i don't have an amp right now because i moved interstate and have some super shitty conditions that make or break what would work for me:
- small and light enough to carry on the bus/train with one hand. i don't own a car and i don't get enough brotein so lighter is better..
- loud enough to keep up with a drummer but not like super loud, just something that can do rehearsal volume in small ensembles and stay clean. i don't doom, i freejazz.
- at least usable at bedroom volume
- budget is up to 1000 AUD max but the lower the better. i don't care where it's made as long as it's reliable and sounds right.
- i live on the west coast of kangaroo land so store options are severely limited, will probably have to freight from the east coast. second hand market is horrendous.
- i really reaaallly don't like tube breakup for how i play, so particularly in that tiny amp range there doesn't seem to be much where i can get jazz type cleans at higher volumes. my favourite amps are all solid state but at the same time a lot of solid state amps that are small and cheap and attainable are digital modeling amps which i usually don't like. simple is nice... volume, bass, mid, treble.. other things are fine but superfluous usually.
what i've considered so far:
-roland - i really want a JC40 but i can't find it locally and with freight i'm looking at $900 if i order without getting to play it first.. literally perfect but it's a 2x10 combo and from what i've heard a little underpowered and not actually that small or light?
-one of those quilter micro heads. they seem awesome but pairing it with a cab that's small and cheap and loud enough seems like the problem..
-vox - ac4? these probably aren't loud enough and i doubt i'd like the sound but they're cheap and i've seen purple ones.. there's an ac10 now too isn't there?
-peavey - i'd make do with a bandit but they're pretty fuckin' heavy. at least the old one i used to have. super hard to find specific models around here.
-dv mark - the little jazz or jazz 12 are pretty ideal but very close to $1000 which seems like a lot and i've heard next to nothing about them. wouldn't be able to play before buying either.
-orange - something like a tiny terror combo might work? but even those are like $1100 here and they don't stay clean do they? never played one.
-some kind of active speaker that i can use with a Boss GT-001. the GT is pretty neat so i could probably make it work but i wouldn't know where to start with the speaker thing.
- a fender champ or something? maybe someone builds clones.
- blackstar HT5? are they loud?
..i dunno
thanks



