Tube power amp?

Len Amaral · From: Rehoboth,MA 02769

Any recommendations for a tube power amp? I use to have a Mesa Boogie power amp 50/50 I think and it weighed a ton. I have an SMS Classic preamp on order and would like to rack it with a tube power amp. Oh what fun... Smile

Jim Sliff · From: Lawndale California, USA

here's a newer one that's had some decent reviews - I like the combination of 6L6 and EL34's - likely to have a very rich harmonic content.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002E3H36

Otherwise you can dig into audiophile equipment:

http://www.audioclassics.com/cat.php3?cat=Amplifiers

...pretty pricey though.

This one is not a power amp, but CAN be used as one...and having tried one with steel, I'll vouch for it - with the right speakers (something that handles high power but with a smooth, round tone) it's the bomb:

http://www.ampeg.com/products/classic/svtcl/index.html

And another goodie:

http://www.musicdirect.com/product/73047

Needless to say, tube power amps are on the pricey side and are usually audiophile equipment.

A notable exception is a band who used audiophile equipment - tube power amps - to power guitars, bass...just about everything. But they'd use tons of them and walls of speakers - yet play at a very low volume.

This was the Grateful Dead - and they used the highly renowned MacIntosh line of power amps.

But for normal playing I'd look for a used SVT and plug into the preamp input, just using the SVT's power amp.

Or just use an SVT head - it makes a great steel amp, with a full range and headroom galore!
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b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

Brad Sarno · From: St. Louis, MO USA

Len,

Boogie made a 50/50 tube amp that's a lot louder than your 20/20. They can be found used.

Another well loved newer but discontinued amp is the VHT. They made a Two/Fifty/Two stereo 50 watt per channel amp, and also a Two/Ninety/Two which is 90 watts per channel. A few Rev owners use this one and say it's the ultimate.

I also see that Carvin offers a newly available tube power amp. I have no reports on this one, but the price is reasonable, and Carvin seems to have a good rep for supporting their stuff. I can't personally confirm that though.

https://www.carvinguitars.com/products/single.php?product=TS100

Then of course there's a vintage McIntosh MC275 that would be dreamy.

Brad

Len Amaral · From: Rehoboth,MA 02769

Thanks for the info and insight. I would like to try the Mesa 20/20 as I plan on using it in low volume situations. The Carvin is interesting also at a fair price and a 10 day trial. A tube power amp should be a tone party with the SMS Classic.

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

The best tube amp I've run across in a long time is the VHT 2/90/2. It's not cheap but I guess you get what you pay for. Very Happy

Marc Jenkins · From: Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

I don't know why a power amp should make so much difference, but the Mesa 20/20 sounds a lot better to my ears than the 50/50. I had both and alternated between them for gigs for a couple of years. After a while, I only used the 50/50 for un-miked outdoor gigs, where I knew I'd need the extra power.

I can't even explain the difference, except to say that the 20/20 sounds more "musical" to me. Not a technical term, I know...
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Eric Philippsen · From: Central Florida USA

All this talk about tube power amps made me remember I have an old Macintosh MC240 amp sitting in my shop. That and a Mac MX110 tuner/preamp that I used with it. If I recall, I have all the manuals and even one original Mac shipping box from the sixties. They've always been for sale but 1) I've never actually listed them anywhere (now, what's that all about?) and 2) I need to figure how much I should ask for them. Oh, well, I've never been real quick about things.........

Len Amaral · From: Rehoboth,MA 02769

I stopped in at local music store this morning to pick up a speaker cable and they also carry the Mesa Boogie line. I inquired about the 20/20 and it is still available for $900.00. There is a used 20/20 on Ebay but it looks to be an older unit and has a dose of rack rash and probably would need a new set of tubes.

Jim Peter · From: Mendon,Mich USA

I have a Mesa/Boogie 50/50 power amp that was starting to make a lot of noise. I sent it down to Ken Fox to see what he could do with it. After looking it over he mentioned that it was set up to be a rock and roll amp and if I liked he would rebias it so it would make a better steel amp. When I got it back, not only was it quiet, but it had a lot more clean head room and sounds great with my steel guitar.

Cliff Kane · From: the late great golden state

I think Rivera made, or perhaps still makes, a tube power amp.

Olli Haavisto · From: Jarvenpaa,Finland

Does anyone make a mono tube power amp for guitar ? The hi-fi monoblocks are a bit pricey Shocked

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Cliff Kane · From: the late great golden state

This isn't exactly on topic, but on some amps that have an effects loop, isn't plugging into the effects loop return jack the same as plugging into the input of the power amp circuit? So, one could use only the amp's power amp with a different pre amp by plugging the pre amp's output into the effects loop return jack?

Olli Haavisto · From: Jarvenpaa,Finland

Yes.
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Len Amaral · From: Rehoboth,MA 02769

Is a stereo tube power amp able to be bridged mono like many of the SS stereo amps.

Jon Light · From: Saugerties, NY

I can't speak for all of them but the only one that I know (I have one), the Peavey 50/50 does go from 2 x 50 watts to mono 100w.
And FWIW, there is absolutely nothing wrong with this amp (which runs on EL84's) but I am not in love with it. There was never a "THERE!" moment. I don't know if it's the tubes that don't give the fatness of 6L6 types or what but the magic just isn't there.

Dan Tyack · From: Olympia, WA USA

The best ones I've played are the VHT 2-50-2 and 2-90-2. Killer, killer power amps. The latter is better for clean pedal steel.

Bob Hoffnar · From: Austin, Tx

My favorite power amp by a very very large margin is the VHT 2/90/2 with the KT88 tubes.
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Dan Tyack · From: Olympia, WA USA

I had to stop using the VHT 2-90-2 (with KT-88s) because the massive low end and unlimited power unleashed my hunger for world domination and made me hated by sound guys all over the Seattle area (too loud was an understatement). It sure sounds good, though.

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

Amen on the VHT 2/90/2! Very Happy

Eric Jaeger · From: Oakland, California, USA

I don't recall ever picking up a VHT 90 watt amp, but an SVT comes in at close to 100 lbs for the head (6x6550's, 300 watts). And it doesn't have what you'd call "audiophile" transformers. Tube amps need output transformers, and good ones that can handle a lot of current have a lot of solid iron in them.

I think "light" and "tube" don't go together Smile

-eric

Len Amaral · From: Rehoboth,MA 02769

Just a quick update. I have a Frenzel super twin amp with four 6550 power tubes that I was not really enthused about as a steel amp. However, I moved the amp this week and noticed in the back that it has a "power amp in" jack. So hooked up my Tonic preamp to this jack and it really sounds robust, warm and clear. Very inspiring...Go figure?

b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

6550's are nice clean powerful tubes - makes sense that they'd sound good for steel. I remember that Mesa/Boogie made some bass amps with them. Their original Bass 400 (not the Bass 400+) rack-mount heads had six 6550's.
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Adam Sorber · From: Pennsylvania, USA

I use the MESA 400+ live for my steel now. I also use a yamaha spx90II reverb in the effects loop. TONS of clean tube power with lots of headroom with 12 6l6's. Devil

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