I’m a high school jazz band guitarist looking for a tube amp. How much power/watts do I need?

August 8, 2008  |  Vintage Audio Q & A

vintage tube
Michael K asked:


Guitar: Vintage American 'New Edition 52 Ampère is cushion shock Princeton '65 did in Mexico Looking for a tube amps with the fat jazz sound that can pierce through a range of High School. Estimate around $ 600 ~ 800.


3 Comments


  1. Don’t listen to Rad’s answer, turning up the gain and volume and flicking on an overdrive switch on a GUITAR amp will make you sound like Metallica, not fatten up your sound like it does for bass. Tube amps aren’t necessarily a great choice for jazz because at higher volumes the tubes start to saturate with power and distort. They do have a nice warm sound to them and offer a “springy” dynamic feel, but to get one suitable to play a CLEAN sound at high volumes you’re going to need a high wattge tube amp…lik around 100 watts or up. And those are typically very expensive for a good quality amp. Solid state amps are very suitable for jazz because they give you loads of clean headroom (don’t distort) at high volumes and are also a cheaper alternative to the ever so coveted 100 watt tube amp. Try the Roland JC-120 it’s made for jazz nad is solid state. If you really want a tube amp buy a Mesa Boogie or Hughes & Kettner.

  2. Aaron F is right! A tube amp is more expensive, heavier, and more difficult to maintain. It is MUCH better than solid-state for overdriven sounds, but not really noticeably different for clean tones. The Roland JC-120 is considered the gold standard for jazz, but really, any high-wattage solid state amp with good speaker(s) should be fine.

    A new JC-120 is $900, though. The Fender Jazz King is $700, and looks real good.

  3. Definitely look at the Roland JC-120. That will give you the sound and volume you’re looking for. Tube amps are heavy, fragile, and replacement tubes aren’t cheap. You should be able to find a Roland in the $800-900 range if you search. A little more money spent up front now will save you in the long run. The Roland will last you indefinitely and you don’t have to buy tubes for it!

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