This is the most objective analysis I've seen on the pros and cons of buying an amp. While many reviewers focus only on tonal qualities or reputation, you've touched two of the most important considerations for those of us who gig in various conditions....reliability and "fixability". When you amp fails in the middle of a gig, all of the marketing propaganda quickly fades into the night. Looking forward to the next instalment in the series.
As I mentioned above, TWO Katanas are priced below what many other amps cost for a single unit. They're light, consistent, and feature packed and can be cloned for redundancy. In case of failure? 30 second replacement on the road. Why guitarists overlook this utility is mystifying, other than they judge on cost alone, which is silly. A Katana in a live environment with tasteful patches is about as useful of a frontline amp as has ever been made.
@@swingset1969 Let’s see if you still think this in 5 years time, when the current generation of the Katana is likely to reach its EOL and the firmware updates then stop coming, and all the patches and the software for installing/writing/downloading them no longer work with the latest computer/smartphone/tablet operating systems! That’s my problem with it: Even if it doesn’t die from component failure, it’s likely to die from planned obsolescence, like so much other high tech stuff nowadays. As someone with a computer science degree, I’d much rather have an amp that is simple and highly serviceable in the long term than one that needs to be thrown out and replaced every 5-7 years or else see it gradually lose its original functionality. This is EXACTLY what has already happened to some modeling amps like the older generations of the Fender Mustang, for example, who can no longer download patches to their amps, and I happen to know some people who are NOT happy about it.
And you already know that capacitors can have lethal voltages in them? (I'm not the tech guy who made the video and I don't actually know anything about fixing guitar amps!)
It's easy, put a clip on a wire, and a wooden dowel on the other side, with a resistor in between. Attach the clip to a ground, and yes the dowel to touch the wire to the leads on everything in the unit. Only use one hand while reaching into a cab, so you don't lose track of your other hand
Finally, something like "Consumer Reports" for amps. Nice to see someone delve into the engineering and construction, bypassing the layers of marketing, five star Sweetwater reviews, and fanboy RU-vid videos. Well done. I'm really looking forward to seeing where this goes.
And it's crazy the way the fan boys get triggered by these types of videos. Calling actual experienced highly skilled techs haters and calling them liars because i have x amp and it's amazing sounding and have no quality issues .
Looking forward to part 2 too. This is awesome even though i got one of the Blackstar Ht40 amps . :D I still got a 50 watts Katana, Bassbreaker 007 head and a Engl Rockmaster 20 combo. So there will be always some amp to function ok i hope ;)
I’m happy videos like these are popping! The younger generation that are looking to start a band will really appreciate this!! 10-5yrs ago, videos like this did not exist! I had to jam with MANY people and try many amps (invested WAY too much time) just to see what I preferred best! Excited to see more videos from you!
I wish I wouldn't have sold my DSL40C. The CRs are almost $1100 now...more than twice what I paid for mine brand new. This is the BEST amp review I have ever seen. Viewed, liked, subscribed, and I'm yours (a little Stevie Wonder parody reference)!
Awesome engineering review. By that I mean a dispassionate assessment of pros and cons of features likely to be important (not frills) within an electronics product lifecycle framing. Delivered with balanced and precise reasoning. Thank you!!
Like number 1000. Great job. Going through this right now with my 18 year old son, who is ready to upgrade from his little Mustang. Repairability; durability; sale-ability; and a good clean sound are what is important to "us". We have priced ourselves out of the local $500 market, but for a stroke of good luck.
Picked one up used for $150. Play my Mexican strat through it. Makes my single coil pickups rock!! Totally analog, simple to figure out the tones, hangs with a drum kit in terms of output. Killer!!
@@dimitris470, I'm kinda in the same boat, I have a 10" amp and am kinda looking to pick up something with a 12" speaker... Orange should have an affordable Crush amp like the 35RT with a 12" .... but the effects loop really has me looking at the 35rt model... or possibly the Katana, or larger version of my Marshall MG30CFX... I want to use a Headrush MX5 in 4-cable method with a combo amp, and don't think a DSL40CR fits my current budget or needs. Listened to the Orange 35RT recently in a store and almost snagged it that day.
I was told by a gigging musician that a pro for the modelling amps is consistency under fluctuating power supplies. He said that he was playing a gig in a pub (tube amp), any time someone played one of the slot machines the sound would change. The sound of the tube amps would change from gig to gig, his katana would sound the same wherever he played (and he didn't break his back carrying a tube amp and cab up and down stairs. In an emergency it's usually easier to grab a new Katana than your tube amp of choice.
I also play mainly modeling amps in bars (where a tube amp’s potentially superior tone is drowned out by background noise anyway). In addition to the reasons you mentioned, I’ll add that I was able to buy my Katana used for $150. I can take it to any gig knowing that if it gets stolen or somebody spills a beer on it, I can just buy another one for close to what it costs just to retube some of my other amps.
Gday, great comment re: variable power supply fluctuations. I gig on Rote Island , Indonesia. PLN , the power supply mob, are experts at power voltage variance, surges and blowing up all kinds of electrical equipment. I need an amp that can handle that problem , cheers .
@@PulauSwan Do you have an anti-surge extension lead? I have one that I connect my computer to. It's supposed to protect against lightning strikes on the power grid. It may help you with PLN 'your stable power suppliers' ☹.
Last year, I picked up a used good condition DSL40CR for $360, then got the 6 button footswitch for $80. $440 cash all in. It's a amazingly versatile amp that could handle just about any gig I might want to play. The newer CR version plus the 6 button fsw really takes it to the next, you can switch between all 4 "channels" (clean, od, crunch, distortion) with 2 master volumes to level out the volume difference between them. Plus switch on off the fx loop. Definitely the winner of the under $500 camp for me!
