Are you looking for the Building Tube Guitar Amp? If so, you’ve come to the right place.
Choosing the Building Tube Guitar Amp can be difficult as there are so many considerations, such as Revv Amplification, Marshall, Fender, Peavey, VOX, Blackstar, Laney. We have done a lot of research to find the top 20 Building Tube Guitar Amp available.
The average cost is $485.94. Sold comparable range in price from a low of $8.85 to a high of $1999.00.
Based on the research we did, we think Monoprice 611705 5-Watt, 1×8 Guitar Combo Tube Amplifier with Celestion Speaker is the best overall. Read on for the rest of the great options and our buying guide, where you can find all the information you need to know before making an informed purchase.
20 Best Selling Building Tube Guitar Amp (20 Sellers)
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$159.99$111.99
4.8
Reviewers Noted:
Good sound quality . Quality build . Attractive . Portable . Lightweight
Features:
- As the title indicates, this guitar amplifier features a 5-watt tube power amplifier and a celestion brand speaker.
- It uses a ecc83/12ax7 preamplification tube and a 6v6gt power tube for the amplifier section, plus a celestion super 8 gba-15 speaker.
- The amplifier handles frequencies between 80hz and 10khz, with hum and noise -75db below the rated power and 0.5% total harmonic distortion.
Reviewers Noted:
Good sound quality . Attractive . Quality build . Heavy . Portability
Features:
- Fully tested
- 100% functional
- Very good condition
$726.18
5.0
Reviewers Noted:
Ease of use
Features:
- This is the perfect kit for both a first project as well as for the seasoned builder. this kit, which includes everything you'll need to complete the amp, can be…
Reviewers Noted:
Quality build . Ease of use . Sound quality . Visual appeal
Features:
- All tube design (solid-state diodes used only for full-wave rectification)
- 5w output power into 8 ohm
- Vintage channel controls: bass, treble and volume
$1999.00
5.0
Reviewers Noted:
Sound quality . Ease of use
Features:
- Six gain and volume controls with 3 way bright switch for each.
- Each bank of 3 eq sections contain 3 way tone stack shift and separate presence and depth controls.
- Dual midi switchable master volumes.
$479.99
4.5
Reviewers Noted:
Good sound quality . Easy to use . Quality build . Weight . Visual appeal
Features:
- For electric guitar
- 2 x 12ax7 preamp tube
- 1 x 12au7 power amp tube
$275.00
4.8
Reviewers Noted:
Build quality . Ease of use
Features:
- All-tube design (solid-state diodes used only for full-wave rectification)
- 8w output power into 8 &ohm.
- Vintage channel controls with push-pull functionality: bass (+mid-boost), treble (+bright) and volume (+turbo)
$472.49
4.6
Reviewers Noted:
Good sound quality . Quality build . Easy to use . Portable . Power
Features:
- Overdrive and normal gain inputs
- Overdrive gain control
- Variable watts control
Features:
- A complete yet easy-to-understand technical description of tube guitar amplifiers, intended for musicians and amplifier designers and builders….
