what amps do you think are "under the radar" bargains?

[Jimbilly]

Everything seems expensive nowadays!  However, the '68 Univox U45 I bought a month or two ago has been really fun, not loud at all, but it sounds great alone or with pedals, my friends agree. I think those might still be considered affordable, and a bit overlooked. Mine had been sitting in a used record store for some time, and had been discounted to $175 because it wasn't getting any interest!  When I was handing over the cash, another guy in the store asked if it was a tube amp and seemed surprised that it was, - I wonder if he would have bought it if he had gotten there before me?, was everyone just assuming it was SS?  I would expect it to compete well with much more expensive Fenders.

  The Ampeg B25 would be on my list for low wattage bass amps, the controls are pretty similar to my old VT40, I think it would make a good medium wattage guitar head.  Those sound really great for bass through a proper cabinet, but aren't very loud.

 

 For more recent products, I saw a used Ibanez Tube Screamer tube amp on craigslist for about $350 a short time ago, I have no idea about the build quality, but that was a little bit tempting (if I didn't already own enough amps), especially considering other new production pcb tube amps.  

[Disturber]

I found a Laney GH100L a year ago for 100$. It's a Made in UK 100 watt amp that can take both 6L6's and EL34's. Well built, good parts. Ring mains transformer. Great loop, (if you use that, I dont). 

These are basically hot rodded 2203's (or 2204's for the 50w version) with an extra tube gain stage. The bright cap is really nasty though, and make this amp sound a bit harsh. But if you snip it, (I think it was C9 on the board) the amp sounds like heaven.

Just a killer amp. These can still be found for very descent prices. But Ive seen them on Reverb for over 1000U$ too. Laney don't make them any more. 

[Dutchman]

Peavey Delta Blues.

Just try one!!

[hamerhead]

SuperChamp X2.

[Dave Scepter]

7 minutes ago, hamerhead said:

SuperChamp X2.

I agree with this, however the prices are getting a little on the higher side... "keeping their value"?

But most importantly, what type of amp tone are you looking for?

[DaveH]

I really like the Blackstars I've played.

[specialk]

😁

[Biz Prof]

4 hours ago, specialk said:

😁

"What a bargain!"

[velorush]

The Mesa Subway Blues (later version with one input and Bright/Fat switch) - they continue to go for around $650 on Reverb.  Fantastic, beefier take on the Princeton Reverb. A very UN-Mesa Mesa.

Stupidly sold mine and just can't give it up to buy another, but I'm bending... 

[tomteriffic]

13 hours ago, velorush said:

The Mesa Subway Blues (later version with one input and Bright/Fat switch) - they continue to go for around $650 on Reverb.  Fantastic, beefier take on the Princeton Reverb. A very UN-Mesa Mesa.

Stupidly sold mine and just can't give it up to buy another, but I'm bending... 

Ditto the Subway Rocket first version.  Never should have let that one go.

[tbonesullivan]

A lot of Rivera amps qualify for that. No one knows what they are so they go for relatively little. Then there's a whole list of Mesa amplifiers that didn't "work out" but are still great, like the previously mentioned 'Subway' series, the Nomad Series, the Maverick and Blue Angel, and some others. I also know a lot of fans of the Carvin X-series amps from the 80s and early 90s. They can still be found quite cheap, and the later ones can fake a JCM800 pretty well.

If you can find them, the Crate V-series amps are also usually bargains. There are also many Peavey amps from the 80s and 90s that are great, though a lot of the ones on the market are pretty trashed, so you've gotta choose carefully.

Right now the used amp market is kinda nuts, and it seems like anything with tubes gets jumped on immediately unless it is grossly overpriced.

Edited February 8, 2024 by tbonesullivan

[RobB]

Peavey VTM60 heads.

[Brooks]

...& Peavey Butcher too. Also the Peavey Classic 20 head I had was great. Studio Pro is a good SS Peavey.

Edited February 8, 2024 by Brooks

[tbonesullivan]

57 minutes ago, Brooks said:

...& Peavey Butcher too. Also the Peavey Classic 20 head I had was great. Studio Pro is a good SS Peavey.

I remember like 10 years ago, older 80s and 90s peavey rack gear was the "entry level rack" gear. The Peavey Rockmaster was / is well regarded, and they made a variety of rack power amps as well. I went the Carvin route during my short lived failed "rack phase".

