Gigging out doesn’t have to be a backbreaking affair. Check out our picks for best lightweight guitar amps, and shop the full lineup here 👉 sweetwater.sjv.io/BestLightweightGuitarAmps
I'm still in love with my Vox Pathfinder 15 (non R version for me). Small, beuatiful cleans and takes pedals well. Small and light. Enough to fill a small to medium room. Such a bueaty.
@@adamk589 way different and about 1/16 the volume. The pathfinder is cool and works for small gigs, cheap and a great practice amp but an ac30 is one of the loudest/heaviest amps out there. Even at 30 watts, something about the design, itll hit 115/20 db easily, crazy loud amp. Theyre really abrasive and have lots of high end, kind of the opposite of most class D amps, like the pathfinder
I got my Quilter Aviator Mach 3 combo (the big brother to the Cub) from you guys and I couldn't be happier. It gets a bunch of different sounds, takes pedals really well, sounds amazing and is really loud. No tubes to go bad but sounds better than most tube amps. It weights in at 21 lbs. BTW I've been a professional guitarist for over 40 years.
@@dustylense I too have multiple Quilters. I have the Mach 3, Mach 2 and two Steelaires. They are all combos. I've probably owned at least 200 amplifiers over the over 60 years I've been playing and can honestly say that the Quilters are my favorites.
It’s great to see these things being tested in a real world band scenario. And I always love practical lightweight gear that sounds good! Some really solid playing as well.
I bought a Boogie MK5/25 combo 3 years ago for exactly the reason this clip was about...lightweight, great tone and plenty of power to handle just about any gig or rehearsal. I also have a lightweight 1x12 extension cab I use with the combo. I put a Greenback in it to round out the sound, but even alone, the single 10" in the combo would be enough. Just a great little beast... However, one other amp I have that still comes in fairly lightweight (32 lbs) is my Katana MKII 100 1x12 combo. I realize the weight limit in this test was 25, but as an old school player that used to have to deal with amp heads that came in at around 50+ pounds along with heavy 2x12 or 4x12 cabs, or even Combos that weighed 60 to 70+, anything under 35 lbs that I can grab and go to a gig or rehearsal with is a major bonus. Great test, Mitch....thanks!
Don't let these guys BS you, if you are playing elevator music and only need to play at 80 or 85 decibels then all these will work...... as would an acoustic guitar at 80 decibels. The blues jams I go to the overall volume is around 95 - 100 decibels and if that was the case then the Blackstar and maybe the Mesa would work all the rest would need a microphone into the PA
I use a Fender Tone Master Deluxe with both guitar and pedal steel, and I love it. It’s the first digital amp I’ve played that not only sounds real, but feels real. It responds correctly to dynamics. Mine sits side by side with a vintage 1977 Mesa Mark I that I’ve played for over a decade. Is it as good as the Mesa? Not quite - but neither is any tube Deluxe I’ve heard. Is it close enough that I wind up choosing the Tone Master Deluxe over the Mesa regularly? YES. Especially if it’s leaving the house - the Mesa weighs literally three times as much as the Tone Master! Not long after getting it, I took it to a jam with my pedal steel. Afterward, two different people who own real vintage blackface Deluxes asked me if it was vintage or a reissue. It’s good enough to fool people used to the real thing, it’s good enough for me.
It was interesting how the Orange captured a bit of the Peter Green thing from the earliest days of Fleetwood Mac when he played pretty clean using the neck pickup. The song “Fleetwood Mac” comes to mind. Well he was playing Orange amps early on, but it could be just a psychological thing going on.🤷♂️
I use a Tonemaster Deluxe Reverb. Works well with effects direct into inputs but doesn’t have an fx loop! Weighs about the same as a guitar in a case and has enough volume.
I have the Mesa Mark V 25 and it's easily the best of those amps. It's all tube, super loud, and can easily go from crystal cleans to crushing gain which a lot of small amps can't do. You could easily use it without effects for that reason, along with its onboard reverb.
