5W Amps Cranked - Glorious Tone! | Fender, VOX, Supro, And More | Thomann

[@phishfan]

The Tone King was absolutely incredible, easily the best to my ears. Next would be the Supro.

[@peterkilkenny5956]

I'm blown away by how different the room mic sounds from the close mic.For my (admittedly damaged) hearing, the room mic sounds better.

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

That's exactly the reason why we use Giacomo 😅 (the stereo mic "head"). A lot of amps are tricky to mic and it's especially hard to show how they REALLY sound like in the room. Not even with such an amazing studio mic as the Neumann U67 in this video. Room mic for the win! Haha //Kris

[@shaft9000]

Al Schmitt was right all along, and George Martin shoving the mics up close _was_ novel and exciting... _60 years ago._ Close micing is over-used and we tend to default to it from a follower-mentality (more than a practical one that we've ever tested, anyhow). Drums often sound better with a couple well-placed overheads w/ a kick&snare mic and maybe a room mic. Only a few genres or situations actually benefit from isolating toms, or even isolation in general.

[@TheChadPad]

That’s why instead of close mic’ing my dual rec, I stand it 3 feet away and turn it up

[@homeworldmusic]

Revisiting this video and yeah, the difference is astounding, pretty much 2 completely different amps when you mic each one differently. There's a lesson there, eh?

[@yjmsrv]

Wow- I can't believe how good and much more I like the room mic then the close mic tones. The room mic sounds crazy good!

[@KerteszHuba]

Vox + tele! There’s something magical in this combination ❤

[@benedekgabor.]

All of them have their unique voice for sure, but for me there’s no better than that Fender Tweed. That throaty mid range is just pure love. 😍

[@ToddTheJoker]

I totally agree!

[@jasujokelainen5073]

Vox is superb sounding.

[@onlinesmartservices6661]

The vox has such a tremendous character... and it sounds good with both guitars!

[@fraenkiboii]

That Supro tho!!!!! How can such a small box create such a huge sound?!?! Even the db-meter was like “god damn bro” 🤘

[@jonahladd818]

I've been gigging small to medium clubs with my Cream Vox Ac10 for a few years now. Absolutely never encountered a situation it wasn't loud enough for, and most of the time that's not even mic'd. Fantastic Amp for around $500 ish on the used market.

[@pharmerdavid1432]

Especially if you plug it into a cab with larger speaker(s) than the 10" inside the AC10, which itself is better upgraded to a greeback or creamback?

[@babydaddy8224]

I totally agree, I have the ac15 with a greenback and it’s loud enough to gig with and sounds amazing

[@billcarson4749]

Huge love for Vox here... Supro sounds so good too...

[@EzyoMusic]

Those were my favorites too!

[@tubeworkshop]

Wow, adding the Neumann Binaural Head to your videos is really an upgrade. With the U67 you get the sound in a recording situation, while with the KU100 you get a really good impression on how the amps sound in the room (especially when listening with headphones). Love it!

[@shaft9000]

I'm confused. You can do seemingly the same for $1000s less using a pair of mics, and have total freedom with your placement. The NBH doesn't allow for ORTF or mid/side, for example. Why embrace such restrictions?

[@GuessMyNameOnceMore]

I know this wasnt your intention but this is also the most informative video when in comes down to hearing an Amp through a mic and hearing it with your ears in the room. People often underestimate the difference. The In the room Sound is always more pleasant.

[@chrisjohnstone6164]

Loved that! .. loved them all , the supro was special for that thing .. the Fender Neil Young was my favourite tone .. but you have to play it none stop ..... the gremlin 💙

[@valendis]

Love the fact you guys offer the possibility to listen to the sound through that binaural head!

[@BaronVonSchnarffler]

This was Awesome!!

[@jorgetome7089]

They all sounded very good but I love the sound of that room mic. All demos should be recorded like this

[@a.andrewhussey6403]

I can’t comment on 4 but I have the Fender 57 Champ and love it. I’m especially pleased I bought it 4 years ago because the price has gone way up and it wasn’t cheap then.