@@gingercat777 I don't find the DSL40 that heavy, but then again my other amps are a 67 Super Reverb, 74 Deluxe Reverb, and 4x10 bass cab and head. So I guess I am a body builder. For $360, I wasn't expecting a faultless amp, but I don't know of anything better at that price.
I bought a Marshall DSL40CR a couple of years ago after going through weeks of research. Demos, reviews, testimonials, etc. It was a seemingly endless mission to cut through the crap and hype to get the info you provided in this video. I wish i had this video then! Great content. Still very satisfied with my purchase.
Dude I did the same thing 2 years ago with the research, demos, reviews, testimonials and OMG it was agonizing. And like you I ended up with the DSL40CR and I love it.
Very enjoyable video. It's always good to hear the opinions of someone who really knows what he's talking about. I like your repair videos but I would like to see more like this one.
I see so many geeks on their RU-vid channels pedaling the latest Fender style with a lead-in line like "Do XX branded guitars are remind you of your middle school leased guitar? Well, maybe the new Super XXY model will change for mind about XX for ever!" Then the formula starts with show and tell, followed by a demo of clean sounds playing funk riffs, and High Gain sounds playing hard rock riffs. They'll play the neck pickup,bridge pickup then the two pickups together, and finally the bridge pickup and play random lead lines, Power chords, or a heavy metal tune or two for variety. If it's a Strat, they'll demo the 5-way variants. What they rarely show or tell is the most important factor of every guitar sound -- what amp is driving what speaker? Thank you for doing so here. I can interpolate what a double-wound Humbucker is going to do when driven into overdrive, or how a Fender 60s standard will sound in the neck position using a good Solid State amp. I played jazz-blues with a great Ampex Solid State in the early 70s with a Les Paul Standard and a 1971 Strat that I bought brand new from Sam Ash with case for $300. What a beautiful guitar that was. It looked, sounded, and played like a dream. I sold it three years later, with the Les Paul and two Ampex 2 x 12, for $1500 to fund my new life in LA. That changed my life and gave me wings, but I still with I had those those instruments! I've never been able to replace them, especially the Strat which was not "pre-CBS", but just a high quality Corona, California product. Thanks Leo. And thank you for this channel, Man. As a former player, and a trained EE, you speak my languages. As a tech, you've been filling the gaps of my experience and education. -kwgm
Hey man, just wanted to thank you for this content. I appreciate your rational and empirical approach to laying out the facts and your observations. Amps are also clearly a passion of yours, and I'd like to sincerely thank you for sharing some of that passion with us. Subscribed!
Stage Right makes a 5 watt x 8" Celestion speaker with a 8/16 ohm speaker output jack on the back. It has a volume and a tone knob and a push button for the full 5 watts and then 1 watt and has white Tolex and a leather handle. It uses a 6V6GT power tube and a 12AX7 preamp tube. I bought my first one in December 2021 for $119 and then purchased a second one in February 2022 also for $119. They go on sale from $109 to about $175 (today's price May 5, 2022). They are good sounding amps and because it has the 8/16 speaker output jack I connect to two Marshall Origin 412 cabs at 16 ohms each for a total impedance load of 8 ohms and when I do that I only need to set the volume at 1/2 and that covers all my normal living room studio playing. Of course I can push the volume higher and achieve much more volume and a more distorted tone any time I want. But for my day to day playing I prefer loud enough clean tones and this amp delivers. Go ahead and find another 6V6 combo amp for anything near this price, you wont. The 6V6 power tube is now my preferred tone, replacing 6L6 (5881) which has always been my preferred tone since the mid 1990's. I use these Stage Right 5 watt 6V6 tube amps every day and now all my other 18 tube amps just collect dust. True the 5 watt Stage Right is not a stage amp unless connected to a full Marshall Stack or a P.A. System. But realistically I don't perform on stage nor do I perform in clubs, so I am very happy with these "loud enough" great sounding 5 watt Stage Right 6V6 tube amps. - Peter age 72.
I was in the market for a small home use tube amp so i bought a 1978 silverface fender champ, paid 575 for it. I figured it was the best choice , i know it can be maintained easily when something goes wrong.
I bought a new Ac15c1 about 3 years ago, played it hard and loud. Still on the original tubes at this point and it does take careful eq using pedals but you can get a monster high gain sound if you want to. No repairs or reliability issues so far playing regularly.
I enjoyed this video so much that I went to my local independent music store and bought the Boss Katana MKll 50...I'm beyond satisfied with the tones I get from it. I trust and respect your opinions. I would love to see a video on "Tube Amps At or Under $1000". Or $1200.
The worst part of amps that aren’t repairable is that they become landfill. And trust me, at some point our great grandchildren are going to be shaking their fists at us because we didn’t bother to make good purchasing decisions. I know most people don’t care about this. But absolutely they should. We ought to be adults not children pretending they don’t know, and not buy electronics that are manufactured to become landfill.
We won't be around that much longer, so no worries. The Biblical end times are unfolding before our eyes, but no one is paying attention. People are busy about worshipping the Creation rather than the Creator, in my opinion.
Thanks for the great breakdown, Lyle! I can personally recommend the Vox MV Clean. It has the size of a pedal, 50watts at 4 ohm and is the perfect pedal platform with massive headroom yet tubelike dynamics for less than 200 bucks. If that sound really is due to the so called "nutube" is another question. Maybe you can share your opinion on those nutubes one day, as I myself am interested in the potential durability. Oh and via a single small jumper wire on the board you have a brighter voicing which is closer to fender cleans. Also it has an attenuator and a "deep" switch to accommodate for a smaller cabinet. The switches a flimsy, though. Greetings from Germany
Good point, would love to hear his views on these as well. I’d imagine the assembly is pretty cheap but they’re also cheap enough to buy a whole new one if it fails.
