"Use your ears, not your eyes" - that's actually great advice. I've been playing for 25+ years now, and I still make that mistake... Thanks a lot, Rhett!

What I wish I knew: the neighbors will hate me and my wife will eventually leave me.

So nice to hear an Amp demo short and sweet by a player repeating the exact same phrase just a simple 2/3 chords s short riff and a quick couple of chops And repeated perfectly each time to be as close as before Instead of a random shred that has no Relevance to what was previously played as the Amps dynamic range and features are demonstrated Great job sir 👍 🤙

The “dialing in your amp” part is so true. I had a Marshall DSL40C for a while and I always thought it was a “bad” thing that I had to turn the treble all the way down and the mids all the way up. But it sounded fantastic when I played it that way, and it turns out a lot of Marshalls sound best when the EQ knobs are pushed to extremes. Those knobs twist for a reason!

I wish I’d known that the Vox AC15 is the world’s perfect amp. Would have spared me years of blowing folks’ ears out chasing that creamy tone.

The Stand By Switch is there to increase the life of your Tubes. It allows the heater plates in the Tubes to warm up everything before sending Hugh amounts of current through the tubes. If the tubes get slammed with High Current before it heats up, the chemical surface of the Plates slowly starts to degrade over time and there goes your tubes sooner than they should have. It's Electronics Physics 101...

I really think most people should start on something simple and versatile like a princeton.

There was a spinal tap moment ." Did you hear that sustain"

My biggest problem with amps is i tend to want every one i can get my hands on. It’s starting to get as bad as my guitar buying addiction!

Thanks for explaining that “no sound comes out of the amp head”. I’ve been wondering why all my amp heads weren’t working! Gotta try out this “speaker cabinet” thing!

I know it's obvious, but something I learned early on is that how powerful an amp you need for stage volume mainly depends on how clean you need it to be. So you might want a 2x12 100W Fender Twin for squeeky clean stage volume cleans for a pedal steel or Rhodes mk.I. Or a Vox AC30, to a lesser extent. And most people don't need that, which I guess is why Twins can seem good value compared to Princeton's or Deluxe Reverbs. But, these days for dirty Marshall tone, the small light 20W studio heads make more sense than a big heavy 100W model. But then small Fender's like Tweed Champs and Princeton's are stun guns when fullly dirty. So yeah, no perfect amp, always the question is what's the main intended use.

We all know that tone in a PRS amp comes mostly from the wood of the amp chassis 💀

Very helpful… thanks for diving into fundamentals! So easy to get caught up in gear and pedals, but there is so much that can be done with just dialing in the amp! Great video, thanks!

This really should be a must-watch for folks new to the Tube/Valve Amp scene. Kudos to you, Rhett! 🔥🙏🏻🔥

Great video; I wish something like this was around when I was a tube amp noob. "Listen with your ears, not your eyes" when tweaking the eq, and "you need fewer watts than you think. No, really" are two of the best bits of advice that I should have learned much earlier!

This amp sounds like a Fender Blues Jr. It is probably the El84 sound. Once I modded my Blues Jr to 6V6 the amp opened up and sounded way better. For anyone considering this amp, I’d probably recommend a Fender Princeton Reverb.

Awesome presentation, you did a great job explaining the controls it's always good to have a refresher. Rock on brother!

Excellent and informative video! Thanks for covering the basics, which often go overlooked.

Very informative and useful video, especially how each of the tone and volume controls interact with each other.

Great summary - I've never seen it explained so simply, yet spot on.

I have a Laney Lionheart 5W combo. Great amp and I feel is very underrated. I’ve got one of the earlier British made ones with a Greenback. They are built like a tank…probably around 45-50 pounds with a 12” speaker for a five watter. Very versatile. Takes pedals well and built in drive can easily get to a good rock tone. But the cleans are phenomenal and very articulate.

Rhett, we appreciate the video's, very helpful !

best thing about a valve combo is that you can plug it into a separate cab, 1,2 or 4x12 of your choice for gigging or a bigger venue and keep the combo for home use or practice.

