Recommend a strong, low-watt, single-channel amp /w boost

[DaveLawrence]

On recommendation to try out low watt amps via my last thread here, I played a Freyette Memphis and had a middling impression until I turned on the drive channel, switched the amp to 18w, and popped on the gain boost. The rhythms were thick, tight, and crushing, and the leads sang powerfully. Then I turned off the gain boost and I had this warm and lush clean tone that sparkled in all the right places. Excited about getting great tones from this amp, I then tried out the 30w modes and the clean channel and was disappointed again.


So, to put it simply, what I am looking for is an amp that more-or-less does only what I need it to (I don't need "versatility," especially when it gives me things I don't want). I don't like the Memphis as a whole package because the 30w modes and the clean channel do absolutely nothing for me (and I don't feel like having to pay for them either as I don't feel that they are worth anything).


I am looking for something that has a similar tone to the Memphis on the drive channel (warm, lush, and welcoming, but becomes downright vicious when the gain gets turned up), has a gain boost, is around 15-20w, preferably single-channel, and responds well to the volume knob. Feel free to name off any amps that you can think of, I'm not picky as long as it has the right sound.


On another note I tried the Mesa TA-30 and TA-15 because they were said to be similar to the Memphis, and I found them to be not what I was looking for.


Any suggestions, or am I stuck with the Memphis for what I want?

[skullservant]

Just get a Peavey. They're cheap and versitle and you can throw it down stairs. At least if its not the sound you're looking for you can thrash the hell out of it

[D.o.S.]

The Tiny Terror (the original, not the dark/bass/bananas and blow version) was what came to mind first. 7/15 watts, a pleasant sounding Orange-y preamp--which may not be your thing. The only thing that doesn't match up is the lack of boost, and it has a MV, which may not be your thing.
http://www.orangeamps.com/tiny-terror-head/

[DaveLawrence]

Just get a Peavey. They're cheap and versitle and you can throw it down stairs. At least if its not the sound you're looking for you can thrash the hell out of it

What Peavey are you thinking of? I don't want 'versatile' either.

The Tiny Terror (the original, not the dark/bass/bananas and blow version) was what came to mind first. 7/15 watts, a pleasant sounding Orange-y preamp--which may not be your thing. The only thing that doesn't match up is the lack of boost, and it has a MV, which may not be your thing.
http://www.orangeamps.com/tiny-terror-head/

I was thinking about that amp, but I never really found the "gain" tones to be very clear on Orange amps. I will try to try one out though.


Any other suggestions?

[skullservant]

I've heard good things about the Peavey VTM60- although that might be a little more power than you're looking for

[Zounds Perspex]

spendy, but the Reeves Custom 30 MKII is pretty damn close to what you're describing.

[Zounds Perspex]

similarly, 3 Monkeys Orangutan.

[DaveLawrence]

spendy, but the Reeves Custom 30 MKII is pretty damn close to what you're describing.

similarly, 3 Monkeys Orangutan.

Both of those are 30 watts and I was not a fan of the 30w tones from the Memphis.

That said, the 18w version of the Reeves Custom sounds nice.

[skullservant]

If you dig what you're getting from the Memphis, why not just get a slave amp, run the Memphis at 18w, and then just use the slave amp to amplify that signal verbatim?

Are you saying that you think the Memphis is just too feature packed but you liek it otherwise? Might just be beneficial to cover the controls you don't like with tape so you aren't bothered with them.

[D.o.S.]

The tone might have less to do with the wattage than the preamp--although I assume since you're looking at a low wattage tuber you wants THEM OVERDRIVE TONEZ!

The Epi Valve Jr. gets a lot of love, and it's dirt cheap. Definitely try before you buy on that beast, though. It's got a fairly dark voice to it that can run the gamut from warm to muddy, depending on your taste. It loves fuzz boxes, from what I can remember--my old guitarist has one, but I haven't seen him in a year or so.

Also, google found me this one: http://www.lowwattamps.com/

[skullservant]

And the Valve Junior can be EASILY modded. New boards dropped in for less than $150 built to specs.

[Gutmann]

the suhr badger 18 would be worth a closer look

[DaveLawrence]

If you dig what you're getting from the Memphis, why not just get a slave amp, run it at 18w, and then just use the slave amp to amplify that signal verbatim?

What?

I don't own the amp, and I won't ever. It was a nice tone but not worth buying the whole package for.

Are you saying that you think the Memphis is just too feature packed but you liek it otherwise? Might just be beneficial to cover the controls you don't like with tape so you aren't bothered with them.

I am saying that I liked (not loved) that one tone I got out of all of the other bland ones. The amp has two channels, two power choices for each, and three voicings per channel (that is twelve possible tones and I hated 11). I am only interested in an amp specialized in that one tone I liked and only that tone.

I don't feel it would be right to basically buy an amp just for one small portion of the tone that is to my taste. Or to put it more bluntly: you couldn't pay me to take the other tones of that amp.

The tone might have less to do with the wattage than the preamp--although I assume since you're looking at a low wattage tuber you wants THEM OVERDRIVE TONEZ!

No, it was the lack of headroom with the 18W that made the difference. I flipped the amp to 30w with the general settings I liked on 18W and it was like night and day in the worst of ways. It was much, much too clean and composed on 30w, like a sterile 100w amp but more sickly.

The 18w sounded not so much like an amp but a roaring lion. I want that.

[skullservant]

If you dig what you're getting from the Memphis, why not just get a slave amp, run it at 18w, and then just use the slave amp to amplify that signal verbatim?

What?

I don't own the amp, and I won't ever. It was a nice tone but not worth buying the whole package for.

Are you saying that you think the Memphis is just too feature packed but you liek it otherwise? Might just be beneficial to cover the controls you don't like with tape so you aren't bothered with them.

I am saying that I liked (not loved) that one tone I got out of all of the other bland ones. The amp has two channels, two power choices for each, and three voicings per channel (that is twelve possible tones and I hated 11). I am only interested in an amp specialized in that one tone I liked and only that tone.

I don't feel it would be right to basically buy an amp just for one small portion of the tone that is to my taste. Or to put it more bluntly: you couldn't pay me to take the other tones of that amp.

Ah, I was under the impression you had the amp. That changes things.

[777mick777]

I fucking loved my epi junior. It's dark on lower volume, but turn the volume and you will get nice tube saturation. And they are pretty cheap.