. The more I learned what sound I want and how to get there, the less I was interested in tubes. The first reason was, that there are a zillion different transistors out there and if you know what you are after, you can design circuits that give you exactly the transfer function, that you are after. With tubes you will spend a lot of time to deal with their limitations and physical properties, which you will have to fight, compensate - or use to your benefit. Meanwhile I also learned more and more about how to use effects to push the tone towards my preferences. Earlier on I did not want to use pedals, because it was not "pure guitar playing" and because Joe Pass did not use them, I did not want to use them either. But when I learned what you can do with a good delay-pedal I completely changed my mind. After all, amps are just a means to realize a musical idea.
Having said that - driving an oldtimer from the seventies can be so much more fun than driving a modern car. It is not all a totally rational affair ...
Play jazz 🎸 just buy a Roland jazz chorus amp already, end of.
I've never owned a tube amp but my only problem is I play blues and I can't get much sustain out of a solid state amp. I need to get something better but I'm not sure what yet.
@@mr.d.572 Now, this is an area where the tubes do have a slight advantage, for the reasons that are explained in the video. The problem is that the strings of a guitar have to dissipate energy. They ring out over time, which means that the signal from the pickups gets weaker as the amplitude of the oscillating string diminishes. Guitar amps help with that if you overdrive them and push the volume up: Once you have plucked the string the signal is initially relatively strong and overdrives the amp, which means that the clipping of the signal cuts off the high peaks and keeps the volume to a maximum level. In this phase the guitar sounds rather colorful because clipping the signal introduces a lot of harmonics. As the signal gets weaker the amplitude remains roughly the same, but the signal looks more and more like a sine wave. You hear that as a constantly changing tone from rough to warm. Tube amps have a rather smooth transition curve from overdrive to clean, which is why many people like them. However, today you can work with pedals to get a better sustain, you could for example try to work with a compressor pedal. Here is a list: rockguitaruniverse.com/guitar-sustain-pedals/
Wow, you nailed this concept! Thanks for starting this interesting series!
Thanks Lyle... Keep the series... Best channel on CZcams... Cannot wait to episode 2 ...
Last year, I picked up a used good condition DSL40CR for $360, then got the 6 button footswitch for $80. $440 cash all in. It's a amazingly versatile amp that could handle just about any gig I might want to play. The newer CR version plus the 6 button fsw really takes it to the next, you can switch between all 4 "channels" (clean, od, crunch, distortion) with 2 master volumes to level out the volume difference between them. Plus switch on off the fx loop. Definitely the winner of the under $500 camp for me!
Wait until the cheap board starts leaking voltage......oh, and are you a body builder?
@@gingercat777 I don't find the DSL40 that heavy, but then again my other amps are a 67 Super Reverb, 74 Deluxe Reverb, and 4x10 bass cab and head. So I guess I am a body builder. For $360, I wasn't expecting a faultless amp, but I don't know of anything better at that price.
50+ lbs
I bought a new Ac15c1 about 3 years ago, played it hard and loud. Still on the original tubes at this point and it does take careful eq using pedals but you can get a monster high gain sound if you want to. No repairs or reliability issues so far playing regularly.
ProCo Rat into a Vox is epic.
Incredible video! You narrowed down all amps for every player within a certain budget. I can only imagine how many hours of research/editing you put into this video.
I am looking forward to your lunchbox series, or best heads under $1500!
Thank you! 🎸🎸 One of the best videos that I have watch in a long time. 👍👍
Thanks for the great breakdown, Lyle!
I can personally recommend the Vox MV Clean. It has the size of a pedal, 50watts at 4 ohm and is the perfect pedal platform with massive headroom yet tubelike dynamics for less than 200 bucks. If that sound really is due to the so called "nutube" is another question. Maybe you can share your opinion on those nutubes one day, as I myself am interested in the potential durability. Oh and via a single small jumper wire on the board you have a brighter voicing which is closer to fender cleans. Also it has an attenuator and a "deep" switch to accommodate for a smaller cabinet. The switches a flimsy, though.
Greetings from Germany
Good point, would love to hear his views on these as well. I’d imagine the assembly is pretty cheap but they’re also cheap enough to buy a whole new one if it fails.
I was in the market for a small home use tube amp so i bought a 1978 silverface fender champ, paid 575 for it. I figured it was the best choice , i know it can be maintained easily when something goes wrong.
Champs are very simple circuits too.... The internet has what any tech would need to service them as far as schematics.
This was a really good, useful overview on amps and their pros and cons. from watching other CZcams channels there are other tube/valve amps that have the same repair issues as the Blackstar HT series. I've decided on my laptop and using amp sims etc.. It seems a really good affordable option to the modelling amps.
