Help chasing that "clean" amp!

[Nico]

Ok, so my favorite amp just blew... a Vox MV50 Clean. I know that it's a cheap nutube gimmick but man, do I love this amp. It's clean, with just the right tone stack; EQ wise it's just about perfect with the right bass and treble controls. Ate my pedals up like a champ.

Since they're a bitch to repair, i'm a bit affraid to get another one, so i'm looking to upgrade.
The MV50 is supposed to have that "blackface" profile and I believe it does since I remember my old Princeton sounding similar.

Now, I know that I should just go for a Princeton but also found that Supro Keeley 10 locally but have no idea how it sounds. Also have my eyes on a Traynor Darkhorse15.

Any experience with those? Any suggestion for a clean combo? A head would be even better as I have a 60's Jensen 12 cab that I love. 25 watts is also my limit. Thanks

[Sauerkraut]

What’s your budget?

[Nico]

i'd say sub 1k

[davidpggarrett]

$1k new or would you consider used too?

If you're in the USA, you can probably get some great deals on second hand gear.

My Friedman JJ JR clean channel may be the closest to the Vox AC sound but maybe lacking the flexibility you may want (no tone control, just has a three-position switch).

Clean channel on my Mesa Rectoverb 25 has some really nice cleans.

In both instances, you have the benefit of excellent gain channels too!

Good hunting!

[Nevets]

Sorry to hear about your MV50. I love that little amp! I'd take a look at Traynor for sub-1000 fender style amps.

[horseblanket]

Traynor YRM-1 could do the trick and it's 50 watts of LOUD.
On the lower wattage (22 watts) combo side, a used BadCat Classic Pro does a really nice blackface sound.
It's one of their lower cost USA player amps. Apparently you can put 6L6s in them to push it to 40 watts, but I have never done that.
I see them for sub1k from time to time.

[Nico]

Alright, thx people!
I'm checking out a Supro Keeley custom 10 today.... i'll see where that takes me
I'm just a bit concerned about that "mid girth" as I usually perceive Fenders to be a "transparent" to "mid scooped".

[Embenny]

I owned a Traynor Dark Horse for a while. Nice amp but super mid scooped in that 60's Fender kind of way.

If you're looking for nice cleans with more mids and a nice price, check out any of the Peavey Classic line. There are a bunch of different models with their own sound but they're real workhorses and are plentiful on the used market. They're available in pretty much every wattage and speaker configuration you could ask for.

They have a newish 20-watt head with built in attenuator, line out and USB out that seems like a perfect pedal platform/home/recording amp and falls well within your budget.

[sal paradise]

They have a newish 20-watt head with built in attenuator, line out and USB out that seems like a perfect pedal platform/home/recording amp and falls well within your budget.

Wow, that’s got it all: headphone out, XLR cab sim & mic sim usb out. Crazy flexible. Might have to keep an eye out for one of those 2nd hand. Looks useful.

[Nico]

Alright, so I bought the Supro Keeley Custom 10 without trying it.

It's REALLY good looking, heavy but compact with a hard and really well made enclosure.
I LOVE the loop/pedal insert, reverb sounds so much better after the preamp.

As for the overall tone, I really don't know. I thought it could only be the speaker but I tried it in my glorious 60's Jensen 12 cab... not sure it's going to cut it.

It either too muffled or too brittle; the B string jumps at you whatever eq you dial.

I'll give it a good run tomorrow, see if I change my mind

[doctor_capleson]

In your budget you could also look at Quilter amps. the heads are super high power, but can be scaled down to what you need. I play mine live at 10 watts.

The eq can be "blackface," "British," or anything really. Pair it with your favorite speaker and pedals, and you're good to go!

It's a small form factor, though bigger than your MV50. Reliability and build quality are outstanding, they have excellent customer service, and you get maintenance free solid state head that excels at exactly what you liled about your Vox!

I've used Marshall, Fender, Orange, Vox, and Mesa tube amps. I gig with a Quilter Tone Block now, and while I don't feel as cool without a Mesa head behind me onstage, I can't beat the ease of transportation and the high headroom that takes all my pedals right into the front like a champ.

[andy_tchp]

Your current amp isn’t repairable? At all?

[jvin248]

.

Some alternatives for consideration:

Use your pedals to get your tone and plug into a clean solid-state PA system or use something like a Joyo American Sound or AC Sound pedal when gigging into a PA or get a Peavey Bandit that takes pedals well and plays clean just like a solid state PA system. Even a Fuzz pedal used like Hendrix for clean tones. The amp is just a loudness device, guitar and pedals can be your tone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwoTIRPkfhE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i--1nbG9C-I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndeeupgQJJ8


"The most Legendary Budget Guitar Amp of all time! PEAVEY BANDIT"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NNZGjgJL2Q



.

[Nico]

So, I gave the Supro a fighting chance and it's actually really nice.

The original speaker (supro cr10) is total crap, in my opinion. It's muddy and lifeless, no sparkle, no definition. Horrible.

On the other hand, going thru the Jensen is a real treat. What I didn't understand at first is that the EQ and gain are really interactive and that the EQ react differently than what i'm used to. It took me a while to find it's sweet spots but it's a rewarding tone.

It's got the feel of a ballsy solid state amp with full tube "chewiness". "Chewy Americana" is how I'd define the sound. It wasn't the "clean" I had in mind but i'll give it a serious chance as the sound is growing on me.

I would imagine someone hating the thing if tried with the OG speaker though, so I ordered a Celestion Ten 30 to try fixing that. If it's good enough for a 68 Princeton, it should also compliment the Supro.... we'll see

[hulakatt]

I haven't yet tried any of the new Supro amps but I've owned a handful of the 60's ones and they are their own thing. I've had a couple that were really "meh" clean but ungodly good when cranked. I have one now that balances that dichotomy a bit better and actually sounds good clean.

Supro's can be mistaken for mini Marshalls, esp when recording so a Celestion should do you well in there.