OK since there are a few questions already about whether or not the 1x12 Monoprice 15 can compete with drummers determined to drive the drums through the floor, and considering Lucas has apparently caved in to modeling (ugh!) here's the true skinny from an owner of a Monoprice 15 (along with about 25 other amps) and a guy who has played out for decades and and an owner/tech repairing, modding, and manufacturing guitar amps, mostly of the vacuum tube variety. If you have yet to experience this, 15 Watts is not 15% as loud as 100 watts. It's closer to 40%. It's logarithmic. Even some 1 watt amps are shockingly loud BUT what we lose when we drop in wattage is Headroom, not only important for huge, gorgeous Cleans but also for "Bloom". That said any band, and I do mean ANY, with a proper PA capable of mic'ing instruments can do just fine with roughly 15-20 watts, 30 is gravy. I wouldn't hesitate to play anywhere on any stage with 2 of these amps, and on most, 1 would do just fine, again depending a bit on PA. Two important tips - (1) if you need more clean, crank the Master - "Gain isn't a Volume knob, Carl" (2) If Master above 3 o'clock isn't clean enough, substitute for a lesser gain 1st tube (12AX7) with something like a 12AU7, or 12AT7. OK, OK... a third (3) Please note that there are "clean" players who have an overdrive or even fuzzes like Big Muff "ON" all the time but with fairly low gain on the fuzz and with the [B]guitar Volume control rolled back[/B]. DO NOT miss the incredible value and versatility in your guitar controls, especially if you're wise enough to have your pickups adjusted down away from the strings so the magnetic pull doesn't inhibit string vibration. If you think magnetic pull isn't a major issue, consider that magnetic brakes are used on industrial power saws to stop spinning blades really quickly. Shop around because Monoprice has some amazing sales. I got mine for $150 USD double-boxed and delivered. I've seen quotes as low as $135 and as high as ~$250. Even at two fiddy this amp is bona fide grand larceny. Steal one for yourself. Just FTR I have zero affiliation with Monoprice other than being an extremely pleased customer for this amp.
Heheh. Well now that Lucas has pinned my comment I feel the need for an expansion and a qualified disclaimer. When I said "ANY band" I should have noted this depends on how much BASS you are asking an amp to deliver and at what SPL stage volume, not to be confused with FOH... interactive but separate animals. Back in the day even bass guitar amps were commonly 30-50 Watts and they were reasonably good at it. Sure, the rightfully sacred 40-50 Watt 4x10 Tweed Bassman became more famous for Lead Guitar, but a BlackFace 50 watt Bassman head through even a single 15 sounds really "round" and good and can compete with bashing Bonhams. This matters since many Heavy bands play "down-tuned" and we aren't talking about a mere Hendrix Half Step to E Flat..; In A440 Concert (Just FTR 440 Hz is the "E" 1st string sounding out at the 5th fret) a common Spanish style 6 String's lowest note on the "E" (6th) string is right around 90 Hz, or cycles per second. Obviously and especially with 7 String guitars or Baritone guitars, it isn't inconceivable for the heaviest, lowest sounding string to be as much as an octave down. We are talking close to 40Hz and definitely invading Bass Guitar real estate. In bands that feature guitar players like this, 30 Watts, even 50 Watts, is unlikely to cut it... not for sheer volume but for clean headroom and definition. Most modern Bass players, and extremely down-tuned Lead players, need a good 100 watts of tube power and 200+ if it's Solid State. Yeah, the nature of tubes makes :Valve Amps" sound louder for any given wattage. So if you're in a down-tuned Dark Metal band even two of the Monoprice combos isn't going to work out well for you (but four (4) might!) but everyone else can get by with one (1) in many venues, certainly any practice room, and with two, play anywhere with a decent PA
i truely respect any guitar gear review by anybody promoting the importance and value of those *knobs on a guitar* 😀 ... to change tone and gain character ... that's how i roll !! thanks - great comment and input !! 😎 (kinda looking for another small rehearsal combo)
Gotta point out as a tech, that a 12AU7 is not a good replacement for a 12AX7. Besides that, it won't accomplish anything that just turning down the gain knob can't. The circuit is a JCM clone with a power section that distorts even easier than the Marshall... Two big issues with this amp as far as clean headroom : the second gain stage is a cold clipper. It is designed to provide distortion, period. The only way to lean it up is to rebias the tube warmer or bypass it completely turning it into a mini plexi (not so clean either). The second issue is that the power amp (especially phase inverter) distorts very easily. Diming the volume will have the PI distorting before the preamp ever does. The best you can do is put 5751 tubes in (they're a direct replacement for 12ax7) for less gain without affecting bias and tone. Normally a more efficient speaker would be the easiest way to get more headroom , but the stock seventy:80 is pretty loud at 98db. Bottom line: if you want clean, this isn't the amp for you. If you want crunchy Marshall goodness in a small package, there is no better bargain out there.
Sorry @@rangerdoc1029 but A) a 12AU7 is just fine as a replacement for a 12AX7. Pinout? Identical. Operating voltages? Nearly identical, with very minor change in induced bias. It's a very common swap that's done been a LOT for decades and never causes a problem. It's just substantially less gain and slight difference in frequency response. B) Because they are both TWIN Triodes, having two stages of gain where BOTH stages are reduced the gain staging structure is changed in a manner decidedly different from just "turning down the Gain knob" which operates at one location in the structure only. Bottom line is it is an easily accomplished option which one can quickly judge for oneself. It works. FWIW I do agree the 5751 is also a good choice but it does have a bit more bottom end response which is why the 12AU7 may have more effect at reducing overdrive onset in a 15 watt amp.. I'm curious about how you know it's a JCM circuit clone. I've never been able to confirm that the Monoprice 15 is unchanged from the Laney from which it was apparently derived. In fact it lacks some features the Laney has and has some the Laney does not so it would appear one cannot just assume it is identical. The JCM circuit to which you are referring having the "cold clipper" operates the way it does (early asymmetrical overdrive) by employing a 10K Cathode bias resistor as opposed to the more linear 1.2K-2.2K in most guitar preamp circuits. I personally dislike how the stock JCM sounds because of that borked biasing and have no evidence that it is duplicated in the Monoprice. It's a pita to derive the schematic on any PCB amp with surface mount components, so I don't yet have one. If you do please post a link. While the Monoprice is not as clean as say an original Princeton, it isn't far off. 15 watts of any design is just not enough clean headroom for how I play when I play live, but it is definitely decently clean at bedroom and recording levels, especially with very minor adjustments to reduce bottom end which sucks up power rapidly in any amp. I'm actually shocked the amp sounds as good as it does with that crap speaker in it. It was designed simply to carry the Celestion name at an extremely low price. I have yet to replace it but videos I've listened to with better speakers do sound better and people I respect who have done so say "it really came alive with a better speaker" and that is likely due to better and smoother frequency response and distortion characteristics reducing overall distortion perception for better apparent headroom. One could increase power supply capacitors for a slight but noticeable increase in headroom but if I was to rely on this amp for gigging I would use 2 of them Wet-Dry or Stereo to just get to that breakthrough 30 watt level putting it easily above Deluxe Reverb levels and with 2x12s instead of one. That should cover a fairly wide range of stage volumes.
