Tube Guitar Amp Kits For Sale (2024 Update)

Because the Stage Right 5-watt tube amp (#611705) has control knobs only for Volume and Tone, I found that I get the best-to-my-ears guitar sound when I put an equalizer pedal between the guitar and amp and then adjust the equalizer to the tone that I'm looking for. On the guitar the Volume and Tone knobs are set fully open and on the 5-watt tube amp the Tone knob is fully closed and the Volume knob is set to the volume level acceptable to the environment (for home practice the Volume knob is set to level 3 at full 5-watts). The Stage Right 5-watt tube amp is my first tube amp after having used modeling amps for at least five years. I had heard that tube amps more often than not sound better than modeling amps. After now having experienced using a tube amp I agree that tube amps (at least the Stage Right 5-watt amp) sounds better than the modeling amps I've used (which to me sound great too). If you're looking for your first tube amp (like I was) or you are looking for a low-watt tube amp for home use then I highly recommend the Monoprice Stage Right 5-watt tube amp #611705. Review about Monoprice customer support: The 5-watt tube amp that I initially received had a cosmetic defect (a hole) on the textured surface on the front side of the amp. The Volume knob when set to fully opened level 10 produced normal speaking level sound instead of the noise-complaint loud volume that I expected. Monoprice customer service was great and easy to work with in submitting an amp replacement request. I described the problems, sent pictures of the cosmetic defect and a video demonstrating the Volume problem. After Monoprice customer service reviewed the pics and video they sent me a free shipping return label, a RMA label, and they ordered me a replacement amp which arrived within 7 days after I submitted the replacement request. The replacement amp that I received had no cosmetic defects and the Volume knob set to max level 10 is loud enough to generate noise-complaints from neighbors, though I normally use the amp at Volume level 3 for home use.New User

For the price (I got it when priced $119) it is fantastic. It's simple, straightforward and sounds good. Nice warm tones. If you're a fantastic guitar player, this amp will sound fantastic. If you're an okay guitarist, you might want to invest in some pedals (or just keep practicing). I only say that because it is very clean and bright and it really shows off what you're playing. (I've been known to hide my sloppiness with reverb, distortion, etc.) BUT It does take pedals well – thankfully! Adding a good reverb pedal, delay and an overdrive to go along with this little guy is a good idea. The Pros: Value to Price ratio. Looks well built. Warm tube sound. The handle (yes I am talking about the amp's handle) is nice! Better than I expected. In fact, everything looks pretty good (except the cheap control knobs). 5 watts is plenty loud for home/recording use. The Cons: Good sounding, but there are better sounding. Please don't buy this thinking that this is a $500 amp. It is not. But sub $200 it is a good one. The chickenhead knobs are cheap looking. I took them off and painted them. But that's a dollar or two easy fix (if it bothers you at all). Overall: I totally recommend for $150 or less. Probably for $200. If the prices climb too much beyond that, I think there are other options. If you want to jam at home and record with it, I think you'll be happy.Brad

The Monoprice 5 watt guitar amp arrived just a few days after ordering, and arrived in good shape, due in part to the excellent shipping carton. Upon taking it out and inspecting it, I could find no flaws in the cabinet, and due to the cream color of the covering, it seemed a little bigger than I was expecting. I plugged it in, let it warm up for almost an hour, and then plugged in an ES339, using no pedals. At first, I wasn't all that pleased with the sound I was getting, but it was my fault. I had it adjusted as I do with my Albion Hybrid, but that wasn't the way. I found the best sound came from turning the Monoprice all the way up, and then use the guitar controls for volume instead. That did it, and the little amp came a alive in a big way! Sounding very similar to a Fender champ, it could go from nice clear tones to crunchy heaven with the ES339's humbuckers. I plugged in a Strat with an HSH configuration, and the single coil really made it sound Fenderish. Sweet. The only thing I found one might improve on the amp, is the speaker. As such, I plugged into the built-in external speaker jack on the back, a little Randall 8" cabinet. That really did it for me. The sound was fantastic through the entire spectrum, and was loud enough to be heard down the block. I then bi-amped it with the Albion, and the sound had all the creamy goodness I've been seeking, and that is how I now have it setup for daily use. That said, there's nothing wrong with the stock speaker on the Monoprice, and I suspect it will satisfy most users. Am very happy with this purchase, and glad I bought it for such a great price. Almost every electric guitar player could find a use for this amp. Buy before the price goes up, or they quit making them!T

Where do I start? Well, how about, this is the best tube amp I have ever played! 62 years with many guitars and many amps, some owned, some borrowed, and some tested in music shops, might give me a little credibility. I have loved a Fender Twin Reverb, made in the 50s that my uncle Keith, and my guitar mentor, loaned me for a while. It just sounded so good. Never could seem to find cash, or justification to buy a tube amp, but have owned a hal a dozen solid states. THEN THIS LITTLE BEAUTY! Having played the Twin for a couple of years, and others such as a Mesa Boogie, VOX's, and too many others to recall, THIS monster sounds like most of them with just little tweaks of the knobs and my guitar switches. I have played country, 60s and 70s rock, blues, finger-style instrumentals, gospel, etc. I believe this is the PERFECT combo, with the correct (JJ) tubes, a sweet (and dirty when desired) Seventy/80 speaker, and an amazing diversity of sounds, which works in every genre I play! I do not know how anyone can find reason to bad mouth this. I had it for 2 weeks, was asked to fill an absent, guitarist's spot at an outdoor venue, I took this little amp. We played to an area the size of a football field. I set the amp on 1 Watt, until I could hear it cleanly (behind me on stage), let the sound man mic and mix me in. Never had to turn it above about 4, with gain between 1 and 4, and many complemented me on my sound, and musicians asked me WHAT IS THAT LITTLE AMP? Those are the good points. I can only think of two piddly things I would like to see changed, and one would be a standby switch, and the second being a way to run the external speaker WITHOUT cutting off the amp speaker. Until then, I will just keep playing this sweetheart amp, and enjoy the statements about "my sound," and the question of WHAT IS THAT LITTLE AMP? Keep playing everybody…and maybe buy one of these. I do not believe you will regrety it.New User

