Why A SMALL Tube Amp Is All You (REALLY) Need | Why 25 Watts is the Best Tube Amp For Home Use
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- Опубліковано 9 чер 2024
- Why you only need a small tube amp, why 25 watts is the "best" wattage & the best home amps for guitar
▶ Amps used in this video:
MESA/Boogie Fillmore 25 1x12 combo amp: bit.ly/3tm7Ye5
MESA/Boogie California Tweed 6V6 2/20 1x12: bit.ly/3LVTrwl
MESA/Boogie Badlander 25 1x12 Combo: bit.ly/45pbfqj
MESA/Boogie Mark Five: 25 1x10 Combo: bit.ly/46D8JOi
MESA/Boogie Fillmore 50 1x12 Combo: bit.ly/3tm7Ye5
▶ Guitar used in this video:
Dinesh is using the Gibson Les Paul Standard 60s Figured Top - Translucent Fuchsia: bit.ly/3F8NHvi
Les Paul Standard 60s Figured Top Blueberry - Blueberry Burst: bit.ly/3F8NHvi
Epiphone Casino (USA collection): bit.ly/46m4qHq
International Customers- Please contact your local or preferred dealer for all shipping inquires.
In this video on the best small tube amps for home use, playing live, and recording, Dinesh shows us why a 25-watt tube amp is probably all you need if you’re playing at home, recording at home, or playing small gigs. Dinesh also walks us through the best applications for small tube amps and explains how many watts you actually need for each application-whether it’s blues, rock, metal, or jazz-using a range of 25-watt MESA/Boogie tube amps.
As Dinesh walks us through the best tube amps for bedroom and practice, we get an insight into the key features of each MESA/Boogie amplifier, including the main differences in sound between the MESA/Boogie Fillmore 25, MESA/Boogie California Tweed 6V6 2.20, MESA/Boogie Badlander 25, and MESA/Boogie Mark Five 25.
The key benefit of a small tube amp, and one of the reasons 25 watts is the best guitar amp wattage for home use, is that you can drive these amps harder to achieve pleasing harmonic distortion at lower volumes, meaning we can drive the amp without blowing out the windows!
As each of these amps are versatile, Dinesh also shows us how to set each tube small valve amp for different applications and musical styles, running us through how to use the master volume section and, where appropriate, the attenuator to drop the wattage for high-gain and classic tube crunch at considerably lower volumes.
You’ll also get some first-hand advice from Dinesh on deciding how loud you need your amp to be, when you need to mic up your amp, whether you need to crank the master volume, and when it's best to use the attenuator instead of turning the volume up.
In addition, Dinesh compares a 50-watt guitar amplifier with a 25-watt amp to see if they are actually much louder and what the difference in sound is.
If you’ve ever wondered why you need a small tube amp, and why 25-watt tube amps are seen as the most versatile option for today’s gigging guitarists, you’ll love this 25-watt amp shootout.
0:00 The small tube amp experiment
0:42 The best small tube amp for small venues, practice and home: MESA/Boogie Fillmore 25
6:24 Considerations when deciding what power rating to go for
7:27 The best small tube amp for mid-size venues and gigs: MESA/Boogie California Tweed 6V6 2;20
13:12 The best small tube amp for metal and high gain: MESA/Boogie Badlander 25
17:54 Choosing a small tube amp for home use
18:22 The best small tube amp for home use: MESA/Boogie Mark Five 25
24:02 How much louder is a 50-watt amp versus a 25-watt amp?
📼 Related Videos:
▶ How to run 2 amps together wet/dry rig: • Hooking Up Two Guitar ...
▶ Watch the full California Tweed 6V6 2.20 demo: • California Tweed 6V6 2...
▶ How many WATTS Do You REALLY Need? 25, 50 or 100?: • Guitar Amp Watts Expla...
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▶ Amps used in this video:
MESA/Boogie Fillmore 25 1x12 combo amp: bit.ly/3tm7Ye5
MESA/Boogie California Tweed 6V6 2/20 1x12: bit.ly/3LVTrwl
MESA/Boogie Badlander 25 1x12 Combo: bit.ly/45pbfqj
MESA/Boogie Mark Five: 25 1x10 Combo: bit.ly/46D8JOi
MESA/Boogie Fillmore 50 1x12 Combo: bit.ly/3tm7Ye5
▶ Guitar used in this video:
Dinesh is using the Gibson Les Paul Standard 60s Figured Top - Translucent Fuchsia: bit.ly/3F8NHvi
Les Paul Standard 60s Figured Top Blueberry - Blueberry Burst: bit.ly/3F8NHvi
Epiphone Casino (USA collection): bit.ly/46m4qHq
International Customers- Please contact your local or preferred dealer for all shipping inquires.
