[crosby]

I'm currently looking for a tube amp for my apartment. I don't want anything too loud and I've been scouring the web for something with great tone priced under 500$ used. I have the opportunity to pick up a Guild 66J for 500$ flat. I'm debating between that and a Blackheart Killer Ant. Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance

[MrSandMan]

Hi Crosby, welcome to the boards!

Are you looking for a combo?  If a head and 1x12 cab work, you may want to check into the 15-watt Orange Tiny Terror.However, that is a bit out of budget, but are a great amp- perhaps worth saving up a few more bucks for. 

I'm not familiar with teh Blackheart Killer Ant. - sorry I couldn't give more input.

[crosby]

I appreciate the advice and the warm welcome.

As far as combo vs. head/cab, it really doesn't matter much to me. Actually the Blackheart Killer Ant is a 1/4 watt head and comes with a 10in cab. Other amps from the Blackheart line have gotten good reviews, however the killer ant has just recently came out and I've been unable to find much online. I've been looking a lot at the older small combos (i.e. champs, ampeg jets, etc.), and from what I've found this Guild very well may be the best from that genre however again, there isn't much information on it because it appears to be very rare.

With all that being said, I would very much like to limit myself to 500$ simply because I can't justify spending any more than that currently. So if you have any other suggestions besides the tiny terror, I'd very much like to hear them.

All the best
-Crosby

[floydmoline]

you can get a marshall DSL401 used around ebay etc used for 400-600 and they have a great tone, 40W sounds like it'd be loud but it's really not that loud, and the recording direct out is pre master volume, so you can plug that into a mixer, or PC, i don't think it'd drive a pair of head phones on it's own, but it's a line level output that is pre master, so you can turn the master volume down and mute the speaker and have the direct out unaffected, but even so, it's not a "loud" 40 watts, i can turn it up 1/2 way in my living room comforably with my mom in the same room, and she don't bitch :-D so it's not LOUD loud

alternatively fender blues junior pro are decent sounding amps, and low wattage, can be had within you price range, also the fender deluxes are decent low watt amps but those are a little more pricey.

blackheart amps i have no experience with at all

[crosby]

Thanks for the input, I actually just checked out the dsl401 and it's still a little too big for what I'm looking for.

I'm also looking for something a little better than the blues or pro jr. Not that they're bad amps, but I feel they definitely aren't the best for the money. Especially in the used market.

Please keep up the suggestions and if anyone knows anything about either the guild or blackheart I mentioned earlier, I'd love to hear what you know!