Reccommended 1U rackspace valve poweramps?

[petejt]

In the past I asked about small & low wattage poweramps.

 

I'm now also considering higher wattage valve poweramps.

 

 

What are some good ones that are strictly 1U in size?

[bhsbhswarp]

there is only one mesa 20/20,none better imo

[starsnuffer]

Marshall has a 20/20 as well. Both the mesa and marshall use el84 tubes.

 

I owned both, I prefer the mesa, but both of them have extremely noisy fans and lack headroom. The lack of headroom has more to do with the size of the transformers then it does the tubes, please don't take that as a slam on el84's.

 

I'd recommend adding a rackspace and going with the VHT 2/50/2. You can run it in class a mode to cut down on the output a bit (puts it at about 30 watts a side)

 

-W

[petejt]

Thanks for your suggestions so far .

 

I hope the VHT isn't too expensive.

[mshifflett]

+1 on the Mesa 20/20. I used one of these for a couple of years behind a Marshall JMP-1 and it was a killer tone. The lower the wattage the better

 

I know the Marshalls had overheating problems there for a while.

[Elric]

The mesa 20/20 and Marshall EL-84 (also called the 20/20 sometimes) are the only 1U valve power amps I've ever heard of.

 

The Mesa goes for around $500 used. The Marshall seems more rare. I'm not sure what the going price for those is...

[petejt]

 

I know the Marshalls had overheating problems there for a while.

 

 

Damn. I suppose that problem can be fixed easily though?

 

I didn't know that Marshall made a 1U rackspace poweramp, only the much bigger 9100 poweramp like my housemate used to have.

 

I'll look around for a Marshall 20/20. I hope it works out well, as I'd rather get that than the Mesa/Boogie 20/20 even though the Boogie seems more reliable and good quality.

[petejt]

I'm finding it really hard to find the Marshall 20/20.

 

Hopefully someone on HC has one for sale

[mshifflett]

I can't remember if the issue was resolved by Marshall or if people are just dealing with it. The tone from the Marshall was never impressive to me. It was much thinner and lacking deepness than the Boogie. But it all depends on what tone you are going for.

[petejt]

 

I can't remember if the issue was resolved by Marshall or if people are just dealing with it. The tone from the Marshall was never impressive to me. It was much thinner and lacking deepness than the Boogie. But it all depends on what tone you are going for.

 

 

Well, I want thick, deep tone.

[mshifflett]

In my opinion the Boogies are a more full sounding power amp than the Marshalls. I did the deep mod on mine and it was even better!

[sir riff a lot]

get the mesa .

[WKG]

+1 on the Mesa 20/20. I used one of these for a couple of years behind a Marshall JMP-1 and it was a killer tone. The lower the wattage the better I know the Marshalls had overheating problems there for a while.

 

 

+2 for the Mesa 20/20 - JMP-1 combo. I have been using both for the past couple of years. Light, flexible and great sounding.

[NyteOwl]

I never tried the Marshall 20/20, but I have owned two Mesa 20/20s over the years. If I were in the market for a single space power amp for a guitar rig, I'd by a Tubeworks MV-982 before investing in another Mesa. Price point is about the same, and the TubeWorks 982 I owned simply blew away the Mesa.

[starsnuffer]

 

I never tried the Marshall 20/20, but I have owned two Mesa 20/20s over the years. If I were in the market for a single space power amp for a guitar rig, I'd by a Tubeworks MV-982 before investing in another Mesa. Price point is about the same, and the TubeWorks 982 I owned simply blew away the Mesa.

 

 

That's way overpriced for a solidstate poweramp.

 

-W

[Elric]

 

That's way overpriced for a solidstate poweramp. -W

 

 

+1000.

