My parents, wife,myself and kiddos all got Covid early October and had a migraine daily for 25 days and have never dealt with migraines. Day 26 started getting a migraine but said f it and picked up my guitar for the first time in almost a month and started playing and the headache left and has never come back. Amazing what playing can do for us mentally
This is the Stage Right amp that has been sold by Monoprice for several years. I bought one for $199 american. It's a great practice amp. Several people checked out the Stage Right amps and all found them to be a good value. I'm not at all surprised that you like the amp. I really like mine. I like your guitar, it looks beautiful. Keep putting out good vids. You have always seemed honest to me.
Which is and always has been a near exact clone of the Laney CUB-12R. There is also a 5W version which is based on a Laney 5W or something like that IIRC.
@@pip5528 From looking at the PCB and the fact that it's a tube amp... As reliable as anything else analog. No frills and no digital junk added makes it as reliable as the JJ tubes and transformers. There's really nothing to go wrong with it.
@@pip5528 They used to put cheap Chinese tubes in it. One of mine failed in a month or so. I replaced it with JJ's. Luckily they come standard with JJ's now is my understanding. That's the only problem I had. These are fantastic for the price for any skill level player IMO. It's really fun to have a "real" tube amp to play with when you are starting out especially.
That amp sounds killer and that Chapman sounds even better. I notice that you tend to have a "disclaimer" whenever you play a Chapman guitar which stems from people in the past just unnecessarily shitting on you in the comments for using a Chapman guitar. It's your brand and something you're proud of and you should absolutely endorse. Any time I've had the pleasure of playing a Chapman guitar I've never been disappointed and was hard pressed to want to put it down. I think you wrongfully get hate for playing a Chapman, nobody hates on Ola for playing a SOLAR and no one hates on Paul Reed Smith for playing a PRS and neither of them apologize or give a disclaimer for endorsing their own line of guitars.
From time to time I've wondered why RC gets so much on line abuse, and I've boiled it down to the two reasons that I struggle with most. His taste in music being foremost. I really find metal/screech/raw rock, call it what you will, painful. Music can be divisive and endless distorted scales coupled to thrash metal power chords are too much for my ears and soul to cope with. Secondly his presenting style can come across as a bad mixture of Tony Blackburn and Ricky Gervais, from The Office. When he's being normal he talks sense, and does have a tremendous depth of knowledge, but it's marred by appearing to have an inflated ego (which I'm sure isn't the case). Nothing wrong with him plugging Chapman Guitars, I just believe guitars are a high form of functional art, I think Chapman Guitars are either rather unattractive or ridiculous looking. Having said that you have to admire his courage to set his stall out despite so many who mock him. He lives his life his way, for which he deserves respect. Regards P
@@phillipchadwick8269 No one has to like everything, but most have the good sense not to watch material they don't like. When I was a kid, there were legit like four TV channels. There was a 5th we could pick up by moving the antenna, but would lose two of the others. Back then people watched shit they hated and felt entitled to complain about how most TV was hot garbage. The little-used 6th channel called "reality" (aka "Off") was and remains wildly unpopular for some reason. UA-cam now has thousands of channels, but the best one -- the most consistent in terms of program quality -- remains that elusive 6th channel. There's even less justification now than there ever used to be for watching things you hate and then complaining about them.
I think the "shitting" stemmed from him being on andertons page, and self promoting his stuff in blind comparisons and competitions. But on his own page? he is no different than JHS or Wampler. His guitars are good products
Love the old Pesvey equipment. Have Peavey Comb bass amp. Classic 50 2-12 guitar amp from the 70s. XR700 pa console. 2 pa columns. Each housing 12" & 10" speakers plus 3 twetters. Those were the days.10"
Same amp as the monoprice stageright 15w amp just has the HB name on it. It's just a Laney cub12r circuit board but with real spring reverb instead of the digital one of the Laney and it has a different enclosure and speaker than the Laney. I have the stageright version and love it.
@@wraith1977 stock 70/80 speaker sucks and i had to use a label maker to make something you could actually read for the knobs since the chrome sucks but other than that no complaints. Sounds great running through my 4x12. I'm really considering removing the speaker and cutting the cab down and making it a head.
@@bradnewport7896 I've been playing it through a cabinet that has some greenbacks. It sounds solid but I think I need to find a better speaker pairing.
Hey guys, I spoke to Harley Benton regarding the comments about this amp being the same as some other brands (It was news to me) and here is the reply straight from Harley himself: “"Yes, more or less the same amp. The HB has however some major modifications done by one of our service center magicians. The power attenuation is much better in the HB amp, and we use far better tubes too, tested for 48 hours and hand matched. So no need for Bias if you guys want to change them”
Rob if you think you’re having a hard time seeing the settings now, just wait a few more years! It doesn’t get any better. You’re going to love grey text on silver background in low light! That amp sounds awesome.
@Eric Sanders Might well be. 20/20 people need +1 or +2 glasses at middle age, you start at -3 or something, and go up to -1 or maybe even 0. It's the same phenomenon, but with different starting points.
@Eric Sanders Good for you, nothing appears to be what it seems, take nothing for granted, my friend. Still reading glasses seem inevitable for all of us at a certain age. For the nearsighted, this means that the prescription of glasses decreases, as you have experienced. :)
I like Kratom too but it has had zero influence on my need for glasses. It's an opiod it doesn't interact with your vision. Unless you took ungodly amounts, fell asleep and had dreams.
The "Stage Right" Monoprice amp is the same as this amp, this version is just sold under Harley Benton. I own the Monoprice amp (again same as this) and a Harley Benton SC-450plus (LP copy with a coil split). The whole rig cost under $400 shipped to my door. The guitar is great--true alnico pickups, real mahogany body no dead frets/sharp ends. The amp is fantastic--a true tube amp with a real celestion 12 inch speaker, attenuator to drop down to 1 watt from 15, and real spring reverb. We live in a golden age of affordable guitars and gear!
Glad to see you're mostly recovered! That amp is outstanding. Monoprice sells the exact same valve amp in the US under the name "stage right", and I got one as a gift. It's pretty outstanding straight out of the box. My guess is it's made in China and sold to retailers to brand as their own.
Sorry.... Rusty playing? Would that be the perfectly executed rake bending, or the perfectly executed vibrato bends that ring out forever? Or the fact that you're always on time, always in key? 😄 I believe my very best friend, Thor (yes, that's his real name) owns this very amp, and has, since shortly after they launched it, and he's quite a fan. Now, after hearing it properly rocked by the Chappers, I'm sold!! (Moreso.) Thanks for taking the time to review this gem!
I just love the guy. A straight up honest enthusiast of guitar playing and music in general with no intention to look snob or anything like that. Him liking the amp, solidifies my will to buy one. Rob, thanks for your review man. I enjoyed it. Cheers.
Would you consider a guitar buyer's guide vid, choosing the right type/spec guitar for different buyers needs? Maybe using the whole Chapman range to highlight different pros and cons for individuals requirements. I know feel and connection is key, but with so many brought online with no chance to interact tangibly before buying for many, advise by experts very welcome and needed
Rusty Chapman still sounds better than a lot of guitarists on youtube! It's hard to tell if the amp is really good or if it's Rob's gear that is amazing. This guitar sounds ridiculously good and the pedalboard is incredible too. Anyway as it's a tube amp, you can still improve it by putting some Mullards in it, playing it for hours to ease the fresh and stiff speaker (or simply plug an mp3 or an old smartphone with music in loop, the speaker only needs to vibrate for at least 30 hours to sound fine).
When I was doing Music Fair shows for Bugera, I made friends with Matthias Arp...long time ago...he was a very kind guy and a player...OMG...and never, never we have been influenced by the “tie wearers” of the companies, just rock'n roll friends having fun with the gear ;-) Glad to hear there's someone remembering him as well.
The best deal in a righteous valve amp! I bought one this year and my son and I love it! Plenty of gain and this dude gets loud! Mine has a different Celestion speaker - the “Hot 100”. Which sounds great. I love the 1 watt “practice” feature, even at 1 watt it is LOUD, when cranked. Don’t miss this one! Essentially a Fender Blues Jr and many other 15 w valve amps.
I bought the Monoprice version (same), and omg.... I gave my solid state amp to my dad and i now totally get the Tubes craze.. Plugged right in, and my guitar sounded great almost immediately.. Barely any fiddling and the tone was AMAZING! It blows my mind that people still buy modelers or solid states for the same price...
yeah this beats the sh** out of your Fender Mustang modeler any day of the week for about the same price. (that said.. I used to have a Mustang and was impressed by it in general. But nothing beats real tubes imo)
@@ToneSherpa fender modelers are bottom of the barrel, katana is middle of the road and helix/kemper/axe beat the crap out of this amp. People probably get cheap modelers for silent practicing and recording, thats what i have the nux 300 and plugins for.