Reviewers Noted:
Good sound quality . Easy to use . Quality build . Portability . Visual appeal
Features:
- Footswitchable voices for clean and overdrive
- Usb audio out
- Newly-voiced studio quality reverb
$399.99
4.7
Reviewers Noted:
Good sound quality . Ease of use . Visual appeal . Build quality
Features:
- Full tube amplifier
- 2x 12 ax7 preamp tubes
- 2x el84 power amp tubes
$955.02
5.0
Reviewers Noted:
Ease of use
Features:
- Please note: due to covid-19 related supply chain issues, this kit is back-ordered. this kit is perfect for the amp builder looking for more output wattage and a more challenging…
$599.99
Features:
- No brand (brandless product) tube guitar amps combos…
$8.85
5.0
Features:
- Easy book on how to build a tube amp 1 watt to 75 watt comes with easy to read schematics and parts list for all amps listed in this book
- Product details
- Publication date: 06-02-2015
$395.00
Features:
- Combo mini tube preamplifier + digital amplifier 50 watt two double ex-ussr tube lamps 6n15p (6j6, ecc91) digital amplifier 50 watt gain, tone, volume and master controls send-return loop full…
$358.80
5.0
Features:
- Classic 1950's
- Power: 12 w
- 2 channels: normal and bright
$914.71
5.0
Features:
- This is the perfect kit for both a first project as well as for the seasoned builder. this kit, which includes everything you'll need to complete the amp, can be…
$28.75
5.0
Features:
- Building your own vacuum tube guitar or bass amplifier from scratch is truly an exciting experience. this book describes the detailed construction of five vacuum tube amplifiers. the construction of…
$1134.22
Features:
- Please note: due to covid-19 related supply chain issues, this kit is back-ordered until late summer 2020. this kit is perfect for the amp builder looking for more output wattage…
Features:
- Buyers and sellers of tube guitar amps who need a better understanding of tube technology.
- Electronic technicians and engineers familiar with solid state devices and amps, who want to expand their knowledge of tubes and their circuits.
- Anyone who wants to learn how to design, build, test, fix, or upgrade tube guitar amps.
1. Monoprice 611705 5-Watt, 1×8 Guitar Combo Tube Amplifier With Celestion Speaker
Product Details:
As the title indicates, this guitar amplifier features a 5-watt tube power amplifier and a celestion brand speaker. it uses a ecc83/12ax7 preamplification tube and a 6v6gt power tube for the amplifier section, plus a celestion super 8 gba-15 speaker. the amplifier handles frequencies between 80hz and 10khz, with hum and noise -75db below the rated power and 0.5% total harmonic distortion. it includes a low input and a high input, with the former attenuating the signal by approximately 50% and the latter being easier to overdrive. while tone is always debatable, the increased dynamic range and even-order harmonicdistortion of tubes produces the better sound. get superior guitar tone in a small package using this 5-watt 1×8 guitar combo tube amplifier with celestion speaker from monoprice! as the title indicates, this guitar amplifier features a 5-watt tube power amplifier and a celestion brand speaker. it uses a ecc83/12ax7 preamplification tube and a 6v6gt power tube for the amplifier section, plus a celestion super 8 gba-15 speaker. the amplifier handles frequencies between 80hz and 10khz, with hum and noise -75db below the rated power and 0.5% total harmonic distortion. it includes a low input and a high input, with the former attenuating the signal by approximately 50% and the latter being easier to overdrive. the cabinet is ported in the rear and features a leather handle, cloth speaker grill, and a cream-colored, textured, synthetic leather exterior with chrome corner guards.
Reviews:
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
2. Bugera T5 Infinium 5 Watt Cage Style Tube Amplifier Head
Product Details:
Get some huge tube tone from the tiny bugera t5 infinium guitar amplifier head. with this head weighing in at under 10 pounds, you can take it from silent headphone practicing in your apartment to the recording studio, or to your next club gig and plug it into a (separately available) cabinet. the simple single-channel design allows you to dial in your tone quickly, while the phat switch adds a gain boost and bypasses the eq section for a more raw sound. onboard reverb completes the package, adding subtle ambience or washy overtones to your sound. aesthetically, the t5 features a vented metal top which shows off the 12ax7 preamp and el84 power amp tubes' glow, along with the other amp components. an orange classic jewel status light shines when the power is on.
