Lets talk about The Most Reliable Tube amp heads

[racerevlon]

Let's be realistic here--these are, for all intents and purposes, mechanical devices, and mechanical devices WILL fail, at random, and for no apparent reason. I was in a local music store the other day and a customer had brought in his ORIGINAL Fender Champ. Still working (looked like it had been beaten, cigarette-burned, beer/whiskey swilled) and sounding better than 90% of anything I've heard in the last 20 years. So no one out there has a reliable Fender amp? Aren't there Fender and Marshall amps from the 1950's/1960's out there still going strong? (A 1955 amp would be 55 years old for those of you that hate math.)

I think a more interesting question is: You've just purchased a... (Diezel, Splawn, Mesa, Cameron, etc.). How long do you expect it to last?

Cheers,

 

[Bishop5150]

I've only owned 2 amps for a long period of time a JCM 800 and a 5150. Neither ever gave me a problem.

 

[glpg8o]

Let's be realistic here--these are, for all intents and purposes, mechanical devices, and mechanical devices WILL fail, at random, and for no apparent reason. I was in a local music store the other day and a customer had brought in his ORIGINAL Fender Champ. Still working (looked like it had been beaten, cigarette-burned, beer/whiskey swilled) and sounding better than 90% of anything I've heard in the last 20 years. So no one out there has a reliable Fender amp? Aren't there Fender and Marshall amps from the 1950's/1960's out there still going strong? (A 1955 amp would be 55 years old for those of you that hate math.)

I think a more interesting question is: You've just purchased a... (Diezel, Splawn, Mesa, Cameron, etc.). How long do you expect it to last?

Cheers,

thats basically the same point i was getting at only more blunt and technically correct. quality of work is what matters more here as well as choice of internal parts and initial design. quality of parts and craftmanship have both declined with peavey since hartley sold the company when his wife died IMHO. soldano on the other hand has had quality craftmanship since day one, only uses tight spec metal film resistors, and designed the amplifier with the least amount of parts possible which shows for his road worthy reliability.

 

[Mr. Willy]

My Boogie (DC5) has'nt had one issue since I bought it new in 1992. Typical road rash from gigging all these years but reliable as a f***

I had one of those and I used and abused it. It never let me down once. Had a 2-channel DR from about 93-94 and it never let me down either. Both of those Boogies were built like tanks. I'm not into the Recto tone much these days, but Mesa makes a rock solid and reliable amp imho. Both amps seemed more solid construction wise than a Soldano Avenger I had.

 

[Jeff Hilligan]

I had a CS800 burn up in a bar fire. Went back for it after the fire. Plugged her in and it worked fine! So I vote the mighty

CS800!

 

[JTyson]

I wish we had that kind of luck with those. We had at least 4 CS800's go up in smoke of their own making

 

[Erock]

Dual Recto gets my vote. I've seen kids and adults treat that amp like an absolute piece of garbage, and they still keep working. The 5150 and JCM800 would get an honorary mention, plenty of those being toured and still kicking.

 

[stefvorcide]

This thread is funny....

I kind of agree with most answears... Diezel, Slo-100, marshall, fenders...that Cs800 story is brilliant too

 

[RJF]

I've had issues with every amp that I've had for a long time period, except my Diezel Herbert. Zero problems with it.

I've owned 2 Dual rectifiers that have had internal issues.

 

[Shawn Lutz]

for me it was an 83/84 JCM800 2203 w/6550's and its still tickin today. Gigged hard for for years not too abused but dropped a few times, solid reliability for me. I havent gigged with my other stuff but had no issues with Mesa/Boogie DC-5, Splawn QR, VHT 50 CL or Bogner 101B for years since I habd them.