I'm commenting as an owner of an older HRD II, the VOX AC15 and the DSL40C. The HRD is the oldest amp. It did fail in the exact same way mentioned in this video, and as a tech myself I replaced the caps that leaked, and noticed burn marks on the PCB so I replaced the high power resistors with other ones and moved them away from the board. The repair cost me less than €5, and I do not know the hourly rates there but it took me total of 1 hour to repair including dismantling, diagnosis, assembly and testing. The other amps never failed. One important point (but this is subjective) is that the AC15 has a great speaker. The speakers found in the DSL and the HRD (excluding some limited editions which have some nice speakers) sound mediocre at best. Once these speakers are replaced with something better, the amps really match the AC15 in terms of tone (of course they do not sound the same, but equally as good). Another point of view that might not be significant to a lot of people is the circuit of these amps. All these amps have some solid state stuff inside. The rectifier is of course solid state for all these 3 amps, but this is normal in tube amps. Also, there are some auxiliary stuff that use SS switching, SS buffering of the effects loop (DSL and HRD) and SS buffering of the spring reverb (HRD and AC15, while the DSL has a digital unit). But the thing that bothers me most is that the AC15 has some SS in the clean path of the sound, in the preamp section. There are enough tubes to avoid these if using relays (like the DSL) but it is a pity they chose not to. It might have removed the 2 inputs and have 1 input that is channel switching between normal and top boost. I am not a tube snob, I discovered this because the amp did not 'feel' right and I looked for the schematic to try to identify any issues. With a very similar arrangement (having tubes but there is also a SS stage in the preamp) I have a Fender Vaporizer. It has limited uses due to it having only 3 knobs, but I like the amps it's a cool little thing and at €175 new it has also a spring reverb (unlike the DSL). Finally, my personal opinion, if I were to keep only one I'd keep the HRD. I like it's sound the best. For 10 years plus it had only 1 failure. But I'd agree the Vox has it's own sound. If you want that sound you have to go that way. The DSL is really versatile amp with good cleans fantastic crunch and some good metal tones (particularly with an overdrive and maybe a Vintage 30). The HRD overdrive channel is practically useless. But the cleans of this amp are really nice, and while all 3 amps take pedals really well, this would be my choice for a pedal platform amp.
The HRD takes 2-3 hours to repair typically. It often also has issues in the PI and the screen grid resistors are prone to failure. And pot/jack solder joints. New filter caps and needed parts can be $60-90 depending on the model of Blues or Hot Rod when you factor in shipping. I agree on the speakers. The Vox AC15/30 Custom circuit uses very high quality opamps with a high bipolar supply. It provides channel mixing, loop buffering (on the 30), and reverb send/return/mixing. The issue is they didn't make it truly unity gain. When I get one on the bench for my mods I change four resistors to put the SS portion of the circuit to true unity gain. At which point it is transparent. The stock amp still sounds quite good, but it has an unintentional (?) gain stage between the channel outs and the phase inverter, so the amp overall has a bit more gain than a "real" Vox. But the opamp circuitry doesn't clip. It causes a bit not clipping in the PI tube. I could easily bypass all the opamp/SS circuitry in one and give the owner an all tube signal path, if they are ok with giving up reverb and the loop. But I have done that and compared it to the corrected unity gain opamp path (lots of wires and switches up in the air) and there was no audible difference (or difference in feel). The corrected unity gain opamp circuit is my preference on these. But stock still sounds quite good.
@@PsionicAudio I'm not claiming that the 'feel' issue comes from the SS stuff, but I was having that issue and noticed the SS stuff. also, like most budget tube amps, there are going to be SS stuff in order to be able to ship it cheaper. These include SS spring reverbs and SS effects loop. All the amps here use these SS bits. And I agree that they do sound good stock. Particularly with the Greenback, against the speakers found in the HRD and DSL. but I hate the way they market the amp. They should be more up-front with stuff like this. particularly when the amp is in the 'All-tube series' or what it's called.
I’ve used a Marshall DSL40C for nearly 5 years now, and the only pitfall I can say is that the stock speaker does not do this amp justice. Chuck in a Vintage 30 or Greenback and it becomes a budget goddess!
Speaker preference, is like with tubes. Everyone has a favorite. I tried that Celestion V-type, but didn't care much for it either. I tried V-30's, and switched to Greenback heritage's. I'm a greenback fan.
i bought the Bugera 1960 infinium which is a plexi clone with some nice mods. it was $549 with easy payments and no credit check from Zzounds. it stands up to my vintage marshalls and my friedmans. initially i was just checking it out and planned on returning it but i fell in love. one thing im skeptical of is the 150w RMS rating. i believe this is part of the infinium circuit that self-biases the power tubes resulting in changes to bias under load which contributes to the power output by adjusting the bias when you step on the gas. love this amp.
Here in the UK I got a Laney cub 10 for £200 new. Over a blues junior, an epiphone valve junior stack, a vaporizor, (all went south one way or another) it's been incredible. I play it loud every day, and I've played major gigs with it. Incredible amp.
I've got a Cub 12R that I've been playing for a few years now, best bang for the buck IMO. Especially considering I got it for around $300 tax and all. It's one of the few tube amps that was cheaper in Japan then the US.
I was just given a non-working Fender hot rod deluxe. It has most of the failures and issues you mention here. For some reason the caps haven’t started leaking yet, but they will be replaced anyway. Great video! Thanks!
