A 30 min demo of a ~300$ Tube Amp - Monoprice/Harley Benton Tube Amp

Today I deep dive into possibly the most popular affordable tube amplifier that is sold under a few different brand names - the Monoprice 15w amp.
Note - There is a weird edit on this video around 10 minutes in because I played 20 seconds of a copyrighted song and I had the option of just removing that 20 seconds or sharing the rest of the 30+ minutes worth of videos revenue because of it. Obviously I edited it out, sorry about that.
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0:00 Overview for the day
1:07 Let's deep dive
5:08 Testing out the gain
8:22 Testing the Reverb
12:23 Testing the EQ
19:07 How does the effects loop work?
24:08 Post playthrough analysis
25:08 The good, the bad, the unreturnable
28:05 So, would I buy one?

[@debhart4302]

The smiles on your face through this video says a lot.😊

[@rexomatic8667]

Thanks for doing this. I’ve wondered about this amp and looked at it couple years ago, before I stumbled upon a reasonably priced used Princeton and a Vox AC 10 as alternatives to my 65 Twin Reverb Reissue. I like the the option of cutting the power down on the Mono/HB. Great demo and the fact that is has spring reverb.

[@billwhite5853]

This is one of the best reviews on KZbin. You go through the all the settings, and I really appreciate you showing both clean and gain sounds. The sounds on the amp seem to really shine for a budget tube amp.

[@AudiomoMusic]

Glad it was helpful and honestly yeah, it really does sound surprisingly good and it does get much louder than I anticipated

[@Golf9911]

Great demo and great playing as always! Thanks!

[@AudiomoMusic]

Glad you liked it!

[@chrisdavis8663]

Fantastic review! Looking forward to seeing more from this channel.

[@Sean_Plays_Guitar]

Yeeeahhh...I might have to get one of these for my kids. This is one of the better reviews for this amp. Thanks Jim!

[@donbishop6994]

I love amps with attenuators. Its almost like having 2 different amps. Especially the tube amps. This is a great demo so far. I love how much fun youre having. I havent seen you make the stankface that many times in 15 mins before. 😂😂 You channeled some SRV vibes for a bit.

[@AudiomoMusic]

These kinds of videos are a lot of fun for me to film, they just take a bit to get both the audio files to sync up decently and then to make all the cuts needed to show whats going on with the amp as I change things. If I had more amps I'd definitely do this more haha

[@indigos290]

Nice demo and review. I've had mine a few years. I absolutely love it. I had the 5w before and I recently got the 30w Head. They are great sounding amps, of course depending on what you're going for. I haven't changed anything as far as the stock components. The louder you crank it the better the tone for sure. I've had to go in and trouble shoot an issue but it was a simple fix with a clip on the PC board. As for gigging the Amp. The only reason I don't is because it's just way too loud for the very small situations I gig at. And as far as controlling it to work with the PA, the throw just doesn't work even if I had to mic it. So I just use my modeler and that blend perfectly in the system with everyone else.

[@JBM_71]

Have to agree with you about buying from Thomann being a safer bet. Living in the UK, Thomann has always been my first 'go to' when considering a purchase and most of my music related gear, whether Harley Benton or other brands, has come from there. Prices and customer service have been good in my experience. BTW, the amp seemed to bring some smiles out on your face! 🙂🎸

[@AudiomoMusic]

Yeah I was smiling a bit! I filmed this fairly early in the morning and had a lot of energy, I'm sure that played a part but it really is a fun little amp. Thomann is great!

[@louaguado995]

Nice demo. I just grabbed one this week. Heard lots of good things about them, and Monoprice had them on sale for $60 off. I've heard some of them have a rattling sound because of the back panel being loose, also from the tube clips shaking loose, but mine has been rattle free so far. I also ran it into my Marshall 212 and 412 cabinets, sounded good though them all. Eventually I'll get around to a budget amp shootout with it, vs my Bugera, and vs my Blackstar.

[@leeasbury7273]

Bought mine straight from Monoprice a few months ago on sale for $200 shipped. Very happy. Also bought the small 5 watt version a few months before the 15 watt. Both are kinda awesome. Only paid $100 for the 5 watt from Monoprice. I have Vox, Supro, several Peavey's and some other amps that were way more expensive. I can't complain.