@@johnhennessey5 its not. New, the V25 head is $2000 and combo is $2240, but if you buy used, you can easily get it for as low as $1400. I brought mine used for that exact price less than a year ago. There are a ton on the used market now with the introduction of the Mark VII.
Smaller amps can work just fine depending on your style of play. It also helps to elevate the amp on a stand/case or angle the amp upwards to maximize dynamics. In my opinion either the Mesa or Fender combo will be your best bet regarding output with a band. Both brands have been engineered with greater power to where playing soft/heavy music won't matter. But I digress.
That picture is not the Crush 35rt. Thats a picture of the Crush Bass 100. It says so right on there label. The Crush 35rt doesn't even have a XLR output.
The tube amps seemed to be more compressed and sat in a narrower dynamic range, heard the whole time, while I think the solid state ones could sound similar if run a bit louder and played not quite as dynamically
Cool demo. Wish he would have pushed the amps a tad harder with a little more overdrive. That being said, Mesa & Quilter souded the best to my ears. Blackstsr was decent to. The rest? Eh.
was that really a valid demo? those SPL levels were from like what? 1 watt? what about when you get more dynamic music that starts crushing the headroom? I think an egnater tweaker 15 head or those little orange terror tube amps, which weighs w/e 15-20lbs through a neo speaker 1x12 would give all these amps a serious run for their money. the 10-20 tube watts can get pretty loud and those little amps dont weigh much. plus, what do the solid state amps sound like when they get pushed harder? kudos to the one amp with the tubes. would have liked to heard that one at the edge of breakup
Been playing Boogie amps for more than 30 years. LOVE THEM!!! But my back is shot, and my Nomad 45 is just too heavy. Then I discovered that the other guitarist in the band had a Quilter head in a suitcase as a backup.I asked if I could take it home and mess with it, and I was SOLD. A single channel amp with 200 watts, reverb, FX loop....the clean sound was so thick and warm, and it took my pedals just great! It's like 4 pounds!!!!! Now my Boogie sits at home!
For my gigs with the Cornish band the UK here called the Countrymen I use either my fender tone master deluxe reverb Fender HR deville Blues jr 3 or Boss katana MK2 50 Ex All combos and they all get used Depending on the venue and tone I'm after. Great review. The ss amps the tonemaster and katana, particularly keep up with a live drummer no problem. Would love to try the orange crrt35 with a live drummer. That's only a 10" speaker.
quilter looks so similar to Fender Rumble 100 bass amp. But to be honest , I use fender and gretsch guitar with Rumble 100 and the dynamic and tune is amazing . Also , Rumble 100 is not expensive amp .i assume quilter is the same .
I have the Quilter Aviator Cub. Sounds great at home volumes. Hasn't worked for me in clubs. Gets boxy and unclear at higher volumes. Could run it thru PA, but that introduces another level of complexity. No sound man. Need to relay on stage volume to carry the club. My Mesa Express mkii 25 does that.
Sorry but using that “backup band” really doesn’t work for showing what those amps can do. An unamped acoustic guitar could have kept up with that volume. You really needed to kick out something ballsy like 99% of your customer’s bands actually play.
Hi, pankajjoshi2032. There are several great options for acoustic guitar. The Fishman Loudbox Mini is a great, affordable option. Also, the new Taylor Circa 74 amp is extremely impressive. Thanks for your interest! Charlie Davis, Sweetwater Sales Engineer, (800) 222-4700 ext. 1320, charlie_davis@sweetwater.com
Will it chug? Because you played the softest music you possibly could. Be fair in your playing demos. Put some heat on the speakers and then give us a test. I'm not playing some jazzy tunes down at a dive bar.
The 35rt is the worst amp I ever bought. I previously had the 20rt and it was great. But the tone could never come out. Always sounded muffled and unclear. I thought maybe it was the Amp but I checked out another same model and it was the same thing. Not sure what happened. But I was not happy with it at all.
