A good bedroom/recording amp for around $1000+/-?

[PCho222]

Hi guys, I am in the market for a tube amp (combo or head/cab) that I can play to full potential in my house and not get a hemorrhage from the noise. My genre that I play is instrumental-rock/progressive-metal/wanna-be-Guthrie-Govan-crap.

I plan on mic'ing the amp at some point but I don't gig so I don't need anything big, so probably around a 30-watt head with a 1x12 cab will do.

I had my eyes on a Hughes & Kettner Tubemeister 36 with a Traynor 112 cab but so far, people either vehemently love or hate the amp and since I have nowhere that I can test it, it would be a shot in the dark. I have also looked into the Orange series 30-watters and what-have-you but I have no idea since there are so many options.

Anybody have any directions they can point me in? I would probably spend around $1200 tops for amp/head/cab. I am willing to buy used.

 

[ericjohnson]

VOX AC15 Hand Wired.

 

[Rollin]

Check out the Burriss Dirty Red, fun little amp.

 

[Atlas Stands]

Consider having one of the vendors here make you exactly what you need? Perfect wattage, perfect speaker, perfect tube/iron/caps? Just a thought and alternative.

 

[PCho222]

VOX AC15 Hand Wired.

You think that would have enough gain? I sort of lean more towards a modern amp with vintage throwbacks which was why I was looking at the H&K. I am not looking for straight up metal, but some of the material I play can have high gain.

I will look into the Dirty Red, thanks.

 

[PCho222]

Consider having one of the vendors here make you exactly what you need? Perfect wattage, perfect speaker, perfect tube/iron/caps? Just a thought and alternative.

That would be awesome, but quite frankly, I would have no idea what I really want. I like Guthrie Govan's lead tone in his album Erotic Cakes. I also like Greg Howe's tone in Introspection. I figure that I would have an amp with EL34/EL84's and around 30-watts with an extended cabinet with a single V30 maybe, to balance out the honk. What would you guys recommend?

 

[ericjohnson]

You think that would have enough gain? I sort of lean more towards a modern amp with vintage throwbacks which was why I was looking at the H&K. I am not looking for straight up metal, but some of the material I play can have high gain.

I will look into the Dirty Red, thanks.

It would be a great clean platform for pedals.

 

[PCho222]

It would be a great clean platform for pedals.

I kind of would rather to have an all-amp gain/distortion if possible. Not that I have anything against pedals, but I want my amp to do the screaming and have my Tonelab do the effects.

 

[lo-watt]

I recommend the Reason Bambino. Perfect house/recording amp...

 

[LPMojoGL]

I get great clean to metalish sounds out of my 15 watt Orange Jim Root Terror. It's basically the drive channel of the Orange Rockerverb with a 15-watt, el84 power section. Loud enough to jam with a rock band (no cleans or headroom for solos at those volumes), but perfect for home playing and recording. There are plenty of 15 watt Orange amps with enough gain to cover what you want, if the Jim Root amp isn't the one for you. I find it much better than the Tiny Terror due to effects loop and 3-band eq. I do find that it tightens up with a drive pedal in front. Doesn't need it, but allows it to go from clean to full on metal with guitar volume and the click of a switch.

 

[Atlas Stands]

That would be awesome, but quite frankly, I would have no idea what I really want. I like Guthrie Govan's lead tone in his album Erotic Cakes. I also like Greg Howe's tone in Introspection. I figure that I would have an amp with EL34/EL84's and around 30-watts with an extended cabinet with a single V30 maybe, to balance out the honk. What would you guys recommend?

I personally wouldn't go over an efficient 18 watter for a bedroom amp. Blackfoot Customs makes a couple you may really like. They are amazing.

http://www.blackfootcustomamps.com/Home.html

 

[PCho222]

I looked into the Reason Bambino and it looks great so I will definitely put it in my list. I looked at the Orange Jim Root Terror and it also sounds good for what I want. Man, so many choices that I don't know what to choose. You think it would be possible to find an amp with maybe a tad more wattage or even an EL34 power section? I don't gig, but I do have a friend who plays drums and a friend who has a 2x12 and I like to jam with them. Think I could get an amp around 30-watts for the headroom, but still manageable for the bedroom?

 

[PCho222]

I personally wouldn't go over an efficient 18 watter for a bedroom amp. Blackfoot Customs makes a couple you may really like. They are amazing.

http://www.blackfootcustomamps.com/Home.html

Ah yeah, it makes sense since even 5-watters can get loud. Would I lose any tonal qualities though by scaling back to 18 watts versus, say, 30?

 

[Progman]

Anything by Rivera, really.

 

[PCho222]

Hmm, would it be wiser for me to invest in a THD Hot Plate and get an amp disregarding wattage?

 

[javiereu]

I have a Engl Thunder, It's a great sounding combo.
It has a celestion V30, 2 6l6's giving 50 watts of power.
Great cleans, when you crank the gain it break up very nicely.
The distortion channel has 2 modes, and both sound good, even at low volumes!
Its not a metal beast, its more like a marshall-ish amp.

 

[PCho222]

The Engl sounds like a good amp but it might be a bit too much amp for me. I was really digging the Suhr Badger 30 but that amp is way over my head price wise. Anybody recommend an amp similar to that but much more reasonably priced?

 

[Atlas Stands]

Ah yeah, it makes sense since even 5-watters can get loud. Would I lose any tonal qualities though by scaling back to 18 watts versus, say, 30?

IMO no, but there are so many variables, even the speaker choice can make or break what you are looking to find. If you do in fact find your holy grail amp, the wrong speaker choice screws up everything.

Might be worth choosing a speaker first, them picking an amp to push it...

 

[TimH]

save your money and buy a Suhr Badger. get a practice amp in the mean time.

 

[dumbell78]

Well if you like the Guthrie's tone I would look at the Cornford line of amps, especially the Hurricane model would work well for you. I think there is a sweet one in the emporium right now for just over $1,000, no affiliation.