Low Watt Tube Amps: Vox AC4/Blackheart/Etc

[ohsojayadeva]

Every manufacturer seems to be taking a run at the new craze of low watt, compact tube amps. i see the subject pop up here every once and a while as well... but can someone with solid experience with these things lend comments about how they actually hold up? How much clean headroom, how they take pedals, how loud are they *really* etc? I know Devi had/has a blackheart, and Pumpkinpieces had/has the peavey 5 watter. anyone else?

[Ghost Hip]

The Valve King Royal 8 I have is alright. It can compete with a drummer as long as you have it set up on a chair in practice situations. It takes pedals very well. Doesn't sound too hot with the volume down (but who plays quiet anyways), and when it's cranked in a practice situation the lows are sacrificed a bit. Good for college but I'd only record with it for lo-fi fuzztones. It does get some nice low end once the master is turned up to two/three. Also it sounds wonderful through a camera's mic so my gear demos always sound pretty accurate to how the pedal sounds to my ears. Overall for $125 used, it's a great amp and I'm a satisfied customer.

My friend has the Epi Valve Junior and it's louder than my Royal 8, it takes pedals well as long as your fuzz/od pedal has an EQ or tone knob. My friend uses a DS-1 and milkshake chorus and it sounds pretty damn good especially when they mic it live. However he has to play with a semi dirty clean tone which he's grown to love. If I were tog et a Valve Junior I'd mod it with a tone knob and gain/input knob.

[SirBlend12]

I'm looking at either a Champion 600 or AC4. Biggest thing that seems to suck about most of these little ones is the lack of control (especially with the Champ). Oh well, whatever I got I'd end up modding anyway.

The volume on many of them seems to be pretty adequate. I know the Valve Jr. is pretty loud, the AC4 cranks out very nicely (even when your clean)... not sure about the Champy. I know with the Vox you stay pretty clean until about 6, at least with single coils, that is if clean is important to you (which it is to me... I like my dirt from boxes, using a boost to drive the tubes).

I know the Vox seems to do pretty well with pedals in front of it, and it has solid output for being that size. I'd go with the Head/Cab, too. Better speaker and the option to use a different cab. It's worth a test at the local "drug store" of your choice!

[MannequinRaces]

I'm looking at either a Champion 600 or AC4. Biggest thing that seems to suck about most of these little ones is the lack of control (especially with the Champ). Oh well, whatever I got I'd end up modding anyway.

The volume on many of them seems to be pretty adequate. I know the Valve Jr. is pretty loud, the AC4 cranks out very nicely (even when your clean)... not sure about the Champy. I know with the Vox you stay pretty clean until about 6, at least with single coils, that is if clean is important to you (which it is to me... I like my dirt from boxes, using a boost to drive the tubes).

I know the Vox seems to do pretty well with pedals in front of it, and it has solid output for being that size. I'd go with the Head/Cab, too. Better speaker and the option to use a different cab. It's worth a test at the local "drug store" of your choice!

I'm in the same boat here. I'm thinking of getting the AC4. As long as it will do well with fuzz pedals I would be a happy camper. I guess it should do clean tones well. I'm more interested in using it for a recording amp. Have you bought one yet? Any others on this board have experience with these?

[sevenSHARPnine]

Best small tube amp ever

I know Tom owns (and records demos with) one of the Blackheart 5-watters. I own a Blackheart 15-watt amp and it's GLORIOUS. It's awesome for playing live when the Fender doesn't have quite enough volume.

But for garage jam sessions, nothing makes me happier than running my Vibro Champ and my Blackheart in stereo

[Soul Power]

Everybody seems to be making low watt amps these days. Lately I've been interested in Laney's Club 8.

[Blurillaz]

Best small tube amp ever

I know Tom owns (and records demos with) one of the Blackheart 5-watters. I own a Blackheart 15-watt amp and it's GLORIOUS. It's awesome for playing live when the Fender doesn't have quite enough volume.

