sleeper amps

[metalmariachi]

I thought I make a list of great sounding amps that can be found for little money.

Tubes..

Rivera-era Fenders 1982-1986. Aka series II amps
These were designed by Rivera (Rivera amps) for fender adding an overdrive to classic Fender tone.
Champ II, Princeton II, Harvard II, Deluxe II, Concert II, Twin II as well as the 1980-‘81 30 and 75 (I don’t think these two were designed by Rivera ).
The amps are all tube and use a component board like the older Fenders.
With a couple of small tweaks (cap values) they can sound as good as the black face, silver face amps and have the extra gain stages for overdrive.

Killer amps and over looked by the vintage Fender purists.

MM

To be continued…

[Blurillaz]

Crate V series
You can get these pretty cheap, $200 for an 18 watt, and mod them to be brighter easily.

[Pirate]

Laney ProTube series

[letsgocoyote]

Silvertone 1481
mushy cab but otherwise better than a Champ, can be had for under $200 if you play ebay

[Blurillaz]

I'll have to check that out.

[Jenesis]

Crate V series

[aralim4311]

Resurrect time as I am starting a new amp hunt.

[hazelwould]

From my experience Peavey and Carvin rules.

Rare but the Trace Elliott stuff is cool.

[Moustache_Bash]

Old GK 400RB
Peavey XXL, effing brilliant SS amp

Both amps are about $200 at most.

[doommeow]

Trace. Especially the tube/SS hybrid bass models.

[tremolo3]

Music Man, Peavey, Traynor.

[bob the r0bot]

Fender PA 100/135

$400 for a louder Twin Reverb

[tashiattack]

Laney ProTube series

I'm picking up a 100 watt aor tomorrow. Can't wait!

Also the Mesa f100 is sleeper. The clean channel sounds like a fender blackface and has tons of headroom. Great pedal platform.

[rfurtkamp]

Jazz Chorus 50/55/60 are criminally cheap if you prowl GC's used site regularly.

All the fun with an extra out for stereo chorus/feed to a board/slave amp, and blisteringly loud for a 1x12

[Gone Fission]

Marshall solid state amps from the 80s. "Lead" models of various power ratings, some "Reverb" models. Not the most bells and whistles tube emulation--in fact, some ridiculously basic circuits to sound as legit as they do at pulling credible vintage Marshall tones. They had a reputation of sounding better than an un-cranked JCM-800, and a lot of pros would use the little Lead 12 heads or combos for recording or as a preamp in a rack of doom

Made in England with Celestion speakers stock, I think on all models, and solid, pro-level construction, not imported "beginner amp" junk. But because that's what they seem like, they can go very cheap on the used market. The Lead 12 mini stacks, especially with custom color tolex, have some pull with collectors, but otherwise they're pretty well ignored. And if you can do light repairs, worth a cheap gamble for a "broken" amp: my Lead 12 was sold as "non-working" for $25 but just needed contact cleaner and one replacement potentiometer. If it had needed more, it would have been easy work--good layout, conventional parts.