First time I played a Cali Tweed my jaw just dropped. It instantly became one of my favorite amps.
I love my cali tweed
I want one!
Never get tired of my Cali Tweed - she’s a keeper!
That’s an awesome amp for sure!
Really enjoyed this gear rundown! Great explanations of each amp. Simple and straight forward. IMHO some gear channels expect their audience to already be at a certain level of knowledge, thus could leave newer people finding these types of video scratching their heads. FWIW, the Fillmore 25 was my fave!
Enjoying this series!! Would love to see more of it. Keep em coming!
Thanks Al, glad you're digging these!
Big applause for this great presentation, educative + enjoyable!
I’m excited about this channel. When I was a kid I played the guitar everyday. Stopped for 15 years. For the last 4 months I haven’t put the guitar down after work. A lot has changed with the internet and idk anything about gear. Thank you for the help. -757
Great presentation and rundown of the different amps. I am just blown away by my Mark V:25. It makes even a cheap guitar sound amazing. What surprised me is when my wife said she could tell when I was using that amp because it was so crystal clear compared to when I use a Fender or Marshall. In addition, I really don’t use pedals with it much because it has all the tone I’m trying to achieve.
Sooo many players should see this! After 30 years playing, I’ve learned all anyone actually needs is a solid combo amp. ANY of those can be mic’d to rock a huge stage 💯🙌🏻
I’m warmin up to the Badlander for a Rock possibility.
Subscribed!!! Man, what an awesome vid. This arrived in my email inbox, usually I just delete, but this caught my eye. Watched the vid entirely. Loved it. Love the tones, playing, and honest info on each amp. The Mark series always kinda 'scared' me. Too many knobs, switches, dial, levers, choices.....but you made it look pretty darn simple. Maybe I missed it, but I assume these amps come with footswitches? Cheers......time to dive into the rabbit hole of this channel.
Own the Cali Tweed 4:40. Love the variable wattage and different tones. Great for home use but could take it right to stage if needed.
I've got the Fillmore 25 head into a Mesa 2x12 with the Mesa Vintage 30's. It's a fantastic pedal platform and that cabinet/speaker combo gives a nice and tight tone! I use one channel for rhythm, and set the other to use as a boost.
Super underrated amp! I use mine the same way.
Thanks for sharing!
We LOVED this!
I have a 20 watt Mesa Subway Rocket from the 90’s. Plenty power for most gigs and practice.
I used a deluxe reverb much of my active days \once I got smart enough to sell the 100 watt marshall half stack because it was just way to loud. Back then a powersoak was about all you use and the deluxe reverb worked just fine and works well with pedals. Played everything from old school country, southern rock, hard rock and metal through a 22 watt fender deluxe reverb and I have a great sound. I did turn the reverb channel to a clean boost channel so OI used an external unit for slap back and delay. That's about all I use aside of a distortion pedal and chorus.
Excellent demo!
Thanks for watching!
Love it!! I really like that Filmore. I have a Mark V 90 and I LOVE it !!!!
I have 2 small tube amps, but they only have 10" speakers...a Fender Princeton Reverb Reissue with a Weber California speaker and a Marshall DSL5C with a Celestion Creamback speaker. They do it all.
Thanks, Dinesh, for a really good presentation. I thoroughly enjoyed watching it and learning more about Mesa Boogie amps.
I love the mark 7 head. Most versatile. Smaller size, more options, and paired with a 2x12 makes it nice at home or for a gig.
love my Mk V:25... can go anywhere with that thing. I mostly use Fat Clean channel with pedals, but I bust out the High Gain Channel too from time to time. The Biggest complaint people have with that amp is inability to switch between Clean and Crunch with a footswitch.
Great amos I have had the mark v 90 and 35 and also the Fillmore 50 and 100. Mark v 35 I liked better than the mark 90 because the crunch mode with midrange boost gave me that 80s metal tone.
I played a lot of gigs in the 80s and 90s with a Peavey VTM120. Built like a tank, never had a problem. Great amp.
Had a head version of that. Interesting thing, with panel of tiny mod switches. Maestro Steve Morse played those amps to my knowledge.
