I just ordered my first all-tube amp, thanks in part to your videos on tube amps for home practice and recording. After years of playing solid state/ hybrids. It's the Vox AC10, which fits the bill perfectly as a guy who mostly records at home, but occasionally does church gigs.
Dude I got the 2018 AC-10 on a good deal. I was used to a F tweed champ reissue, but got this as a back up . . . but this Vox freakin' amazing. I thought it would be like a responsive version of my friend's pathfinder, but sounds far more amazing. Even after a month, still finding some new sounds . . .
My first tube amp was a Fender Hot Rod deluxe. I got my dirt from a ProCo Turbo Rat and a Ts-7 Tube Screamer. Got some really good tones out of that amp.
Great video Rhett…. My first tube amp was a Mesa Boogie DC-5. My job at the time messed up and paid me twice in one pay period. I immediately took the money to the Mesa Dealer near me and pulled the trigger…that started this tone journey…
My first tube amp was the Fender Bassbreaker 15 head I got about a year ago. I have it driving the dual Celestion Creamback 1x10 cabinets that came with a Marshall Lead 15 solid state head that I had been using for a while, and it sounds fantastic. It's a colorful amp though, so pairing the right guitar with it has been an interesting experience. The SGs sounded pretty good, but once I picked up a Gretsch hollow body with the new FT-5E Filter'trons, I was blown away by the tone combination, to the point that I would be happy if that became my signature sound. I suppose I need to find myself a band now (or at least a good drum machine) :P
When i picked up the guitar again after a 17 year hiatus, the Bassbreaker15 was the first valve amp i bought. Good little rocker! Mine is the 1x12 combo.
Been using Port City cabs for over 10 years now. HIGHLY underrated amplifiers and cabinets. Their OS 2X12 and standard 2X12 beat out my Mesa and Orange cabs by a wide margin. At one time Tosin Abasi, Dustie Waring, David Ryan Harris (of John Mayor’s band) Shawn Tubbs (Carrie Underwood’s live guitarist) and Keith Urban’s live band were all using Port City. What a crazy and diverse bunch. It’s the sign of top tier build quality and world class tone. Can’t say enough about these Carolina boys and their fine products. Love em to death. I’ll always have their gear in my arsenal. ❤️
I just ordered an AC10 today, it'll be my first proper all-tube amp. Up until now I've been playing solid state and a few hybrids. I'm also primarily a Telecaster guy, so I'm looking forward to it.
Sick. The tele and vox sound are an awesome pairing. You’ll love the ac10 for sure. It’s perfect for me. I saw in your other comment that you record at home. Are you planning to mic the speaker up or do you have something you can plug into?
@@ethancrane7443 For the last year or so I've been using an Orange Terror Stamp and using the cabsim out to record direct, but I'm also setup to record cabs with mics which I have done in the past for some old combos I have. I'm fortunate enough not to have neighbours to disturb!
I'm so old I grew up when there was only tube amps. I got my first solid-state amp in 1982 it was a Randall rg80. I used it for 20 years. Now I'm back to tubes.
My first tube was an Epiphone Valve Junior combo. Loved it so much, I ended buying also the head version and TWO matching cabs. Yep... An Epi Valve Jr. full stack :D It rocked and looked uber cool.
My first amp was solid-state/tube hybrid (Peavey Vintage 212) that wasn't a bad first amp. I learned a lot dragging that big beast around. I went totally solid-state for a couple of dances - Sunn Beta Lead 212 (with angled-in 12" speakers. Good sound coverage, but the distortion sounded "painted on" to the basic tone, rather than part of it), then another Peavey, the Special 130. This might be the best-sounding transistor amp I have ever played. Beastly power for a 112. I then became a tube snob - found a 1974 Fender Vibrolux. 40 watts, 2 x 10" speakers. That plus a tube screamer and I was in valve heaven. I now wish I had it back. Now I have a Gibson GA-15 that is EL84 coolness (but unreliable). I recently returned a Morgan PR12, which sounded magnificent but went belly-up after four weeks. Now, Rhett, I am going to order a Port City 15-watter, on your recommendation. So, if it turns out to be a boat anchor, it's YOUR fault. Liar! Schull! We hates it forever! Well, no, not likely. Thanks for the post - it helped me solidify some decisions I was waffling about.
Have a Port City Pearl Combo. Best amp I've ever played. Our band does the Hendrix/SRV/Philip Sayce style stuff and it takes pedals like a champ! Daniel is a great guy to work with and just an overall good dude!
I've only ever had two 15 watt tube amps, and I've never ran them at their loudest on unmic'd gigs. I still have one, and I still love it. Low wattage amps are lighter, loud enough for me, easier to get into their sweet spot, and cheaper (usually)
I just got a Fender Super Champ X2 head yesterday, and immediately found that sweet spot. Such an amazing amp! I have gone through so much gear (still have a dozen amps), but never even looked at lower wattage amps till recently. When I got the Marshall Origin 50, the built in attenuation made me realize exactly what headroom means for Tone vs Volume, as well as the role of harmonics derived from power amp distortion vs preamp gain. The X2 serves up a great balance, has onboard effects and takes pedals exceptionally well. I'm pushing a Bassbreaker 2x12 cab with celestion V type, and it's gloriously ballsy, punchy, and full bodied. I also have the Fender Champion 100, which sounds good, but pales in comparison to the X2, despite the shared features and DNA.
I got my first tube amp last year. Bought used locally. Peavey Delta Blues 115. Playing mostly at church. Still feel like I'm learning to tame the beast. Love the warmth and overall improvement in tone.
My first tube amp was an Orange Jim Root Terror. Fantastic little Amp, I still have it, though I did just buy an Orange Rockerverb MkIII 50 and it's awesome.
I was fortunate that my mom would take me to live venues when I was 14. We’d stop at a couple honkey Tonks. There was always Fenders. I saw the Beatles and they had Vox. I didn’t know the Vox dealer only carried Solid State (Thomas Organ.) I was awful! The store took it back! The picker at a local county band sold my dad his 2 yr old Super Reverb, which spent those years in a Honky Tonk. It reeked of tobacco and beer! It sounded GLORIOUS! Nothing like carrying your amp into a teen dance smelling like it smoked Camels and drank Bud.
