Cheapest amp that will stay clean at band volume

Moltisanti

I'm looking for a cheap amp (as cheap as possible,solid state is fine) that will stay clean at band volumes to act as a second channel to my Friedman, i tried using my Micro Terror, which will get plenty loud but breaks up too much at volume.

Pristine Fender warm valve cleans are not what i need, just clean clean and loud.

I seem to remember the old Valvestate Marshalls stayed clean up loud.

Any other ideas ?

monquixote

Old valvestate, Peavey Bandit, Fender Frontman.

For a bit more wedge an HRD or a Classic 50. 

hubobulous

Roland Cube?

ICBM

That Peavey Special someone on here got for £20 is the winner, but they do usually sell for a bit more than that!

Otherwise, Laney World Series 120 probably. A tiny bit louder and cleaner than a Valvestate 8080/VS100 or a Bandit, and usually even cheaper.

Or an 80s Carlsbro Stingray, if you don't mind something physically bigger and heavy. I literally gave away the last couple of those the shop had to a charity music project, no-one wanted them at any price.

samzadgan

hubobulous;376673" said:

Roland Cube?

This...and i have a 40w for sale

BigBearKris

Peavey Bandit (the one with transtube technology) will start to break up at band volumes as it's designed like that. Of course it's not going to be metal distortion, but cleans will be driven. Nevertheless, best amps for the price.

ICBM

No put-down intended at all, but I think some of us have very different ideas of what "stay clean" and "band volume" mean... in both directions!

To me, a 40W Roland Cube will not, and a Peavey Bandit easily will - and I do like my cleans truly clean. But a lot of it depends on how 'solid' or 'big' the sound is, as well as the outright volume - that's where a lot of smaller amps fall down, for me.

samzadgan

Completely right...volume is subjective. In a blues or pop type band where you have a relatively soft hitting drummer i think the cube 40 would stay clean.

In a more rockier band with louder and harder drumming, yes, in that case you are going to need a bigger amp for the headroom.

As i always say...when in doubt...Laney...in this case the world series, even the LV100 is ok, just depends if you dig the tone of those.

Jeremiah

EHX 44 Magnum?

Moltisanti

The other option is to just buy a poweramp as i have anither cab and a preamp that does the sound i need, but even the valvestate stuff seems to be dearer than a whole amp

samzadgan

you may not even need a power amp...just adding more cabs would raise the volume...more speakers = moorrreee

p90fool

Fender Stage 160. The clean channel actually sounds good, too.

Fuzzdog

Any of the decent wattage Fender red knob solid state amps from the 80's do the loud clean thing very well indeed, and are usually stupidly cheap.

Moltisanti

The alternative is to use my stereo 4x12 split between 2 heads, then i don't have to carry another cab/amp. I have the radial switcher that kills ground loops and has the phase switch

leerocker

i hear they are going to be making a 2 channel taco!

57Deluxe

Sessionette 75

ICBM

p90fool said:

Fender Stage 160. The clean channel actually sounds good, too.

I will raise you the Peavey Renown. Depending on version, up to 210W of stupidly loud, fairly good-sounding clean power . One of the only truly clean sounds that has ever made my eyes water...

Fuzzdog said:

Any of the decent wattage Fender red knob solid state amps from the 80's do the loud clean thing very well indeed, and are usually stupidly cheap.

That's actually what I was thinking of about "different definitions of loudness" - I had to play through a Deluxe 85 once, which on paper at 65W and with a 12" speaker should have been enough... but it wasn't, not because it wasn't "loud" but because it broke up in a very unmusical way when I tried to run a fairly heavy-sounding overdrive through it.

I agree the even bigger ones (the Stage 160 and the Ultimate Chorus, basically)  are enough though.

ThePrettyDamned

Peavey special or peavey bandit.

Yes they will break up when you crank them (and in a genuinely nice way, watch intheblues play his at volume) but I very much doubt you'll need it to be that loud!

The special is a beast.

@bigjon uses a Laney, and gets excellent sounds out of it. Another amp that can be stupid cheap.

IanSavage

Potentially selling a Fender Studio Lead SS combo if you're anywhere near Birmingham, does loud 'n' clean very well indeed...

Moltisanti

there's a Peavey Stereo Chorus for sale on here too which would do it, but it looks heavy!

Lez325

I have a Fender Performer 650 combo- clean enough at the top end

Les