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Name a good, small (cheap) 6L6 or 6V6 head!


arcadesonfire

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Hi folks,

I'll start gigging again soon, and I'm thinking about a solution to my old dilemma: The necessity of using both a plexi amp and a Fender-style amp. I DEMAND this luxury! Back in the day, I would literally take both my Traynor plexi clone, its 2x12 cab, and my Fender Hot Rod Deluxe to gigs. The plexi is too bright and lacks reverb; the Fender can't pull off the grit. Using the two in stereo (out from my Timefactor) was a magical solution.

 

Carrying two amps might not sound like a big deal, but I live in New York! We have carry this shtuff up and down staircases and pack it into taxi cabs for gigs--and find room on small stages for it all.

 

So now I'm thinking: Get a Fender-style head for the 6L6/cleaner/darker sound. Then run the Traynor plexi head into one speaker and the Fender-style head into the other speaker of my 2x12. I'll lose the stage-spanning stereo effect, but I might save my back; the fender HRD is heavy!!

 

So, who's got any recommendations for a cheap, rather dark-toned, 6L6 or 6V6 head? Low wattage is a-OK. Reverb would definitely be nice, but not necessary. So far, i've spent a while searching for demos of the Fender Super Champ X2, and it sounded terrible, with all the demos performed by lackluster players; i think i'm crossing that one off the list of contenders.

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Here's what the doctor ordered.

 

Fender stopped making them a few years ago, but I found one for ya. It's custom shop stuff too.

http://www.brookmays.com/prod_disp.aspx?itemnum=8150500010&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9pO6nrf52QIVkRuBCh3yTAZnEAQYASAB EgL-kvD_BwE

 

they were kind of pricey, see

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Fender-039-57-DELUXE-HEAD-Bargain-Items-/162535558497

 

 

[video=youtube;69WI-dPwVA8]

 

[video=youtube;HGxHET9giDM]

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I run a Fender and Marshall together too. There are things the Fender does better over the Marshall and vice versa. I played through fenders only and developed certain playing styles then played through Marshall only and developed other styles. Seems I need both these days to play all styles or at least amps with a close proximity. The Marshall provides the jangle and top. The Fender provide the kick/power/bottom end.

 

When I first read your post I thought something like a used Fender Bassman or Bandmaster would work. You can still buy the older blackface in the $500 range but many have doubled in price over the past year and they aren't likely to go back down. When you consider the cost of any tube amp these days they were the best bargain for the money for so many years.

 

You're probably needing something more portable as you said you live in NY. I grew up in NJ and realize how people get around in the city. Its a friggin nightmare for travel on Busses, Subways or Taxis. I sure wouldn't be hauling two amps. If I rehearsed with a band I'd have a functional but otherwise worthless amp I could leave there. Something like a Peavey or similar SS amp so I didn't have to haul it back and forth. I'd save the good amp(s) for live gigs and even there I'd likely get something that provides a wide range of tones then just use pedals to get my Marshall/Fender tones. Modeling pedals have gotten so good now its impossible to tell the difference between a modeled tone or the real thing.

 

If you do go with an amp and portability was important I'd buy something small and light weight. This Super Champ X2 look interesting https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SupChampX2HD--fender-super-champ-x2-15-watt-tube-head?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIhrn1kfe02gIV0-DICh1EdwFPEAkYASABEgJsS_D_BwE

 

Pair that with a 15W Marshall and you should do well.

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I listened to your Soundbite from your site. For what you do, I would recommend a Ibanez TSA Head. They come in either 15 or 30 watt. I have been gigging with the 15 watt TSA-15H. Two 6v6. You have to provide your own Reverb. There are many fine pedals that will do the trick. You pick the cabinet(s). I have settled on either one or two 1x12's depending on the venue. We generally have no PA support for the guitar. These amps make a great neutral platform that respond well to whatever pedals you want to use, and I use a bunch. I keep telling myself I should move up to the 30 watt model, but likely never will as the 15 watt model sounds so good cranked up, get the 30 watt if you want to keep your Fender cleans up to ear splitting levels (I don't do that, more into a little dirt), otherwise the TSA-15H is the generally unknown bargain out there.

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I think you sometimes get what you pay for today. Cry once and be done with it.

 

correct.

 

There's a big fallacy that6L6's / 6v6's sound different than el84's and el34's. They have more output , but that's' where the story ends for most.

 

I have a Dr Z Maz 18 w/ reverb and the eq mod, and I can nail a fender blackface deluxe tone better than my 65 Deluxe RI. :D

The Maz has ele84's too.

 

Unless you're diming out the amp you're not using a huge amount of the power tubes.

I have had several Mesa amps that did the Led Zepplin thing very well.

 

Both ran 6l6's.

 

 

Folks carry several amps, cause they like carrying gear and it's a stage show and tell.

 

Use a pedal to toggle between the Marshall and Fender sounds.

 

I will also recommend the Swart Atomic Space Tone. I don't own one but have played through one.

 

500 bucks bought a lot of amp in 1975.

 

[video=youtube;uIZlE2YP7FQ]

[video=youtube;IN9hBa7qcyM]

[video=youtube;5gUm1fDKrQ4]

 

 

 

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Egnater Tweaker head, or Egnater Rebel 20 head. Both are pretty inexpensive, run in the 15-20W range, and are 6V6 based. If you need more oomph, there's also the Rebel 30.

 

 

 

 

I agree with Phil. I have an Egnator Rebel 30. It is a very versatile amp and it is loud as hell. 2 channel, 2 different tube sets (6v6 and el84) which can be blended, and it has a direct out that I use to the PA system. I use my amp as a monitor while going direct. I love this little amp. It does everything.

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I talked to Bruce, way back when he was first getting started with the company. He's a hell of a nice guy.

 

Very reasonable prices on these maps, but they are made overseas (if that matter to some, like myself). I grabbed some nice tones of a Tweaker 15 watter at the GC one day while test driving something there.

 

 

 

Personally Engator amps. I think it's some of the best out there for the coin. I'd choose that over a Vox Classic 15 watter.( which I have also owned)

 

I have had a bunch of Mesa's including a few Dual Rectifiers. All combos.

 

The Blue Angle was the first amp I have played the allowed you to switch between 6L6's/6V6's and EL84, or something like that.

 

The only issue I had with the amp is there was no master volume on it. It was like the loudest 15-33 watts I have ever got my paws on besides a Marshall 1974x combo. That thing got loud quickly.:freak:

 

The first time I ever fired up a Mark I, I scared myself.

 

I loved the early rectifier amp, but every one was a class in weight lifting. The handles are supper strong, but I would take my chances. I always carried my amp like I was carrying a baby.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I got the Hughes & Kettner Grandmeister 36 for that same reason. I was tired of lugging around my Mesa Boogie RoadKing II. It was a beast and very heavy. I had both types of tube so it covered a wide range of music. The GM 36 is small, light weight but packs a hell of a punch. Plus it has many effects built in which are pretty good. The other plus, totally programmable and MIDI capable. Love the sound too.

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I would be inclined to find a Fender SuperSonic 22W head....covers a lot of bases from the Fender clean to some pretty good OD.

I am also partial to the Blackstar HT Studio 20w head which can go from a Fender-y clean on the clean channel to a very Marshall-y grit on the dirty channel, plus some interesting places in between...but it is EL34s, not 6L6/6V6.

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