I have the smaller, 5 watt version of this amp, by Monoprice. I bought it when they first came out, for less than $100 U.S. I love that little amp and jam on it every day. If anything ever happens to it, I'll be buying the 15 watt version, for sure. They're absolutely awesome!👍😎🎸🎶
It's essentially the same amp as the Laney Cub 12R, only with a real reverb tank, not a digital emulation. The Laney, Monoprice, and Harley Benton amps are all made by Sinoamp. Right now the H-B is $222 plus shipping, the Monoprice is currently on sale for $212.49 with free shipping, and Monoprice's 50W tube combo with the same 12" speaker as the 15W is on sale for $400.
I bought the 15w from monoprice yesterday. Anxious to try it out. I was wondering if Monoprice OEMs all their gear from just one of these places like Harley or if it's a mix of manufactures.
I have the "Stage Right" Monoprice version. I replaced the reverb tank with a three spring tank and replaced the Celestion 70/80 with a Cream Back. She really, really rocks now. I also marvel at the volume that the amp puts out on the one watt setting.
WGS ET 65 is the cheaper and very decent way to go for Creamback type speaker. It's a common upgrade for these. Also $30 MOD 3 spring reverb tank is another great upgrade and piece of piss to install.
I bought the Monoprice version from Amazon. For the $200 it’s a capable and decent sounding tube amp. I was having a bit of guilt for buying it unnecessary (I have several amps) and decided to return it, not because I didn’t like it but I wasn’t completely in love with it. The tone stack seems a bit too subtle for me…seems dark even with bass rolled off a treble boosted. Anyway, when I attempted to return it Amazon said item was not returnable….? So I opened a chat with Customer Service and after a bit of back and forth they said they would issue a full refund and I could KEEP the amp! Needless to say, I’ve since made better friends with the amp now that it cost me nothing. There are some quality issues with it….my tube retainers rattle at higher volume, the jacks seem flimsy, and tolex has some sloppy glue splatter on it here and there. Other than that, I’m pleased as punch to own one for zero dollars! I’ll definitely be doing some small upgrades and tweaks. I may even build a finger-jointed pine cabinet for it with a 1x15. The cheap MDF cabinets that most budget amps are housed in is usually one of the biggest downfalls. Yes, MDF is dense and acoustically a decent material in theory, it’s not roadworthy at all and barely able to hold screws. A rehoused version of this amp will certainly get some attention from boutique amp owners. We’ll see! Cheers
So much better than expected. Having the 1W switch is good to get that crunch without excess volume. Try and buy the speaker and the tubes for less than the price.
I know right? You would definitely struggle to get the speaker and tubes for that price, I know these have been around a while but I’ve never dipped my toe into the world of Harley Benton, think I’m going to pull the trigger on one of these amps the weekend
Glad you're feeling better, Rob. Hope your family members are all well too. My family of four here in the states all got Covid a month ago. Absolutely SUCKED, but luckily no hospital visits, and we're all nearly back to normal. Love your playing.
Fantastic review of one helluva good amp! Own this TUBE 15 and a Harley Benton Fusion 111. Used to think I'd need to take the name HB off these instruments cuz they're considered low-end models. Nowadays, I pretty damn proud to flaunt the Harley Benton name itself...their shit rocks and it's getting betta and betta! Thanks, Rob, for a thorough review
Really good amp for the money! Modded mine with a Celestion Blue Bulldog, new front panel from birch multiplex and new tubes from JJ. Now its a killer Amp 😎
Great value. Asian manufacturing has come a long way in recent years. Here's another thing I never thought I'd say, Idonesian guitar manufacture is excellent. I bought a jazz guitar a couple of years ago that was made in Indonesia for $349 new. The neck was smooth and the frets were finished perfectly. It plays like a dream.
I picked up an evh wolfgang standard and a couple of kramers that are made in Indonesia and they've all had killer necks and frets. Whatever they're doing in the Indonesian factories, they have that shit down.
The C is nasty. Glad you kicked it! The exhaustion hangs on for weeks afterward, so hang in there. You WILL get back to normal in time. Sounds grrrrrrreat! @ 13:18 it goes to into a beautiful cascading gain!
Rather small cabinet size for having a 12" driver in it. Seems to work though. Big props to Harley Benton for making another low-buck, high-value product!
Hmmm. Been looking for a second small valve combo for a two amp set up for a while. Stumbled across this amp yesterday. Searched again, found you. The Chappers seal of approval is worth a lot. Sold! 😊❤👍🏼🎸
I am absolutely amazed and some of the quality these so called smaller brands are putting out these days with there amps and guitars, mesmerising!! Harley benton and JHS Vintage guitars are unbelievable bang for your buck. The smaller brands are actually giving you better value for money than Fender, Gibson, PRS etc for the ridiculous prices they charge. I use to be guilty of being a guitar snob, I'm a strat player and wouldn't by a strat unless it had Fender on the headstock. Owner of a mexican standard, a player series, American performer, made in Japan 60's(my longest serving guitar), my favourite strat is my made in mexico roadhouse deluxe, i actually purchased it over a pro 2 i saved up for as i preferred the sound of it. Then last year i discovered Vintage guitars and tried some out, couldn't believe what i got for the money, bought the vintage hendrix strat, then i bought my first telecaster the vintage v52 as the bridge pup is a beast! Thought no one could compete at that price point, then was at a pals and he had a Harley benton strat in natural swamp ash, tried that and when he told me the price, i politley said fuck off, no way! So i bought one and absolutely love it. The big brands want to start looking at what the wee brands are doing because one day the next generation of guitar players are going to realise all this made in America is actually pure and utter pish and that you dont need to spend thousands anymore. The thing is, the big brands live off there history and the historic players and what a history it is indeed. But we move forward in time and everything evolves, the wee brands are evolving and giving us more value than the big lads. They are stuck in the past, perfect example is Gibson, same old but getting more expensive, there new Slash range was a flop because the last few generations aint into guns and roses. What people are realising and doing now is buying a smaller brand guitar that is of brilliant build quality, upgrading pups and electronics etc the name on the headstock is starting to mean less now, its more what can i buy thats sounds good and plays good for less. I will still keep my Fenders but the brand dosent excite me anymore. I get more excited about what the wee brands are going to do next, i can only imagine what Thoman with the Harley Benton range could produce with a £500-£600 budget i mean they are already putting stainless steel frets on some of there guitars, crazy! I believe what will happen is in the future, we are going to have some new bands/artsists superstars, the next, ac dc/guns and roses, SRV, Hendrix, Gary Moore etc icons who wont be playing with a big brand guitar, and all there young fans who are inspired by them and idolise them will be buying Harley Bentons or Vintage or Sire's Again well done to Harley benton, the amp sounded epic for an amazing price 👏 👍 👌 Ps hope you and the Chappers family are doing well and hope to see more vids of you and elcapitano on Andertons as the banter between use 2 dudes is epic!!
I bought this amp a while back and made a few mods. First, I was going to upgrade the valves, but I didn't have to! It had great quality JJs in it already. Second, I upgraded the spring reverb to a three spring, gives it a bit more even sound with a touch less high springy sound. Third, and the biggest mod, I put a UK made Celestion Alnico Blue in it. That gave it a really nice extra vintage punch! Looking at the specs, it was very close to the circuit of a Vox AC15, unfortunately, I can only tell by physically looking at what I can see, since the schematic is a mystery, not to be found anywhere. My other annoyance, the hardwired lead. I may make that mod when It needs it. I believe the Celestion Green Ceramic is also a good choice for those that like that sound. I would stick to a 15 watt rated speaker, since the efficiency is balanced for the power output.
Hello, i plan to change the spring reverb tank like you did (because i don't really like the tail of the stock one) : do you hear a serious improvement ? Thank you
It is a copy of Laney Cub 12r and PDF with schematics is all over the internet. That is why this StageRight or Monoprice or HB Tube 15 has so many mods.
Just got one for 250 € and I've playing with it since yesterday, non-stop. It's my first tube amp and I'm loving it! I see just one little fault so far: it doesn't have an headphone out. Oh well, I'll use my old Hiwatt Maxwatt G15 8 as a headphone amp now!
Nice review Rob, thanks. Word on the grapevine is that this is the Laney Cub Super 12 in a different cabinet, and minus the boost button. It certainly sounds like it. For the price it's a steal.
Hey seriously: What a review! My specific questions answered. Initially not knowing about the price turns out to be the ultimate predisposition for a review. Why do not more reviewers do that?! And also the aspect of stepping into a relation between instrument and amp. Actually the killer-criteria! Great! Decision's made!
Companies like Thoman and Sawtooth have to really be getting under the big name brand's skin at this point. They are putting out amazing musical equipment at crazy prices. That amp is really great I'm definitely buying one!
@@Anjohl the aveage HB still sells at 160 bucks, lol hardly a difference it's still a no brainer, seeing as the cheap models of the bigger brands are the same chinesium shite that usually is plagued with all the same little nitpicks ibanez never created a guitar under 300 bucks that wasn't absolute gash unless it's yamaha, i'm not really running warm for it i have a 140 buck jackson, which is pretty nice, pickups are great , but it's not nearly as complete as HB's offerings at the same price most 160 buck A brand guitars are shit, there i said it my main axe is a HSS partscaster, i couldn't give a shit what brand it is (but it's a "vintage" some UK brand), as it plays perfectly fine and feels great.