Hey Lucas. I bought one of these about two years ago and loved the sound for the money but didn't use it much. Two weeks ago the tubes on my Gibson Goldtone went. One amp down. Late this evening I blew a fuse on my Dr. Z maz 18. Two amps down. Everything was closed so enter my third line. Monoprice. I'll tell ya, the best part about it is the response. For such a cheap amp, great tones. Break is brittle due to speaker size but all around, very usable. I thought about making a video to sing it's praises. I wanted to see who already did one. And there you were, one of my favorite channels (I've been a sub for about 18 months) already had one up there! Thanks for the vid. Great review and great playing. Keep up the good work. My channel just hit 1000 subs today. A long way to go but you've certainly been an inspiration so thank you for that too! Take care and I wish you continued success!! -Mark
I purchased two (2) Monoprice Stage Right 5 watt Tube amps, with 8" Celestin speaker, 8/16 ohm speaker out jack and volume and tone controls for $119 each. One in December 2021 and the second amp in January 2022. Two day's ago they were on sale for $110 each! The 5 watt Stage Right tube amp sounds good and even very good through my Marshall full stack of (2) 412 speaker cabs. - Peter age 71
I've had one for a year and it's a great little amp. I purchased mine at Christmas when Monoprice had coupon and the total price was around $130 all in. The 5 watt also kicks ass.
I have a Peavey Classic 50 that sounds great, but I bought a PA that is smaller than my 2 monitor speakers to do small gigs. My Peavey is heavy-27 kg or 60 lb. In your opinion, will I be disappointed in the sound of Monoprice?
I have two of these. The first one I bought, I wound up re-tubing it, with a Mesa12AT7 in the first tube slot, and Tung-Sol EL84s. I also swapped the speaker for an Eminence Legend. It now has more of a Fender vibe to it, which was more or less what I was aiming for out of it. The second one is completely stock. These really do have very much a Vox-ish tone out of the box, and it contrasts well with the Fender-ish tone of the other amp. I'm sure I'll re-tube it at some point (I'll probably throw JJs in it), but for now, I'm enjoying the way it sounds. When I bought the first one, I was using it with a Fender Frontman 212R, running my dirt pedals into the front end of the Monoprice, then using the effects loop (yes, these amps have an effects loop) for my chorus, delay, and flanger, and into the effects returns of both amps, using the controls on the Monoprice to control both amps. Unfortunately, the Fender died, which is when I bought the second one and started tweaking the first one. I also switched to running all my effects straight into the front end of both amps, which just sounded better with this setup. Overall, I couldn't be happier with these amps. They sound really good, they're great with pedals, they're plenty loud, and even though they're not as cheap as they used to be (I paid $159 for my first one, and $199 for the second one, but they're up to $250 now), they're still the best value out there. I highly recommend them.
Very good demo of the Stage Right amp. I purchased one just over a year ago. I played through it just about everyday at least for an hour or so, after about 8 months one of the output tubes went micro-phonic. I replaced the no-names with some JJs, set the bias easily, it has a pot for it. Electronically, this is very close to the Laney Cub 12R except for having an actual reverb tank. I would consider it to be a really decent practice amp for the money. It takes to pedals very well. You need to play with it a bit to see what works best into the front input and what works better through the FX loop. I would compare the tones somewhere between a Fender Tweed and a AC15. Worth $200? You bet.
I have been using this Amp for harp in medium sized indoor venues... Mostly classic rock, southern rock, and some blues. It easily keeps up with the guitars and drums, and, as you mentioned, when mic'd through a sound reinforcement pa, it really shines. It's actually a copy of the British Laney Cub 12. Lots of players have swapped out the speaker, or upgraded to better tubes, with very good results reported. At this price point, it's an exceptional value. I think that if you tweak it as mentioned, you might be surprised at what this little Amp can do.
I own both Monoprice amps. I normally dont buy cheaper gear, but i found these and a Bugera T5 for $300. I found that this amp sounded much much better and more expensive than it has any right to be after I did the following. Set the bias right (was COLD !) Replaced reverb pan with MOD 3 spring. Direct drop in replacement. Replaced RCA cables for reverb with better quality (this quieted down the amp) Added shielding tape Replaced the garbage Celestion thats in it with a speaker that is sold under the EHX label but is made my Eminence. 12TS8 30W. This speaker was a huge improvement in the sound ! Def check it out and its $35 ! Tubes V1 Reflektor 6n2p-ev V2 Reflektor 6n2p-ev V3 RCA NOS 12at7 P1 Reflektor 6p14p-eb Pq Reflektor 6p14p-eb I bought mine used for $135 not too long ago. But this amp and the other two cheaper amps i purchased blow my mind. Even if this amp only lasts 2-3 years it was worth it. I have played big name branded tube amps that are in the lower price range (still not as cheap as this is) and they are no better in quality imho. If your looking for a nice amp and you dont want to spend too much, get one of these and do the mods like I did. These mods were not that expensive and it turned the amp from ehh to wow. Just like the Bugera T5 sounded 10x better with better tubes (The Bugera tubes that come stock make this amp sound like shit), this amp gets better. If you are still using this amp stock, you have no idea how much better this amp sounds with the mods. Last thing remember people the "Tone" control is like a Vox Tone Cut. Research that and then you will know how to use it and when you know how to use it this amp becomes even better. That is one thing i wanted to make sure i added to my comment.
I don't know why people say you can't gig this amp..I got one and it does great did an out door gig,,prolly 1oo people there it did super great,,,The next step would be to mic it,,, If you were on a major tour stage...I havn't even used any pedals with it...it stood up to bass, drums and a peavey 2x12 amp,,,,Blows my mind,,,Love it for what it is.Great lil amp...Also havn't changed anything I see no reason to...speaker is breaking in great....Not great on the reverb though,,I'm gonna gig it and dig it, til it dies of old age,or falls apart,which ever comes 1st....Pedals will be the next venture,,,for me a compressor,eq,delay and a good od,,,then this baby will really shine.. Thats my honest opinion.....
Buddy of mine bought one of these, it was great for a year or so and then the power supply died. We couldn't find anyone locally to work on it so we connected the Celestion speaker to a 1/4" input jack and now we use it as a speaker cabinet for his Orange micro terror amp. It works great.
American companies are gonna have to start making more price effective guitars & gear because Chinese stuff is really caught up to us in mass produced equipment.
People expect too much from American amps. I had an all tube, cream tolex covered, 15 watt, EL84 Crate combo (I can not remember the model number) back in '95-'96. I paid $200-$300 for it brand new. It was a bare boned, old school amp, voiced between tweeds and Vox, sounded great and Crate could not give them away. I wish that I still had it. If anyone has one gathering dust, I am interested.
Have had one a few years. Got it for about $125. Great for Marshall-y classic rock tones. Can get a little flabby sounding with too much gain and the decay on the reverb is too long. Matched it with an inexpensive BB preamp clone, which works well. Really nice for the price.
I previously had a 60s Ampeg Gemini which I loved, but had to sell after being laid off at the end of 2020. Having now found a job, I was looking for another tube amp to replace the Ampeg, but needed something less expensive then what it would have cost to replace the Ampeg. My buddy has 2 of these, so I had the fortune to play one before I bought it. These amps are great. I mainly play an Epiphone Sheraton II Pro. With that guitar, the amp gives a terrific warm tone, nice fuzz as demo'd as well as a nice clean sound when the gains off, and the 15/1 watt button is a great feature. Overall this fit my need for a tube amp at a great price. I see many comparisons to Fender and Marshall, to me this is more closely designed like the Laney Cub 12r. As it has the same features, same tubes, etc. I got mine on 6/10/21 and paid $260. I mention this just for reference.