Great explanation for newer guitar players. I've gotten so many of these concepts in bits and pieces, but this is like a good friend helping you figure out what to look for in an amp!
I had a triple rectifier. Loved it but it became to big for my needs so I sold it and bought a brand new Orange 30watt that I also love. The tone is amazing. I’ll never buy a amp that’s not a tube amp or have I bought anything other than a tube amp since my first. A Vox AC30.
My first tube amp was a 69 Fender Bassman, Like a fool does when they are young, I sold it to buy something else. I now have 3 tube amps from Fender and Vox. But I prefer my Fender Reverb Tonemaster, because I am 58 years old and have a bad back. It's a grab and go amp that always sounds phenominal for blues, country, classic rock and gospel that I play.
Nice video! A new direction for you? I like the effort. As far as tube amps go, I found a Music Man years ago and loved it and still play through it today.
I like your story and i can relate. I also was schooled by a guitar shop but at 11yo with 2, 3, 4...or more of my friends almost every day, riding our bikes about 2 miles down a busy road, and most of the time our moms didn't know. Lol. But we were in guitar, amp, and pedal heaven😇
On a recent Phil McKnight video, he mentioned that different Amps with the same wattage can vary significantly in volume different to the quality of their Power Inverters. Something to keep in mind.
Great video Rhett. I went to a concert early in my playing experience and saw Davey Johnston playing through a Mesa combo and it sounded great. Made me realize that stacks were not a necessity. My first tube amp was a 70's Vibrolux Reverb that was more than loud enough. ADM was one of my main places to learn about guitars, amps and pedals. Peter Stroud was always great about advising me within my budget.
first tube amp, Sovtek Mig50, through a pawn shop homemade? 4x10 cab, Sovtek through Musiciansfiiend for like $305 in like 1994-6? Played 100's of shows with it, thrown it at crowds, down stairs, smashed several guitars on it... it still works, and still sounds killer.
The first big tube amp I ever got was a Fender Bassbreaker 45 with the matching 2x12 cabinet. Loud as balls, sounds amazing, and works with pedals so well. I've played many amps from many brands, and it still stands out to me as one of the best I've ever played. Highly overlooked amp in my opinion.
I got my first in 1999. It was a 1966 Fender Princeton Amp that was in a late 70s Yamaha G212 cabinet. I got it on even trade for a solid state Marshall that I had been given for free. I knew nothing about tube amps other than they were supposed to be better sounding and have a sweeter overdrive sound. I discovered that Princeton Amps are clean amps that don’t break up at all, but I didn’t care. I still have it (now in a different cab) and I’d never let it go.
Love the drone footage in the intro. It would be really cool to see a video where you breakdown the cameras you use to make your vids. Much appreciated man!
Excellent content!! Thanks for The tips!! I've Just bought my First tube amp and I'm happy because its exactly like your amp, a great pedal platform!! Thanks for The video Rhett!!
My first tube amp was a Orange Tiny Terror 1x10 combo. Paired with an HSS Strat, it rocked hard and served me well till I traded it in for a used Marshall TSL 601.
Really enjoyed this video Rhett. I had a similar experience, my first tube amp was an Ampeg Gemini II. I was very reliant on pedals and Gemini II was clean and quite loud at the time.
Great video. Thx for that. That's why I prioritized the guitar and got a Positive Grid Spark 40. Lots of possibilities tone-wise and no need to buy additional gear (money-wise and space-wise). Because I'm not sure what I want yet. And I'm not a working musician. I just play for fun and for therapy.
Ok my first tube amp was a mid 90s Rivera Knucklehead 100w top with the matching slanted 4 x 12. That was a big step up and learning curve from a Peavey Stereo Chorus 2 x 12 solud state combo. I loved the learnimg curve though from a tone and volume control perspective..
Chasing the tones. Lifelong endeavor. Funny too, as we change, our tastes change, our ears change for better and worse. Ohh, some gigs were waayy too loud. But ohh, so much fun. My main one now is a 30W Bassola Dean amp. Suits electric, bass and nylon string s pretty well. Solid state, yes, but practical. And reliable. Plug in and go. It’s never failed me in 15 years. The treble can be super squacky on the acoustic, but I try to adjust as I go, and I don’t worry about tube shortages and replacing. Tho I do miss that character. If I had the money.
At home it's the Blackstar HT5. Loud enough for "church" style gigs where the sound man is always telling you to turn down because he is also a keyboard player (and doesn't like guitar encroaching on "his" sonic turf!) For bluesy stuff it's a tweaked Laney LC15 which overcooks the valves a bit and is really rather loud. If I need more sound and I use both as a "wet dry" which is still not too much of a pain to lug and painfully loud with the "afternoon volumes". Don't kill me but my backup rig is a Hughes and Kettner solid state pedal amp (Ampman classic) into a Blug cab (or either of the speakers on the combos). Nice tones on this vid Rhett.
I was given a peavey vyper gen II as a young player. That amp was so much fun and did a lot of what I need it to do. I don't think it until I bought a Crate GX900h and 4x12 that I really started understanding why effects were necessary.. I played several places almost completely dry. Then I got a digitech multi-effects processor and that changed the game. Since then it has been a slow growing process that I have absolutely enjoyed... Thank you for making these vids, Rhett. Maybe one day I will run into you on the road
My first amp was Marshal JTM30. It was a decent amp but I didn't know what I was doing. I sold it and eventually traded for a vintage Fender VibroChamp and really went for the Fender sound. I recently sold some gear and somehow located a used(but mint) Fender 68 Custom Vibrolux Reverb amp. I think I prefer single channel amps for simplicity but the Vibrolux Reverb gives me that extra clean headroom, reverb and tremolo I really was wanting. I also really dig the 2x10" speakers along with the bright switches.
I’ve had Daniel at port city build me a couple of small 12 watt combos with some surprising headroom. Enough to make your heavy pedals actually punch and your clean tone pedals to have depth and clarity.