[@Bobby_Digital37]

Great demo!! Amp sounds great too!!👍🏽

[@aminahmed2220]

What a fantastic video have a good weekend jim to be honest I like the pre cbs fender instruments 😊❤

[@AudiomoMusic]

If I could afford those Amin I'd have a bunch of them haha

[@CartPlaysGuitar]

Great amp, especially for beginners or those looking for their first tube amp!

[@Tom-db7bx]

Why do you say beginner? It's as good as the Laney, Fender and Vox. I guess the only issue is reliability.

[@AudiomoMusic]

@Tom-db7bx the reliability is a massive factor to why I would not want to gig this on a regular basis. Looking at the board it is not meant for the abuse of load in load out over time but you can’t expect it to be for how cheap it is.

[@robotx4242]

This is a good budget amp. I got mine about 2 years ago for $170 USD on one of those returned/scratch and dent specials. It showed up in mint condition. I couldn't find anything wrong with it. Sounds fine. I use it as a pedal platform. It's no high end VOX or Fender but at this price point it's a fair deal.

[@S.Lang7]

That was a steal for sure.

[@MrZonealarm]

I put Celestion Creamback G12H-75, bias new output tubes, put Mullard NOS in V1, Telefunken and another tube at my discretion, installed bias for V1 position and the amp got more treble, three-wire reverb, it now sounds like $1500.

[@cjhenry0101]

How much would all of that cost?

[@MrZonealarm]

@@cjhenry0101 well, i got it for a bit cheaper, and when i sold its speaker it turned out like i got a tube 15 with a G12-H speaker for the regular price, so i don't count that much as an investment. Second, biasing the V1 tube can be done by an amplifier master, it's not an expensive modification. Tubes go as desired, the only thing is that I bought a mullard NOS 12au7, I was curious about that tube, but many tubes sound great and can be had for $30. I wanted to put a three-wire reverb, although I mostly use digital.

[@DavidRafaelSutton]

Hey how you doing not too up on two bands are you saying that you made your aunt so it could be manually biased to excuse me does that mean you made your answer you can manually buy us the tubes and then you were able to change the types of tubes and then biased them manually besides changing the actual speaker I am going to probably be probably be pulling the plug on the Holly Benton of vertical 2/12 with the celestion greenbacks in them since I won't be getting or doing any gigging I don't need the Waters of the cream backs anyway if you could reply that's great if not that's okay too sincerely Bob the blind bedroom guitarist guitarist I've also been planning but haven't done it yet and getting that three spring tank also

[@jamesmgreen15]

For the money, I would go with this. Amazon (Australia) has 3% 1star and 5 stars overridingly............. Thomann sounds a great shout I agree. Having said that there is a company here knocking out similar with a great rep, and even cheaper......Cheers

[@daleguthormsen8555]

first rate review, bestmonoprice/benton review ive seen snd ive watched a bunch.

[@AudiomoMusic]

thanks appreciate it!

[@DavidRafaelSutton]

