Two-knob amps - what’s out there?

HAL9000

Having played through amps like Fender’s Pro Jnr, and currently owning an Award-Session 5E3 Extra, I’ve found I’ve got a bit of a thing for ‘two-knob’ amps. OK, I’ll admit the 5E3 Extra also has a master volume but still essentially a ‘two-knobber’.

I’m not currently looking for a new amp but just wondering out of curiosity what else is out there?

maharg101

Valvepower 18 watt cage amp - gain / tone plus power scaling, but definitely a 2 knobber in spirit!



Contact @steves025uk of this parish.

jellybelly

Love the Dr Z Carmen Ghia when I had one. Sounded huge. Took pedals really well and was lovely and responsive. Wish I'd kept it. 

Deadman

Tone King Gremlin?

pt22

I enjoyed my Victory BD-1 head. Reasonably priced used, small, and I enjoyed the range of tones. 

ICBM

Fender Musicmaster Bass - designed as a practice bass amp, but also good for guitar. Quite a unique small Fender, made in the 1970s but a much older circuit configuration than the other SF amps, 12W 2-6V6 with a transformer phase inverter. They have a rough, bluesy/Americana type overdrive and a nice open tone from the big cabinet and 12” speaker.

Wazmeister

A few of the Dr Z (great) amps have 2/3 knobs

CountryDave

+1 on the Dr Z Carmen Ghia
A fab little amp that really lets the guitars natural sound shine through. Wound up it sounds glorious and takes pedals so very well.

Had a couple over the years and like a fool, sold them on for supposedly better things.

mburekenge

2 knobs? Pah! You and your fancy, new-fangled technology.

Victoria 5112 - 1 knob that doubles as a power switch.

EricTheWeary

The Yerasov GTA15 used to get a lot of love, a Pro Junior type I think. 

TimmyO

I had a clone of a Marshall/Wem 18w - if you ignore the trem, that's a 2 knob amp.

(Which made it odd that after I sold it the guy kept emailing me asking for my 'suggested settings' for various sounds.)

bacchanalian

There is a Victoria Two Stroke in the classifieds at the moment. 2 knobs

soma1975

Genuinely thought this was going to be a thread slagging off Two-Rock owners. 

frown

https://www.palmer-germany.com/en/products/guitar-amplifiers/5131/eins?c=2153

Lebarque

Two knobs and the truth. All you need. Love this approach.

p90fool

Before you look for another amp, are you running your 5E3 Extra through an attenuator?

I have one permanently plugged in in the back of mine and it sounds fantastic, proper squishy, messy, fuzzed out tones which clean up beautifully from the guitar, especially on the 7w setting. 

TheBigDipper

Deadman said:

Tone King Gremlin?

Absolutely! I'd love to find an excuse to buy one. 

JayGee

As @TimmyO says above the Marshall WEM 18 watters are very much “2 knob” in use.

The variant I have is built from an Ampmaker kit, it loses the stuff related to the tremolo in the original but gains a power scaling knob, a selector switch for Single ended or Class B operation, and a (defeatable) added control for pulling the bass back a bit (mostly to stop things getting “flubby” when cranked up with humbuckers) - in use the extra bits are pretty much “set and forget” for a given situation at which point to all intents and purposes it plays like a two knob amp.

And it’s great! 

HAL9000

p90fool said:

Before you look for another amp, are you running your 5E3 Extra through an attenuator?

I have one permanently plugged in in the back of mine and it sounds fantastic, proper squishy, messy, fuzzed out tones which clean up beautifully from the guitar, especially on the 7w setting. 

No I’m not. Since it has a master volume I can get a certain amount of saturation at quite low volumes - certainly enough for what I want. I’m not too bothered about getting those ragged farty Neil Young sounds. More a Claptonesque tone that can be achieved at home volume.

I’m not particularly looking for another amp right now. It’s just that I have been really pleased with the 5E3 Extra (and with other ‘two-knob’ amps I’ve experienced) that that’s definitely the way I’d go if / when I feel the need for something else.

Dontgiveupyourdayjob

Supro Thunderbolt s6420. 35w through a 15" speaker, so not remotely useable at home without an attenuator.

https://www.suprousa.com/amplifiers/thunderbolt/

snowblind

Why have 2 knobs when one will do?