Looking for small valve amps for clean-ish sounds

[sonic_777111]

I'm looking for a small valve amp (<15 watts) with a deep, dimensional slightly dirty sound that sounds good with overdrive pedals. I have been using a Crate V50, which sounds really fizzy and flat (even with an overdrive box) and is way too big and heavy (50 lbs, 2x12 speakers) to transport easily. I'm playing mostly indie, jazz and roots music, but occasionally I like to crank some distortion and play punk and metal stuff. Generally, I prefer Vox and Tweed-style amps for some reason.

I'm currently considering amps like the Xits X4, Weber Maggie kit, Valvetrain Concord, Ceriatone Creme Brulee, and Vox AC4 (with Mercury mod, of course). My budget is about $600. Anyone got any experience with these? I find a concern with a lot of small valve amps (namely, the Marshall Class 5, Blackstar HT, Jet City PicoValve and Vox Night Train) is that they're designed to produce a really saturated distortion, and I don't like that. I don't like much saturation out of the amp.

Ideally I'd like a head or something with a 12" speaker. My references for guitar tone include Coldplay, Norah Jones, Suzanne Vega, Editors, Wilco, Radiohead and Kings of Leon. I'm using a Gibson ES-137C and I'm thinking about getting another guitar (a Fender Telecaster or Rickenbacker 330) for twangier stuff. Thanks for any help you can give.

[gixxerrock]

I have a Traynor Dark horse which does exactly what you are describing. It also has a 2W mode and records nicely.

[sonic_777111]

Originally Posted by gixxerrock

I have a Traynor Dark horse which does exactly what you are describing. It also has a 2W mode and records nicely.

I'll look into that. The voicing switches and the Pure mode sound tremendously helpful and I LOVE 12AU7s. Doesn't Luke Doucet play these?

[ledfloyd]

The Egnater Tweaker might fit your needs

[ES330]

Laney Cub 10

great cleans
loves pedals

[mattekelly]

+1 on the Egnater Tweaker. I regularly gig with it (my only amp) and have used a variety of pedals including a Barber Direct Drive & 1/2 Gainer, Signa Drive, Fulltone Fat Boost, and Visual Sound's Open Road and Route 808. The only pedal I don't care for with the Tweaker is the Route 808.

I mainly use the Tweaker on the AC setting with a bit of breakup dialed in already.

[jrw32]

In all seriousness...the new Ibanez Tube Screamer amps (5/15w) fits your description nicely...I play in a similar style as the bands/tones you described & have been continually blown by this amp both clean/dirty, at home/gigs, & with pedals. Cleans stay totally clean/warm or dial in dirt with a boost/the TS channel.