Get a Caline Pure Sky. It's a Timmy clone that works like a Timmy should (no reverse controls), and since Timmy was a way to have a tubescreamer (like the Joyo Vintage OD) that allows you to control the low end, it's better than a TS - allows you to push the highs and lows and thus scoop the mids if desired, something a TS cannot do. Cost's about $25, which is less than the Joyo. Or if you like a more full-range OD that adds girth and warmth, try the Mosky XP Booster (a clone of the Xotic EP Booster V1). Costs under $20. Can run on 18v for more headroom like the original, as well! Both of these can be found on AliExpress.com for the prices quoted (but some sellers do take a while to ship from China, so one needs patience).
This amp slays it. I'm all for nice sounding cheap amps. I bought a new Bugera V22 several years ago for around 250 and it's another surprisingly rockin' amp. I just replaced the stock tubes with JJs last night and it sounds even better than I imagined.
you are by far the best reviewer of this amp. from the start you were amazing but when you started your cream strange brew deal I was sold.I already wanted one from watching other youtubers reviews but I live in Australia and I don't think I can get one imported here for 200 Australia dollars.Luckily I just bought an AC302x and it is amazing but yeah,that little portable beast with just the right sound for me...ooh baby
I almost bought this amp, it's a great value and has great tones. I'm all about great tones at a great price. Another amazing bargain amp with great tube tone is the Fender Super Champ X2. It can be found for about $250 and it also has great tone, plus 2 channels; one fully clean, and one with 16 classic amp models. Its also loaded with FX. Its honestly the best bargain amp available and its loaded with great tones and usable features. But this little amp is still a great little tube amp and ill probably be getting one eventually.
@@cujo9071 hell yeah! I'm glad my comment made a difference. I was so happy with the Super Champ I want others to experience the same thing and be blown away like I was. I've made my share questionable purchases and it's always disappointing. Doing research on the internet has helped me find and make smarter purchases
I bought the 15 Watt Stage Right by Monoprice Amp from Amazon for $229 back on March 7. It was delivered on March 10th and I haven't used my 100 Watt Fender Mustang III since the Stage Right amp arrived. The simple fact is, I LOVE this little amp. This past Saturday I did a comparison test between the amps with the Fender Mustang on Preset #88, modeling a 'Basic 57 Champ'. To MY Ears the Monoprice sounded slightly better (Both Amps have 12"Speakers). Where my Fender beat out the Stage Right was with the Reverb. The 'Ambient' setting on the Fender matched the closest -- you might think one of the Fender's 2 Spring Reverbs -- but sounded 'fuller' than the Stage Right. In NO way was this a deal breaker, I have no problem with setting the Reverb knob on the Stage Right on 6 or 7 for most of my playing. [The only *problem* I have now is I have to finally buy a few Effects Pedals ;-)]
Your playing is spot on Lucas and you're making this thing sound really great. I've heard some other demos but I'll be honest, they didn't sound nearly as good. I suspect it's because people probably didn't run the amp loud enough. So many people will take something like this and just run the master volume at like 1 and dime the gain control. It's totally wrong and you end up thinking the amp sounds small and thin. Anyway, just goes to show you that you can get great sounds out of less expensive gear too. I used to have a Pignose G60VR and I have to say, it sounded pretty great stock too. I ended up replacing the speaker and tubes and doing a really easy mod to it... after those fixes, the thing was amazing!
Great video! Word of caution-UA-cam is actively demonitizing a lot of music vids that play small clips of songs. It's becoming a serious problem. The amp sounds great but a lot of that is the player. Have fun with 15 watter!
Just found you Lucas and have been enjoying your channel and some good playing to go along. Just received my Monoprice 15w and have to say, quite impressed for 249.00 delivered to my door
Dear Lucas , I really totally Digging your videos and especially demoing that stage right 15 all tuber!!! Just purchased one and i couldnt be more thrilled !! Thanks and whatever you do never change your style you totally Rock buddy 👍🙏☺️🎶
I liked it so much I bought a second after i broke in the first...great pushed on it's own, but also has very good clean and takes well to pedals before and in the loop ( i use a g major 2 in the loop stereo out to both amps). I use this for smaller venues that can't stage my dual marshall half stacks, as well as simple practice . Running a bonzai and getting great pushed sounds as well.
I really don't think u give that amp justice ! For 200 dollars it sounds incredible that is a sound that most blues players are looking for is that exact sound, you did a great job on the demonstration but I love the way that amp sounds!
You can get a little more clean headroom out of the amp if you turn down the gain accordingly and put a clean boost in the loop. It will let you clean up the preamp tone and get you as much as possible out of the power section. Also, I highly recommend getting this thing biased. Some are way off from the factory and you can really max out the amps potential with these two things before replacing a speaker.
Great demo and review! I have had this amp for a few months now and really like it, and just picked up one for my son as a Christmas gift. Really great bang for your buck.
It's like an inexpensive vox ac15 with an external speaker it is a VOX. We must remember Guitar PU's change the input signal and tone of the Amp. I have 5 of the original MP amps with the GA5 TV front look. I won't sell these. Thanks for a good review.
I have this amp ... The ragged thing you mentioned was true on mine but I swapped out the chinese celestion for a Celestion cream back and it made a huge difference... it tightened everything right up!
I'm not sure if he mentioned this or not but besides the effects loop this amp also has a jack for an extension speaker (labeled for 8 or 16 ohms), and there's a footswith jack to turn the reverb on/off. The amp does use a pair of el84 tubes. The stock ones are pretty fragile and prone to premature rattle. I'd recommend making or getting some silicon damper rings to help cut down on rattle and preserve tube life. As other's have mentioned a pair of these amps (with or without an extension speaker) would surely give you plenty of ample rocking volume for most types of gigs or band situations.
Yes, I have some extra 12at7's around here so I will experiment with that, primarily to bring the gain down a bit. On the board itself variable resistor TR1 is for setting bias, but what is variable resistor TR2 for adjusting?
I appreciate this because all the other reviews l have seen are with Fender guitars. I want to know how it will sound with Gibson guitars especially an SG. Also it's refreshing to you have a review by someone who can play more than power chords or cowboy chords. I also wanted to know what is sounded like for lead guitar and you answered that. So thanks!
These are perfect for classic rock and keep in mind it comes with a low end cheapo Celestion speaker, drop in a G12H-30 and your in vintage marshall heaven! That is what its circuit is patterned after BTW.
That price with an fx loop, ext. cab jack, attentuation switch, footswitchable reverb, and actual spring reverb tank is just amazing. Finally beginners can get a solid amp that won't hold them back due to lack of fx loop, reverb etc. and actually has good tube tone not terrible SS tone with 1,000 presets that all sound bad. I would have killed for this in the 90s when I started playing. It's a great way to get accustomed to playing with a tube amp and getting used to the dynamics. It would make a PERFECT pedal platform practice amp. It's basically a blues junior klone. I'd recommend this to any beginner, stay away from those SS modelers. They might be 4x as big but tubes are louder and fuller in a smaller package and react to your playing so you'll be encouraged to play. With a ss modeling amp you'll likely be discouraged from playing. The only SS amp is ever buy or use is an orange crush 120 head. I'm using a Marshall DSL100HR with a couple orange cabs but if love to get one of these SR amps just for fun/practice. Hell then I could set up a stereo rig for recoding. It wouldn't be super loud but certainly loud enough for practice and recording. Not to mention those blues jr circuits have tons of mods avaliable for those of us who love tinkering with our pedals and amps. Anyways I'm just really impressed with what they threw together for $200.
It is a great little combo! To be clear for anyone who wants to mod one though, I believe this is actually a clone of the Laney Cub 12R and not the Blues Junior, though they are very similar in layout.
I ordered one yesterday. Modelers just can't truly get that tube quality and I've tried many. Gonna put a chorus, delay and EQ in the effects loop and a Truetone Jekyll@hyde in front for hotter tones.