Specifications:
| Product Type | Amplifier |
| Designed For | Guitar |
| Amplifier Type | Tube |
| Total Output Power | 5 Watt |
| Controls | Volume, bass, treble, reverb, gain, phat switch |
| Features | LED indicator lights, carrying handle, 2-way power attenuator, Class A power amplifier, Infinium Tube Life Multiplier technology, cage style |
| Connections | Audio input – phone 6.35 mm Headphones – phone 6.35 mm Amplifier output |
| Color | Metallic mirror |
| Warranty | 3 years |
| Width | 8.8 in |
| Depth | 6.5 in |
| Height | 6.1 in |
| Weight | 9.04 lbs |
Reviews:
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
3. Classic British 18w Tube Guitar Amp Kit – Head Type: Assembled
Product Details:
This is the perfect kit for both a first project as well as for the seasoned builder. this kit, which includes everything you'll need to complete the amp, can be constructed in three to four evenings with astounding results. with turret board, point-to-point construction, quality components, and just a touch of american upgrading, this kit is ready to become your sound. for a detailed list of what is included, download the manual below. this great kit can be customized by you with upgraded parts. or it can be ordered without the cabinet and / or speaker. let us give you a quote.
Reviews:
I got this as a Christmas gift. I never built an amp before but I do have good solder experience and general electrical knowledge. The amp worked perfectly on the first build. After following all the testing procedures I plugged in and it worked perfectly. I am extremely pleased with the sound quality. I have owned 2 other tube amps and neither sounded this good. It is surprising how low the noise is and how great it sounds. The other interesting thing is the pedals I have sound better in front of this amp versus any amp I have ever used them on. My tube screamer pedal sounds amazing in front of this amp. The gain is all there with less noise and better voicing. I have no idea why that is but I could not be happier.
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
4. Kit-Mod 102 Diy Guitar Amplifier
Product Details:
Mod 102 guitar amp kit features: all tube design (solid-state diodes used only for full-wave rectification). 5w output power into 8 ohm. 1 channel vintage channel. controls: bass, treble and volume. vintage pilot lamp and screw-on jewel cover for power-on indication output impedance: 8 ohm tubes included: one 12ax7 (preamp), one el84 (jj electronic brand) hammond mfg 269ex power transformer and p-t31 single ended output transformer cathode biased class a power tube operation (no bias adjustment needed). point to point hand wiring using terminal strips. carbon film resistors metalized polyester coupling caps pre-punched steel chassis. assembled kit weight: 4.25 lbs. assembled kit dimensions: 10" width x 6" depth x 5-&frac 18;" height mod 102 instructional features: detailed, easy to follow instructions include high resolution computer drawings for parts list and every step of assembly.
Specifications:
| Vintage channel controls | bass, treble and volume |
| Output Impedance | 8 Ohm |
| Tubes included | one 12AX7 (preamp), one EL84 (JJ Electronic brand) |
| Assembled Kit Weight | 4.25 lbs. |
| Assembled Kit Dimensions | 10" Width x 6" Depth x 5-⅛" Height |
Reviews:
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
5. Randall 667 120w Guitar Tube Amp Head Black
Product Details:
This 120-watt, 6-channel all-tube mega amplifier has six modes per channel, seven midi programmable functions per channel, and six gain and volume controls with three-way bright switch for each. each bank of three eq sections contain three-way tone stack – power: 120w (tube)tubes: nine 12ax7; four 6l6six channels – six modes – seven midi-assignable channel functions – controls: each bank of controls features a 3-way eq, tone stack shift, presence, depth, dual gain; master volume – impedance: 4, 8, 16 ohms – midi-switchable series and parallel fx loops – footswitch sold separately
Specifications:
| Wattage / Power | 120 watts |
| Tubes | (9) 12AX7 (4) 6L6 |
| Impedance | 16, 8, 4 |
Reviews:
This head definitely delivers on the promise of high gain and high volume. Channels 5 and 6 will compete with, really, any head out there in the high-gain world. Channels 3 and 4 will do 80s metal/hard rock very well. Channels 1 and 2 are more fuzzy… classic rock-ish tones. The clean channel is not the greatest I have ever heard, but, to be fair, you aren't buying this to be a clean head. You can really look at this head like a three-channel head with adjustable lead channels for each of the three channels. The channels are in pairs, sharing EQ… the difference between each is really gain and volume. Channels are switchable by a foot switch (not included) that you can use to store basic settings.TheTerrorBeyond
You will find the most versatility from the 667. The Kirk Hammett (Metallica) Signature Series 3 channel amp was modeled after the 667 which has 6 channels. If you really want to hear how versatile this amp is, go to Randall's site here and listen to just that. This is the deciding reason why I chose the 667 over the Ultimate Nullifier which while sounding awesome for a metal guitar amp, it's got a clean and dirty and that's it. The 667 has six channels and really has a great spectrum of tones. There is also a BIAS adjust on the back if you have a simple voltage meter so that you can put in just about any Tube and set the bias so it's at it's perfect level output. The amp also has a midi in and out for those who want midi controlability, two master channel volumes along with boost, FX loops (2) and other functions you can read about on Randall's website. I bought mine from Bulter Music on Ebay and received a great deal. Here is the link to the demo of this amp. You can also find it on Randall's website. However, the 6 channel 667 is pretty much the flagship amp they make. There are others that are fine tuned to a particular musician's idea of what they want in tone but my suggestion is this amp as it let's you sound like multiple artists instead of just one. Amp looks nice, lot's of ventilation, easy handles to lift it on top, about the same size as a Marshal or Mesaboogie full size head and cabinet but not as thick as a marshall cabinet. See vid here. Type in youtube's address then add this link after the .com /watch?v=6JLe3MnPiSQimagineadvertising
Hands down the best amp I have ever owned. Every demo of this head I watched was on channel 6. Channels 3 and 4 just floored me. I play a lot of classic rock and hard rock and it can do them both. I have owned several high end amp heads that really did one type of music really well. This one does them all. I Am also a tinker so being able to use any tube is just a dream. I have owned this head for over 6 months and I haven't even explored all of its tones. It sounds great with both of my Marshall cabs but I perfer my cab with the T75 and V30 mix. I great tone at bed room volume and if I crank it up it will rattle the windows. I'm not sure why this head does not get more press but I'm happy I took a chance on Randall.Troy
6. Randall Rd1h Diavlo 1-Watt Tube Guitar Amp Head
Product Details:
Pristine, barely used. still have the box the book everything it came with down to the little silica bag. this is the perfect practice amp for metal. all tube-class-a you wont believe what a full sound you get at low volume. its a thick saturated sound with tone cap toggle switch along with tone knob. this is just a 1 channel amp and not really built for clean tones although you can, you wont want to. i played this through 2 8 inch crate speakers and it sounded awesome- i a/b'd it with my bugera all tube and no comparison if u want chug. im selling it cuz i play more blues. btw the color of the amp is gray- its not dusty. just lowered the price to as low is its gonna go just to cut all the bs.
Specifications:
| Amplifier Type | Tube Guitar Amplifier |
| Tubes | 1 x 12AU7 power tube |
| Power | 1 Watt |
| Impedance | 8 ohms |
| Stereo | No |
| HF Driver | No |
| Channels | 1 |
| Compressor | No |
| Effects | No |
| Effects Loop | Yes |
| Direct Output | Yes |
| USB | No |
| Bluetooth | No |
| Aux Input | No |
| Headphone Output | No |
| Footswitch Input | No |
| Footswitch Included | No |
| Cover Included | No |
| Display | No |
| Power Supply | Internal |
| Length | 12.20" |
Reviews:
Overall: I run this into a Bugera ts1x12 with a WGS veteran 30 @16ohm and a Joyo vintage overdive in front. Very surprising how versatile the tone knob is with the different tone stack switches. Despite what people say this amp can do clean. You have to turn the volume up high and use the gain as a volume. It even says this in the manual. I have a Bugera G5 that does cleans very well so I don't worry about that. Before I even turned it on I swapped out the 2 12ax7 preamp tubes for a pair of matching Tung-sol 12ax7s so I can't speak to the sound of the stock ruby tubes. I am using a dean VX with guitarheads hexbuckers and a ephiphone strat with hsh pickups (guitarheads z-buckers and a no name dual rail single coil in the middle). It is a 1w amp so don't expect it to sound as loud as a bigger amp. I play about half way on the volume knob and that is plenty loud for my apartment and it has plenty of low end chunk at that volume. The overdrive just gives it a little sizzle but you don't really need it. For the money there is no better small tube head for metal or rock. The Bugera G5 retubed with Tung-sol pre and JJ power tube comes close but this is just thicker sounding distortion. I will never sell it.David
I bought it on impulse during Black Friday and I'm so glad I did. I had been looking to get a tube amp and at the price this thing went for it was a no brainer. But price aside this amp sounds great. I was looking for a high gain metal amp and this fit the bill. I only have combo amps which means I do not have a speaker cab to hook this too but I used the midi out and hooked it to my PC using an audio interface. The high gain sounds are tight, clear and perfect for modern heavy rock/metal. I do plan to get a speaker cab for it, however for recording rock/metal it is so easy to use and I personally love using a real amp to record with instead of a software plug in to emulate the high gain sound. It's also small enough to sit on my PC desk.Supergoat94
I picked this amp up hoping it would be a nice quieter tube-amp option. Randall is known for high-gain, and even at just 1 watt, this amp has gain for days. In fact, that was one of my knocks against it, i had a hard time dialing in a nice clean sound. The breakup happens very early in the pre-amp stage, so if you're looking for anything resembling a clean tone, this amp doesn't excel there. It would be great for the metal player that can't crank up a 30, 50, or 100 watt tube amp in their apartment, but you need high-gain tones. Overall, i wasn't as impressed with this amp as i am with the Positive Grid Spark 40. Two different beasts, but the Spark 40 has way more value to me in this product range.Tanner's Favorite Things
7. Amp Kit – Mod Kits, Mod102+ Guitar Amp
Product Details:
The mod electronics mod102+ expands on the same all analog vacuum tube classic american circuit design combined with a british style class a output section as the original mod102 with additional “+” features. these special features include a three position progressive toggle switch for off-standby-power and additional push-pull functionality for each control – pull out the bass control knob for “mid boost”, pull out the treble control knob for “bright”, pull out the volume control knob for “turbo”. these new features and a jj ecc803-s (a long plate 12ax7 known for its complex mid range tones) allow for a wider variety of tones and extra control for the user. mod 102+ guitar amp kit features: all-tube design (solid-state diodes used only for full-wave rectification) 8w output power into 8 ω 1 channel vintage channel controls with push-pull functionality: bass (+mid-boost), treble (+bright) and volu
Specifications:
| Product Dimensions | 13 x 9 x 11 inches |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Compatible Devices | Guitar |
| Output Wattage | 8 Watts |
Reviews:
Fun build, great instructions included. Get the instructions online for color photos.maxwellh
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
8. Vht Special 6 Ultra Combo 1×12 Tube Amp
Product Details:
Here for you to consider for purchase is a vht special ultra 6 amplifier. this amp is in great condition. with only a couple scratches and imperfections, one longer scratch on the right side of the amp and one little nick on the bottom left side. all cosmetic blemishes are pictured. this thing is handwired and sounds great. it's a really nice little tube amp. it features a high and low power switch, clean and "ultra" inputs and a variable wattage control switch, along with 6 watts of all tube power and a single 12" speaker. lots of flexibility and surprising power in a small package.