These amps are fantastic, and at these bargain prices you simply can't go wrong. I upgraded the reverb tank in mine to a Mod and changed the speaker for a Warehouse GC12. OMG, this thing is a beast! Another WGS option I've seen people use is the ET65 for a more British tone, also with good results. The stock speaker is not too bad, but this one simple upgrade of swapping the speaker takes the amp to the next level. It just sounds awesome. The upgraded reverb tank is also an improvement, but not as much as I thought it would be. If I had to do it over again I would just take out the stock tank and use a pedal for reverb and make the amp even lighter to haul around. The more important upgrade imo is the speaker. It really makes a world of difference. Grab one reasonably while you still can, the price keeps creeping up and up and up… !Jeff

After a number of FEDEX issues, I received my amp about 5 days later than estimated. It did arrive in excellent condition and was worth the wait. The Stage Right 611815 has a really sweet tone that sounds particularly good with the single coil pickups on my Fender Sratocaster Player. It breaks up nicely! The reverb works perfectly, and is fine for most playing but you might want an external reverb unit if you are playing Dick Dale tunes. A really nice feature for home playing is the 15W/1W switch, where you can limit the amp to 1 W (be aware that with sound, you have to increase the wattage by 10 times to double the perceived volume, so the 1W setting is a lot more than 1/15th as loud as the 15W setting). It is a bit unusual to have a tone control along with the more common bass, middle and treble controls. Personally, I would have labeled the Tone control as Presence, because that is what it seems to be. I have mostly been playing in the 1W mode with all the controls (including reverb) at 12 o clock, and that is working out great. As far as construction, the amp looks fantastic and gives a vintage look that hints at its tone! The dark grill cloth provides a nice contrast with the blonde tolex, giving a true vintage appearance. The retro red, jeweled pilot light and metal toggle switch complement the vintage styling Keeping with the vintage look, the control panel is chrome with retro chicken head knobs. As others have mentioned, the control names are a little bit difficult to read on the chrome panel. After you use the controls once, you know where they are, so does it really matter (I noticed the blonde version of the Fender Blues Jr also uses a chrome control panel…probably where Monoprice got the idea)? The tolex is neatly installed and glued, at least the parts that are exposed. The leather handle is also reminiscent of old school amps. And I really like the metal corner protectors…very nice. As proudly announced by a badge on the front panel, the amp is equipped with a Celestion speaker…a Seventy 80 The only criticism of the construction, and it is minor, is that the 8 external screws are not chamfered properly to mesh with the finishing washers, which result in the screw heads protruding above the washers. The amp has a jack for an external speaker. When you plug in an external speaker, the internal speaker is shut off, as is common with guitar amps. The reason is if you plug in an external 8 ohm speaker and the internal speaker would still be on, a (combined) 4 ohm load would be presented to the amplifier, which it is not designed to handle. The back is open. The line cord is not detachable, but can be conveniently stowed in the back of the amp. The amp has an effects loop, which I have not tried yet. The amp is now equipped with JJ brand tubes and a metal, two spring, reverb tank, which are upgrades from the original issue I wish I could find a nice, economical (i.e. $20) dust cover for the amp. The only ones I can find are priced at $50 or more, a bit much for protecting an inexpensive amp. In conclusion, the Stage Right 611815 amp looks great and sounds great, and I highly recommend it.Chris

I just completed my Mod 102 kit. An excellent experience! I was delighted with the quality of components, clarity of instructions, and, perhaps most importantly, the sound of the amp. It is very loud – currently running into my Fender Twin Reverb cab (2×12) and very sweet! I will be running it into a new 1×12 cab with a new Celestion G12 M Heritage 'Greenback' when I get a case for the speaker (on order). My only criticism (and something to look out for) is that the chassis is very nicely painted in gray gunmetal paint. Even following the directions to file all the holes, it is very hard to get a good ground connection at every point a terminal strip connects. I worried about this, and about 1/3rd of the way through the build, took an ohm meter to check all the connections, and as I had suspected, some of the connections were not great (9-10 ohms or so!) So I removed the terminal strips (with the components I had already soldered still attached) and scraped away the paint under the tabs of the strips to ensure a good connection. Re-testing showed virtually zero resistance. I'd strongly recommend scraping the paint away at all holes under the chassis before getting started on the build. Even better, suggest that Amplified Parts leave the inside chassis unpainted (at least around the important holes). Aside that one criticism, I am delighted with the kit and with Amplified Parts. Everything was delivered promptly and they are a class outift. I'll probably try some of their other kits soon.vpmerlyn

