Tried some lunchboxes today...

[ratter]

But you can bet if I get one of these birdcage amps it's getting a proper head shell made...

A Hardy Boys lunch box seems proper. May as well be in a real lunchbox.

Drill holes in a rare find like that?? You lost your damn mind??

 

[vchizzle]

OF all those amps, I like the mini Recto best as well. I realized in the store that some amps just fit certain players better...my buddy sounded great with his strat thru the Tweaker when it just sounded kinda ho-hum for me.

True -- I've only heard the ENGL and both the 5W and the 18W Tubemeister amps. You know I have mad love for Hughes & Kettner so I can say those would be my first choices, and probably the 18W over the 5W just based on features. $599 street isn't bad for the 18W Tubemeister -- haven't seen a price for the 5W yet. A UK site shows the 5W price at about $450 US.

I played the 18 watt tubemeister and was pretty blown away. 18, 5 and 1 watt settings. Clean, crunch channels with the boost on the gain that get you to metal territory. Plus a loop?!?!!?! It's a no-brainer with the features at that price point if you like the tone. And it lights up in the H&K blue - WTF more can you ask for?!? It would be the one I'd buy for sure.

 

[ratter]

I played the 18 watt tubemeister and was pretty blown away. 18, 5 and 1 watt settings. Clean, crunch channels with the boost on the gain that get you to metal territory. Plus a loop?!?!!?! It's a no-brainer with the features at that price point if you like the tone. And it lights up in the H&K blue - WTF more can you ask for?!? It would be the one I'd buy for sure.

Yeah that one looks interesting too. It wasn't available to try, unfortunately.

 

[vchizzle]

I played the 18 watt tubemeister and was pretty blown away. 18, 5 and 1 watt settings. Clean, crunch channels with the boost on the gain that get you to metal territory. Plus a loop?!?!!?! It's a no-brainer with the features at that price point if you like the tone. And it lights up in the H&K blue - WTF more can you ask for?!? It would be the one I'd buy for sure.

Yeah that one looks interesting too. It wasn't available to try, unfortunately.

I like the mini Rec tone a little better, but for the $ and versatility - especially if you want to do things at home at low to no volume - the H&K is a better amp in that respect IMO.

 

[chobley]

Thanks for the reviews !
I'm looking foward to my Splawn lunch box..

 

[Audioholic]

I think you should also take a look at the mini 5153. It sounds better at low volumes TI me then the mini Rec did. I thought the mini Rec required some volume to get saturated and full. But limited time on it

 

[ratter]

I think you should also take a look at the mini 5153. It sounds better at low volumes TI me then the mini Rec did. I thought the mini Rec required some volume to get saturated and full. But limited time on it

Yeah that one's on my radar too. None locally that I can find yet though.

It's got that whole slave labor problem, unfortunately...but besides that seems like a hell of a deal. Especially with MF coupons and such.

 

[Audioholic]

I think you should also take a look at the mini 5153. It sounds better at low volumes TI me then the mini Rec did. I thought the mini Rec required some volume to get saturated and full. But limited time on it

Yeah that one's on my radar too. None locally that I can find yet though.

It's got that whole slave labor problem, unfortunately...but besides that seems like a hell of a deal. Especially with MF coupons and such.

Yeah I have tried a few smaller amps, and find personally that anything that uses smaller power tubes tends to sound slightly smaller as well, I think this is where the 5150 III 50 watt may have an advantage, its not really a lunchbox, but more compact then its big bro. Which sounds very good at low volumes....

 

[ratter]

Update: I ordered a Mini Rec yesterday. I'll be using it through my old blackback cab or an old Boogie 1x12 that I have. I may have to get a matching cab at some point though...I'm a sucker for matching cabs.

 

[Mudder]

I think the mini rec is the better buy, even at twice the price, than the HK because it's US made. I've read a bunch of reviews where folks love the HK, then it fails down the road. I don't know if it's design or being china made, but that's enough for me to look elsewhere. Mini-rec, Carvin V3 mini, Snott Watt, etc.

 

[ratter]

I think the mini rec is the better buy, even at twice the price, than the HK because it's US made. I've read a bunch of reviews where folks love the HK, then it fails down the road. I don't know if it's design or being china made, but that's enough for me to look elsewhere. Mini-rec, Carvin V3 mini, Snott Watt, etc.

I've only heard clips of the Tubemeister. But the tone sounded loose/unfocused/soft...for lack of a better way to put it. Kind of how the Tweaker sounds to me. That's not necessarily a bad thing just an observation. It put me off a bit.