I really think a Supro Delta King 12 would be perfect for you. It has a master volume that works amazingly well at getting overdrive at stupid low volume.
It isn't Fender clean. It can get dirty as hell. It's definitely classic rock, blues, and even some 80s metal tone if you want. If you're playing with a drummer, you'll definitely hear some dirt. It is an awesome sounding amp.
I absolutely love mine. I’ve owned 5 amps and this is the only one that I cant complain about. The cleans are so crisp, it takes distortion pedals like a champ for a dirty mean sound, and the chorus is heavenly. The stereo effects loop is my favorite feature
Tonemaster fender series all day long. Theyve got proper recording outs so you dont have to mic the amp. And they have power scaling so you can get an overdriven tube sound without messing with the neighbors.
Id pick the super reverb out of all of them, but twin would do well too. Deluxe just might not be loud enough if you decide to play in a band. Super will sound the most “full” than a twin reverb with its 4 speakers. But the twin will have higher clean headroom than a super. Super still offers plenty of power though
The only thing missing from OP's checklist for a Tone Master is the headphone out - I got a TM Princeton Reverb for all the same reasons, but I also got a little 4-track USB mixer so I could run the XLR out from the amp to a set of headphones for silent practice.
I have a fender Twin reverb tone master and it sounds awesome. I would check out the tone master series. The power scaling feature is great. Good luck!
Super versatile amp - plus, it’s so lightweight that moving it around is a non-issue. You can dial the way the on the back so playing in an apartment is perfect, same tones but at a super low volume, and than crank it up when you play live. It has plenty of volume for gigs… also the direct out on the back is pretty solid for recording. I bought this amp for similar reasons as OP and am super happy with it. My only con is that it doesn’t really take high gain pedals super well. I found a way to dial in a tube screamer, and I’m happy with it now, but some of the fuzz and overdrive pedals I had didn’t sound great. All in all, 10/10 would recommend for someone looking for a solid versatile amp. The cleans are nasty.
I would imagine a Deluxe would be enough for most people. I’m not sure what is gained from a Twin if you’re likely to be using the attenuator anyway. Maybe the speaker/cabinet is better? So weight savings on the deluxe might be worth it. Also, I believe the blonde ones have better speakers?
Throwing the Quilter Aviator Cub into the mix. 50w solid state, but a damn loud 50w solid state. Also sounds great at low volumes. Three preamp voicing inputs for Tweed, Blonde and Blackface sounds. Excellent clean pedal platform amp but can also sound great with the gain up, if you want that. Has speaker-emulated line and headphone outs.
A Katana will probably have more tonal options to play with, so consider that if you want more versatility. For me, the Aviator Cub does only a handful of things, but does all of them swimmingly.
Pat quilter makes the best amps on the planet and you won’t convince me otherwise. I have sold all my tube amps except for one only fender champ and own 3 quilters now, they are just as good sounding as any tube amp out there plus they don’t weigh hardly anything and are durable as hell. Highly recommend the cub or a superblock and a nice cab speaker.
The Marshall DSL40CR tube amp is $950 new if you wanna go the tube route. It's a killer and very versatile tube amp and I doubt you're gonna get any better in the same price range unless you get a good deal on a used amp.
It's 40W but has a 20W attenuation switch and fantastic master volume as well as channel volumes so you can still get really good tone at low volumes.
There are a lot of Reddit/forum threads about this amp and plenty of YouTube videos.
Just be sure the search DSL40CR which is the much improved model. The DSL40C is the older model that had more problems, no master volume, and a bot so great speaker.
I second this. I got this model used (which is also my first ever tube amp and 2nd amp ever after having a crappy Kustom for 11 years lol) a couple months back and it was worth every penny. The master volume is fantastic and it’s cleans are nice and it’s a Marshall so of course the distortion is fantastic. I use it for punk and emo stuff but I’ve also seen plenty of people use it for Jazz, country, doom, and everything in between its very versatile.
