Low-Watt Tube Combo Amps
With a lower power rating, saturation comes in earlier and you get that grit, drive and distortion at more manageable levels.
“Learning to play with a big amplifier is like trying to control an elephant.” … Ritchie Blackmore
Low-Watt Combo Tube Amps
Blackstar HT5R MKII 5-Watt Tube Combo
All-tube 1×12″ Guitar Combo Amplifier with Infinite Shape Feature
Power Reduction Circuit
2 Voice Switches
Emulated Output
Effects Loop
This amp has versatile voicing, which allows it to have a huge range. With only five watts, this Blackstar will give you plenty of scorching tube tone. For home playing, 5 watts is more than enough to get loud with the tubes. Anything more might really shatter the windows.
Roland BC-HOT-VB Blues Cube Combo 30-W
Performance-ready 30-watt compact combo guitar amplifier with authentic tube tone and touch response. Roland’s comprehensive tube Logic design delivers the interactive tonal behaviors of famous fine-tuned vintage tube amps, including preamp and output tube saturation characteristics, power supply compression, and much more. Master volume, three-band EQ, and onboard reverb, plus foot switchable boost for natural crunch and tone.
Orange Amplifiers Rocker 15 15W 1x10 Tube Combo
Finally, a small, two-channel, bedroom-friendly all-tube amp that you can legitimately gig. With the Rocker 15 set wide open, smaller venues are comfortably taken care of despite the amp’s miniature footprint. Thanks to a custom Voice of the World Gold Label speaker and beefy transformers, the Rocker 15 has a remarkably potent delivery, which takes full advantage of its EL84 output section.
Fender '57 Custom Champ 5W 1x8 Tube Guitar Amp
Renown for its flexibility, ease-of-use and knockout tone this is the classic sound heard on thousands of recordings. A wide variety of playable tones inhabit this hand-wired performer; from crisp, classic cleans to naturally compressed overdrive that responds remarkably to guitar volume and picking changes. The Fender 5F1 circuit used in the 57 Custom Champ has become legendary for its heightened dynamic response and sweet sounding tube overdrive.
If you are looking for an amp with a richer, deeper tone, with real depth and a clean sound, then you should consider a tube amp. They are much louder than solid state amps, and also more expensive. A low wattage tube amp, of say 10 or 15 watts, will actually sound as loud or louder than a solid state amp of 50 watts or more. The difference in power and signal clarity is one of the main reasons why you will find 5 Watt, 10 Watt, and 15 Watt tube amps priced in the same neighborhood as high quality 50, 60, and 100 watt solid state amps. The most important thing is to figure out what you like and what sounds right to you. With with a good tube amp, you can play your guitar with the volume turned all the way up. With it set for clean distortion, your amp will actually “clean up” your sound. Many guitarists prefer old school amps with the vintage sound of vacuum tubes. They believe that they are superior to solid-state amps. New technology is changing that, as well as a new generation of guitar players, who prefer a more natural sound.
Tube Amp History
The days of the guitarist’s set-up including a full-stack Marshall or a giant Fender tube amp are all but gone. Advancements in PA Systems allow even the smallest amps to be miked up and dispersed to venues of any size. Most of the time, you’d want something that can get that satisfying tube tone at more manageable levels or a portable backup to your regular gigging rig.
Back in the 60s, the average tube amp was more or less around 15 watts. The Vox AC15 was used to great success by acts like The Beatles to fill the clubs they used to play in. But, as their fanbase grew, so did the venues and the volume of screaming fans. PA Systems back then couldn’t handle anything beyond vocals so miking a guitar amp was out of the question. The solution was to double the wattage and double the speakers, coming up with models like the Vox AC30 and from Fender, the Twin Reverb.
As rock music grew in popularity and venues grew, The demand for high-wattage amps like the 100w Marshall Super Lead by guitarists like Pete Townshend came into vogue. Soon, stages became filled with the iconic “wall of amps” which were all actually plugged in and extremely loud!
Recording, performing at a small club or simply enjoying your gear at home, the need for these types of amps have experienced a dramatic rise over the years.
Blackstar HT1R MkII 1×8″ 1-watt Tube Combo
As of 2020 small wattage tube amps have become many manufacturers’ best sellers. Companies like Orange have made several lunchbox-sized amp heads in the Terror series as well as revive classics like the original OR series in 15 watt form. All these options means finding the best low watt tube amp can be a challenge. If you are looking for a small tube amp, here are our recommendations for the best low-watt tube amps.