[velorush]

34 minutes ago, tbonesullivan said:

I remember like 10 years ago, older 80s and 90s peavey rack gear was the "entry level rack" gear. The Peavey Rockmaster was / is well regarded, and they made a variety of rack power amps as well. I went the Carvin route during my short lived failed "rack phase".

I remember a friend loaned me an ART rack unit to try out back in those days. I looked up and three hours had passed without playing a single song; I had spent the entire time menu diving and noodling.  I packed it up and gave it back the next day. 

Amazing sounds, but what a chasm of possibilities.  That experience has kept me from the modeling thing all these years later.  

[tbonesullivan]

6 minutes ago, velorush said:

I remember a friend loaned me an ART rack unit to try out back in those days. I looked up and three hours had passed without playing a single song; I had spent the entire time menu diving and noodling.  I packed it up and gave it back the next day. 

Amazing sounds, but what a chasm of possibilities.  That experience has kept me from the modeling thing all these years later.  

YEP. I'm scared of even my CAB M+ modeller, and it just models cabinets, poweramps, and a bassman preamp. But then you DIVE IN, and find that there are like 50 microphone choices for every cab as well as 100,000 mic placements.

[crunchee]

I like the Post-Fryette VHT 18 watt Standard amp (not to be confused with the slightly later and different VHT Classic 18 model), I have a couple that I bought cheap several years ago when VHT closed out the line, and it's all I've used as a 'big' amp (relatively speaking) ever since, with the exception of the Mojotone 18 watt head amp that I bought from HFC member Fractal.  All of them handwired, tube, and plenty loud.  There's chassis gut shot photos of the VHT Standard amp here:

NAD: VHT Standard 18 (18W Clone) - 18Watt.com

I also have a couple of the small VHT Special 6 amp heads (one 12AX7 preamp tube and one 6V6 power tube, SS rectification) also handwired and bought cheap:

VHT Special 6 (soundonsound.com)

VHT also offers a higher gain version called the Special 6 Ultra, that uses two 12AX7 tubes instead of one, along with the 6V6 power tube:

VHT Special 6 Ultra Amp Review - Premier Guitar

And speaking of Dumble (or "Dumble-like"), plus I know that some HFC members like Thomann's for gear:

Edited to add:  Is anything really a bargain anymore, or just 'less expensive'? 

Edited February 8, 2024 by crunchee

[butcher]

If you're looking for a cheap twin, try the Peavey Duel.

[Jimbilly]

16 hours ago, butcher said:

If you're looking for a cheap twin, try the Peavey Duel.

I was going to say Plush made a Showman type head that should be cheap, but they're not cheap anymore either! I have one that I bought for about $100 (with all good vintage tubes) and I had it rebuilt as 'proper' fender circuit with some changes to the 2nd channel, it's my 'big' bass head. Those are so short, they will only take the shorter 6L6 power tubes.  The sparkle tuck&roll is a great look.  Here's a quick pawn shop story about a cheap twin: my local shop used to get quite a bit of neat gear, one of the other local 'gear hunters' that I would sometimes run into started working there, he intended to get first crack at the good stuff, and he spoke as though he really knew his stuff. I walk in one day, he's working, there's a twin reverb up against the wall, tagged at under $400, I figure it's a good price for a re-issue, but wait... JBLs, a little too aged for a reissue, (2 prong courtesy plug?), old RCAs, - bring the tag up to the counter an pay full price without trying to negotiate and get it out of there, it was either a '64 or '65. 

[Jimbilly]

16 hours ago, butcher said:

If you're looking for a cheap twin, try the Peavey Duel.

and speaking of Peavey, I had a Valve King 112 combo that seemed quite good. 

[mudshark]

70s Peavey Backstage 30 ... bought mine for $50.

 

[Willie G. Moseley]

Peavey TransTube Supreme 100-watt head. Guitar amp specs but I used mine as a bass amp with Hartke speaker cabs (a 2 X 10 and a 4 X 10, which allowed three different setups (either cab or both), depending the size of the venue

Edited February 10, 2024 by Willie G. Moseley

[BadgerDave]

70's Traynors

THD Univalve

non handwired Vox AC15s

Vintage Fender Bassman heads

[woodpile]

Groove Tubes Soul-O-30 was a great amp. Haven't found another one yet so can't say how they're priced.

[Jimbilly]

21 hours ago, BadgerDave said:

70's Traynors

THD Univalve

non handwired Vox AC15s

Vintage Fender Bassman heads

There's a blackface bassman head near me on craigslist for just under $1,000. I'm sure there will come a day when I wish I'd bought it. 

Bandmasters too?