Awesome video about which small amp is good. Great video.😎👍🇺🇸
Thanks! 👍
That Casino sounded killer
We want back to life the Gibson Skylark 5T old school point to point. 🤩🤘🔥
HI, thanks for the good review , question > Mesa/Boogie Mark Five or Mesa/Boogie California Tweed 2:20 for santana tone ? or should i say closer ?
Great video. Thanks for posting. I have played through a Filmore 25 and own the 50 and believe the main benefit for having the 50 is the clean headroom. Dirty does not seem to be much of a difference as you demonstrated.
Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for the insight on the 25 vs 50 watt amp.
I had a Fillmore 50 combo, then a 25 head into a 2x12 vertical cab, so good, and now I have the Mark VII combo, just the best amps ever period
Awesome, love this!
Love the Rectoverb Dual Rec 25 watt amp as well! Is it still in production?
wow! what a great new idea that Master volume is!
Depends on a lot of variables. I'm 50w JMP from '78 into a 4-12 with V30s. I'm good at outdoor festivals, on big stages, and the very effective master volume of that era Marshall means I can play it in a pub if I want.
Totally agree with you
I’ve played many gigs with a 5 watt amp mic’d. it’s just loud enough for me to hear on stage in a small bar, but mic it and it’s easy to mix in the mains.
👏 👏
I would really love a Fillmore 25W head, but it's impossible to get it in the UK right now. Any plans to bring it over here?
I love the Filmore. I've tried some and they are great. I played a 50 Cal for years in the 80s and 90s. The Filmore is much more my style these days.
Sweet Polsfuss!
Great video gents
Thanks for watching Jack!
Been sayin it for years. My mark V25 head has never let me down.
Never tried a Boogie. I think I’m sold!
A 5W amp is all you need in many situations. I have two 1955 Les Paul Jr amps that absolutuely rock - loud and with quality sound! And they are vintage. 😁
Wow! Old school amps! I bet they look and sound great!
@@gibson I had to do some replacement of tubes and the power cord on both, to make them as original and safe as possible. The speakers are original and the exteriors are in great condition. They sound great and worth the investment. Good for another 60 years!
Whats your def of a smalll gig vs med size gig?
I've got a Boogie Mk1 Reissue. Overkill for bedroom playing ? Yeah.......but it still can sound good.
Get some of these over to Germany 👍
Wish the RectoVerb 25 would've made the cut!
Will we ever see a Mark VII 25watts?
Love my vox ac15 with my gretsch
Oh yeah, Mesa boogie is a division of Gibson now!
Great sounds there 😀
❤️ ❤️
I would love to see the Lone Star, small 5w combo version
That would be awesome!
Mesa Boogie……bring back the Lonestar!
Fillmore 25 combo is my next amp
Boss Amps baby
Small like a GA15RV？
Yes, I want it！
Lovely tones, i may have to test a mesa against my vox and my marshall short stack
I Love my Marshall Head and my fender Deluxe Reverb - honestly Mesa seems to be good but tooo expensiv
hi ,i work for a backline company. we have 2 lonestar classic 2x12 combos and one 8:88 bass amp they all failed on live gigs in the first year when they were brand new...tubes ...fuses heat related issues so we stopped using them ...great for the studio not for gigs.
the most amazing feature on mesa amps is the reverb knob on the back panel, they obviously thought about access on live situations! maybe in the next version they will put it beneath the amp! btw all the mesa branded tubes were made in the shuguang factory in china .did you know that all mesa amps are pcb? the last handwired was the mark 5 ,a few decades ago .keep misleading people to think that it's all american made handwired....
Only Mesa I ever owned died mid-gig after three months of playing on it. Express 5:50. Couldn’t get rid of it fast enough!
I still use the express 5:50. Bought it Earl 2006. No problems so far.
Got a 5 watt blackstar
With russian valves and a green back speaker .with a multy effect board and killier for $500
Other amplifier brands are available.
When did Gibson start doing Mesa Boogie infomercials?
Edit: ok now I know they bought the company in 2021
You ran the 50 watt cleaner....it would most definitely be much louder if you pushed it harder and matched the gain. Of course not 2x louder....but more noticeably than you show.
I got a Studio Vintage that can be dropped down to 5 watts and I'm surprised at how amazing it sounds. Just put a mic in front of it and you're good to go recording or PA purposes.
Very nice! You can definitely crank a 5-watt amp nicely!
5 watts in single ended class A mode of my Lone Star Special is more than enough for most applications not to mention that glorious El-84 power amp distortion magic when pushed...
Also love my LSS. Though I confess I'd be tempted if they came out with a Mark 7:25 or 7:50. The 100 would be too much for my home even on its lowest output.