My first was a blue Univox amp. Clean and loud. Seemed more like a bass amp. Used an MXR Distortion plus for gain, this was around 1984? Actually, I've never purchased a new tube amp, only used ones, then I replaced the tubes because I didn't really know how old they were 😊
My 1st tube amp was a Carvin 100 watt 2x12 combo. It was for playing with our contemporary church service. Even at half power, it was deafening to people in the front row. I loved that amp but almost everyone else hated it. I wish I still had it now... *My new band name will be "Span The Gamut"
Back in the day I used to play thru not one, but two Ampeg V4 stacks. That's 16 twelves pushing air at a gig. Fast forward 50 years later and I use a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. Forty watts is perfect for everywhere I was playing. So, I went from 130 watt rms amps and worked my way down to a single 12. I can get all the tones I need and still be able to move it. At almost 70 years old, with my gigging days behind me, I could get away with playing a Fender Champ or Princeton with a mic on and still get all those wonderful tones.
My first tube amp was an Acoustic G 60 T. At that time, it was overwhelming, I had no clue how to set it up and what to do with all those knobs and it was much too loud for what I needed it for: bedroom noodling. Today, I‘d love to play one again just to see what I missed when I was young. I‘d probably wouldn‘t buy it again though. It was pretty heavy and my tonal preferences have changed a lot since then.
Man you're gonna get a lot of hating for not telling newcomers they need a marshall! Nice video, on point as always. Nice return of the landscape intro you've had loads of compliments in the past.
I run a 15 watt Orange OR15 through a 4x12 in my studio and it’s plenty loud. 106db in fact. I play mostly hard rock and metal so headroom isn’t really a concern.
Play mine every chance I get...fender bassbreaker 15..running mid biased mesa preamp 12ax7s and grooves in power EL84..I love this amp...many do not..if dialed in it's so good...celestian v-type speaker..birch closed back heavy duty cabinet...3 gain stages ...key to dialing in for any tone u want..works for blues rock etc incredibly well..
Well I feel old now! 8) I bought my first tube amp to gig with in 1970. I knew very little about them, so I looked in the local "swap-sheet" and found a Fender. It was 2 years old and used very little, the price was great so I bought it. I took it straight to the gig that night, and turned it on for the first time. What I had bought was a silver face twin, with JBL's, owned by a steel player! You can't imagine my surprise when I turned up the volume! Rhett has great advice here, always try before you buy!! LOL 8) --gary
I use a 65 SRRI as my main amp. It definitely gets peeling the paint off the walls loud, but it is actually surprisingly manageable at 4 on the volume in a decent-sized room. I also use it as a pedal platform, but the super isn't as neutral as let's say a hot rod Michael Landau or Twin Reverb, it has its own thing going on. The fender super reverbs, both the RI and the vintage ones have an "attitude" to them, that's the best way to describe it.
Same here wouldn't change it . . . I was back up singer for a friend's band in college in early 2000's. I wanted to learn guitar, so off we go to the store. I remember both guitarists wide eyed when the owner offered me this ES clone called Heritage and Peavey delta blues with single speaker for $1000. I was reluctant because I wanted a Strat and Fender amp but they convinced me to buy and I told the parents I bought a guitar and amp for music class to explain the charge . . . Today I primarily play bass but that amp is over at the 'rent's house, and still have the Heritage ES w/ me, and realized much later, what a I deal I got, the Peavey is 1990's era and the Heritage is a Gibson killer when it comes to LP's and ES.
My first tube amp I bought after college (late 90’s). I wasn’t a good musician or guitarist but I had a paycheck so I looked to my guitar god at that time, SRV. From a vacation I came home with a ‘72 Fender Super Reverb. The amp was glorious but… I didn’t understand it and couldn’t play it. Eventually sold it and don’t regret it. It wasn’t the right amp for me. And it has been fun to continue the hunt.
My Tweed Princeton taught me most of my right hand technique. If you're ham fisted, you only get one sound out of little Tweeds, mushy midrange flubbiness. Lighten up the attack and ....Voila! Now you have a holy grail. After a while, my brain was able to give the proper commands to my right hand, and a full spectrum of dynamics emerged. I've been on this epic journey since 1988, and I'm still tickling the tone from the Princeton. It was my first really great amp, and it took me almost a year's worth of adjusting my technique before I realized how good it is. The next time it changes hands will be at my estate sale.
I just realized that out of the 7 or so tube amps I’ve owned and still own, the only one newer than 1968 was a Vox AC30 reissue from 2000. I guess I was lucky to have been able to start buying before vintage prices became unaffordable over the past 15 years.
I wish I was your age, in this time, when looking for a first tube amp. Though, my first was (and still have) a Bogner Ecstasy 101b. Lucked out! There wasn't many cool options in the 90's. I wish I had purchased the Bog 5 to 10 years earlier. I've been GASing for a Port City Pearl for a long time!!!
My first tube amp was a brand new 71' Fender Champ. My second was a Fender Super Twin Reverb 180 watts of spacious tube headroom. Cant buy anything like it today. l miss it dearly.
My first amp was and is a Randall rh50t... A plexi on steroids with a very decent clean... I got it in the 90's I think... When I can I will change it for a Bassman 59 and a attenuator... For me the Bassman is the amp. Greattings
"When I was gigging, I would leave my volume around there - at 11 o'clock". Nice to know that Rhett's amps go all the way up to eleven. Spinal Tap fan confirmed.
My first amp was a used 60s Vox AC15 Combo. Fantastic amp for £40! I played both guitar and bass through it and it was plenty loud, but then I spray painted the original tweed covering black because I wanted to make it look “modern”. Stupidly sold it to buy a really unreliable Carlsbo 60 watt. My first pedal was a 60s Vox Professional Mk2 Tone Bender which I traded because it stopped working. What I’d give to have both those now!
Port City makes an awesome 2x12 ported cab. I don't even remember the name of my first amp, it was a 1x12 combo and I was wondering why I didn't get distorted tones when on 10. I finally found out it was NOT a tube amp. LOL I have GAS now and have several amp heads. Good video Rhett. BTW, when you played in Atlanta church did you happen to play at Andy Stanley's churches up there?