I've got SS amps that I bought 35 years ago that other than some recapping are still going strong. I have the first gen line 6 flex amp that nothing have been done to it and was heavily gigged and still sounds great. I think it all depends on how it's treated. BTW I have a marshall tube amplifier that sometimes plays an am Christian channel lol
You just won the prize... 'I think it depends on how it's treated'. That is the magic right there. I just bought a mid 80's Peavey Bandit a couple of weeks ago. Plays perfect, sounds perfect, no issues. Built like a brick outhouse, but not treated like one! This thing is a beauty. It was used, but not abused. Other than cleaning the pots, it needs nothing but love. I also have a Tech 21 Trademark 60 that I've owned and gigged with for a decade, but I'm not a hard player. Works perfect, sounds perfect, every time. The my real workhouse is a Behringer V-Amp Bass Pro rack. I've had that for a decade as well. I use it with a Behringer power amp and guess what? Never missed a beat. I use it for bass and guitar gigs, always works. But, I really look after my gear and don't push it to its limits....always leave headroom! Oh, another thing with modellers, use a power conditioner! They really like those.... Oh, and my old Marshall Bluesbreaker I used to have did the same kind of thing. hahahahaha
Thanks for this. I avoided the Blackstar based on one of your older videos, I believe. I had a choice between the Blackstar Club 40 and a Peavey Classic 30. I bought the Classic 30. I know the Peavey is hard to work on because of the board configuration but hard to work on is better than impossible to work on. 😀 The Peavey, 30 watt 1x12, is 1/2 of my old DeVille, 60 watt 2x12, but has an overdrive channel I can use. I can also carry it by myself. 😁 Buying used tube amps usually means you should budget for new tubes, at least power tubes. Listen to the amp without a guitar attached. If it's making odd noises with no instrument attached something is wrong, probably tubes but could be deeper like caps. I mean intermittent or constant louder than normal hums and / or buzzes not a normal hum that you would expect to hear from a tube amp. I replaced the power tubes with Mullard and am still within a price that I can resell the amp and get my money back. That is going to be more difficult as tubes become harder to get and more expensive.
I own both the MK1 100W Katana and a VOX AC15C1, among others. Both have been very reliable. The Katana is my everyday practice amp. There are so many free patches and paid patches that are really good that it's a no-brainer for the cost. You can dial in great sounds with just the panel controls for that matter and it takes pedals on the front end well.
Every time I think I've got my decision finally made I get new information that throws me back to square one. At this point it's just as likely I go back to not playing guitar for 7 years than buy any of the amps I set out to buy and yet, to what I've been playing through (an acoustic amp that's essentially just a PA and a pedal meant to approximate playing through an amp meant for electric guitar) ANY of these would be an improvement - hell, the lowliest Fender 25 watt modeling amp would be an improvement yet I am so paralyzed with hidden cons, that I am hesitant to do anything. The pros mean something does what it's advertised to do, the cons are seemingly endless and often hidden behind layers of obfuscation - both intentional and unintentional. "500 dollars is not as much money as many of us think it is" - I understand what your point was in saying this, and I agree with it - but for me specifically, it is a lot of money. I wasn't playing through a PA speaker for years because I liked it.
as someone who owns a few peaveys, I cant understand why they don't get the love they deserve. In my local music store they won't give you very much if you want to trade them in..they are solidly built and sound great to me
@@ColeWheeler4Lyfehe mentioned them towards the end crediting them great aclaims but brought up how the repairability of Peaveys is getting difficult due to Peavey's still declining as a full business. He's as right as you guys are, the amps are fantastic (the pre-2010s stuff is nearly unbeatable & indestructible) but they're all coming of age where needing new pots and some times capacitors or other components is becoming a more common issue and with a lot of their tech being so evolutionary the stacked-switchable-pots for instance are nearly impossible to find replacements for. Whether you have their newer surface-mount amps or the old golden age of silver stripes you're often times buying a whole amp for parts to save a whole - forgetting budget though because Peaveys are still prised crazy high right now but on their way back down again
I just recently bought a couple Blackstar Studio 10 Amps. I was considering the HT 40, I'm glad I didn't go that route now. Thanks for the great information.
This is a great series, thank you for producing it!! I'm looking forward to your next video! I have a used Hot Rod Deluxe (Its on the bench now for caps, someone reworked the low voltage section as it was overheated) Wish I had of done more research before I purchased that one!!! I got it locally for $200 so I am not too upset. Cosmetically it looks almost new. I have a Marshall DSL40cr that I got new, its awesome! It has become my favorite amp. Ive got a Katana 100 ii, I don't play it much. I find it not exciting. I also have an Orange CR120 2x12, I really like it. Not sure why you didn't include it in your list. Perhaps because it has a different sound, one you like or else don't like. I also have a Sweetwater exclusive Princeton Reverb. I like it a lot too! I wish it was a handwired one but I didn't want to speed that kind of money when I got it.
@@PsionicAudio That sounds like a good thing. I have a 60 watt Roland Blues Cube and at half the weight of my 30 watt Genz Benz, it was my main amp until I went to a floor processor and powered speaker. Never a hiccup from it.
AC15C1: "The best construction at this price point... It's not likely to catch on fire" I've been laughing for 5min straight, lol. I've had amps get hot before, but never caught one on fire! Seriously though, great video. Love the series that I've seen so far
I’ve always had good luck with blackstars, my ht 60 soloist I’ve had for 8 years played dozens of shows and only needed service once(tubes and fuse). I’ve owned a dsl40c and got rid of it, sounded alright but didn’t have the same range of tones. For someone looking for an amp to do it all on a budget I’d recommend albeit a lot of people could get one of these cleaner amps and a couple good overdrive pedals to match a similar sonic range
I have a Blackstar HT40 Kentucky Special and it’s great with great tone and I’ve had no issues. I had a Marshall DSL40CR and my Blackstar was much better in tone, so I sold the Marshall.