[@mikeyjhn]

Great fun 👍🏻 Vox was the best single sound but the tone king the best over different sounds. How about a VHT 6, Marshall dsl5cr, Magnatone starlite, Benson vinny, Laney cub super 6, Laney lionheart L5T, etc …..

[@eldorado5319]

The Tone King is awesome, would love to have one in my studio My overall impression is that 5 watt amps are fine if you use them with a 12" speaker. If the speaker is smaller the sound gets smaller /thinner /boxie.

[@flamulated]

100% agree though that character is one some people definitely dig and want in a small amp. I just had a recording/guitar testing amp built and went w a single 6L6 w a pot to blend from triode to pentode and an alnico 12" driver. Very fat and juicy and doesn't get spitty or grindy until/unless I want.

[@hgostos]

Some 8s are better than others, but yeah, I agree they are somehow limited. 10s can sound good too. For instance, I tried my 5F2A clone with no negative feedback through an old Celestion G10L-35 (bass cone) and it sounded amazing.

[@RG-yz8ov]

Yep! When I hook my vox ac4c1-bl upto 12" cab it sounds just as pleasing to my ear as my marshall sv20h hooked upto the same cab. Ac4 without the cab is boxy

[@Sean_Plays_Guitar]

The Supro's always stand out to me. I also really like the Gremlin. One of your better shootout ideas. Well done, fellas!

[@tiagopaiva5050]

The Fender 57 Custom Champ is my favorite.

[@DanBlake3rd]

Couldn’t agree more.

[@ragnarlodbrok7420]

For me TWS sound is superior in every way!!!! Love that sound!

[@waltjames407]

I have a Marshall DSL5 and it's my favorite for home jamming by far. Turn it up to about 8 and put the gain on about 4 and it's got the authentic cranked Marshall sound and feel at a volume that will not destroy my ears. Still pretty loud, though.

[@Joseph-n4c5l]

Great idea. Great video. The Tele through the Champ. That room mic is amazing... I would love to hear a (pre-Gibson) Mesa in this context.

[@craiger2399]

What's crazy is that the champ hit 109 dbl! A super reverb or bassman with pedals for overdrive sound huge at 80 dbl, because the gigantic spread of 4 speakers fills a space even at low volume. Whereas the little amps sound boxy at 80 dbl.

[@chrismetzler8883]

Why the Vox AC10 and not the Vox AC4, which would seem to be more appropriate for this comparison?

[@Johnny_Dregs]

Vox AC4TV Head is a cool little low watt amp. Loud af, too.

[@Olegstuff21986]

For sure, very vintage sounding. It's a very nice amp.

[@lynguist]

oooh, the tele + the 57 champ for me all day

[@Kaisermb1]

Since I’ve rarely been able to turn an amp past five I approve of this message.

[@FarmerSlideJoeBob]

Love the difference of the tonalyties of each of the small amps😃But I love more smaller ones, than the big ones nowadays🙂

[@MojoUX]

The Vox and the Fender Tweed sound best for my tastes

[@steved2870]

Loved the cremlin and the anthrax

[@tgnz]

Would like to hear the Blackstar HT-5R Mk II added for comparison. The 10W EL34 Studio 10 can get super loud with the boost switch.

[@EzyoMusic]

Great video. Love the Supro and the Vox. Small amps like these are more fun than I would've thought.

[@russellzauner]

Love my Wang's 5W little monster - I plug it into an 8" monitor and it rips pretty good. The neighbors hate it and that means it's loud enough to get over there lol

[@DanTheDiggler]

What an ear opener!! Thank you guys for this. To me the room mic sounds way better than the close mic. Im no expert - can someone explain why it seems 95% use the close mic in recording situations?

[@paulwintermute1495]

That AC10 though!! Just wow....

[@fender4brad]

My Vox AC4 and Fender Champ 68 sound really great. Nice to get them on the edge of breakup at a reasonable volume. They are not the same as the 40+ watt tones. After I play a real amp live, they sound small for a few days. The feel is where they kill it. One should always play a real amp if possible.

[@HaraldEngels]

Great comparison. For me the Tone King is the favorite.