First tube amp was a Peavey Valveking Mini 20 head. Channel 1 was kind of a blackface Fender vibe, while channel 2 was gainy and saturated and somewhat Marshally. I initially got it as a hard rock/metal amp, but as my tastes evolved I moved to single coil guitars and started using the clean channel as a pedal platform, including cranking it and attenuating it to the edge of breakup and then stacking pedals on top. *That* was a game changer. Once I got some more money I went for a Marshall SC20C (JCM 800 combo). I finally had the awesome rock and metal tones I'd grown up with... but I slowly realized I'd never had more fun playing guitar than when I was messing around with my Rat, Big Muff, SD-1, OD-3, chorus pedals, vibrato pedals, phasers... and I just couldn't get the JCM 800 to play nice with these things sadly, especially the Rat. I know people have used Rats into Marshalls to great effect, but it just had this nasally quality to it that forced me to crank the filter to get usable tones, and even then it was a far cry from the mighty roar of the Rat going into that cheap tube head's clean channel. So nowadays I'm using a Fender Deluxe Reverb... Tone Master. It's a digital amp but honestly there's never any moment when I play it that I feel like I'm not playing a tube amp. It's dynamic as hell, loves every pedal I throw at it, the reverb sounds great, has built-in attenuation, *and* it has a great IR-loaded XLR out that makes it so easy to record my exact rig and settings and sound like the amp mic'd up. I love this thing and I'm debating whether to sell the Marshall at some point. The JCM 800 combo is glorious, but it really excels at one thing and it's just much more fun with me to play with pedals and toy with different gain structures.
First tube amp was an Orange OR-15 paired with matching 2x12 closed back cab. That thing is almost as loud as my friends 50 watt slash edition Marshall head. Later on picked up a 68 custom deluxe reverb and it just aches to be cranked. Looking to find something quieter these days.
First valve amp i owned was in 1991, something called a "Gerard 75Watt". I think it was an EL34, Marshall-y voiced thing. Absolute monster of a combo. When i picked up the guitar again after a 17 year hiatus, I got myself a Fender Bassbreaker15 combo and a Tweed Blues jnr 3. Good deal on both, fine amps - but I miss that 75watt monster named Gerard.
My first tube amp was (is) a '91-'92 red knob Fender Dual Showman (and mis-matched M-80 4x12 cab), the head version of the "Evil Twin". I bought it brand new in Atlanta (ATL Discount, I think). Supposedly designed by Rivera, it has massive headroom on the clean side and Marshall mids, crunch, and smooth lead on the dirt side, It's also loud as fuck. Never been able to confirm the watts, some say 25/85 and some say 45/140. Never met a drummer I couldn't drown out. I still have it and will never part with it, although I now use it with a Weber Mass 200 attenuator to keep it tame. If you find one, or the Evil Twin, buy it.
I decided to buy once cry once in early 2000s and bought an early 64 Bassman Blonde, it was built right at the end of the product line. It actually has stuff like the power transformer from the silverface. I had it all looked at when the caps were getting wonky and the tech (has a very good reputation for knowing Fenders (especially early ones) locally) said it looks like it hasn't been molested at all. Definitely a player grade though from the outside but he said it was really interesting as he learned a lot about it compared to the earlier ones. Basically for me it was exactly what Rhett said, I wanted a clean amp for I am a pedal geek
I was rather spoiled in finding a JCM2000 for my first tube amp…and then came the hotrod deluxe. And then the vintage fenders that have stolen my heart.
My first tube amp was a Peavet Prowler which I bought for no other reason than it was a tube amp I could afford. But, it's actually pretty decent sounding. For $250, it still sounds really good.
I bought my first tube amp at 10, a Peavey Classic 100. It was special in so many ways. Pair this with a Hondo Paul Dean II and well let's just say it wasn't good but it was loud.
Great video as always! Just a question, is that a hard drive bay on top of your Yamaha Monitors? If it is, I would suggest moving them off the speaker, vibrations can kill hard drives. Looking forward to the next video!
Wattage is more about headroom than volume. The difference in volume between a 30 watt and 50 watt amp is minimal, but the difference in headroom is noticeable.
honestly i thought i needed something with a 3 band eq, w an fx loop that can go crystal clean to metal but from playing around i fell in love with a 68 reissue princeton. i don’t know what it is exactly and there are probably way better amps at the right place/right time maybe i would’ve felt similarly. even researching online, there are other amps that would make more sense for what im looking for. but i fell in love with it, and its one of my best purchases ive ever made.
Im playing a blackstar ht20 head and 2x12 cab. Its pretty loud and does not break up. Its a good pedal platform. But the gain channel is great if i don’t have my board.
I'm about to watch your cool video
I can’t believe RUclips has not gave you the check mark yet.
@@LiamNashMiller that is blasphemy
@@LiamNashMiller He's Tim Pierce, he doesn't need a checkmark to do that.
@Tim Pierce Guitar I watch ALL your Cool videos! Thanks for all you are and all you do. @Rhett You’re cool too, man.
A preview comment review? Cool...
The Port City you mentioned is still at AIMM, and is definitely my preferred choice for Performance Class! It really does take pedals extremely well.
The tone journey: it has a beginning, but no ending. 🙏
lmao true
Y mientras lo encuentras vas palmando dinero 😂😂😂
I just ordered my first all-tube amp, thanks in part to your videos on tube amps for home practice and recording. After years of playing solid state/ hybrids. It's the Vox AC10, which fits the bill perfectly as a guy who mostly records at home, but occasionally does church gigs.
Love my Vox AC10. Enjoy!
The AC10 is an amazing small amp I love mine
Dude I got the 2018 AC-10 on a good deal. I was used to a F tweed champ reissue, but got this as a back up . . . but this Vox freakin' amazing. I thought it would be like a responsive version of my friend's pathfinder, but sounds far more amazing. Even after a month, still finding some new sounds . . .
Yeah, I'm pretty happy with the ac10 for home use or for cranking it on a gig😅
How does the AC10 take pedals? What OD pedals sound good?
What a monster for a first tube amp. Mine was a Crate 5 watt combo with an 8 inch Celestion with a volume/on off. Great little amp.
My first tube amp was a Fender Hot Rod deluxe. I got my dirt from a ProCo Turbo Rat and a Ts-7 Tube Screamer. Got some really good tones out of that amp.
same, also had a rat, tubeworks, and green big muff 👍
It's very impressive how far you have come in 12 years. Impressive and inspiring! Thanks man
Great video Rhett…. My first tube amp was a Mesa Boogie DC-5. My job at the time messed up and paid me twice in one pay period. I immediately took the money to the Mesa Dealer near me and pulled the trigger…that started this tone journey…
Nice points, Rhett. I love my Fender Bassbreaker 30r. It does virtually everything and it is easy to carry and store
Thanks for the love Rhett!
