Low-wattage amplifiers have grown increasingly popular in recent years, and for good reason. They’re easy to transport and store, and they’ll keep you from being evicted. High-wattage amps cause a slew of issues for most regular guitarists. If you have roommates or a family, they combo tube amps nearly impossible to use as a practice amp, and they’re extremely hefty and bulky.
Smaller amplifiers are also better suited to the realities of club and coffee house engagements, which tend to be the common denominator for blues and jazz musicians. Manufacturers are aware of this and take appropriate action.
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Fender ’57 Custom Champ Guitar Amplifier
- A wide variety of playable tones inhabit this hand-wired performerfrom crisp, classic cleans to naturally compressed overdrive that responds...
- Renown for its flexibility, ease-of-use and knockout tone this is the classic sound heard on thousands of recordings
- Renown for its flexibility, ease of use and knockout tone this is the classic sound heard on thousands of recordings
This lightweight, tiny 5 watt vintage reissue of the renowned 1957 Fender Champ combo amp gives you the same vintage sound and classic design that has made 1950s Fender Champ tube amps legendary for over seven decades. One 12AY7 preamp tube, one 6V6 power tube, one 5Y3GT rectifier, and two 1/4-inch inputs are included in this single-channel 5W Class A combo amp (high, low instrument).
It includes an 8″ Weber Special Design speaker with an alnico magnet for vintage sound, as well as finely handwired circuits for diversified, responsive sound from power reduction circuit. With a solid pine cabinet, oxblood grille cloth, real leather strap handle, and distinctive tweed design for the low wattage amps. With period-correct golden hues and an overall style that’ll be eye-catching at home, in the studio, or on stage, the look is a major point of distinction for this amp.
With this striking appearance and unique tweed tone, it’s easy to see why the original ’57 Champ was used by many great performers like Johnny Cash and Eric Clapton (especially on his legendary song “Layla”). When turned up, they sound fantastic, with a warm, fat overdrive and a vintage tone that has made the 1950s Champs so collectible. It’s a distinct, unmistakable sound that you won’t find anywhere else but this series, and the latest installment does not disappoint. It’s also incredibly responsive to your sound and pickup placements, and gives different tonal quality with minimal fussing, thanks to the thorough hand wiring.
With authentic coupling capacitors, this vintage reissue of a classic ’57 Fender Champ combo amp is carefully crafted and hand wired to be true-to-form with the original. If you like the sound of classic Fender amps, you’ll enjoy this one, which features an old-school Special Design Weber alnico speaker. With its one-knob control panel, you’ll be able to produce great tones with minimal effort. The Fender 57 Custom Champ is, in my opinion, the best little tube amp combo on the market right now. If it’s out of your financial range, there are plenty of other excellent choices on this list.
Bugera V5 Infinium
- 5-watt 1-channel All-tube 1x8" Guitar Combo Amplifier with Reverb
- Infinium Tube Life Multiplier Technology
- Power Attenuat
The Bugera V5 Infinium is currently one of the best and most cheap tiny tube combos available. This 5-watt tube amp is a small, retro-style guitar combo that includes a 12AX7 preamp tube and an EL84 tube for tons of vintage all-tube tones.
The V5 solid state amps is a low-wattage all-in-one featuring a built-in power attenuator, high-definition reverb, and a Turbosound speaker designed in the United Kingdom. Tube Life Multiplier Technology from Bugera ensures that the V5 maintains a consistent tone and reliability throughout the life of the tubes for the gigging amp.
Rich harmonics, warm distortion, and high-definition reverb complete your tone with the best low watt amps. All of these characteristics are housed in a classic black leather wooden case. Enjoy the traditional, all-tube tone of this all-tube guitar combo amplifier, which features a 12AX7 and an EL84 tube. Infinium Tube Life Multiplier technology also helps to maintain your tubes healthy.
The Bugera V5 Infinium is a 5-watt 1-channel All-tube 18′′ guitar combo amplifier with Reverb, Tone Knob, and Reverb that gives a fantastic vintage all-tube tone for the build quality. The Turbosound speaker is designed in the United Kingdom, and the Infinium Tube Life Multiplier technology enhances the life of your tubes. The classic-style tone control allows you to customize your sound, and the built-in power attenuator allows you to strike the sweet spot at any volume.
Orange Rocker 15
- Power: 15W (tube) Attenuation: 15W, 7W, 1W, .5W Tubes: three 12AX7, one 12AT7 (preamp); two EL84 (power amp) Two channels Single input Speaker: 1x10...