Best Tube Amps
Vox AC30S1 30-Watt 1x12" Tube Combo
The Vox AC30 has been an integral component of rock n roll since the 1960s. Its peerless and unique sound continues to amaze and inspire players to this day. The AC30 OneTwelve (AC30S1) delivers the full-fledged experience of the classic AC30, but in a more stripped down and straightforward way. It s single channel design is based on the revered Top Boost channel of the AC30, a sound that has been the source of some the most famous riffs in rock history. This unique, touch-sensitive circuit delivers a wide range of tones from chimey clean to rich overdrive. The AC30S1 also features a studio-quality digital reverb, an effects send/return for pairing with your favorite pedals, and an external speaker output for pairing with other speaker cabinets. The Vox AC30 represents the evolution of an iconic sound, pairing legendary Vox tones with a simple, modern approach to amplifier design. Single-channel design inspired by the AC30 s trademark Top Boost.All tube design featuring two 12AX7 pre-amp tubes and four EL84 power-amp tubes.Equipped with a single Celestion-made 12-inch speaker, specially voiced for the AC30S1.Effects send/return and external speaker output are provided for pairing with pedals or external cabinets – Equipped with digital reverb that simulates a classic spring reverb.The sound of the Top Boost channel has been the source of inspiration for countless guitarists since the 1960s, continues to emanate a commanding presence on stages and recordings today. The AC30S1 focusses on the unique sound of the Top Boost channel which is easily considered to be trademark tone of the AC30. It utilizes a full tube design, with two 12AX7 tubes in the pre-amp and four EL84 tubes in the power-amp, to every nuance of the Top Boost channel’s sonic character from sparkling clean to fat overdrive.The AC30S1 provides the expandability needed for the varied playing styles of today s guitarists.
Roland BC-HOT-VB Blues Cube Hot Guitar Combo
The Roland Cube series offers an affordable, quality entry point into the world of amps, with built-in effects and amp modeling.
The Roland Cube 30 is the flagship of the line, featuring 30 watts of power through a single 10 inch speaker. The COSM engine provides 11 amp models, with a range of effects and iOS connectivity to jam/record with your phone or iPad.
The Blues edition features Roland’s Tube Logic technology to emulate vintage tube amps. With the 30-watt Blues Cube Hot, guitarists can tap into Roland’s acclaimed Tube Logic tone in the most compact Blues Cube combo amp. It offers reduced size, weight, and functions but is still equipped with a 12-inch custom speaker, that makes a powerful and rich tube tone. Roland’s Tube Logic design philosophy starts with carefully reproducing the inner workings of the revered tweed-era tube amp. The gig-ready Blues Cube delivers a sweet, magical tone and a satisfying feel that makes a great guitar amp a highly expressive musical instrument.
Warm, bouncy, responsive, dynamic, elastic — these are all terms that guitarists use to describe the satisfying experience of playing their favorite tube amps. Thanks to Roland’s Tube Logic, these words can be applied to the Blues Cube Hot as well. Dramatically evolved from the first-generation sound of the original Blues Cube amps from the ’90s, today’s Tube Logic accurately provides the complex, highly interactive behavior of classic tube designs in meticulous detail, providing the magical “it” factor that takes a guitar amp from a simple sound system to a living, breathing musical instrument. Great feel, distortion control with touch and volume, bloom, sparkle, power supply “sag,” and more — everything that players love about a finely tuned vintage tube amp is present in abundance with the Blues Cube Hot.
Blackstar HT5R MKII 5WTube Combo
LITTLE AMP, BIG SOUND!
Killer tones and innovative features make the HT-5R MkII the ultimate studio and practice valve amp. The MkII’s completely new design takes the performance of this award-winning tone machine to a whole new level.
To make the HT-5R MkII sound full and toneful even at the lowest volume levels, they designed a low powered push-pull power amp which produces the crunch and break-up characteristics of a traditional 100W output stage, but at a much lower volume. This is achieved by the use of a 12BH7 dual triode valve in push-pull configuration producing 5 Watts output, which is rich in valve harmonics and compression.
The Power Reduction switch takes you down to 0.5 Watts without any compromise in tone: perfect for driving the valve power stage at home or in the studio.
Their patented ISF circuit gives you infinite adjustment over the characteristics of the tone control network and takes you from the USA to the UK and anywhere in between. So now you can effectively design your own tone and finally find “the sound in your head”.
The HT-5R MkII also has a fully specified stereo speaker emulated output and USB audio output which allows you to easily record amazing valve tone. It also features the unique 4×12/1×12 voicing switch allowing you to change the tonal characteristics of the emulated signal between two emulated cabinet types. The stereo speaker emulated output can be used at the same time as the internal speaker/extension cab, providing headphone free monitoring or the choice to blend a mic’d speaker and emulated signals together for unrivaled usability when recording at home or in the studio. In addition the speaker output can be turned off for “silent” practice or recording.
