Help in finding a light weight amp.
Cannot use a weight bigger than about 30 lbs.
any suggestions:?
thanks
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SurfGuitar101 Forums » Gear »
looking for a light weight amp with clean headroom.
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Joined: Dec 13, 2013 Posts: 22 |
Posted on Jan 28 2014 07:29 AM
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Joined: Nov 03, 2011 Posts: 660 |
Posted on Jan 28 2014 09:24 AM
Are you looking for combo, head/cab and what tone are you shooting for?Quilter amps my fit the bill or a Fender Princton. Lots of recent lunchbox amps too. |
Joined: Sep 29, 2007 Posts: 500 Sacto, CA 
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Posted on Jan 28 2014 11:28 AM
A Princeton Reverb is a great clean amp at lower volumes but won't give you much clean headroom. The ZT Lunchbox is a great solution. Weighing in at less than 10 lbs. this little amp packs a lot of power and stays clean at loud volume. It also pairs up with extension cabs really well. I often play my little ZT with a 15" neo speaker cab that weighs maybe 20-24 lbs and this combination has worked great while saving strain on my back. Of course little amps the size of a lunchbox don't have the "cool factor" that a big tube amp has, but there's nothing cool about throwing your back out either. I'd rather sound good and "feel" good than sound good and "look" good. Another consideration is the Mustang III. Also a loud, relatively lightweight amp but not a tube amp if that matters to you. |
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Joined: Dec 13, 2013 Posts: 22 |
Posted on Jan 28 2014 12:20 PM
Hmmmmm. I would prefer something with tube circuitry and as a combo. Last edited: Jan 28, 2014 12:21:29 |
Joined: Sep 16, 2007 Posts: 548 Utah |
Posted on Jan 28 2014 02:12 PM
Not real surfy, but I've used Mesa/Boogie studio 22s in the past. Very loud and decent clean headroom. You can find them for under 400 bones all over the place. I agree that a Princeton will not provide much headroom at a louder volume. —Either you surf, or you fight. |
Joined: Dec 17, 2012 Posts: 519 Vienna 
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Posted on Jan 28 2014 02:30 PM
hi! yours http://www.surfgrammeln-san.org |
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Joined: Nov 03, 2011 Posts: 660 |
Posted on Jan 28 2014 02:30 PM
I've heard some people get some happening tones out of the Fender Blues Junior's (pretty good volume and headroom). |
Joined: Aug 19, 2006 Posts: 958 Kekaha, Kauai, Hawaii
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Posted on Jan 28 2014 02:49 PM
+1 on the Blues Jr. it's a great little amp and.... The TakeOffs |
Joined: Feb 22, 2013 Posts: 342 SoCal USA |
Posted on Jan 28 2014 02:56 PM
derekirving wrote:
I own an NOS tweed BJr. I like the amp and it make a good grab & go. It's not very surfy, the reverb is a bit sucky but it will get you by with a pedal. These amps take drive pedals well too. My BJr has no mods other than a bias pot I added. JJ tubes in the power section. The ZT Lunchbox was mentioned above. I also own a ZT Club, the LB's big brother with a 12" speaker and better tone/FX. Plenty loud with a big enough voice for anything. Again pedals are key when it comes to reverb. This amp is very particular about tone settings. The settings can be had/dialed in but it's not as intuitive as a Fender. A Club is about the same price as the BJr. 22 lbs,yeah! You can't go wrong with the Quilter either. I've played several on stage including the not yet available Steelair. Very convincing tube like tone with good feel. —Keep it Drippy Brothers and Sisters! |
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Joined: Oct 12, 2012 Posts: 219 Hampton Roads, Virginia
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Posted on Jan 28 2014 06:14 PM
