Best Sounding Small Tube Combo for Cleans?

Niallseroreilly

Looking at a few Blues and Pro Junior any alternatives?

Lebarque

Princeton reverb, mate

richardhomer

Lebarque said:

Princeton reverb, mate

In fact one of the best clean tones I've heard from any amp....

Wazmeister

Carr Rambler

p90fool

Princeton reverb. Blues and Pro Juniors are the last place I'd look for clean tone, despite the fact that I love the Pro Jr. 

p90fool

Wazmeister said:

Carr Rambler

These are very nice, but not three and a half times the price of a Princeton nice. 

EricTheWeary

Princeton is the answer really but somewhat pricier than the Blues or Pro Jrs. 
Yerasov GTA15 is a Pro Jr alternative, less than £400 for the updated model. Presumably cheap as chips if you spotted one used ( particularly the ugly early brown model).
If you want really small and really clean ( and prepared to look at non valve) the DV Mark Jazz combos are sub £400. 
Back with valves the Laney Lionhearts are bargains used, there was an L5 combo for sale on here recently. Has overdrive as well.
I'm sure lots of people will say for cleans go slightly bigger and get a Hot Rod Deluxe, almost industry standard valve clean. 

simonk

The correct, albeit budget busting, answer is Louis Columbia. Otherwise it's Princeton.

ICBM

The best-sounding small amp for cleans I've ever heard is the Mesa Blue Angel, although you may not describe it as small. The Subway Blues is a reasonably close substitute that's half the size and weight. Both are long discontinued but not impossibly rare - the Subway is more common and much cheaper. (NB, the Subway Rocket is not the same thing at all.)

Other than that, Princeton Reverb.

TimmyO

I thought (not that I am that up on this) that the DRRI was a go-to for this - what sets the PR apart ? 

ThePrettyDamned

I think the introduction of a more affordable 68 modified version puts it squarely into a good price bracket. Previously it was just the blackface reissue and for not that much more you get a bigger sounding amp in the drri that can do blues gigs. 

I loved the little 68 Princeton I tried, really lovely sounding home amp. Got on far better with big fuzzes than the blackface drri. Ultimately I couldn't afford it as I left my job early and reduced my budget but I was very close to buying one. 

english_bob

Worth keeping an eye out for a Cornell Romany- 10W, based on a Fender Champ, but with switchable EQ (EQ on has the treble/bass emphasized "blackface" sound, EQ off is more middly and "tweed" flavoured) and a 6L6 power tube. 

The Romany Plus model has a 12" speaker and spring reverb. IMO it sounds better than the standard Romany with a 10" speaker and no 'verb. Older models can switch to 2.5W, newer ones have two other lower wattage settings. Clean with a Fender-type guitar it's absolutely gorgeous. 

Handwired in Essex, could be yours for £500 or so used if you're patient. 

menamestom

p90fool said:

Wazmeister said:

Carr Rambler

These are very nice, but not three and a half times the price of a Princeton nice. 

Different type of nice as well to be fair.  I prefer the Princeton, it's warmer and softer.  The Rambler is less forgiving, harder sounding, in a good bigger blackface way.  Apples and Oranges really in price and sound.

Kebabkid

Morgan PR12 and there's one in the Classifieds for a fab price (no affiliation).

Check out the demos

BluesyDave

Kebabkid said:

Morgan PR12 and there's one in the Classifieds for a fab price (no affiliation).

Which is essentially a Princeton.  The answer is......a Princeton btw.  Small and perfectly formed.

bbill335

It's a bit big for a 112 but the Traynor YGM3 has wonderful cleans. 

Lebarque

...and if needed, put an efficient 12 inch speaker in a Princeton to gig it.

crunchman

@ThePrettyDamned - for cleans (and everything else) I think the speaker in the 65 PRRI is better than the Celestion in the 68.  The 68 also has a modified tone stack with more mids, and less negative feeback so it breaks up earlier.

@English_Bob - as a former Romany Plus owner, the Princeton does way better cleans.

ThePrettyDamned

crunchman said:

@ThePrettyDamned - for cleans (and everything else) I think the speaker in the 65 PRRI is better than the Celestion in the 68.  The 68 also has a modified tone stack with more mids, and less negative feeback so it breaks up earlier.

@English_Bob - as a former Romany Plus owner, the Princeton does way better cleans.

Indeed - but still sounds better at home volume, clean. Neither will gig clean, so that's out of the question really, meaning a minimum of the DRRI or the 68 version of it. For a proper clean, the 68 vibrolux may work better. 

I disagree about the speaker - it may be unorthodox, but the speaker in the 68 really works for cleans. I do prefer a more balanced clean tone than the usual blackface sound, though. 

strtdv

TimmyO said:

I thought (not that I am that up on this) that the DRRI was a go-to for this - what sets the PR apart ? 

The Princeton just sounds sweeter.
Part of the issue is that DRRIs (and 68 Custom Deluxe Reverbs) use a digital circuit board for the tremolo as you're not allowed to use Optocouplers under ROHS (they contain cadmium I think), which produces a distinct unpleasant ticking sound.

I'd rate the Princeton far above the Deluxe, it really is a fantastic amp.

richardhomer

I've compared the 65 DRRI to the 65 PRRI on several occasions. I've no idea what the technical reasons are - but to my ears the Princeton simply sounds much better. I want one - badly....