@@DigitalVG I had a Mark V 90 watts before my Lss and although I loved it, it was an overkill for my needs. I was playing the clean and tweed channel only. Lss is perfect for blues and rock even hard rock territories.
💯 💯
That comparison at the end shows why I went with the Fillmore 50 over the 25. It's not about the volume, it's about the fuller frequency response, especially on the low end. Small tubes just don't do it for me, the Badlander 25 was a huge disappointment. Depends what you're looking for of course. I'd rather have a more powerful amp with a good master volume. Disclaimer: I pretty much only play with a band on stage, at home I use a 2W amp.
Watts doesn't equal Loud. Speaker efficiency equals Loud. Loudness is Sound Pressure Level. SPL = db/watt/meter. It's been like this forever. That formula has never changed. Watts just give headroom before distortion. Increasing output watts does not always increase SPL. A 20 watt amp can be as loud as a 100 watt amp depending on the speaker.
I use amps that are typically between 10 and 50 watts. I don't choose the wattage for loudness. I choose the wattage based on the tube circuit and the sound that it gives. If I want loud I'll just plug into highly efficient speakers. A 5 watt tube head can be just as loud as a 50 watt tube head.
As much as I agree that people need less power than they may believe, the best live amp I ever used was my Road King with a 4x12 or vertical 2x12. Running the spongy setting with two power tubes got me into the 30-35 watt range and that was still plenty loud. I still ran one clean channel with 4 tubes to get higher headroom and more pure clean tone. Having the second speaker up closer to my ears also really helps not need too much volume.
How about defining; scoops, high's, low's, mids, etc. thanks
I regularly gig my 10 watt Carr super bee it sounds incredible and I still get told to turn down an I’m only on like 3-4
Ok, so for the middle-schooler who's starting to play small gigs, what do you recommend that's not $2k+??
Hi there! First of all - congratulations on the gigs. If you're looking for under $2k and something to play smaller gigs with, the new Gibson Falcon amps will get you there for sure: www.gibson.com/en-US/Collection/gibson-amps
They'll keep up with your drummer and they're loud enough for you to hear yourself onstage too. Plus, they'll handle all kinds of genres.
Drop a spotify link to your band for everyone when you get some songs out! Good luck! -Lee
@@gibson It's my son, but thank you! Those are still a bit pricey, but we'll check them out anyway. Thanks again.
You're welcome!
@amunoz66 How about let him figure it out instead of being an over involved, helicopter parent.
The 4x12s have always been for show. As usually only one speaker is mic'd. I once had an amp crap out and guess what I did before a show? I mic'd a Blackstar Fly 3 watt with the mic right against it. Came through the PA and monitors just fine and audience gave a standing applause several times. And for you metalheads, you can use a REVV pedal into a clean Fender amp and have all the gain you need.
Wish I could afford an amp like one of these Mesa’s that can handle it all (wish I owned any amp period, lol.) Any chance Gibson wants to help make dreams a reality for a poor, ill woman who has been medically homebound since 2019? Wow, if I had an amp that could really handle everything a bedroom player could ask for . . . add a 335 Modern, Emily Wolf Sheraton, or one of those soon-to-be DG-335’s (if you really wanna up that dream ante cause he’s one of my fave musician EVER 😉), and I’d have everything I need to play all kinds of music.
I’m really someone who loves everything from high gain metal and rock (ie: Metallica, Foos, Nirvana, GnR, and ‘90’s/‘00 punk) to acoustic strummers and everything in between. I own just one acoustic guitar, and while I love it, it gets painful to play very quickly even with a low action and light strings because of my disabilities. If I had an electric setup with a much easier playing guitar, it would let me play for both me and my service dog much more every day. I’ve come very far being self taught by since March 2020. I have overcome a lot to learn to play on my own including a traumatic brain injury, chronic pain, neurological syndrome, cancer symptoms, and physical weakness by using guitar as a form of my own physical, occupational, recreational, and cognitive therapies. I really play nearly every day unless I’m too sick. A gift of an electric setup would not only give me and my hard working boy (who LOVES his personal concert at home) the joy of more live music at home, but it would help me play more comfortably and enable me to perform skills like bends, trills, etc. that I just don’t have the ability to do on an acoustic guitar (even with light strings and the action dropped).
I’ve been trying to get donated stuff that’s either lightly used or new for over three years without any luck - been a huge bummer. Gibson, Epiphone, Mesa, etc. are definitely the brands for me. It would be a dream to have something I would cherish and get so much pleasure from.
