Poll...BEST SOUNDING 50 watt tube head - lowest cost

  • Thread starter Thread starter bionicmark
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bionicmark

Well-known member
Hey Guys! Feel free to list some of your favorite 50w best sounding tube heads.

Most cost effective too. I’m sure there are some that are fairly expensive.

Just looking for something as a spare to grab quickly if my main rig were to go down at a gig.

Thanks!
 
I'm hoping the answer will be the used Friedman Runt 50 I just bought. Will find out later this week!
 
You might want to be a bit more specific as to what you're looking for, tone wise.
 
indespise":1wqtdsqs said:
You might want to be a bit more specific as to what you're looking for, tone wise.
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Something with a clean, loop, and gain channel.

5150 iii type/tones are cool. Heard the blue channel is where it’s at.

Something around $1k
 
I'm about to sell a like new 5150iii EL34 head if you're interested.....900 plus shipping...Still has the plastic over the logos...
 
I loved the loop on the evh 5153, but just never loved the tone as much as the hot rodded Plexi-Marshall tones from other amps.

That would be my perfect amp
 
5153 is the obvious choice, for 600 or so. DSL, 6505, Crate Stealth for even less at 2-400...Lee Jackson Circuit, 3 channels and a good loop.

But, if I wanted the absolute BEST tone for that 1K I'd look at a used Deliverance 60/120, and have a tech put a loop in. You can use your guitar volume to get a nice clean, this amp cleans up better than any out there that I've played.
A JCM 800 can also be had for around the same price and the clean would be usable, but a bit dirty.
Used Splawns can also be had for around 1K.
 
DSL 50. Have one. And a runt. Had a 5153. Theyre all great but for a cheap backup you can't beat a dsl for the price. Of its something youre going to play some and as a backup... Its still awesome. Hard to pick between it and the runt.
 
Metlking":1s8p6klx said:
I'm hoping the answer will be the used Friedman Runt 50 I just bought. Will find out later this week!
Click to expand...

Great amp. I almost gave up on it until I tried different speakers. Weirdly enough mine sounds better with vintage 30s over old greenbacks. Had been using a bogner 4x12 with blackbacks in it at practice, And I just couldn't get along with it. Tons of low end but just didn't have a good feel. Played at the next show which was a smaller place and not much room so I used a mesa 2x12 and vintage 30s and I loved it. At one point I switched to my bogner xtc and switched back. Since it was lower volume due to the smaller place the runt sounded better. Volume was low enough with the xtc to make it sound thinner. Not that everyone will have the same experience, but make sure you give it a shot with some different variables.
 
Id be hard pressed to find many amps that fit these criteria better than the PRS Archon 50. I sold mine like an idiot but will definitely own another.
 
How about an old Rivera Knucklehead K55? They're not as aggressive as the newer knuckleheads, but they do the fender clean/marshall gain thing really well and can be had for well under $1000.
 
Marshall Freak":2n1y6xu7 said:
DSL 50. Have one. And a runt. Had a 5153. Theyre all great but for a cheap backup you can't beat a dsl for the price. Of its something youre going to play some and as a backup... Its still awesome. Hard to pick between it and the runt.
Click to expand...

I had the Runt 50 and DSL50 at the same time. The Runt went bye-bye, DSL stayed.
 
EVH 5150 III
Laney Ironheart
Vox AC30
Orange Dual Terror
Krank Nineteen80 Jr.
Krank Krankenstein Jr.
Bogner Alchemist
Mesa Stiletto Ace
Mesa Single Rectifier
VHT D60
Budda Superdrive
DV Mark Multiamp
Randall RM50 (a Used Randall MTS amp, cost less than a new Synergy module ($400))
 
I don't get best/lowest cost...you get what you pay for, period.
 
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