Excellent! Appreciate your insight in repair area, as this is very important
I own both the MK1 100W Katana and a VOX AC15C1, among others. Both have been very reliable. The Katana is my everyday practice amp. There are so many free patches and paid patches that are really good that it's a no-brainer for the cost. You can dial in great sounds with just the panel controls for that matter and it takes pedals on the front end well.
I bought a Marshall DSL40CR a couple of years ago after going through weeks of research. Demos, reviews, testimonials, etc. It was a seemingly endless mission to cut through the crap and hype to get the info you provided in this video. I wish i had this video then! Great content. Still very satisfied with my purchase.
Dude I did the same thing 2 years ago with the research, demos, reviews, testimonials and OMG it was agonizing. And like you I ended up with the DSL40CR and I love it.
Got it in white with the 6 button foot switch.
In Part 2, he says DSL40CR is among the best for under $1000.
Excellent video. Anyone about to purchase an amp in this price range should watch this.
I was so hoping you would do this. Cant wait to pop a bag of popcorn up and enjoy the whole thing!
The Orange Crush 35RT is severely underrated. As a solid state I power it on more than my valve amps
The only thing bothering me and keeping me from getting one is the 10" speaker
Picked one up used for $150. Play my Mexican strat through it. Makes my single coil pickups rock!! Totally analog, simple to figure out the tones, hangs with a drum kit in terms of output. Killer!!
@@dimitris470that's why I bought the cr-60 and put in a greenback
@@dimitris470, I'm kinda in the same boat, I have a 10" amp and am kinda looking to pick up something with a 12" speaker... Orange should have an affordable Crush amp like the 35RT with a 12" .... but the effects loop really has me looking at the 35rt model... or possibly the Katana, or larger version of my Marshall MG30CFX... I want to use a Headrush MX5 in 4-cable method with a combo amp, and don't think a DSL40CR fits my current budget or needs.
Listened to the Orange 35RT recently in a store and almost snagged it that day.
I've relied on Peavey Classic amps as my go-to gigging amp for 20 years now, had both of mine serviced over the past couple of years, no issues came up with parts availability as of yet...but it's interesting to see a tech's perspective on what the future might look like for my dear old Classic amps. Been GASing for a DSL40C after I got a DSL5 and it suddenly became my favorite amp ever. There are currently a couple used available in my area...
The Peavey Classic's are great amps. Constantly overlooked.
came here to see if someone mentioned peavey classic series.
Which classic series are you referring to out of interest? Thanks
@@edd9157 classic 30, 50. these are their names.
I got my Peavey Classic 50 212 in Black Tweed a couple years ago from Market Place for $300. Early 90's Model, and its my favorite amp that I've owned. Up to the point of finding the listing and then looking up CZcams videos on the Classic 50, I thought no way I would ever own a Peavey as the other models as they often looked cheap. It was always Marshall or Fender.
Thank you , Lyle, this was fascinating and I look forward to the follow-ups. I also live in hope that I will one day have enough a) money and b) talent to be able to explore these options and those yet to come 😊
Very good overview. I totally agree on the sounds of all these amps. I have owned most of them. I was surprised at the low repairability of the Blackstar. I've owned a couple, and they sounded great, but I've never had to work on one.
Awesome. Was really wondering what amps pass your 'sniff test' in different genres.
EDIT: Hoping you can get to heads eventually as well.
Here in the UK I got a Laney cub 10 for £200 new. Over a blues junior, an epiphone valve junior stack, a vaporizor, (all went south one way or another) it's been incredible.
I play it loud every day, and I've played major gigs with it.
Incredible amp.
I've got a Cub 12R that I've been playing for a few years now, best bang for the buck IMO. Especially considering I got it for around $300 tax and all. It's one of the few tube amps that was cheaper in Japan then the US.
@@Bagledog5000 such a downer they discontinued them😞
You saved a ton of people a ton of time. Thx.
FWIW, I own the AC15C1 and it’s def a keeper!🇨🇦👍
Great video. Looking forward to watching the next one
Awesome video man...and I know exactly how loud 15 watts can be..I have a bassbreaker 15..3;gain stages and it gets very loud esp when pushed
This is a great series, thank you for producing it!! I'm looking forward to your next video! I have a used Hot Rod Deluxe (Its on the bench now for caps, someone reworked the low voltage section as it was overheated) Wish I had of done more research before I purchased that one!!! I got it locally for $200 so I am not too upset. Cosmetically it looks almost new. I have a Marshall DSL40cr that I got new, its awesome! It has become my favorite amp. Ive got a Katana 100 ii, I don't play it much. I find it not exciting. I also have an Orange CR120 2x12, I really like it. Not sure why you didn't include it in your list. Perhaps because it has a different sound, one you like or else don't like. I also have a Sweetwater exclusive Princeton Reverb. I like it a lot too! I wish it was a handwired one but I didn't want to speed that kind of money when I got it.
