Amp Ideas

Beexter

So, I've had my AX8 for just over a month now and really, really like it. Since getting it, my valve amps haven't left the house. Just taking the AX8 and a guitar to rehearsals is SO convenient and I'm really happy with how it sounds. I'm, therefore, considering selling my two amp heads and oversize 1x12 cab to replace them with a good quality grab and go valve combo.

Problem is, which one?

It needs to sound nice at home volumes but also be loud enough to get rich clean tones at gig volume. I think I'd prefer a single channel amp that does rich, chiming cleans with smooth break up. Must be dynamic to be able to boost for more dirt or roll back for cleans. Trying to get a shortlist together to work out the best place to go and try some out. And I don't want it to weigh a ton - convenient portability is a factor.
I'm not sure if I want a master volume amp or one with built in attenuation but an ability to have good tone at differing volumes is important.

A combo version of the Suhr Badger would be ideal but that doesn't exist.

I've ruled out the Dr Z line as whilst I like the simplicity, the tone demos I've heard are just too harsh, unless I'm missing a gem?

Current shortlist is
Carr Sportsman or Rambler - leaning more to the Sportsman for the headroom control although it does sound darker in demos

Morgan - PR12 or AC20- both sound great in demos but customer support seems questionable.

Louis Electric/ Bad Cat/ Matchless/Two Rock - all sound lovely but more than I'd really want to spend

As well as sounding great, I want it to have a low noise floor, reliability and good build quality so feel free to suggest ones to add to the shortlist or ones to avoid because of issues.

Sassafras

Session Blues Baby.

JonHosker

I love my Carr Sportsman....great shout IMHO

octatonic

I have a Louis Electric Roadrunner that I use with the FX8.
It sounds absolutely stellar.

Pretty much any of the amps you've listed will do the job.

RandallFlagg

I have a Morgan PR12, had it a couple of weeks so still getting to know it but it is a lovely sounding amp, it doesn't have a mid tone control but has lovely warm mids by default, I don't think it's overly Blackface sounding, perhaps more Brownface in character. I can't tell if it's loud enough for gigs as I play at home but suspect it will be as I get the room vibrating at half volume and can't comfortably get to the amps natural breakup without getting the neighbours upset.

I like the tone of this amp so much that I am enjoying playing guitar straight into amp with no effects for the first time in a long while.

As for the customer support, I got mine through Andertons and I have no doubt they will see me OK if there's any issues down the road.

peteri

I have a Carr Skylark (from Coda) - amazing takes every single pedal and makes it better.

Plus has a lovely core sound and drive itself 

ToneControl

used Badcats can be surprisingly cheap