I spent three evenings building the MOD102. The instructions are very easy to understand and the amp has a great Fender sound. I had one grounding issue that was easily fixed with a little help from tech support, which was excellent. If you're good at following step by step instructions and can solder well this is a fun little amp to build. Only small issue is the labels. They could stand an improvement.Brandon

I just finished this amp build and it sounds fantastic! I also just finished a Marshall 18 Watt clone and I have to say that the Mod102+ holds its own very nicely alongside the Marshall. In fact, I will probably use the Mod102+ for recording because it sounds amazing at lower volumes (the Marshall is loud AF). Honestly, if I were only going to build one of them today, it would be the Mod. I'm blown away by the tone! Great kit with excellent instructions. Great bang for the buck. The parts all seem to be top quality. I love the old style cloth solid core wire, too. I find it much easier to work with than modern stranded wire. The labels are a bit lame but I covered them with packing tape as suggested before cutting them out and they look fine. If you're thinking about building an amp, build this one.danjbeckett

Two hundred is about your bottom dollar for a tube guitar amp. This is a real deal 2 large bottle push-pull guitar head. Not only that, it's two channel with a lead boost. The amp actually looks better in person than the white washed stock photo. Solid value.nbrothergtr

I recently completed the British 18W head kit from Tube Depot, and can't say enough good things about it! From start to finish, the kit exceeded my expectations. Ordering, shipping, and customer service were top-notch. No issues with components. The instructions and documentation were amazing, worth their weight in gold. The end result was an amplifier that sounds incredible! I incorporated a few of the suggested options- PPIMV, Tremolo HI/LO sw., Tube/SS Rectifier sw., and choke. The sound is amazing, I'm finding it very difficult turning the amp off- once I start playing through the amp I don't want to stop. I would absolutely recommend Tube Depot for anyone interested in building a guitar amplifier. The clear, well-written instructions really made this an enjoyable project. This was my first amplifier build, and I had no issues thanks to the great documentation.Dave R

I ordered this kit with a mod to use KT 66 power tubes. The changes were easy to make and it sounds fantastic. The classic JTM 45 tone at a manageable volume level with the master volume control. Just to test it out I've used a power soak and the tone is exactly the same using the master volume. A couple of real nice features of the design are the negative feedback switch and the ability to switch between solid state and tube ratification (the tube sounds better to my ears). Great product!Clint

The Ac-10not only looks the business but it has since real depth and warmth to its tone. Clean – it’s bright and has the chime you’d expect. Turn up the gain and your tone breaks up but still retains clarity. Having the gain wide open and master volume down means you can still have the saturated crunch but not disturb others . Perfect for home use but would not be out of place in a small pub gig. Takes pedals will and with a multi-fix like a GT 100, if you disable the amp sim and use like a conventional pedal board, you don’t lose any quality of the AC10’s natural tone. A masterful amp and it even smells nice with those tubes cooking.Mark R.

Ive been playing 35 years and this is probably the best all around practice amp ive ever heard. Pros- looks great, sounds very good, cleans thump and chime, distortion can wail. Its loud for its size. Seems built well. Have had no bad issues. Cons- clean isnt near as loud as w the gain cranked up. No reverb. In short if this amp was 50-100W and had reverb and an external speaker jack id never play another amp. Good job VOX.jjsrvfan

Great little amp for the money. This is my first EL84 amp as I was after something different to my old EL34 Laneys & Marshall. This delivered what I was after. Both channels very useable – clean has quite a bit of headroom as a pedal platform. Drive channel sounds great – better with humbuckers than single coils to my ear, but very useable – very touch responsive and cleans up nicely when you roll off the vol. The reverb is fine but maybe a little over the top at higher settings: maybe useful for ambient stuff. Biggest surprise is the speaker – well balanced and sounds really tight – especially with humbuckers. Stock valves seem absolutely fine. The combo is nicely finished too. If you want the sound and are not bothered about brand names, this is fantastic value for money as a first valve amp, or as something that sounds a bit different. Easily loud enough for pub gigs. Recommended!Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

This item was purchased as a level 2 blemished item. The blemishes very minor and well within my ability to accept it that way. However, after receiving the amp I discovered that the reverb did not work. I tried several different guitars all with the same results – no reverb. Though the demos and reviews said the reverb wasn't the greatest there was still plenty of reverb available (too much according to some reviewers). Even with the reverb turned to 10 there was no reverb. I called MusiciansFriend and was told that a level 2 blemished item could have functions that didn't work. The fact that the reverb didn't work or that some items may not work on a level 2 blem should have been explained in the description I could not find this information anywhere.Chris

3 x 12AX7s and 2 x EL84s, solid (heavy!) chassis, reverb, effects loop, external speaker connection with switchable impedance – just what I wanted. The footswitch to change between clean and gain channels means you don't need pedals to get a boost. Only negative: the footswitch came in a heavy duty plastic bag which was stapled to the bottom of the cabinet, and difficult to remove. Sounds good on its own – all the tone without blowing your eardrums. Playing through my vintage Carlsbro 4 x 12 sounds better still.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

