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Cheap Tube Amp Round-up
Submitted by Jason on Tue, 01/31/2012 - 02:53.
Cheap doesn't have to mean low quality - so here we take a look at some great cheap tube amps that deliver those smooth valve tones without breaking the budget.
There are a range of cheap tube amps you can get for under $200, and as you'll see below, even Gretsch have a tube amp in this price range.
A good place to start is with Bugera
The Bugera BC15 is a great tube amp for beginners - for less than $110 you get a real 15 Watt amp with an 8" speaker using a 12AX7 Valve. It also has a headphone out so you can practice quietly at the same time you have the valve cranked up. You can get it at Amazon - latest price and reviews.
More experienced players will be drawn to Bugera's V range. The best of the cheap end is the Bugera V5 - as the name implies it's a 5 Watt tube amp.
This is a step up from the BC15, with a range of more advanced features including a built in 3-way power attenuator which lets you drive its 12AX7 valve hard even at low volumes - you can run it at 5, 1 or 0.1 Watts. It also has built in Reverb and Tone controls.
You can buy the Bugera V5 for under $200 at many online stores - here's a link to the latest price and reviews at Amazon.com.
Although not exactly super cheap, an honorable mention goes to the Bugera 6260 - it's what we might call 'reminiscent' of the well regarded Peavey 6505, however it sells for less than half the price - usually under $550 - here's the price and latest reviews at Amazon.com.
Kustom Defender V5
The Kustom brand name has been around since 1966 - they actually started out making solid state amps when most other manufacturers where working with vacuum tubes.
Today they produce a range of tube amps, and the Defender V5 is their entry-level option producing 5-Watts from its 12AX7 preamp tube and EL84 power tube going into an 8" speaker. It has both Input and Master volume along with controls for Bass, Middle, & Treble EQ, as well as built-in Reverb.
The Defender V5 is one of the best in this price range in terms of features - it usually sells online for under $170 at major online stores - at the time of writing this zZounds have some in stock and you might be able to get a good deal at Amazon.com.
Gretsch Electromatic G5222 Tube Amp
Here is a cool cheap tube amp from Gretsch. The 5-Watt Electromatic G5222 is inspired by vintage amps with a 12AX7 in the preamp and a 6V6 in the power amp. The blond outer layer gives this amp a genuine '50s era Gretsch look.
This small tube amp is ideal for small-room jam sessions or recording and it produces some versatile sweet sounding tones by simply adjusting the control knobs to taste.
The Gretsch G5222 amp is getting rare, but we did find a few stocks available online retailing for under $200 - and you can get the latest price and reviews at Amazon.com.
Remember it's always best to check the major retailers like zZounds, Sweetwater, Guitar Center etc, to see who has the best price when you're ready to buy - sometimes they'll have specials you weren't expecting and you can save yourself a few extra dollars.
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Bugera
I recently purchased a used Bugera V22. I was very impressed with the quality and sound of the amp, but felt I could improve the sound - and did by replacing the tubes with better quality. It now does truly sound like a vintage amp. The V22 comes with a 12" speaker, and for 22Watts, it sure puts out a lot of volume. Yet it sounds really good at both loud and quieter volumes. I really like this amp!
Just curious about the new
Just curious about the new tubes you put in - which ones did you use and how much did they cost?
Bugera V22 Tubes
I replaced the original Bugera tubes with the same type in JJ tubes. These were tubes I had laying around so I decided to try them. The amp sounds a good bit better. Truthfully though, it still does not sound as good as my 1968 PA 100 - I don't think anything ever will.
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