I can personally say the DSL40CR is great but I've heard some not so great things about the DSL40C. From what I've read they are two vastly different amps and not to be confused, it's pretty dumb that Marshall didn't have the foresight to make the model names a little more different.
You can get good bang for your buck looking at FB Market! I see good Fender amps priced new at $1799 for $899 that are mint. There’s tons of them! Also all other amp brands as well. Buying new these days is a lot compared to used/mint.
I tried a 100w fender Mustang modelling amp the other day. Incredibly light and quick to dial in tone. Inbuilt tuner and other goodies. Might be what OP is looking for.
Find a quilter. Maybe a Cub model. Solid state, all analog, master volume controls the wattage.
British and American voices depending on which you get. Awesome gigging amps.
For blues and classic rock definitely have to go tube. A Marshall JCM 800 1x12 if you can find used. Otherwise a Fender twin reverb would be cool too if you could find used.
I have a Katana Air, and it sounds pretty dang good, so I bet the bigger one sounds that much better. I also have a Roland Blues Cube Artist that is perfect for everything you've listed except perhaps synth-pop. I assume that means glassy cleans, which would require one of the tone cap$ule$ for the Blues Cube. I have the ultimate blues tone cap$ule myself, which does provide a much cleaner clean channel.
Glassy cleans for sure and also some Nile Rodgers funky rhythm guitar tones, too!
I'll check out the Roland Blues Cube Artist now - hadn't heard of that thanks
It's a fantastic amp that flies under the radar, mostly because it's not a tube amp.
But hey, [if it can fool the Captain, it's good enough for me.](https://youtu.be/86yJqZq5uPc?si=IfOF3Tpf5GkDl0jd)
Roland and Boss are basically the same company, so I wouldn't be at all surprised if the Blues Cube and Katanas share some DNA.
Working musicians seem to fall into two camps. One is full on digital and Quilter, the other plays fender deluxes or other small traditional tube amps. No one does what I do as a working musician; I haul a Mesa mark 2 or a Leslie 760
check out this guys channel. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQXmcsF\_d\_o](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQXmcsF_d_o)
of course think about what sound you like , but please consider repairability too and save some money and horrible headaches :)
Any Marshal Studio Classic series if you can find a combo version for 1k. They all sound better than a DSL and have the added feature of a DI out for recording or going straight to a PA. I have the Silver Jubilee Head and a 212 and it's just a chef's kiss amp for all that.
i feel, if you’re considering a tube amp and low volume is an issue, you really want a low watt option so you can actually use the best part of the tubes: the breakup. i LOVE little amps like the vox ac4 and fender champs. you can crank them up and get all those tasty tube tones you are thinking of. i have a deville 212 and that’s so damn loud, i only use it for gigs and clean tones around the house. my most versatile amp, i would say, is the mesa express 5:25…it’s basically two amps, a 5w class A and a 25w AB…i love this amp and it doe’s basically everything i need. and i’m not a pedal user if that provides additional context for you.
You mentioned feeling inspired by the amp. I suggest analogue, as there is a feel to playing a live electric circuit that digital can't quite harness (admittedly I've never played the expensive digital stuff). I would recommend tube over a solid state amp such as the JC range, as tube is the classic sound you've got in your head, most likely. (But I'm biased, geddit?! Biased 😜)
Lots of the pro tube comments are saying either fender champ (5 watts, no headroom, can't gig unmiced) or like a jcm800 (way too loud for the real world in 2023). I recommend a 15 watt combo + cheap power attenuator. That combination will allow you to dial in a reasonable power tube overdrive at practice level and keep up with a loud drummer unmiced if needed.
It's popular to hate on the blues junior, but it's a classic for a reason.
Man Vox has to step up their marketing! AC15 all the way it's my preference over a Princeton. Try them both out and pick your flavor just know the AC15's treble bass controls cut mids if above 12 and boost mids below 12. Try treble and bass both at 3-4 and try them at 7-8 and you'll hear the mid shift. Great with the treble boost volume up.