Yeah I'm getting the head. I don't even need one I have a DSL401 but fk it.... I'll use the Marshall cab and pretend that I needed a second amp to hold me over until I can afford a mini Plexi... who needs food anyway.
Those amps were first made by monoprice for around $200 a couple of years ago, they called theirs "stage right". H.B. started making them recently but they're exactly the same as the monoprice ones! I don't like the boxy sound of a combo but would love to hear one through a 212 or 412 cabinet. As far as Asian made tube amps my favorites are the Blackstar ht series and the Bugera g series.
I've wondered if the Stage Right were basically same amps. As far as the Bugera amps, I bought a V22 Infinium used for asking price of $250.00 USD and I cannot find why anyone can complain about it. Go in realizing its going to sound more VOXY ACx than Marshally when cranked , and cleans up like a Fender Deluxe. Eventually I'll try better tubes, maybe a speaker upgrade but for now its doing everything I ask it to do.
I have 1 of these. ( ONLY 1 in Oz! ) It's ok, cabinet is particle board so not the best. It came broken so I GOT my $ back, & got to keep it! Breaks up way too early however. Thru better speakers, it punches WAY above its weight! Reverb is really good!
I bought a Stage Right from monoprice yesterday. I'll take a swing at it and let you know what I think. That and $5 will get you a coffee at staryucks. UPDATE: Got the amp a week after purchase. I think it sounds great. Loud enough, gain-y enough for some heavy playing. I'll take this amp any day for 2 bills.
Hey there! Since you mentioned a Bugera amp, I’m curious if you’re also familiar with the Bugera V22 combo tube amp. The reason I ask is because I really enjoy the sound of the Harley Benton and am considering selling my Bugera and replacing it with the Benton (or Stage Right since they’re apparently the same and I live in the US). My reasoning is that I feel the Stage Right or Benton offers a thicker and more full sound. I like my Bugera but find it to be better suited for classic rock in the style of maybe Boston or Lynyrd Skynyrd, when I’m looking for more of an indie rock and grunge gain sound. I love the breakup tone of tunes like Yellow Ledbetter and the thumpy palm muted tone of Soundgarden (a la Fell On Black Days). I’ve considered swapping the V22’s speaker, though wouldn’t know where to start or if it would make more sense to just buy a Stage Right. Anyway, since you seem familiar with both brands I figure you might also be familiar with the V22 specifically and would be willing to offer some feedback on what route you’d go if in my situation. Thanks for any advice you can provide.
I have 3 of the Monoprice version for wet/dry/wet, and they are very neutral sounding amps. No Marshall or Vox AC personality. I send my guitar signal through a Radial Engineering Shotgun which gives me 4 amp outputs . So I can put 3x through an array of amp modelers like the UA Audio Dream/Ruby/Woodrow (Someday. I don't have these. I have Mooer pedals that do the same thing). So for under $1,000 I can emulate a couple thousand dollars worth of amps. I thought about upgrading the speakers, but greenbacks and creambacks are not as neutral as what's in the cabinet now.
This just like Monoprices amp. Years ago their model came with a plastic reverb tank (It was blue) and then a few years ago they switched to a metal reverb tank. Now its a decent reverb tank in theirs. Id read last year that Harley Benton was going to release their own version of this. A lot of people like these amps, usually the made in China tubes and speakers are only complaints. I almost bought one years ago. Anyone who buys one now is lucky to be getting like the 3rd revision of these.
Let me guess it's got real spring reverb, you can take it from 15 watts down to one watt with the little button in the front. it's got a tone knob, with low, mid, high, knob, and master volume and gain knob. You can do 8 to 16 extension cab. it's got an effects loop and it's got a celestion 70 80 speaker in it.
great demo. i bought this amp a week ago and I'm VERY happy with it. I noticed that some of my guitars that I struggle with the overall tone when paired with my other amps sound great through this little gem. And the effects loop is fantastic, makes me lament that my main gigging amp doesn't have one. Now I'm on the hunt for something similar to this but just a bit bigger, something that could keep up with a drummer and not necessarily need to be mic'd for smallish clubs. Love your playing and will be looking for you more, and not just on the youtubes, gonna find your discography and see what's up. Thanks again.
Looks a great little amp for the money. I wonder how it compares with the Mighty-15th from the same brand? Don't shoot me but I'm tempted with a head version over a second hand Marshall DSL20hr as (even being a die-hard Marshall user) their reliability worries me a bit.
Finally beginning to get back to normal from the Covid, myself. 5 freakin weeks! It's no joke! I thought it was a crock before I got it. Not anymore. Glad you're feeling better.
It just goes to show that you can get great sound out of an affordable rig. I think that many of these companies are making house lines based on the amps they build for the big name companies slapping a twist on cab colors and names and selling them reasonably priced. There are so many big name companies whose valve amps are made over in the Asian countries and people are not even aware of it. Then when they see an off brand name that is made in China, Malaysia, Indonesia, or Taiwan that they automatically assume they are garbage. That just isn't the case at all many have been making big name amps there for years now and nobody is the wiser and is still paying premium and sometimes boutique prices for them. If the Harley Benton amp is made by the same company making the StageRight line of amplifiers there is definitely a reason they are spot on as these are clones of early model Marshall amps. Another really good amp coming out of the East is Wangs which are modeled after Marshall and Vox amps the construction is amazing.
I agree with MOST of what you said, hoss... But one lil "correction", if I may; These are DEFINITELY NOT clones of "early Marshalls", I believe you meant that early Marshalls were clones of the Fender Bassman... THESE are VERY similar to and have almost the same wiring schematic as the Laney Cub... But otherwise, I agree! Have a good day, hoss!
@@ck2music712 what is funny is that most valve amps are based off the early Fender models but for the sake of not infringing on patents they change up some features and the type of valves used so that it is not identical.
@@killacoiler1707 I've HEARD that the main reason that Marshall came about was that Jim Marshall couldn't keep Fender Bassmans in stock, and up until then, you couldn't get American products, and it really costly to import them, so he sat about making his own version with the widely available British parts...
I bought this about 6 months ago and the perfect bedroom amp. My other amp is a Marshall and way to loud for a practice amp. Enjoy your videos. Thanks.
I have a harley benton 5 watt amp all valve and it came with good quality valves pre installed. It's an amazing amp, I purchased it 13 years ago and it was £80.00 brand new.
Excellent review Chappers. Like the majority of us, we haven't a fortune to spend and we can become disillusioned when we can't afford the high-end stuff. Your opinion is very much valued and it means that we can hold our heads high when we say we use Harley Benton stuff. I see so many reviews that completely validate HB stuff, surely the high end guys must be embarrassed to charge the money they do for stuff that's (arguably) marginally better! Subscribed mate!
"surely the high end guys must be embarrassed to charge the money they do for stuff that's (arguably) marginally better!" Why would they be embarrassed for producing and marketing original designs for market prices? Nobody has to buy anything at any price, but people pay what their are willing to part with, and this is precisely what determines the value of goods in an ideal free market (though nowhere in the world exists a *truly* free market, let it be known.) The fact that other companies are able to take the model put forth by those pioneers and economize by cutting corners in the quality of materials and production -- not to mentioning capitalizing on lower costs of labor, taxes, and other logistical things in different nations and environs -- and all manner of other obvious things which comprise one of the most popular, extant contemporary business models shouldn't be surprising to anyone who was not born yesterday and is still alive and aware.
Eh, used deal hunting is the best way to get your dream gear. My Peavey Classic 30 isn't exactly dream gear, but you can get the old American made ones for half msrp. Although these Monoprice/HB amps have piques my curiosity.
Rob I have watched your videos throughout the years and really enjoy and find them informative. Thank you. And about 2 weeks ago I went into Guitar Center just picking up guitars to get some happiness. Held 20 guitars in my hands that day never plugged them in, just getting a feel for them. When I sat down with a Chapman I found what I was looking for. I didn't buy that day but Santa is coming soon!
Rob, Just stumbled upon you review of the Harley Benton amp. Great amp for the price. It is built in several locations (China, Indonesia & Vietnam) and is also the same exact amp as Monoprice's "Stage Right" amp. Same amp, just name change for a different company. It really sounds great through a 4 - 12 cabinet. Glad you are on the mend. Thanks for all your equipment reviews.
I have the somewhat more expensive gear4music Hartwood branded version. That has exactly the same circuit, switches and pots, but a Vintage 30 speaker instead of the Seventy80. It also has a plywood case where the SR/HB one is MDF, and green vinyl instead of the off-white Tolex. The plate is black with white print. Oh, and originally Hartwood specified JJ valves/tubes, but they have now dropped that from their spec. Mine came with JJ power tubes, but no-brand pre-amp tubes.
big emphasis on the 'all tube' aspect of this.... sorry, didn't quite catch which rectifier 'tube' is used? BTW, sorry to hear about your plauge experience. Glad you and yours are recovering.
