Small portable combo $800/£600/€700

[AngryGoldfish]

So I was looking at the gvt15 combo online, checking specs cuz the head model I own is kinda bulky and a touch on the heavy side. That little bastard weighs in at 42lbs, around 19kg? with dimensions of 19"H x 18"W x 10"D. That's kinda pushing it on your requirements and maybe not the most portable combo ever but I've yet to see or lug one in person. Only experienced with the gvt15H which weighs around 24lbs but figured I'd throw that out there.

I still think, sonically speaking, it's probably just what you're after depending on the speaker that comes loaded stock. Hopefully it's quality and can hold together to give you the clean headroom you're wanting. My cabs do a great job but I'm always using 2x12s....

The one thing holding me back from the Ampeg is indeed the weight, and is also the reason I've held back from other amps like the new Bad Cat Cougar 15. They're both only 4kg lighter than my Memphis, and not much smaller. They'll be easier to carry, but easy enough? That's the worry I'm having.

Get a toaster, brah.

But why not one of the Minimats and a cab?
http://www.matamp.co.uk/minimat-3rd-generation/

The shop guys might be able to hook you up with a 1x12 combo if you ring 'em up and ask nicely.

I've tried the previous Minimat II, and also the new Mini-Rock, and they're wicked sounding amps. I intend to buy the Mini-Rock when I can (it doesn't do cleans at all though). The Mini-Pro and Mini-Verb would be OK, if a little quiet, but they don't come in combo format unfortunately. Matamp are quite strict on this. And if I was to find a way to carry a small 1x12 along with me, my options would open up greatly. But at the same time, because it would cost a great deal more, my options would go down as well, at least in the new market.

[mathias]

Take another look at the ZT Lunchbox Sure, it's solid state, but I think you'll find it warm enough and way loud enough for what you're playing. And you can always put pedals in front of it.. get the padded gig bag, there's some room for pedals in it.

[AngryGoldfish]

It would be fantastic for the jams I'm going to every now and again, but it wouldn't be ideal at all for the shows. It might be loud enough, but that 6.5" speaker would not handle the low-end of a Pharaoh or a C-tuned humbucker-equipped guitar.

[mathias]

It would be fantastic for the jams I'm going to every now and again, but it wouldn't be ideal at all for the shows. It might be loud enough, but that 6.5" speaker would not handle the low-end of a Pharaoh or a C-tuned humbucker-equipped guitar.

They have the 1x12 model as well http://www.ztamplifiers.com/products/club.html

[madmax1012]

AMPEG SUPER JET. more powerful than you need, but you'd have a tone of clean headroom, and they pop up for like $250 on craigslist when I see them.

"The Super Jet is a smooth ride with 50 Class AB watts, a single 12" Ampeg Vintage speaker, all-tube design (2 - 6L6s and 2 - 12AX7s), reverb, and tremolo. Tone and tremolo speed and intensity controls. Vintage Ampeg look with blue diamond covering and stovepipe knobs. It produces the outstandingly clean, fat, round tone that jazz and blues players crave. 19"W x 16"H x 10"D. ONLY 30 lbs."





or just buy a princeton.

[Moustache_Bash]

Loud, light, affordable.
You can only choose two.

I'd look for an Ampeg J20 Reissue, but I don't know have feasible that is 'cuz of where you live

[mathias]

AMPEG SUPER JET. more powerful than you need, but you'd have a tone of clean headroom, and they pop up for like $250 on craigslist when I see them.

"The Super Jet is a smooth ride with 50 Class AB watts, a single 12" Ampeg Vintage speaker, all-tube design (2 - 6L6s and 2 - 12AX7s), reverb, and tremolo. Tone and tremolo speed and intensity controls. Vintage Ampeg look with blue diamond covering and stovepipe knobs. It produces the outstandingly clean, fat, round tone that jazz and blues players crave. 19"W x 16"H x 10"D. ONLY 30 lbs."





or just buy a princeton.

I've got a Jet-IIR reissue, very similar amp, and it has too much headroom can't get it to crunch. Just goes from cleanish and warm into BUZZY DOOM. I'd give it up cheap, but Ireland would cost a lot in shipping.

[theavondon]

Damn 50 watts? That's cool.

[AngryGoldfish]

I love me some Ampeg. I'd definitely go vintage if I could, as you generally get more bang for your buck. Those small Ampeg Jet reissues were on my radar when they first came out four or so years ago, but they didn't seem to be on sale for very long. I heard they had reliability issues. They sounded excellent to me, though, from the clips I'd heard. I always keep my eye out for one locally. I'll have another look to see if there is one in the UK. 50 watts is still too loud, but at 30lbs that would be at least one think I wouldn't have to worry about.

Fender Princeton amps, funnily enough, don't really crop up very regularly around the UK or Ireland, and when they do they are around $300 over my budget. But I might just save up a little more and get the real thing, or get something very cheap now like the Laney Cub 12R, and then invest in a second-hand Carr Rambler or something similar next year when I have more money to spare. Ampeg amps are full of mojo. They're definitely the shit.