 

I don't know what the going rate is for the MV-982 because they're pretty rare. But the MV-962, which is essentially the same design with higher output and a 2U form factor goes for MUCH less than the $400-$500 that guy is looking to get. I certainly wouldn't pay MORE for the 982 even though it's more rare given the 962's sound the same, are more powerful, and more plentiful. I expect that thing won't sell at that price point unless someone is very specifically GASsing for a 982 and desperate. In that price range you could just get the Mesa 20/20 which is all tube and generally a much more expensive brand.

 

There are LOTs of 1U SS power amps, FWIW. So, even though the MOSValve does have one of the best reps around for sound and reliability, that asking price is WAY too much for an SS amp, IMHO.

[petejt]

I wish that MosValve was cheaper.

[petejt]

Are there any other brands that make 1U rackspace valve poweramps?

 

 

It seems that the Mesa/Boogie would be the best, but I'd prefer not to have another Boogie amp (one is enough).

[Gorgon90]

 

Are there any other brands that make 1U rackspace valve poweramps? It seems that the Mesa/Boogie would be the best, but I'd prefer not to have another Boogie amp (one is enough).

 

 

They're not pure valve but the ADA Microtube amps had some valves in their hybrid design. Never played with one myself so I can't comment on the quality or sound but they were 1U.

 

Marshall's Valvestate 8008 and 8004 models have some voicing circuitry to warm them up but they are pure solid state at the end of the day. Again though they are 1U.

[petejt]

^^ cool, thanks.

[petejt]

 

They're not pure valve but the ADA Microtube amps had some valves in their hybrid design. Never played with one myself so I can't comment on the quality or sound but they were 1U. Marshall's Valvestate 8008 and 8004 models have some voicing circuitry to warm them up but they are pure solid state at the end of the day. Again though they are 1U.

 

 

I wish Marshall made a 1U full valve poweramp. I think I'm gonna need that natural warmth and fullness.

[starsnuffer]

 

I wish Marshall made a 1U full valve poweramp. I think I'm gonna need that natural warmth and fullness.

 

 

They do. The EL84 20/20.

 

The Mesa 20/20 is better, I've owned both.

 

Both pale in comparison to better 2u models. I even liked the peavey classic 50 and 60 better.

 

-W

[petejt]

Thanks everyone for all of your help.

 

 

I am though feeling like I should get something completely different, like an Orange Tiny Terror. I just wish it was available for under $400.

[Elric]

Both pale in comparison to better 2u models. I even liked the peavey classic 50 and 60 better.

Could be the transformers at fault, I guess... The 1U footprint would limit transformer options for the designer, I would think.

 

I am though feeling like I should get something completely different, like an Orange Tiny Terror. I just wish it was available for under $400.

Look at it this way: It's cheaper than a 1U valve power amp and you haven't even factored in the cost of the preamp.

 

Really, based on the questions you've been asking it sounds like you don't want a rack... You want a small, low wattage, tube head. There are quite few these days: Epi Valve Junior, Blackheart, Orange TT, Krank Rev Jr, etc. You could also look at "studio" style small combos, Mesa, Peavey, and a lot of boutique guys make killer stuff there. If you want a head you could always convert it or use the power amp to drive a cab.

 

Your other option if you're determined to give a rack a go, would be a 1U SS or hybrid power amp. I have an ADA Microtube 200 in a "grab and go" case with a preamp and it is actually a kick ass light rig and sounds really good for practice volumes.... Unless you go super low wattage most people are never gonna push tubes hard at "home" volumes, anyway, so the hybrid ckt actually works pretty well in that context since it fills out the sound quite a bit and adds a touch of compression relative to a pure SS amp. So, a really good SS power amp like the MosValve or a hybrid like the Marshall 8008 or Microtube series might serve your needs well. By playing a decent wattage tube amp @ low volumes you've compromised the amp anyway, so SS/hybrids are actually a good option for that context IMHO.

 

Speakers make a TON of difference as well, BTW, so no matter what you do, there's another thing to worry about.