I think I agree with you on the muffled part for sure. I think it might have to do with the orange VOTW speaker that comes stock. Got a cab with those and it's kinda the same problem. What amps for the same price do you think are better?
I was able to try them side by side at my local shop. I went in there fully expecting to prefer the blonde, based on the experience of certain UA-camrs, but I much preferred (and bought) the black. Try 'em both if you can!
Gigging out doesn’t have to be a backbreaking affair. Check out our picks for best lightweight guitar amps, and shop the full lineup here 👉 sweetwater.sjv.io/BestLightweightGuitarAmps
The Boogie is not on the list in the linked page.
I'm still in love with my Vox Pathfinder 15 (non R version for me). Small, beuatiful cleans and takes pedals well. Small and light. Enough to fill a small to medium room. Such a bueaty.
I have two of them, the 15R versions.
They are absolutely fantastic amps!
How does it compare to the AC30 as far as tone?
@@adamk589 way different and about 1/16 the volume. The pathfinder is cool and works for small gigs, cheap and a great practice amp but an ac30 is one of the loudest/heaviest amps out there. Even at 30 watts, something about the design, itll hit 115/20 db easily, crazy loud amp. Theyre really abrasive and have lots of high end, kind of the opposite of most class D amps, like the pathfinder
I have 2 and they are the best small amp you can have.
Incredible amp!
I got my Quilter Aviator Mach 3 combo (the big brother to the Cub) from you guys and I couldn't be happier. It gets a bunch of different sounds, takes pedals really well, sounds amazing and is really loud. No tubes to go bad but sounds better than most tube amps. It weights in at 21 lbs. BTW I've been a professional guitarist for over 40 years.
I was digging that Quilter too...ha...I thought it sounded pretty good out of the bunch. Cheers!
@@6thwatergateplumber The UA-cam videos really don't do it justice and that's the baby Quilter Aviator. They also work well with modelers too.
I got the Bugera 15 inch. It's pretty awesome, but heavy as sh#t. 😂
Mach 3 is an amazing amp! Total powerhouse. I own the Mach 3, mach 2 and 101r. Total Quilter love.
@@dustylense I too have multiple Quilters. I have the Mach 3, Mach 2 and two Steelaires. They are all combos. I've probably owned at least 200 amplifiers over the over 60 years I've been playing and can honestly say that the Quilters are my favorites.
It’s great to see these things being tested in a real world band scenario. And I always love practical lightweight gear that sounds good! Some really solid playing as well.
The orange 35rt was a nice surprise. Not normally known for clean. Nice warm almost valve like tone
I bought a Boogie MK5/25 combo 3 years ago for exactly the reason this clip was about...lightweight, great tone and plenty of power to handle just about any gig or rehearsal. I also have a lightweight 1x12 extension cab I use with the combo. I put a Greenback in it to round out the sound, but even alone, the single 10" in the combo would be enough. Just a great little beast... However, one other amp I have that still comes in fairly lightweight (32 lbs) is my Katana MKII 100 1x12 combo. I realize the weight limit in this test was 25, but as an old school player that used to have to deal with amp heads that came in at around 50+ pounds along with heavy 2x12 or 4x12 cabs, or even Combos that weighed 60 to 70+, anything under 35 lbs that I can grab and go to a gig or rehearsal with is a major bonus. Great test, Mitch....thanks!
Great vid! First time I see Mitch rock out like that, that was awesome you got a great touch and sweet chops!
Absolutely!🎸✌️
Depends on the drummer that you’re playing with. This drummer is playing with a light touch. So naturally all of these amps cut it.
My drummer's only dynamic is fortissimo, but nothing mics don't solve.
That was a great, informative demo guys. Thank you!
We need more videos like this with drums and bass.