I bought this amp based on the good print reviews and the way it sounded in you Tube reviews. I did a lot of homework and finally placed my order. I was excited when it showed up at my house and plugged my Jay Turser Les Paul copy right in. Boy, is this thing dark! I turned all the tone controls to 10. I changed the strings. I removed the covers from my pickups- that just made it dark and tinny. After three days I decided that I had to either send it back or make some changes. I took the speaker from a Squier 15 amp and installed it in the Bugera. Right away there was more life and clarity to the sound, though it still sounded tinny (because it's a speaker from a Squier 15), but it was some progress. Next I pulled tubes from a circa 1959 Curtis-Mathes console stereo and swapped them into the Bugera. Now we were getting somewhere- the overtones, the reason we use tubes, were now present and accounted for. The same console is full of Oxford speakers, which are a Jensen knockoff and well respected. I took an 8" from that and installed it in the V5. OH YEAH! Now this is a great little amp. The clean tones are super sweet, clear, full and bell-like with tons of sustain. The overdrive has a huge range of grit, and the reverb is better than any other amp I've had. So after installing a set of +/- 60 year old tubes and speaker, it sounds great. But out-of-the-box stock, I would have sent it back, no question. If you have a too-bright guitar or are willing to make upgrades, this amp is a super value. My one complaint about build quality is that the wattage selector switch is extremely touchy- it goes from .1 to 5 watts and has to be fiddled with to get it to stay on the 1 watt setting.Farmhand

Perfect at home tube amp. I generally use 1 watt mode. Great tone whether clean or breakup. Loves my telecaster and Boss BD-2 into it, and takes pedals great in general. Couldn’t get over how nice it looked when I unboxed mine, either. Beautiful looking amp on top of sounding great. Really an incredible value. Can’t recommend this one enough if you’re looking for a home use valve amp.Grandaddy Jeff

Great sounding clean tones for playing at home, which is why i bought it – my beloved Mustang 1.1 started having issues and I MUST have a great clean tone to relax. Wanted a tube amp and did my research. Decided on the Blackstar. I must say I'm extremely happy with it. The reverb is KILLER to my ear and does a great job at adding shimmer without destroying the tone. No external effects are needed to get a gorgeous clean tone – I use my Zoom G3Xn into the front end to get univibe and compression. The effects loop is very functional. The amp can be very bass heavy, depending on your instrument, but if you run a 10 band EQ (go with MXR) in the loop you amp can achieve any tonal result you want. My best sound comes with everything at 12, with some of the bass rolled off with the MXR EQ – but its just a matter of taste i guess. This amp moves a lot of air when you use the drive channel, and if your not pleased with the amps distortion it does respond really well to distortion pedals. I'm mostly in the clean blues zone but must brag on the amps darker side: it can get very loud and stay rich. I haven't tried any of the direct recording features. The 2 selectable characters of clean that the amp offers thrill me and ,again, the reverb is classy and a bit different from other amps ( I read that is a room reverb). Highly recommended.Tim H.

This amp out of the box sounds fantastic. Crystal clear clean tones and a snarly gain channel that lets you choose between a more American gain tone and a British gain tone. I would say ‘cater for everyone’. But, I received my first amp and within an hour of playing I’d noticed a loud ‘POP’ when changing channels. This pop occurred if a note was being played at the same time as the channel change. (Footswitch and Amp buttons) So, of course I returned the Amp to PMT. they arranged DPD next working day collection for me, completely hassle free. I awaited my next amp, as a direct replacement. A few days later the next Blackstar HT-5R mkii arrived, box fresh like the last. I plugged the amp in, let the tubes warm and away I went. Within minutes of found a great tone again, but the loud ‘POP’ I heard from the first unit was there again on this amp. I tried 4 sockets in the house in case there was any kind of interference/static, but to no avail. Absolutely gutted, I called PMT again. The amp was returned for the second time. Apparently this hasn’t happened to anyone else, I may just be unlucky or the amp may not get along with the electrics in my home. Just check this out as soon as you buy one. I’ve tried two other valve amps on my house since, including a Blackstar Artist 10 AE and an Orange terror with cab, and there’s absolutely zero noise with these. Very important to note here, this is not a slam of PMT, they’ve been absolutely brilliant throughout this whole thing. Customer service is second to none and they are very easy to contact. Used these for a very long time and I will be returning once stores open to try out a new amp.Jack H.

Overall: This amplifier absolutely rocks! With so many options you can dial in any sound that you want, from crystal clear clean to roaring rhythms and screaming leads. As everyone has already said, the reverb is almost nonexistent. However, the amp, tubes and build are rock solid. BUT… if you really want to blow your mind, swap out the speaker with one that fits your style. My style is classic hard rock so after much research I swapped out the 70 watt Celestion V-Type speaker that it comes with for a 150 watt Eminence Swamp Thang and I swear that it sounds as loud and ballsy as my full-on DSL100 full stack with 1960 cabs. The difference is mind boggling. No fizz, no speaker distortion at all. Just a loud, clear representation of my sound. Obviously the Swamp Thang might not be your speaker of choice but do your research and this will be the only amp you will ever need again!Scott