Thanks for the video I have the same amp I bought it maybe 3 3 3 years ago even possibly 4 years ago when I tell you the amp is kept in the most dustiest room you could imagine because that's no exaggeration saying dust it is an understatement and it's still runs and it's haven't had one problem with it not even a scratchy pot believe it or not I don't understand how it can keep on taking and working but it does😮😮😊 I shouldn't use the term ticking because some of you who aren't as old as me might not get the reference from the Timex watch commercials it just keeps on going no matter what and it's a great aunt at any price and someone mentioned it is a clone of a ladybug or I guess 15 off of the Weaver you had mentioned about if anyone notice like it picked up more as you turn the reverb up and that's probably the case because the EQ system the EQ section will do the same thing it's the way the amps designed I don't know what it's called it that kind of a design but even the game I'm sorry even the tone of knobs and the actual individual each use the basement and travel as you turn them up it gets more power goes so it'll add the I guess compression and it'll add more overdrive to the signal or I don't know if I'm explaining it right but it's like an ad it has power as you turn up the EQ there's a name for that kind of design I don't know what it's called but it's in that amp LOL sorry for the LL La Quinta way of describing thatthe speaker in that amp is not the greatest justice celestion but celestion doesn't does not mean that it's a great speaker in and of itself it's a 7080 and it's not one of their best I'm on the curb I don't know which Harley Benton makes a vertical 2 * 12 1/8 with vintage 330s a Chinese and the other one comes with loaded greenbacks they also have a combination of greenback and 330 it's amazing with Harley Benton has and at the prices they sell it's like getting a free cabinet with the speakers I'm probably going to pull the trigger on the greenbacks the 340 bucks for a vertical 2x 12 with the vintage greenbacks I'm sorry with the green boxes and that's probably what I'm going to get the 2 by 12 where to go with greenbacks in them and I will use it with the out speaker out section the speaker output on the back of the amp but I don't think you mentioned and you notice that the guitar of the amp breaks up pretty easily and pretty earlymy aunt also came with a loaded with JJ tubes which is also quite a good thing it's an expense in and of itself and I also will be probably a replacing the tank the Weaver of tank with a three springs and it has a two string in it all in all great and for the money I said look at The amp decided not to work tomorrow I got my $250 worth that's for sure guitarist

[@Markleford]

I was hearing noise in your demo, then I realized the problem: I put my hand on the strings of the Tele in my lap, and the noise stopped! :) Also, since the spring tank just mixes the additional reverb sound into the dry signal, it does indeed increase the overall signal level, which could bring you closer to breakup! (Or at least I THINK that's how the wiring is ordered in relation to the pre-amp stage...)

[@natearchuleta2003]

When set minimally, the reverb muddies my tone in a weird way that seems not to happen as much when the volume and reverb are set higher. Is this because the signals are too low when they separate/meet the reverb?

[@JC.65771]

Fantastic video, thanks!

[@AudiomoMusic]

Glad you liked it!

[@r0bophonic]

I’ve had the smaller 5-watt version of this amp on my list for a while. A while back I played through a friend’s (discontinued) Vox AC4TV and loved it. They don’t make that one anymore, but the Monoprice 5-watt looks nearly identical, so I wondered if it was just rebranded. Would be an interesting comparison to do.

[@danieltambasco528]

it's a Laney Cub 8 clone which is very similar to an old fender tweed champ circuit. 6V6gt power tube. The Vox AC4TV is modeled after the normal channel of a Vox AC15/AC30.

[@tonyborzumato8510]

I blow harp through this Amp. Bought it from Amazon in 2018 (it has the newer, "silver" reverb tank). Giggled with it once or twice a week for well over a year with no reliability problems whatsoever. Original tubes & speaker. It keeps up with rock and blues levels in medium size venues (bars), though it doesn't hurt to mic it through a PA. . The Covid insanity put that on hold, but I recently moved 900 miles, and it seems to have survived the ordeal. Looking forward to playing through it again.

[@AudiomoMusic]

That's actually really cool you use it for that and that it's lasted as long as it did. This one survived FedEX of all people handling it and still functioned just fine which I was very surprised about

[@carlc2597]

I have this amp. I replaced the speaker with a Weber blue dog and put a 5751 JJ in v1 to tone down the gain, really like the sound

[@AudiomoMusic]

That speaker can make most amps sound better, love that thing.

[@donbishop6994]

Jim, I miss the PRS that display case was made for, but that one of a kind looks great in it. I wish you'd do more vids with it, it sounds amazing. It's a Seven Seven, right?

[@AudiomoMusic]

I play that guitar constantly, that and the telecaster are the two guitars I play the most. I'm working on an online course and that guitar I think is in 60% of the videos I've shot so far with it. It's a Seventy Seven Stork indeed

[@S.Lang7]

Great review Jim & thanks for the deep dive! Not sure if this is true or not, lots of people are saying that this was licensed from Laney and this amp shares a bunch of actual parts with the Laney CUB12R model.

[@AudiomoMusic]

That would not surprise me at all, it's much more akin to one of those than the Fenders it often gets compared with. Thanks for sending it over it's been really fun and eye opening playing with things like this!