But for garage jam sessions, nothing makes me happier than running my Vibro Champ and my Blackheart in stereo

Dude, I totally suggested this to someone on chat. Glad to see we agree.

[ifeellikeatourist]

I give the vox ac4 my vote. I know people sometimes worry about how their pedals will sound with such a low wattage amp, but my ac4 handles my shoegazer, US, wolf computer, and team awesome fuzzmachine very well. Personally, I haven't played any of the other little amps out there, so can't really speak on them.

[MannequinRaces]

I give the vox ac4 my vote. I know people sometimes worry about how their pedals will sound with such a low wattage amp, but my ac4 handles my shoegazer, US, wolf computer, and team awesome fuzzmachine very well. Personally, I haven't played any of the other little amps out there, so can't really speak on them.

That's good to know!

[MannequinRaces]

Best small tube amp ever

I know Tom owns (and records demos with) one of the Blackheart 5-watters. I own a Blackheart 15-watt amp and it's GLORIOUS. It's awesome for playing live when the Fender doesn't have quite enough volume.

Decisions, decisions ...

I'm just glad that manufacturers are making reasonably priced low wattage tube amps. I've always wanted a tube amp but thought that they were out of my price range!

[dragline]

I have the Peavy that PumpkinPieces has as well, and I'll go along with everything he said, only I'd add that for me, the only thing that really lets it down compared to most of the other 5 watt amps is the lack of an extention cab jack. The Epi and the Fender Champ both have those, I believe, as do the new Laney ones. Being able to hook it up to a 1x12 or 2x12 would help the sound considerably, due to the relatively wimpy speaker in it.

Edit: Oh crap, Orange do one as well now! http://www.guitar.co.uk/orange/2249-ora ... _amplifier

Brings back memories of my long lost Orange cab...

[saboteur]

I've owned the Orange Tiny Terror, which was an awesome low-mid watt amp, you can have both nice clean sounds and almost get a bit fuzzy at 10. I had to sell it to pay rent, which is the biggest mistake I've made. I loved that thing to death - and the looks! mmmmmm

Now I own a AC4TVH with matching cab, and I'm very happy with it. As mentioned somewhere below it handles most pedals just fine - the most extreme I've gotten away with is my shoe gazer. And man, thats extreme. The main problem with these low watt joyboxes is that you often have little or almost no tone control - other than that, great trend.

[metalmariachi]

What goes around comes around.

http://cgi.ebay.com/1953-KAY-TUBE-GUITA ... dZViewItem

http://www.spacemanmusic.com/Amps/Vinta ... +703+Combo

http://harmony.demont.net/amps.php

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Valco-Supro ... dZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/1950s-Supro-Valco-E ... 3a54acc5de

http://www.harpamps.com/silvertone/ampgallery.html

1300d.jpg (13.6 KiB) Viewed 4195 times

And more.

MM

[MannequinRaces]

I've owned the Orange Tiny Terror, which was an awesome low-mid watt amp, you can have both nice clean sounds and almost get a bit fuzzy at 10. I had to sell it to pay rent, which is the biggest mistake I've made. I loved that thing to death - and the looks! mmmmmm

Now I own a AC4TVH with matching cab, and I'm very happy with it. As mentioned somewhere below it handles most pedals just fine - the most extreme I've gotten away with is my shoe gazer. And man, thats extreme. The main problem with these low watt joyboxes is that you often have little or almost no tone control - other than that, great trend.

I feel for you about selling your Tiny Terror. I would love to get one but they are a little out of my price range.

I think I'm going to seriously consider the Vox AC4TVH.

Thanks everybody for your input!

What goes around comes around.

Sure does.

[Gregor Samsa]

I think the blackheart little giant stack seems like a pretty good alternative, its about the same price as the vox stack, but the cabinet on the little devil is bigger, + it has a 3 band eq!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uACfzWYMMYQ[/youtube]