Rhett, your content is always entertaining and informative. Thanks for sharing again!

Excellent educational vlog!!!!!Thanks Rhett

Thanks for this, loved the video. Went from a really frustrating Line 6 Spider, to a Marshall Valvestate and now to a JCM800. Such an incredible difference!

Nice one Rhett. Best vid all year. Thank you.

I feel Exactly The Same with my Fender Blues Junior IV. Thanks Rhett

Rhett…thanks for the U&C excellent vid/content. I’ve been a musician & guitarist for 43 years now and while you didn’t present anything new that I didn’t already know, you did give me a different way of thinking about a couple of things. While kinda off topic, but not entirely, you’d mentioned the scenario where you park your PRS 15 watt head next to you and then park your cab in another room… I play gigs at a few venues where the stage volume is restricted or there’s a Silent Stage rule. I used to have my amp head on stage w/me and I either had my cab in a back room or I used an internally mic’d iso-cab backstage. About a 18 months, ago I started experiencing the progression of a health issue that necessitated a reduction/simplification in load in/out considerations. Fast forward to a year ago and after researching potential solutions, I purchased a Quilter Aviator Cub UK 1x12” 50 watt combo. It emulates, as I recall a 1963 Vox AC30, a 1964 Vox AC30 Top Boost and a 1977-ish, give or take a couple of years, Marshall JMP 2204 50 watt head. It is solid state as opposed to tube, but it’s also a 50 watt 1x12” combo that weighs in at only 22 pounds (10 kilograms). That’s the icing on the cake. It sounds outstanding. Pat Quilter did a remarkable job nailing the tone and feel of the emulated amps. The preamp is FET/MOSFET based and the output section is Class D. I plug in, turn on and set my tone. I then set the master volume to the venue limits or roll it back to zero for silent stage (I’m plugged into the amp’s volume-controllable, speaker emulated out that goes to FOH for venue mixing purposes no matter the scenario) and I’m ready for sound check. The amp takes pedals very well too. I don’t have to fiddle with the knobs once I set my master volume as the Class D output doesn’t change the tone or gain/dirt set in the preamp. It just makes the sound quieter or louder without affecting the signal’s salient preamp configured qualities. Rhett, I’ve always been a tube guy. I never saw myself plating a solid state amp little alone playing one and enjoying it. While the deterioration of an aspect of my health was the mule I was given to ride for my trip through QuilterLand, While my fat, infirmed ass limited what that mule could carry, I had other choices, tube driven choices besides Quilter that I’d discovered. Still, nothing had the tone, versatility, feel and feature-set that Quilter offered me. It was not the least expensive by far, but it was just the best balance of all things considered. Talk with Pat. Perhaps he’ll sponsor a video by lending you this or the American-flavored model for you to go through. Hint, hint…topic for a future video.

Great video, I wish i would see that 10 years ago. I'm glad that you have pointed out the difference between a speaker and a guitar cable. It's very important as it may even cause a fire.

Great Video! I just “graduated “ to a tube amp and I’m happy I did. I went from a Line 6 Catalyst 60. To a Marshall DSL40cr. I’ll be staying with tube amps from now on.

I recently purchased a 20 year old Matamp R28 28 watt combo, with twin 12” speakers and spring reverb. It sounds glorious and is monstrously loud.

Always great info here on your channel ! Thank you so much for you most valuable insights Rhett. PS, Love Dipped in Tone as well!

Great video! Thank you, Rhett 👍🏼

Mahalo! I purchased my Divided by 13 AMW 39 because of your video a few years ago!

I found that I prefer as simple of an amp as possible. Basically, the fewer knobs, the better. I've been using the "normal" input on a mid-60s Fender Band-Master for years. 4 controls: volume, treble, bass dials and a switch labeled "bright". Sounds great. Your pedals will do anything else you want.

Clear and informative as always!

Helpful, thanks. Was unsure about the presence control; now I know.

My first tube amp (after a few solid state amps) was a used Blackstar HT-5R. It was very affordable, so I wasn't too concerned about money down the drain if it didn't work out. Turns out it's great for my practicing at home. I've learned how to replace the tubes without sticking my fingers where they shouldn't go. And I like the range of tones I can get by twiddling the knobs.

