Best clean tube amp for a pedal platform

[Tone Lover]

So to you SSS guys is that a great pedal platform . Im just looking for best clean tube amp for pedal platform. Thanks Bill

[JazzGuitarGimp]

That would be my guess, but that’s only based on what I’ve read here. You might also look to some of the Hiwatt designs as well. Again, no personal experience with them. But I’ve read they are very clean.

[Roe]

Three gainstages and double eq can be a little much with some boost, overdrive and distortion pedals perhaps. Sometimes less is more. The normal channel of a twin reverb or an ac30 works well

[roberto]

There's no answer for that. There are pedals that work well with midrangey amps, other with scooped amps...

[Phil_S]

There's no answer for that. There are pedals that work well with midrangey amps, other with scooped amps...

I'd tend to agree with Roberto. A big factor will be personal taste. You know the saying, one man's trash is another man's treasure? The easy part is identifying "clean tube amp..." The difficult part is "...for a pedal platform."

You might look at the old Ampeg designs. The guy who founded Ampeg was an anti-distortion zealot. You can probably find some reading on this topic if you look for it.

[thetragichero]

how about an old ultralinear sunn?
the 200s has an extra gain stage that can get crunchy so maybe a sceptre without the reverb and TREMOLO?
these were originally built it if dynaco hifi kits so loud clean is the name of the game

[Tone Lover]

The reason I asked is I just got a line 6 pod go . I liked the helix plateform but couldn't force myself to pay 1200.00 for the Helix LT. I have 6 different amps ive built to test it out with. but only 1 is clean ab763 fender circuit . so I was just looking for my next build. I was trying to simplify my rig . even though I build pedals and wont get rid the 2 pedal boards I have now. LOL

[pompeiisneaks]

if 1200.00 is too much, then building a hand built SSS amp is going to get really close to that cost anyway. The cost of the transformers, boards, chassis, etc, usually easily gets me near 900 to 1000 for a more standard amp, adding the extra tubes and components for a SSS I'd bet you're getting pretty close to 1200 in parts. then you build it on your own time/dime. That's the fun part for me, but just setting your expectations. This is why a good built SSS clone by the greats costs like 5-7k for an amp. They may put in a hundred hours of labor likely just fine tweaking things etc for a build.

If you want a simple lower cost clean platform, as mentioned something like a Vox AC30 or Fender Blues Deluxe or Hot Rod deluxe do fine as clean amps, and the latter two definitely have effects loops (Don't know if the ac 30's do?)

They're not glass clean at max volume, but up til a pretty loud level they're very clean. Hurt your ears level clean.

~Phil

[Tone Lover]

Phil I don't think you understand, I have enough parts to build 6 or 7 amps just sitting around. Probably 8 or 9 different chassis. Dozens of transformers. I build my own head and combo cabs. The 1200.00 for the helix wasn't totally the reason I didn't buy it. its a total modeling platform. I will never give up my tube amps. Or all the pedals I've built. I know I don't post here much anymore. But I do build quite often. In the past you have helped me with problems I've had and I'm very gratefull . I just have never built a triple S. So I was curious about it being a good pedal platform. Thank You to all who have answered.
Bill

[ChopSauce]

I've been tempted to make a joke like:

Bill, it does look like the time came for you to build an SSS...

But actually I wonder if an SSS is of some real use but for playing in stadiums...
(well not exactly but I'm pretty sure you got it)

[pompeiisneaks]

Phil I don't think you understand, I have enough parts to build 6 or 7 amps just sitting around. Probably 8 or 9 different chassis. Dozens of transformers. I build my own head and combo cabs. The 1200.00 for the helix wasn't totally the reason I didn't buy it. its a total modeling platform. I will never give up my tube amps. Or all the pedals I've built. I know I don't post here much anymore. But I do build quite often. In the past you have helped me with problems I've had and I'm very gratefull . I just have never built a triple S. So I was curious about it being a good pedal platform. Thank You to all who have answered.
Bill

Gotcha I was missing that information for sure. That makes sense.

I have now about 8 tube amps I've built but no extra parts really. On the other hand I also have a kemper and love it... I've profiled several of my amps and to me they sound as good in my headphones as it does out loud, minus the pain of the high volume But that's maybe partly because I'm going deaf from my time in the military I also love my tube amps as well, though, so there's that.

~Phil

[Tone Lover]

Actually I wasn’t going to build the full-size amp I was going to build the light version I had seen in the past we’re someone had built a 6v6 version with part of the phase inverter pairs transistors. And another using regular two tube set with 6l6s. Hopefully I still have the book marks on my computer. My ears are shot also too many years thinking I needed a stack to look cool. Now a days most of my amps I play a lot are in the 18 to 10 watt range. Much better and a lot easier on my back. Lol

[Tone Lover]

Actually I wasn’t going to build the full-size amp I was going to build the light version. I had seen in the past we’re someone had built a 6v6 version with part of the phase inverter pairs transistors. And another using regular two tube set with 6l6s. Hopefully I still have the book marks on my computer. My ears are shot also too many years thinking I needed a stack to look cool. Now a days most of my amps I play . are in the 10 to 18 watt range. Much better and a lot easier on my back. Lol

[R.G.]

The Workhorse amp line from the 2000s. They were designed specifically to offer a good tube amp for working with pedals.

How do I know that??

[Leo_Gnardo]

I have 6 different amps ive built to test it out with. but only 1 is clean ab763 fender circuit . so I was just looking for my next build.

AB763, that's the sort of amp that would get my vote for your project. Especially the Bandmaster & Bassman designs for 40-50W or Showman for 80-100W. (And the Showman is a Bandmaster with double the power after all.) Of course you don't have to build the extra input channel, so that simplifies things a bit. Honk away with your FX, then bypass them all for your teen-kleen tone.