Sound: With good tubes properly biased, yes. Features: One feature that I absolutely detest is the effects loop button. When it is activated the front of the amp ceases to operate and when deactivated, the front works but the effects loop deactivated. There's no reason for this feature to exist. Substantially limits what the user is able to do. Bad decision in the design. Ease of Use: Just need to fix the owners manual to include specifically how to bias the tubes. Value: At the time I bought it, it was around $800. So at that time, yes. Overall: It took me a while for this amp to grow on me as it sounded like crap out of the box. I replaced the stock speaker with a Celestion V30 and replaced the stock tubes with Ruby EL34STR and a 5751 in the PI as is my typical configuration. Still couldn't get an acceptable tone was fuzzy and grindy. Years later, I learned that you can self bias the amp. After reading forums, there is little info on how to bias the amp and nothing in the manual. I discovered the bias was at 31mv so I turned both to 40mv and HOLY SMOKES this was the tone I've been seeking all these years. Eureka, I found it and it's incredible now. Completely unacceptable that Marshall included zero information in the manual regarding this, which is a pretty important feature. Moreover, it's important that I explain how to bias this. When you place the multimeter leads in the ground and point, one point will give a reading and the other red test point will read zero, always. YOU WILL NOT BE USING THIS TEST POUNT AT ALL. Go back to the one that gives the reading and keep it in that test point and adjust the pot to 40mv. Then, keeping the multimeter lead in the same pot, turn the other bias adjust til they both read 40mv. Next onto the effects loop, there is a button to turn the effects loop on and off as you can not use both simultaneously like in other amps. What good is this feature? Worthless and is an absolute thorn in my side as I would like to use the midi to switch between both which is why I bought it, but can't. Now, the amp does sound good now that it's properly biased as well as replacing the stock speaker, but I lost years of good tone due to the lack of instruction in the instruction manual.Jonathan

Overall: This thing is awesome if you like that Marshall tone this amp is for you, it's really a 4 channel amp if you get the six way Marshall foot switch, if I had to nit pick this amp would be the reverb, don't get me wrong it sounds great and is useable for 90% of what you would need it for, but if your wanting that Gilmour type reverb you'll need to add a reverb pedal in the chain. Where this amp really shines and I discovered this on accident I was messing around with the effects loops and added an EP booster which I would normally run on the front in, and just WOW…adding the EP booster to the loop really opened it up, tamed some of the compression and evened out the gain while improving the tone, sounds more like a JCM800 at this point, I'm super impressed with this little amp and I have some really nice amps in my collection. Let me say I would totally gig with this amp without question. This fact that Marshall made it easy to change and bias tubes is a huge thumbs up as well. Other manufactures please take noteRick

I recently bought a Fender Blues Jr NOS and was quite happy, good natural clean and grind. Takes both pedals and my X3 Live outboard gear very well, but I was hoping for an amp that had the clean and the hard rock tones without needing to schlep a distortion pedal or my X3 Live. I bought an HT-5R used at MF's sister company hoping it would meet my needs. First, the HT-5R can be very loud. It also has a decent clean, pure for my EMG 60 and a nice blues edge with my EMG 85. The test of any amp is how it handles the hard rock or metal tones tho and the HT-5R falls sort of short… until you add the required Decimator G String Noise Reduction and BBE Sonic Max thru the effects loop. Those two outboards save this amp without running pedalboard effects. Just know, the BBE and G String are not needed nor are they compatible with the X3 Live, the thing buzzes like crazy when I run the X3L thru it with the BBE and G String. The X3 Live sounds great without them tho. I don't have any other modeling/multi-effects systems so I do not know if the Boss ME-70 or similar items are compatible with the BBE or Decimator thru the HT-5R effects loop. I also tried hooking up my Haze 112 straight cab as an external along with the internal speaker, sounds very fine. These two brands of speakers probably play better together than the two companies. Bottom line… I can run this amp without a distortion pedal on the clean channel unless I want crunch (I do). The OD channel doesn't need a distortion pedal but only sounds real when I use BBE and Decimator. I can also use the X3 Live. Both setups can produce awesome results. By itself? Not so much… but I'm still keeping mine for grab and go and gigs with small stages, but I'm keeping my Fender Blues Jr NOS too for when I'm willing to bring my pedal board or X3 Live along.Travisty7

Kind of puzzled by the negative reviews of this bad boy but to each his (or her) own I guess. The Blackstar HT-5R to me is a fantastic little amp. It is solidly built and delivers tube warmth & punch that digital amps can't touch. It's simple layout allows for a versatile array of quality tones without slamming the user with option overload. There are lot of well-thought out features one doesn't usually find on affordable small tube amps such as the excellent emulated output and an FX loop. The clean channel is very serviceable. It's not a mind-blowing Fendery clean but it is very clear and is very responsive to difference guitars and pickups. If you are a country guy, don't bother. If you like gain, keep reading. The star here is the Overdrive channel. There is lots of gain on tap, plenty for most rockers and classic metallers. The tone is a little more rock than pure metal – the palm mutes are reasonably chunky but you won't get Pantera chug without a boost pedal. This is true for most high gain tube amps though, that's why so many bands and producers rely on Tubescreamers to tighten things up. I get a killer warm tone straight onto the amp at any gain level. After setting the gain anywhere above 5 and flicking on my TS-9 (set to zero gain and a just a slight level boost), this thing turns into a fire-breathing crunch machine! Tasty metal riffs abound. The HT-5R is highly recommended for anyone looking for a punchy, rockin' amp for home use or in the studio.Juice Maloose

This amp is a little gem. It pretty much covers all angles from Bedroom practice to Studio, Rehearsal and Live Gigging. With many sound setups in venues using monitored sound systems the requirement for loud backline Amps is a thing of the past and gigging with one means basically not being able to play it at any volume above number 2. A small , but powerful amp with both the monitoring capability and the Emulated MIC capability to go straight into a Desk means that you can have the best of both worlds if needed. You can play it on stage a reasonable volume or you can play through the monitoring if needed. The channel switch and Cab / Speaker options mean you can setup the whole for bigger things if you want to carry the Cabs about with the option to plug in extension speakers galore. The Reverb is smooth, Roomy to Arena and the ISF gives you tonal variation that allows great contrast. If you want a negative… well the sockets on the back are all hidden under the edge of the back panel making them hard to find in the Dark and the foot switch cant be dropped into the back of the Amp for storage…but thats about it! small price to pay for a great piece of Kit.daveperrym2

