Looking for Tube Amp Advice

[Dr. Ron]

Frankly I love my Nace M3-7R. At 7 amps I can get great tone at home and it's got plenty of power for gigging. I have only needed to mic it one time. That was an outdoor show we did recently. It's also much lighter than most amps, which is a major consideration for loading in and out at gigs. I run the stock tubes but there are many options available including bumping up to 12 amps.

Just this week I picked up a used Fender Frontman 15G like yours. I chose it for price, tone, the input jacks for CD, MP3 play along, and the head phone jack in that order. Basically I was looking for a very compact amp to leave set up in my living room, slap on my headphones and practice away without bothering anybody.

I have to admit, I'm not the gear head that most of my forum brothers seem to be. But I"m very happy to have their knowledge to tap into when I get the occasional case of GAS!

Good luck, I don't think you can go wrong with either of your choices, but take a look at some of the other brands that have been mentioned. You never know what you might discover!

I second what Doug said.  His Nace was light and loud.  I have a Fender Twin Reverb at home that I love but it weights 64 lbs.  The tube sound is my favorite.  At some point I'll probably sell my Mustang III v2 and get a Nace.

 

[sloslunas]

I would highly recommend any Nace amp...

 

[Rancid Rumpboogie]

Frankly I love my Nace M3-7R. At 7 amps I can get great tone at home and it's got plenty of power for gigging. I have only needed to mic it one time. That was an outdoor show we did recently. It's also much lighter than most amps, which is a major consideration for loading in and out at gigs. I run the stock tubes but there are many options available including bumping up to 12 amps.

Just this week I picked up a used Fender Frontman 15G like yours. I chose it for price, tone, the input jacks for CD, MP3 play along, and the head phone jack in that order. Basically I was looking for a very compact amp to leave set up in my living room, slap on my headphones and practice away without bothering anybody.

I have to admit, I'm not the gear head that most of my forum brothers seem to be. But I"m very happy to have their knowledge to tap into when I get the occasional case of GAS!

Good luck, I don't think you can go wrong with either of your choices, but take a look at some of the other brands that have been mentioned. You never know what you might discover!

I second what Doug said.  His Nace was light and loud.  I have a Fender Twin Reverb at home that I love but it weights 64 lbs.  The tube sound is my favorite.  At some point I'll probably sell my Mustang III v2 and get a Nace.

If I ever do away with my Mustang III and want to replace the niche it fills in my amp collection, I will replace it with a Quilter.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEHNZy1p6B0&list=PL_FOazu7a02JduSYrmHDX6bVTBK_aH23J
Specifically the MicroPro 200-12.
http://www.quilterlabs.com/index.php/products/amplifiers/micropro-200-12
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=OOjXBLlFn38&list=PL_FOazu7a02JduSYrmHDX6bVTBK_aH23J
Same size and weight and power as my Mustang, and tone up the wazooo!

 

[falconer]

I second what Doug said.  His Nace was light and loud.  I have a Fender Twin Reverb at home that I love but it weights 64 lbs.  The tube sound is my favorite.  At some point I'll probably sell my Mustang III v2 and get a Nace.

I love mine.  Can't say I've ever heard anything sound better.  I figure if it helps me sound better, I'm all over it.   ;D

 

[EJG]

No bad choices in this thread. I love my Fender DRRI but it's probably a tad too much amp if you're using it just for "at home" purposes.

 

[wastell]

A big thank you to everyone who shared your thoughts. Some of the Amps recommended I hadn't even heard of so this has been a great knowledge builder for me. The Nace Amps have really provoked my curiosity and Wilcutt Guitars is only a 35 minute drive from my house so I'll be checking one out soon.  The review videos on YouTube have nothing but positives comments. The BJr's may be the easiest route since they are everywhere, but I'm going to keep my eye out for any of the amps mentioned both new an used so I can hear in person for myself.  Again, thanks everyone!
Craig

 

[Dr. Ron]

Frankly I love my Nace M3-7R. At 7 amps I can get great tone at home and it's got plenty of power for gigging. I have only needed to mic it one time. That was an outdoor show we did recently. It's also much lighter than most amps, which is a major consideration for loading in and out at gigs. I run the stock tubes but there are many options available including bumping up to 12 amps.

Just this week I picked up a used Fender Frontman 15G like yours. I chose it for price, tone, the input jacks for CD, MP3 play along, and the head phone jack in that order. Basically I was looking for a very compact amp to leave set up in my living room, slap on my headphones and practice away without bothering anybody.

I have to admit, I'm not the gear head that most of my forum brothers seem to be. But I"m very happy to have their knowledge to tap into when I get the occasional case of GAS!

Good luck, I don't think you can go wrong with either of your choices, but take a look at some of the other brands that have been mentioned. You never know what you might discover!

I second what Doug said.  His Nace was light and loud.  I have a Fender Twin Reverb at home that I love but it weights 64 lbs.  The tube sound is my favorite.  At some point I'll probably sell my Mustang III v2 and get a Nace.

If I ever do away with my Mustang III and want to replace the niche it fills in my amp collection, I will replace it with a Quilter.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEHNZy1p6B0&list=PL_FOazu7a02JduSYrmHDX6bVTBK_aH23J
Specifically the MicroPro 200-12.
http://www.quilterlabs.com/index.php/products/amplifiers/micropro-200-12
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=OOjXBLlFn38&list=PL_FOazu7a02JduSYrmHDX6bVTBK_aH23J
Same size and weight and power as my Mustang, and tone up the wazooo!

