Your favorite all-tube combo amp (bang for the buck)?

Bang for the buck?

Fender Super Champ X2

Fender Bassbreaker 15W 1-12

It absolutely kicks arse!

My guitarist went out about two years ago with a budget of $2000 to buy the best sounding tube amp he could find in NYC.

He came home with a Bugera V22. True story.

He said he tried a bunch of high-end boutique amps, and none of them sounded significantly better that the Bugera. He's still happy with his decision (partially because he took the money he saved on an amp purchase and bought a Gibson ES-335...)

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I kinda hate to admit this, but the clean tone of a Peavey Delta Blues 115, is the second best amp I've ever played

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I've got the 210 version and I love it. It breaks up really early though (even on the clean channel) so it's hard to do clean tones unless you dial back the volume on your guitar. I can get some amazing crunch, overdrive, and distortion tones out of it.

This amp is small but it's fricking loud.



Some people prefer the sound of 6L6 tubes like in the fender amps though. Just depends on your style of play, guitar, and preference.

you're a fool if you spend $400 on that piece of shite amp

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My guitarist went out about two years ago with a budget of $2000 to buy the best sounding tube amp he could find in NYC.

He came home with a Bugera V22.

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the bugera line's PCB are so thin that after a while the heat from the tubes warp it... solder joints that they use are cheap and general parts are cheap. It's a cheap chinese made mass production amp.

Bugera has a PLETHORA reliability issues, bad tubes, cheap transformers, blows fuses, has a loud hum to it (louder than other tube amps)

if you own a bugera amp then you need to do 2 things:

1. Make sure your homeowners insurance is current.
2. Invest in a fire extinguisher.

Behringer owns the bugera brand and that's all you really need to know about how shitty of a product they put out.

Fellow I played with had that amp and I had to admit it did a great job for what he paid. I had a 90's British made AC30TB reissue that blew it away but we're talking bang for the buck. I've had Two Rocks, Divided by 13's, Komets, original 1960's AC30's, a Reinhardt, Matchless, original 60's plexi's and a crap load of original 50's Fender Tweed's. Some amps that stand out as sleepers or "bang for buck" amps were a 90's Ampeg R12 reissue and a 90's Carvin Vintage series (Nomad maybe?). Such a personal thing depending on what you prefer. I prefer another buddy's Carvin Vintage 16 way over the V22 because the 16 has a much sweeter, punchy, natural tube voice or "clean" to start with. The V22 blows the V16 away for higher-gain (but not "metal" hi-gain) with ch sw., bells and whistles, etc. but I don't care for any type higher-gain channel switching tones... ...and who needs a great tube amp to get metal type gain? I'd prefer to use an amp's natural gain but gigging realities makes pedals a must. If you use higher gain, ch. switching. FX loop, etc., the V22 is about as good as you'll get in the PRICE RANGE. If you prefer natural tube sound on the cheap I'd choose a Vintage 16 ($200-$275 used) with a great OD pedal. I'd also be willing to bet the Vintage 16 will last longer considering the simple design and ease of service compared to the V22. Never owned one but the best 15 to 20 watt, non-boutique combo I've heard recently is the Blackstar Artisan 15. ...and IF money is no object, best small combo IMO of this size is the Komet 19 ($3,300.00). I got to beta test the original build chassis at home for a full month and it has ruined me for life.

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Fender Bassbreaker 15W 1-12

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same.. i really like the mid-gain stetting..