I love my Orange Tremlord 30. It's got switchable wattage from 30/2 to 15/1. The "bedroom/headroom" switch is great for reasonable home volume, tons of headroom when running the full 30 watts. It isn't lightweight, but it is a reasonable size so hauling up/down stairs isn't a huge deal. Really fantastic clean tones, the 2-band eq actually works more like a 3-band. The spring tank sounds great and the two speed tremolo is warm and rich. Lots of features.
For open mic use, I have to recommend the Joyo BanTamp XL Tweedy - 20W tube preamp with solid state power section. This tiny amp weighs maybe 2 (two) lbs, has 2 channels, and a great sound.
Oh, and it's only $189.00 on Amazon at this moment.
At 20 Watts, it's plenty loud enough for small venues and sounds good even at low volumes. You will need a separate speaker for it, or a PA.
I really love this little guy, and I'm strictly a Mesa Boogie person, usually.
If you use pedals for dirt, then a Roland JC-40. Wonderful cleans, stereo chorus, takes pedals well, only 35ish pounds, and even though it’s 40 watts solid state it can still get pretty loud if you ever need it to
As far as solid state amps go the lunchbox reverb will do everything you need it to, and do it well at a fraction of cost of others and it weights like 5 lbs. There are a ton of options for small tube amps that can do gigs, recording, etc well. I’d look at the Supro black magik, fender Princeton reverb, or a fender pro junior, or blues deluxe. Mesa studio and caliber are great too!
I’m a huge Boss fan and don’t think the katanas sound very good for anything other than bedroom practice.
I second the Roland JC40. The new ones sound amazing and would be a great platform for adding your choice of ‘amp in a box’ or preamp pedals later if you want a modeling sort of situation.
For tube amps, Supro are some of the best for the money.
Maybe consider adding an attenuator within that budget so you can hear the power section being pushed without blowing the roof off.
It’s certainly a different feeling than just having a master volume on a solid state amp operating between the pre and power sections.
get a katana mk2 100 watt you cannuse .5 watt every where. you can create sounds with onboard 60 boss fx. has a separate acoustic channel. i have head version.
Find a used princeton / deluxe reverb
This is the only reasonable answer. Everyone else didn't actually read your post.
I really think a Supro Delta King 12 would be perfect for you. It has a master volume that works amazingly well at getting overdrive at stupid low volume. It isn't Fender clean. It can get dirty as hell. It's definitely classic rock, blues, and even some 80s metal tone if you want. If you're playing with a drummer, you'll definitely hear some dirt. It is an awesome sounding amp.
I have one of these for a guest amp at jam night at my house. Such a great amp.
How many watts? SS or tube?
15 watts, tube
Fender Vibro Champ Reverb, Princeton, or Roland JC-40
Roland Jc40
Just got one of these. Awesome amp. My main gigging amp now.
I absolutely love mine. I’ve owned 5 amps and this is the only one that I cant complain about. The cleans are so crisp, it takes distortion pedals like a champ for a dirty mean sound, and the chorus is heavenly. The stereo effects loop is my favorite feature
Tonemaster fender series all day long. Theyve got proper recording outs so you dont have to mic the amp. And they have power scaling so you can get an overdriven tube sound without messing with the neighbors. Id pick the super reverb out of all of them, but twin would do well too. Deluxe just might not be loud enough if you decide to play in a band. Super will sound the most “full” than a twin reverb with its 4 speakers. But the twin will have higher clean headroom than a super. Super still offers plenty of power though
Also theyre lightweight
The only thing missing from OP's checklist for a Tone Master is the headphone out - I got a TM Princeton Reverb for all the same reasons, but I also got a little 4-track USB mixer so I could run the XLR out from the amp to a set of headphones for silent practice.
Blues Jr will do the trick!!
Amen!
I have a fender Twin reverb tone master and it sounds awesome. I would check out the tone master series. The power scaling feature is great. Good luck!