A great amp in this category would be the Laney Cub 12 combo or head with the Laney cub 212 are both easy to find new under or at least about 500€ (for the head and cab, it’s about 400€ for the combo)
Thanks Lyle for opening my eyes to the hype surrounding so-called guitar shop amp reviews. As a newbie Looking to buy his first electric guitar amp I was guilty of being sucked in by their smooth, corporate rhetoric and would have fallen into the trap had I not discovered Psionic. What a revelation! How easily I could have bought into the long past, no longer relevant, reputation of some manufacturers, without realising that not all modern counterparts of many of them are built to the same standard as each other. I was on the brink of buying the Vox Ac10c1 but thankfully found your review first. It's now looking like the Ac15c1 could be the one. I will only ever be a (mature) home player, but that's no reason to purchase shoddy goods. Big thanks from UK. Keep up the good work!
An issue I'm getting more and more conscious of with modelling amps and devices of that nature is the inability to repair or replace things which pretty much means they're likely going to be e waste later in life which is hurrendous for the environment. I'd sooner lean more towards the likes of the Orange Crush series where to my knowledge a large amount of it is replaceable.
Out of repair guitar amps are not very high on the list of waste harmful to the environment. However, the hand held device you are using to watch this video along with the billions like it would be on the top of that list. They're all unrepairable, won't last more than 2 years and the batteries are very toxic indeed. Are you getting more and more conscious about that, or just modelling amps that may represent what, 1 in millions of electronics in landfills?
Thanks for making and sharing this video. Thinking of playing again after almost ten years, used to play alot when I was younger but I know you can really pick up from your past skills. There's just something about music memory that doesn't fade the same like memories.
Totally agree. Traynor makes good, robust, realiable stuff, that is made in Canada (Go Winnipeg!) Traynor is totally under rated, and goes for really, really cheap (almost criminally so) on the used market. The YGL1 is an excellent example. Love that amp.
Traynors can be great. I admit this video is a bit US-centric. Traynors aren't as common here, and while many models are great, some are real turds. If someone hired me to find the best amp under $500 I could find something maybe better than what made the list here - and it might be a Traynor - but I know what to look for. That would have been outside of the scope of this video.
I'd argue that in the US, Traynor amps _used_ to be underrated. I've watched prices creep up at least 50% on most models over the last 3 years or so. Also, gotta remember anything vintage very likely needs a cap job and possibly tubes.
I am so thankful Lyle puts out videos. I have always wanted to learn about amps and he explains things so well. He is not swayed by endorsements and he is a truth seeker. He thinks very logically and analytically, doesn't play favorites but recognizes quality.
Overall, your 4 finalists do seem like very solid recommendations. However, I disagree with you slightly about Peavey. While they do indeed seem to be falling apart as a company, and Peavey tube amps do have some serious circuit flaws and repairability issues (starting with those folded PCBs), I think their analog solid state amps like the Bandit on the whole are a completely different story. Peavey solid state amps tend to be extremely well made for the price, and while they may not be quite as good as when they were made in the USA, they’re still better than most others, and contrary to what you stated, they do NOT use a lot of proprietary components. If you look at their circuits, you’ll find that almost ALL of the components are off-the-shelf components that have been time proven, like the TI 4558, 4560, or 4580 op-amps, and discrete NPN-type power transistors that are VERY readily available. They’re also socketed and typically easily replaceable without even soldering, so even if Peavey goes out of business, you should have no problem finding most of the parts from other sources. Bottom line: Peavey analog solid state amps are likely to be FAR more serviceable than things like the Fender Champion 40, with its proprietary DSP package, let alone the Boss Katana or the Line 6 Catalyst, where you’re basically out of luck if ANYTHING breaks, and even if component failure doesn’t kill it, planned obsolescence will in 5 years time, when the product reaches its EOL and the firmware updates cease, or you find that the software patches won’t work with the latest operating systems. For these reasons, I’d STILL take a Peavey Bandit for longevity and serviceability over a Boss Katana or Line 6 Catalyst any day.
Good thoughts. I'm not a techie so I don't understand that part, but I have a Peavey Bandit 112, a USA one, and it's quite a good amp even though it's starting to fail. Easily the best solid state amp I've ever had. My main issue with it though is that I don't get a lot of sustain from it so that's why I'm looking for a tube amp of some sort to replace it. Can't play loud though because I'm in an apartment. Not sure what to get. I tried a Boss Katana in the store and was less than impressed with the sound. Plus the idea of having to hook up an amp to a computer and then realize that all of that software is going to be outdated in a few years, does not thrill me.
As far as proprietary parts go I was thinking of the Classic series. Chock full of them. I've not had any of the modern SS Peaveys on my bench, so I can neither warn nor recommend. I'll try to be more clear in the next video that aside from addressing the room elephants like Katanas and Tone Masters, all my recommendations and all my warnings come from amps I have real experience of. So the list won't be exhaustive or wholly comprehensive. Can't be - one man cannot know every amp ever on the market. Note that I don't say "best amps" or similar. I just say "amps under X price - a tech's perspective." The focus of my business, and hence the channel, is tube amps. Both because they are my preference and because a lot of SS amps have a used value lower than the cost of repair (or my bench fee). If a modern Peavey Bandit comes in it will be treated just the same as a vintage tube amp. If it is worth repairing, I'll do it well. My preferences don't affect my work. At which point I'll have a real opinion about the Bandit. When I get through the next few big videos taking them up to $2K and over, I may do a Pawnshop Finds video and/or a low volume/home use video. Get some that fell through the cracks of the main video. For instance, the '52 Champion 600 I just restored wouldn't make any of the planned lists as it's too low in output to use for guitar with a drummer. But for home use/recording it could be great. Same for a lot of good sounding low volume amps that didn't make this list.