This is an incredibly helpful video. Thank you Rhett. You earned a sub!

Great video, Rhett ❤

Love the flexibility of my Blues Jr, the inbuilt speaker is on a 1/4 jack so I just unplug it and use it as a head if I fancy something different. Great video 🤘🏻

On the importance of always having a speaker cable and cab connected to the amplifier...This is because of the output transformer. It matches the high impedance/high voltage of the power valves to the lower impedance/lower voltage of a speaker cabinet. If you do not have a speaker cab connected, that's an infinite resistance open circuit. The transformer is going to then try and match to that resistance which will cause high voltage arcing and spikes in the transformer and power valves causing very expensive damage. Some amplifier companies employ what are called "flyback diodes" that are meant to stop/limit this phenomenon from happening. They clamp down on those potential spikes back to ground and would sacrifice themselves before the more expensive stuff inside the amplifier. It's not a foolproof way but it's better than no protection at all. Nerdy, but the more you know!

That amp sounded great! Nice job!!

I was wise enough to know that I did NOT need a 100 w Marshall for my 1st amp. I bought a 40 w Fender Blues Deluxe Tweed combo amp and I NEVER turned the volume above 2.5. That thing was LOUD! In fact, it was too loud to be practical as a home practice amp. My next amp will be a 1-watt Blackstar head. I plan on buying a separate cabinet or building my own from a kit at Stewart MacDonald. 😊

Brought up as a kid hanging around an electronics repair shop. My 1963 AC30 Top Boost had a silicon rectifier mod. Gotta lot of stick from the techs as this, according to them, shortened valve (tube) life, stripping the Cathodes when cold. Most of my good amps have a standby, my latest a Fuchs ODS II 25/50 also has one, and Andy Fuchs would not have put one in had it been unnecessary or detrimental.

Great video Rhett thank you !

Great job Rhett. My 1st tube amp was a '70 or '71 Twin Reverb. That is still my favorite sound. My buddy put a simple mod where I could bypass the preamp and run my ADA MP1 directly into the power amp, that thing screamed. I still can't believe I had that thing on 7 most gigs, oh man was that loud.

this is super great. thanks so much!

Great video, very educational. I use this theory on my modeler. Been playing for 2 years on a QuadCortex. Been very happy with its versatility. Maybe one day I’ll buy a tube amp.

The human ear percieves tone differently at different volumes (the Fletcher-Munson Curve). It is why some stereos come with a "loudness" button: at softer volumes the curve flattens out and bass and trebel needs to get boosted. It is also why you dial in the perfect tone in your living room and then get to the gig, turn it up to gig level and it sounds like an ice pick - suddenly there's too much bass and treble and not enough mid. I always have a BBE Sonic Stomp Sonic Maximizer in my chain; I can dial in my sound on the amp and then customise it at the gig for the room and the volume I'm playing at. That pedal is the secret sauce for my tone. But rule of thumb: as the overall volume goes up, the treble and base need to come down (or the mid needs to go up).

Thx Rhett , so true , too many choices. Appreciate it

I've owned 3 combo tub amps (2 Fenders and a Marshall) for the past 15 years and didn't know all these things Rhett. Great video.

Well Done Rhett !!

I would love to see a video that relates the physical tube tech to pedals that provide distortions first found in a tube amp and modelers that fake the entire chain. Just bought my first electric and a katana-go. It almost does too much and not being able to relate what it virtualizes makes the learning curve steeper. In fact, this video already helped.

This was really really really helpful thanks!

But when you’re playin’ that Out Door Kegger, there is no substitute for that 100 watt Stack! 🔊🔊🔊🔊🎸🎵🎶 🤠

Love it! Sounds great!

It's true that 100-watt amps are not necessary, AT ALL. However, after using mostly combos and pedal platform amps over the last 5 years, I have returned to a 100-watt Marshall stack. Throughout my 30 years of life, I have always found my way back to a Marshall stack, no matter the phase or era. Sometimes, you just know what your sound is.