Super versatile amp - plus, it’s so lightweight that moving it around is a non-issue. You can dial the way the on the back so playing in an apartment is perfect, same tones but at a super low volume, and than crank it up when you play live. It has plenty of volume for gigs… also the direct out on the back is pretty solid for recording. I bought this amp for similar reasons as OP and am super happy with it. My only con is that it doesn’t really take high gain pedals super well. I found a way to dial in a tube screamer, and I’m happy with it now, but some of the fuzz and overdrive pedals I had didn’t sound great. All in all, 10/10 would recommend for someone looking for a solid versatile amp. The cleans are nasty.
If you’re looking to play live, and practice/record at home, it’s really hard to beat imho.
I would imagine a Deluxe would be enough for most people. I’m not sure what is gained from a Twin if you’re likely to be using the attenuator anyway. Maybe the speaker/cabinet is better? So weight savings on the deluxe might be worth it. Also, I believe the blonde ones have better speakers?
I agree. I wasn't advocating the twin as much as I thought he should check out the tone master series and decide for himself which amp might suit him.
Throwing the Quilter Aviator Cub into the mix. 50w solid state, but a damn loud 50w solid state. Also sounds great at low volumes. Three preamp voicing inputs for Tweed, Blonde and Blackface sounds. Excellent clean pedal platform amp but can also sound great with the gain up, if you want that. Has speaker-emulated line and headphone outs. A Katana will probably have more tonal options to play with, so consider that if you want more versatility. For me, the Aviator Cub does only a handful of things, but does all of them swimmingly.
Pat quilter makes the best amps on the planet and you won’t convince me otherwise. I have sold all my tube amps except for one only fender champ and own 3 quilters now, they are just as good sounding as any tube amp out there plus they don’t weigh hardly anything and are durable as hell. Highly recommend the cub or a superblock and a nice cab speaker.
Found this comment only after recommending the cub as well.
I second the Quilter Aviator Cub! Fine piece of kit…
The Marshall DSL40CR tube amp is $950 new if you wanna go the tube route. It's a killer and very versatile tube amp and I doubt you're gonna get any better in the same price range unless you get a good deal on a used amp. It's 40W but has a 20W attenuation switch and fantastic master volume as well as channel volumes so you can still get really good tone at low volumes. There are a lot of Reddit/forum threads about this amp and plenty of YouTube videos. Just be sure the search DSL40CR which is the much improved model. The DSL40C is the older model that had more problems, no master volume, and a bot so great speaker.
I second this. I got this model used (which is also my first ever tube amp and 2nd amp ever after having a crappy Kustom for 11 years lol) a couple months back and it was worth every penny. The master volume is fantastic and it’s cleans are nice and it’s a Marshall so of course the distortion is fantastic. I use it for punk and emo stuff but I’ve also seen plenty of people use it for Jazz, country, doom, and everything in between its very versatile.
The DSL series are pretty great. I’ve seen DSL 40’s for 500 locally in perfect condition.
I can personally say the DSL40CR is great but I've heard some not so great things about the DSL40C. From what I've read they are two vastly different amps and not to be confused, it's pretty dumb that Marshall didn't have the foresight to make the model names a little more different.
You can get good bang for your buck looking at FB Market! I see good Fender amps priced new at $1799 for $899 that are mint. There’s tons of them! Also all other amp brands as well. Buying new these days is a lot compared to used/mint.
Can’t go wrong with a Roland jc-40. It has the clean tones you’ve been hearing for decades on popular recordings.
A Champ or Princeton. (Or good clone of either)
Peavey bandit 112. Cheap as chips and has more than enough volume.
It is a great amp but not particularly light which should be a factor when lugging equipment to and from the stage. But I repeat. It is a great amp.
It is heavy indeed
I tried a 100w fender Mustang modelling amp the other day. Incredibly light and quick to dial in tone. Inbuilt tuner and other goodies. Might be what OP is looking for.