- Capable of 0
- 5, 1, 7 or 15 Watts of output, the Orange Rocker 15 is an extremely portable combo that moves seamlessly from the home, to the studio, to the stage
For almost two decades, the Rockerverb series has provided us with high-gain Orange Amplification tone, and this all-tube Rocker 15 is a fresh and improved version of that renowned amp. It’s simple to operate and versatile, featuring clean and dirty channels to help you achieve your desired sound. The clean channel includes a single volume control and is voiced to maximize your strumming, whilst the dirty channel is ideal for guitarists who enjoy crunch and high gain. You can experience the tone of a cranked amp with master volume control that fit gigging, studio, and bedroom practice alike owing to the power scaling adjustable to 15 watts, 7 watts, 1 watt, and 0.5 watts. Not only the preamp and power sections are tube-driven with the all-tube architecture, but also the buffered effects loop for that inimitable tube tone.
The attenuator lever on this two-channel 15W amp allows you to adjust between four power settings. It includes one 10″ gold label speaker, four ECC83 and one ECC81 preamp tubes, two EL84 power tubes, a tube-buffered effects loop, and one 1/4-inch (instrument) input. One 1/4-inch footswitch I/O and three-band EQ (channel; footswitch not included).
The two re-voiced channels on this new and improved edition of the Rockerverb series easily transition from chiming to grinding, and the four configurable power wattages allow you to keep your volume low without sacrificing sound depth or quality. For a distinct, unmistakable tone, there’s a buffered tube-driven effects loop and a 10 inch Orange Voice of the World Gold Label speaker. If you’re searching for a British tone profile, the voice’s dual EL84 power section is ideal. This is the best low wattage tube amp.
Marshall DSL5CR
- Adjustable power output. Softube Emulated output
- Reverb
- Celestion then-30 speaker
This new-and-improved 5-watt combo amp in a tiny package, with that famous Marshall tone, is a new-and-improved offering in the legendary DSL series. You’ll discover per-channel gain and volume controls, as well as reverb and a 1 watt adjustable power level, so you can get the tones you want even when the volume is low. The line output features an accurate recreation of Marshall’s iconic 1960s speaker cab, and Marshall has also enhanced their tone-tweaking game with an upgraded EQ function; you can dial in your own sound, from clean to crunch and very high gain.
Two channels, 5 watts of power (adjustable to 1 watt), one built-in 10 inch Celestion Ten-30 speaker, two ECC83 preamp tubes, one ECC99/12BH7 power tube, one 1/4-inch (instrument), and one 1/8-inch (aux in) input, and two outputs (one 1/4-inch internal speaker, and one 1/8-inch Softube emulated out) are included in the DSL5CR. A 1/4-inch footswitch I/O, 3-band EQ, tone shift, deep, reverb, effects loop, and a 1/4-inch footswitch I/O (channel and effects loops; two-button footswitch included).
With two channels (traditional gain and ultra gain), this tone beast tube amps offers those iconic Marshall tones that have been such a part of music history, and you’re ready to ramp up some serious overdrive. The line output provides a very close replica of a Marshall 1960 cab, and the high and low power settings allow you to keep tonal quality on the shush. The revised EQ section also provides amazing tonal freedom, while the studio-grade digital reverb and rear-panel series effects loop put you in a great position to create your own sound.
Supro Blues King 12 Guitar Combo Amplifier (1812R)
- Captures the vintage Supro amp tone that sculpted the sound of early electric Rock & Roll and the British Invasion of the '60s
- A “single-ended” Class-A tube power amp provides these raw tonal characteristics and remarkable touch sensitivity, while delivering a full 15W of...
- Front-end gain is supplied by a 12AX7 tube preamp and a FET-driven, fat boost function
You get a classic Supro amp tone with the Blues King 12 combo, which helped establish that early electric Rock n’ Roll character. The Supro’s bespoke 12-inch BK12 speaker produces 15 watts of 6L6 tube power through the Blues King’s Class A low-watt tube amp. You get the same raw tonal characteristics as its early tube guitar amplifier siblings, as well as the same incredible touch sensitivity. Due to the bespoke 12-inch BK12 speaker, you also receive a balanced, rich tone that is specifically designed to reproduce the beauty of original field-coil speakers.
The Blues King comes with a 3-band EQ, master volume, custom-made analog spring reverb, a 12AX7 tube preamp, a FET-driven boost function, and the Pigtronix FAT high-gain mode, as well as a 12AX7 tube preamp, a FET-driven boost function, and the Pigtronix FAT high-gain mode. Thanks to the 12AX7 tube preamp, the audio output volume is gained up and fed to a 12AU7 triode power amp, you can enjoy the pure, unadulterated tone that defines the 1950s Supro sound unlike a fender 65 princeton reverb.
The Supro Delta King 12 could be the best low-watt tube amp for Blues enthusiasts on the market for guitar amps, as well as the best small, portable, and flexible valve 112 for guitar tone. With a bespoke 12-inch Supro speaker, three-band EQ, FET-driven Boost, Pigtronix FAT Mode, Spring Reverb, and a record Line Out, you get a complete 15-watt Combo Amp.
Due to its low pricing, the Supro Delta King 12 offers a wide spectrum of excellent cleans and driving tones, making it the most appealing Supro combo yet. It is without a doubt the best little tube amp for the money.