I had to make myself stop playing this Amp long enuf to write my review. This 30 watt 1 X 12 Celestion V30 Tube Stack simply Rocks my World! Bucket List item for me! Always wanted a Tube Stack with a creamy rich mid – range and a narly distortion channel. Foot switch turns reverb and overdrive on and off. 3 band EQ, 1/4" speaker cable. I love me some pedals and they blend well with this Amp. Quality build. Simply the best Amp my Guitars have played. Jazzmaster , Kramer and Mike Rowan all sound amazing. Arrived quickly in sturdy and well packaged shipping cartons. Guitar World review was spot on. peace, MarnyeMARNYE

Very nice tones from this amp, clean or dirty! I have been using it mic’d with a 609 clone, haven’t had the chance to crank it yet. I use a roadhouse Strat and fine on the dirty channel with the gain at 5 I can get a great, clear cleanish tone, and then hit the Strats preamp and have some nice grit! Not fizzy fuzzy grit, but nice organic breakup that is very pleasing to the ear. I run a TC Plethora in the FX loop and get great results, no jump or drop in volume, just sounds natural. For some extra gain I use a Boss OD200 into the front of the amp, glorious!! Quite surprising that an amp of this build and sound quality is available at this price point but it is and I’m glad I pulled the trigger on it. Looks to be plywood for amp cab and speaker cab, nice touch. All this and a V30 speaker! I don’t know when or if the speaker will “break in” but I’ll be using the amp mic’d most of the time so it may take awhile, and honestly couldn’t imagine it sounding any better! Only had it a few days, and haven’t moved it since I set it up so I can’t speak for how long it will last in the long run, but fingers are crossed.Ronald

Just received my stack on 3/16/20. Packaged great!. Overall build quality is very very good no particle board here all real solid wood cabinet for the head , speaker with a nice ply baffle I think it's 3/4 ". Light weight. Asthetics ,cosmetics tolex and Grill cloth with piping perfect. Reverb is digital no tank or Springs here it is not tube driven. Bright switch works great pedal for Reverb and gain Channel works great extra-long cable to connect the head to the cabinet with power cord great. Clean tones on this amp whether a low or hi channel are amazing . kind of somewhere between vox/ marshall cleans. Definitely Fender sounding w bright switch. Gig Worthy!. Loud amp!. Digital Reverb is okay. You must turn it up to around 4 or 5 to hear it. It's clean channels are where this amp shines . On the gain channel, Ican get some good tones but not super high gain here more in the classic rock 1960- 1970's tone. Great but no super High gain. Kinda on the thinner side, Not very Fat. 3 chinese 12ax7, ( maybe a swap out in this area may give better tone), all 4 el84 Are Eurotube JJ'S!!!! So happy to see this. Celestion V30 spkr cab sounds great, full with depth. Classic rock tone!. Highly recommended..strange looking chinese power tnsfrmr, but Ot looks good. Voiced similiar to monoprice. 15 watt duel el84 model, but not as aggressive. Blows away the Bulgara V22.. Etc. Nice product monoprice!New User

Not only does this 5 watt lil' monster have enough power to rattle the windows, it also has class! At only 9 lbs. the Bugera T5 Infinium has enough "UMFF" to push your favorite 4X12" cabinet into the stratosphere! It's better having this reverb built into this lil' madman than not having any at all. Just like 9/10 of the other amp heads in its class. The 1 channel, "all tube" head has warm cleans. Push in the PHAT switch and crank the volume and gain and you get saturated distortion that will blow you away! All of that in a 9 lb metal cage like package for only $200! You won't find another 5 W head with all of that for this price. I love my T5 Infinium from Bugera!brmul-8207

What it's not: Not a $1k boutique tube amp. Not a mid-size club amp (unless you have great monitors and a good sound guy). What it is: A well designed, very affordable little monster that will give enough stage volume at 5W for rehearsals in a full rock band or small club, and will also allow you to drive the output stage at that 1W or 1/2W setting for recording at home. The amp sounds best at 5W and driven into either a 4ohm cabinet or two 8ohm cabs. If you use it to drive an 8ohm cab, you are getting only 70% of its potential. I only use el84 based amps. i love their dark, throaty sound, and while this amp doesn't have the punch or snap I get from my 15W custom built el 84 amps, it sounds great for rehearsal or recording. I am a little bit worried about long-term build quality. The input jack is plastic. I have a hard time seeing that surviving a year of rehearsals without breaking. This is a great supplemental amp for rehearsals and recording. Very smartly designed. Good feature set. And if you like the el84 style sound, it delivers it above expectations at this price range. I'm thinking of getting a second one.klktrk

In these days of small solid state, practice amps, this little amp gives you tube tone and more at a very affordable price. A 12ax7 preamp tube and an EL84 power tube provide the tone along with built in reverb, 2 band EQ, gain and a "phat" overdrive switch for added crunch. The three stage attenuator is a nice touch. The stock Bugera tubes are OK but I switched them out with Tung-Sols which provided a rich creamy overdrive more to my liking. Great sound when plugged into my Orange 8" or 12" cab plus headphone jack for late night playing. Great amp for the price!Isom