My first tube amp was the Fender Bassbreaker 15 head I got about a year ago. I have it driving the dual Celestion Creamback 1x10 cabinets that came with a Marshall Lead 15 solid state head that I had been using for a while, and it sounds fantastic. It's a colorful amp though, so pairing the right guitar with it has been an interesting experience. The SGs sounded pretty good, but once I picked up a Gretsch hollow body with the new FT-5E Filter'trons, I was blown away by the tone combination, to the point that I would be happy if that became my signature sound. I suppose I need to find myself a band now (or at least a good drum machine) :P
When i picked up the guitar again after a 17 year hiatus, the Bassbreaker15 was the first valve amp i bought. Good little rocker!
Mine is the 1x12 combo.
I watched this on my big screen TV and the intro looks amazing!
Been using Port City cabs for over 10 years now. HIGHLY underrated amplifiers and cabinets. Their OS 2X12 and standard 2X12 beat out my Mesa and Orange cabs by a wide margin.
At one time Tosin Abasi, Dustie Waring, David Ryan Harris (of John Mayor’s band) Shawn Tubbs (Carrie Underwood’s live guitarist) and Keith Urban’s live band were all using Port City. What a crazy and diverse bunch. It’s the sign of top tier build quality and world class tone.
Can’t say enough about these Carolina boys and their fine products. Love em to death. I’ll always have their gear in my arsenal. ❤️
My first tube amp was a Vox AC10. It's been a faithful companion to my Fender Telecaster.
I just ordered an AC10 today, it'll be my first proper all-tube amp. Up until now I've been playing solid state and a few hybrids. I'm also primarily a Telecaster guy, so I'm looking forward to it.
Sick. The tele and vox sound are an awesome pairing. You’ll love the ac10 for sure. It’s perfect for me. I saw in your other comment that you record at home. Are you planning to mic the speaker up or do you have something you can plug into?
@@ethancrane7443 For the last year or so I've been using an Orange Terror Stamp and using the cabsim out to record direct, but I'm also setup to record cabs with mics which I have done in the past for some old combos I have. I'm fortunate enough not to have neighbours to disturb!
Do you watch Dan and mick that pedal show
Same here, I mostly play mine with either my Jason Isbell custom tele or a Squier I upgraded with a set of Fralins.
I'm so old I grew up when there was only tube amps. I got my first solid-state amp in 1982 it was a Randall rg80. I used it for 20 years. Now I'm back to tubes.
My first tube was an Epiphone Valve Junior combo. Loved it so much, I ended buying also the head version and TWO matching cabs. Yep... An Epi Valve Jr. full stack :D It rocked and looked uber cool.
That’s what it’s all about right there
I have it the epi Jr too and I think it's an amazing amp, I play with it even though I have so many more expensive amps
My first amp was solid-state/tube hybrid (Peavey Vintage 212) that wasn't a bad first amp. I learned a lot dragging that big beast around. I went totally solid-state for a couple of dances - Sunn Beta Lead 212 (with angled-in 12" speakers. Good sound coverage, but the distortion sounded "painted on" to the basic tone, rather than part of it), then another Peavey, the Special 130. This might be the best-sounding transistor amp I have ever played. Beastly power for a 112. I then became a tube snob - found a 1974 Fender Vibrolux. 40 watts, 2 x 10" speakers. That plus a tube screamer and I was in valve heaven. I now wish I had it back. Now I have a Gibson GA-15 that is EL84 coolness (but unreliable). I recently returned a Morgan PR12, which sounded magnificent but went belly-up after four weeks. Now, Rhett, I am going to order a Port City 15-watter, on your recommendation. So, if it turns out to be a boat anchor, it's YOUR fault. Liar! Schull! We hates it forever! Well, no, not likely. Thanks for the post - it helped me solidify some decisions I was waffling about.
Have a Port City Pearl Combo. Best amp I've ever played. Our band does the Hendrix/SRV/Philip Sayce style stuff and it takes pedals like a champ! Daniel is a great guy to work with and just an overall good dude!
I've only ever had two 15 watt tube amps, and I've never ran them at their loudest on unmic'd gigs. I still have one, and I still love it. Low wattage amps are lighter, loud enough for me, easier to get into their sweet spot, and cheaper (usually)
I just got a Fender Super Champ X2 head yesterday, and immediately found that sweet spot. Such an amazing amp! I have gone through so much gear (still have a dozen amps), but never even looked at lower wattage amps till recently. When I got the Marshall Origin 50, the built in attenuation made me realize exactly what headroom means for Tone vs Volume, as well as the role of harmonics derived from power amp distortion vs preamp gain. The X2 serves up a great balance, has onboard effects and takes pedals exceptionally well. I'm pushing a Bassbreaker 2x12 cab with celestion V type, and it's gloriously ballsy, punchy, and full bodied. I also have the Fender Champion 100, which sounds good, but pales in comparison to the X2, despite the shared features and DNA.
Asking a genuine question in order to gain knowledge should never be an embarrassment.
I got my first tube amp last year. Bought used locally. Peavey Delta Blues 115. Playing mostly at church. Still feel like I'm learning to tame the beast. Love the warmth and overall improvement in tone.
My first tube amp was a Mesa Triple Rec. Wrong amp for sure, but now I have a Mesa JP-2C and haven’t bought another tube amp since. It’s perfect.
My first tube amp was an Orange Jim Root Terror. Fantastic little Amp, I still have it, though I did just buy an Orange Rockerverb MkIII 50 and it's awesome.
Love the photographic intro!!
I was fortunate that my mom would take me to live venues when I was 14. We’d stop at a couple honkey Tonks. There was always Fenders. I saw the Beatles and they had Vox. I didn’t know the Vox dealer only carried Solid State (Thomas Organ.) I was awful! The store took it back! The picker at a local county band sold my dad his 2 yr old Super Reverb, which spent those years in a Honky Tonk. It reeked of tobacco and beer! It sounded GLORIOUS! Nothing like carrying your amp into a teen dance smelling like it smoked Camels and drank Bud.