Mr D I do have experience with '80s Bandits. When working correctly there would be no lack of sustain. But like any amp 40 years old, the old electrolytics are probably shot, which throws off everything else. It's fixable. It's just that if it takes 2-3 hours and $60 worth of parts that can exceed the value of the amp. Some clients have me do it anyway as they love the amp and even spending $250-300 on a "$100 amp" gives them a better amp than they could otherwise buy for that $300. That's all up to the owner. I try to let people know their options so they can make informed decisions.
@@PsionicAudio Thanks. Yes, it's a tough decision. I probably should have mentioned that the gain features don't work at all, I can only get clean sounds from it so I use pedals. I think at this point rather than getting it repaired I would just buy another one, as there are enough used ones out there that apparently are still working perfectly. Right now though I'd rather find something different, better for the blues tones I'm after.
@@mr.d.572 Check out Shane’s videos on the Peavey Bandit on his RU-vid channel “intheblues.” He seems to think the Bandit is PERFECT for the blues! He has vlogged extensively on them by now, and reviewed several different generations and speakers in them. If I remember right, he liked the “red stripe” one best, but found that virtually all of them are excellent, with only minor differences in tone that can be changed through things like EQ or changing out the speaker.
You are the master ! Thank you so much for your great videos, Sir. I´m not an amp-tech or expert and you make the topic understandable for me. I use a 2016 VOX AC 15 C1 ( Lim. Ed. in Tan Bronco ) and a 2015 VOX AC 10 C1 that I both love and use for gigging. Both sound great to me and I had no problems yet. You say the AC 15 C 1 is good. Do you have any experience with the AC 10 C1 and if so, would you share your opinion ? Maybe this might be interesting for other players that are not shure what wattage they should go for: playing for more than 40 years B.B. King / Freddy King and Chicago Blues in small clubs and some bigger venues here in Hamburg , Germany, I also own a 1974 non-master Pro Reverb that still works great will all the original RCA Blackplate tubes in it ( even the rectifier tube works ) , but these two Vox amps sound fantastic in small clubs my opinion and are so much easier to carry around. At bigger venues these small amps are usually miked so a big 40-watt amp is not really necessary for me . Love the reverb on both Vox-amps.
Thanks Vincent. I have no repair experience with the AC10C1 so I can't speculate as to its build quality. I've played them, and I prefer the only slightly more expensive/heavier AC15. The 12" speaker just sounds so much better IMO than the 10".
I don't have experience with all these amps, but the experience I do have lines up with what you said. I was a little surprised that you did not include a solid state Orange amp in the lineup.
This was a really good, useful overview on amps and their pros and cons. from watching other RU-vid channels there are other tube/valve amps that have the same repair issues as the Blackstar HT series. I've decided on my laptop and using amp sims etc.. It seems a really good affordable option to the modelling amps.
THANK YOU for persevering through the countless a**holes filled with ignorance and hatred so that the rest of us can truly appreciate your exceptional content! Don't ever let the dark steal your light, brother!
I sold both of my blues juniors when I got my katana five years ago. Not even a contests for katanas her so much louder cleaner. I have since purchased a second one both were purchased use for less than $400 and I’ve never failed me. I use them for eight hours a week and they’ve never let me down. We were support for Cory Wong in Durango five years ago and he played through both of them on 100 W.
This is a really great video. I don't though understand why the hypothetical life of the less repairable amps are supposed to be something like 4 years. The solid state and modelling amps I have had last much longer than that. Failures were more likely to be something like capacitors, jacks, or something with the reverb. But not something that would render the amp worthless. Electronics can function for a very long time. Even when they aren't well taken care. (Take care of them!!)
If the designer takes in power and heat factors when choosing components and layout, you are absolutely correct. But designers don’t always do that. And sadly they very often do not. Hence my warnings - they come from repeated observed failures, not anecdotes or hypotheticals.
@@PsionicAudio well, now I know. I appreciate your reply and the additional information. Very helpful. I dig what you're doing here! I'll certainly consider your advice with future purchases.
Bought a Boss Katana 100 in 2019. Right after the Mark II came out. I was pretty pissed the guy at Long and Mcquade sold me the old version that isn't supported anymore. On the positive side, I haven't had any issues with it yet. Still works like a gem.
As an owner of the DSL100HR since the month of lauch and someone whos played MANY DSL100H's, DSL40C's and DSL40CR's i can absolutely recommend these amps. I have certainly had failures in the DSL100HR but they were all repairable and all but one were repairs i could do myself (i build amps, pedals, guitars and restore old tube radio receivers in my free time). And that one repair i couldnt do was fireware related and that issue has been fixed on all the newer DSL R series amps and was only an issue on the very earliest units. And even if you did get one with that issue a Marshall certified repair/service center could easily fix it. Ive also found these amps to be pretty great modding platforms. Ive added a hammond choke to mine as well as added an optional mod to the Ultra channel to make it sound/perform like the DSL100H, like the stock 100HR or like something right in the middle of the two. Plus these amps are insanely versatile. They sound excellent clean, lightly broken up or flat out dirty. They take pedals extremely well which is really important to me since im constantly building, designing and modding pedals. And even if you want the tone of a fender (more lows and highs with less mids) you can dial in a similar tone but an even better solution is to pick up a Tech 21 Blonde (or Joyo American Sound which is a clone of the Blonde but youll have to mod it if you want the option to kill the speaker emulation like the Tech 21 Blonde can). With that pedal in the front of the DSL you can get a wonderful fender tone.😮😮 Overall its a really great amp. The one downside is that it can be quite expensive to replace the four EL34's about once every 12 to 18 months (unless you play it less, i play mine a ton). But i also built myself a Fender Champ clone that has a switchable output section that selects either the stock 6V6 or an EL84 and I use the Champ clone as not only a back up but a second amp to bear some of the load of my playing so im not always playing the Marshall and running through its tubes. Anyways i just wanted to share my experience with the DSL's. They really are wonderful versatile amps.