Interesting RR...I just looked up Quilter Amps and they're made just up the road from me.  I'll have to give them a look.

 

[JN99]

I bought an Egnater Tweaker last year and though don't use it much really like it.  It was something I just stumbled upon when I demoed a guitar one day through one at a local GC.  Didn't have a tube amp at the time and it just hit me - had to have one and got the 15w head and cab a few months later.  These can often be found for a good price on ebay too.  I had a Blues Jr once and just never really cared much for it.

 

[Dom]

Finally someone mentioned "NACE" I've owned a number of tube amps eg. Fender Blues Deluxe, Blues Jr, Fender Pro Jr, Fender Champion 600, egnater, and Jet City, and none of them compare to my Nace M1-18R.  I purchased it based on Griff's recommendation and love the tone.  I like the sound of it so much that I haven't used any of my pedals.

 

[Steve G]

I bought an Egnater Tweaker last year and though don't use it much really like it.  It was something I just stumbled upon when I demoed a guitar one day through one at a local GC.  Didn't have a tube amp at the time and it just hit me - had to have one and got the 15w head and cab a few months later.  These can often be found for a good price on ebay too.  I had a Blues Jr once and just never really cared much for it.

I got the Tweaker head & cab a little over a year ago as well and I'm real happy with it.  You can get quite a wide variety of tones from that little sucker.  I also tried & liked the Tubemeister 18.  Some nice bells & whistles on that one. 

 

[sloslunas]

Finally someone mentioned "NACE" I've owned a number of tube amps eg. Fender Blues Deluxe, Blues Jr, Fender Pro Jr, Fender Champion 600, egnater, and Jet City, and none of them compare to my Nace M1-18R.  I purchased it based on Griff's recommendation and love the tone.  I like the sound of it so much that I haven't used any of my pedals.

I agree Dom...the few pedals I do have are getting very lonely.

 

[captainforbes]

Nobody has mentioned the fender superchamp x2.  A full tube amp, (15w) with a digital section, combo or head and cab.    Clean channel with effects (reverb, delay etc), and an amp sim channel which has a full range of clean to dirty amps, many are fender. 
I have researched this topic for a while ( bedroom/small gig amps) and come to the conclusion this is the answer.  A small gig might mean turning the volume to max, but isn't that what tube sound is all about????

 

[vashondan]

  I can't say enough how much I love playing through my Carvin Nomad. It's the 1x12 version of the Bel Aire Rancid uses. It's quiet enough with the volume knobs just cracked open for bedroom/home studio playing and more than enough juice to handle a mid-sized bar without needing to be mic'ed. The clean channel is well voiced with the 3 band EQ knobs running all at 12 o'clock and takes pedals very well both at the input and in the effects loop.

  Everybody plays either a Fender or Marshall, if you want to be different and still have a great amp, grab a Carvin. 

Good to hear how much you like it. Just ordered one.

 

[CapnDenny1]

Don't forget about Peavey.  Good amps without the hype and added expense.

 

[Bernie Fitz]

You might want to talk to Dan who's looking to sell his Nace M1-18 for less than you would pay for a Blues Jr. Just a thought. There may be some on the forum with experience with both?

 

[captainforbes]

I've solved my GAS for the moment.   I bought a Gibson LP  Plus 2014 , a fender BJ Red a Ruby Sparkle ( celestion greenback) FSR and for good measure and domestic bliss, a Yamaha THR 10C.    Mmmmmmm
Mind you, I played a nice 12 string acoustic today...........

 

[brent]

  I can't say enough how much I love playing through my Carvin Nomad. It's the 1x12 version of the Bel Aire Rancid uses. It's quiet enough with the volume knobs just cracked open for bedroom/home studio playing and more than enough juice to handle a mid-sized bar without needing to be mic'ed. The clean channel is well voiced with the 3 band EQ knobs running all at 12 o'clock and takes pedals very well both at the input and in the effects loop.

  Everybody plays either a Fender or Marshall, if you want to be different and still have a great amp, grab a Carvin. 

Good to hear how much you like it. Just ordered one.

Love my Nomad, too. Actually love it so much, I'm thinking about selling my Mustang III to help fund a Vintage 16. 

 

[kdmccarty]

Here's a second vote for the Carvin Vintage series. I've never played one, but here is my favorite youtube video of the Carvin Vintage 16:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p97UTgb7uww

I just love the clean tone on that amp. I've seen videos with the amp being used overdriven in a blues jam, too. Sounded good to me in the mix. I'm hoping to either get one of those or the Nomad someday. The Belair is nice, but too big for my taste. Too much to carry. Good luck in your decision.

Love my recently purchased Carvin Vintage 16 head. Good luck. Ken

 

[brent]

Here's a second vote for the Carvin Vintage series. I've never played one, but here is my favorite youtube video of the Carvin Vintage 16:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p97UTgb7uww

I just love the clean tone on that amp. I've seen videos with the amp being used overdriven in a blues jam, too. Sounded good to me in the mix. I'm hoping to either get one of those or the Nomad someday. The Belair is nice, but too big for my taste. Too much to carry. Good luck in your decision.

Love my recently purchased Carvin Vintage 16 head. Good luck. Ken

I ended up finding a used Nomad at my local guitar shop a couple of months back.  I am in love with it. So much so, that I am going to sell my Mustang III to buy a Vintage 16 just so I can have a lighter weight version of my Nomad for taking to my friends house for jamming.