From that opening outdoor scene, I think you're getting good use out of that TAXA Cricket trailer (and a drone). Nice!
Great explanation for newer guitar players. I've gotten so many of these concepts in bits and pieces, but this is like a good friend helping you figure out what to look for in an amp!
I had a triple rectifier. Loved it but it became to big for my needs so I sold it and bought a brand new Orange 30watt that I also love. The tone is amazing. I’ll never buy a amp that’s not a tube amp or have I bought anything other than a tube amp since my first. A Vox AC30.
My first tube amp was a 69 Fender Bassman, Like a fool does when they are young, I sold it to buy something else. I now have 3 tube amps from Fender and Vox. But I prefer my Fender Reverb Tonemaster, because I am 58 years old and have a bad back. It's a grab and go amp that always sounds phenominal for blues, country, classic rock and gospel that I play.
Sometimes i play at night in the garage and the intro progression is my style thank you 🙏 👍
Have a Z-Wreck Jr. (15W) which is almost perfect for home/mic'd use. It still gets incrediblly loud in a home environment.
The Pearl was my first amp when I was getting busy. Killer and very underrated amps!
Nice video! A new direction for you? I like the effort. As far as tube amps go, I found a Music Man years ago and loved it and still play through it today.
I need a video of all you vintage gear. SG > tone bender > EHX Small stone (big box) > multi vox tape echo > AC30. Please and thank you.
The builder is originally from my town, Wilmington. So great to see!
I like your story and i can relate. I also was schooled by a guitar shop but at 11yo with 2, 3, 4...or more of my friends almost every day, riding our bikes about 2 miles down a busy road, and most of the time our moms didn't know. Lol. But we were in guitar, amp, and pedal heaven😇
Yeah Rhett! Daniel Klein is the man. Great guy and builds incredible stuff. Hope you're doing great.
On a recent Phil McKnight video, he mentioned that different Amps with the same wattage can vary significantly in volume different to the quality of their Power Inverters. Something to keep in mind.
Great video Rhett. I went to a concert early in my playing experience and saw Davey Johnston playing through a Mesa combo and it sounded great. Made me realize that stacks were not a necessity. My first tube amp was a 70's Vibrolux Reverb that was more than loud enough. ADM was one of my main places to learn about guitars, amps and pedals. Peter Stroud was always great about advising me within my budget.
first tube amp, Sovtek Mig50, through a pawn shop homemade? 4x10 cab, Sovtek through Musiciansfiiend for like $305 in like 1994-6? Played 100's of shows with it, thrown it at crowds, down stairs, smashed several guitars on it... it still works, and still sounds killer.
The first big tube amp I ever got was a Fender Bassbreaker 45 with the matching 2x12 cabinet. Loud as balls, sounds amazing, and works with pedals so well. I've played many amps from many brands, and it still stands out to me as one of the best I've ever played. Highly overlooked amp in my opinion.
I got my first in 1999. It was a 1966 Fender Princeton Amp that was in a late 70s Yamaha G212 cabinet. I got it on even trade for a solid state Marshall that I had been given for free. I knew nothing about tube amps other than they were supposed to be better sounding and have a sweeter overdrive sound. I discovered that Princeton Amps are clean amps that don’t break up at all, but I didn’t care. I still have it (now in a different cab) and I’d never let it go.
Love the drone footage in the intro. It would be really cool to see a video where you breakdown the cameras you use to make your vids. Much appreciated man!
Excellent content!! Thanks for The tips!! I've Just bought my First tube amp and I'm happy because its exactly like your amp, a great pedal platform!!
Thanks for The video Rhett!!
love the ambient opening
Nice video ! my first tube amp is a 1980 Fender 75. It's super loud but it's very nice and great sounding!
My first tube amp was a Orange Tiny Terror 1x10 combo. Paired with an HSS Strat, it rocked hard and served me well till I traded it in for a used Marshall TSL 601.
Really enjoyed this video Rhett. I had a similar experience, my first tube amp was an Ampeg Gemini II. I was very reliant on pedals and Gemini II was clean and quite loud at the time.
Great video. Thx for that.
That's why I prioritized the guitar and got a Positive Grid Spark 40. Lots of possibilities tone-wise and no need to buy additional gear (money-wise and space-wise).
Because I'm not sure what I want yet. And I'm not a working musician. I just play for fun and for therapy.
Ok my first tube amp was a mid 90s Rivera Knucklehead 100w top with the matching slanted 4 x 12. That was a big step up and learning curve from a Peavey Stereo Chorus 2 x 12 solud state combo. I loved the learnimg curve though from a tone and volume control perspective..
Chasing the tones. Lifelong endeavor. Funny too, as we change, our tastes change, our ears change for better and worse. Ohh, some gigs were waayy too loud. But ohh, so much fun. My main one now is a 30W Bassola Dean amp. Suits electric, bass and nylon string s pretty well. Solid state, yes, but practical. And reliable. Plug in and go. It’s never failed me in 15 years. The treble can be super squacky on the acoustic, but I try to adjust as I go, and I don’t worry about tube shortages and replacing. Tho I do miss that character. If I had the money.
At home it's the Blackstar HT5. Loud enough for "church" style gigs where the sound man is always telling you to turn down because he is also a keyboard player (and doesn't like guitar encroaching on "his" sonic turf!) For bluesy stuff it's a tweaked Laney LC15 which overcooks the valves a bit and is really rather loud. If I need more sound and I use both as a "wet dry" which is still not too much of a pain to lug and painfully loud with the "afternoon volumes". Don't kill me but my backup rig is a Hughes and Kettner solid state pedal amp (Ampman classic) into a Blug cab (or either of the speakers on the combos). Nice tones on this vid Rhett.
