Best 18 Watt Amps?

[Vegas Bob]

I'm interested in hearing opinions about what are the best 18 Watt amps from clean to mean. Let us know your experiences with amps and what speakers match up best with each amp...

 

[coldfingaz]

Carmen Ghia with a 112/Celestion Blue

 

[fierce_carrot]

There are about fifty thousand threads on this site dealing with 18 watters.

 

[farlowhigh]

Reinhardt 18 gets my vote...full pure rich cleans up until about noon on the dial and then the amp just turns into a rock and roll beast...great overdriven tones...great touch sensitivity...power scaling is an option and it is really well implemented (and a bit different from the Badger--the drive and gain and scaling controls don't need to be kept in close proximity--the power and drive on the Badger sound best closely aligned)...both channels are great and I use all 4 inputs...one of my favorite amps ever! sounds great with a variety of cabs (have tried 1x12 with greenback, 1x12 with a Blue, 1x12 with a G12H30, and a 2x12 with a Blue and a G12H30) and I think it sounds great with single coils and humbuckers.

Suhr Badger 18 another great amp...love the cleans and edge of break-up tones (prefer the overdrive on the Reinhardt)...power scaling really effective on this amp as well...Pete Thorn demo is great and representative of the amp's tones...works really well with all my guitars and cabs.

For something more Voxy, the Top Hat Supreme 16 is an incredible amp through the whole spectrum of clean to mean...not quite 18 watts but close enough!

 

[Rick360]

Howdy,

Best I've played is the Dr. Z Carmen Ghia w/ Celestion Blue. One hears great things about the Swart Atomic Space Tone combo amp, which is 18-20 watts, I believe.

Rick360

 

[Austinrocks]

There are about fifty thousand threads on this site dealing with 18 watters.

and suprise here is another, throw in fender hot rod deluxe with jjs 6v6s, wont say anymore, just check the threads OP.

:Spank

 

[joek86]

Reinhardt 18 gets my vote...full pure rich cleans up until about noon on the dial and then the amp just turns into a rock and roll beast...great overdriven tones...great touch sensitivity...power scaling is an option and it is really well implemented (and a bit different from the Badger--the drive and gain and scaling controls don't need to be kept in close proximity--the power and drive on the Badger sound best closely aligned)...both channels are great and I use all 4 inputs...one of my favorite amps ever! sounds great with a variety of cabs (have tried 1x12 with greenback, 1x12 with a Blue, 1x12 with a G12H30, and a 2x12 with a Blue and a G12H30) and I think it sounds great with single coils and humbuckers.

Suhr Badger 18 another great amp...love the cleans and edge of break-up tones (prefer the overdrive on the Reinhardt)...power scaling really effective on this amp as well...Pete Thorn demo is great and representative of the amp's tones...works really well with all my guitars and cabs.

For something more Voxy, the Top Hat Supreme 16 is an incredible amp through the whole spectrum of clean to mean...not quite 18 watts but close enough!

+1 I just ordered my second...........

 

[PeeCee]

I love my Mojave Coyote head through a 2x12 cabinet with old Vox Blues. From what I hear, the Coyote's power dampening isn't quite as effective as the Badger's power scaling, though. Nowhere near bedroom levels...

 

[Shnook]

Reinhardt + 50! Bob makes great amps and will go the distance to make sure your happy. I've had his MI-6(twist on the 18) for about a year now and have got it dialed in to 'I've never been happier with my tone' land. Sounds good with my single coil/ P90/humbucker guitars. I prefer Bob's Lead Cone speaker. :AOK

 

[DamianL]

Well....I love my Bogner Duende. :AOK

 

[huskerjohn]

Let me add to the Reinhardt +1 crowd. :AOK Bob was building mine earlier this week, so it should be in the mail shortly!

 

[jay66]

Budda SD18 + Celestion Blue!

 

[Casey S]

I have a Reinhardt 18, and it is a great amp. I have had it for a little over a year, and have gigged with it in a variety of situations. I run mine through a Dr. Z 4x10 cab with Dr. Z Speakers. I have also used it through my mesa 1x12 with a black shadow speaker, and it sounds good through either one.

 

[tookermel]

Dr. Z Maz Jr. through Dr. Z 2X12 with Blue/G12H30...


-Tookermel

 

[stephenT]

Clean to mean? Best?

Easy, a Goodsell Black Dog 20.

 

[CAC]

I use both a Maz Jr. and Reinhardt 18. Love 'em both. I prefer the Maz Jr. when I am playing a wide variety of material. I set it clean or on the edge of break up and use pedals for the rest. I love it as a clean platform amp. The Reinhardt I prefer to just plug in and crank it Angus style. Both are absolutely killer amps. I had a Budda 18 for a while and think it's a great amp too, but for me the Reinhardt and Maz sound more "open" and the notes have a bit more bloom than the Budda if that makes sense.

 

[andrekp]

Be clear about whether you mean any old amp in the general range of 18 watts, or whether you mean a Marshall or clone/variant of the Marshall model 1974. They aren't necessarily the same thing and don't necessarily have the particular sound of the Marshall.

The assumption being made here seems to be the former.

 

[5E3]

By no means the best, but a very good one is Budda SD18 II. :AOK