Don't let these guys BS you, if you are playing elevator music and only need to play at 80 or 85 decibels then all these will work...... as would an acoustic guitar at 80 decibels. The blues jams I go to the overall volume is around 95 - 100 decibels and if that was the case then the Blackstar and maybe the Mesa would work all the rest would need a microphone into the PA
I’ve carried them too . Agreed ❤
I use a Fender Tone Master Deluxe with both guitar and pedal steel, and I love it. It’s the first digital amp I’ve played that not only sounds real, but feels real. It responds correctly to dynamics. Mine sits side by side with a vintage 1977 Mesa Mark I that I’ve played for over a decade. Is it as good as the Mesa? Not quite - but neither is any tube Deluxe I’ve heard. Is it close enough that I wind up choosing the Tone Master Deluxe over the Mesa regularly? YES. Especially if it’s leaving the house - the Mesa weighs literally three times as much as the Tone Master! Not long after getting it, I took it to a jam with my pedal steel. Afterward, two different people who own real vintage blackface Deluxes asked me if it was vintage or a reissue. It’s good enough to fool people used to the real thing, it’s good enough for me.
Shred it Mitch ! well presented as always
It was interesting how the Orange captured a bit of the Peter Green thing from the earliest days of Fleetwood Mac when he played pretty clean using the neck pickup. The song “Fleetwood Mac” comes to mind. Well he was playing Orange amps early on, but it could be just a psychological thing going on.🤷♂️
Lightweight heavy hitters for sure. Sweet licks too! Very nice. Great video, thanks 🤘
Will they keep up? I'm that style you played...yes. In rock? Or metal? Not likely. I love Sweetwater though. Top notch people.
Thank you SW / MG - what a great concept and another fantastic demo. Love to stop by with some bevs and listen to the band - cheers!
Surprising to see Marshall and Orange can compete well with more expensive speakers. Cheers from Indonesia.
Great video, would like to see a round 2 that takes the band up a notch to do some hard rock, maybe include the 20W Marshall Studio series.
I didn't care for the Marshall or Orange (the first two) - but the rest sounded great and I wager could easily be adjusted to taste.
I use a Tonemaster Deluxe Reverb. Works well with effects direct into inputs but doesn’t have an fx loop! Weighs about the same as a guitar in a case and has enough volume.
I have the Mesa Mark V 25 and it's easily the best of those amps. It's all tube, super loud, and can easily go from crystal cleans to crushing gain which a lot of small amps can't do. You could easily use it without effects for that reason, along with its onboard reverb.
You forgot to say, easily the most expensive. Its over 2,000 lol I think its worth noting that
@@johnhennessey5 its not. New, the V25 head is $2000 and combo is $2240, but if you buy used, you can easily get it for as low as $1400. I brought mine used for that exact price less than a year ago. There are a ton on the used market now with the introduction of the Mark VII.
Love my Quilter Aviator Cub. Sounded just as good as the Tone Master in this comparison to my ears. But cheaper!
congrats to nick for getting the gig with Mr. big
I need an amp for practice and outside so that video comes at a great time
Cool video Mitch thanks man.
Been considering a Fender TMDR - tried on in a music store and it sounded pretty good. Like the modern features for power scaling and XLR direct out.
Great review. Because of this, I now have a little more info to research before I commit to buy!... Thanks, this has helped me a lot!
Smaller amps can work just fine depending on your style of play. It also helps to elevate the amp on a stand/case or angle the amp upwards to maximize dynamics.
In my opinion either the Mesa or Fender combo will be your best bet regarding output with a band. Both brands have been engineered with greater power to where playing soft/heavy music won't matter. But I digress.
That picture is not the Crush 35rt. Thats a picture of the Crush Bass 100. It says so right on there label. The Crush 35rt doesn't even have a XLR output.
would love a jam with these guys, they seem so chilled
So awesome! Thank you! Great video and Playing Everyone!🎼🎸
Sweetwater ROCKS!!!