A lot better demo then some of the others I've heard! It would be interesting to hear it through different cabs as well as different pedals in front of it.Even cooler to get a pair of them and stereo it out!
I just got this amp delivered today 4/6/2021 for $250 from Amazon and I clicked the link on Amazon to write a review and the price is up to $329 a day later.
I picked up one of these amps in a trade about 6 months ago. I just put some better tubes in it and it sounds so good that I got rid of my blues Junior III😳 Pull the chassis and you’ll find they’re actually pretty well made. They’re a Laney Cub12 clone. I’m thinking about going with a 10” greenback in it.
J P all of them. But definitly the power tubes are a must . Get a set of JJ el84s . I like sovtek 12 ax7s for new preamp tubes but you'd be good with all just as well
Robert J Baumgartner I just put a matched pair of JJ el84s . I didn't rebias . I'm not saying you don't have to . Maybe if I did it would be even better. Just changing the power tubes improved the amp a lot . I was getting tube rattle with the cheap tubes in there no problems at all with the JJs
Yes, I have a pair of JJ el84's to install in mine, the stock tubes are fragile and prone to rattle. Inside the chassis there's a small but clearly marked variable resistor pot for bias adjustment (marked TR1). Careful in there though, no poking around or touching metal to metal.
P.S. I love controlled feedback. It's got it. Once picked up a Cuban radio station with my '68 Harmony amp and a '76 Fender strat in Huntsville Al. Looking for Chinese subs now with my PRS.
This amp has a bias and hum balance on the pc board, and they use lock nuts on the speaker, I change the tone stack to a Fender black face and it tamed the mids a lot and added bottom to the tone.
Just be prepared to replace the cheap, stock el84 power tubes. Any extra dampening to the chassis, with foam or rubber grommets, with help lessen the cabinet vibrations and help preserve tube life. Combo amps, as a rule, are hard on tubes.
I love mine! Haven't played around with tube or speaker mods yet because I like the stock sound. BTW, that tone knob is AFTER the effects return, unlike the bass, middle and treble controls which are BEFORE the effects send. So you can choose how they all interact if you've got something plugged into the loop. Nice touch! I also got the Monoprice 5 watt amp with the 8 inch speaker. It's fine for what it is, but no 8 inch speaker is going to sound that great. Plugged into a 12 inch cabinet though, it is quite satisfying---gets that good tube mojo and breakup. (I put a speaker attenuator on it so I can crank it to breakup at low volume, for bedroom use.)
Imagine using two of them for 30 watts and 2x12s for Stereo or Wet/Dry AND for around 400bux ($260-$500)... uh huh...I've paid almost that much for premium overdrive pedals and I'd play anywhere with that 400 dollar Stereo rig. That, Son, is a bargain!
I just bought a Gretsch so I want something Vox-ish ,old school Marshall. I run an Analog Alien Rumble Seat as well, so yeah .It's tax time. Got a fair return so Stage Right/ Monoprice is gonna get some of my money. Thanks for the kick butt demo. Answered all my questions ,and I heard some tasty licks. Ya killed it bro!
UPDATE I actually bought this very amp . I love it so much. I even put the Analog Alien away.......don't need it. I almost wish I had bought three ,or four more at this price. Just to let you know the Gretsch sounds amazing through this amp.I would recommend it . It does have enough fullness in live application.
You can't get this sound with modeling amps! The value here is astonishing. Thinking "Gee, only 15 watts?" Tube amp watts are way louder than solid state watts! EL84 tubes have tons of output from very little input. I'm 68 and was lucky to have seen Cream! I definitely recognize your Clapton inspiration! He's my favorite!
These amps are now available in Europe and sold by Thomann, re-badged as Harley Benton. Just bought one based on this review. Fantastic amp for the money and great classic tones. Just watch out for the EU plug, you'll need a 2 pin earthed adapter for the UK. Loved your playing by the way!
OK since there are a few questions already about whether or not the 1x12 Monoprice 15 can compete with drummers determined to drive the drums through the floor, and considering Lucas has apparently caved in to modeling (ugh!) here's the true skinny from an owner of a Monoprice 15 (along with about 25 other amps) and a guy who has played out for decades and and an owner/tech repairing, modding, and manufacturing guitar amps, mostly of the vacuum tube variety.
If you have yet to experience this, 15 Watts is not 15% as loud as 100 watts. It's closer to 40%. It's logarithmic. Even some 1 watt amps are shockingly loud BUT what we lose when we drop in wattage is Headroom, not only important for huge, gorgeous Cleans but also for "Bloom". That said any band, and I do mean ANY, with a proper PA capable of mic'ing instruments can do just fine with roughly 15-20 watts, 30 is gravy. I wouldn't hesitate to play anywhere on any stage with 2 of these amps, and on most, 1 would do just fine, again depending a bit on PA.
Two important tips - (1) if you need more clean, crank the Master - "Gain isn't a Volume knob, Carl" (2) If Master above 3 o'clock isn't clean enough, substitute for a lesser gain 1st tube (12AX7) with something like a 12AU7, or 12AT7. OK, OK... a third (3) Please note that there are "clean" players who have an overdrive or even fuzzes like Big Muff "ON" all the time but with fairly low gain on the fuzz and with the [B]guitar Volume control rolled back[/B]. DO NOT miss the incredible value and versatility in your guitar controls, especially if you're wise enough to have your pickups adjusted down away from the strings so the magnetic pull doesn't inhibit string vibration. If you think magnetic pull isn't a major issue, consider that magnetic brakes are used on industrial power saws to stop spinning blades really quickly.
Shop around because Monoprice has some amazing sales. I got mine for $150 USD double-boxed and delivered. I've seen quotes as low as $135 and as high as ~$250. Even at two fiddy this amp is bona fide grand larceny. Steal one for yourself. Just FTR I have zero affiliation with Monoprice other than being an extremely pleased customer for this amp.
Heheh. Well now that Lucas has pinned my comment I feel the need for an expansion and a qualified disclaimer. When I said "ANY band" I should have noted this depends on how much BASS you are asking an amp to deliver and at what SPL stage volume, not to be confused with FOH... interactive but separate animals. Back in the day even bass guitar amps were commonly 30-50 Watts and they were reasonably good at it. Sure, the rightfully sacred 40-50 Watt 4x10 Tweed Bassman became more famous for Lead Guitar, but a BlackFace 50 watt Bassman head through even a single 15 sounds really "round" and good and can compete with bashing Bonhams. This matters since many Heavy bands play "down-tuned" and we aren't talking about a mere Hendrix Half Step to E Flat..;
In A440 Concert (Just FTR 440 Hz is the "E" 1st string sounding out at the 5th fret) a common Spanish style 6 String's lowest note on the "E" (6th) string is right around 90 Hz, or cycles per second. Obviously and especially with 7 String guitars or Baritone guitars, it isn't inconceivable for the heaviest, lowest sounding string to be as much as an octave down. We are talking close to 40Hz and definitely invading Bass Guitar real estate. In bands that feature guitar players like this, 30 Watts, even 50 Watts, is unlikely to cut it... not for sheer volume but for clean headroom and definition. Most modern Bass players, and extremely down-tuned Lead players, need a good 100 watts of tube power and 200+ if it's Solid State. Yeah, the nature of tubes makes :Valve Amps" sound louder for any given wattage.