Many years ago in the very early 90's, I bought a Fender solid state amp - a Princeton Chorus. I went to a jam night with my shiny new 50 watt amp, and couldn't hear myself even when standing right in front of it. Turns out it was 2 x 25 watt amp in stereo, not actually 50 watts. It was a jam night, so nothing was mic'd. Best advice I ever got at another jam night later that same night when lamenting my not-loud-enough amp - "You don't want that solid state shit, you need something old with tubes and 12's" And the next day I returned the Fender and went home with a used Marshall JCM800 50 Watt Lead 2x12 combo. I still have it, it sounds amazing, and I've never needed anything else.

Well done video, thanks.

Brilliant video!

This is an excellent tutorial on how to learn your amp. I have a 40 watt amp that sounds great at home at low volume. However, when I, take it to the studio and crank it up it sounds awful. After watching this the problem was I hadn't taken the proper time to dial it in. I was indeed setting the amp with my eyes and not my ears. 😏😏😅😅

great video, yes the 15w blues jr will take your head off!

Just a thought. My first tube amp was a Bassbreaker 007 and it was amazing for recording, practice, and I even played it in small venues.

Regardless of amp, that is great info for those who don’t know. I went through all of that myself, it was at least fun. Even many basic tube amps take some time to figure out, you can get tones you never expect. I’m glad I had audio efficient folks around me pretty much my whole life; it made amps like my Mesa much more understandable and enjoyable. Good stuff Rhett, thanks for sharing!

They make great amps. Tried a few in the shop the other day and they sounded better than my EVH

Good video, Rhett! I agree with another poster here. The next video in this series could be on small wattage, nmv combos, like the Deluxe Reverb or even smaller. I play a 1979 DR and I love the beast, but you do need to know how to get the best outta these amps!

So I’m only half way thru video, you are really doing a good job at making me know about my amp. Fender Blues Deluxe Reissue. I really like the amp for my Strat and my Tele, but was having problems realizing anything on my amp. I have a turn down pedal on the pre out and in. So my neighbors that share a wall with me don’t get mad at night.

Great video concept. Also great that, unlike so many other videos by others, you are not demoing with high gain and heavy rock riffing. We actually get to hear the nuances. This amp sounds wonderful in all the demos I've seen thus far. Hopefully it will be available in black at some point.

This was one of your best videos in a while. Very practical for intermediate guitarists. I have a Fender Tone Master Deluxe Reverb, but always wanted to know about that presence knob and preamp vs. power amp stages on the amp sims I have on a Bias FX app. Thank you.

Sometimes I wish I could unplug the speaker from my Dr Z combo and plug it into a different cabinet. The only time I don't feel this way is when I unplug my Dr Z combo and plug it into a different cabinet. ;)

You may have done it before but would love to see you do a demo of the PRS tremonti, even though you don't typically do that heavy style of music. I like the way you explain everything.

Very informative. Thanks.

STBY which is now often called standby stands for Startup Tension Bypass. Warms up the tubes nice and softly.

You always post the right videos at the right time, Rhett. Been playing for 8 years now, always been a bedroom guitarist and now I'm looking to find some bandmates, but I only have desktop plugins!

Might want to check replacement tube availability, especially for used amps.

Going to a boss katana mk1 100w to a Marshall dsl40cr was a game changer, although it's a budget tube amp man.... There is nothing like a loud tube amp where the power tubes are getting juiced!

Thanks for this information.

Well done bro

I have a couple Marshall Mono Bloc's. I really like them as i mess around with lots of pre-amp's and pedals. Its not a very portable set-up, but its lots of fun in the studio. I only have one amp head at this time. BlackStar HT-5. It sounds killer at full volume into a 4x12. 5 watts is loud but not quite loud enough to be heard over a drummer thats a hard hitter. Great video!

Great video. Wish you had mentioned the speakers used in the cab and how they can make a big difference in the tone. That looks like a versatile amp for sure.

Needed this video BADLY

This is a great video for tube amp beginners. Can you show what a tube amp does when you "dime" it and rely on your guitar to provide tone and volume control, as opposed to "diming" the guitar and turning the amp down?

