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Compact, all valve amps - what's out there?


davehux
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Hi

Madame La GAS has wafted her perfume again and got me looking at all valve amps.

Had an LB30, loved it, but just not enough power for a 5 piece band. Currently got a Markbass TTE500, love it even though it's got a solid state power stage, but there's always the next amp lurking around the corner.

However.......it needs to sit nicely on top of my Barefaced S12T and not look like a mushroom, or a giant letter T, so max width of 47cm and depth of 30cm

I found the Mesa Boogie Prodigy, but at almost 2 grand new, and possibly 110V only, it's slightly into Fantasy Island territory.

Suggestions/recommendations if you will, please.

Cheers

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There are a few older valve amps which are the right width to sit on top a Super 12. I've had both a 40 watt Dynacord Bass King T and a 100 watt Carlsbro CS100/4 PA which were 50cm wide or less. Both were very simplistic old fashioned amps, but for the price of a new amp you could probably pick up something along these lines and find a good tech to build your choice of preamp into it.
Or a Peavey Classic rack-mounting power amp with a separate preamp in a 19" rack case?

Edited by Beer of the Bass
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[quote name='Billy Apple' timestamp='1411501515' post='2560202']
You need to buy this...

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/245307-100w-burman-instrument-pre-amp-power-pak/page__p__2558697__hl__burman__fromsearch__1#entry2558697"]http://basschat.co.u..._1#entry2558697[/url]
[/quote] what I was thinking - they are supposed to be awesome aren't they?

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[quote name='Billy Apple' timestamp='1411508395' post='2560299']
I know mine is! :sun_bespectacled:

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/242845-nad-burman-mpa-sl-100/page__p__2526969__hl__burman__fromsearch__1#entry2526969"]http://basschat.co.u..._1#entry2526969[/url]
[/quote] how annoying is the two box lugging?

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[quote name='3below' timestamp='1411506722' post='2560277']
Look out for the bargain 'broken' valve amp and get it rebuilt to taste. Carlsbro 100 ebay yesterday £136. Seems a fair price for 100W transformers, etc. Sound City amps still appear for little money, can be made into good Hiwatt clones.
[/quote]

:) Attention people!

Be advised that BassChatting amp bloke [url="http://basschat.co.uk/user/1121-mr-foxen/"]Mr Foxen[/url] performs his magic on old Carlsboros and other under-appreciated golden oldies. PM him for info.

Edited by skankdelvar
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[quote name='skankdelvar' timestamp='1411508967' post='2560311']
:) Attention people!

Be advised that BassChatting amp bloke [url="http://basschat.co.uk/user/1121-mr-foxen/"]Mr Foxen[/url] performs his magic on old Carlsboros and other under-appreciated golden oldies. PM him for info.
[/quote] his fb page is worth liking and viewing too

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+1 or Oli Foxen, I think he and a mate have started making custom amps from the guts of old ones too. I asked a while back about a rackmount 200w (to go on my S12T) but he never got back with a price. but he's not on here much these days. Get hold of him through the Facebook page: Search: 'Ampstack' on Facebook :)

I too am interested in something new and commercially available (rather than a custom 1 off). I contacted the guys at Carvin about developing such a thing a while ago. they do a Steve Vai model all valve guitar amp in a lightweight, compact package. they said they would look in to it, but due to the larger transformers required for bass amps it might not be viable...

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[quote name='davehux' timestamp='1411500560' post='2560177']
I found the Mesa Boogie Prodigy, but at almost 2 grand new, and possibly 110V only, it's slightly into Fantasy Island territory.
[/quote]

240-volt version is available and works well but, yes, expensive.

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If you don't mind something old, you could consider one of the 70s Traynor amps - I have a 50w bassmaster which is much narrower than e.g a Marshall superbass.

I'm not certain if the more powerful models of this era came in the same width, but could be worth checking out :)

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