If I didn't already own a Bassbreaker 15 (Thanks for the recommendation all those years ago Rob!) I might've bought this and been really happy with it. But I have a Bassbreaker so I don't need another amp ever. :)
@@marcherwig8060 ah yeah, sorry. Prices over the other side of ocean. Here it is sub 800. Sorry, over the pond it is stupidly expensive for what it is. For 1200 forget it and get Friedman. But for high end, I was thinking stuff like Morgan, Two Rock, Bad Cat, Matchless and similar brands.
I had one of these, but it was branded "Monoprice 15 Watt Stage Right All Tube Amp", and I LOVED it... I'm a "dual" type dude; I LOVE super clean Fender-y sounds, but I also LOVE Metallica style/Mesa high gain crunch, and it was GREAT with pedals... Breaks my heart that I sold it, but I'm a stay-at-home Dad, and could never get outside to my studio, so I bought a Positive Grid Spark for my bedroom... Which is great, but I just HAVE to have one of these again for gifting... Great video as usual, Chap...
Great review. Great demonstration. Everything sounds so good. The amp. The settings. The guitar. Perfectly tuned. The acoustics of the studio. The Playing, not even a hint of a bum note. Refreshing review.
I had one of these for about 2 years and I honestly regret parting with it. Great little grab and go sized JCM800 style amp. A v30, a speaker which I usually dislike, turns this into an amp that works just about everywhere you might wanna take it.
It is a rebranded Laney Cub 12. At least the monoprice is as it is branded right on the circuit board. I put a wgs12 inch I think 75 12 cs or something, with a set of older amperex tubes from Holland in it, adjusted the bias, mine came at -7.09 volts, adjustewd it to a -12.29 per Laney spec. It is a great amp, I got the speaker used so I have just over 210 usd in it as I bought it for 173 usd. They are great amps for the money.
I don't know if somebody's already said this, but a lot of these style amps, Monoprice as well,, are actually Laney Cub 15rs. With the laney, you pay more but get a much better cab.
it weighs just a bit more than a small tube head, but already is a full rig, quite loud while at it...aaaand with an option to be used as a head and drive a bigger speaker if available at the venue... very good review, a first one that shows that amps own high gain setting is quite potent and actually very usable...thank you! i wonder if the internal speaker is defeated if the external cab is being driven (this should be quite the same as Laney cub12r and Monoprice amp in the US)
I have the 5 watt. Replaced the speaker with a Warehouse Ceramic (it's better than the alnico in this amp) and new tubes (Ay7 and a genalex 6v6.) It's a beauty.
The Harley Bentons are about 250 euro over here. Great value for money but I suggest to look for a decent second hand. Last week I bought a almost unused Koch 50W combo for 300 Euro. Now that is value for money.
I owned the original Monoprice Stageright model for all of a few months before selling it off after even the gnarliest preamp pedals put into the FX return weren't delivering me enough gain and harmonic response. Nowadays I'm a DAW plugin player Also the boss katana delivers what I needed. But plugins are my go-to.
Same. This isnt bad per se but its a dinosaur type of product. If i was to play tube amps it would be in a dedicated space where i can move air with a full stack. Bedroom playing, modelers and plugins all the way.
I put Celestion Creamback G12H-75, bias new output tubes, put Mullard NOS in V1, Telefunken and another tube at my discretion, installed bias for V1 position and the amp got more treble, three-wire reverb, it now sounds like $1500.
The amp and gitar sound really good. HB has some suprisingly good amps sometimes. I remember the Harley Benton VT30 - Tube Amp Combo FULL DEMO (hp42 video title) and that thing sounded amazing. It might very well be the big older brother of this one.
This is a fantastic value option and no need endorsement because we know that already, but if you have a little more money, look on the down left corner... 🙂
Nice review, Rob! I have the Stage Right, and for my guitars I find I keep "Tone" at 10, "Treble" between 8-10, and "Bass" at 5. I vary the "Middle" depending on the guitar, and I find I am able to get a very nice VERY CLEAN, but loud sound, and also can do the "edge of breakup" (more easily with humbuckers). I also put an EQ pedal in the loop, to boost the very high frequencies, and I find it to be very sparkly. I use an LPB-1 pedal in front to boost the volume for leads, and it works really well. Overall, it is a SUPER amp for playing around the house, and has worked well at band practice and an outdoor show. It's whetted my appetite for something built a little more sturdily, but I recommend it heartily.
@@alafenetre81 More than loud enough to play along with records in the house. Loud enough to be heard unmiked in a band situation with multiple guitars, drums and vocals.
A youtuber suggest a great setting for Fender Champ amps which seem to apply here as well. Turn the tone controls all the way off, turn the volume up. So try the following for the Monoprice. Set TONE to 5 (or higher), Set BASS to 0, MID to 5 (or higher), TREBLE to 0. Set Gain to 10, Volume to 5 (or higher). By keeping the Bass and Treble at zero and playing with the Mids this creates a whole new amp (JCM 800 ish ??)
Very nice demo, I really enjoyed this along with your playing. Wouldn't have been able to hear "rusty" at all. Yeah, that one just went on the shopping list for real🤓☺️! Thanks, keep it up, beautiful studio and presentation! 🙏
We seem to be living in the glory days of quality affordable guitars and amps. It’s hard to believe today for 1000 euros you can get a good playable guitar that stays in tune and is properly intonated, and a tube amp, and a few pedals AND it will make glorious sounds. With a computer, a couple hundred more for a a/d converter and some mikes and you have a home studio I remember my first amp (solid state 10” 10 amp crate) 30 odd years ago in university. It was impossible to get a good time out of it. It was either bright and tinny or muddy/flabby bass. I still have it, and it still sounds like crap. I was seriously considering a 15 amp 12” tube combo but ended up getting a wangs mini 5 amp tube amp and Harley Benton 2X12 cab. The amp is a glorious clean tube head and deserves more reviews. And 5 amps is surprisingly loud through a 2X12, I rarely turn it past 9 o’clock.
The only weakness of this amp is the speaker. In my opinion the best speaker for it is the Eminence Swamp Thang. I changed the tubes to high quality ones and the speaker and now it's the best little tube amp that I can imagine.
My parents, wife,myself and kiddos all got Covid early October and had a migraine daily for 25 days and have never dealt with migraines. Day 26 started getting a migraine but said f it and picked up my guitar for the first time in almost a month and started playing and the headache left and has never come back. Amazing what playing can do for us mentally
did you catch it from your Chinese gear ? 😉
@@vincentl.9469better drop your chinese made phone on the floor then
This is the Stage Right amp that has been sold by Monoprice for several years. I bought one for $199 american. It's a great practice amp. Several people checked out the Stage Right amps and all found them to be a good value. I'm not at all surprised that you like the amp. I really like mine. I like your guitar, it looks beautiful. Keep putting out good vids. You have always seemed honest to me.
Which is and always has been a near exact clone of the Laney CUB-12R. There is also a 5W version which is based on a Laney 5W or something like that IIRC.
@@nesicus and the 5w one is only $119….for a tube amp! Insanity.
My big question is how reliable is it?
@@pip5528 From looking at the PCB and the fact that it's a tube amp... As reliable as anything else analog.
No frills and no digital junk added makes it as reliable as the JJ tubes and transformers.
There's really nothing to go wrong with it.
@@pip5528 They used to put cheap Chinese tubes in it. One of mine failed in a month or so. I replaced it with JJ's. Luckily they come standard with JJ's now is my understanding. That's the only problem I had. These are fantastic for the price for any skill level player IMO. It's really fun to have a "real" tube amp to play with when you are starting out especially.
That amp sounds killer and that Chapman sounds even better. I notice that you tend to have a "disclaimer" whenever you play a Chapman guitar which stems from people in the past just unnecessarily shitting on you in the comments for using a Chapman guitar. It's your brand and something you're proud of and you should absolutely endorse. Any time I've had the pleasure of playing a Chapman guitar I've never been disappointed and was hard pressed to want to put it down. I think you wrongfully get hate for playing a Chapman, nobody hates on Ola for playing a SOLAR and no one hates on Paul Reed Smith for playing a PRS and neither of them apologize or give a disclaimer for endorsing their own line of guitars.
RC is too nice, which makes people want to talk sh*t about him, for some reason.
Thank you for writing what I, and I assume others are thinking. Rob, you deserve to champion Chapmans wherever you go.
From time to time I've wondered why RC gets so much on line abuse, and I've boiled it down to the two reasons that I struggle with most. His taste in music being foremost. I really find metal/screech/raw rock, call it what you will, painful. Music can be divisive and endless distorted scales coupled to thrash metal power chords are too much for my ears and soul to cope with. Secondly his presenting style can come across as a bad mixture of Tony Blackburn and Ricky Gervais, from The Office. When he's being normal he talks sense, and does have a tremendous depth of knowledge, but it's marred by appearing to have an inflated ego (which I'm sure isn't the case). Nothing wrong with him plugging Chapman Guitars, I just believe guitars are a high form of functional art, I think Chapman Guitars are either rather unattractive or ridiculous looking.
Having said that you have to admire his courage to set his stall out despite so many who mock him. He lives his life his way, for which he deserves respect. Regards P
@@phillipchadwick8269 No one has to like everything, but most have the good sense not to watch material they don't like.
