YouTube amp reviews

[laxu]

It's headroom in the power section, I'd say.

People love to do the inverse gloating elitist thing. Godddd you're suchh a loser for using a 100watt amp. But the truth is, modern 100watt amps (not 70's Plexi's !!) are the most versatile solution and will work in nearly all scenarios.

I really want a Revv Generator and a Mark VII now.

It's a weird ass backwards thing where I've always had a better time turning 40-100W master volume amps down, compared to a low power amp that is turned marginally louder. I think it's the headroom, the ability to push bigger low end and the wider dynamic range that makes the big amps more fun even at lower volume.

Mark V 90 at 10W with the MV cranked to about 6 through the 1x12 combo's Celestion MC90 is over 100 dBA @ 1m, so there's no way anyone is cranking that at home either.

At the same time, I think all of these 3-4 channel complex amps out there have at least one channel that is weaker than the rest. On the Mark V it's channel 2 (but it is still pretty good), on my BluGuitar it's the Modern channel etc. The Revv Generator green channel to me sounds mediocre in every demo I've heard. You have to compromise on something.

 

[James Freeman]

Most of the Youtubers use a reactive load box to demo tube amps in their sweet spots.

Others have a mic'd cab isolated in another room.

Only a handful mic up the amps that are sat next to them.

100% This.

 

[SillyOctpuss]

It's headroom in the power section, I'd say.

People love to do the inverse gloating elitist thing. Godddd you're suchh a loser for using a 100watt amp. But the truth is, modern 100watt amps (not 70's Plexi's !!) are the most versatile solution and will work in nearly all scenarios.

I really want a Revv Generator and a Mark VII now.

I'd love a Revv generator. I've been pretty obsessed with trying one in real life after falling in love the Helix models.

 

[Orvillain]

It's a weird ass backwards thing where I've always had a better time turning 40-100W master volume amps down, compared to a low power amp that is turned marginally louder. I think it's the headroom, the ability to push bigger low end and the wider dynamic range that makes the big amps more fun even at lower volume.

Mark V 90 at 10W with the MV cranked to about 6 through the 1x12 combo's Celestion MC90 is over 100 dBA @ 1m, so there's no way anyone is cranking that at home either.

At the same time, I think all of these 3-4 channel complex amps out there have at least one channel that is weaker than the rest. On the Mark V it's channel 2 (but it is still pretty good), on my BluGuitar it's the Modern channel etc. The Revv Generator green channel to me sounds mediocre in every demo I've heard. You have to compromise on something.

My anti mini amps thing comes from owning a bunch. I had a Tiny Terror, and a Dual Terror, listening to the forumers telling me I only needed 30watts, and it just sounded shite to be honest. Probably the worst tone I've ever had.

I'd love a Revv generator. I've been pretty obsessed with trying one in real life after falling in love the Helix models.

Yeah same!!! It was Helix then Fractal that made me wanna try one. There's one on Reverb right now for £1950. unnnnnnnggghhhhhhhh.

 

[laxu]

My anti mini amps thing comes from owning a bunch. I had a Tiny Terror, and a Dual Terror, listening to the forumers telling me I only needed 30watts, and it just sounded shite to be honest. Probably the worst tone I've ever had.

They can be hit and miss for sure. Didn't care for the Tiny Terror, tried it when it came out. I liked the Orange OR15 I tried with the matching Orange 1x12. I'd still go for a Rockerverb over those any day.

 

[Orvillain]

They can be hit and miss for sure. Didn't care for the Tiny Terror, tried it when it came out. I liked the Orange OR15 I tried with the matching Orange 1x12. I'd still go for a Rockerverb over those any day.

The OR30 and OR50 are great amps. Much better than the Terror stuff. I always put the Terror stuff down to being EL84's, but I don't know if that is true or not really.

 

[SillyOctpuss]

My anti mini amps thing comes from owning a bunch. I had a Tiny Terror, and a Dual Terror, listening to the forumers telling me I only needed 30watts, and it just sounded shite to be honest. Probably the worst tone I've ever had.

I had a dual terror, egnater tweaker 15, mesa ta15 and the same experience as you. People telling me 100watts was too much these days. That you'd never be able to crank it anywhere. It's nonsense. For me I'd rather use a fraction of a big amps potential than be disappointed by hammering a little amp that just can't keep up.

 

[SillyOctpuss]

The OR30 and OR50 are great amps. Much better than the Terror stuff. I always put the Terror stuff down to being EL84's, but I don't know if that is true or not really.

I don't think I could tell the difference with any set of power valves tbh. I'm more inclined to blame the circuit design.

 

[laxu]

I don't think I could tell the difference with any set of power valves tbh. I'm more inclined to blame the circuit design.

