[starvingstudent]

so I am currently the poppa of a Marshall MG100DFX, which i have no problems with. though i wanted to upgrade to a tube combo amp. its very hard to find one less than $1000US. any suggestions on what i should be looking at? as a cheaper tube combo?

 

[ne1roc]

Honestly, I don't think you can go wrong with a Carvin amp. These amps carry tones of tone. The Vintage Series is great for a wide variety of tone from blues to rock. The clean channel is excellent. The MTS is higher gain and more Marshall like. I suggest checking out the carvin forum. Guys have all kinds of sound clips. I have a Legacy myself, greatest amp I've ever owned.
They have a 10 day trial period so if you don't like it, you can return it


Carvin Website


Carvin Forum

 

[Baconator]

so I am currently the poppa of a Marshall MG100DFX, which i have no problems with. though i wanted to upgrade to a tube combo amp. its very hard to find one less than $1000US. any suggestions on what i should be looking at? as a cheaper tube combo?

Assuming $1000US is the upper limit you might want to check our Rivera combos - the pubster is about that much and they're a pretty darn nice amp.

My best advice would be to just get out to the stores and try out as many as you can, both above and below what you think you should spend. That way you'll get a better understanding of what's out there and how different amps work. If you're looking at used amps there are a numerous amps in that range - even Marshalls (this one from Song Bird in Ottawa).

Happy shopping!

 

[starvingstudent]

thanks boys. gonna so some searching when i get back to town

 

[Jeff Flowerday]

I'd look at a used 18 watt clone. You'll be able to find them in your price range no problem.

Love the 18 watt!!!

 

[starvingstudent]

does that imply that its only 18 watts i'm looking for a possible gig amp

 

[Jeff Flowerday]

does that imply that its only 18 watts i'm looking for a possible gig amp

18 watts is plenty enough for a normally loud band. Are you looking for ridiculous amounts of head room?

 

[sadowsky13]

18 watts is plenty enough for a normally loud band. Are you looking for ridiculous amounts of head room?

I concur with this quote. I play my TopHat Club Royale for gigs and it is only 18 watts. If the place is really big you could mic it anyways.

 

[starvingstudent]

hmm. just doesnt seem like a lot considering i have 100watts now

 

[ne1roc]

hmm. just doesnt seem like a lot considering i have 100watts now

What type of music do you play?

 

[Jeff Flowerday]

hmm. just doesnt seem like a lot considering i have 100watts now

It's solid state isn't it? Solid state vs tube output is quite different in perceived volume. 100 watts of tube power would only be needed if you are playing outdoor gigs or the stadiums. Or you are looking for head room first.

That said some people do use them, though I don't think I would want to be in the audience of a small or medium sized venue without ear plugs.


Jeff

 

[bagpipe]

It's solid state isn't it? Solid state vs tube output is quite different in perceived volume. 100 watts of tube power would only be needed if you are playing outdoor gigs or the stadiums. Or you are looking for head room first.

Agreed. I have a 50W Marshall head, and its ridiculous loud. Most of the places we play, or if we're practising, I never get it much 3 or 4 on the Master volume. If I were to get another amp, I'd get a tube amp in the 18 to 25W range. If you're playing anywhere larger, your amp will be miked for the main PA system anyway. I tried the hand wired 18W Marshall and its fantastic. You can crank it to get the good stuff, and its not deafening. Its more than the original posters budget, but I'd be looking for something similar to that size.

 

[Cross]

The Epiphone SoCal 50 is a tube head that sells for about $550-600. You might want to consider that if you're simply looking for a tube amp without any of the bells and whistles.

 

[ne1roc]

I would love an 18 watter now that I'm older and can appreciate music played at lower volumes ,but when you are young, you've got to go thru the thrill of 50 or 100 watts blowing out your ears!

:rockon2:

 

[david henman]

so I am currently the poppa of a Marshall MG100DFX, which i have no problems with. though i wanted to upgrade to a tube combo amp. its very hard to find one less than $1000US. any suggestions on what i should be looking at? as a cheaper tube combo?

...check out the traynor ycv series or, if you have a little more dough, rivera amps.

-dh

 

[Rong]

You could buy a Boogie Mark 4 for this price. Fantastic amp with supurb cleans and overdriven sounds. I understand that this is the most recorded amp in history.

Warnings...(1)You must take the time to learn the amp and it is harder to tweek than a fender. (2) Amp is a back breaker but is compact.

 

[starvingstudent]

I play alittle bit over everything... I'm not set on one specific genra.

 

[starvingstudent]

thats interesting. i didnt know that 18watt tube is that loud. guess you learn something new everyday, especially when browsing this site haha...

so maybe 18 watt tube is where i should be...

though i am not looking for just a head unit. i am looking for a combo unit as having a cab is just too big right now