Compact, all valve amps - what's out there?

[davehux]

Hi

Madame La GAS has wafted her perfume again and got me looking at all valve amps.

Had an LB30, loved it, but just not enough power for a 5 piece band. Currently got a Markbass TTE500, love it even though it's got a solid state power stage, but there's always the next amp lurking around the corner.

However.......it needs to sit nicely on top of my Barefaced S12T and not look like a mushroom, or a giant letter T, so max width of 47cm and depth of 30cm

I found the Mesa Boogie Prodigy, but at almost 2 grand new, and possibly 110V only, it's slightly into Fantasy Island territory.

Suggestions/recommendations if you will, please.

Cheers

[Roland Rock]

My Red Iron sits nicely on the STwin, but is a bit of a one off amp. How about the EBS T90, or I suspect that the Ashdown CTM100 is 19", same as the S12

[Roland Rock]

The Trace Twin/Quattra Valves are compact if you like the Dualit toaster look

[Beer of the Bass]

There are a few older valve amps which are the right width to sit on top a Super 12. I've had both a 40 watt Dynacord Bass King T and a 100 watt Carlsbro CS100/4 PA which were 50cm wide or less. Both were very simplistic old fashioned amps, but for the price of a new amp you could probably pick up something along these lines and find a good tech to build your choice of preamp into it.
Or a Peavey Classic rack-mounting power amp with a separate preamp in a 19" rack case?

Edited September 23, 2014 by Beer of the Bass

[Merton]

Ashdown CTM100 gets my vote. It's a bit wider than the S12 though

[Billy Apple]

You need to buy this...

http://basschat.co.uk/topic/245307-100w-burman-instrument-pre-amp-power-pak/page__p__2558697__hl__burman__fromsearch__1#entry2558697

[Roland Rock]

[quote name='Merton' timestamp='1411501351' post='2560196']
Ashdown CTM100 gets my vote. It's a bit wider than the S12 though
[/quote]

Bugger! I have an image if it sitting nicely on your compacts, which were on their sides, and assumed that the S12 was the same width as that

[Merton]

Yeah sadly the S12 is narrower than the Super Compacts. On two SCs the CTM looks (and sounds) the dogs dangly bits

[3below]

Look out for the bargain 'broken' valve amp and get it rebuilt to taste. Carlsbro 100 ebay yesterday £136. Seems a fair price for 100W transformers, etc. Sound City amps still appear for little money, can be made into good Hiwatt clones.

[LukeFRC]

[quote name='Billy Apple' timestamp='1411501515' post='2560202']
You need to buy this...

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/245307-100w-burman-instrument-pre-amp-power-pak/page__p__2558697__hl__burman__fromsearch__1#entry2558697"]http://basschat.co.u..._1#entry2558697[/url]
[/quote] what I was thinking - they are supposed to be awesome aren't they?

[Billy Apple]

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1411507531' post='2560289']
what I was thinking - they are supposed to be awesome aren't they?
[/quote]

I know mine is!

http://basschat.co.uk/topic/242845-nad-burman-mpa-sl-100/page__p__2526969__hl__burman__fromsearch__1#entry2526969

Edited September 23, 2014 by Billy Apple

[LukeFRC]

[quote name='Billy Apple' timestamp='1411508395' post='2560299']
I know mine is!

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/242845-nad-burman-mpa-sl-100/page__p__2526969__hl__burman__fromsearch__1#entry2526969"]http://basschat.co.u..._1#entry2526969[/url]
[/quote] how annoying is the two box lugging?

[Billy Apple]

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1411508541' post='2560302']
how annoying is the two box lugging?
[/quote]

It's not so bad, as it breaks things down into more manageable lugging.

[skankdelvar]

[quote name='3below' timestamp='1411506722' post='2560277']
Look out for the bargain 'broken' valve amp and get it rebuilt to taste. Carlsbro 100 ebay yesterday £136. Seems a fair price for 100W transformers, etc. Sound City amps still appear for little money, can be made into good Hiwatt clones.
[/quote]

Attention people!

Be advised that BassChatting amp bloke [url="http://basschat.co.uk/user/1121-mr-foxen/"]Mr Foxen[/url] performs his magic on old Carlsboros and other under-appreciated golden oldies. PM him for info.

Edited September 23, 2014 by skankdelvar

[LukeFRC]

[quote name='skankdelvar' timestamp='1411508967' post='2560311']
Attention people!

Be advised that BassChatting amp bloke [url="http://basschat.co.uk/user/1121-mr-foxen/"]Mr Foxen[/url] performs his magic on old Carlsboros and other under-appreciated golden oldies. PM him for info.
[/quote] his fb page is worth liking and viewing too

[brensabre79]

+1 or Oli Foxen, I think he and a mate have started making custom amps from the guts of old ones too. I asked a while back about a rackmount 200w (to go on my S12T) but he never got back with a price. but he's not on here much these days. Get hold of him through the Facebook page: Search: 'Ampstack' on Facebook

I too am interested in something new and commercially available (rather than a custom 1 off). I contacted the guys at Carvin about developing such a thing a while ago. they do a Steve Vai model all valve guitar amp in a lightweight, compact package. they said they would look in to it, but due to the larger transformers required for bass amps it might not be viable...

[obbm]

[quote name='davehux' timestamp='1411500560' post='2560177']
I found the Mesa Boogie Prodigy, but at almost 2 grand new, and possibly 110V only, it's slightly into Fantasy Island territory.
[/quote]

240-volt version is available and works well but, yes, expensive.

[1970]

try a selmer treble n bass.

[Salt on your Bass?]

That's my burman in the for sale. Very manageable. Pm me if you want mote info. Purchased from foxen so fully serviced by his hands

Pic is with a bt2.

Edited September 27, 2014 by Salt on your Bass?

[JamesTun]

If you want that Mesa Boogie sound. Can't go wrong with a 400/400+. Or even a Carbine model.

[6v6]

If you don't mind something old, you could consider one of the 70s Traynor amps - I have a 50w bassmaster which is much narrower than e.g a Marshall superbass.

I'm not certain if the more powerful models of this era came in the same width, but could be worth checking out