Really appreciate the information because I have absolutely no clue when it comes to KZfaq apps. The only suggestion is - you need a third hand to adjust the amp while you’re playing so we can hear the changes as they are happening as opposed to trying to remember2 1/2 seconds ago… Which gets a lot harder when you are older

Great video Rhett! Wish I had known all this years ago! You talk about finding the "perfect" amp (or not finding it) -- it has been my experience that a lot of the "holy grail" amps are very limited -- example, if you want that "VOX" sound there is nothing like an AC30, but that's ALL it does. You want to sound like Brian May? VoxAC30. Wanna sound like Eddie? 5150. However, if you're like me and play a wide range of stuff, some of the most legendary amps out there are just not good enough. For my money I have found a lot of versatility in Hughes & Kettner amps. I currently own a Tubemeister 36 and absolutely LOVE the tones I get out of it. with that amp and a handful of pedals, I can play SRV or Slayer, really doesn't matter. I think most guitarists need something like that.

The bridge pickup on that Tele sounds great.

I see players who set the knobs on their amps once, and never change the settings again, and I see players who are constantly tweaking the settings. Although I play mostly acoustic, I am definitely in the "constant tweaking" camp. I recently added an electro'coustic Alvarez to my collection, and am learning a whole new range of knob tweaking and amp seeking to my hobby. Thanks Rhett, rock on!😁

One thing that took awhile for me to figure out is amp wattage is not a direct example of how loud an amp can be. I watched a video from Mike Soldano and he explained it well. Which makes sense because my SLO-30 is ungodly loud for a 30 watt amp.

Great vid! I’ve been playing for 40 plus years. I have a helix bit also a vintage pro reverb… amongst other amps over the years… solid states included. And I still don’t know what is a “good sound” is . Tone chasing is a rabbit hole. But your vid shows how to get the best of what you have at that moment. Great vid!

This video has pushed me over the top. I am joining Patreon. Nothing fancy. Absolutely great video.

If you need more EQ management for your less capable amp, just get a decent 10 band EQ pedal. Can be used before the preamp as a drive, or in the effects loop to set a rhythm ‘defeat’ level. Kick it off to get the solo level.

Perfect amp … In the mid90s, I had a PV classic 30… Always got compliments… So versatile. Everything else seems limited. I miss it very much!😥

I have 3 brands I own these are 1) Fender ( of course ) A) reissue twin B) twin reverb 2 ( rivera moded.) C) Deluxe Reverb reissue ( I replaced the cab speaker with a 1955 EV 16 ohm I run it with another cab with a celestion 16 ohm vintage 30 ) 2) pre - peavey Budda SD 45 ( I run it through a Marshall 4x12 cab. Yes because of Leslie West.) 3) Marshall ( I slave a 50 watt Origin with kt 66 power tubes run through a Marshall 4x12 cab ) with a 1987 X plexi ( run thru a fender 2x12 cab with celestion cream backs. ) I love all these amps and get a completely different tone from each rig.

There’s nothing wrong with getting a multiwatt triple recto in your bedroom. That amp was the most versatile and had unending range out of all that I’ve tried. It can absolutely be played in a bedroom. Nothing matches it if that’s your style. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

I have a 15W amp (Laney Cub12). If I turn the volume up to the maximum the entire street will listen clearly to what I am playing.

I love the new chronograph.

that amp sounds great and seems versatile

Good stuff Rhett! I used to do that. Look at where my knobs were and base my sound off what looked right. WRONG!! The ear knows better! I have a 40W Fender Deluxe Reverb IV & a 15W Vox AC15C1X and have had a 60W Fender Super Sonic. All so different but so great in their own right. Gotta dial each one in a bit differently depending on what I’m playing or who I’m playing with. Thanks for the vid! That’s good knowledge

I’ve used tube amps my whole life, but because I kept blowing them up, I finally went to a solid state. It took me a while to dial it in, but it’s close. Still prefer the tube sound, but I don’t have to lose right before a gig!