I had been looking at a new tube amp and had a couple different amps in mind. My local GC is rather small but on a recent trip to the Chicago area I stumbled across one of these in the wild. I played it for about 15 minutes and new I had to buy it. It sounds incredible. I really like how simple the clean channel is with just a volume control, but allows the true sound of the guitar to shine through. It loves single coils and has really nice breakup at higher volumes. The dirty channels exactly that but you can get everything from creamy overdrive to crunchy distortion. Even at the lower watt settings you have plenty of headroom. I'm a big fan of the twin 10in speakers and the tube buffered effects loop is a great addition. My only wish is that it would come with a foot pedal. Regardless, I could not be happier with this amp.Evan P

Using this amp primarily with a PRS McCarty 594 and it continues to amaze me more the longer I own with it… the natural channel is clear, bright and balanced. I can easily dial the overdrive to the distortion needed to cover Deep Purple, AC/DC stuff and dial it down for classic softer stuff like Allman Bros and. Fleetwood Mac. Haven't even begun to see everything that could be done with the effects loop… wah and delay pedals sound fantastic… very full with the double voice of the world stereo speakers. Both channels are plenty loud for gigging in smaller venues… even with drums. Effects loop in/out could be more accessible as they are tucked up inside the back… just a minor issue though. This amp is beefy, feels like it could take a beating . Weight is not bad considering it's a combo and I haven't had any trouble carrying it up and down stairs when I take it out. Very happy with this amp…. I feel like it's one of the best combos out there right now.John

Just picked this up new. I was swapping back an evh 5150 head and prs stealth 212 cab (god that thing was sweet), because it didn't take my helix line 6 very well in the 4 cable method. I was trying out a mesa solo rectifier 112 combo, a vox AC 30 and this amp. The cleans of an AC30 are my favorite of the three, and the mesa certainly had more chunk on the distortion channel than the other two (although that evh through the prs cab was simply another world better than any of these three amps). The rocker 32 however had a pretty nice clean sound, if inflexible (no tone control at all), and about as much drive as an or15(one of my favorite amps). You can get some serviceable metal tones, although I'm sure a speaker upgrade might do wonders for the tone of the amp. It's just extremely versatile and flexible, I prefer to get my gain from my amp, then maybe throw an 808 in front of the amp, I'm not a huge fan of distortion pedals. NOW onto why this amp was such a must have. This amp will make your effects sound studio quality. No more worrying about mixing in your effects loop or a dropoff in volume. Your delays will sound utterly pristine, without and kinda gunk added on in the fx loop. it will simply bring your effects to life, and the stereo effect really can add quite element to your live playing. The speakers need to be upgraded, but at a pricepoint of 1100, they had to cut corners somewhere on a 30 watt 2×10 amp. This might not be your go to amp for tone when recording, or an absolute thumper for live metal shows, but if you're an effect junkie, this is a loud enough, versatile enough amp that is a must have for you. Absolute perfect combo for my line 6 helixMatt

Nice little kit! Instructions are pretty clear and it's certainly not overly complicated to build. Having some amp repair/building experience helps, but I'd say even a beginner could buy this, build it, and be playing it within a day or so. Once built it sounded pretty good as well. Fun to swap tubes around, substituting the 12AX for a 12AT, AY, or others. The 'effect' changes on the pull switches are pretty subtle, so don't expect anything dramatic there. But, the amp makes a great platform for learning, and even 'expanding' from the original design. I've put an EIA connector in the back of mine so I don't have a cord sticking out. I put some tall 'feet' on it so it would clear a speaker box handle. And, the power transformer is suitable for adding a 6CA4 rectifier, which I plan to do in the future. I'll have to move the filter capacitor section around some to make clearance for the socket, but it's a 6 volt 9-pin rectifier, so will work perfectly in this amp. I might even 'upgrade' the output transformer….or play with some yellow jacket type adapters to try a different output tube. In all, a lot of fun to build, sounds great for what it is, and I'm very glad I made the purchase!! A 'GREAT' value!!!Tom

This is a great kit. I wanted to build a small amp so i started researching schematics online. Then i found this kit. All the leg work has been done as well as step by step instructions. I just started it so i can’t comment on tone, but the ease and design of the kit is excellent. Full parts list, schematic and instructions include. It gives you a proven simple platform to start with and you can add your own modifications if you wish. Thanks MODRonnie

I'm an amplifier technician and have seen a good spread of guitar amplifiers. The Vox guitar amps that I've played have been consistently of good quality and the AC4TV is no exception. There is a lot to like about this amplifier. The controls are simple and self explanatory. The aesthetic look is fitting of a vintage lunch box amp. Most importantly however, the tones you can achieve with this amplifier are excellent. The clean tones have a crisp chime and high gain tones offer a sizzling high end break-up. As an added bonus, I find that moving between these tones is easily done from adjusting your guitar controls and attack rather than having to adjust the amp settings. I believe this would merit the AC4 as a touch sensitive amp. And what about the cons of this amplifier? My main concern with the AC4 is how hard the amplifier pushes the el84 power tube. Upon replacing the original failed el84, I found that the amplifier would drive my replacement el84s into a red glow on the screens. I feel this is asking the power tube to work harder than it should. These amplifiers do not have screen resistors which are fairly common on most tube amplifiers. From my experience the addition of this resistor helped both in a more natural break-up and added relief on the el84. My other minor complaint with this amplifier would probably be the speaker. The stock speaker is good, but there is room for improvement that most alnico speakers will likely be able to demonstrate. These amplifiers do conveniently offer and extension speaker out so you will be able to play this amp through other cabinets. To sum things up, I feel this amplifier competes well with its low wattage counterparts. The Vox has a good price and excellent tone. In my opinion the tone and control are a great deal better than the current low wattage Fender and Marshall amplifiers.nbrothergtr