I was given a peavey vyper gen II as a young player. That amp was so much fun and did a lot of what I need it to do. I don't think it until I bought a Crate GX900h and 4x12 that I really started understanding why effects were necessary.. I played several places almost completely dry. Then I got a digitech multi-effects processor and that changed the game. Since then it has been a slow growing process that I have absolutely enjoyed... Thank you for making these vids, Rhett. Maybe one day I will run into you on the road
My first amp was Marshal JTM30. It was a decent amp but I didn't know what I was doing. I sold it and eventually traded for a vintage Fender VibroChamp and really went for the Fender sound. I recently sold some gear and somehow located a used(but mint) Fender 68 Custom Vibrolux Reverb amp. I think I prefer single channel amps for simplicity but the Vibrolux Reverb gives me that extra clean headroom, reverb and tremolo I really was wanting. I also really dig the 2x10" speakers along with the bright switches.
I’ve had Daniel at port city build me a couple of small 12 watt combos with some surprising headroom. Enough to make your heavy pedals actually punch and your clean tone pedals to have depth and clarity.
That opening song had hella Fleet Foxes vibes. I’m into it.
This is exactly what i was looking for, thank you very much Mr. Shull 🤜💥🤛
My first was a blue Univox amp. Clean and loud. Seemed more like a bass amp. Used an MXR Distortion plus for gain, this was around 1984? Actually, I've never purchased a new tube amp, only used ones, then I replaced the tubes because I didn't really know how old they were 😊
My 1st tube amp was a Carvin 100 watt 2x12 combo. It was for playing with our contemporary church service. Even at half power, it was deafening to people in the front row. I loved that amp but almost everyone else hated it. I wish I still had it now...
*My new band name will be "Span The Gamut"
Back in the day I used to play thru not one, but two Ampeg V4 stacks. That's 16 twelves pushing air at a gig. Fast forward 50 years later and I use a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. Forty watts is perfect for everywhere I was playing. So, I went from 130 watt rms amps and worked my way down to a single 12. I can get all the tones I need and still be able to move it. At almost 70 years old, with my gigging days behind me, I could get away with playing a Fender Champ or Princeton with a mic on and still get all those wonderful tones.
Thats a nice piece you opened up with.
My first tube amp was an Acoustic G 60 T. At that time, it was overwhelming, I had no clue how to set it up and what to do with all those knobs and it was much too loud for what I needed it for: bedroom noodling. Today, I‘d love to play one again just to see what I missed when I was young. I‘d probably wouldn‘t buy it again though. It was pretty heavy and my tonal preferences have changed a lot since then.
Man you're gonna get a lot of hating for not telling newcomers they need a marshall! Nice video, on point as always. Nice return of the landscape intro you've had loads of compliments in the past.
Love the video Rhett. But no one on the Gear Page could be described as “Hip” 😂
I run a 15 watt Orange OR15 through a 4x12 in my studio and it’s plenty loud. 106db in fact. I play mostly hard rock and metal so headroom isn’t really a concern.
Protect your ears man!
@@Floppa-oz1kp - It was only a test. I don’t usually play it that loud.
My favorite amp is my port city Sahana 1st gen #11
I have 9 heads right now. I always go back to the port city.
Play mine every chance I get...fender bassbreaker 15..running mid biased mesa preamp 12ax7s and grooves in power EL84..I love this amp...many do not..if dialed in it's so good...celestian v-type speaker..birch closed back heavy duty cabinet...3 gain stages ...key to dialing in for any tone u want..works for blues rock etc incredibly well..
Thx Rhett - really enjoyed this video.
Well I feel old now! 8) I bought my first tube amp to gig with in 1970. I knew very little about them, so I looked in the local "swap-sheet" and found a Fender. It was 2 years old and used very little, the price was great so I bought it. I took it straight to the gig that night, and turned it on for the first time. What I had bought was a silver face twin, with JBL's, owned by a steel player! You can't imagine my surprise when I turned up the volume! Rhett has great advice here, always try before you buy!! LOL 8) --gary
I use a 65 SRRI as my main amp. It definitely gets peeling the paint off the walls loud, but it is actually surprisingly manageable at 4 on the volume in a decent-sized room. I also use it as a pedal platform, but the super isn't as neutral as let's say a hot rod Michael Landau or Twin Reverb, it has its own thing going on. The fender super reverbs, both the RI and the vintage ones have an "attitude" to them, that's the best way to describe it.
Same here wouldn't change it . . . I was back up singer for a friend's band in college in early 2000's. I wanted to learn guitar, so off we go to the store. I remember both guitarists wide eyed when the owner offered me this ES clone called Heritage and Peavey delta blues with single speaker for $1000. I was reluctant because I wanted a Strat and Fender amp but they convinced me to buy and I told the parents I bought a guitar and amp for music class to explain the charge . . . Today I primarily play bass but that amp is over at the 'rent's house, and still have the Heritage ES w/ me, and realized much later, what a I deal I got, the Peavey is 1990's era and the Heritage is a Gibson killer when it comes to LP's and ES.
My first tube amp I bought after college (late 90’s). I wasn’t a good musician or guitarist but I had a paycheck so I looked to my guitar god at that time, SRV. From a vacation I came home with a ‘72 Fender Super Reverb. The amp was glorious but… I didn’t understand it and couldn’t play it. Eventually sold it and don’t regret it. It wasn’t the right amp for me. And it has been fun to continue the hunt.
Great video! My best amp is the Port City Merino. I love it.
My Tweed Princeton taught me most of my right hand technique. If you're ham fisted, you only get one sound out of little Tweeds, mushy midrange flubbiness. Lighten up the attack and ....Voila! Now you have a holy grail. After a while, my brain was able to give the proper commands to my right hand, and a full spectrum of dynamics emerged.
I've been on this epic journey since 1988, and I'm still tickling the tone from the Princeton. It was my first really great amp, and it took me almost a year's worth of adjusting my technique before I realized how good it is. The next time it changes hands will be at my estate sale.
I just realized that out of the 7 or so tube amps I’ve owned and still own, the only one newer than 1968 was a Vox AC30 reissue from 2000. I guess I was lucky to have been able to start buying before vintage prices became unaffordable over the past 15 years.
I wish I was your age, in this time, when looking for a first tube amp. Though, my first was (and still have) a Bogner Ecstasy 101b. Lucked out!
There wasn't many cool options in the 90's. I wish I had purchased the Bog 5 to 10 years earlier.
I've been GASing for a Port City Pearl for a long time!!!
Sounds great!
My first tube amp was a brand new 71' Fender Champ. My second was a Fender Super Twin Reverb 180 watts of spacious tube headroom. Cant buy anything like it today. l miss it dearly.