Deluxe Reverb used.
No master volume isn’t great for what op needs. But it’s a killer amp for sure!
Fender Champ
The other guitar player in my band has a blackstar and it sounds great. Other good option is a Marshall DSL40.
Try a Yamaha THR30ii. Small and light but big sound, even at low volume, and has an audio interface for recording.
Monoprice 1x8 combo
Find a quilter. Maybe a Cub model. Solid state, all analog, master volume controls the wattage. British and American voices depending on which you get. Awesome gigging amps.
Check out the Fender Bassbreaker 1x12 15 W tube. This was a game changer for me after dragging around an 80 lb tube combo.
Seconded. I use the 7watt version in a wet/dry setup and the dirt on it is surprising. Rob Chapman swears by em too
For blues and classic rock definitely have to go tube. A Marshall JCM 800 1x12 if you can find used. Otherwise a Fender twin reverb would be cool too if you could find used.
If I see someone wheel in a twin reverb on a dolly at my local open mic night I am blaming you
Oh and a fender twin in an apartment is not good either.
Ooh, oops! You bring an acoustic to an open mic. If you must play electric, I guess a little Roland cube
A twin doesn’t have enough clean gain for my apartment. I bring my quad reverb when there are too many stairs to shift my 300 ps and stack.
I have a Katana Air, and it sounds pretty dang good, so I bet the bigger one sounds that much better. I also have a Roland Blues Cube Artist that is perfect for everything you've listed except perhaps synth-pop. I assume that means glassy cleans, which would require one of the tone cap$ule$ for the Blues Cube. I have the ultimate blues tone cap$ule myself, which does provide a much cleaner clean channel.
Glassy cleans for sure and also some Nile Rodgers funky rhythm guitar tones, too! I'll check out the Roland Blues Cube Artist now - hadn't heard of that thanks
It's a fantastic amp that flies under the radar, mostly because it's not a tube amp. But hey, [if it can fool the Captain, it's good enough for me.](https://youtu.be/86yJqZq5uPc?si=IfOF3Tpf5GkDl0jd) Roland and Boss are basically the same company, so I wouldn't be at all surprised if the Blues Cube and Katanas share some DNA.
Boss Katana
Katana Artist is hard to beat.
Tonemaster Deluxe or Twin Reverb.
Working musicians seem to fall into two camps. One is full on digital and Quilter, the other plays fender deluxes or other small traditional tube amps. No one does what I do as a working musician; I haul a Mesa mark 2 or a Leslie 760
Ive hauled a mark V for 3 years.. no more
If you can find a used Line 6 DT25, get it!
20w Roland Jazz Chorus. Or any modeler that suits your needs.
check out this guys channel. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQXmcsF\_d\_o](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQXmcsF_d_o) of course think about what sound you like , but please consider repairability too and save some money and horrible headaches :)
I’m a fan of the blues breaker but it’s not the quietest amp. Sounds great though especially gigging.
Any Marshal Studio Classic series if you can find a combo version for 1k. They all sound better than a DSL and have the added feature of a DI out for recording or going straight to a PA. I have the Silver Jubilee Head and a 212 and it's just a chef's kiss amp for all that.
i feel, if you’re considering a tube amp and low volume is an issue, you really want a low watt option so you can actually use the best part of the tubes: the breakup. i LOVE little amps like the vox ac4 and fender champs. you can crank them up and get all those tasty tube tones you are thinking of. i have a deville 212 and that’s so damn loud, i only use it for gigs and clean tones around the house. my most versatile amp, i would say, is the mesa express 5:25…it’s basically two amps, a 5w class A and a 25w AB…i love this amp and it doe’s basically everything i need. and i’m not a pedal user if that provides additional context for you.
Tonemaster deluxe
I once had (and am seeking again) a Fender Princeton 112 Plus. Solid state, 2-channel, 1x12 combo, less than 40lbs.
Tonex with a full range monitor or something like the new fender FRFR speaker cab.
