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Willie Greer - August 23, 2021
The amplifier you use in rehearsals and gigs can make or break your performance. Tube amps are a versatile and lightweight choice, but since they have a shorter lifespan than solid-state amps, low-quality ones can break down in the middle of your show and cause embarrassment.
So, our audio experts have compiled the best 15-watt tube amps in the market to help you out.
Princeton Reverb
- Vintage design
- Great for all genres
- Flexibility with controls
- Timeless and trusted
AC15C1
- Classic top boost tone
- Snappy cleans and bold overdrives
- Full-bodied sound quality
- Excellent performance
611815
- Stylish exterior
- Good for newbies & pro musicians
- Well-balanced guitar tones
- Effects loop
Reviews of the Top 15-Watt Tube Amps
Vox AC15C1
Since its introduction in 1958, the Vox AC15C1 has been the go-to amp for performers worldwide. With big artists like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones using this amp, our team agrees that its reissue remains legendary.
Testing this 15 watt amp in our listening room, the full-bodied sound quality and performance make this one of the best guitar amps we’ve tested. It has the classic VOX top boost tone, master volume, footswitchable spring reverb, effects loop, 12AX7 preamp tubes, and a Celestion Greenback speaker.
It effortlessly handles clean tones and warm overdriven sounds, producing a more authoritative bark and a snappier chime for small gigs or big concerts.
What We Like
- Historic significance
- All-tube design
- Low wattage tube amplifier
- 15 watts of clean and versatile tones
- Alnico Blue or Celestion G12M Greenback speaker
- Very responsive
- Loud volume for a portable model
- Excellent firepower
What We Don’t Like
- May not be ideal for hard rock or metal genres
- Normal channel doesn’t have treble and bass controls
Fender ‘65 Princeton Reverb
The Fender ‘65 Princeton Reverb may be expensive, but as one of the tube amps that played innumerable music hits across the decades, it’s perfect for performers with a more discerning taste.
With an all-tube design, this amp impresses with its naturally dynamic, clean, and overdriven tones. There’s also a lot of freedom when it comes to tweaking the sound with treble, bass, speed, intensity and volume control. Plus, that long-spring Fender reverb and tube vibrato is a remarkable touch.
If you’re a pro performer who has an affinity for vintage amps, versatility, and raw power, there’s no better choice than the Fender ‘65 Princeton Reverb 15-watt tube combo amp.
What We Like
- Part of rock history
- Excellent volume and tone
- 40-watt speaker with ceramic magnet
- Versatile tube combo amplifier
- Great for all genres whether vintage or modern rock
- Reverb and tremolo
- Jensen speaker
- Lots of controls for volume, intensity, bass, etc.
What We Don’t Like
- Steep price
- No dust cover included with your purchase
Monoprice 611815 Combo Tube Amp
If you want a model with well-rounded features at a budget price, the Monoprice 611815 15-watt Guitar Combo Amplifier is an excellent choice. It’s ideal both for beginners and pro performers, and it doesn’t skimp on features.
This 15 watt amplifier has three 12AX7 preamp tubes, with the power amp section having two EL84 power tubes. It handles treble, bass, and mid frequencies excellently, with 0.5% total harmonic distortion for those clean tones.
Furthermore, the Celestion Red Truvox 1215 speaker and spring reverb let your guitar sound its best. The style isn’t shabby as well, with its cream-colored leather exterior and chrome corner guards giving it that premium feel.
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What We Like
- Nice design
- Lab-tested 15 watts power output
- 3 preamp tubes
- Spring reverb
- Celestion speaker
- Excellent guitar tones
- Loud and crisp bass, middle, treble handling
- Effects loop
What We Don’t Like
- Reverb could be improved
- Takes a bit of time to set up
Orange Rocker 15
For rock and metal tones, the Orange Rocker 15 is the superstar amp for this genre. It has a unique two-channel design — ‘Natural’ and ‘Dirty’. To elaborate, the ‘natural’ channel has one volume knob while the ‘dirty’ channel has a master, gain adjustments, and 3-band EQ control.
