Best lightweight(~30lbs or less) high gain heads?

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jco5055

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Hi guys,

This quarantine has me reassessing my needs, and I'm thinking of downsizing quite significantly (physically and audibly) from my current 100w amp and 4x12. I live in an apt in Chicago, and I don't have a car (Public transit is perfectly fine here), so once this ends and i can play out again I want to be lugging something significantly smaller.

I've been debating going the Axe FX route, as well as possibly the BluGuitar Iridium, but I also want to consider traditional tube heads, and I know here at rig-talk that's the vast majority favorite and you guys will be probably the best authority around. I am a high gain/metal guy who plays 7 strings, but I also like other genres but I need to be able to play the heavy stuff.

Now in terms of a head, I have a few requirements. The only absolutely necessary requirements are:

1) It being relatively light, meaning like 30lbs or so or less.
2) It still being a great amp in it's own right, not like a "oh it's obviously not as good as flagship amp x but it's great when you want some portability/save some $$"
3) it has at least two channels (clean and crunch)

some nice to haves but not 100% necessary are:
1) a lower watt/built in attenuator mode
2) some kind of load box
3) a headphone mode
4) cab IRs/virtual cabs for said headphone mode or recording

Now with all of this said, I feel like the only two amps I've come up with are the Mesa Mark V:35 and the Revv G20. Any others? Or thoughts on these two models?

Thanks!
 
Was actually going to suggested the mark v:35 :thumbsup: , best of the mkV's
 
Mesa MkV:35 will check all those boxes, and when you create more boxes you want checked...it'll still kick your a*s.
 
MT15 has my vote through the new Rev would probably be pretty cool too.
 
I think you're asking for a lot with load box, IR and headphone out but if I were to get a small amp it would be the Victory Kraken or Fortin Sigil. The Kemper is pretty killer though but not a tube amp and the Prs mt15 is really good but ive already had one. I would get the Sigil tbh.
 
Paging psychodave and his modded Jet City 20. Still the best mini amp I’ve ever heard.
 
REVV G20 has the built in load box (Two Notes).

Otherwise Mark V:25. The head is 16.5 lbs. Even the combo is <30 @ 24 lbs. I have the combo and love it. At home I pair it with a Mesa Thiele 1x12 extension cab.

 
EVH 50W is pretty close to 30lbs.
3 channels. Maybe the newer ones are even lighter.
 
The new Dover DA-20 sounds killer from the clips I've heard. Also the EVH 50 watt EL34 or 6l6.
 
Thanks for the suggestions so far!

The Kemper is obviously something to consider, but I'm just asking for actual Tube Heads in this thread to just narrow down that option, and then I'll compare it to other options like modelers etc.

The IRs and headphone jacks etc is just a nice to have but not a NEED for me. I'm going to look at all the suggestions so far though.
 
LP Freak":34p16lo8 said:
Robotechnology":34p16lo8 said:
I 2nd the 5150 III 50 watt head!
Click to expand...
Just weighed mine, 31.5lbs
Click to expand...

Yeah I find it interesting how different weight wise similar wattage heads can be..I feel like most commonly 50 watts are more 40-45lbs. My head is actually a 60 watt and it is just about 50lbs actually.
 
jco5055":3up7ad0z said:
LP Freak":3up7ad0z said:
Robotechnology":3up7ad0z said:
I 2nd the 5150 III 50 watt head!
Click to expand...
Just weighed mine, 31.5lbs
Click to expand...

Yeah I find it interesting how different weight wise similar wattage heads can be..I feel like most commonly 50 watts are more 40-45lbs. My head is actually a 60 watt and it is just about 50lbs actually.
Click to expand...
Transformers are going to make up most of the weight and then the headshell. Some amps have a lot of dead space inside the chassis and headshell. The EVH is packed tight.
 
Interesting...actually I weighed mine and it's like 54lbs! With that in mind, is ~30lbs or so where it starts to seem light? I'm trying to think how heavy is still manageable to be lugging around (again without a car)...
 
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