Supro Delta King 8 1x8-inch 1-watt Tube Combo
Hailing from Chicago’s rock ‘n’ roll scene, the Supro Blues King 1×8 tube combo amplifier delivers classic tones and styling suitable for the modern guitarist. This 1-watt amp is perfect for the bedroom guitarist since it produces all the crunch and attitude of early Supro amps without all the unwanted volume. The Blues King has a Class A power section, a custom-designed eight-inch Supro speaker, and simplified controls to provide you with perfect tones right out of the box. You’ll be able to fatten up your tone with the footswitchable boost that works especially well with single-coil guitars. Want an amp that’s descended from the classics? Choose the Supro Blues King 8.
The secret to the classic Supro tone is the power amp. True to the originals, the Blues King 8 has a vintage style power section and Class A tubes. This construction allows the amp to pump out crunchy tones that sit perfectly between rock, blues, and country. The Blues King 8 has simple controls to let you shape the sound. You can tweak the input volume, master tone, and master volume to create your perfect sound. When you crank the input volume and keep the master volume low you’ll produce a hard-hitting saturated tone without waking the dead.
Another thing that sets the Blues King 8 apart is its custom-made 8″ speaker. This speaker is designed to capture the essence of the original speakers that made Supro famous. This speaker has a bold midrange that breaks up perfectly as you increase the volume.
Master volume control allows you to create huge, saturated tones at low volume. Line output eliminates the need to mic your amp for recording. Class A power section delivers classic Supro tones. The custom BK8 speaker produces that extra punch, and the boost strengthens midrange response.
Fender Custom Princeton Reverb 12 W Combo
This amp is for the guitarist with an eye and ear for late-’60s Fender silverface style will love the ’68 Custom Princeton Reverb, which honors the classic look and great sound of that era’s amps.
Small, light and moderately powered, longtime recording and gigging favorite the Princeton Reverb received a fresh new face in 1968—a silver-and-turquoise front panel with aluminum grille cloth trim, with tone, reverb and tremolo that was still pure Fender.
The ’68 Custom Princeton Reverb also has modified tone circuitry for greater tonal flexibility with pedals and reduced negative feedback for greater touch sensitivity and quicker overdrive onset.
Simply put, there’s really nothing quite like the pure, powerful sound of a Fender tube amplifier. For decades, the tonal richness and touch-sensitive dynamics of real tubes have given Fender amps a defining and unmistakable voice, as heard on most professional recordings and performances of the past 60 years—the music you’ve known your whole life.
Among their many fine sonic attributes, Fender guitar amps like this one are prized in particular for their luscious spring reverb. For that wet, shimmering ambient sound ranging from subtle to cavernous, Fender lets you dial it in exactly to taste.
Rich, pulsating tremolo in any shade from subtle to stupendous is simply part of Fender’s guitar-amp DNA. Always has been and always will be.
Comes equipped with Celestion Speakers (30-Watt speakers) for a more modern, punchy sound that breaks up nicely when pushed. It features reduced negative feedback for a more “touch-sensitive” feel, quicker break up and added harmonic richness.The 68 channels are wired in phase and can be blended for more tonal options, via A/B/Y box. “Custom” channel features a 50s Tweed “Bassman” tone circuit for more low mids and sooner breakup.
BUGERA V22-INFINIUM 22-Watt Vintage Combo
If you want a guitar combo amplifier that exudes vintage sound and style, the Bugera V22 Infinium is worth a test drive. Loaded with three 12AX7 preamp tubes and a pair of EL84 power tubes, this handbuilt, boutique-style powerhouse is ready to bring its 22 watts of phenomenal all-tube tone onstage or to the studio. Complete with two independent channels, selectable reverb, and a great-sounding British-engineered Turbosound speaker, the V22 Infinium delivers the tone and flexibility you demand.
Inside the Bugera V22 Infinium guitar combo amplifier you’ll find three 12AX7 preamp tubes, as well as two EL84 power tubes, giving you classic all-tube tone. The hand-selected 12AX7s provide you with everything from smooth harmonics to aggressive crunch, while the EL84s really drive the V22 Infinium when pushed to the max. With the V22 Infinium, you can conjure up anything from crisp chiming to classic crunch to metallic screaming.
It’s a well-known fact that tubes wear out. Luckily, the Bugera V22 Infinium guitar combo amplifier’s Infinium Tube Life Multiplier technology can greatly extend the lifespan of your tubes, saving you money and ensuring the integrity of your tone. This technology actually monitors the performance of each of the amplifier’s output tubes and maintains them at their ideal operating point for an evenly distributed load. Also, an LED next to each tube lets you know when they’re about to die, so you can anticipate issues before they cause problems.
The Bugera V22 Infinium guitar combo amplifer is definitely not a one-trick pony. Featuring a 2-channel preamp, you have access to both clean and high-gain tones. You also get a classic-style 3-band EQ (bass, mid, and treble) with a presence control, allowing for plenty of sound-tweaking. Finally, normal and bright inputs let you match the V22 Infinium to your electric guitar’s tonal characteristics in order to optimize your tone.
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