For playing at home would you buy...

Gassage

Princeton Reverb and nice pedals.

Zoolooter

ICBM said:

Zoolooter said:

Sorry to state the obvious, but isn't any amp that is  low/medium output fine if it has a decent taper on the volume. And an inefficient speaker.

The key is the taper on the volume control - if it’s good both for the actual change of volume and for not strangling the tone at low settings then it will work no matter how powerful the amp.

You don’t need an inefficient speaker either - I often find powerful amps with more efficient speakers can sound better at very low volume. I usually find lower-power amps and low-efficiency speakers are better for cranking up at moderate volume - at low volumes they can often sound boxy and a bit constricted.

Not always true, obviously - there are plenty of amps of all sizes that just don’t sound good until they get up to a certain volume, but then even low-powered ones will usually be too loud to play at home.

Interesting what you say about the speaker. I would have thought a speaker with a larger magnet (more efficient)would need more volume to get the air moving to producing a decent sound. 

ICBM

Zoolooter said:

Interesting what you say about the speaker. I would have thought a speaker with a larger magnet (more efficient)would need more volume to get the air moving to producing a decent sound. 

It depends more on the amount of cone doping, which is what mostly controls the stiffness - something like a V30 with a heavily-doped cone edge surround does indeed need a bit more power to get it to open up and sound good, whereas a G12H-30 with a lightly doped surround doesn't. Both are H-magnet 100dB speakers, but the H30 sounds miles better at very low volume than the V30, to me.

Conversely the H30 does not like being really thrashed and can suffer from 'cone cry', whereas the V30 positively improves when pushed to its limit.

Voxman

If you want valve, the Laney Cub series are excellent. The 1×12 Cub 12R with EL84s is the most full featured and has a 1w input option for home use. The smaller Cubs use 6V6 valves for a more Fendery tone and feel but are more basic.

If you want modelling, a Vox Valvetronix, Fender Mustang II v2 (not the dreadful new black series) or Marshall Code are all good fun and great bang for buck offering lots of different amp tones and effects. These amps will all sound good at lower home volumes and can all be used with headphones. Try them to see which you prefer and find easiest to use. 

lovestrat74

Thanks for all the suggestions. It really is a minefield out there and the only way to truly know is to try, so i think I will drag my ass down to an establishment and have a blast

Sparky

Musicman20 said:

Boss Katana 0.5W mode....

This

Dontgiveupyourdayjob

I'll throw another vote in for the Blues Cube. I have the Artist version, but even that bigger version sounds great at living room levels on the 0.5w setting. Most 'valvey' sounding non-valve amp I've tried. Takes pedals really well too if that's your bag.

57Deluxe

SCXD and a couple of nice pedals = Transparent Drive and a TS

stickyfiddle

I use a Yamaha THR10C and a Badcat Cub 15R. Both are great because they have useable master volumes, and the THR gives me a good option for headphones when it's late. 

Th4fonz

Gassage said:

Princeton Reverb and nice pedals.

This or a yamaha thr 10 depending on budget.

dbphoto

I know plenty of people aren’t a fan of Blackstar but for £299, with a Vintage 30, this might be worth a punt:

https://www.andertons.co.uk/blackstar-ht5r-deluxe-5w-tube-combo

bignorm

Tech 21 SansAmp Fly Rig 5 into a Spirit notepad mixer and headphones. I can crank the volume without annoying the neighbours
It's great for learning new songs too.

Shrews

lovestrat74 said:

Thanks for all the suggestions. It really is a minefield out there and the only way to truly know is to try, so i think I will drag my ass down to an establishment and have a blast

Bought the 50w Katana recently and even I can tell it's a really good amp and loads of scope that'll be there as I progress along my guitar learning journey.

But what I would say is that your home is just as important.

Thick walls/Thin walls
Detached/Semi-Detached/Terraced
Good neighbours/Don't give a fig about the neighbours
Tolerance of loved ones

Ultimately you could buy a great amp, but are you willing to (or be allowed to) get the best out of it?   

Come summer, I'm sure I'll be blasting out through open windows, but in these winter months it seems really un-neighbourly!

Headphones are on their way!

terada

lovestrat74 said:

- I don't like buying new guitars..

I say good day to you sir 

ICBM

dbphoto said:

I know plenty of people aren’t a fan of Blackstar but for £299, with a Vintage 30, this might be worth a punt:

https://www.andertons.co.uk/blackstar-ht5r-deluxe-5w-tube-combo

Probably the last speaker you want to put in a low-powered, already very dark and middy amp - when the speaker is dark, middy and stiff unless pushed a bit harder.

It’s almost as if the V30 is the only ‘premium’ speaker available...

(Well, the last apart from a Seventy/80, anyway .)

Mark1960

Blues Junior III for me.

dbphoto

They probably found a load of Vintage 30’s at the back of their warehouse and thought bugger it, let’s make a ‘deluxe’ HT5 @ICBM ;

TimmyO

Can I recommend a used Yamaha THR10C ? <cough> 

ICBM

dbphoto said:

They probably found a load of Vintage 30’s at the back of their warehouse and thought bugger it, let’s make a ‘deluxe’ HT5 @ICBM ;

I think they - and all the other companies - do it on purpose. There seems to be the idea that the V30 is the premium speaker of choice... maybe it was 25 years ago, and perhaps it's still the only one a lot of buyers have heard of - but there are *far* better choices for a small low-power amp, even if you want a standard Celestion for availability and budget reasons. The G12H-30 for a start.

Dominic

I'm lucky......my practice/studio space is a soundproofed ex-milking parlour on our farm fitted out with studio foam and sound baffles etc...........I can play 40 watt amps in the sweet spot without upsetting anybody any time day or night
But why the hell I do .....I really don't know.......I come out with my ears ringing and am doing my hearing serious damage for the sake of a big fat warm tone for nobody else's benefit other than my own indulgence.
 The point is ....no matter how suitable your space/home is to whatever amp it may be there comes a point where if you play every day or regularly for a while even a tame 5 watts on half chat it's going to fuck up your hearing eventually or just give you Tinnitus.