[@thorstenfaust153]

My favorite is the Single Six (seems to be the most versatile amp). Loved the Fender Champ (but I use it with a 12 inch speaker).

[@NorthBayRepublic]

Love the Class 5 and the Hi-5 as well

[@timchalmers1700]

They are all my favorite. I have a Blackstar HT-5R, but it's too loud to crank at home. I'd love to hear what it sounds like.

[@charlesharper7292]

I have an old Gorilla 12@ I think, and my very first amp. A little Peavy Rage. Still having fun!🤙

[@andresrestrepo6039]

That telecaster... 😮wow it's just a great sounding example of a tele.

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Thanks a lot! It is indeed an amazing guitar an I can't get enough of it. //Kris

[@therewasascene]

Tone king! Kilt it. They were all great - doin the thing.

[@andyrharris]

I have the Vox AC10 and I've only used it at home so far and it's soooo loud!

[@gergoblasko9579]

Les Paul -》VOX is winner for me All mic setups sounded strong

[@Reeses0810]

I spoke prematurely and didn’t listen to all of them now that I have the vox 10 watt is clearly the best 5 watt amp in this test.

[@IbanezChild-pn8yz]

That supro is was made for humbuckers!! Wow And that 5watt was made for teles. Wowwww

[@ramblerdave1339]

I just saw something that Jimmy Page used a Tele with a Supro, for Led Zepplin I and II.

[@rottalmusik6563]

Thats for the great comparison ❤

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

And that's for the lovely comment. 💛 Cheers //Kris

[@scottwalters624]

Always tasty playing guys. Nice one

[@neurocosm]

That VOX is SICK!

[@horschy4856]

THAT VOX 🤯 And the other hard to spell G is a real game changer micing wise!

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Haha! Giacomo and Guillaume, what a duo of names. I kinda feel like I should change my name to something long with a G. Like Giancarlo. Or Giuseppe. Those would fit much better. //Kris

[@horschy4856]

@@ThomannsGuitarsBasses Absolutely! And the you could call you the three G of the big T 😂😂

[@Botscarblues]

The Supro cranked up and I thought, yeh that’ll be the one! Then the TWS cranked up and I thought, damn that might be the one! Then the Gremlin cranked up and I thought wait a minute, it might be this one!!! 😂 Great vid, thoroughly enjoyed that.

[@MrBluesilverred]

I liked the Tele into the cranked AC10 the best.

[@alainkempa2139]

Bon travail les aiguilleurs du 5W!

[@AlexTapisevic]

The best of all is the Gibson Skylark.. 5W tube amp that blow out of the water all of the competence.

[@lachlanmacquarrie3129]

They sounded good in their own way... I would have preferred an SM57 as the close mic though, just because that's what we're used to!

[@GitShiddy]

All of these were fab. I do wish though given how great small amps record we'd have heard a mix of close & room. Because the room sounds great, the amps sound greater, both should sound greatest

[@7171jay]

@Git Exactly.

[@gigsandguitars6921]

Love that Fender! 👌

[@giuseppefabbricatore4314]

Tone king… absolutely

[@clodehamelin]

ALL GREAT for sure ! But for me the Tweed champ and the GREMLIN are really special, with a great personality, if I can say. The Supro is really ROCK from the 70's. The VOX AHHH the Vox... What a clarity ! I think that with the attenuator, the Gremlin is something to consider. BUT, they are all really GOOD. And man, what a surprise, they all print around 100dB and more... This is already way too loud for an appartment use. 🙂

[@Olegstuff21986]

The Vox AC10 is 10W though dudes, plus it's got a 10" speaker, so not the same "weight category".

[@homeworldmusic]

That Vox, oh my heck!

[@joeschlicht]

Champ and/or the Vox with the tele

[@Margarinethebutterlover]

Great review.

[@what1864]

i felt like the amps were in order of greatness, the tweed sounded best followed by the supro then the vox and so on, i listened to them out of order and still felt that way , i own three 5 watt amps and my advice if you want it to be more usable get one with a master volume or gain control , advice go's for any amp ..

[@pmaudioproduction]

Tone King !!