[@S.Lang7]

" 17:49 -> Oh yeah, all the controls actually function on this amplifier. It`s impressive ! " @@AudiomoMusic 🤣 I was crying from laughing. Thank you!

[@timmyv694]

Monoprice sells them here in the USA . That way you don’t have to pay the shipping cost from Germany which is around $60 right now.

[@guitardrummer1]

Hey..beautiful video as usual😊..is that tele an Harley Benton te 62 ? Chhers

[@oldasrocks9121]

Little closer to an AC15 than Fender. Best speaker replacement Ive heard so far is the Warehouse creamback copy (but a rigid yellow pine finger jointed cabinet might be something to check out.) A 3 spring MOD tank might be worth checking out. Personally I'd turn this into a head and build a pine speaker cabinet to match

[@AudiomoMusic]

they make them as stand alone heads which is pretty cool for those sorts of ideas

[@hadleymanmusic]

Got 8ne last week love it

[@AudiomoMusic]

That's great to hear, it's surprisingly loud isn't it?

[@JDStone20]

Sounds like a good amp.

[@AudiomoMusic]

Surprisingly good I agree

[@zombiemontage]

Worth replacing the speaker if you don't have a good cab to send it out to?

[@user-ym1ji5uh9i]

I put a vintage 30 in mine and it was totally worth it!

[@jamespaivapaiva4460]

2 years and one replaced power tube, I'm happy with this amp. I wouldn't compare it to a Blues jr., it's closer to a Laney Cub in design and sound. Running it into a 2x12 cab it sounds really good. For the price, I'm happy with it! Except for that mirrored front plate! ugh!I could do without it. Peace.

[@dingusfuzzklonnkt2755]

If you pull the board you will see the words Laney Cub written on it, I'm not kidding. The amps are well worth the money, the weak points are the solder joints and cab construction as well as the tube to board mounting heat problems, mesa has the same issue. If you know how to solder and mill wood, you can easily disguise this amp in something solid with clean solder.

[@jamespaivapaiva4460]

@@dingusfuzzklonnkt2755 Agree totally.

[@beatbaker7420]

I noticed you've had the amp on 1 W setting

[@NormTre]

If you're in the US, the version Thomman sells is not wired for US power. Your only choices are Amazon and Monoprice.

[@kevindenyer5602]

..or you use a power converter

[@jwwarrington1]

I bought a power converter for mine from Amazon. $40.

[@darwinsaye]

I don’t know about any one else’s ears, but when you were hitting the strings hard, I could hear it already starting to break up a bit with the gain only on 2 or whatever you started out on (2:22).

[@tonythecroc]

I wish this was available in New Zealand 😢

[@stephanematis]

Thomann's claims their version is only 230v. In the US/Canada, I would by direct from Monoprice. That said, I have 2. The first from 2019, the second from 2021. I hate the shiny front plate and I might even take time to change it. PS Fun in stereo. 2nd one has Mojotone BV-25M and I think it suits it better.

[@AudiomoMusic]

Funny enough, there is actually a reason I recommend Thomann in light of that fact. I did a dive into my analytics and over 70% of my regular viewers are in Europe - not the USA. I was very surprised by this, but looking at who participates in the live streams I do I guess it kinda makes sense. Maybe I should move over there haha

[@BlazingBlakesGaming]

the pilot light on mine doesn't blink

[@AudiomoMusic]

Yeah lots of little QC stuff here and there with these

[@dennyfensterer9931]

Power indicator fades in and out..FYI

[@uhoh007]

The Thomann version WILL NOT WORK IN THE USA as it's 230v, without $pecial adapter. My first monoprice did go bad, and was quickly replaced: I bought direct. Monoprice customer service is now quite good. Amazon returns are the easiest...within the window.

[@guitarandmore69]

Why does your power light go off and on?

[@AudiomoMusic]

I haven't the slightest idea, I wasn't aware it did that at all until I was editing this video

[@FortressofSound]

It's a video framerate illusion, not visible in person.