So if you're in a down-tuned Dark Metal band even two of the Monoprice combos isn't going to work out well for you (but four (4) might!) but everyone else can get by with one (1) in many venues, certainly any practice room, and with two, play anywhere with a decent PA
i truely respect any guitar gear review by anybody promoting the importance and value of those *knobs on a guitar* 😀 ... to change tone and gain character ... that's how i roll !!
thanks - great comment and input !! 😎
(kinda looking for another small rehearsal combo)
Gotta point out as a tech, that a 12AU7 is not a good replacement for a 12AX7. Besides that, it won't accomplish anything that just turning down the gain knob can't. The circuit is a JCM clone with a power section that distorts even easier than the Marshall... Two big issues with this amp as far as clean headroom : the second gain stage is a cold clipper. It is designed to provide distortion, period. The only way to lean it up is to rebias the tube warmer or bypass it completely turning it into a mini plexi (not so clean either). The second issue is that the power amp (especially phase inverter) distorts very easily. Diming the volume will have the PI distorting before the preamp ever does.
The best you can do is put 5751 tubes in (they're a direct replacement for 12ax7) for less gain without affecting bias and tone. Normally a more efficient speaker would be the easiest way to get more headroom , but the stock seventy:80 is pretty loud at 98db.
Bottom line: if you want clean, this isn't the amp for you. If you want crunchy Marshall goodness in a small package, there is no better bargain out there.
Sorry @@rangerdoc1029 but A) a 12AU7 is just fine as a replacement for a 12AX7. Pinout? Identical. Operating voltages? Nearly identical, with very minor change in induced bias. It's a very common swap that's done been a LOT for decades and never causes a problem. It's just substantially less gain and slight difference in frequency response. B) Because they are both TWIN Triodes, having two stages of gain where BOTH stages are reduced the gain staging structure is changed in a manner decidedly different from just "turning down the Gain knob" which operates at one location in the structure only. Bottom line is it is an easily accomplished option which one can quickly judge for oneself. It works. FWIW I do agree the 5751 is also a good choice but it does have a bit more bottom end response which is why the 12AU7 may have more effect at reducing overdrive onset in a 15 watt amp..
I'm curious about how you know it's a JCM circuit clone. I've never been able to confirm that the Monoprice 15 is unchanged from the Laney from which it was apparently derived. In fact it lacks some features the Laney has and has some the Laney does not so it would appear one cannot just assume it is identical. The JCM circuit to which you are referring having the "cold clipper" operates the way it does (early asymmetrical overdrive) by employing a 10K Cathode bias resistor as opposed to the more linear 1.2K-2.2K in most guitar preamp circuits. I personally dislike how the stock JCM sounds because of that borked biasing and have no evidence that it is duplicated in the Monoprice. It's a pita to derive the schematic on any PCB amp with surface mount components, so I don't yet have one. If you do please post a link.
While the Monoprice is not as clean as say an original Princeton, it isn't far off. 15 watts of any design is just not enough clean headroom for how I play when I play live, but it is definitely decently clean at bedroom and recording levels, especially with very minor adjustments to reduce bottom end which sucks up power rapidly in any amp.
I'm actually shocked the amp sounds as good as it does with that crap speaker in it. It was designed simply to carry the Celestion name at an extremely low price. I have yet to replace it but videos I've listened to with better speakers do sound better and people I respect who have done so say "it really came alive with a better speaker" and that is likely due to better and smoother frequency response and distortion characteristics reducing overall distortion perception for better apparent headroom. One could increase power supply capacitors for a slight but noticeable increase in headroom but if I was to rely on this amp for gigging I would use 2 of them Wet-Dry or Stereo to just get to that breakthrough 30 watt level putting it easily above Deluxe Reverb levels and with 2x12s instead of one. That should cover a fairly wide range of stage volumes.
Nothing wrong with a 12au7. Now, you should avoid a 12at7 in v1 and v2. PI might be okay.
Someone like me can learn a lotta great licks watching these amp demos plus I think I'll buy this amp..very simple great price thank you.
Hey Lucas. I bought one of these about two years ago and loved the sound for the money but didn't use it much. Two weeks ago the tubes on my Gibson Goldtone went. One amp down. Late this evening I blew a fuse on my Dr. Z maz 18. Two amps down. Everything was closed so enter my third line. Monoprice. I'll tell ya, the best part about it is the response. For such a cheap amp, great tones. Break is brittle due to speaker size but all around, very usable. I thought about making a video to sing it's praises. I wanted to see who already did one. And there you were, one of my favorite channels (I've been a sub for about 18 months) already had one up there! Thanks for the vid. Great review and great playing. Keep up the good work. My channel just hit 1000 subs today. A long way to go but you've certainly been an inspiration so thank you for that too! Take care and I wish you continued success!! -Mark
This is the best sound demo on this amp that I've seen. I am a classic rock player and you've nailed some important tones on this amp. 🖒
I purchased two (2) Monoprice Stage Right 5 watt Tube amps, with 8" Celestin speaker, 8/16 ohm speaker out jack and volume and tone controls for $119 each. One in December 2021 and the second amp in January 2022. Two day's ago they were on sale for $110 each! The 5 watt Stage Right tube amp sounds good and even very good through my Marshall full stack of (2) 412 speaker cabs. - Peter age 71
I've had one for a year and it's a great little amp. I purchased mine at Christmas when Monoprice had coupon and the total price was around $130 all in. The 5 watt also kicks ass.
I have a Peavey Classic 50 that sounds great, but I bought a PA that is smaller than my 2 monitor speakers to do small gigs. My Peavey is heavy-27 kg or 60 lb. In your opinion, will I be disappointed in the sound of Monoprice?
I have two of these. The first one I bought, I wound up re-tubing it, with a Mesa12AT7 in the first tube slot, and Tung-Sol EL84s. I also swapped the speaker for an Eminence Legend. It now has more of a Fender vibe to it, which was more or less what I was aiming for out of it.
The second one is completely stock. These really do have very much a Vox-ish tone out of the box, and it contrasts well with the Fender-ish tone of the other amp. I'm sure I'll re-tube it at some point (I'll probably throw JJs in it), but for now, I'm enjoying the way it sounds.
When I bought the first one, I was using it with a Fender Frontman 212R, running my dirt pedals into the front end of the Monoprice, then using the effects loop (yes, these amps have an effects loop) for my chorus, delay, and flanger, and into the effects returns of both amps, using the controls on the Monoprice to control both amps. Unfortunately, the Fender died, which is when I bought the second one and started tweaking the first one. I also switched to running all my effects straight into the front end of both amps, which just sounded better with this setup.
Overall, I couldn't be happier with these amps. They sound really good, they're great with pedals, they're plenty loud, and even though they're not as cheap as they used to be (I paid $159 for my first one, and $199 for the second one, but they're up to $250 now), they're still the best value out there. I highly recommend them.
Very good demo of the Stage Right amp. I purchased one just over a year ago. I played through it just about everyday at least for an hour or so, after about 8 months one of the output tubes went micro-phonic. I replaced the no-names with some JJs, set the bias easily, it has a pot for it. Electronically, this is very close to the Laney Cub 12R except for having an actual reverb tank. I would consider it to be a really decent practice amp for the money. It takes to pedals very well. You need to play with it a bit to see what works best into the front input and what works better through the FX loop. I would compare the tones somewhere between a Fender Tweed and a AC15. Worth $200? You bet.
By far the best reviewsound I have heard for the Stage Right 15 / Harley Benton Tube 15. Sounds really good. Really good player does it, as always.