Whaddaya say?! I think Danesh would totally want you guys to help me out!b😉🙏🏻😇 Even if you can’t, I just have to say that I love❤ Danesh’s demos and playing. He really does represent the Gibson family of brands well.
And……. You really dont need a 2k 25 watt tube amp either.
That mono price 15 watter for 250 is great.
1. Swap out for really good speaker cause thats over 1/2 ur sound
2. Swap out for wyality mztched tubes
3. Swap a cap or filter
Under 500 u have a very good gigging amp
The mathematics is that it takes 10 times the power to be twice as loud.
When Steve Lukather starts using a "small tube amp" that's "25 Watts" I'll consider it.
Oh my god... its not about being loud, its about HEADROOM ! Meaning you can hear yourself in the rehearsal...
3-4 dB is actually twice as loud
25 tube watts will smash out your room windows if used at the highest volume. 15 watts actually very loud. 5 watt for home is more than enough.
If you’re looking for an amp that sounds like a fender or Marshall why not just buy the fender or Marshall? These Amps have always been way overpriced and not the most reliable. The new buzz line is a “ great platform amp”. I will stick with the real deal and Friedman s also. Not much headroom on these?
Gibson try lowering the prices.
Very sweet and clear presentation, unfortunately very limited playing capability from presenter though
ah, no thanks. its not about volume. whether i am playing a MarkV25 a boss katana or or a triple rec they all end up being the same loudness. AND the triple sounds the best. its all about the tubes. which is why marshall, soldano and bogner use el34/6l6 in their 20 watt amps. regardless of that your speakers need that push to sound good no matter what. 50watts sounds different than 100 and its not volume. my tone chasing stopped when i attenuated.
A high sensitivity speaker can and will sound louder than a similar or even twice as powerfull amp. Wattage doesn't tell a full story.
everyone knows that a 50W amp isn't twice as loud as a 25W if they've done like 7 minutes of reading
If u think 25 watt is perfect for bedroom, you must have a HUGE bedroom bro
@gibson BIG FAIL that Mesa Boogie amp had not been available in the EU and in UK for THREE years? what the heck, this damaged the image of both Mesa Boogie and Gibson. You left users, owners, potential buyers and dealers in the dark. there were a few shady/vague "excuses" from Mesa Boogie at first.
To this day, I speculate that dropping Meinl as THE European distributor (who upped the price by 20% for their pocket BTW, so it was GOOD intention to drop them),
somehow led to invalidation of conformity towards electrical and safety regulations in said EU & UK.
THREE YEARS off a major market - how unprofessional can you be?
That said, luckily I snatched the LAST available Fillmore 50 Combo in Germany in March 2021, pre-Gibson produced in Dec 20. At a non-Meinl price of EUR 1850. NOW, while you are just back with distribution in Europe, these are 1000 more. Excessive that is. Will never buy any Gibson brand again (never have actually 😅).
Are you for real?
You’re asking if 50 watts is twice as loud as 25 watts?
25 watts is twice as loud as 5 watts.
9 watts is twice as loud as 3 watts.
16 watts is twice as loud as 4 watts.
Are you getting this? No?
36 watts is twice as loud 6 watts.
49 watts is twice as loud as 7 watts.
I have a Victory Sheriff 22 (22 watts) and it is extremely versatile as I can plug into a socket where the output is less than 1 watt fir use in a bedroom. I can crank it up for breaking/distortion without increasing the loudness. It’s an amazing bit o’ kit.
More is more… 🤔🙄🤘🏼✌🏼
That's with dBs. With Watts, you need 10 times the Wattage to be twice as loud.
So, 50 Watts is (roughly) twice as loud as 5 Watts. Of course, other things come into play too.
Nope. I need 5 amps for my current setup. Unless I'm in the studio. Then everything just goes DI through simulators. What I really don't understand is why some few people on youtube seem to think they know what everyone else needs. That's pure arrogance.
You can get a HB 15 watt tube amp with a Celestion speaker for less than $300, why anyone would buy an overpriced Mesa is a mystery.
Common, how can you compare that HB to a high end amp ?
If you can't tell the difference..
These kind of comments are just ridiculous.
Yeah a Mesa is REALLY overpriced in a sense, but it's not in the same league.
Some people can afford them, and generaly very good players buy high end gear for a reason.
I'm OK with the fact that the Harley Benton is a real deal for sure.
Not loud enough for stage live. My modeling amps sound just as good if not better when dialed in.