I need a cheap'ish 100w tube head and have it narrowed down to these..

[Whizzinby]

Well I have decided to take the money and stash it and add to it til I have at least a 1k to spend. I have til late January to find something.

At that price point you’ll have a lot of options. Used 6505 pretty much nails a hard rock - metal back line.

 

[la szum]

I'm still deciding but honestly every hour that goes by the Valveking sounds better and better @ 200 bucks. A couple simple non invasive mods on those puts it into darn good territory. I had one back in 2010 or so and a lower gain tube in V1 plus jumping the input jack turned it into a very giggable amp. It also leaves me 300+ for other toys lol. My financial advisor (wife) told me 600 max on this round.

The contract I signed doesn't specify a lot of stuff. 100w tube amp with 4x12 are the exact words for the backline. I suppose I could try and sell off some stuff I have in storage and get more expensive stuff but honestly I'm guaranteed 500 bucks (2 shows in 2023) as it stands right now, and I am already 1k into filling out my (already had most of it) backline. Whatever guitar head I end up with is the last thing on the list. I was going to use my MKII Boss Katana til I read the contract.

Too bad you couldn't snag something like an Orange Crush Pro head. Doesn't sound like you are going
be making enough initially to offset the risks of using an all tube backline---especially sourcing used heads
that you don't know the history or overall state of.

 

[JT]

Crush Pro is a killer 100 watter that you could do most metal on without a boost as it.

 

[Bob Zaod]

Well thanks so much for wasting everybodys time!

Jk.

I actually put up an ad on the Marshall forum to take a stab and see if anyone had a spare DSL40c head chassis and a really nice person contacted me who has one and we are working out price. Who knows I may just try to get away with using that. The difference is not very stark. I have owned both a DSL40c and the DSL100H at the same time and have compared them extensively in the past. The 100h does have a girthier sound to it but other than that pretty much the same amp when run through my Marshall 1960a cab. I mean the DSL40c board is a 100H board with 2 EL34's instead of 4. I think they even use the same trannies.

 

[Holden Afart]

I actually put up an ad on the Marshall forum to take a stab and see if anyone had a spare DSL40c head chassis and a really nice person contacted me who has one and we are working out price. Who knows I may just try to get away with using that. The difference is not very stark. I have owned both a DSL40c and the DSL100H at the same time and have compared them extensively in the past. The 100h does have a girthier sound to it but other than that pretty much the same amp when run through my Marshall 1960a cab. I mean the DSL40c board is a 100H board with 2 EL34's instead of 4. I think they even use the same trannies.

Yep, I've played both side by side and you're spot on. Good luck. Let us know how it goes.