I picked up a great condition used VOX AC15 Custom in Limited Edition Blue (AC15C1-BL) with the Greenback for $400. I thought about flipping it, but my 50w EVH 5150III with EL34's does not come close to sounding like the VOX. I'm keeping the VOX, going to get a good slapback reverb and churn out some Poison Ivy riffs!
I bought the Boss Katana mini amp, and I was blown away by it. I'd only ever had valve amps before, but I live in a flat, and valve amps have 1 flaw, and that's they sound awful at low volume. Most of the time, even with low wattage valve amps, I've got the volume knob on 1 and it still feel uncomfortably loud. Master volume, pre-amp distortion just isn't the same as power amp distortion.
You probably has a voltage input problem on your valve amps.. it’s almost indispensable to run tube and valve amps.. preamps or pedals through some brown box or voltage attenuators! Firstly for safety reasons and then for the INE stability on low and high volumes levels..
For me its the AC15 or the Fender amps. I own a AC15 and love it. Also a Princeton. I've owned Line 6 amps ( DT25, Vetta II, POD HD 500) and the planned obsolescence is obvious. The Catalyst is just Line 6 recycling the Helix stuff into a box and saying it is "new". They did this way back with the Flextone. If you want to buy a modeler worth your time save your money go Kemper or Fractal. Great video, love your down to earth opinions.
I purchased the Vox AC15C1 new about 10 years ago and it is still going strong. It's fallen over a few times, played outdoors in humid conditions and the only problem I've ever had is a few scratchy pots that needed cleaning. I play with another guitar player/bass/drums and the volume holds up OK with no PA and I can play it at bedroom levels with the master down low. It ticks all the boxes for my personal use. I do worry about the next 5 or 10 years though.
A consideration which strikes me about the $1,000 price point is that many of us may already have speakers and speaker cabinets. I somehow have five 4x12s, two 1x12s, a 4x10, and two 2x12s, yet no heads or combos(just a Lexicon 284).
I am very pleased with the Katana, but it seemed clear that repairs might not be an option, and it would be wise to have more than one so I always have a backup. At that price I can hardly go wrong. I play a wide variety of material and it handles everything either well or incredibly well. I'll never need to use it at 100W, and I love how light it is.
I’m super excited to watch this, I’ll comment again after watching!!! Prices and internet opinions are way crazy, can’t wait for a real tech’s view of the actuals.
Sweet, while not a tech, I like your choices for under $500. I would go with the Marshall or the Vox. I had a nice Vox AC-30 TBX, English made but PCB, it needed a little repair not long after I got it but then it was solid for years. Great amp. I'd probably get that Vox for the price, look forward to the next "under 1K" video!
your videos are worth gold !!!! thank you so much for doing this.... these influencers who peddle products don't have the same insight was you do and I am sure you are saving many people from making a mistake with their hard earned money !!! cheers to you !!!
With the exception of a Boogie 50 Cal combo I owned for years I've had better overall experiences with solid state amps. I played more gigs with a Randall RG75 combo than any other amp I've owned, not just the Boogie but a few Marshalls and Peavey Classics, Fender Deluxe Reverbs, etc. The Boogie and the Randall are the only two amps that never had a hiccup, they never failed or got terribly damaged by a fall. For resale value tube amps tend to hold their value a lot better. I recently sold a Marshall DSL 20 combo that I bought new a couple years ago for just over $500 for $400. It was a great amp for hard rock and metal, and the 40 is even better. But what I switched to was a Roland Cube mini and a Boss GT-1 that I run direct and get some wonderful tones from such a humble rig. My next amp will probably be a higher wattage cube, or a Headrush flat response cab because this Boss GT-1 gets all the tones I'd ever need and more and I'm thrilled with it. I've always been agnostic on the tube vs solid state debate. I always chose whatever works best.
This is the first video I've watched from your channel. Awesome content. I only play jazz, but I'll now consider Marshall if I want a tube amp. Interested to see what the next videos in this series are like!
I bought a DSL5 and am amazed at the clean tone from it. I gave up on Marshalls years ago due to lack of decent clean sounds but the DSL line seems to do a pretty good job of it. It's a little on the bright side, but it's full. Not sure if it'd be the best jazz amp, but as someone who plays multi genres it does fine doing jazz for me.
And also, thanks for the outstanding comparison of these amps and value that can be attributed beyond the typical "it sounds great" review. Looking forward to the next video on this.
I just want to shout out the old VHT Special line of amps. They were all hand-wired tube amps with repairability and modifiability in mind, and very affordable to boot. I once had a Special 44, a 44-watt amp with many bells and whistles, that cost me $300 used. I also now have a Special 6 and 12/20 RT, both of which are very well-regarded. These amps aren't terribly well-known, so the resale prices isn't that high. That's great if you really like these amps (like me). It's a shame that almost every model in this line has been discontinued.
