Bedroom amp

[Pat]

Hi there,

I've been using a Yahama thr10x for a while now. Great little amp but I have GAS for a lunchbox style amp with an effects loop.

I've narrowed it down to the usual suspects:

Marshall dsl1
Peavey 6505mh
Prs mt15
Engl fireball 25

Any thoughts or guidance on the best bedroom amp that does high gain well? I can't play loudly - my ideal would be the fireball 100 but it's just far too loud for home use.

Cheers

 

[Kosthrash]

I literally have near my bed in the bedroom a small dsl1 combo, and I can say first hand that it can do high gain for days in low volumes, it can get loud too, but until the speaker's sensitivity limit (95dB @ 1watt @ 1 m away), so for me it's the perfect high gain bedroom amp. I play with the gain on the ultra gain channel @1 o clock while boosting it with a Rocktron Metal Planet. I also found the rest of your list too loud for my needs...

 

[Pat]

Thanks man - I should note I'm looking at a lunchbox head with a decent 1x12 cab so I can cycle through heads at a later date if needed.

I think the absolute limit is 25watts for home use, and even then I can't see me ever having the volume past maybe 3. Anything bigger just seems a waste for me. I used to have a 6505 60 watt combo and don't think I ever turned it past 2!

I'm leaning towards the dsl - Ola Englund's video on it sounds wicked

 

[Yul Brynner]

It also depends on where you call home. Growing up in the middle of butt fuck swampland nowhere Florida, I was fine with a 6505 half stack for a bedroom amp. Now I'm in a European block flat and a black star Ht1+1x10=too damn loud.

 

[ixlramp]

I have an awesome kitchen amp, but unfortunately this is no good for you, it cannot be used in the bedroom.

 

[maggotspawn]

Randall RD45H Diavlo is pretty killer. 45 watts but sounds good at bedroom volumes.

 

[ArtDecade]

Fender Low Power Tweed Twin.

 

[Werecow]

I think the absolute limit is 25watts for home use, and even then I can't see me ever having the volume past maybe 3. Anything bigger just seems a waste for me. I used to have a 6505 60 watt combo and don't think I ever turned it past 2!

The wattage and what actually sounds good at home / bedroom aren't necessarily connected. For instance, the best bedroom amp by far i've ever played is the EVH 50W 5150 III head. It sounds killer right down to being able to hear your strings accoustically louder than the amp.
There are lots of 100W heads that sound great at bedroom volume for high gain, and there are very low amp lunchbox amps that actually get too loud, too quickly, or sound worse compared to their bigger cousins at low volume (the EVH lunchboxes are actually worse for bedroom than the 50W). You've not stated your budget, but don't rule things out solely on their wattage if you truly want what sounds best for bedroom.

 

[maggotspawn]

The wattage and what actually sounds good at home / bedroom aren't necessarily connected. For instance, the best bedroom amp by far i've ever played is the EVH 50W 5150 III head. It sounds killer right down to being able to hear your strings accoustically louder than the amp.
There are lots of 100W heads that sound great at bedroom volume for high gain, and there are very low amp lunchbox amps that actually get too loud, too quickly, or sound worse compared to their bigger cousins at low volume (the EVH lunchboxes are actually worse for bedroom than the 50W). You've not stated your budget, but don't rule things out solely on their wattage if you truly want what sounds best for bedroom.

True. I found the 100 watt DSL100HR sounded better at low volume then the 20 watt DSL.

 

[RevDrucifer]

Don’t skimp on the bedroom rig, man.

 

[Turd Ferguson]

I would look seriously at one of these little fellas.

Edit: I see someone above said they suck at bedroom volume. So maybe disregard.

Edit again: didn't everyone complain about the volume taper on the MT15?

 

[KnightBrolaire]

The PRS MT15 has the worst volume taper of any amp I've tried in a long time. I would skip that one unless you want to go the route of attenuating it or running it directly into a loadbox.
Alternatively, if you like the tone of the PRS MT15, look into the Archon. It's basically the big older brother of the MT15 but it has an actually good volume taper.

The 6505 MH kind of sucks imo, and I would skip it.

I can't help with the DSL1 or Fireball since I've never played one.


The Revv stuff usually has excellent volume tapers and the ability to cut down the power to manageable levels. G20s are pretty reasonably priced on the used market. Or you could get a full on Generator 100 used. In 10W mode it's very manageable ime.

 

[TedEH]

Don’t skimp on the bedroom rig, man.

So.... Axe III, but powered by one of those Mesa 400w power amps.

More seriously, if you've got a bit of money to throw around, digital stuff is infinitely scalable. FM3 or Helix stomp or something would do the job with anything from headphones to a powered cab to monitors you already have to a big ol' cab on stage, etc etc etc. For about the same or less than the price of the fireball 25, I think you could fit the stomp, one of the cheaper pedal power amps, and a tiny cab into that budget. Then when you want to scale up, you can upgrade the power amp and cab later and keep your same core sound.

 

[Werecow]

I would look seriously at one of these little fellas.

Edit: I see someone above said they suck at bedroom volume. So maybe disregard.

Edit again: didn't everyone complain about the volume taper on the MT15?

They don't completely suck, but don't sound as good, and one of the models has the "AM radio" type problem, where the volume has to be turned up to get rid of it, which happens to be a bit too loud to be properly called bedroom level.

 

[AussieTerry]

My bedroom setup is a 100w Dual Recto into a Captor X.

 

[Pat]

Thanks, I'd not considered the Revv so will look into it. Would definitely have to get one used as new is out of my price range.

I did consider the EVH but have heard similar comments that it pales in comparison to the bigger one.

Will also look at the Randall - I'm a pantera fanboy so would actually love one.

Out of interest has anyone tried running a fireball 100 at low volume to see how they sound? This guy's tone sounds great but not sure what volume he's running it at:

 

[MoistTowelette]

Don’t skimp on the bedroom rig, man.

View attachment 139195

Is your bed made of leather?

 

[RevDrucifer]

Is your bed made of leather?

Satin, cuz nothin’ says “Let’s make sweet lovin’ like your head going through drywall at 35mph from sliding off the fucking bedsheets.

 

[Pat]

Then I think should I just chuck a boost Infront on this and call it a day?! This is pretty much all I do - riff out and play sloppy leads...

 

[soap_opera_phantom]

the Hughes and Keynes black spirit 200 has blown my mind. it has a ton of tones, all analog sounds before the digital cab sims and FX, headphones, DI out, etc. can summon endless sounds at hushed volumes and then go to 200 watts lol. It’s killer.