[Harp-L] Looking for small amps to buy

[Richard Hunter]

mr1danga wrote:
Hello allI'm looking for any smaller amps people are considering selling.?
My top 3 choices in no order1)Meteor Mini Meat2)Memphis Mini3)Harpgear HG2
possibly Double Trouble
Open to other ideas but the above are preferred.?Please lemme knowThanksJJ

Usually when I think of a "small amp" I'm thinking in terms of a 5 watt
tube amp with an 8" or 10" speaker.  Is that what you're thinking of?  The
Mini Meat 2 has 20 watts and a 2-8" 1-10" speaker configuration; that's not
"small" where I come from.  The HG2 is a 5-7 watt amp with a single 8"
speaker, so a much smaller amp than the Mini Meat 2.

These amps are relatively high-priced compared to amps aimed at guitar
players, a guitar amp might do very well for you.  In particular, consider
the VHT Special 6, which has a 10" speaker and 5 watts of power, sounds
great with harp, and costs about $225 compared to the $900 retail price tag
for the HG2.  The larger speaker enables the amp to put out a lot more
energy in lower frequencies, which works well for harp.

My own small amp is a Crate VC508--5 watts and an 8" speaker--which I
bought used for $125 over a decade ago, and upgraded via the services of
Ron Holmes a few years later for an additional $200 (which included adding
an XLR output to the PA).  $325 total, and it's a great little amp.  I
added a speaker output jack myself so I can connect it to larger speaker
cabinet if desired.

I recommend that you look for 5-watt amps that use a 12AX7 or AY7 preamp
tube and a 6L6 amp tube.  Try to find an amp with a line-out that you can
take to a PA in the event that you need more volume on a gig.  If no, you
can always have an amp tech add one later.

And don't worry too much about which brand you buy.  The classic 5 watt
tube amp circuit design has been around for over 50 years, and it's
nobody's secret anymore.

Regards, Richard Hunter
-- 
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