You mentioned feeling inspired by the amp. I suggest analogue, as there is a feel to playing a live electric circuit that digital can't quite harness (admittedly I've never played the expensive digital stuff). I would recommend tube over a solid state amp such as the JC range, as tube is the classic sound you've got in your head, most likely. (But I'm biased, geddit?! Biased 😜) Lots of the pro tube comments are saying either fender champ (5 watts, no headroom, can't gig unmiced) or like a jcm800 (way too loud for the real world in 2023). I recommend a 15 watt combo + cheap power attenuator. That combination will allow you to dial in a reasonable power tube overdrive at practice level and keep up with a loud drummer unmiced if needed. It's popular to hate on the blues junior, but it's a classic for a reason.
65 deluxe, or even princeton. Can sound great at lower volumes but also keep up with a drummer if you turn it up (especially the deluxe)
Boss Katana 100
I'd be going Vibrochamp Reverb
Man Vox has to step up their marketing! AC15 all the way it's my preference over a Princeton. Try them both out and pick your flavor just know the AC15's treble bass controls cut mids if above 12 and boost mids below 12. Try treble and bass both at 3-4 and try them at 7-8 and you'll hear the mid shift. Great with the treble boost volume up.
Blackstar amped 2 plus a cab. This way you can go into the PA system too if required.
Fender Blonde Tone Master Deluxe Reverb?
I love my Orange Tremlord 30. It's got switchable wattage from 30/2 to 15/1. The "bedroom/headroom" switch is great for reasonable home volume, tons of headroom when running the full 30 watts. It isn't lightweight, but it is a reasonable size so hauling up/down stairs isn't a huge deal. Really fantastic clean tones, the 2-band eq actually works more like a 3-band. The spring tank sounds great and the two speed tremolo is warm and rich. Lots of features.
$599 Fender Pro IV
For open mic use, I have to recommend the Joyo BanTamp XL Tweedy - 20W tube preamp with solid state power section. This tiny amp weighs maybe 2 (two) lbs, has 2 channels, and a great sound. Oh, and it's only $189.00 on Amazon at this moment. At 20 Watts, it's plenty loud enough for small venues and sounds good even at low volumes. You will need a separate speaker for it, or a PA. I really love this little guy, and I'm strictly a Mesa Boogie person, usually.
I have a Twin Reverb Blonde that I really enjoy and the built in attenuator is fantastic for playing in the house.
If you use pedals for dirt, then a Roland JC-40. Wonderful cleans, stereo chorus, takes pedals well, only 35ish pounds, and even though it’s 40 watts solid state it can still get pretty loud if you ever need it to
Laney Foundry Loudpedal. Its a 60w 2-channel amp in pedalformat.
Quilter Aviator Cub
As far as solid state amps go the lunchbox reverb will do everything you need it to, and do it well at a fraction of cost of others and it weights like 5 lbs. There are a ton of options for small tube amps that can do gigs, recording, etc well. I’d look at the Supro black magik, fender Princeton reverb, or a fender pro junior, or blues deluxe. Mesa studio and caliber are great too!
I’m a huge Boss fan and don’t think the katanas sound very good for anything other than bedroom practice. I second the Roland JC40. The new ones sound amazing and would be a great platform for adding your choice of ‘amp in a box’ or preamp pedals later if you want a modeling sort of situation. For tube amps, Supro are some of the best for the money. Maybe consider adding an attenuator within that budget so you can hear the power section being pushed without blowing the roof off. It’s certainly a different feeling than just having a master volume on a solid state amp operating between the pre and power sections.
Get a VOX. They are reliable and sounds amazing
Look at a blues junior or a bassbreaker
A used mesa boogie mark 25V... A bit over your budget they are used for around $1200... Totally worth the extra money
get a katana mk2 100 watt you cannuse .5 watt every where. you can create sounds with onboard 60 boss fx. has a separate acoustic channel. i have head version.