Lightweight amp for rehearsals

chrisjac2

I've got a Peavey Delta Blues which I love but I'm fed up with lugging it to the local scout hut every friday! as it weighs a ton and it never goes above 2 on the volume knob and for rehearsals is starting to feel a bit like overkill.
The band play mainly the Jam and Queen, Dad rock etc.

Can anyone recommend a small light amp that will hold its own against a drummer. Preferably non modelling. I had a VOX ac30VT but found it a real faff to get a decent sound out of that would cut through with the band and I didn't have time to muck about with the all of the modelling setting mid rehearsal. The beauty of the valve amp is it just sounds good as soon as you plug it in.

Was thinking of one of those ZT Lunchbox amps but they are a bit pricey for what would be a third amp (Have a Yamaha THR 5 for at home) Looking to spend a couple of hundred quid max.

77ric

No idea how they sound but amazon (well a third party seller) have the zt lunchbox junior for £180. 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B008B5LKUA/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1527540996&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=zt+lunchbox+junior&dpPl=1&dpID=51b%2BBnTad1L&ref=plSrch

Voxman

Laney Cub 12R. 1x12 15w all valve, loud, great valve tone, good sounding digital reverb, 1w and 15w inputs, fx loop, 8/16 ohm extn cab out. 3 band eq plus extra tone control, takes pedals really well.  And at only 25lbs it's half the weight of a Delta Blues 115.

HAL9000

Laney LV100. Analogue solid-state 65W. Weighs in at 12.5 Kg. No effects (unless you count reverb). Round about the £200 mark.

Fender Champion 40. Modelling (but only a handful of models) solid-state 40W. Weighs in at 8.6Kg. Some basic effects but not too many. Round about the £140 mark. Someone I know has one and it does do those Fendery cleans very well. Easily keeps up with a (well-mannered) drummer at a local jam night. Not sure how it would square up against a Neanderthal tub thumper though.

rico

Maybe a Jet City head and lightweight cab? The Laney that @Voxman mentioned is also a great shout but made infinitely better with speaker upgrade.

Voxman

rico said:

Maybe a Jet City head and lightweight cab? The Laney that @Voxman mentioned is also a great shout but made infinitely better with speaker upgrade.

Not needed so much now. Laney now fit a decent HH speaker in the Cub12R whereas mine came with a Rocket 50 which is a piece of crap - hence the first thing I did was put in a vintage 30. It did add to the weight though, obviously. 

chrisjac2

Thanks for your comments. I like the idea of the Laney. I've seen a cub 10 going for £100 so i am off to take a look at that tonight

Voxman

chrisjac2 said:

Thanks for your comments. I like the idea of the Laney. I've seen a cub 10 going for £100 so i am off to take a look at that tonight

Nice little amp but different to the 12R. 6v6 power tubes, 10w through 10" speaker.  More Fendery than the more British sounding 12R with its EL84s.  Tone, volume and gain, hi and lo inputs but no reverb.  But its smaller and lighter at 18.5lbs than the 12R.

strtdv

Lionheart 5 watt combo. A bit over budget even used, but well worth it. IMO one of the best small amps under a grand

Placidcasual79

The Jam and Queen? Wtf?

chrisjac2

Thanks for the suggestion Laney @Voxman and @rico ;Picked up the lane cub 10 last night and have been completely blown away by it. What a awesome little amp. Lots of usable tone straight from the off. Very impressed. and it should be loud enough for what I need as it will be miked for larger venues anyway. And as it was only a ton I have budget for some new tubes and maybe a new reverb pedal! Thanks all for your help

Wazmeister

Placidcasual79 said:

The Jam and Queen? Wtf?

Yep, I’m with you mate

mart

Placidcasual79 said:

The Jam and Queen? Wtf?

News of the world.

Voxman

chrisjac2 said:

Thanks for the suggestion Laney @Voxman and @rico ;Picked up the lane cub 10 last night and have been completely blown away by it. What a awesome little amp. Lots of usable tone straight from the off. Very impressed. and it should be loud enough for what I need as it will be miked for larger venues anyway. And as it was only a ton I have budget for some new tubes and maybe a new reverb pedal! Thanks all for your help

Glad you like it @chrisjac2 - Laney are hugely under rated and the Cubs are excellent little amps.

meltedbuzzbox

strtdv said:

Lionheart 5 watt combo. A bit over budget even used, but well worth it. IMO one of the best small amps under a grand

I remember playing one of those and I was amazed at the lack of low end on the thing. 

Guitar_Slinger

I was going to suggest keeping the Delta Blues and getting a folding trolley / sack truck, like these - https://www.screwfix.com/c/storage-ladders/sack-trucks/cat831506

Too late! . But if anyone does buy one, get a bungee too, so the amp is less likely to tip off it.