Specifications:
| Max Output | 6 Watts |
| Pre Amp Tubes | 12AX7 |
| Power Amp Tube | 6V6 |
| Effects | Tube Driven Effects Loop |
| Speaker | 12" VHT ChromeBack |
Reviews:
I needed a portable amp and had looked at a few others in the low-watt combo game. Since I only ever have to hear myself over a self-controlled drummer (an important thing kids) I didn't need anything over about 12 watts. After trying a few decent choices in store and at various live situations I stumbled on this by accident. The guy trying it in the store before me opted for something else and I am so glad he did. This has the perfect mix of smooth clean tone and pleasant tube saturation. Add to it remarkable portability, solid reliability and straight-forward controls and you have my vote. In fact I opt for this over my other amps on hand every time. Would I change anything? Maybe an effects loop to add some reverb but that's it. Affordable. Portable. Reliable. Fantastic tone. What's not to like?Greensound
I wanted the purest, truest, simplest yet full-fledged tube tone I could find for recording, guitar evaluation, and playing in general – without breaking the bank. This li'l guy, IMHO, delivers on all counts. You can do just about anything with it. High/Low power, boost On/Off, and HI/LOW inputs give you 8 combinations over which to vary the Volume and Tone controls. Speaker outs let you make it sound big. Mic-ing to a PA even bigger. Takes pedals well for pretty much any style of music. So far, so good, and I wanted 'hand-wired' not so much for mods, but for easy repair if ever needed. The easiest 'mod', of course, would be to change out the 6V6 tube with an EL84 using the available adapter for a variation in the amp's character. The 10" speaker gives it a solid, focused sound that I would be hard-pressed to improve upon. The movement of air I think is important, as direct-in and modeling just don't cut it for me. And you'd be surprised the tonal variations that mic placement can make. This li'l guy is a winner. And a steal. And probably offered as such by the company as an introduction to its products, which I would give serious consideration to if I ever needed to look at something bigger.MattPK
9. Design And Construction Of Tube Guitar Amplifiers [Book]
Product Details:
Specifications:
| Language | English |
| Release Date | September 2009 |
| Length | 149 Pages |
| Dimensions | 0.5" x 7.0" x 10.0" |
Reviews:
I have some more complex amp texts and this one really filled in some holes for me.samowens1911
10. Blackstar Ht-1r Mkii 1w Tube Amplifier Combo
Product Details:
Designed for electric guitar players, the blackstar ht1rh is a combo amplifier capable of driving 1w through its 8" speaker. it's suitable for home practice and small venues. this is a tube amplifier with an ecc83 in the preamp stage and an ecc82 in the power amp stage. the amplifier provides a two-channel operation with switchable voicing. blackstar's isf eq and overdrive are on hand, as is reverb, which can give your sound a sense of space. a 3.5mm input lets you jam along with your media player, while the 3.5mm headphone jack offers opportunities for silent practice. on the rear of the amplifier, you'll find a 1/4" extension output and a 1/4" footswitch input for switching between voices with the tap of your toe. with the amplifier's usb port, you can record straight from the amp to your computer.
Reviews:
Excellent build quality, brilliant sound. Separate tone controls would be better but "ISF" works OK. Only niggle is the OD and Voice buttons are too close to the rotary controls which makes it easy to nudge them accidentally. Encouragement to buy a footswitch I guess! Overall it does the job it was bought for – producing a range of big sounds quietly enough to keep the rest of the house and neighbours happy – very well.thegreens3
What a cracking little amp! Great clean channel, takes pedals well and the overdrive channel with voicings is superb. I’m glad I went for the combo and not the head. I now have a portable amp that I can take around with me or plug in to a 1×12 cab when I want to crank it. Put an Xotic preamp in front and enjoy some amazing tones!!Glen H.
11. Hughes & Kettner Tubemeister 18 Tm18 Tube Amplifier Head
Product Details:
Winner of the soundcheck " guitar amp of the year" and mipa award 2012 "best guitar amp head", the tubemeister 18 is known as the next big hughes & kettner. thanks to german engineering, this amp head can go from a roar to a whisper, shaking the stage, tingling spines in the studio and turning head in the night with its silent recording.