I have been using this Amp for harp in medium sized indoor venues... Mostly classic rock, southern rock, and some blues. It easily keeps up with the guitars and drums, and, as you mentioned, when mic'd through a sound reinforcement pa, it really shines. It's actually a copy of the British Laney Cub 12. Lots of players have swapped out the speaker, or upgraded to better tubes, with very good results reported. At this price point, it's an exceptional value. I think that if you tweak it as mentioned, you might be surprised at what this little Amp can do.
I own both Monoprice amps. I normally dont buy cheaper gear, but i found these and a Bugera T5 for $300.
I found that this amp sounded much much better and more expensive than it has any right to be after I did the following.
Set the bias right (was COLD !)
Replaced reverb pan with MOD 3 spring. Direct drop in replacement.
Replaced RCA cables for reverb with better quality (this quieted down the amp)
Added shielding tape
Replaced the garbage Celestion thats in it with a speaker that is sold under the EHX label but is made my Eminence. 12TS8 30W. This speaker was a huge improvement in the sound ! Def check it out and its $35 !
Tubes
V1 Reflektor 6n2p-ev
V2 Reflektor 6n2p-ev
V3 RCA NOS 12at7
P1 Reflektor 6p14p-eb
Pq Reflektor 6p14p-eb
I bought mine used for $135 not too long ago. But this amp and the other two cheaper amps i purchased blow my mind. Even if this amp only lasts 2-3 years it was worth it. I have played big name branded tube amps that are in the lower price range (still not as cheap as this is) and they are no better in quality imho. If your looking for a nice amp and you dont want to spend too much, get one of these and do the mods like I did. These mods were not that expensive and it turned the amp from ehh to wow.
Just like the Bugera T5 sounded 10x better with better tubes (The Bugera tubes that come stock make this amp sound like shit), this amp gets better. If you are still using this amp stock, you have no idea how much better this amp sounds with the mods.
Last thing remember people the "Tone" control is like a Vox Tone Cut. Research that and then you will know how to use it and when you know how to use it this amp becomes even better. That is one thing i wanted to make sure i added to my comment.
Waiting for delivery on one. Your early Cream/Clapton/Strange Brew comment had me smiling ear to ear.
Thanks! The first one who plays some AC/DC like riffs...that should be the standard for amp testing! Powerful open chords with a little gain.
I don't know why people say you can't gig this amp..I got one and it does great did an out door gig,,prolly 1oo people there it did super great,,,The next step would be to mic it,,, If you were on a major tour stage...I havn't even used any pedals with it...it stood up to bass, drums and a peavey 2x12 amp,,,,Blows my mind,,,Love it for what it is.Great lil amp...Also havn't changed anything I see no reason to...speaker is breaking in great....Not great on the reverb though,,I'm gonna gig it and dig it, til it dies of old age,or falls apart,which ever comes 1st....Pedals will be the next venture,,,for me a compressor,eq,delay and a good od,,,then this baby will really shine.. Thats my honest opinion.....
Lucas, thank you for this detailed review. You demonstrate exactly what most of us need to hear. This really helps me out. Keep up the great work!
Buddy of mine bought one of these, it was great for a year or so and then the power supply died. We couldn't find anyone locally to work on it so we connected the Celestion speaker to a 1/4" input jack and now we use it as a speaker cabinet for his Orange micro terror amp. It works great.
finally a review where you can actually enjoy jamming from the reviewer, you play good !!
American companies are gonna have to start making more price effective guitars & gear because Chinese stuff is really caught up to us in mass produced equipment.
@Kenny H yeah... What's your point?
@Keith Clark OKAY KEITH
American companies *are* making price effective gear... by outsourcing to China.
People expect too much from American amps. I had an all tube, cream tolex covered, 15 watt, EL84 Crate combo (I can not remember the model number) back in '95-'96. I paid $200-$300 for it brand new. It was a bare boned, old school amp, voiced between tweeds and Vox, sounded great and Crate could not give them away. I wish that I still had it. If anyone has one gathering dust, I am interested.
They caught up 40 years ago. We have been obsolete for a very, very long time
Have had one a few years. Got it for about $125. Great for Marshall-y classic rock tones. Can get a little flabby sounding with too much gain and the decay on the reverb is too long. Matched it with an inexpensive BB preamp clone, which works well. Really nice for the price.
I just got one yesterday. Its the real deal. Sounds great.
Best demo I’ve seen on this. Wow
I had no idea
Its covering all sounds of the 60's ,70's and 80's its nailing ac/dc ,cream and jimmi page from what I can hear with that sg your using
I'd like to see a comparison with the cheap Fender amps like the Excelsior.
I previously had a 60s Ampeg Gemini which I loved, but had to sell after being laid off at the end of 2020. Having now found a job, I was looking for another tube amp to replace the Ampeg, but needed something less expensive then what it would have cost to replace the Ampeg. My buddy has 2 of these, so I had the fortune to play one before I bought it. These amps are great. I mainly play an Epiphone Sheraton II Pro. With that guitar, the amp gives a terrific warm tone, nice fuzz as demo'd as well as a nice clean sound when the gains off, and the 15/1 watt button is a great feature. Overall this fit my need for a tube amp at a great price. I see many comparisons to Fender and Marshall, to me this is more closely designed like the Laney Cub 12r. As it has the same features, same tubes, etc. I got mine on 6/10/21 and paid $260. I mention this just for reference.
I have one, love it. It sounds great with an overdrive pedal. Stay cheap and get a Joyo Vintage Overdrive to run into it.
Joyo ultimate Overdrive
Get a Caline Pure Sky. It's a Timmy clone that works like a Timmy should (no reverse controls), and since Timmy was a way to have a tubescreamer (like the Joyo Vintage OD) that allows you to control the low end, it's better than a TS - allows you to push the highs and lows and thus scoop the mids if desired, something a TS cannot do. Cost's about $25, which is less than the Joyo.
Or if you like a more full-range OD that adds girth and warmth, try the Mosky XP Booster (a clone of the Xotic EP Booster V1). Costs under $20. Can run on 18v for more headroom like the original, as well!
Both of these can be found on AliExpress.com for the prices quoted (but some sellers do take a while to ship from China, so one needs patience).
or a Kokko Overdrvie, just did a review of it, it's a fuckin' awesome pedal !
How does it take other pedals?
I did I have a Donner overdrive I gave 18.00 for it on eBay good little pedal for the money it drives the amp well.
I really enjoyed your presentation and how you've taken comments and made adjustments. I subscribed after this video. Thanks for the work and posting
I bought this amp about a month ago and would recommend this to anyone Great little amp!
I agree, very cool little amp. Especially for the price!
Yeah buddy! Definitely good bang for your buck!
Just got one. So excited. Tube amp for 270 USD post pandemic price tax and ship included.
This amp slays it. I'm all for nice sounding cheap amps. I bought a new Bugera V22 several years ago for around 250 and it's another surprisingly rockin' amp. I just replaced the stock tubes with JJs last night and it sounds even better than I imagined.
Sold as a Harley Benton in Europe, presumably re-badged for US market. It's awesome, great sound and it's a steal at that price.
Great demo! This is exactly what I needed to know. Nice shredding too.
For that price and that tone, that is a win win!
you are by far the best reviewer of this amp. from the start you were amazing but when you started your cream strange brew deal I was sold.I already wanted one from watching other youtubers reviews but I live in Australia and I don't think I can get one imported here for 200 Australia dollars.Luckily I just bought an AC302x and it is amazing but yeah,that little portable beast with just the right sound for me...ooh baby
watched your review and was blown away. I just ordered it on Amazon. Cannot wait to play on it this Saturday! Thanks!