[@darwinsaye]

I’d like to see amp manufacturers make a return to offering some low watt amps in bigger cabs. This mentality that, oh it’s only five watts, so it just needs a little 6” or 8” speaker in a tiny boxy sounding cab. My first tube amp was a 1960s department store amp that had two tens in a decent sized cab, even though the amp probably only put out about 2 watts. Nice full 3D sound without any need for an attenuator.

[@antonjohnsson679]

That Vox! What a bang for the buck!

[@jeffreyeagen4896]

They all had really good sound, the Tube Workshop was really impressive and the Vox had a great sound. To me the Gremlin was the only one that sounded better on the close Mic while the others sounded better on the room Mic.

[@neonerbse.]

What a great fun😊

[@christopherstorrier5560]

The baby Vox is a great Brit sounding amp... that sweet but pierceing recorded tone with breaking up only a Vox can do...goes so loud for so few watts....brilliant

[@DavidBrown-it9ig]

Tone King!

[@2Hunky]

I own a 3 Watt Peavey JSX Collosal Tube Amp with Power-Soak. Nothing more to say ;-))

[@SuperEdge67]

Fender for the win in my opinion.

[@pristinewebdev6680]

Frender 57 Custom Champ is the best!

[@yetimatzenightcat8702]

Sind die niiieeeedlich 🤩😅...Der Vox und der Tone King rocken, ...( die kleinen schlingel ) 😂

[@palevas]

Great room mic

[@stephanschmitt816]

The Supro and the Tone King meet my taste on gainy sounds best, but the coolest sound on the entire video is the Telecaster coupled with the breaking up TWS amp. Heard on my car speakers... the binaural microphone variant is great, I'll have to listen to it on headphones later.

[@aminahmed2220]

What a fantastic video have a wonderful day also tomorrow is my dad birthday ❤❤❤❤❤❤😊😊😊😊😊😊

[@paulschlachter4313]

Tone King.

[@live2shredguy]

Could you try these amps in a wet/dry rig with a bigger amp? You guys are great

[@stranger360th]

I like the idea to use a Neumann Binaural Head mic as it gives you a more realistic impression of the sound you will hear instead of the sound a mic just in front of the amp will hear. Probably you will not stand that close to a tube amp ..l even if it has just 5 Watt ;-)

[@mat3763]

The huge front of the gremlin is the presence of a very good attenuator

[@scottanthonyromeo7071]

You guys are awesome ❤

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

You're awesome! 🙌 Thanks for watching. //Kris

[@scottanthonyromeo7071]

@@ThomannsGuitarsBasses I would love to come and work for the Thomann family. Lg

[@DavidAndrewsPEC]

Tell you what ... For me, that Vox AC10C1 just does it for me. Would love to see one of these on all solid state amps. I have a Vox Pathfinder 10 ... when you're getting tuned feedback on a 'power-A' fed into a really small amplifier that's sat on your table ... you've a great amplifier in front of you. Ah, yes ... and that English term: 'aiguilleur' en français 'pointsman' in English

[@frankswildyear]

I just went and tried a 57 champ. There was a great deal at guitar Center. I couldn’t stand it thought it sounded like a toy. Everyone seems to love it, what am I missing?

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

I fully understand what you mean, it's not the big and impressive guitar tone most are expecting to hear from a tube amp. It sits very well in a mix though and compliments big and sophisticated sounding amps. It's usually not played alone for that reason. //Kris

[@milesa-c3865]

They definitely need running in. I love mine, sounds lovely whether you play with single coils or humbuckers.

[@dustinglass]

I haven't tried it, but I'm guessing it sounds better in a small room (like a bedroom) than a bigger room like Guitar Center, unless you mic it.

[@StuartwasDrinkell]

Gremlin no doubt Vox was nice too but Gremlin! I have the Turquoise and White head and 12 cab on order.... can't wait for it to arrive.

[@chrisbec3313]

Answer is Yes. 5 watt amps are good cranked and not too loud but still loud.