VHT Special 12/20 (non-RT) here. While rolling tubes, I broke a keyway off the base of a new 6L6WGC. So my amp tech pulled all the rough-finished factory tube sockets and installed ceramic Marshall tube sockets all around. Tube swaps are a breeze now. While he was at it, he replaced the coupling caps with Mallory 150s, new cathode resistors, new bypass caps, and corrected any dodgy solder joints. He said the transformers were surprisingly robust and well-built -- no need for Mercury Magnetics unless I absolutely HAD to have them. He was also impressed with the neat wire routing. I'll probably stick an 8-ohm Eminence Lil' Texas in it, not because the stock 16-ohm Chromeback speaker isn't any good (it actually is), but because it will make the amp weigh 38 instead of 43 pounds. Plus, VHT customer service recommends swapping to a 8-ohm speaker if you're going to use 6L6s with the high power setting. So, for under 200 dollars, a couple of TAD 6L6WGC-STRs and a Tung-Sol 5751, I now have a dependable 20-watt hand-wired boutique Princeton-on-Steroids with lots of punch and plenty of headroom -- basically equivalent to what Ben Fargen said he'd do for me with his HotMod service, minus having FedEx gorillas bounce my amp around in the back of their trucks for 1600 miles.
Nice comparison thanks. I bought a Katana 50 when they first hit the market some years back now, as I needed a lightweight rehearsal amp rather than lug around my Twin Reverb. It surprised me as to how good it sounded for a cheaper amp when tweaked, and it went on to do numerous smaller gigs- still does. I just use a mic in front through a PA, use some pedals and it has never let me down. I have also owned the Marshall DSL40c and I probably should have kept it- I replaced the speaker with a Celestion Creamback Neo and it sounded great. Never bonded with Hot Rod amps, and found the VOX AC15 good but not versatile in tone.
Been looking forward to this series since I saw you float the idea in a comment on a previous video. I've really appreciated your "tech's perspective" on design and engineering as a player and someone with a background in manufacturing engineering (though far far removed from electrical and audio equipment).
Fantastic - informative and objective insights from an expert. Very helpful in considering an Amp purchase ! Looking forward to more content like this.
It so happens I have both the AC15C1 and the DSL40C, for mostly the same reasons you mentioned. Your right about the Marshall, it’s a great sounding versatile amp that works perfect for bar gigs, way more versatile than the AC15 which should have been a channel switching amp, hence I prefer the Marshall, though I love the tremolo effect on the Vox. I’m no tec but I noticed also the DSL40C has chassis mounted power tubes and a bunch less ICUs than the DSL40CR or the Blackstar Club40. And the price point is pretty much what you mentioned.
Haven't actually owned either amp, but collected the AC15C1 schematic some years ago. It's refreshingly simple with good choice of SS components. The Normal and TB channel outputs are summed in phase, so one can use an ABY box to switch them, with different pedals if desired for each channel. Channel summation, spring reverb driver, and reverb recovery are all via NJM2147 high-voltage op-amps from +-27V rails for sufficient headroom. The reverb driver section is wired as a current-source amplifier as Accutronics intended, and uses 5 parallel op-amp sections for "adequate" current. Can you tell us if this Vox reverb truely is adequate?The tremolo is a typical three-section phase-shift oscillator that modulates output-tube bias like Princeton Reverb, but uses cheap&reliable LND150 high-voltage depletion mode mosfet rather than a 12ax7 stage. Cross-line MV appears to be done correctly, albeit the PI buffer resistors might've been larger -- how does it actually sound? Thanks!
Hi Edward. The amp sounds strong in the midrange. The reverb is more than adequate, I have it turned down quite low. I love the tremolo effect, like the reverb it’s on the Footswitch. It’s the tremolo that attracted me to the amp as well as the cool factor of being a tube amp. Sure some transistor amps sound good too, but hey, they don’t have 70 year old technology. The main bugbears I have with the amp are that it doesn’t channel switch which I think is plain stupid for this day and age. If it was worth modernising the inside , then why not give it vintage tone and modern usability. However, I have an a/b pedal. What I like about it is that it’s not too loud at the gig and still does what tubes do so we’ll on the edge. When it comes to the gig however, I usually grab the Marshall. It’s just so much more versatile and has a more consistent tone. It goes from clean to lead at the click of a switch, and that crunch is especially pleasing to the ear and cleans up so nicely on the neck pickups when I roll the guitar down a bit. I feel the Vox tends to sound a bit boxy in comparison and it’s harder to regulate the volume.
Wow, just had the all the air taken out of my balloon! I recently bought a Blues Junior lV off Craigslist. I thought it was a bulletproof 15 watt amp. To hear it made the worst amp on the list is heartbreaking! Glad to know I can expect issues in the near future - I’ll be prepared and won’t be that disappointed. Thanks for your professional experiences with these amps. Chris
I’ve owned a handful of these and quite impressed by your analysis. I’m currently playing a SuperSonic 22. My lower priced preference is the AC15. It has a very balanced and predictable sound. I have a beat up HTClub 40 that I got as a throw in on an SG deal. Solid sounding amp and versatile. The newer model is certainly an upgrade, and beats my former Blues Jr in all categories.
Great information. Thanks! …..I’m wondering about how the new cheaper Stage Right tube amps would stack up on your list. I bought one for my airplane hangar as a knock around practice amp and so far I’m pretty impressed with its performance. I’m more curious to know if a brand new Fender amp like a Twin Reverb still has the built quality that they’ve had in the past.
Nice and informative. One thing I would add from personal experience is that in order to get the best use out of a Katana, you really need a computer. And if you want a foot switch, more $, but there are options for other than the Boss foot controller nowadays. Thanks again. Looking forward to the next price range.
