Low-wattage tube amps rule

[kysrsoze]

About 3 years ago, I bought my first tube amp, and I've been on a downward trend in wattage ever since. I started with 33 watts, which was so unbelievably loud that it was bothering me to listen to it. Now I'm down to 15 with a good master volume control. There are a whole slew of low wattage amps either coming or already here. If you don't plan to gig halls, this seems to be all you'll ever need, with awesome, cranked or clean tone, at very low to medium volumes. Of course, you can still give yourself bloodied eardrums if you want it.

I'm getting ready for my first build, and am debating between a 1 watter and a 5 watt model. A few years ago, I would have thought someone like me is nuts, but you can drive a 4x12 cabinet with a 1 watt amp, pretty loudly too.

Any others out there with this love for small amps?

[ProfessorGAC]

1. Great For Home. Not So Much For Stage

I have a Boogie which is nominally rated at 45 watts. It's louder than loud. I've also got a small Fender tube amp that's only 12 watts. It's fine for some things, and if i put a Bottlerocket in front of it, it's smooth and saturated. But, it lacks the headroom for stage work.

After all, it doesn't go to 11.
GAC

[kysrsoze]

2. I doubt I'll ever be on a stage. I still wonder if I'll ever get to that level of proficiency

Bedroom/living room volume is good for me :D

[ProfessorGAC]

3. Something My Friend & I Did

He has an old amp that, IIRC, is 6 watts. We put a constant ohmage attenuator on it and he turned it all the way up, then put it in a closet. We put two mikes in there; one right on the speaker and the other hanging upside down about 3 feet above.

I recorded a solo on one of his songs that way, and it sounds HUGE! It probably would have sounded cool without the attenuator, but the what i liked was that we could just barely hear the guitar with it.

So, it sounds huge on the disc, but you can hardly hear it in the house. It was sort of like playing through a Line 6 but less sterile and more organic.
GAC

[old mark]

4. I used to have an old Supro tube amp...I wish I still had it Great tone!...nt

[bullimiami]

6. Speaking of what I wish I still had.

I had 2 Ampeg Reverberockets.

Like this


Gave them to a girl bass player who didnt have an amp. She went by Lois Lane.
That was like 30 years ago.

What great little amps.
I had an Ampeg V4 with a single cabinet which I always used and didnt think much about passing them on.

[Bonhomme Richard]

7. I still have the that amp only...

all I have are the components and label. That will be a project for anther day.
I did sound sweet many moons ago.

[bullimiami]

5. I have an old vibro-champ. Its all of 5w.

I also have an old twin with altecs. Weighs a ton and loud as hell.