[@shaft9000]

"Rockin in the Free World" almost there, guys...I really DID set a blue-font Deluxe Reverb on fire in 1993 by cranking it and playing "Out of the Blue into the Black" 🎸 🔥 AC10 sounded the best here, btw

[@ck2music712]

Welp, Jimmy Page was always known to say that when it comes to mic'ing guitar amps that "Distance equals depth", and this video (with good headphones) goes a long way towards proving that. It's also said that mics "don't care how big an amp is" and that also seems to be fairly true. The close mic sounds more or less like any other guitar sound, but the room mic(s) in my opinion sound GREAT! I record a LOT and even I'm amazed at just HOW different the two sounds are, and how many MORE frequencies (especially in the BASS) that get added by the sound bouncing around the room and reflecting...

[@matzer8846]

Rory was in favor of "small amps" turned up all the way so they really come to live ... BUT he was talking of amps like the Super Reverb , an AC30 or a STRAMP baby Soooo

[@infn8loopmusic]

If you can ever find a Vox AC4TV pick it up. I used to have one of these probably should have kept it. Very simple little amp with a tiny speaker but it could drive a 1x12 or 2x12 and has class A tube circuit at 4 watts and could do a great loose breakup at low volumes because it has attenuation to drop to 1 watt. 😂

[@Christopher-on7og]

Ahah loved the ratp riff 🤘

[@MrLuckybudha]

Definitely the Single Six

[@VeloVagabond]

Unfortunately, they don't make them anymore, but i would have loved to hear a Marshall Class 5 in this comparison, too. Then you would have covered all my amps! I have a Class 5, an AC10C1 and a Tone King Falcon Grande ( little bit bigger brother to the Gremlin.

[@frankcrack777]

Tone King and Vox!

[@Burnt_Gerbil]

Next test: Crank an Orange OR15 into the matching 4x12. It’s fun. Small but mighty. 🤘

[@dDoOyYoOuUtTuUbBeE]

A comparison of each amp in the 12" of that Harley Benton cabinet would have been great.

[@7171jay]

@Ddo Agreed!!! Low wattage amps with a 12" speaker rather than the small speakers that tthey tend to be paired with is a real treat that is definately worth checking out. Small speakers can sound quite good recorded but a 12" just sounds bigger and better especially to your ears in the room. On another topic 100-105db is quite loud although way better than the 110+ one would get with a 50 or 100 watt tube amp. With pedals you can get very nice sounds in the 80-90db range with low wattage amps and that can be a cool place to live.

[@tubeworkshop]

Actually, that would have been very interesting!

[@7171jay]

@Tubeworkshop I've owned many amps over the years from Fenders like Bassman heads and a Showman Reverb to a '71 Marshall Super Lead 100 watt but the two I have kept since the 1990s are both 5-7 watt tube amps that are paired with a 12" speaker. Practically nobody has heard of them probably but one is a 1960s Galanti and the other is maybe the first low wattage boutique amp ever made called a HiMu.

[@tubeworkshop]

@@7171jay A 5-7 Watt amp combined with a 12'' Speaker is a great combination. At least in my opinion. Also the cabinet is very important in terms of size, bracing and wall thickness. Playing around with those parameters can give you a 5W amp that sounds really full and "adult" and not like a small practice amp. I hope we nailed that in the Single Six. Thanks for pointing out the Gelanti and the HiMu. Didn't know these, but I will definitely have a look now...

[@7171jay]

​@@tubeworkshop Yeah, I didn't mention cabs but the size and construction is also part of the sound equation. The Galanti and the HiMu are both very obscure so good luck finding them. The Galanti is pretty much a Tweed Champ but with vibrato and a tone control in a fairly decent sized but kind of light weight cab with a 12" speaker. The HiMu is a 7 watt beast with a lot of stuff you just didn't find in low wattage amps back in the 1990s like multiple cascading gain stages, tube driven effects loop with volume control of both the send and return and the ability to either switch it out completely or use it as an additional gainstage and a bunch of other stuff. Too bad the guy who made it only made about a hundred amps over a few years and then just gave it up as it's a veritable work horse that can do scooped mid blackface to a very mid forward crunch and can sound good at very low volumes or even hold up to fairly loud drums.

[@ajsrhodes]

The Gremlin was awesome!!!!!!