Portable head.. ideal for that tube

bigfuzz

So I've had a chit chat about how heavy is too heavy (in weight) for carrying a head about on public transport.. now I'm familiar with the likes of a TT or dark terror but I don't need all that gain (noise). 

Ideally would like an AD30 but I feel it might also be a bit too weighty.. 2 channels is a must really (well ideally, i guess)

Used is good, budget about £500 ?

ThePrettyDamned

Hmm... How about an mjw? I think he builds relatively small heads, and no doubt they are quality. Could do one to spec, for clean headroom.

If it's small, even if it's heavier, it's much easier to move.

Failing that, hayden mofo perhaps? Or the new (not sure if it's out yet) victory v30?

bigfuzz

it's always interested me as to why all of the smaller, lighter lunchbox style stuff is mainly suited for a hard rock type of tone? i'm sure there's a technical reason behind it.. 

haven't seen/heard of the MJW? 

ThePrettyDamned

Mjw is a forum member and amp builder I think he does relatively small 30 watt heads. They would be above budget probably, but it might be worth chatting to him, he knows his onions.

The v30 I can't promise anything, but the mofo does have a clean channel with reasonable (though not ac30) headroom.

ThePrettyDamned

http://www.martamp.com/amps.html

The bantam is 18w but if it's the traditional style 18w circuit, it won't half have some volume, and the head comes in at budget. Would have a classic British crunch kind of tone I'd imagine, though don't quote me.

Jpf also do small sized heads - it was actually them I was thinking of, woops - not sure how small an mjw is - but Jpf amps are a little over budget. He's also a forum member, and still worth emailing - he knows his onions.

Edit: the bantam is cute and small. Lovely, in fact! Might be perfect for you. Or the amt stonehead if you fancy solid state.

timmysoft

Mesa f30 or egnater tweaked 40

Kebabkid

The H&K Tubemeister 36 is a manageable at 17lbs and has a canvas fitted case.
3 versatile channels, 36W with power scaling down to 1W and a Red Box speaker simulated out.

fretmeister

Egnater Tweaker 15 is mentally loud!

Engl Ironball

ICBM

You might get a Mesa Transatlantic TA15 for £500 if you're lucky - which has two channels but is definitely not a hard rock amp despite being a Mesa... it's more Vox-based.

bertie

and I dooos believe you can get carry bags with h/duty shoulder straps for such heads

martinw

Thanks for the mentions, TPD The Bantam indeed would sound nice, but is only 1 channel. I should say also that I've got a 4 month waiting list

A 30W 2-channel head is going to be a weighty beast, unless you build it to keep the weight down. The Orange AD would be about the worst choice as there's half a ton of cabinet to tote.

15-18W makes more sense, but limits headroom. Lots of choice in cab-less lunchbox amps in this power rating.

ThePrettyDamned

martinw said:

Thanks for the mentions, TPD The Bantam indeed would sound nice, but is only 1 channel. I should say also that I've got a 4 month waiting list

A 30W 2-channel head is going to be a weighty beast, unless you build it to keep the weight down. The Orange AD would be about the worst choice as there's half a ton of cabinet to tote.

15-18W makes more sense, but limits headroom. Lots of choice in cab-less lunchbox amps in this power rating.

Yeah, to be honest, for smaller amps with multiple channels *and* headroom, the best bets are solid state... But the Bantam is a food-for-thought really.  It might lack headroom, but those 18 watt circuits can really punch above their weight and they are fairly versatile, so long as you don't need crystal cleans.  

There is the Mofo, which is 30 watts in a lunchbox.  Good sounding, it's aimed at hard rock, but it has nice lower gain sounds (better than the high gain hard rock it's aimed at!) and a clean channel.  Nice sounding amp.  

Here is the only half decent demo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3DkyNYxqyw 

ICBM

I didn't like the Mofo at all. I thought it sounded grainy and muddy at the same time - and very unusually for a valve amp, it got worse when it was really cranked up... harsh and mushy. Just sounded poor really. I wasn't very impressed with the build quality either!

ThePrettyDamned

ICBM said:

I didn't like the Mofo at all. I thought it sounded grainy and muddy at the same time - and very unusually for a valve amp, it got worse when it was really cranked up... harsh and mushy. Just sounded poor really. I wasn't very impressed with the build quality either!

Me neither - for much the same reasons as the AD30, though (mushy and without much definition).  The OP says that's his main consideration so I figured it could work, even though it doesn't really sound 'like' an orange, so much as a mushy Marshall. Sorta. 

Didn't notice it being 'grainy' though (and I think I know what you mean when you say that).  No idea about build quality - you're the expert there!

It was fine for clean and mid gain, but it sounded pretty useless on the 2 watt setting (which the staff in the store kept saying made it perfect for home use, despite it sounding better at low volume on the full power setting).  

Also, I only tried the older model without that lightey up valve thing. Not sure what the newer ones sound like.

John_A

I've got a Weinbrock ME-3 head which is rated at 20W clean, and sounds amazing, Two channels, but old school so you would need an AB-box, yours for £450

monquixote

I'd be looking at a Stonehead. 

fretmeister

Engl Ironball

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gftbglwYF2g

Gassage

Try and look at one of the Hiwatt Custom models; the 7 or 20 would work fine. The former is LOUD. Others- what about the DRRI 22w head? There was one on eBay last week.

SimpleSimon

Matamp LittleRock or Minimat?

bigfuzz

Cheers chaps,

Mofo - I have one of the older 15w versions a year ago, really didn't get on with it.. just couldn't dial in a tone i'd be happy with at volume 

AD30 - i've played a couple very briefly and was all over it (in a good way), do you guys know the differences between the newer twin channel version and the older single channel? 

Mesa TA - being more vox'y sounds promising, how much gain does it have on tap roughly? 

Hiwatt - always loved the hiwatt sound, play through one of the 'high gain' 50w heads at a rehearsal space now and then, good crunch, but not much more. never played one of the custom models, are they 2 channels? 

Matamp - never played in person but from the stuff i've read, they do seem to be in the territory i'm walking into, how likely are they to come up used? 

Cheers again, i appreciate the wisdom