The tube amps seemed to be more compressed and sat in a narrower dynamic range, heard the whole time, while I think the solid state ones could sound similar if run a bit louder and played not quite as dynamically
keep on rockin Mitch 🎉 always cool to see you jam
Blackstar for me and fantastic demo! Thx!
I love my new Fender LT 40 S . Amazing . 🇺🇸🎸☮️
Cool demo. Wish he would have pushed the amps a tad harder with a little more overdrive. That being said, Mesa & Quilter souded the best to my ears. Blackstsr was decent to. The rest? Eh.
Very nice job! They all sounded pretty good to me. Thanks for posting.
Lovin' the jamming!
was that really a valid demo? those SPL levels were from like what? 1 watt? what about when you get more dynamic music that starts crushing the headroom? I think an egnater tweaker 15 head or those little orange terror tube amps, which weighs w/e 15-20lbs through a neo speaker 1x12 would give all these amps a serious run for their money. the 10-20 tube watts can get pretty loud and those little amps dont weigh much. plus, what do the solid state amps sound like when they get pushed harder? kudos to the one amp with the tubes. would have liked to heard that one at the edge of breakup
Roland Blues Cube Hot 30 has all that at 27lbs.
I have a mg15fx where I crank it on od2 and add a tube overdrive and have gotten about 89 decibels on the sound meter , these things are powerful
why is a crush bass 100 on screen during the 35rt overview 🤔
He also states it's a 12 inch speaker, the 35RT has a 10 inch VOTW speaker, the CR60 has a 12"
I would be interested in knowing which ones the drummer, and bass player, thought sounded best. I like to know the drummer is happy.
I really like the St James!
Awesome amps! Or get the amp you want and put in a lightweight speaker like a Creamback NEO. Sweetwater has them and your back will thank you!
There's so many bad sounding amps these days, we've all forgotten what class A A/B amps sound like (just the way the pcb industry wanted us to).
m a beginner and see that several videos show a mic in front of ther amp being demoed...why is that ?
Quilter is just unreal
Been playing Boogie amps for more than 30 years. LOVE THEM!!! But my back is shot, and my Nomad 45 is just too heavy. Then I discovered that the other guitarist in the band had a Quilter head in a suitcase as a backup.I asked if I could take it home and mess with it, and I was SOLD. A single channel amp with 200 watts, reverb, FX loop....the clean sound was so thick and warm, and it took my pedals just great! It's like 4 pounds!!!!! Now my Boogie sits at home!
Loved the video, I will always like Marshall big time Marshal fan,, I also like Laney
Can you make a similar video for bass amplifier also with sound testing
For my gigs with the Cornish band the UK here called the Countrymen
I use either my fender tone master deluxe reverb
Fender HR deville
Blues jr 3 or Boss katana MK2 50 Ex
All combos and they all get used
Depending on the venue and tone I'm after. Great review. The ss amps the tonemaster and katana, particularly keep up with a live drummer no problem. Would love to try the orange crrt35 with a live drummer. That's only a 10" speaker.
The Orange was impressive
quilter looks so similar to Fender Rumble 100 bass amp. But to be honest , I use fender and gretsch guitar with Rumble 100 and the dynamic and tune is amazing . Also , Rumble 100 is not expensive amp .i assume quilter is the same .
I have the Quilter Aviator Cub. Sounds great at home volumes. Hasn't worked for me in clubs. Gets boxy and unclear at higher volumes. Could run it thru PA, but that introduces another level of complexity. No sound man. Need to relay on stage volume to carry the club. My Mesa Express mkii 25 does that.
The Orange 35rt has a 10" speaker, not a 12". I had one and regret selling it.
Correct, has a 10 (not 12) it is my fav amp in my arsenal.
Played it in the store and really like it.
Yes, and the control panel they showed was not from the 35 rt...
Tasty playing Mitch!
fender twin reverb, the real spinal tap
Holy smokes! Is that Nick DiVirgilio on drums??
