What's a great blues amp?

[Andromalia]

I'd go with a blues deluxe reissue. As far as pedals go, try to find an old Marshall Shredmaster pedal. Contrary to what its name might suggest, it's a way better pedal than the bluesmaster, it's starting settings are very slightly overdriven and go to quite distorted but in a vintage way.

 

[kaaka]

Stratocaster > Tubescreamer (or similar overdrive pedal) > Small fender tweed combo or Princeton
And you're in SRV heaven!

 

[Given To Fly]

VHT Pittbull 45 1x12 Combo - It is much different than any other Pittbull amp. I didn't know this for a long time and was rather confused about the brand in general.

 

[troyguitar]

Depends on what kind of blues tone you want, but a good basic answer is the Peavey Classic 30 or almost any tube Fender.

Most classic blues guys were poor and played on all shitty equipment. It barely matters what you use, as long as it's not so distorted that you lose dynamics.

 

[bebbe]

If you save up and add a couple of hundred $ the Suhr badger 18 is ideal for that kind of music

 

[cip 123]

I have a personal obligation to say Orange OR15 since I've got one But seriously its got 4 stage gain (I believe anyway) you can get some real nice crunchy tones and then its got plenty of gain if you wanna bring it up a little, I use it from blues to metal.

 

[TheDraeg]

Well, like one member suggested earlier, I've been using the Blackstar with a Digitech Distortion Factory (set to simulate a TS-9) in front of it. Pretty damn good tones.
Also my Randall Diavlo 1 watt amp can be set up to sound AWESOME for blues with a little break up and crunch depending on the gain setting and pick attack; its just not loud enough for anything but practice.
My Strat has been sounding pretty nice lately. Thanks for your input, everyone.

 

[Cobhc221]

theres an amp company located in Scottsdale Arizona called WinField that sound great.

they break up at loud levels and sound amazing clean.

they're all hand made as well.

Winfield Cyclone Amplifier Head and 2x10 Cabinet Blonde | Rainbow Guitars

 

[nlaplante]

I get rather convincing blues tone with a Squier Tele, an EHX East River Drive trough the clean channel of my IronHeart 60w head. I crank the clean channel volume high enough to get some power tube dirt and step on the od pedal. Instant blues tone. The IRT is way more than just a metal amp. No need for a blues amp, unless I go really serious about it.

Just one thing: since you want some power tube dirt, it's a nice bonus to get some good quality power tubes. I got the SED Winged C 6L6's and they rock for breakup tones. Their breakup is more musical than the TAD 6L6GC-STR for example. Didn't try anything else yet.

 

[heero22]

No love for the Ibanez TSA 15 or 30? It seems like a great blues amp for cheap.

 

[jovima69]

I love my Blues Jr. with a Tubescreamer in front. At 20 watts, it's loud as hell.

 

[Mordacain]

So I'm a metal guy, but I do own a strat and dig stuff like SRV..
I currently use a Blackstar HT100 through a 5150 4x12 and it rips, but not ideal for some blues tones that really move the soul..
What are some decently priced (hopefully under $500) amps that will pair nicely with my strat for solid tones along the lines of SRV, Bonamassa, Kenny Wayne Shepard, etc.
PS: pedal recommendations are appreciated as well.
Sincerely,
Blues Noob

The venerable Fender Blues Jr is great, as is the Hot Rod Deluxe, both easily obtainable under $500.

Other considerations are the Peavey Classic line. You can usually find a Classic 30 under $500 but they also have the new Classic 20 head coming out and that is right at $500. Benefits of that include a rocking attenuation circuit so you can actually crank the clean channel to get true blues grit at a reasonable volume.

 

[shanejohnson02]

I like my Egnater Tweaker 15. So simple, just one channel, yet infinitely adjustable to fit whatever sound you want.

If you really need 2 channels, you can get the 40 watt.

 

[Floppystrings]

Mesa Mark I.

 

[UV7BK4LIFE]

Peavey Classic 20 or Egnater Tweaker 112. Orange can also be a good blues amp if you want to stand out from the crowd.

 

[viesczy]

While they're thought of as metal amps, if you have the coin a Mesa Recto series has a KILLER clean channel and does mid gain tones as good as anything on the planet... and you can also get your metal tones too.

Mark Series too.

Screw it, all Mesa stuff is killer!

Derek

 

[chassless]

good cheap blues amps are the Bugera V series, my V5 has been a reliable, simple combo for the past 4 years and love it absolutely. very affordable and portable. the V22 is a great value as well.

 

[will_shred]

I feel like the blackstar should be able to handle the blues just fine, especially with 100 watts of headroom. That's one of the reasons I really love my blackstar, it can do pretty much anything.

 

[USMarine75]

Can't go wrong with Fender or Marshall in this area...

But, give Budda amps a try... especially the Budda Superdrive-II 18w. Unbelievably loud for the wattage rating and has a sweet sounding power amp break up that is easy to hit because of the lower wattage.

If you want more wattage and a more gain (not metal though) they make a 45w that is amazing. They come in both combo and head versions (and if you go with the head their cabs sounds phenomenal).

Absolutely get a tube screamer (or clone) OD in front. And preferably a guitar with single coils, P90, or a splitter if you have humbuckers. Lastly, a good compressor and wah pedal and you have the complete blues rig.

 

[MaxOfMetal]

I'd skip getting a whole new amp, grab either a Tech 21 Blonde or one of the Boss Fender Amp pedals. They'll get you 99% of the tone at 1% of the price. Just throw them in your loop and play, they really did a great job with those.