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Topic: Inexpensive little tube amp |
Jeffrey McFadden
From:
Missouri, USA
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Posted 8 Jul 2024 10:29 am |
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Just for laughs, I'm considering buying this inexpensive little 15 watt tube amp.
I play through a Quilter Micro Pro Mach II and have never owned a tube amp.
I'm a front room musician and don't need to worry about filling a hall with sound.
This Stage Right (Monoprice) amp is Chinese made (of course), all tube, and gets pretty good reviews on YouTube from electric guitar players. I've not seen one on a steel.
Under $300.00 new. Spring reverb, tone, gain, low, med, high, master volume, reverb controls.
My only other amp is a Boss Katana Mini, for playing with friends with acoustic instruments. Solid state, it gets its mighty 8 watts out of 6 AA batteries. This might fit between the two.
https://www.monoprice.com/productp_id=611815
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Well up into mediocrity
I don't play what I'm supposed to.
Home made guitars |
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Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
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Posted 9 Jul 2024 3:31 am
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they are boxy sounding, just too small a cab..A lot of guitar players like them, but we tend to like ANY amp that has tubes... I have a big Stage Right amp, a 50 watter and it sounds huge with a single 15 in an old Fender Twin size closed cabinet. All Stage Right amps[including mine] have weak reverb due to a small cheap tank... I have heard that upgrade tanks are available and help a lot... The 15 watters ae well liked by many, but have doubled in price in just a few years, the same amp was $149 a couple years back, and as they gained popularity [due to YT reviews] they kept going up in price,,, I don't play that game personally. They are supposed to be the exact same amp as a Laney Cub 112, an amp thats almost triple the price...
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I'm over the hill and hittin'rocks on the way down!
no gear list for me.. you don't have the time...... |
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Larry Dering
From:
Missouri, USA
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Posted 9 Jul 2024 5:34 am
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| I have one now for a couple years. Does good with a Telecaster or lap steel. Not my cup of tea for pedal steel but it will sound ok at lower volumes. I don't like the face panel because it's impossible to see the letters due to the chrome faceplate. A piece of tape across top with markers help that. As Bob stated the reverb is not good but a pedal will help. |
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Jeffrey McFadden
From:
Missouri, USA
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Posted 9 Jul 2024 9:56 am
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| Bob Carlucci wrote: |
| they are boxy sounding, just too small a cab..A lot of guitar players like them, but we tend to like ANY amp that has tubes... I have a big Stage Right amp, a 50 watter and it sounds huge with a single 15 in an old Fender Twin size closed cabinet. All Stage Right amps[including mine] have weak reverb due to a small cheap tank... I have heard that upgrade tanks are available and help a lot... The 15 watters ae well liked by many, but have doubled in price in just a few years, the same amp was $149 a couple years back, and as they gained popularity [due to YT reviews] they kept going up in price,,, I don't play that game personally. They are supposed to be the exact same amp as a Laney Cub 112, an amp thats almost triple the price... |
"Boxy sounding."
I have to confess that a lot of people on here obviously have much better trained and more discerning ears than I do.
Of course, as an old combat veteran with a blast hole in my brain and and various endless whistles playing in both ears, I'm fortunate to be able to hear a scale or a melody. You takes what you gets and does your best with it.
_________________
Well up into mediocrity
I don't play what I'm supposed to.
Home made guitars |
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Len Amaral
From:
Rehoboth,MA 02769
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Posted 9 Jul 2024 6:48 pm
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The Mono Price/Harly Benton amps are 15 watts and use a pair of EL-84 power tube with several 12ax7 preamp tubes. May be ok for guitar at a low volume but with pedal steel it may be underwhelming. They have gotten good reviews for that Vox chimy vibe.
Lenny
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I survived the sixties! |
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Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
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Posted 10 Jul 2024 3:55 am
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I mean, it will work with a pedal steel, but its just not ideal.. Even if used with a good size 15 or 2x12 cab, the 2 EL84 tube amps are typically not what you want for a pedal steel.. I have tried several times, and yeah they work, but its just not you really want for pedal steel guitar. Lap steel, yes, 6 string yes.. Thats why everyone has always looked to Fender amps when it comes to tube amps for pedal steel guitar. Fender always used 6L6 or 6V6 output tubes, and the headroom and frequency response these tubes provide is well documented.. To make it simple,they just sound- "right"...
Most other amps ,outside a few oddballs over the years, use EL84 or EL 34 output tubes... Nothing inherently wrong with these tubes in an output stage, but decades ago, most steel players decided these amps were simply not as good sounding for pedal steel.. I have tried the best of the best production amps with EL 34 or EL84 output tubes, and they work with steel, but they just seem to not be ideal... I have always gravitated back to 6l6 output tube amps,,, Mostly Fender, but the Peavey amps I have used that had 6L6 output were also very good... There might be an EL84 tube amp out there thats well "voiced" for the frequency range of a pedal steel , but I personally have not found it.. That little Monoprice amp, is fine.. It will work well, and sound just fine for practice if thats all you want it for.. Personally to my ears, those smaller 1x12 amps just sound restricted and boxy.. Just not enough cabinet there to resonate and move air..
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I'm over the hill and hittin'rocks on the way down!
no gear list for me.. you don't have the time...... |
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Patrick Huey
From:
Nacogdoches, Texas, USA
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Posted 21 Jul 2024 7:51 pm
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Jeff
here is the re-branded version in head form and comes with a two year warranty and run into a 15” speaker should give you more volume than the Monoprice combo speaker
https://www.gear4music.com/us/en/Guitar-and-Bass/SubZero-Saturn-15VR-Tube-Amp-Head-Black/3IED
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Pre RP Mullen D10 8/7, Zum 3/4, Carter S-10 3/4, previous Cougar SD-10 3/4 & GFI S-10 3/4, Fender Steel King, 2 Peavey Session 500's, Peavey Nashville 400, Boss DD-3, Profex-II, Hilton Digital Sustain, '88 Les Paul Custom,Epiphone MBIBG J-45, Fender Strat & Tele's, Takamine acoustics, Marshall amps, Boss effects, Ibanez Tube Screamer, and it all started with an old cranky worn out Kay acoustic you could slide a Mack truck between the strings and fretboard on!! |
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Patrick Huey
From:
Nacogdoches, Texas, USA
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Posted 21 Jul 2024 7:53 pm
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they also have a very low priced affordable 50 watt head. These, the Harley Benton, and Stage Rights are all the exact same amplifiers from the same Chinese manufacturer and are exact clones of the Laney Cub I believe
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Pre RP Mullen D10 8/7, Zum 3/4, Carter S-10 3/4, previous Cougar SD-10 3/4 & GFI S-10 3/4, Fender Steel King, 2 Peavey Session 500's, Peavey Nashville 400, Boss DD-3, Profex-II, Hilton Digital Sustain, '88 Les Paul Custom,Epiphone MBIBG J-45, Fender Strat & Tele's, Takamine acoustics, Marshall amps, Boss effects, Ibanez Tube Screamer, and it all started with an old cranky worn out Kay acoustic you could slide a Mack truck between the strings and fretboard on!! |
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