I almost bought this amp, it's a great value and has great tones. I'm all about great tones at a great price. Another amazing bargain amp with great tube tone is the Fender Super Champ X2. It can be found for about $250 and it also has great tone, plus 2 channels; one fully clean, and one with 16 classic amp models. Its also loaded with FX. Its honestly the best bargain amp available and its loaded with great tones and usable features. But this little amp is still a great little tube amp and ill probably be getting one eventually.
Thanks this was very helpful to me 😉😊
@@cujo9071 hell yeah! I'm glad my comment made a difference. I was so happy with the Super Champ I want others to experience the same thing and be blown away like I was. I've made my share questionable purchases and it's always disappointing. Doing research on the internet has helped me find and make smarter purchases
@@kevinr.3542 Cheers bro ;)
@@kevinr.3542 Thanks again , if only all youtubers were like you ;)
I’m a little astonished at how great that little amp sounds. Nice presentation. To me it sounds like a cranked tweed Fender Deluxe from the 50’s.
I really liked Daytripper at 5:07 also nice review, i think I gotta get my hands on this thing
I bought the 15 Watt Stage Right by Monoprice Amp from Amazon for $229 back on March 7. It was delivered on March 10th and I haven't used my 100 Watt Fender Mustang III since the Stage Right amp arrived. The simple fact is, I LOVE this little amp. This past Saturday I did a comparison test between the amps with the Fender Mustang on Preset #88, modeling a 'Basic 57 Champ'.
To MY Ears the Monoprice sounded slightly better (Both Amps have 12"Speakers). Where my Fender beat out the Stage Right was with the Reverb. The 'Ambient' setting on the Fender matched the closest -- you might think one of the Fender's 2 Spring Reverbs -- but sounded 'fuller' than the Stage Right. In NO way was this a deal breaker, I have no problem with setting the Reverb knob on the Stage Right on 6 or 7 for most of my playing. [The only *problem* I have now is I have to finally buy a few Effects Pedals ;-)]
Your playing is spot on Lucas and you're making this thing sound really great. I've heard some other demos but I'll be honest, they didn't sound nearly as good. I suspect it's because people probably didn't run the amp loud enough. So many people will take something like this and just run the master volume at like 1 and dime the gain control. It's totally wrong and you end up thinking the amp sounds small and thin.
Anyway, just goes to show you that you can get great sounds out of less expensive gear too. I used to have a Pignose G60VR and I have to say, it sounded pretty great stock too. I ended up replacing the speaker and tubes and doing a really easy mod to it... after those fixes, the thing was amazing!
Great video! Word of caution-UA-cam is actively demonitizing a lot of music vids that play small clips of songs. It's becoming a serious problem.
The amp sounds great but a lot of that is the player. Have fun with 15 watter!
Just found you Lucas and have been enjoying your channel and some good playing to go along. Just received my Monoprice 15w and have to say, quite impressed for 249.00 delivered to my door
Awesome! I think it's a pretty impressive little amp if you can get one for $250 or less.
I like how u got the reverb to ring out. 🧐😎
Very nice playing. The outro was cool "asf" as the kids say
Dear Lucas , I really totally Digging your videos and especially demoing that stage right 15 all tuber!!! Just purchased one and i couldnt be more thrilled !! Thanks and whatever you do never change your style you totally Rock buddy 👍🙏☺️🎶
Exceptional playing this is the best demo I've seen for this amp by far 10+ got one on the way subscribed.
I liked it so much I bought a second after i broke in the first...great pushed on it's own, but also has very good clean and takes well to pedals before and in the loop ( i use a g major 2 in the loop stereo out to both amps). I use this for smaller venues that can't stage my dual marshall half stacks, as well as simple practice . Running a bonzai and getting great pushed sounds as well.
The idea of running 2 of them in stereo and getting increased headroom is very interesting...NO! I have too many amps!
Awesome review, just bought one to "Compliment" my Mesa Boogie and Peavey Delta Blues.. Great job, perfect little tube amp!
I really don't think u give that amp justice ! For 200 dollars it sounds incredible that is a sound that most blues players are looking for is that exact sound, you did a great job on the demonstration but I love the way that amp sounds!
I would love to see someone demo the FX loop of this amp. I would love to combo this with my POD HD500x as a practice amp.
You can get a little more clean headroom out of the amp if you turn down the gain accordingly and put a clean boost in the loop. It will let you clean up the preamp tone and get you as much as possible out of the power section.
Also, I highly recommend getting this thing biased. Some are way off from the factory and you can really max out the amps potential with these two things before replacing a speaker.
Great demo and review! I have had this amp for a few months now and really like it, and just picked up one for my son as a Christmas gift. Really great bang for your buck.
A year later, have you had any problem with it?
It's like an inexpensive vox ac15 with an external speaker it is a VOX. We must remember Guitar PU's change the input signal and tone of the Amp. I have 5 of the original MP amps with the GA5 TV front look. I won't sell these. Thanks for a good review.
I have this amp ... The ragged thing you mentioned was true on mine but I swapped out the chinese celestion for a Celestion cream back and it made a huge difference... it tightened everything right up!
Can you post what it sounds like? Hit some chords and single notes pls?
I'm not sure if he mentioned this or not but besides the effects loop this amp also has a jack for an extension speaker (labeled for 8 or 16 ohms), and there's a footswith jack to turn the reverb on/off.
The amp does use a pair of el84 tubes. The stock ones are pretty fragile and prone to premature rattle. I'd recommend making or getting some silicon damper rings to help cut down on rattle and preserve tube life.
As other's have mentioned a pair of these amps (with or without an extension speaker) would surely give you plenty of ample rocking volume for most types of gigs or band situations.
try using some 8bq5/xl84 tubes instead of 6bg5/el84 tubes with a 12at7 preamp tube and see what you think.
Yes, I have some extra 12at7's around here so I will experiment with that, primarily to bring the gain down a bit.
On the board itself variable resistor TR1 is for setting bias, but what is variable resistor TR2 for adjusting?
It’s a re-badged Laney Cub. And that’s a good thing.
I appreciate this because all the other reviews l have seen are with Fender guitars. I want to know how it will sound with Gibson guitars especially an SG. Also it's refreshing to you have a review by someone who can play more than power chords or cowboy chords. I also wanted to know what is sounded like for lead guitar and you answered that. So thanks!
Sound just loud enough to piss off the neighbors! Outstanding demo!
These are perfect for classic rock and keep in mind it comes with a low end cheapo Celestion speaker, drop in a G12H-30 and your in vintage marshall heaven! That is what its circuit is patterned after BTW.
You certainly make that little amp sound as good as it can sound, which is considerably good. Great demo. Thanks! Mine comes tomorrow.
That price with an fx loop, ext. cab jack, attentuation switch, footswitchable reverb, and actual spring reverb tank is just amazing. Finally beginners can get a solid amp that won't hold them back due to lack of fx loop, reverb etc. and actually has good tube tone not terrible SS tone with 1,000 presets that all sound bad. I would have killed for this in the 90s when I started playing. It's a great way to get accustomed to playing with a tube amp and getting used to the dynamics. It would make a PERFECT pedal platform practice amp. It's basically a blues junior klone. I'd recommend this to any beginner, stay away from those SS modelers. They might be 4x as big but tubes are louder and fuller in a smaller package and react to your playing so you'll be encouraged to play. With a ss modeling amp you'll likely be discouraged from playing. The only SS amp is ever buy or use is an orange crush 120 head. I'm using a Marshall DSL100HR with a couple orange cabs but if love to get one of these SR amps just for fun/practice. Hell then I could set up a stereo rig for recoding. It wouldn't be super loud but certainly loud enough for practice and recording. Not to mention those blues jr circuits have tons of mods avaliable for those of us who love tinkering with our pedals and amps. Anyways I'm just really impressed with what they threw together for $200.