Absolutely. I loved how the Victory VC35 35W lunchbox sounded with 4xEL84s. Similarly the Bogner Goldfinger with 4x6V6 is a great sounding amp.

 

[Orvillain]

All I would say is, I put 6L6's in my VH4 recently and I do hear a difference versus the KT77's that were in it previously.

Sooooo there'd be a difference between EL84's and 6V6's and 6L6's, I'd imagine.

 

[MTB1973]

Years ago I wanted a “real” amp and cab so I scoured the forums looking for a good amp that sounded good at apartment levels. The general consensus was that the 5153 50 watt head sounded “good” at bedroom levels. I got it home, hooked it up, and could only turn it up a hair before it would blow my hair back. I was so confused - I was told by many people that THIS amp was THE one I needed.

At a volume that didn’t annoy my neighbors, it was bassy, yet thin, and just didn’t sound good to me. I eventually gave up and put it on CL. A guy came over to test it out with his Les Paul. Since he was trying it out, I let him open her up - SOUNDED GLORIOUS. This was what I was looking for! No way I would ever be able to play it that loud without an eviction notice. Every time I get an itch for a real amp, I remember that experience. I would definitely get an attenuator if I did.

 

[MTB1973]

I definitely use too much gain though. Been playing guitar for almost 21 years, but I'm still such a n00b. It is a miracle that I can put two chords together.

I use wayyyyy more gain than any human needs.

 

[[Nathan]]

I use wayyyyy more gain than any human needs.

 

[SillyOctpuss]

All I would say is, I put 6L6's in my VH4 recently and I do hear a difference versus the KT77's that were in it previously.

Sooooo there'd be a difference between EL84's and 6V6's and 6L6's, I'd imagine.

I suppose it depends on how familiar you are with the amp and the bias settings when you swop valves. It probably heavily depends on the circuit too.

I know a lot more about transistors in pedals than valves in amps tbh.

 

[laxu]

Years ago I wanted a “real” amp and cab so I scoured the forums looking for a good amp that sounded good at apartment levels. The general consensus was that the 5153 50 watt head sounded “good” at bedroom levels. I got it home, hooked it up, and could only turn it up a hair before it would blow my hair back. I was so confused - I was told by many people that THIS amp was THE one I needed.

At a volume that didn’t annoy my neighbors, it was bassy, yet thin, and just didn’t sound good to me. I eventually gave up and put it on CL. A guy came over to test it out with his Les Paul. Since he was trying it out, I let him open her up - SOUNDED GLORIOUS. This was what I was looking for! No way I would ever be able to play it that loud without an eviction notice. Every time I get an itch for a real amp, I remember that experience. I would definitely get an attenuator if I did.

An attenuator would be unlikely to help though, if you need to squeeze it down to a very low volume. It's the volume, rather than where the amp's controls point.

 

[SillyOctpuss]

An attenuator would be unlikely to help though, if you need to squeeze it down to a very low volume. It's the volume, rather than where the amp's controls point.

Also anytime I've used an attenuator to really bring an amps level down to bedroom levels it sounded crap.

 

[MTB1973]

So something like a PS-2 would not be good for bedroom use?

 

[Chocol8]

There is a lot at play. I don't know if it is the bigger tubes, bigger iron, or both, but there is no doubt that the higher powered amps with 6L6, EL34 or other larger bottled tubes sound and feel different, even at lower levels. I have a bunch of lower wattage amps that I use to collect dust and hold crap up off the floor. The lowest powered amp I actually play is a Tweed Bassman RI which is probably 35-40 watts clean as configured. Otherwise, Super and Twin Reverbs, and 50 watt Marshall clone for me, or I am going to a tube pre-amp/SS power amp or digital solution.

As for attenuation, almost all the commercial options are pretty bad at matching impedance correctly, especially the further you turn down. The right attenuation solution can hold the amps response to lower volume levels just fine...but then you run into Fletcher Munson effects and the impact of volume in the room. Somewhere around 85-90 db (at 1 m) is going to be the lower limit for most people before things just don't sound great anymore. Guitarists often mistake this for speakers not being pushed, but level matched recordings reveal the actual sound output stays consistent well below the level where our ears do assuming a proper load.

You also have the "amp in the room" vs the recorded amp issue. Any YouTuber has to either be using some sort of a load and then digital cab sim (IR or other) or they are going to be micing the amp. Usually close mic'ed, often in a garage/basement or isolation box. Whatever way they go, it isn't going to sound like a raw amp even if they don't do any post processing at all and even before we account for the playback device.

 

[Chocol8]

So something like a PS-2 would not be good for bedroom use?

It actually works pretty well as long as your bedroom level doesn't mean someone sleeping next to you.

 

[MTB1973]

So are these YouTubers using load boxes connecting them to studio monitors?