Mic it! Buy something small and lightweight that sounds great, and mic it through the PA. If you're not playing through a PA...you should be! If you're not playing out live, then I say, you need the other musicians to control THEIR volume! (I know, an almost impossible task). I use a Fender Pro Jr. as my grab and go and rehearsal amp. I've also played small room gigs with it (mic'd and un-mic'd). They do tend to grit up a bit but I'm amazed at how well this little amp (it's the next smaller one down from the Blues Jr. mentioned above) does. I actually gigged with it for a while into a 2x12 cab. In fact, I had the bright idea that I would create this two amp rig - use a Twin Reverb for clean, and the Pro Jr for gritty drive sounds (more bluesy and not too overdriven). I figured I'd have to turn the Pro up almost all the way to get it to match volume with the Twin (which I could also adjust) and that way I'd get a fair amount of gain. WRONG! It ended up that the Pro through the 2x12 was holding it's own against the Twin (at a reasonable volume mind you) and I couldn't get it loud enough to get the amount of grit I wanted! The other option: Hand Truck. Steve |
Joined: Nov 28, 2011 Posts: 795 Prescott Valley, AZ
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Posted on Jan 29 2014 12:06 AM
Sounds like a Quilter application ('cept for the tubes) Anyone rung a Quilter Aviator out? Tone ? I have no dealer near by and would like to hear one live. Maybe they'd loan me one for a week or two.. |
Joined: Dec 24, 2013 Posts: 145 Maribor 
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Posted on Jan 29 2014 06:56 AM
I have a JBL in my Princeton Reverb. It has more headroom, but it's not so light any more. — |
Joined: Dec 30, 2013 Posts: 245 
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Posted on Jan 31 2014 09:19 PM
what about a classic 30.... |
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Joined: Feb 26, 2006 Posts: 133 La Playa, Mexico
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Posted on Jan 31 2014 10:12 PM
The Fender Excelsior is a great amp for the money…pretty clean and loud, but with a nice breakup too. Has a 15" speaker that booms but doesn't get flabby. I'd give it a try. At $399, it's a hell of a good price for a tube amp. I use mine for surf music and it's great with a reverb pedal or box. |
Joined: Feb 28, 2006 Posts: 2391 San Jose, Ca.
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Posted on Feb 01 2014 02:39 AM
Quilter Micro Pro, or Aviator. Loud, great tone, and super-light. —Bob |
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Joined: Nov 16, 2013 Posts: 4537 Wisconsin
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Posted on Feb 01 2014 07:48 AM
Blues Jr here also. They can also be had in pretty good shape used on a regular basis. Won't get into mods done to mine other than relates to 'clean'. Wes DISCLAIMER: The above is opinion/suggestion only & should not be used for mission planning/navigation, tweaking of instruments, beverage selection, or wardrobe choices. |
Joined: Sep 03, 2011 Posts: 84 Murrieta, CA |
Posted on Feb 04 2014 10:32 PM
Quilter Micro Pro. The reverb has a dwell knob on it and for a solid state amp it's real close |
Joined: Nov 03, 2006 Posts: 693 San Clemente, CA
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Posted on Feb 05 2014 11:54 AM
not a tube amp, but for what it is, and for what it can do... Fender Mustang III? Light and loud. —Happy Sunsets! |
Joined: Nov 16, 2013 Posts: 182 Edinburgh, Scotland 
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Posted on Jul 18 2014 05:12 PM
Just gonna go ahead and bump this as today I picked up a new amp that has just knocked me sideways. It's a Session Rockette 30, a MOSFET solid state 30W but stone me if it isn't one of the best amps I have ever heard. I've been looking for a decent lightweight combo for gigs and the cleans on this thing just blew me away...the onboard 'verb is no slouch either. Weighs about 9 kilos, if that. Here's a chap playing the bigger brother 75 (with a pretty sweet custom finish...mines a more dowdy grey): Cannot recommend these amps enough if one pops up nearby. The guy told me he'd kept ahold of it for 28 years and assured me I'd likely do the same...I think he may be right! Last edited: Jul 18, 2014 17:23:39 |
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Joined: Nov 03, 2011 Posts: 660 |
Posted on Jul 18 2014 10:00 PM
WindanseaBeachBoy wrote:
I agree with this however I don't find the excelsior pro to be what I consider light. Mine is around 35 lbs w/15" eminence pro speaker. |
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