Reviews:
I bought this amp on a wim and I'm glad I did. I wanted a light weight little tube amp to lug around to play small gigs with. I'm old and I don't like to bring out amps that are just too loud and bulky. After swapping out the tubes a couple of times to find what my ears liked, it just perfect. I'm not going to tell anything about how it sounds because that would not mean anything. We all search for a individual sound that is on YOUR head. I will day this. The amp is a great platform to mold into that sound we all are looking. I purchased 2 of the single 12" cabs. O opted to do this instead of the 2 x 12" because I wanted to keep the weight down for moving it around. The 18 watts is plenty loud enough to cut through and be heard. I like the amp so much that I use it for every show. I can play small to large gigs with no worries. When we play bigger events I just run into the board but still use the cabs for monitors. So I can hear my rig. The days of having to lug a full 100 watt stack are not needed anymore. So all in all this a great little amp and it will satisfy most everyone with a little adjusting. I also love that tube replacement is just plug and play. It will tell you if your tubes need replacing and it's self biasing.worldtrdex
Classic Hughes and Kettner tones in a little monster of an amp! Plugged it into a 12 x 2 cabinet and DAMN! this thing is beautiful to listen to. Clean or over driven, this amp is a pleasure to play guitar on. However when overdriven the nuanced variances between different guitars are not well appreciated. The overdrive is more muddy and less nuanced in my opinion. Comparing different strat styles here with different pick-up combinations. Tele sounds different. Chambered SG style sounded the same as other strat style guitars with humbuckers. Parker and Ibanez S series with infiniti 2 pickups sounded distinctly different. Have not played neodymium pickups on it yet but I'm hoping that will clear up some of the mud.arcticwynd
12. Classic British Jtm45+ Tube Guitar Amp Kit – Head
Product Details:
Please note: due to covid-19 related supply chain issues, this kit is back-ordered. this kit is perfect for the amp builder looking for more output wattage and a more challenging build. this kit includes everything you'll need to complete your own 45w or 50w amp in four or five evenings … and the results are amazing. with turret board, point-to-point construction, quality components, and just a touch of american upgrading, this kit is ready to become your sound. for a detailed list of what is included, download the manual below. this great kit can be customized by you with upgraded parts and can be ordered without the cabinet and / or speaker. give us a call and let us give you a quote on the kit just how you want it.
Reviews:
I got this as a Christmas gift. I never built an amp before but I do have good solder experience and general electrical knowledge. The amp worked perfectly on the first build. After following all the testing procedures I plugged in and it worked perfectly. I am extremely pleased with the sound quality. I have owned 2 other tube amps and neither sounded this good. It is surprising how low the noise is and how great it sounds. The other interesting thing is the pedals I have sound better in front of this amp versus any amp I have ever used them on. My tube screamer pedal sounds amazing in front of this amp. The gain is all there with less noise and better voicing. I have no idea why that is but I could not be happier.
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
13. Used 5f1 Clone Tube Guitar Combo Amplifier
14. Easy Book On How To Build A Tube Amp 1 Watt To 75 Watt [Book]
Product Details:
Specifications:
| Language | English |
| Dimensions | 6.0 x 0.23 x 9.0 inches |
Reviews:
Great selection of amplifier schematicsalphahr
15. Guitar Tube Preamplifier + Amplifier 50 Watt Tubezoid-A
Product Details:
Combo mini tube preamplifier + digital amplifier 50 watt two double ex-ussr tube lamps 6n15p (6j6, ecc91) digital amplifier 50 watt gain, tone, volume and master controls send-return loop full metal design vu output power meter power from external 24v 4a dc supply 110x90x70 mm. 4.33×3.54×2.75 inch demo: https://youtu.be/0tsg8c6j3ly
16. Joyo Beale Street 1950's Vintage Inspired Guitar Tube Amplifier Combo
Product Details:
Reviews:
17. Classic British 18w Tube Guitar Amp Kit – 1×12 Combo Type: Unassembled
Product Details:
This is the perfect kit for both a first project as well as for the seasoned builder. this kit, which includes everything you'll need to complete the amp, can be constructed in three to four evenings with astounding results. with turret board, point-to-point construction, quality components, and just a touch of american upgrading, this kit is ready to become your sound. for a detailed list of what is included, download the manual below. this great kit can be customized by you with upgraded parts. or it can be ordered without the cabinet and / or speaker. let us give you a quote.