This 15-watt combo amp has controls for a full/half power mode and attenuator switches. You can play in 5, 7, 1, or 15 watts of power output, making it great for different settings, whether at home, in a studio, or onstage.
With its range of sounds, the Rocker 15 is one of the best 15-watt tube amps you can choose.
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What We Like
- Two channels — Natural and Dirty
- Perfect for overdrive and distortion sounds
- Ideal for pop, rock and metal
- Doesn’t produce a hiss or hum
- Can be used for recording and gigs
- Great for use in different venues
What We Don’t Like
- Not the best for beautiful mellow tones
- A bit expensive
Orange Amplifiers DA15H Amp Head
Power and portability are the two things that this amp delivers. It may look small, but underneath that lunchbox look and black paint is a workhorse for Angus-style heavy tones. Whether you’re playing metal or rock, cranking up the gain produces thick notes and filthy overdrives that impressed our sonic experts.
The Orange Amplifiers DA15H Dark Terror has a switchable 15-watt/7-watt output control, an ECC83 preamp valve, and a new tone circuit. Tweaking the sound is also easy with the Shape control — either turn it right for a more scooped sound, or left to elevate the mids.
This single channel amp head can work with clean sound, but it’s pretty limited.
What We Like
- Excellent range of high gain sounds
- Fit for thick, heavy sound
- Volume is loud enough for its size
- No distortion
- Compact design
- Switchable output control
- Great for recording and medium sized gig
What We Don’t Like
- Should be connected to an external speaker
- Not the best for a clean tone
Fender Blues Junior IV
Fender is a world-class brand in the sound industry, but the reissues they continually release prove that they don’t rest on their laurels. If you like something simpler from the brand, the Fender Blues Junior IV is a great choice.
At 15-watts, this single-channel amp has a pretty impressive feature set. No surprise there, as this combo model has undergone some iterations. It has a Celestion A-Type speaker, a Fat switch, three 12AX7s, and two EL84 tubes. It has controls for the master, volume, bass, treble, middle, and reverb.
Overall, this tube guitar amp provides more headroom and a balanced sound for those bold overdrives and beautiful cleans.
What We Like
- Classic look
- Go-to for Fender fans on a budget
- Simple amp that ticks all the boxes
- Celestion A-Type speaker
- Full and well-balanced tone for mids, lows, and highs
- Fat switch
- More controlled response
What We Don’t Like
- The only effect is reverb
- Can have distortion at high volumes
Supro Blues King 12
Another legend that has been around since the 1920s, the Supro Blues King 12 rivals the Fender Blues Junior in terms of features. For one thing, this tube amplifier already packs a ton of options for gain tones, including a gain switch, boost switch, master, a reverb knob, and 3-band EQ controls.
You can also further customize things by mixing and matching each circuit. This gives you more freedom in the distortion and overdrives. Our team also reports that this model produces a great overall tone, whether you’re playing blues, pop, jazz, rock, or country.
The Supro Blues King 12 also has a class A 6L6 power section.
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What We Like
- Beautiful black and silver design
- Flexibility in gain and overdrive customization
- 6L6 power tube
- Spring reverb
- Effects loop
- Low noise level
- Supro BK12 speaker
- Great value for the price
What We Don’t Like
- Only one input
- Not the best for metal
15-Watt Tube Amps Buyer’s Guide
If you’re a newbie buying your first tube amp, you should know what to look for before you whip out your wallet. The specs sheet might leave you feeling confused, so our team is here to simplify things and take out the guesswork in choosing the best 15-watt tube amp in the market.
Design and Material
Tube amps come in a lot of designs, but mostly, you’ll see a lot of exteriors with black or cream-colored synthetic leather. Some look cheaper while some have a premium vibe. When it comes to looks, however, your choice depends on your taste. After all, it’s the performance that matters.
It would be more helpful to consider the size when choosing an amplifier. If you’re a musician who’s regularly on the go, then you might need something more lightweight and portable. You would want an amp that you can easily carry between venues, such as your rehearsal room, recording studio, and onstage.
