Anybody played with one of these...

it is kind of innovative to have a built in power soak (attenuator). that way you have saturated tube tone and low volumes.
it would be ok for a small practice bedroom amp. it could be good with a mic in front and record. just one red flag went up...
small speaker. 6.5" won't work for a gig, loud jam, etc. I have a feeling the amp would sound like a bee in a can.
at this point I would definitely check one out in real life and not order on line un tried.

As a lot of you know, I travel so much that my GAS keeps getting defeated. One of my frustrations is that I've never had a good amp, with good sound. (They're too heavy!)

So I'm looking at getting one of these- looks like a good amp that will actually go as a carry on.

http://www.mahaffayamps.com/little-lanilei-3350lt.htm

Too expensive for me, but...I'm tired of chintzy little practice amp speakers and sound.

It looks made to last, which is necessary, because it will take my whole amp budget for the next few years...

Does anybody know this thing?
Best,
Ande
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Ande :

Tube amps ( those worth it ) will cost you .......Cheapest Fender ( Champ ) is $200.00 . Where are you at ?

Here in California many semi pros and pros go to " Carvin " . Good product , reasonable price and here were are able to go to their showroom and audition everything they have . And a great return policy if what you ordered went wrong , is bad or you just don't like it .

I have a X-60 ( not made now ) and it's been working great since I bought it new in 1992 . Tube pre amp and power amp with some solid state stuff , quite a brute for only one single 12" speaker . Carvin has a bunch of really nice tube amps .

Oh I don't work for them or get a compensation either , I just like their stuff , it works for me .

Sincerely :

Hurricane Ramon

Thanks Guys- I'm gonna try to try one out when I'm next stateside.

Tube amps always cost ya- what I like about this one is the portability. I'm in Ecuador at the moment, but am in an odd career field that involves a bit of being in flux. Last calendar year, 8 months in Quito, where I live, 1 in Guayaquil, two in Korea, and one in Chicago. A fairly typical year.

So I like the idea of a practice(ish) amp that can almost gig. To gig, if I ever find occasion to gig, I'd want to drive 1x12 or something with it. BUt for practice, it seems cooler enough as is.

The way it's been explained to me is that it's like a tiny tube amp (two stages, like pre and power, but totalling only 1/4 watt) then pushed through a soak and into a small PA. (Which is the 33 watt solid state amp.) Innovative for sure. I just wish they had a shop in town.

(By the way though, I've been in touch with the company, and Tris, who makes the amps, also responds to emails. And they're willing to ship internationally and work out international $$ transfer, which most US manufacturers and dealers aren't.)

Best,
Ande

Thanks Guys- I'm gonna try to try one out when I'm next stateside.

Tube amps always cost ya- what I like about this one is the portability. I'm in Ecuador at the moment, but am in an odd career field that involves a bit of being in flux. Last calendar year, 8 months in Quito, where I live, 1 in Guayaquil, two in Korea, and one in Chicago. A fairly typical year.
Best,
Ande

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Wow Ande :
Looks like a wonderful job , are your employers in need of a bilingual ( Spanish ) assistant LOL heh heh .

Just an after thought , have you ever played through a " Pignose " guitar amp ?

They have an assortment of larger powered x-tor amps besides this little original one that made huge waves and continues to find a home in many a guitarist's home studio . I have know some really talented musicians who have used these amps on stage with stellar results .

They are ( IMHO ) one of the best little amps around and quite reasonable and can be plugged into a P .A . that results in an amazing sound that most do not know they can produce .

There many 70's albums recorded in the biggest recoding studios in Los Angels that were absolutely great that used this particular model ( pic ) , and being that your on the go as your job requires fits right into your scenario . And consider this traveling risk , baggage handlers seem particularly bent on breaking guitars , amp & surfboards ................

"Good luck and wow - - south America - -what a guy like me could do there being able to speak directly to everyone ( Portuguese included ) on stage - wow your are a very lucky person .

Sincerely :

Hurricane Ramon

Thank you, Hurricane Ramon.

I mean that from the bottom of my heart. Sometimes the job, and the constant moving, gets to me with the stress and the normal things I haven't had for quite a while...

Thanks for remindiing me that it's also a great privilege. I have seen a lot, and I'm grateful.

I've been checking out sound samples of the little lanilei online, since I can't really get to try one, and am about to pull the trigger I think. It's not going to have the low end of a bigger amp (without a cab, anyway), but sounds like one of the best its size.

I also like the fact that the guy who makes'em, sells em, so it's a genuine small business and a real craftsman, I hope.

I'll let you all know how it goes.

