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SurfGuitar101 Forums » Gear »

Permalink Blackstar HT1 or other low watt amp for surf?

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Hi,

I'm looking at getting a small low watt amp for bedroom playing. I want to know if the HT1 clean channel is any good for surf with a reverb pedal in front of it?

If not any other suggestions?

I want a tube amp not a modelling amp, as I like getting pedals to put in front of them.

I'm aware the HT1 has a built in midcut which could be a problem. I need something fairly versatile as I don't just play surf but classic rock and grunge as well.

Thanks

Vox AC4 for sure

Waikiki Makaki surf-rock band from Ukraine

New Single is out!

https://waikikimakaki.bandcamp.com/album/rhino-blues-full-contact-surf-single

Waikiki Makaki

https://linktr.ee/waikikimakaki

Lost Diver

https://lostdiver.bandcamp.com
https://soundcloud.com/vitaly-yakushin

Fender Vibro-Champ Amp

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Last edited: Feb 02, 2024 15:23:28

Tqi wrote:

Is there a price factor here as well?

If not, then in your shoes, I'd probably buy something like the Marshall Origin 20H, since it's based on a more vintage bassman-like Marshall design, and can run at 3W or 0.5W with built-in power switching. Small 4x8 or 1x10 cab for home use, big 2x10 or 1x15 cab at a gig - only one amp needed.

Otherwise, I'm playing around a fair bit right now with the Fender Greta (mostly as a pre-amp, but I've tried it as the worlds-worst-tube-surf-amp as well) - which would probably work well as a bedroom surf amp with an actual cab instead of a 4" internal speaker. I just don't have one (a cab) to hand right now to try it.

I'm happy to save up a bit. I have a little boss katana air at the moment which is decent but I want a tube amp again. I'll look into the marshall. I would love a head as opposed to a combi so I can switch cabinets

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Last edited: Feb 02, 2024 15:23:08

Waikiki Makaki surf-rock band from Ukraine

New Single is out!

https://waikikimakaki.bandcamp.com/album/rhino-blues-full-contact-surf-single

Waikiki Makaki

https://linktr.ee/waikikimakaki

Lost Diver

https://lostdiver.bandcamp.com
https://soundcloud.com/vitaly-yakushin

dannylectro wrote:

Fender Vibro-Champ Amp

Same here. For bedroom practice this is the amp I generally fire up. Mine is a drip edge silver face.

dannylectro wrote:

Fender Vibro-Champ Amp

I'm gonna get a '67 Vibro-Champ next weekend! I have too many brown Fenders and not enough black.

But hey - I found a "sleeper" amp on CL for $500 that is awesome - a 1962 Epiphone EA-35T Devon Tremolo. It's a 10-watt 1x12" and it sounds really nice, far FAR nicer than I thought it would. Kinda like a beefy tweed sound, hefty low mids but super clear. And the cab is big so it's way louder than you'd think for a 1x12 10-watter. The tremolo is gorgeous, just freakin lovely. It uses two 6bq5s (el34s), two 6eu7 preamp tubes, and a 6ca4 rectifier. It's also identical to a version of the Gibson GA-5.

image

Daniel Deathtide

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Last edited: Feb 02, 2024 15:37:58

Yep sorry el84 is what I meant! It sounds MUCH louder and cleaner than I thought it would.

Daniel Deathtide

dannylectro wrote:

Fender Vibro-Champ Amp

I see these are not produced anymore and hard to find

Waikiki Makaki surf-rock band from Ukraine

New Single is out!

https://waikikimakaki.bandcamp.com/album/rhino-blues-full-contact-surf-single

Waikiki Makaki

https://linktr.ee/waikikimakaki

Lost Diver

https://lostdiver.bandcamp.com
https://soundcloud.com/vitaly-yakushin

Surprisingly surfy little tube amp. Nice both on bedroom levels and cranked up, it’s starting to break up pretty late for 1 watt amp. Perfect with pedals as it’s pretty neutral sounding, a little to clean Fender side, I would say blond side, not blackface or tweed.
I was also surprised that simulated output sounds even better than Quilter with cab sims, I guess because this company is mostly known for di boxes and cab sims.
They are for 200 Euro on Thomann now so highly recommended to European surfers.
image