On the flip side, if you’re not going to be travelling a lot, a bulkier amp is the better choice. These usually have more and better features because they have the room for them.
Let’s also discuss cabinet types. The cabinet is where the speaker is located, and it can either be closed or open. A closed-back cabinet produces a tighter sound, which is great for the bass. On the other hand, an open-backed cabinet spreads the sound to a wider area. Hence, it has a more airy tone.
However, during our tests, the size, features, and positioning of the amp affects the tone more than whether it has an open or closed-back cabinet.
Power
One of the first things you need to decide on when picking out an amplifier is the power rating. You have to consider some factors to find your ‘Goldilocks’ rating. When the wattage is too high, you can’t crank up your amp to its optimum level. When it’s too low, finding a clean headroom [1] would be difficult.
If you’re just going to use the amp at home for practicing, an amp with less than 10 watts is ideal. We recommend going as low as possible, because you would still get a good valve distortion without the volume being too loud to warrant angry neighbors.
If you’ll be using the amp in gigs and live events, however, 15-30 watts is the best range. The volume would be enough for you to be heard above the drums, yet the sound engineers won’t be peeved by the loudness.
Sound Quality
Of course, the sound quality is a major factor when picking out an amp. Many musicians still prefer tube amps over digital ones because they provide a much better tone. There’s just something about the organic response of tube amps that when you pick softer or harder, the subtle changes just emerge. This sonic signature results in a more full-bodied tone in the highs, mids, and lows.
It’s also important to recognize the voicing that you like. Basically, voicing is the tone that an amplifier is based on. Brands like Vox have a “British voicing” while Fender has an “American voicing”. Put simply, EL84-driven amps have a British tone while 6L6 tubes adapt the American tone.
Connectivity
When it comes to tube amplifiers, connection is very simple. The front and back of the amp will have sockets, which can include the input, mains input, footswitch, effects send/return, line out, speaker out, and headphone output. Not all amps will have everything, so choose a model that fits your needs.
Let’s further explain what all these sockets mean.
- Input. Usually located on top or in front of the amplifier. It’s simply where you plug in your guitar.
- Mains input. Typically located at the back, and is where you plug in the power cable.
- Line out. Will connect the amplifier to external devices such as recording equipment or a mixing desk.
- Speaker out. Allows you to connect the amp to external speaker cabinets.
- Footswitch. Lets you connect a channel switch pedal that lets you change the sounds between clean or distorted tones. The switch pedal itself may or may not be included with your purchase.
- Effects send/return. Lets you add external effects pedals for your performance.
- Headphone. Comes in handy for practice sessions or when you don’t want anybody else to listen.
Price and Warranty
As with purchasing any other product, the price and warranty matters. For 15-watt tube amplifiers, they cost anywhere from $300 to upwards of $1000. They are more expensive than other types of amps because the primary amplification source of these models are vacuum tubes, each of which costs around $50.
Furthermore, tube amplifiers are typically larger and equipped with more complex circuitry, so expect to pay hundreds for a unit.
Because the price is steep, you mustn’t purchase an amplifier without a warranty. The best tube amp should have at least a 1-year warranty, but more expensive models, such as the Fender ‘65 Princeton Reverb, are backed by a longer 2-year warranty.
FAQ
Is a 15-watt tube amp loud?
Yes, a 15-watt tube amp is loud. It’s ideal for practicing at home or performing in gigs at small to medium venues. If you’re playing before a larger crowd, you can always use a mic and wire the amplifier to a sound reinforcement system to achieve higher volumes.
Our Top Pick For a 15-Watt Tube Amp:
Vox AC15C1
After rigorous tests in our listening room, our sonic experts declare the Vox AC15C1 as the best 15-watt tube amp in the market. It has been the amp of choice of world-renowned musicians worldwide, and its upgraded version remains an excellent choice. This amp has a Celestion speaker, 12AX7s, a top boost tone, and a range of controls for customizing the sound. Overall, it delivers beautiful cleans and heavy overdrives for a well-balanced audio quality.
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