When I was a kid, there were legit like four TV channels. There was a 5th we could pick up by moving the antenna, but would lose two of the others. Back then people watched shit they hated and felt entitled to complain about how most TV was hot garbage. The little-used 6th channel called "reality" (aka "Off") was and remains wildly unpopular for some reason.
UA-cam now has thousands of channels, but the best one -- the most consistent in terms of program quality -- remains that elusive 6th channel.
There's even less justification now than there ever used to be for watching things you hate and then complaining about them.
I think the "shitting" stemmed from him being on andertons page, and self promoting his stuff in blind comparisons and competitions. But on his own page? he is no different than JHS or Wampler. His guitars are good products
I love watching old Lynyrd Skynyrd concerts with the old Peavey Amplifiers. Peavey stuff was all the rage when I was growing up.
Love the old Pesvey equipment. Have Peavey Comb bass amp. Classic 50 2-12 guitar amp from the 70s. XR700 pa console. 2 pa columns. Each housing 12" & 10" speakers plus 3 twetters. Those were the days.10"
Rob. Your “rusty” playing will always be way better than my “top of my game playing” any day. Glad you are feeling better.
Steve... You wanna bet my playing is even worse than yours?
Same amp as the monoprice stageright 15w amp just has the HB name on it. It's just a Laney cub12r circuit board but with real spring reverb instead of the digital one of the Laney and it has a different enclosure and speaker than the Laney. I have the stageright version and love it.
Yup! I bought one on clearance years ago for $150 USD
@@wraith1977 stock 70/80 speaker sucks and i had to use a label maker to make something you could actually read for the knobs since the chrome sucks but other than that no complaints. Sounds great running through my 4x12. I'm really considering removing the speaker and cutting the cab down and making it a head.
@@bradnewport7896 I’ve been thinking the same thing. I might put a cream back in it.
@@bradnewport7896 I've been playing it through a cabinet that has some greenbacks. It sounds solid but I think I need to find a better speaker pairing.
So the external speaker out bypasses the built-in speaker? 'Cause I've been looking for a good place to start with tubes, and this is promising.
Hey guys, I spoke to Harley Benton regarding the comments about this amp being the same as some other brands (It was news to me) and here is the reply straight from Harley himself:
“"Yes, more or less the same amp. The HB has however some major modifications done by one of our service center magicians. The power attenuation is much better in the HB amp, and we use far better tubes too, tested for 48 hours and hand matched. So no need for Bias if you guys want to change them”
an amp like that by Vox or fender will cost a lot more ..and not sound any better
Harley isn’t a person. This is a product name from the German guitar seller Thomann;
Dang. I play a super champ and a Supro Delta King. Think I'll add this amp - too good not to for that price!
Rob if you think you’re having a hard time seeing the settings now, just wait a few more years! It doesn’t get any better. You’re going to love grey text on silver background in low light! That amp sounds awesome.
@Eric Sanders It's age doing that, not kratom. ;)
@Eric Sanders Might well be. 20/20 people need +1 or +2 glasses at middle age, you start at -3 or something, and go up to -1 or maybe even 0. It's the same phenomenon, but with different starting points.
@Eric Sanders Good for you, nothing appears to be what it seems, take nothing for granted, my friend. Still reading glasses seem inevitable for all of us at a certain age. For the nearsighted, this means that the prescription of glasses decreases, as you have experienced. :)
@@Lamz.. Sick! I might make it to -6 if I'm lucky+
I like Kratom too but it has had zero influence on my need for glasses. It's an opiod it doesn't interact with your vision. Unless you took ungodly amounts, fell asleep and had dreams.
The "Stage Right" Monoprice amp is the same as this amp, this version is just sold under Harley Benton. I own the Monoprice amp (again same as this) and a Harley Benton SC-450plus (LP copy with a coil split). The whole rig cost under $400 shipped to my door. The guitar is great--true alnico pickups, real mahogany body no dead frets/sharp ends. The amp is fantastic--a true tube amp with a real celestion 12 inch speaker, attenuator to drop down to 1 watt from 15, and real spring reverb. We live in a golden age of affordable guitars and gear!
Glad to see you're mostly recovered!
That amp is outstanding. Monoprice sells the exact same valve amp in the US under the name "stage right", and I got one as a gift. It's pretty outstanding straight out of the box. My guess is it's made in China and sold to retailers to brand as their own.
I have it as well. i mainly use it as my practice amp and I absolutely love running my Rat Pack pedal in front and it's a beast!
Sorry.... Rusty playing? Would that be the perfectly executed rake bending, or the perfectly executed vibrato bends that ring out forever? Or the fact that you're always on time, always in key? 😄 I believe my very best friend, Thor (yes, that's his real name) owns this very amp, and has, since shortly after they launched it, and he's quite a fan. Now, after hearing it properly rocked by the Chappers, I'm sold!! (Moreso.) Thanks for taking the time to review this gem!
I just love the guy. A straight up honest enthusiast of guitar playing and music in general with no intention to look snob or anything like that.
Him liking the amp, solidifies my will to buy one.
Rob, thanks for your review man.
I enjoyed it.
Cheers.
Would you consider a guitar buyer's guide vid, choosing the right type/spec guitar for different buyers needs? Maybe using the whole Chapman range to highlight different pros and cons for individuals requirements. I know feel and connection is key, but with so many brought online with no chance to interact tangibly before buying for many, advise by experts very welcome and needed
Rusty Chapman still sounds better than a lot of guitarists on youtube! It's hard to tell if the amp is really good or if it's Rob's gear that is amazing. This guitar sounds ridiculously good and the pedalboard is incredible too. Anyway as it's a tube amp, you can still improve it by putting some Mullards in it, playing it for hours to ease the fresh and stiff speaker (or simply plug an mp3 or an old smartphone with music in loop, the speaker only needs to vibrate for at least 30 hours to sound fine).
When I was doing Music Fair shows for Bugera, I made friends with Matthias Arp...long time ago...he was a very kind guy and a player...OMG...and never, never we have been influenced by the “tie wearers” of the companies, just rock'n roll friends having fun with the gear ;-) Glad to hear there's someone remembering him as well.
The best deal in a righteous valve amp! I bought one this year and my son and I love it! Plenty of gain and this dude gets loud! Mine has a different Celestion speaker - the “Hot 100”. Which sounds great. I love the 1 watt “practice” feature, even at 1 watt it is LOUD, when cranked. Don’t miss this one! Essentially a Fender Blues Jr and many other 15 w valve amps.
I bought the Monoprice version (same), and omg.... I gave my solid state amp to my dad and i now totally get the Tubes craze.. Plugged right in, and my guitar sounded great almost immediately.. Barely any fiddling and the tone was AMAZING! It blows my mind that people still buy modelers or solid states for the same price...
yeah this beats the sh** out of your Fender Mustang modeler any day of the week for about the same price. (that said.. I used to have a Mustang and was impressed by it in general. But nothing beats real tubes imo)
Solid state amps are pretty much indestructible. That's the biggest reason to want one over a tube.
@@aniquinstark4347 I'm not against it, and I've had a couple in the past decade.. But man, the valve sound is very good.. Too good to pass
@@ToneSherpa fender modelers are bottom of the barrel, katana is middle of the road and helix/kemper/axe beat the crap out of this amp. People probably get cheap modelers for silent practicing and recording, thats what i have the nux 300 and plugins for.
@@fredriksvard2603 the Fender's are pretty good for how cheap they are.
I have the smaller, 5 watt version of this amp, by Monoprice. I bought it when they first came out, for less than $100 U.S. I love that little amp and jam on it every day. If anything ever happens to it, I'll be buying the 15 watt version, for sure. They're absolutely awesome!👍😎🎸🎶
It's essentially the same amp as the Laney Cub 12R, only with a real reverb tank, not a digital emulation. The Laney, Monoprice, and Harley Benton amps are all made by Sinoamp. Right now the H-B is $222 plus shipping, the Monoprice is currently on sale for $212.49 with free shipping, and Monoprice's 50W tube combo with the same 12" speaker as the 15W is on sale for $400.
I bought the 15w from monoprice yesterday. Anxious to try it out. I was wondering if Monoprice OEMs all their gear from just one of these places like Harley or if it's a mix of manufactures.
I have the "Stage Right" Monoprice version. I replaced the reverb tank with a three spring tank and replaced the Celestion 70/80 with a Cream Back. She really, really rocks now. I also marvel at the volume that the amp puts out on the one watt setting.
Cream backs are the way to go.
WGS ET 65 is the cheaper and very decent way to go for Creamback type speaker. It's a common upgrade for these. Also $30 MOD 3 spring reverb tank is another great upgrade and piece of piss to install.
I bought the Monoprice version from Amazon. For the $200 it’s a capable and decent sounding tube amp. I was having a bit of guilt for buying it unnecessary (I have several amps) and decided to return it, not because I didn’t like it but I wasn’t completely in love with it. The tone stack seems a bit too subtle for me…seems dark even with bass rolled off a treble boosted. Anyway, when I attempted to return it Amazon said item was not returnable….?