[@guitarandmore69]

​@@FortressofSoundWrong

[@dingusfuzzklonnkt2755]

Take the board out, look for any cold or sloppy solder joints, buy some better retainer tube clips, build a solid cab- better amp than a blues junior.

[@JohnDavidDailyMusic]

You said pink tacos😂

[@yomommaahotoo264]

My big name brand amps have been collecting dust since I bought mine for $179 4 yrs ago.

[@AudiomoMusic]

Good to hear it's still going strong 4 years later man!

[@music-writinglife1813]

Monoprice

[@AudiomoMusic]

yes

[@guestguide2544]

Get it directly from Monoprice, no need to feed the beast.

[@AudiomoMusic]

what if I told you monoprice itself is the beast

[@guestguide2544]

@@AudiomoMusic I'd say you are not thinking. When you do a search for any product does your search give you products from Monoprice? [and what company runs much or most of search engine results?] Or are those search links from another multinational company that also sells groceries (grocery chain), pharma, medical care etc etc. Have you ever heard of a low called Sherman Anti-trust law? Years ago it used to be enforced.

[@guestguide2544]

@@AudiomoMusic Wow just a plain reply of truth and my reply comment was deleted or not posted at all, what does that tell you? If you do an internet search for a product does it come up from Monoprice?

[@guestguide2544]

Curious did you see my previous reply, before it was deleted?

[@AudiomoMusic]

I didn’t delete your comment dude, if I was going to delete comments I’d have just deleted the entire thread. It’s a cheap Chinese amp man, it’s not that serious.

[@abergreg]

Monoprice cannot refuse to honour a warranty and an item like an amp that packs up within months is NOT fit for purpose. MAKE them replace it.

[@AudiomoMusic]

I mean I can't nake them do anything nor do I own this amp anymore - it was lent to me by a friend to make a video with but this is exactly why I bought my Tone king and friedman ams. No problems and they stand behind their products.

[@abergreg]

@@AudiomoMusic My comment wasnt aimed at you but the owner of the amp. The American laws on fit for purpose and warranty are very clear and Monoprice can be compelled to replace the amp. In Europe, Harley Benton stand by their products without question.

[@JacksonCharvelRULE]

30 minutes of the same guitar and terrible playing... horrible review... don't waste your time

[@AudiomoMusic]

it's always the same, cringe name and zero videos uploaded of themselves playing with a faceless avatar running their mouths.

[@JacksonCharvelRULE]

can't handle criticism? weak@@AudiomoMusic

[@AudiomoMusic]

If I couldn't handle criticism I'd just have deleted your comment entirely. It really is always the same story though, one day I hope to click on one of these comments and see a great guitar player with killer videos of themselves playing but then I remember no good guitar player wastes their time bringing another guitar player down on the internet.

[@JacksonCharvelRULE]

you think you're a great guitar player? @@AudiomoMusic

[@AudiomoMusic]

Guy, I'm not sure what is so difficult about this to understand but I'll try one more time. I have not claimed to be anything, all I've done is state the truth - a great musician doesn't bother insulting the ability of other players on the internet anonymously in comment sections of youtube videos.

[@poochootrain3528]

More people need to know how much this amp sucks. DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY. I bought it and it sucks. The only sounds it could produce were buzz and burr sounding nothing like musical notes. I could hear it's crappy tones coming through your video. Only fit for the dumpster.

[@TheWGLOVER]

You are so wrong.

[@BDizzleMySchnizzle]

Lol. Mine is great.

[@rodolpheponthus2948]

I suppose you didn't start playing the guitar in the 90's, because you would know what IS a REALLY crappy sound, the one we had to cope with, these horrible noname transistor amps that were the only things available if you didn't have big bucks to buy à Fender or Marshall That didn't keep us from playing the guitar whatever the sound. Common, people are so spoiled and fucked up by internet these days, it's just ridiculous..

[@BDizzleMySchnizzle]

@@rodolpheponthus2948 Amps back then were so bad compared today. Lol. The technology and craftsmanship has come so far.

[@poochootrain3528]

@@rodolpheponthus2948 Every crappy amp from the 90's you are talking about is still way better than this thing. My message is to try to help people not waste their money.