Back again at its newish all time low price, first post forgive me if something isn't right
EXTRA15OFF
https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=611815
Stage Right™ by Monoprice™
15‑Watt 1x12 Guitar Combo Tube Amp with Celestion Speaker and Spring Reverb
World's best reviewed and and most affordable 15‑watt 1x12 all‑tube guitar amp
The Monoprice™ Stage Right™ 15‑Watt 1x12 Guitar Combo Tube Amp has gained fame and incredible praise for combining superior tone and unparalleled affordability. With its dual EL84 and triple 12AX7 tube design, the Stage Right 15W Guitar Combo Tube Amp delivers the tone and features of guitar amps costing several times its price. It includes a genuine spring reverb, 3‑band EQ section, 1‑watt mode and switch, and a Celestion® Seventy 80 12" speaker. Simply put, the Stage Right 15‑Watt 1x12 Guitar Combo Tube Amp is the best‑reviewed and most affordable all‑tube guitar combo amp in the world, for good reason.
All‑tube design, driven by two EL84 and three 12AX7 tubes
Features a Celestion® Seventy 80 12" speaker
1‑watt mode for quiet playing without compromising tone
Genuine spring reverb with foot switch control
3‑band EQ section
FX loop and external cabinet output
31 Comments
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Some thoughts:
-If you're new to tube amps, remember a 15w tube amp is as loud as a 50w solid state.
-This amp is in a weird middle ground where its probably too loud for a bedroom player, but not loud enough to play with a live drummer. It does have the 5w option if you want to saturate the tubes with less volume.
-The reverb tank on this model is junk. It sounds thin and metallic
-I had issues with the onboard pre-amp and got a ton of noise when I turned up the drive knob. Not really an issue for me, since I always bypass it and run my pedalboard through the effects loop, but something to keep in mind if you're trying to get overdriven tones using this amp alone.
Corrections:
It doesn't matter if this was a penny before. I know those may be expressing they wish they bought it before. Because inflation, different models, and failing to include the total price including taxes in any shipping etc...
Then the new model reverb tank not the old blue one is fine. it's not ultimate dripping cathedral a reverb but it's normal mid-range reverb for a real tank. If you really in the reverb are you going to want a digital reverb anyway. When I want extra reverb I just turn it up on the Cube Baby low cost multi pedal.
Just because this great amp is analog doesn't mean you can't add digital to it including USB out to DAW etc etc through something like the Cube Baby which doesn't have to be $1,000; it could be under $40. Combined with the great price here then it can't be beat.
This app is not weird or odd it is classic greatness. It is not actually a Laney it is technically an extremely similar circuit and overall improvement.
If you're needed tubes they're not too old-fashioned or old school and they do not take long to warm up. Less than 2 minutes according to the manual. Which is well worth it. No standby switch is factually and technically needed any more on modern all tube circuits.
No other inputs are needed on the amp as it has ways to step up to a lead part anyway. And you can can convert from clean to very heavy gain by simply turning the knobs, including the volume to match.
Mine came biased just fine, for clean to high gain. The amp has more clean to gain range than most and the EQ a presence let's you get very close to just about any famous performance you might cover. The Cube Baby even more.
Plus I like how both the amp and the Cube Baby can be done instantly with knobs. For when you don't want a computer involved. And they can combine in several ways. Or set the amp for pedal mode and the Cube Baby does all. Note: The cute baby will seem to override the amp gain level to Hi or even low depending on how you connect it. Either overriding or combining(ultra gain). FYI.
Solid state was a term to denote a longer-lasting easier going electronics; But with this amp you are far better off should you ever have a component failure. Because the new fangled digital amps dejour, with the DSP tones built in will quickly become old news in about 2 years or so. And when they break you're really screwed. Because it typically cost more for the new part or board then scrapping the whole thing. Don't fall for the idea that because an amp is all tube it is more likely to fail. Just because hard played tubes for years require replacement then in no way indicates the amp is more likely to blow than a new digital amp. Professional amp repairers agree. And whether digital or all tube it's select models that are preferred and maintenance-free over others. Usually someone forgets to reconnect the speaker internally and something pops. But whatever the case of cap going out or a loose connection you are far far better off either fixing yourself or having repaired and all tube amp of this caliber. Because they're so fewer parts easier to get to and more straightforward.
Don't believe the hype about tube shortages because of wars and inflation. Just think; are people going to trash their two amps? No they're not. And the particular tubes of the same model type don't matter as much as some would have you believe. The tubes in the monoprice are perfectly fine. And they are the select types that I would guess you would want. The Marshall style.
Some mod the amp to their particular liking (sane and insane) and often is because they just can. But I find it interesting there is no reason to change anything. Some note the Celestion speaker sells for slightly less than some of the more popular speakers. The specs scientifically show it matching famous cab speakers however. This is a huge reason for the low combo price. The difference is minimal when you're playing ultra gain. And it's pretty easy to EQ around that. If not a simply volume up 10%. You can match clean to ultra gain tones without issue. The speaker does matter the absolute most. Still other good choices are splitting hairs here. Just preference. The audience certainly would never notice. Speaker changers report it's fun but not necessary.
The next step up is an expensive and don't forget *used* Marshall amp, like a DSL 40 or whatever it's called. $500 minimum. And then you'll probably need to change the speaker and do some mods to make it perfect. A used cab with plastic corners. Without the boutique like antique white of the MP 15.
Many famous and popular all tube amps are really not recommended by repair techs. Even in the famous Fender line. Some of the best require a pricy mod to fix their original design. If you want to be safe.
Note Slickdeals doesn't let you post items in multi seller sites like eBay and Wish; because of varying policies. Where as Monoprice has a real strong return policy. If you don't like anything about it you can send it back. I think that's an important point of character. If you check Wish(app) for the correct Cube Baby $40 Then your mileage may vary, And you should as usual check all the details.
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Second, this is a great amp for dipping your toe in the world of tube amps - there really are differences to appreciate! I was never a tube amp guy, I had used a Marshall MD100HDFX for years, and then just amp sims on my PC for years after that, but after playing around with this little amp for a while, I really enjoyed the feel of the authentic tube experience. A good solid state amp or sim can mostly replicate that, but there's something about overdriving the tubes yourself and the dynamics of it that feel really good. It also makes for a really good clean amp platform for pedals and effects without lots of extra processing you have to worry about interfering with the sound. If you are the kind of person who likes to mess around with sounds and effects, this is a great choice (although the Katana is good for that too).
Other perks: the speaker is good and beefy. You say you have a Boss Katana head - I don't know if that includes a speaker but this one is pretty solid. The spring reverb tank is decent assuming you get a model with the upgraded one (I think they have all been upgraded for a few years now). It's pretty small so it easily fits in a bedroom or under a desk. It has an FX loop so you can easily bypass the preamp and add your own.
All that being said, no you probably don't need one if you are happy with your Katana and aren't super into experimenting with the nuances of different amp platforms and pedals. And yet, this is about the cheapest you can pick up a "good" tube amp and a great entry point if you are interested in trying the tube sound out. I love mine and it's been my main desk-side amp since I got it.