So I opened a chat with Customer Service and after a bit of back and forth they said they would issue a full refund and I could KEEP the amp!
Needless to say, I’ve since made better friends with the amp now that it cost me nothing.
There are some quality issues with it….my tube retainers rattle at higher volume, the jacks seem flimsy, and tolex has some sloppy glue splatter on it here and there. Other than that, I’m pleased as punch to own one for zero dollars! I’ll definitely be doing some small upgrades and tweaks. I may even build a finger-jointed pine cabinet for it with a 1x15. The cheap MDF cabinets that most budget amps are housed in is usually one of the biggest downfalls. Yes, MDF is dense and acoustically a decent material in theory, it’s not roadworthy at all and barely able to hold screws. A rehoused version of this amp will certainly get some attention from boutique amp owners. We’ll see! Cheers
So much better than expected. Having the 1W switch is good to get that crunch without excess volume. Try and buy the speaker and the tubes for less than the price.
I know right? You would definitely struggle to get the speaker and tubes for that price, I know these have been around a while but I’ve never dipped my toe into the world of Harley Benton, think I’m going to pull the trigger on one of these amps the weekend
Glad you're feeling better, Rob. Hope your family members are all well too. My family of four here in the states all got Covid a month ago. Absolutely SUCKED, but luckily no hospital visits, and we're all nearly back to normal. Love your playing.
Fantastic review of one helluva good amp! Own this TUBE 15 and a Harley Benton Fusion 111.
Used to think I'd need to take the name HB off these instruments cuz they're considered low-end models.
Nowadays, I pretty damn proud to flaunt the Harley Benton name itself...their shit rocks and it's getting betta and betta!
Thanks, Rob, for a thorough review
I watch all of your reviews!!
I love your honesty!!!!!!!
And your humor and tests with the captain!!
Really good amp for the money! Modded mine with a Celestion Blue Bulldog, new front panel from birch multiplex and new tubes from JJ. Now its a killer Amp 😎
I believe the post 2020 models may come with JJ tunes already installed.
@@brittsmith8260 got mine with dec 2021 production and I don’t see any JJ tubes
Great value. Asian manufacturing has come a long way in recent years. Here's another thing I never thought I'd say, Idonesian guitar manufacture is excellent. I bought a jazz guitar a couple of years ago that was made in Indonesia for $349 new. The neck was smooth and the frets were finished perfectly. It plays like a dream.
I picked up an evh wolfgang standard and a couple of kramers that are made in Indonesia and they've all had killer necks and frets. Whatever they're doing in the Indonesian factories, they have that shit down.
The C is nasty. Glad you kicked it! The exhaustion hangs on for weeks afterward, so hang in there. You WILL get back to normal in time.
Sounds grrrrrrreat! @ 13:18 it goes to into a beautiful cascading gain!
Rather small cabinet size for having a 12" driver in it. Seems to work though. Big props to Harley Benton for making another low-buck, high-value product!
Man, I have to flatter you, Rob. Your new haircut and beard/mustache grooming look so great!
Rob hears something good he shares it. The guy lives for tone. Also remember even a low end amp / guitar set up. You'll still have fun with it.
nice sounds. even full gain it sounds great for rhythms w/o too much mud or noise.
Yep I have the Stage Right branded version. Love it especially since I'm just a home player. Fun amp.
I have the Stage Right I think it sounds great
Hmmm. Been looking for a second small valve combo for a two amp set up for a while. Stumbled across this amp yesterday. Searched again, found you. The Chappers seal of approval is worth a lot. Sold! 😊❤👍🏼🎸
I am absolutely amazed and some of the quality these so called smaller brands are putting out these days with there amps and guitars, mesmerising!! Harley benton and JHS Vintage guitars are unbelievable bang for your buck. The smaller brands are actually giving you better value for money than Fender, Gibson, PRS etc for the ridiculous prices they charge. I use to be guilty of being a guitar snob, I'm a strat player and wouldn't by a strat unless it had Fender on the headstock. Owner of a mexican standard, a player series, American performer, made in Japan 60's(my longest serving guitar), my favourite strat is my made in mexico roadhouse deluxe, i actually purchased it over a pro 2 i saved up for as i preferred the sound of it. Then last year i discovered Vintage guitars and tried some out, couldn't believe what i got for the money, bought the vintage hendrix strat, then i bought my first telecaster the vintage v52 as the bridge pup is a beast! Thought no one could compete at that price point, then was at a pals and he had a Harley benton strat in natural swamp ash, tried that and when he told me the price, i politley said fuck off, no way! So i bought one and absolutely love it. The big brands want to start looking at what the wee brands are doing because one day the next generation of guitar players are going to realise all this made in America is actually pure and utter pish and that you dont need to spend thousands anymore. The thing is, the big brands live off there history and the historic players and what a history it is indeed. But we move forward in time and everything evolves, the wee brands are evolving and giving us more value than the big lads. They are stuck in the past, perfect example is Gibson, same old but getting more expensive, there new Slash range was a flop because the last few generations aint into guns and roses. What people are realising and doing now is buying a smaller brand guitar that is of brilliant build quality, upgrading pups and electronics etc the name on the headstock is starting to mean less now, its more what can i buy thats sounds good and plays good for less. I will still keep my Fenders but the brand dosent excite me anymore. I get more excited about what the wee brands are going to do next, i can only imagine what Thoman with the Harley Benton range could produce with a £500-£600 budget i mean they are already putting stainless steel frets on some of there guitars, crazy! I believe what will happen is in the future, we are going to have some new bands/artsists superstars, the next, ac dc/guns and roses, SRV, Hendrix, Gary Moore etc icons who wont be playing with a big brand guitar, and all there young fans who are inspired by them and idolise them will be buying Harley Bentons or Vintage or Sire's
Again well done to Harley benton, the amp sounded epic for an amazing price 👏 👍 👌
Ps hope you and the Chappers family are doing well and hope to see more vids of you and elcapitano on Andertons as the banter between use 2 dudes is epic!!
I forgot how good Rob is. An absolute smorgasbord of licks/riffs/shredding.
I've got the Monoprice version of this amp, purchased about 2 years ago used. Mine is a direct copy of a Laney Cub 12R, and it is a great amp!
I bought this amp a while back and made a few mods. First, I was going to upgrade the valves, but I didn't have to! It had great quality JJs in it already. Second, I upgraded the spring reverb to a three spring, gives it a bit more even sound with a touch less high springy sound. Third, and the biggest mod, I put a UK made Celestion Alnico Blue in it. That gave it a really nice extra vintage punch! Looking at the specs, it was very close to the circuit of a Vox AC15, unfortunately, I can only tell by physically looking at what I can see, since the schematic is a mystery, not to be found anywhere. My other annoyance, the hardwired lead. I may make that mod when It needs it. I believe the Celestion Green Ceramic is also a good choice for those that like that sound. I would stick to a 15 watt rated speaker, since the efficiency is balanced for the power output.
Hello, i plan to change the spring reverb tank like you did (because i don't really like the tail of the stock one) : do you hear a serious improvement ? Thank you
It is a copy of Laney Cub 12r and PDF with schematics is all over the internet. That is why this StageRight or Monoprice or HB Tube 15 has so many mods.
Just got one for 250 € and I've playing with it since yesterday, non-stop. It's my first tube amp and I'm loving it! I see just one little fault so far: it doesn't have an headphone out. Oh well, I'll use my old Hiwatt Maxwatt G15 8 as a headphone amp now!
Nice review Rob, thanks. Word on the grapevine is that this is the Laney Cub Super 12 in a different cabinet, and minus the boost button. It certainly sounds like it. For the price it's a steal.
Hey seriously: What a review! My specific questions answered. Initially not knowing about the price turns out to be the ultimate predisposition for a review. Why do not more reviewers do that?! And also the aspect of stepping into a relation between instrument and amp. Actually the killer-criteria! Great! Decision's made!
Thanks for the demo Rob, just got it on Amazon for $212 and it’ll be here Tuesday
Companies like Thoman and Sawtooth have to really be getting under the big name brand's skin at this point. They are putting out amazing musical equipment at crazy prices. That amp is really great I'm definitely buying one!
The HB stuff is creeping up in price tho, making them less of a "no brainer" choice vs. bigger brands. Gone are the days of $150 guitars to your door.
@@Anjohl the aveage HB still sells at 160 bucks, lol hardly a difference
it's still a no brainer, seeing as the cheap models of the bigger brands are the same chinesium shite that usually is plagued with all the same little nitpicks
ibanez never created a guitar under 300 bucks that wasn't absolute gash
unless it's yamaha, i'm not really running warm for it
i have a 140 buck jackson, which is pretty nice, pickups are great , but it's not nearly as complete as HB's offerings at the same price
most 160 buck A brand guitars are shit, there i said it
my main axe is a HSS partscaster, i couldn't give a shit what brand it is (but it's a "vintage" some UK brand), as it plays perfectly fine and feels great.
@@klontjespap Ibanez never created a good guitar that cost less than 300? Sure they did...45 years ago
Yeah I'm getting the head. I don't even need one I have a DSL401 but fk it.... I'll use the Marshall cab and pretend that I needed a second amp to hold me over until I can afford a mini Plexi... who needs food anyway.