 

Really, though, you may just want to save up some $$ or sell off some old stuff for that Orange, if it's got the sound you want. It's like finding the right girl... So many people struggle to pick just the right one and even when they do, are never happy, whereas others just plug into anything and are good to go. Regardless, it's not worth driving yourself crazy over it and if you do find one that you know is right it's worth the effort.

[petejt]

Could be the transformers at fault, I guess... The 1U footprint would limit transformer options for the designer, I would think. Look at it this way: It's cheaper than a 1U valve power amp and you haven't even factored in the cost of the preamp. Really, based on the questions you've been asking it sounds like you don't want a rack... You want a small, low wattage, tube head. There are quite few these days: Epi Valve Junior, Blackheart, Orange TT, Krank Rev Jr, etc. You could also look at "studio" style small combos, Mesa, Peavey, and a lot of boutique guys make killer stuff there. If you want a head you could always convert it or use the power amp to drive a cab. Your other option if you're determined to give a rack a go, would be a 1U SS or hybrid power amp. I have an ADA Microtube 200 in a "grab and go" case with a preamp and it is actually a kick ass light rig and sounds really good for practice volumes.... Unless you go super low wattage most people are never gonna push tubes hard at "home" volumes, anyway, so the hybrid ckt actually works pretty well in that context since it fills out the sound quite a bit and adds a touch of compression relative to a pure SS amp. So, a really good SS power amp like the MosValve or a hybrid like the Marshall 8008 or Microtube series might serve your needs well. By playing a decent wattage tube amp @ low volumes you've compromised the amp anyway, so SS/hybrids are actually a good option for that context IMHO. Speakers make a TON of difference as well, BTW, so no matter what you do, there's another thing to worry about. Really, though, you may just want to save up some $$ or sell off some old stuff for that Orange, if it's got the sound you want. It's like finding the right girl... So many people struggle to pick just the right one and even when they do, are never happy, whereas others just plug into anything and are good to go. Regardless, it's not worth driving yourself crazy over it and if you do find one that you know is right it's worth the effort.

 

 

Ideally, I want a poweramp that will neatly fit inside my 4x12 speaker cabinet, just like a Leslie poweramp should. After all this poweramp is exclusively for my Leslie 'contraption', which is a single 3/4" throat driver into a revolving Leslie bakelite double-horn.

I don't want a great big massive poweramp just for a single speaker.

 

It's just that it appear that I won't be able to fit an amp inside the cab, unless I can mount it somehow and it's small enough in dimensions. I'd like it to be high-ish wattage, but I still like the idea of a low wattage poweramp- but only now as long as it can be loud enough to be heard through two other loud valve amps.

 

The reason why I keep pining for a 1U size, is because I have very limited space. I only have two speaker cabs and don't like the thought of balancing a big rack on top of my amps or have it sit on the floor, so I need as minimal rack units as possible. So far it will be at least three units (all 1U size), and that's nearly too much to fit.

I want the whole rig to be as compact as possible, basically two half-stacks sitting next to each other.

 

Lately I've only been practicing at home (and barely enough of that), but whenever I play, I play as loud as I can (which is fairly loud). So I like everything to operate as if it was a professional gig (which it currently does). Ideally it should operate comfortably for a stadium- and if ever in that situation the only thing I'd need to do to extend the system would be to hook up extra cabs for more spread of the sound, and probably mic up the Leslie.

 

I am a bit fussy too about the Mesa/Boogie 20/20, because I don't want too much of one particular brand. But I am caught on that one because it's all valve, so the tone would be fuller.

 

Would something like the Marshall Valvestate 8008 poweramp like you and others mentioned, be good also for loud live performances? Would it hold up in a loud gig, or just shriek and be thin-sounding?

 

I'm thinking now maybe I could screw in a 1U poweramp into the inside of my 4x12 cab, and hard-wire it to the speaker, so that way it won't need to be with the other rack stuff, thus allowing more room for that.

 

Or just find a Leslie poweramp that can be modified for higher wattage & have bigger valves, and if it fits inside the cab, fit it in there.