I put together a list of some 1×12″ vintage tube amps that are way too loud for their size. These little beasts deliver unparalleled performance in a small footprint. Not many 1×12″ amps still exist that have heavy power supplies and tubes inside. The heat and the cramped space leads to other malfunctions down the road having so much power in one place. Common faults may be loose parts, broken solder joints, overheating PCBA’s and blown speaker.

My favorites are hard to narrow down, each model possesses it’s own unique character and tone. I currently own an Ampeg VT-120 but I was lucky to find one with clean pots. 80’s units tend to have those dreaded push pull pots but now there are some suppliers remaking the vintage style pots. I am still searching for a vintage 1×12″ tube amp that has a rating higher than 120W but it’s crazy to think why?

Please enjoy the photos I dug up for review and post any worthy models you would like me to add.

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