Sleeper Amps On The Cheap!

napalmdeath

napalmdeath

Well-known member
So, how many of you guys have a Sleeper amp you paid peanuts for?? What are your favorites?

Considering today's downright silly prices, many haven't been so cheap these days. But, aside from that...

#1 for me is kind of a tie. One kills at somewhat more modern tones, the other at more British tones, and both do it quite well.

The mighty Randall RD45H is such a KILLER amp after some upgraded tubes and proper bias. I recently bought another one like new for under $600. Ditch the stock Ruby 6L6's for JJ's, bias from the stock 28-32mA up to 36mA, a Tungsol in V1, JJ's in V2 & V3, and a Sovtek LPS in the PI, and look out! From crunch to crushing, this amp delivers. I love it, and the Friedman has been in the closet since its arrival. This amp forced the sale of an EVH 50 6L6 for me, TWICE. I'd still choose the Randall to this day.

My other #1 would be the Laney GH50L. Again, tubes and proper bias, and it sings. This is a loud beast of an amp, and can easily hang with other British voiced amps costing MUCH more. Getting harder to find, but for under $700, (used to find them for closer to $500), you'd be hard-pressed to find a better British flavored amp on the cheap. I'd take one over a DSL any day.

Honorable mentions, (for me, anyway:))

Peavey JSX
Peavey Triple XXX

Both can bring it, but damned if they haven't gone WAY up used. If you find one cheap, GRAB IT!

I think it goes without saying, grabbing these Sleepers and adding a little tube TLC, they punch way above their price points.
 
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All the old sleepers are now twice the price of the amps that were new and expensive 10-20 years ago. When I was in college people would buy a Mig100 for $350 because a DSL100 was $1000. Now a DSL is well under a grand a lot of the time and a Mig100 gets listed on Reverb for $2000.
 
BeZo said:
RedBear MK120. Russian made Marshall JCM800 clone. Now they're worth twice as much, and three times what I paid for it.
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I had a Red Bear that our own Nick(DawnofDream97x) modded for me; it was my sons grad present. Killer amp.

Randall RGs, Crate Stealths are the cheapest amps I’ve bought that have nice tone. When you could buy VHT D60/120s for 700, that was easily the best tone for the buck out there.
 
Paid 300 for a Marshall Origin 50C. With a pedal it’s fiery little bitch.

Traded for a Mesa Mini Rec. Hadn’t been able to bond with it so much, but with a TS in front my goodness it just SINGS!
 
MrDowntown said:
Paid 300 for a Marshall Origin 50C. With a pedal it’s fiery little bitch.

Traded for a Mesa Mini Rec. Hadn’t been able to bond with it so much, but with a TS in front my goodness it just SINGS!
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I love the Mini Rectifier. Yeah, it kills with a boost, but its so damn touchy on the volume. Needs some to sound good, but goes from zero to holy shit. No taper.
 
napalmdeath said:
I love the Mini Rectifier. Yeah, it kills with a boost, but its so damn touchy on the volume. Needs some to sound good, but goes from zero to holy shit. No taper.
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It def likes the heat. I keep it in 10w mode at about 33% vol and gain and it gives up the smoothest feedback on sustain…my goodness.
 
Fordman65 said:
The VHT D60/120 were the best deal for sure. I still kick myself for not grabbing one. I was into multi channel switchers back then, now all I want is simplicity.
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Price aside still one of my all time favorite amps. Just outstanding tones !
 
Just scored a peavey ultra plus with 5150 cab for $400. Needed some new preamp tubes, I'm a tube horder so plenty in my stash. Head alone seems to go for $800 these days.

My favorite amp is my Mesa Blue Angle 1x12 combo for $400. Was half the going rate several years ago when I bought it, but the dude just wanted to move on.

Another that wishes he had jumped on the deliverance and pitbull amps when they were dirt cheap.

Hell Mesa used rectos pre covid seem cheap today. Would find single rectos $600 to $700 all day long and triples for $1000. Now theyve all doubled.
 
Laney GH100TI / Laney GH100S (First year)

They’re both JCM800s with an additional gain stage and they retain the cathode follower.

First years even retained the Marshall style stand up Daly capacitor cans.
 
Peavey VTM,
Great bang for the buck, an exact replica of an original Jose modded Marshall owned by Bryan Jay of Keel.
You have to know where to set the dip switches, once you have them set up right, the amp sounds and feels really good.
 
Honestly with prices the way they are I feel that when I see a Dual Rectifier for $700 to $1100 on Craigslist that that’s the best deal for real tone these days . I’m not a big rectifier guy but at those prices now that’s great .
 
Techdeth said:
Honestly with prices the way they are I feel that when I see a Dual Rectifier for $700 to $1100 on Craigslist that that’s the best deal for real tone these days . I’m not a big rectifier guy but at those prices now that’s great .
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People are asking $2K+ for the run of the mill ones nowadays. Sometimes the early 2000s 3-channel ones are less expensive. Once people started talking about revisions EVERY revision became a selling point.
 
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