Reviews:
18. Building Vacuum Tube Guitar & Bass Amplifiers, Volume 1, White
Product Details:
Building your own vacuum tube guitar or bass amplifier from scratch is truly an exciting experience. this book describes the detailed construction of five vacuum tube amplifiers. the construction of these amplifiers is described in full detail with chassis drilling templates, component installation, wire-by-wire hook-ups and schematics. the amplifier projects included in this book are: sonic ma1 (two tube amp, late 1950s design with a solid state rectifier) all american 4 (four tube amp, early 1960s design using common radio tubes found in "all american 5" radios made between 1947 and 1971) champ amp (classic replica of a 1950s fender amp with a single ended 6v6 output tube) deluxe amp (classic replica of a 1940s fender amp with push pull 6v6 tubes) bassman (classic replica of a 1950s fender amp with push-pull 6l6 tubes) 120 pgs, spiral bound. 0.7 lbs 8.5" x 11".
Reviews:
Great book for beginning builders. Goes into detail for each step in the process. Touches on how amps work but doesn’t go into too much detail there. That’s not really the point of this book though. It’s more paint by numbers style instructions for each of the projects. If that’s what you want you won’t be disappointed.jrdworak
Very fast delivery, and an excellent book: good choice for your catalog!jjw
19. Classic British Jtm45+ Tube Guitar Amp Kit – Combo Type: Assembled
Product Details:
Please note: due to covid-19 related supply chain issues, this kit is back-ordered until late summer 2020. this kit is perfect for the amp builder looking for more output wattage and a more challenging build. this kit includes everything you'll need to complete your own 45w or 50w amp in four or five evenings … and the results are amazing. with turret board, point-to-point construction, quality components, and just a touch of american upgrading, this kit is ready to become your sound. for a detailed list of what is included, download the manual below. this great kit can be customized by you with upgraded parts and can be ordered without the cabinet and / or speaker. give us a call and let us give you a quote on the kit just how you want it.
20. Tube Guitar Amplifiers Volume 1: How Tubes & Amps Work [Book]
Product Details:
Volume 1 of the most complete and practical modern reference on tube guitar amplifiers – the first three chapters of this unique book cover introductory topics such as basic electronic circuits and passive components (resistors, capacitors, inductors), the building blocks of tube amplifiers. audio amplifiers are also investigated as "black boxes", from the outside perspective, and important concepts such as spectra, gain, bandwidth and distortion are introduced. – chapters four to six explain operational principles behind vacuum tubes (diodes, triodes, tetrodes and pentodes), and their use as rectifiers and active amplification components in guitar amps. – the rest of the book progresses through various stages of guitar amps, from input circuits and preamplifier stages, through tone control circuits and analog effects, to output or power stages. – after the in-depth coverage of tube power supplies, single-ended output stages (triode, pentode and "ultralinear") are covered first, followed by phase inverters and push-pull circuits. the associated controls such as "presence", "resonance" and "texture" are also discussed, using peavey valve – king 212 amp as a case study. – despite claims by their manufacturers, many modern guitar amps aren't "all tube" at all, but hybrid designs. most have a single tube in preamp stages to "color" the sound, and a cheap solid state output stage (usually using integrated circuits). others take the opposite approach, choosing semiconductor preamp stages and a tubed power stage. for that reason solid state (semiconductor) components and amplifiers are covered here briefly, together with two examples of hybrid amps. – this practical diy manual is richly and professionally illustrated with photographs of tubes, components and amplifiers, circuit diagrams, tube pinouts, curves and loadlines, graphs and charts. these valuable illustrations make it faster and easier to comprehend issues, a picture is truly worth a thousand words! all the information required to design and build tube guitar amplifiers is compiled in one place. – who is this book for? -guitar players wanting to learn how tubes and tube amplifiers work.- diy constructors who want to build, service or modify tube guitar amps.- buyers and sellers of tube guitar amps who need a better understanding of tube technology.- electronic technicians and engineers familiar with solid state devices and amps, who want to expand their knowledge of tubes and their circuits.- anyone who wants to learn how to design, build, test, fix, or upgrade tube guitar amps.
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