New amp ordered!!!!! Supro Delta King 10.

[peskypesky1]

So, I have been wanting/needing a low-wattage tube amp for a while. My Peavey Classic 30 is just way too powerful for someone who does 99% of his playing in the bedroom.
And although I love my Fender Mustang LT50....it ain't a tube amp.

So shopping around online, I found a used Supro Delta King in a Guitar Center about 40 minutes away, and they are asking $399. So I drove out to try it.


5watts. Master volume. Reverb. Built-in overdrive.
I loved the sound! And the small size. BUT the master volume was wonky. Pot probably needs to be replaced. So I decided not to buy it and search for another.

I found a new one, open box, for $389...not one of the prettier models, but I can live with it. I'm mostly interested in the sound.

[toomanycats]

Several years ago when I was looking for a low watt tube amp for gigs I played the Supro Delta King at several music stores. Despite the fact that I loved its retro aesthetics, I found it to be tonally stiff and sterile.

I also spent some time playing though the more rare and spendy Supro Black Magick. This amp absolutely kills if you're playing a Tele and want to achieve that Led Zep I and II tone.

I readily admit that my opinion is purely subjective and that I personally prefer the voice of a Les Paul with PAFs plugged straight into a Bassman/JTM type amp. But that's just me. Knowing that you're an extremely competent guitar player who tends to favor Strats, who has a strong SRV influence no doubt influenced by your Texas roots, and that you likely utilize a more sophisticated pedal chain in front of the amp than myself, I have total confidence that you can make the Delta King work for you.

[dabbler]

This is a very interesting thread!

Allow me to add a personal on observation.

In the interest of full disclosure, I play mostly bass these days, am totally amateur, probably have the least chops of anyone on this forum, and am hardly an amp connoisseur.

I have learned that when it comes to music, EVERYTHING matters. And EVERY tone has its place. I have seen players take equipment that I did not appreciate and make absolutely fantastic music. The instrument matters, musical genre matters, yes fingers (technique) matters, how the guitar interacts with the amp matters, how the amp controls are set matters and don't get me started on pedals!

Music, by its nature, is a very subjective art form and what it takes to make what someone considers "good" music varies by individual. And let me add one more thing, the audience matters! I am soo glad that of all the forums I have been on THIS one has stopped complaining about disco. ALL MUSIC has its place and EVERY TONE has its place... and how you get to something considered "good" has an unlimited amount of paths.

I, for one love learning as many of the paths to things folks like as I can. I guess that's part of the researcher in me. And I'll be learning til the day I die. It's a wonderful journey!

[peskypesky1]

and that you likely utilize a more sophisticated pedal chain in front of the amp than myself, I have total confidence that you can make the Delta King work for you.

Actually I'm not a pedal guy. I like gettting overdrive/distortion from the amp itself (so I get amps with a master volume) and I prefer in-amp reverb so I don't have to use a reverb pedal.

That's pretty much all I need. I do sometimes like using a delay, and every once in a long while, a wah.

[peskypesky1]

this rockabilly player shows how nice the amp sounds:

[tlarson58]

What a great video! Great playing and a super review. You bought a good one, for sure.