It is a great little combo! To be clear for anyone who wants to mod one though, I believe this is actually a clone of the Laney Cub 12R and not the Blues Junior, though they are very similar in layout.
@@LucasFowler I meant to say blues junior type circuit I think I just assumed that's how it would be taken but in hindsight that wasn't the case lol.
Thanks so much for this video Lucas. It's nice to see an amplifier demoed the correct way. Have to get me one now!
I'm glad you liked it. Its a very cool little amp, especially for the money!
Just bought one. Problem is that it takes forever to ship. Cannot wait for this thing. (it's my first tube amp)
You have the best review on this little amp. sick playing though!
I ordered one yesterday. Modelers just can't truly get that tube quality and I've tried many. Gonna put a chorus, delay and EQ in the effects loop and a Truetone Jekyll@hyde in front for hotter tones.
How does that truetone up front? Thsnks in advance
A lot better demo then some of the others I've heard! It would be interesting to hear it through different cabs as well as different pedals in front of it.Even cooler to get a pair of them and stereo it out!
Love it... I just ordered one. Can't wait!
Awesome review. Well organized and no bs
Nice sounding amp, great playing too!
Great demo and awesome riffing ! 👍🎸
super presentation and very cool little amplifier.
Lucas Fowler you are a Great player and I'm a Gibson SG man too.
I just got this amp delivered today 4/6/2021 for $250 from Amazon and I clicked the link on Amazon to write a review and the price is up to $329 a day later.
Figures haha. "Thanks" dude. haha.
I just bought one today 250. How you like it so far? Looking for good tube style blues tone!
Interesting. I just purchased one about 4 weeks ago and it was around 260.
Seems like it has a nice sound and would do well for a small gig! Probably works well with pedals as well.
For the price, that amp sounds frickin’ sweet!!
Great simple well informed review as I'm back from the future it's 01/21
Darryl Brunson changed the V1 preamp and it smoothed it out very nicely.
I picked up one of these amps in a trade about 6 months ago. I just put some better tubes in it and it sounds so good that I got rid of my blues Junior III😳 Pull the chassis and you’ll find they’re actually pretty well made. They’re a Laney Cub12 clone. I’m thinking about going with a 10” greenback in it.
what tubes did you switch out preamp /power tubes?
J P all of them. But definitly the power tubes are a must . Get a set of JJ el84s . I like sovtek 12 ax7s for new preamp tubes but you'd be good with all just as well
@@timmyv694
With tubes changed, any rebiasing necessary?
Robert J Baumgartner I just put a matched pair of JJ el84s . I didn't rebias . I'm not saying you don't have to . Maybe if I did it would be even better. Just changing the power tubes improved the amp a lot . I was getting tube rattle with the cheap tubes in there no problems at all with the JJs
Yes, I have a pair of JJ el84's to install in mine, the stock tubes are fragile and prone to rattle. Inside the chassis there's a small but clearly marked variable resistor pot for bias adjustment (marked TR1). Careful in there though, no poking around or touching metal to metal.
At present they are $254. I am on a notify when in stock list.
They're in stock as of today
@@fordrac1ng81 TY I was able to pick one up a while back. The amp meets my needs.
P.S. I love controlled feedback. It's got it. Once picked up a Cuban radio station with my '68 Harmony amp and a '76 Fender strat in Huntsville Al. Looking for Chinese subs now with my PRS.
I have the 30 amp. Really loud. Great tones.
This thing is like instant AC/DC.
Man, excellent video! Love the sound of the amp and really love that SG. Beautiful guitar.
Surprisingly good sounding
This amp has a bias and hum balance on the pc board, and they use lock nuts on the speaker, I change the tone stack to a Fender black face and it tamed the mids a lot and added bottom to the tone.
Well done demo.. I have tried these and for the money there is not much better The reverb could be better but easy fix with a reverb pedal.
I just bought this thing because of this video. For $250 on Amazon it's a no brainer.
That is so worth the money, practice amp on a budget
Just be prepared to replace the cheap, stock el84 power tubes. Any extra dampening to the chassis, with foam or rubber grommets, with help lessen the cabinet vibrations and help preserve tube life. Combo amps, as a rule, are hard on tubes.
@@montag4516 I’m just going to harvest it as a head
I love mine! Haven't played around with tube or speaker mods yet because I like the stock sound. BTW, that tone knob is AFTER the effects return, unlike the bass, middle and treble controls which are BEFORE the effects send. So you can choose how they all interact if you've got something plugged into the loop. Nice touch!
I also got the Monoprice 5 watt amp with the 8 inch speaker. It's fine for what it is, but no 8 inch speaker is going to sound that great. Plugged into a 12 inch cabinet though, it is quite satisfying---gets that good tube mojo and breakup. (I put a speaker attenuator on it so I can crank it to breakup at low volume, for bedroom use.)
I didn't know that about the tone knob. Good info!
Thanks Lucas good review..keep em' coming ...
planning to get 2 of these(or 2 blackstars) to use in stereo
Imagine using two of them for 30 watts and 2x12s for Stereo or Wet/Dry AND for around 400bux ($260-$500)... uh huh...I've paid almost that much for premium overdrive pedals and I'd play anywhere with that 400 dollar Stereo rig. That, Son, is a bargain!
I thought of that! If I didn't use 2 FRFR cabs with my Helix I would probably try that out!
enorbet2 I was thinking it’d be great for stereo too
I just bought a Gretsch so I want something Vox-ish ,old school Marshall. I run an Analog Alien Rumble Seat as well, so yeah .It's tax time. Got a fair return so Stage Right/ Monoprice is gonna get some of my money. Thanks for the kick butt demo. Answered all my questions ,and I heard some tasty licks. Ya killed it bro!
UPDATE I actually bought this very amp . I love it so much. I even put the Analog Alien away.......don't need it. I almost wish I had bought three ,or four more at this price. Just to let you know the Gretsch sounds amazing through this amp.I would recommend it . It does have enough fullness in live application.
I wanna know what it sounds like with a tube screamer
Bought one recently because of the good reviews and price. Unfortunately the reverb didn't work, and the tank rattled when
playing.
hard to find in Holland , shipping from the USA more than $100
Buy Harley Benton's one from Thoman, exactly the same
www.thomann.de/nl/harley_benton_tube15_celestion.htm
@@brunocarmelo7768 yes, bought it
@@mattesb4281 Yes!!!
Great video! I will investigate for myself how this amp sounds with a $500 guitar. Your SG sounds sweet.
Thanks! I think I'll get one.
Since it's open-backed, you could back-mic it for extra "chunk".
Good tip, never crossed my mind to try that when recording with open back cabs.
Remember to reverse the polarity of the rear mic.
You can't get this sound with modeling amps! The value here is astonishing. Thinking "Gee, only 15 watts?" Tube amp watts are way louder than solid state watts! EL84 tubes have tons of output from very little input. I'm 68 and was lucky to have seen Cream! I definitely recognize your Clapton inspiration! He's my favorite!
actually, I can, maybe you can't. My friends can also.
Have the earlier tv 4 watt version n it's pretty awesome! Also paid 69 bucks- which in 2018 is unheard of!
These amps are now available in Europe and sold by Thomann, re-badged as Harley Benton. Just bought one based on this review. Fantastic amp for the money and great classic tones. Just watch out for the EU plug, you'll need a 2 pin earthed adapter for the UK.
Loved your playing by the way!
Does it mean Harley Benton TUBE15 is the very same amp?