Thanks Mitch great review. So which of these had the edge on headroom when cranked up?
Sorry but using that “backup band” really doesn’t work for showing what those amps can do. An unamped acoustic guitar could have kept up with that volume. You really needed to kick out something ballsy like 99% of your customer’s bands actually play.
Sweet. Really sweet. Thank you. DI or room mic'd?
Great playing!
Love the Sweetwater All Star band!
Wow. My vote is 1. Quilter 2. Tone Master 3. St James
Fender blues jr
Supro delta king
Marshall jcm 800 20watt
I’m surprised you didn’t include the Boss Katana MkII.
It would have to be the 50watt. Probably the best selling entry level amp. That's why you don't see it here. They already sell enough of those.
It would have killed the others with the right setting 😉
The quilter I bet is amazing
Gigging out? Where exactly is one supposed to do that anymore? Most of the venues are closed and nobody goes out. It's too expensive.
Awesome review 👍
My choice is just 1.5 lbs out of the range. A stereo pair of Mesa Cali Tweed 1x10 combos.
The Mesa Boogie actually comes with the neo creamback.
The only one I didn't care for was the Marshall. Top end was a bit shrill.
Nice playing but sorry. You forgot the best option: Boss Katana. It can do everything.
what about Roland blues cube hot? or jc 40 ? Bugera?
Is there something small for acoustic guitar? Thank you.
Hi, pankajjoshi2032. There are several great options for acoustic guitar. The Fishman Loudbox Mini is a great, affordable option. Also, the new Taylor Circa 74 amp is extremely impressive.
Thanks for your interest!
Charlie Davis, Sweetwater Sales Engineer, (800) 222-4700 ext. 1320, charlie_davis@sweetwater.com
Hi, That still looks quite big to me. Is there something I could fit in my backpack. Thank you.@@sweetwater
Thanks,
Will it chug? Because you played the softest music you possibly could. Be fair in your playing demos. Put some heat on the speakers and then give us a test. I'm not playing some jazzy tunes down at a dive bar.
Bluguitar amp1. 2 pounds
What if you’re not playing on the patio at a biker bar in Daytona Beach?
I liked them all but the Mesa Boogie has a bit more oomph to it. I bet it's also the most expensive one. 😐
Only about 2k more expensive 😔
Mitch Gallagher seems like he'd be a good uncle.
Hughes and Kettner BS200?
I wish you would have cranked up the crunch channels against a rock drummer.
Guitarist are such babies.
Drummers are the hardest working
Nice 👍
Mitch makes them seem heavy in the thumbnail😂😂
MG And Double Trouble
Get a local tech to build you a princeton kit.
Don't need high watt amps any more, modern PA's take's care of that!
The 35rt is the worst amp I ever bought. I previously had the 20rt and it was great. But the tone could never come out. Always sounded muffled and unclear. I thought maybe it was the Amp but I checked out another same model and it was the same thing. Not sure what happened. But I was not happy with it at all.
I think I agree with you on the muffled part for sure. I think it might have to do with the orange VOTW speaker that comes stock. Got a cab with those and it's kinda the same problem. What amps for the same price do you think are better?
Does the 20rt actually sound better than the 35rt? I would be surprised. I played a 35rt in the store and really liked it.
How is 25 pounds light?
Messa?
Yeah, I’ve never heard it pronounced that way either. 😬
After having the black tonemaster and messing with the blonde one, the blonde one is better. Better speaker
I was able to try them side by side at my local shop. I went in there fully expecting to prefer the blonde, based on the experience of certain UA-camrs, but I much preferred (and bought) the black. Try 'em both if you can!
Friedman RUNT 20!
I’ll be staying with my plugins or a boss katana for wayy less the price
Dv mark!!! 🎉
So my amp is 25lbs and my pedal board is 35lbs😂
What the hell, no DSL20CR love?