Those amps were first made by monoprice for around $200 a couple of years ago, they called theirs "stage right". H.B. started making them recently but they're exactly the same as the monoprice ones! I don't like the boxy sound of a combo but would love to hear one through a 212 or 412 cabinet. As far as Asian made tube amps my favorites are the Blackstar ht series and the Bugera g series.
I've wondered if the Stage Right were basically same amps. As far as the Bugera amps, I bought a V22 Infinium used for asking price of $250.00 USD and I cannot find why anyone can complain about it. Go in realizing its going to sound more VOXY ACx than Marshally when cranked , and cleans up like a Fender Deluxe. Eventually I'll try better tubes, maybe a speaker upgrade but for now its doing everything I ask it to do.
I have 1 of these. ( ONLY 1 in Oz! ) It's ok, cabinet is particle board so not the best. It came broken so I GOT my $ back, & got to keep it!
Breaks up way too early however.
Thru better speakers, it punches WAY above its weight! Reverb is really good!
@@fredchatham6680 The V22 is a great amp!
I bought a Stage Right from monoprice yesterday. I'll take a swing at it and let you know what I think. That and $5 will get you a coffee at staryucks.
UPDATE: Got the amp a week after purchase. I think it sounds great. Loud enough, gain-y enough for some heavy playing. I'll take this amp any day for 2 bills.
Hey there! Since you mentioned a Bugera amp, I’m curious if you’re also familiar with the Bugera V22 combo tube amp.
The reason I ask is because I really enjoy the sound of the Harley Benton and am considering selling my Bugera and replacing it with the Benton (or Stage Right since they’re apparently the same and I live in the US).
My reasoning is that I feel the Stage Right or Benton offers a thicker and more full sound. I like my Bugera but find it to be better suited for classic rock in the style of maybe Boston or Lynyrd Skynyrd, when I’m looking for more of an indie rock and grunge gain sound. I love the breakup tone of tunes like Yellow Ledbetter and the thumpy palm muted tone of Soundgarden (a la Fell On Black Days).
I’ve considered swapping the V22’s speaker, though wouldn’t know where to start or if it would make more sense to just buy a Stage Right.
Anyway, since you seem familiar with both brands I figure you might also be familiar with the V22 specifically and would be willing to offer some feedback on what route you’d go if in my situation. Thanks for any advice you can provide.
It's a Monoprice "Stage Right" amp. I have the 5 watt version. Cool amp.
I have 3 of the Monoprice version for wet/dry/wet, and they are very neutral sounding amps. No Marshall or Vox AC personality. I send my guitar signal through a Radial Engineering Shotgun which gives me 4 amp outputs . So I can put 3x through an array of amp modelers like the UA Audio Dream/Ruby/Woodrow (Someday. I don't have these. I have Mooer pedals that do the same thing).
So for under $1,000 I can emulate a couple thousand dollars worth of amps. I thought about upgrading the speakers, but greenbacks and creambacks are not as neutral as what's in the cabinet
now.
This just like Monoprices amp. Years ago their model came with a plastic reverb tank (It was blue) and then a few years ago they switched to a metal reverb tank. Now its a decent reverb tank in theirs. Id read last year that Harley Benton was going to release their own version of this. A lot of people like these amps, usually the made in China tubes and speakers are only complaints. I almost bought one years ago. Anyone who buys one now is lucky to be getting like the 3rd revision of these.
It's a MONOPRICE amp rebranded under the Harley Benton name. It's a clone of the Laney Cub 12 model.
You look well Rob. That Amp sounds great.
Let me guess it's got real spring reverb, you can take it from 15 watts down to one watt with the little button in the front. it's got a tone knob, with low, mid, high, knob, and master volume and gain knob. You can do 8 to 16 extension cab. it's got an effects loop and it's got a celestion 70 80 speaker in it.
How ever on Earth did you know!?
Glad you're on the mend, Sir Robbingham of Chaplington.
great demo. i bought this amp a week ago and I'm VERY happy with it. I noticed that some of my guitars that I struggle with the overall tone when paired with my other amps sound great through this little gem. And the effects loop is fantastic, makes me lament that my main gigging amp doesn't have one. Now I'm on the hunt for something similar to this but just a bit bigger, something that could keep up with a drummer and not necessarily need to be mic'd for smallish clubs.
Love your playing and will be looking for you more, and not just on the youtubes, gonna find your discography and see what's up. Thanks again.
The TUBE30 could be a fit for your need.😉
Looks a great little amp for the money. I wonder how it compares with the Mighty-15th from the same brand? Don't shoot me but I'm tempted with a head version over a second hand Marshall DSL20hr as (even being a die-hard Marshall user) their reliability worries me a bit.
Finally beginning to get back to normal from the Covid, myself. 5 freakin weeks!
It's no joke! I thought it was a crock before I got it. Not anymore.
Glad you're feeling better.
It just goes to show that you can get great sound out of an affordable rig. I think that many of these companies are making house lines based on the amps they build for the big name companies slapping a twist on cab colors and names and selling them reasonably priced. There are so many big name companies whose valve amps are made over in the Asian countries and people are not even aware of it. Then when they see an off brand name that is made in China, Malaysia, Indonesia, or Taiwan that they automatically assume they are garbage. That just isn't the case at all many have been making big name amps there for years now and nobody is the wiser and is still paying premium and sometimes boutique prices for them.
If the Harley Benton amp is made by the same company making the StageRight line of amplifiers there is definitely a reason they are spot on as these are clones of early model Marshall amps. Another really good amp coming out of the East is Wangs which are modeled after Marshall and Vox amps the construction is amazing.
I agree with MOST of what you said, hoss... But one lil "correction", if I may; These are DEFINITELY NOT clones of "early Marshalls", I believe you meant that early Marshalls were clones of the Fender Bassman... THESE are VERY similar to and have almost the same wiring schematic as the Laney Cub... But otherwise, I agree! Have a good day, hoss!
@@ck2music712 what is funny is that most valve amps are based off the early Fender models but for the sake of not infringing on patents they change up some features and the type of valves used so that it is not identical.
@@killacoiler1707 I've HEARD that the main reason that Marshall came about was that Jim Marshall couldn't keep Fender Bassmans in stock, and up until then, you couldn't get American products, and it really costly to import them, so he sat about making his own version with the widely available British parts...
One Batch of Tasty "Shred Muffins" heading your Neighbors way!😁🥰
Thanks for the Demo!👍
Mike in San Diego.🌞🎸🚀🖖
I bought this about 6 months ago and the perfect bedroom amp. My other amp is a Marshall and way to loud for a practice amp. Enjoy your videos. Thanks.
I have a harley benton 5 watt amp all valve and it came with good quality valves pre installed. It's an amazing amp, I purchased it 13 years ago and it was £80.00 brand new.
Excellent review Chappers. Like the majority of us, we haven't a fortune to spend and we can become disillusioned when we can't afford the high-end stuff. Your opinion is very much valued and it means that we can hold our heads high when we say we use Harley Benton stuff. I see so many reviews that completely validate HB stuff, surely the high end guys must be embarrassed to charge the money they do for stuff that's (arguably) marginally better!
Subscribed mate!
"surely the high end guys must be embarrassed to charge the money they do for stuff that's (arguably) marginally better!"
Why would they be embarrassed for producing and marketing original designs for market prices? Nobody has to buy anything at any price, but people pay what their are willing to part with, and this is precisely what determines the value of goods in an ideal free market (though nowhere in the world exists a *truly* free market, let it be known.) The fact that other companies are able to take the model put forth by those pioneers and economize by cutting corners in the quality of materials and production -- not to mentioning capitalizing on lower costs of labor, taxes, and other logistical things in different nations and environs -- and all manner of other obvious things which comprise one of the most popular, extant contemporary business models shouldn't be surprising to anyone who was not born yesterday and is still alive and aware.
Eh, used deal hunting is the best way to get your dream gear. My Peavey Classic 30 isn't exactly dream gear, but you can get the old American made ones for half msrp. Although these Monoprice/HB amps have piques my curiosity.
Nice to see the subtle dot inlays on that Chapman. Wish all Chapmans had dot inlays.
Rob I have watched your videos throughout the years and really enjoy and find them informative. Thank you. And about 2 weeks ago I went into Guitar Center just picking up guitars to get some happiness. Held 20 guitars in my hands that day never plugged them in, just getting a feel for them. When I sat down with a Chapman I found what I was looking for. I didn't buy that day but Santa is coming soon!
Rob, Just stumbled upon you review of the Harley Benton amp. Great amp for the price. It is built in several locations (China, Indonesia & Vietnam) and is also the same exact amp as Monoprice's "Stage Right" amp. Same amp, just name change for a different company. It really sounds great through a 4 - 12 cabinet. Glad you are on the mend. Thanks for all your equipment reviews.
I have the somewhat more expensive gear4music Hartwood branded version. That has exactly the same circuit, switches and pots, but a Vintage 30 speaker instead of the Seventy80. It also has a plywood case where the SR/HB one is MDF, and green vinyl instead of the off-white Tolex. The plate is black with white print. Oh, and originally Hartwood specified JJ valves/tubes, but they have now dropped that from their spec. Mine came with JJ power tubes, but no-brand pre-amp tubes.