Waikiki Makaki surf-rock band from Ukraine

New Single is out!

https://waikikimakaki.bandcamp.com/album/rhino-blues-full-contact-surf-single

Waikiki Makaki

https://linktr.ee/waikikimakaki

Lost Diver

https://lostdiver.bandcamp.com
https://soundcloud.com/vitaly-yakushin

It's also identical to a version of the Gibson GA-5.

I agree that these are excellent amps. But this Crestline era EA-35T is pretty much equivalent to the Crestline era 1962 Gibson GA-8T Discoverer or Gibson GA-18T Explorer, not the GA-5T (which in the Crestline era was called a Skylark). The Crestline versions of the GA-8T and GA-18T are, I believe, basically identical except for the speaker - the GA-18T speaker is a bit more stout. The GA-8T speaker is a Jensen with a really tiny alnico magnet.

The confusing thing about these Gibson/Epiphone amps is that there were micro-changes constantly being made to them between about 1960 and 1965. I think as each year passed, they got a little bit less interesting. The '59/'60 series featured 10" speakers and 2x6BM8 dual-triode preamp/power tubes. Moved to 12" speaker between '60 and '61, then Crestline series with 2x6BQ5(British numbering EL84) came in '62, and then gradually morphed between '63 and '65 or '66.

In comparison to an equivalent Fender, they're still a relative bargain - I see them these days typically in the 600-1000 range. A comparable Fender is in the stratosphere. But the Gibsons have moved up in price the last few years.

I have both a '60-61 series white tolex GA-8 and a GA-8T, as well as a Crestline era GA-5T Skylark (2x6AQ5 power tubes), and I traded my Crestline era EA-35T to a friend several years back. They're all great, but quite different from each other. I've been through a veritable ton of various Gibson/Epiphone amps over the last 40 years, the subtle and not-so-subtle variations over just a few years is startling. This page at Superior Music will give you some idea of the variations, but I don't think even this covers them all - https://www.superiormusic.com/page199.htm

Nonetheless, I highly recommend checking them out if you can find some to play. They're out there.

The Delverados - surf, punk, trash, twang - Facebook
Chicken Tractor Deluxe - hardcore Americana - Facebook and Website
The Telegrassers - semi-electric bluegrass/Americana - Facebook

Last edited: Feb 28, 2023 09:35:37

Is Laney stuff available in the US? They have a solid reputation here in the UK as dependable, reliable no nonsense amp.

There's a Super Cub 1x10 which would suit your needs, it depends on how available they are:
https://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Laney-CUB-SUPER10-1x10-Valve-Combo/

It does use an EL84 though. For me the best surf sounds come from a 6V6 or 6L6. EL84's are kind of UK equivalent to US 6V6/6L6.

A Champ circuit is pretty easy to make if you know someone that can make one for you. They can be made using a cheap transistor amp, tearing all the guts out and repurposing the chassis. Something like a small Frontman that you can pick up for ten bucks or so.

For best bang for the buck, you could find one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/Monoprice-611705-5-Watt-Guitar-Amplifier/dp/B016JDJ8TA/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=tube+amp+5W&qid=1677746381&sr=8-4

It's basically a champ, made cheaply, but it's still a tube amp. The champ circuit is so basic there's not much variation in tone. Swap out the speaker, put it in a better box - it's still leagues ahead of a transistor amp, if you don't want any bells or whistles.

Uncle Doug on YouTube converts one to a point to point circuit and removes the PCB. By anyone's book, a point to point tube amp for under 150 bucks is a bargain.

http://thewaterboarders.bandcamp.com/

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