For me personally this is a great size amp, easy to carry, load, etc. to gigs and has almost enough power behind it to work for any gig….unless I am playing at a big outdoor festival this amp works well for most of my gigs. I just played an outdoor event here in Vegas, 3 bands, and a large stage with 6 of us on it, and I had it up to about 8 on the level and with a little being added in my monitor up front I was good to go. Not a lot of options or features, such as reverb, but for me it works perfectly for what I expect out of such a small amp! Hope that helps!thomaskrojas

Great product works excellent some tricky soldering though. You will be soldering to back side of board which can be tough for a novice. Three settings you end up is position one is glassy clean, middle setting is original tone, and third setting a little more grit to the signal.tonymadden748

Overall: I purchased the Greenback version in order to save a little money about 6 years ago from zZounds. This was my first tube amp, so the difference in my tone to me was so stark that I would have immediately rated it 5 stars across. Now that I’m a little older, a little wiser, I’m still giving it 5 stars across. I did, however, replace the greenbacks with Alnico Blues, and it made a world of difference, pushing this from a good amp into great amp territory. One word of warning: this is a bright amp, even into the normal channel. It is very finicky with drive pedals. The Fulltone OCD, Crowther Hotcake, Boss MD-2, and Boss Metal Zone are the one I ended up having luck with. You can also crank it for “that” sound. Everything else sounds absolutely fantastic. It’s a famed amp for a reason.Preston

AC30 is a classic high-headroom pedal platform, and it is well known in certain genres. As a Hard Rock / Heavy Metal player they wouldn't be my first choice, until I made the decision to try for a project. I was quite surprised by the results. You can get quite a punchy and tight sound with an overdrive/distortion pedal or preamp as well as a gentle sound when needed. With those 2×12 G12Ms you have a quite a range of genre's you can cover. No regrets.Murat Y.

Finally I can make the sounds I have been hearing in my head (minus the voices) and trying to achieve all these years!!! Not sure why I waited so long and tried so many other amps!…..dont get me wrong I have a Hate/Love relationship with my Fender HRDX and my Vox AC30 VR, but this blows them away!! I can use Top Boost or Normal or jump the channels with a full pedal board. Takes pedals exceptionally well and the sound it makes with a Tube Screamer are second to none!!l…..USE THE EFFECTS LOOP!!!! In mine I use in this order, EQ, Flanger, Chorus, and Delay and it just sounds wonderfull……….watch as many videos as you can to make your decision………the Vox AC30C2 with Greenbacks is amazing! I did try to use A/B/Y to use one channel for clean and one for distorted…….but settled on just putting pedalboard into Top Boost and jumping the Normal channel. Sweet sounds!! Hope this helps!!!!ikeman2009

Great kit. Excellent components and very clear instructions. Took about 9 hours to complete and worked on "first fire." Great single-ended sound quality. Wonderful headphone amp and with the auto-biasing, many different power tubes can be used. I am using reissue Gold Lion KT88 power tubes and RCA clear-top 12AU7A drivers. I recommend highly this fun-to-build and great sounding amp.eickmewg

Wonderful amplifier and plenty of volume thru 92db speakers. I enjoy not having to fiddle with bias as well as only needing 2 tubes for output and input..easier to get a full compliment of tubes. I wired a toggle switch to move between triode and ultra linear, a nice addition.arnran

I was interested in tube amps for last few years, since I heard dynamics and sound quality of Audio Note. It was too expensive for me, but I thought- one day… But then I found reviews of Elekit preamp and amp kits. Read a lot of info. Learned, how to solder. Bought everything, whats necessary for building this kit, and I bought the kit. I made it without any troubles. And I am no longer interested in Audio Note "lowest price range" amps, because Elekit 8200 sounds as good or even better for me, and there are very big room to modify it with capacitors, resistors, tube selection.unosworkshop

I recently completed the British 18W head kit from Tube Depot, and can't say enough good things about it! From start to finish, the kit exceeded my expectations. Ordering, shipping, and customer service were top-notch. No issues with components. The instructions and documentation were amazing, worth their weight in gold. The end result was an amplifier that sounds incredible! I incorporated a few of the suggested options- PPIMV, Tremolo HI/LO sw., Tube/SS Rectifier sw., and choke. The sound is amazing, I'm finding it very difficult turning the amp off- once I start playing through the amp I don't want to stop. I would absolutely recommend Tube Depot for anyone interested in building a guitar amplifier. The clear, well-written instructions really made this an enjoyable project. This was my first amplifier build, and I had no issues thanks to the great documentation.Dave R

I ordered this kit with a mod to use KT 66 power tubes. The changes were easy to make and it sounds fantastic. The classic JTM 45 tone at a manageable volume level with the master volume control. Just to test it out I've used a power soak and the tone is exactly the same using the master volume. A couple of real nice features of the design are the negative feedback switch and the ability to switch between solid state and tube ratification (the tube sounds better to my ears). Great product!Clint