Thanks!
I didn't list that Orange model because I haven't had one on the bench, so I have no opinion on it.
Oranges will be in the
@@PsionicAudio That sounds like a good thing. I have a 60 watt Roland Blues Cube and at half the weight of my 30 watt Genz Benz, it was my main amp until I went to a floor processor and powered speaker. Never a hiccup from it.
I just recently bought a couple Blackstar Studio 10 Amps. I was considering the HT 40, I'm glad I didn't go that route now.
Thanks for the great information.
Great stuff thanks for taking the time. While I'm not looking for this level of amp I often have friends with Kids learning who ask me about this all the time and didn't have the time to do this kind of research so great to see this!
I've got SS amps that I bought 35 years ago that other than some recapping are still going strong. I have the first gen line 6 flex amp that nothing have been done to it and was heavily gigged and still sounds great. I think it all depends on how it's treated. BTW I have a marshall tube amplifier that sometimes plays an am Christian channel lol
You just won the prize... 'I think it depends on how it's treated'. That is the magic right there. I just bought a mid 80's Peavey Bandit a couple of weeks ago. Plays perfect, sounds perfect, no issues. Built like a brick outhouse, but not treated like one! This thing is a beauty. It was used, but not abused. Other than cleaning the pots, it needs nothing but love. I also have a Tech 21 Trademark 60 that I've owned and gigged with for a decade, but I'm not a hard player. Works perfect, sounds perfect, every time. The my real workhouse is a Behringer V-Amp Bass Pro rack. I've had that for a decade as well. I use it with a Behringer power amp and guess what? Never missed a beat. I use it for bass and guitar gigs, always works. But, I really look after my gear and don't push it to its limits....always leave headroom! Oh, another thing with modellers, use a power conditioner! They really like those....
Oh, and my old Marshall Bluesbreaker I used to have did the same kind of thing. hahahahaha
I've had many ,many amps. Unfortunately, I'm an older man. I'm living in a condo, which is a problem because I wish to only play thru a tube amp. The warmth and overall sound of a tube amp is unbeatable, in my humble 45 years of playing. When I saw that the Marshall DSL line came out with a 1 watt tube amp, with a selector to bring it down to a quarter amp, my jaw dropped. I drop what I was doing and went to my local Sam Ash, great store by the way. They had only one and it was a floor model. I did want one out of the box, so I paid full price for the demo, with the understanding that I would return it when they get more in. Well this was during the shipping problems. It took 7 months for my new Marshall to come in. They called, I dropped off the used one and now have a brand new head. So I bought the 2×12 slanted cab. I have to tell you I couldn't be happier. And the funny thing is the amps price went up 100 bucks while I was waiting for the new one. Ofcourse I didn't have to pay the difference, because I bought it before the price increase. 1 watt doesn't sound like it would be loud, believe me, it is. I put it on a quarter setting and it still is loud. But I can dail in the best distortion, and not bother anyone in my condo. I would recommend it for the guitars that need a quality sounding tube amp that won't bother your neighbors. I run a PRSse custom. The hunt is over. Couldn't be any happier.
Can confirm it's a killer amp. I live in an apartment so playing with a large tube amp is out of the question and also out my student budget. I also have to move to my dorms later this year to start my masters. This amp is a godsend. I knew pretty early that I need the Marshall sound. There's nothing like that low end, Beautiful mid range and the high end roar when you hit the strings with your pick. I'm so glad they made the 1 watt version. I've used this amp at 4 am without waking up anyone in my family, it can be super quiet. Don't be fooled by the low wattage, this thing can roar. My 20 watt solid state has nothing on my little marshall. Couldn't be happier.
@@cheenu711
Mr. Kshitij Tiwari, Good Sir.
Isn't it unbelievable that you can get that holesome Marshall goodness from 1watt.
I love it. Where I'm at it's 5 in the morning, and I'm going to fire it up now.
PEACE stay safe
@@robertwillett4122 true. You can't help but smile every morning when you can plug into a marshall without your parents kicking you out of your house and get that iconic sound, tubes and all.
@@cheenu711
One of my secrets of life, rock on ,bro.
Excellent video 👍 Can’t wait for the next one!
This is very helpful and also very interesting! It's nothing I, as a regular consumer, am thinking about.