My first amp was and is a Randall rh50t... A plexi on steroids with a very decent clean... I got it in the 90's I think... When I can I will change it for a Bassman 59 and a attenuator... For me the Bassman is the amp. Greattings
Great playing!
"When I was gigging, I would leave my volume around there - at 11 o'clock".
Nice to know that Rhett's amps go all the way up to eleven. Spinal Tap fan confirmed.
11 o'clock is actually about "4" on the dial
My first amp was a used 60s Vox AC15 Combo. Fantastic amp for £40! I played both guitar and bass through it and it was plenty loud, but then I spray painted the original tweed covering black because I wanted to make it look “modern”. Stupidly sold it to buy a really unreliable Carlsbo 60 watt. My first pedal was a 60s Vox Professional Mk2 Tone Bender which I traded because it stopped working. What I’d give to have both those now!
Port City makes an awesome 2x12 ported cab. I don't even remember the name of my first amp, it was a 1x12 combo and I was wondering why I didn't get distorted tones when on 10. I finally found out it was NOT a tube amp. LOL I have GAS now and have several amp heads. Good video Rhett. BTW, when you played in Atlanta church did you happen to play at Andy Stanley's churches up there?
First tube amp was a Peavey Valveking Mini 20 head. Channel 1 was kind of a blackface Fender vibe, while channel 2 was gainy and saturated and somewhat Marshally. I initially got it as a hard rock/metal amp, but as my tastes evolved I moved to single coil guitars and started using the clean channel as a pedal platform, including cranking it and attenuating it to the edge of breakup and then stacking pedals on top. *That* was a game changer.
Once I got some more money I went for a Marshall SC20C (JCM 800 combo). I finally had the awesome rock and metal tones I'd grown up with... but I slowly realized I'd never had more fun playing guitar than when I was messing around with my Rat, Big Muff, SD-1, OD-3, chorus pedals, vibrato pedals, phasers... and I just couldn't get the JCM 800 to play nice with these things sadly, especially the Rat. I know people have used Rats into Marshalls to great effect, but it just had this nasally quality to it that forced me to crank the filter to get usable tones, and even then it was a far cry from the mighty roar of the Rat going into that cheap tube head's clean channel.
So nowadays I'm using a Fender Deluxe Reverb... Tone Master. It's a digital amp but honestly there's never any moment when I play it that I feel like I'm not playing a tube amp. It's dynamic as hell, loves every pedal I throw at it, the reverb sounds great, has built-in attenuation, *and* it has a great IR-loaded XLR out that makes it so easy to record my exact rig and settings and sound like the amp mic'd up. I love this thing and I'm debating whether to sell the Marshall at some point. The JCM 800 combo is glorious, but it really excels at one thing and it's just much more fun with me to play with pedals and toy with different gain structures.
First tube amp was an Orange OR-15 paired with matching 2x12 closed back cab. That thing is almost as loud as my friends 50 watt slash edition Marshall head. Later on picked up a 68 custom deluxe reverb and it just aches to be cranked. Looking to find something quieter these days.
First valve amp i owned was in 1991, something called a "Gerard 75Watt". I think it was an EL34, Marshall-y voiced thing. Absolute monster of a combo.
When i picked up the guitar again after a 17 year hiatus, I got myself a Fender Bassbreaker15 combo and a Tweed Blues jnr 3. Good deal on both, fine amps - but I miss that 75watt monster named Gerard.
My first tube amp was a 120w 6505. I sold it to downsize, but I still miss it lots.
My first tube amp was (is) a '91-'92 red knob Fender Dual Showman (and mis-matched M-80 4x12 cab), the head version of the "Evil Twin". I bought it brand new in Atlanta (ATL Discount, I think). Supposedly designed by Rivera, it has massive headroom on the clean side and Marshall mids, crunch, and smooth lead on the dirt side, It's also loud as fuck. Never been able to confirm the watts, some say 25/85 and some say 45/140. Never met a drummer I couldn't drown out. I still have it and will never part with it, although I now use it with a Weber Mass 200 attenuator to keep it tame. If you find one, or the Evil Twin, buy it.
I decided to buy once cry once in early 2000s and bought an early 64 Bassman Blonde, it was built right at the end of the product line. It actually has stuff like the power transformer from the silverface. I had it all looked at when the caps were getting wonky and the tech (has a very good reputation for knowing Fenders (especially early ones) locally) said it looks like it hasn't been molested at all. Definitely a player grade though from the outside but he said it was really interesting as he learned a lot about it compared to the earlier ones.
Basically for me it was exactly what Rhett said, I wanted a clean amp for I am a pedal geek
I was rather spoiled in finding a JCM2000 for my first tube amp…and then came the hotrod deluxe. And then the vintage fenders that have stolen my heart.
My first tube amp was a Peavet Prowler which I bought for no other reason than it was a tube amp I could afford. But, it's actually pretty decent sounding. For $250, it still sounds really good.
I bought my first tube amp at 10, a Peavey Classic 100. It was special in so many ways. Pair this with a Hondo Paul Dean II and well let's just say it wasn't good but it was loud.
Great video again! How does that Port City amp compare to a Hiwatt?
Did I miss the discount on the tone course?
Great video as always! Just a question, is that a hard drive bay on top of your Yamaha Monitors? If it is, I would suggest moving them off the speaker, vibrations can kill hard drives. Looking forward to the next video!
100-watt home warrior checking in. That being said, I've got a Mesa TC-100 which has a built in attenuator.
Wattage is more about headroom than volume. The difference in volume between a 30 watt and 50 watt amp is minimal, but the difference in headroom is noticeable.
honestly i thought i needed something with a 3 band eq, w an fx loop that can go crystal clean to metal but from playing around i fell in love with a 68 reissue princeton. i don’t know what it is exactly and there are probably way better amps at the right place/right time maybe i would’ve felt similarly. even researching online, there are other amps that would make more sense for what im looking for. but i fell in love with it, and its one of my best purchases ive ever made.
great drone shots
⚓️ Thanks Rhett 😎
Im playing a blackstar ht20 head and 2x12 cab. Its pretty loud and does not break up. Its a good pedal platform. But the gain channel is great if i don’t have my board.