Cons
- Can get muddy when driven too hard
- Not for those who prefer tight response
Pros
- Hard to beat when it comes to value
- Vintage clean and dirty voicings
- Good volume for a 15W amp
- Works well with pedals
While hybrid amps provide more functionality, they still cannot replace the appeal of a genuine all-tube circuit amp. And the Monoprice 611815 gives you just that, a straightforward all-tube guitar combo amp that continues to rate highly in the sub $300 price range.
The preamp section houses three ECC83 tubes, while the power section has two EL84 tubes, a potent combination used on many classic amps.
But what’s really interesting is the amp’s 12″ speaker, which is a Celestion Red Truvox 1215, quite the catch for something so affordable. Other features include basic 3-band EQ and built-in spring reverb.
Tonewise, its surprising at what this little amp can do. It has a great vintage tone that’s perfect for blues and slide. The spring reverb enables 60s surf rock tones at the edge of breakup.
Like all tube amps, many don’t come with the best ones straight from the factory. The good thing is that they’re a great way to upgrade your tone. It brings up the overall cost a bit but it’s worth it if tone is your top priority. Because of the vintage tone, it’s not ideal for heavier genres and higher gain settings.
Looking to spend a nice afternoon jamming to some blues? The Monoprice Stage Right 611815 is a great vintage sounding, all tube amp for days when you just want to blues it up. And you don’t have to spend much to get this good quality guitar gear.
From “Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Best Tube Amp”
Monoprice is a brand known for affordable tube amps, and the Stage Right 611815 is their 15-Watt all-tube combo amp with specs that normally command much higher pricing.
This tube combo amp comes in a 1 x 12″ combo package, with three ECC83 preamp tubes and two EL84s in the power section. This is a popular tube combination found in vintage amps and their modern recreations.
More importantly, you get them without the premium price tag. Speaking of price, don’t expect this amp to ship with premium-quality tubes, but they do get the job done. For best results, you can swap out the tubes for ones from a reliable brand.
While most low-watt tube amps have very streamlined controls, Monoprice provided a bit more than what you’d expect.
The amp section has controls for gain, volume, and tone, as well as 3-band EQ knobs. These controls allow for good versatility in terms of tone shaping and how the amp is driven. It also comes with built-in spring reverb.
Adding to the already impressive value of this amp is its use of a 12″ speaker from a popular brand – a Celestion Seventy 80. Given its size, it is quite capable of being driven hard.
This speaker is known for its bright tonality, but since it’s 12″, it is capable of reproducing the lows well.
The volume is a bit limited, but it should be enough for home use or even small venue jamming. Note that driving the amp too hard can cause it to sound muddy.
At lower gain levels, the amp provides a good enough clean tone but with a bit of grit. Raising the gain knob lets the amp go from clean to mid-gain dirty tone.
The voicing for both clean and dirty tones are similar to vintage amps, open and not overly compressed. This makes it ideal for classic blues, rock n roll, and similar styles.
On the flip side, those who want modern tight response will not find this amp appealing.
Sound is very transparent, which can be an issue for those who want specific amp tones, but its generic voicing makes it a great platform for effects pedals.
Other features include having a cream-colored synthetic leather exterior and cloth speaker grill.
The value of this budget 1×12″ guitar tube amplifier is hard to beat, even among other Stage Right amps. It is definitely one of the best tube amp deals to get for those working with a limited budget.
Specifications
- Power: 15W
- Preamp Tube: 3 x ECC83 (12AX7)
- Poweramp Tube: 2 x EL84
- Speaker: 1 x 12″
- Effects: Reverb
- Input: 1 x 1/4″
- Outputs: 1 x 1/4″ Speaker Out, Effects Loop
- Weight: 31.62 lbs.
| Website | Source | *Rating Value |
| Festival Peak | Christian A. Pfeiffer | 88/100 |
| YouTube | 60 Cycle Hum | 97/100 |