That Pepsi Cola finish is still one of our favorites you have come out with 👍👍
I bought one of these last year from Monoprice (Stage Right). So much fun, plenty loud. I never take it off the 1w setting in my house. 🤣
Thanks for playing a Matthias Arp song at 10:00. That guy rocked. Wish he was still with us.
big emphasis on the 'all tube' aspect of this.... sorry, didn't quite catch which rectifier 'tube' is used? BTW, sorry to hear about your plauge experience. Glad you and yours are recovering.
Nice you bring up Matthias Arp. RIP Matthias. The Vypyr experience.
If I didn't already own a Bassbreaker 15 (Thanks for the recommendation all those years ago Rob!) I might've bought this and been really happy with it. But I have a Bassbreaker so I don't need another amp ever. :)
I hope it’s not only your great skills that make that amp sounds so amazing but it’s now a must have for me 😉👍🏼
Looks absolutely idential to the MONOPRICE valve
I would LOVE to see a shootout between this and the Marshall JCM800 studio combo. Ultra budget vs. High end
This more of a Fender circuit with a lot less power. It still might be interesting to hear.
JCM800 is great amp but I will not call it High end ;) its middle class at best.
@@stanislavmigra comparatively it's high end. We're taking $200 vs $1200 that's a significant difference
@@qua7771 the Harley Benton is a Laney circuit. 15 watts vs 20 watts is practically the same.
@@marcherwig8060 ah yeah, sorry. Prices over the other side of ocean. Here it is sub 800.
Sorry, over the pond it is stupidly expensive for what it is. For 1200 forget it and get Friedman.
But for high end, I was thinking stuff like Morgan, Two Rock, Bad Cat, Matchless and similar brands.
You were spot on Rob .I am
Playing mine with a valeton gp200 multi effects pedal and the clean sound is absolutely beautiful
Nice Matias riff, and the riff at 16:00. Sweetness. Great review
I had one of these, but it was branded "Monoprice 15 Watt Stage Right All Tube Amp", and I LOVED it... I'm a "dual" type dude; I LOVE super clean Fender-y sounds, but I also LOVE Metallica style/Mesa high gain crunch, and it was GREAT with pedals... Breaks my heart that I sold it, but I'm a stay-at-home Dad, and could never get outside to my studio, so I bought a Positive Grid Spark for my bedroom... Which is great, but I just HAVE to have one of these again for gifting... Great video as usual, Chap...
Very cool of you to pay homage to Mattias.. I love watching his video's/Peavy stuff. He was an incredible talent. He is missed.
Great review. Great demonstration.
Everything sounds so good.
The amp. The settings. The guitar. Perfectly tuned. The acoustics of the studio.
The Playing, not even a hint of a bum note.
Refreshing review.
Just got this… put in a spare v30 and 6v6 tubes with a rebias… it sounds incredible. $340 spent on new tubes and the amp. And it smokes the blues jr
I bought it and i love it...after some sound surgery 😄 I changed the speaker (celestion vintage 60) spring tank and tubes (SovTek)
I had one of these for about 2 years and I honestly regret parting with it. Great little grab and go sized JCM800 style amp. A v30, a speaker which I usually dislike, turns this into an amp that works just about everywhere you might wanna take it.
It is a rebranded Laney Cub 12. At least the monoprice is as it is branded right on the circuit board. I put a wgs12 inch I think 75 12 cs or something, with a set of older amperex tubes from Holland in it, adjusted the bias, mine came at -7.09 volts, adjustewd it to a -12.29 per Laney spec. It is a great amp, I got the speaker used so I have just over 210 usd in it as I bought it for 173 usd. They are great amps for the money.
Rob you are too modest, some people should have you as a guest demonstrator.
I don't know if somebody's already said this, but a lot of these style amps, Monoprice as well,, are actually Laney Cub 15rs. With the laney, you pay more but get a much better cab.
it weighs just a bit more than a small tube head, but already is a full rig, quite loud while at it...aaaand with an option to be used as a head and drive a bigger speaker if available at the venue...
very good review, a first one that shows that amps own high gain setting is quite potent and actually very usable...thank you! i wonder if the internal speaker is defeated if the external cab is being driven (this should be quite the same as Laney cub12r and Monoprice amp in the US)
I have the 5 watt. Replaced the speaker with a Warehouse Ceramic (it's better than the alnico in this amp) and new tubes (Ay7 and a genalex 6v6.) It's a beauty.
It’s a Stage right amp also in Canada 🇨🇦 few different names for it Rob,I had one for ages and they rock
The Harley Bentons are about 250 euro over here. Great value for money but I suggest to look for a decent second hand. Last week I bought a almost unused Koch 50W combo for 300 Euro. Now that is value for money.
Thanx to All the modeller out there, makes people blind, selling thier best Equipment for a few bucks 😂🤟have fun with the Koch amp!
Idky people hate on the 70/80 speakers so much. That sounds fantastic.
This amp is nearly 2 years old but not that popular in USA. Thomann did a great job. They say its better than Monoprice amp that I've never heard.
It is the Monoprice Stage Right amp. Identical, just with a HB badge.
I owned the original Monoprice Stageright model for all of a few months before selling it off after even the gnarliest preamp pedals put into the FX return weren't delivering me enough gain and harmonic response.
Nowadays I'm a DAW plugin player
Also the boss katana delivers what I needed. But plugins are my go-to.
Same. This isnt bad per se but its a dinosaur type of product. If i was to play tube amps it would be in a dedicated space where i can move air with a full stack. Bedroom playing, modelers and plugins all the way.
I put Celestion Creamback G12H-75, bias new output tubes, put Mullard NOS in V1, Telefunken and another tube at my discretion, installed bias for V1 position and the amp got more treble, three-wire reverb, it now sounds like $1500.
The amp and gitar sound really good. HB has some suprisingly good amps sometimes. I remember the Harley Benton VT30 - Tube Amp Combo FULL DEMO (hp42 video title) and that thing sounded amazing. It might very well be the big older brother of this one.
This is a fantastic value option and no need endorsement because we know that already, but if you have a little more money, look on the down left corner... 🙂
Yeah I had the plaque too 10 days of crazy fever, then I had REGENERON.. All better now. Glad you made it
Nice review, Rob! I have the Stage Right, and for my guitars I find I keep "Tone" at 10, "Treble" between 8-10, and "Bass" at 5. I vary the "Middle" depending on the guitar, and I find I am able to get a very nice VERY CLEAN, but loud sound, and also can do the "edge of breakup" (more easily with humbuckers). I also put an EQ pedal in the loop, to boost the very high frequencies, and I find it to be very sparkly. I use an LPB-1 pedal in front to boost the volume for leads, and it works really well. Overall, it is a SUPER amp for playing around the house, and has worked well at band practice and an outdoor show. It's whetted my appetite for something built a little more sturdily, but I recommend it heartily.
I have the Stage Right version, and it's a nice amp. I currently use it at practice, but I'd gig with it, methinks. Especially an indoor gig.
I'm looking for a clean clean sound to play surf music with it. Is the clean sound still loud enough for you?
@@alafenetre81 More than loud enough to play along with records in the house. Loud enough to be heard unmiked in a band situation with multiple guitars, drums and vocals.
A youtuber suggest a great setting for Fender Champ amps which seem to apply here as well. Turn the tone controls all the way off, turn the volume up. So try the following for the Monoprice. Set TONE to 5 (or higher), Set BASS to 0, MID to 5 (or higher), TREBLE to 0. Set Gain to 10, Volume to 5 (or higher). By keeping the Bass and Treble at zero and playing with the Mids this creates a whole new amp (JCM 800 ish ??)
Very nice demo, I really enjoyed this along with your playing. Wouldn't have been able to hear "rusty" at all. Yeah, that one just went on the shopping list for real🤓☺️! Thanks, keep it up, beautiful studio and presentation! 🙏
One day I will own a Chapman guitar, just because of Rob.
We seem to be living in the glory days of quality affordable guitars and amps. It’s hard to believe today for 1000 euros you can get a good playable guitar that stays in tune and is properly intonated, and a tube amp, and a few pedals AND it will make glorious sounds.
With a computer, a couple hundred more for a a/d converter and some mikes and you have a home studio
I remember my first amp (solid state 10” 10 amp crate) 30 odd years ago in university. It was impossible to get a good time out of it. It was either bright and tinny or muddy/flabby bass. I still have it, and it still sounds like crap.
I was seriously considering a 15 amp 12” tube combo but ended up getting a wangs mini 5 amp tube amp and Harley Benton 2X12 cab. The amp is a glorious clean tube head and deserves more reviews. And 5 amps is surprisingly loud through a 2X12, I rarely turn it past 9 o’clock.
The only weakness of this amp is the speaker. In my opinion the best speaker for it is the Eminence Swamp Thang. I changed the tubes to high quality ones and the speaker and now it's the best little tube amp that I can imagine.