Part 4 in a series.

Recently I helped a guitarist friend of mine buy his first tube amp. Not a “hybrid” amp, with just a preamp tube, mind you, but an actual tube amp. I thought a nice series of blogs on the topic was in order. We’ll tackle a few different aspects of tube amps, and my goal by the end of this series is that you would have all the info you need on tube amps to make an informed choice if you are shopping for a new amp.

Budget tube amps

For punk, emo, or hardcore there are a few amps  for small budgets that quietly hold their own. These are split into two categories: used and new. Used amps typically sell for only 40-70% of their original purchase price. This is often a great deal, with the tradeoff being that you have no warranty and may have to give your gear a bit more TLC. New amps are coming out all the time though that offer a combination of classic features with new amenities such as extra channels, effects, or input-routing options.

Budget used amps

Sovtek Mig
The Sovtek Mig, which comes in 30, 50, 60 and 100-watt models, are often thought of as offering Marshall-like tone at a great price. The Mig-100 is the most talked about. They are not made any more, and sell for about $300-$500 used. You can expect a two-channel amp with great distortion and a lot of volume.

Yamaha T-100
Designed by Mike Soldano, these amps offer incredible tone at the happy price of $300-$500 used. Although there has been a lot of hype around that these have the same circuit as a Soldano amp, they do not. However, they are definitely a good buy if you find one. One review we read even went so far as to say the overdrive is better than amps costing five times as much. There is also some information out there about mods you can do to the circuit to make it sound even more like a high-priced boutique tube amp.

Peavey XXX
My friend I talked about ended up buying one of these. It doesn’t have a lot of tonal versatility, and you have to be able to put up with the chrome mudflap girls on its face (but hey maybe that’s your style), but it cranks a loud heavy tone that works great for heavy punk and hardcore. And at around $400 used, it can be a much better deal than the Peavey 5150, which due to their popularity are still selling at $600 and up used.

Budget new amps

Epiphone So-Cal 50
Epiphone quietly released these amps a few years ago and they are definitely a great purchase at just $500. They are modeled after the “So Cal” sound. There really aren’t any other good all-tube options at that price, so you should definitely check this little guy out. It comes with two channels, reverb, and the option to switch between 25 watts (good for practice) and 50.

Peavey Classic 30 head
The Peavey classic series of amps is not as high gain of an amp as the others in this article, but are very popular nonetheless because of their warm vintage tone. If you like old school punk it might be for you. The popular tone of these amplifiers has made this one of Peavey’s longest-running series of amps. The latest introduction to the line is the Peavey Classic 30 head. If you don’t think 30 watts is enough, then you haven’t heard this guy. It can definitely roar! They sell for around $550.

Carvin X100B
The X100B is available direct from Carvin for $600 with a $30 shipping charge. They are better known for their hard rock tone but so is Marshall. These amps are highly praised by many players first for their clean channel and then for their high gain rock tone. It also features a graphic EQ which is interesting. If you are looking for an amp that is a little different, check this one out.

Any of these amps would be great budget-minded choices for your first tube amp. If you are buying used, try the amp out beforehand if at all possible. If buying new, take advantage of the return policy if an amp is just not your style after you get it. That’s what it is there for. Look for the tone that represents you best, and you’ll have a lot more fun.