If you're into metal music, look for a used Peavey Ultra. It's a 3 channel amp and has some serious over-the-top gain.

A couple of questions first...

1). What are you going to use it for? (bedroom, venues, etc)
2). What "style" are you going for in tone speak.
3). Why does it have to be tube?

I'm sure you have reasons but, you really need to be a bit more specific than "what 500 amp is good". I wouldn't recommend a Roland for a metal guy nor would I recommend a Peavey 5150 for a Jazz guy. (well actually I wouldn't recommend a 5150 to anyone but that's just me).

i would highly recomend a fender hot rod deluxe, or if you are feeling zesty, a fender deville..... both will give you clean tone that is out of this world, both accept pedals well, the deluxe is good enough for small to medium gigs and the deville is ready to do large gigs, but has a drawback in the form of not being able to put the volume knob up very high in your home.... it is frikkin loud. i have never used the peavey amp that dcunning30 recomends, but there are quite a few people on here raving about it, i would definately try that one too, as soon as i can i am going to try one.

are you talking about the new 5150 or the peavy one....... i personally think the new 5150 by fender is one of the best sounding amps i have ever heard, i am getting rid of my mesa dual rectifier for the half stack.... i fell in love with that thing the first time i played it. whereas the peavy 5150 sounds like tottal dogpoo to me.....

The Peavey 5150... I used one in a back line once (for about 10 minutes during sound check). What a piece of junk. In my opinion of course.


While the hot rod series is okay.. Again they are LOUD amps. Playing in the bedroom anything over about 5 watts is overkill.