Best,
Ande

I just want to say that I suspect this amp is a hybrid, just based on the fact that all that's there for tubes is a 12au7 and a 12ax7, and they're claiming 33W or 50W depending on model. (No way is a 12ax7 giving 33 or 50 W.) Probably what they're doing is using the two tubes as preamp stages (even though they say the 12ax7 is a "power" tube), and then sending the output from that stage to a "real" power stage that's transistor based. They allude to this a little bit when they say: "The little amp's final 12ax7 tube is actually operating as a power amp (a mere 1/4 watt). It is sent to a load resistor (or soak) then to the power stage." I have no problem with an amp design like this, but I do think it's disingenuous to call such a design "all-tube".

It may very well be a fantastic amp, I don't know, I've never used one and didn't even listen to the clips. Just giving a technical analysis here. The more you know....

TZ

Very true-

It's not all tube; runs two stages of tube, both tiny. Then has a built in power soak, before running into the power amp, which is solid state. As I understand it, the final stage is clean, adding no distortion or effects. Sort of like a (tiny) two stage tube amp, running into a "mini-pa."

Some are "tube only" purists, but this seems like a sound design to me. It sort of fits with wanting a fairly powerful amp, but that gets tube tone at low volumes.

As I understand it, 50 (or 33) watts of tube will have WAY too much headroom for my apartment. But on the other hand, a tube amp that fits in my apartment (fractional watt) would never drive anything loud enough to jam with friends.

I've played some 5 watt tube combos, and the Epi in this category is pretty sweet. But it's in a funny category- way too loud for an apartment. Not nearly loud enough to play with the gang. (One of the gang plays drums.)

If space, and travel, weren't an issue, I think I'd get a Killer Ant (1/4 all tube) for home, and something bigger for taking out. But...space and travel are big issues at this point. So the hybrid idea makes some sense and seems like a compromise that may work.

Some of the hybrids I've played are sort of dead feeling, though. One of the reasons I'm considering a pretty high end hybrid, for a small amp.

If you get the chance to listen to some clips, or even better if any of you guys happen to have a chance to play one of these a bit more than I have, I'd appreciate it.

I play pretty much everything from 70s rock to blues to metal. Ranging from slightly overdriven (almost clean) to...heavy. But a LOT of 70s rock- my sound is probably between grand funk railroad and ACDC most of the time. I wouldn't be counting on the amp to provide all the overdrive...anyone at all, let me know how you think it'd do!

And thanks,
ANde

Another thought- I hadn't heard this called "all tube." The manufacturer was very clear with me about what is it and how it works. I hope it sounds "tubey," in terms of overdrive, but an all tube amp really isn't going to meet my needs.

I wouldn't want to misrepresent it, though.

By the way, there is a 1/4 watt model with the same name (little lanilei) which is all tube. But I want more than 1/4 watt.

best,
Ande

Another thought- I hadn't heard this called "all tube." The manufacturer was very clear with me about what is it and how it works. I hope it sounds "tubey," in terms of overdrive, but an all tube amp really isn't going to meet my needs.
best,
Ande

I've got a little Vox VR15 that embarrasses Marshalls. It's a hybrid, and my favorite "grab 'n go" amp. Light, easy to carry, and runs with the big dogs.

I have a friend who will ONLY play all tube. And I have to say, he gets great tone. Probably has as much to do with the fact that he's a great player as anything else, but if it sounds good, who can complain? He's pretty well off, though, and has a house in the country in the UK. (More than a mile from the nearest neighbor.) So if he wants to turn it up, up it goes.

Seems like a hybrid gives some flexibility that all tube won't. Hopefully while still keeping some of the tone characteristics that makes folks want tubes...

Best,
Ande

Hybrid amps can be great (I've heard tons of good things about those Vox amps already mentioned), my comment was mostly driven by the statement I found on the FAQ page that "The Little Lanilei 3350LT is all tube." when it clearly is not. If in communicating with them directly they've been straightforward with you, then that's great, I just wish the webpage were more accurate.

I had a 1W Bumbox Lead 1 for a while that was an all-tube 1W amp and it sounded great, for what it did. I only really got rid of it because I decided I wasn't going for the Marshall sound any more. (I got a taste for the clean Fender sparkle, when I acquired a 1966 Princeton Reverb.)

TZ

DIdn't see that part, but you're right- it's not all tube at all, and I agree, they should say.

If I go for this, I'll let you know how tube it sounds, though!

Ande

(oops. DOuble post)

DIdn't see that part, but you're right- it's not all tube at all, and I agree, they should say.

If I go for this, I'll let you know how tube it sounds, though!

Ande

From your description it does sound like it's 100% tube. It has a tube based pre amp and a tube based power amp stage and the output is tiny but it is a complete amp and you could probably listen to it at quiet volumes. However, it then takes that output and feeds it into a complete solid state amp to boost the volume. This is no different than if you were playing a live gig and your awesome sounding tube amp was miked and fed through the club's solid state amplification. In both cases your tube amp would give the sound it's colour and warmth and the solid state amp would do nothing more than increase the volume.