REVV D20 MK2 - A Tube Amp for Real Life

Back Story

Hey, It's Nate Savage — and I have a confession: I haven’t owned a tube amp in almost four years.

As a guitarist who makes a living teaching and creating music, that’s a little strange to me. This is the story of how I almost gave up on tube amps entirely… and how I got pulled back into the light.

I’ve owned a lot of tube amps over the years — several Mesa F-30s, a couple Peavey Classic 30s, a Peavey 5150, a Marshall DSL50, and quite a few more before that. Tube amps have always been my favorite. There’s just nothing like them.

The last tube amp I owned was a Rivera Knucklehead I’d wanted for years — and it literally blew up. It was old, but still… heartbreaking. After that, I got tired of the constant repairs and tube replacements. That’s just the nature of tube amps, but I needed a break.

Full disclosure, we do have one tube amp in the house but it’s not mine: it's my wife’s Blues Jr. and I just had it re-tubed and repaired.

Since becoming a dad four years ago (and adding another little one in the last few months), my priorities have changed. Money I used to spend on amps, repairs, and tubes now goes to the kids. And honestly, I can’t even use a tube amp in a meaningful way right now. We live in a two-bedroom apartment with a 4-year-old and a 3-month-old — there’s no way to crank an amp to a usable level.

So I settled into using my Line 6 Catalyst for private lessons — lightweight, zero maintenance — but definitely not as fun. For recording, I’ve relied on my TONEX and HX Stomp.

This is where the REVV D20 MK2 comes in. I’ve had my eye on it for a long time for reasons I’ll explain. Derek at REVV was kind enough to reach out and send me one of the new MK2 models to check out. Thanks, Derek!

In this video and blog post, I want to share the four main reasons the D20 MK2 was so interesting to me — especially as a busy dad over 40.

Amp Features

1. It’s an Amazing Pedal Platform

The first reason the D20 MK2 intrigued me was because so many players said it was an incredible pedal platform. And since I’ve been on a pedal-buying tear for the last couple years — especially drive pedals — this was important.

Everything you hear in this video is a drive pedal into the D20 MK2, running directly into my Apollo Twin. Any effects you hear are from Helix Native or my HX Stomp.

Before this, my main tools were the HX Stomp and Tonex. They’ve been great for my workflow, for late-night recording, and for playing when the kids are asleep — but they’re not the same as plugging into a real tube amp.

So the question is… Is the D20 MK2 tube amp a great pedal platform? For me, it’s a strong yes.

It reminds me a bit of a Deluxe Reverb, but more versatile because you’re not tied to one specific speaker. More on that in a bit. It’s super easy to plug in, tweak your gain and EQ, and get something inspiring.

2. It’s Lightweight

The second reason I was drawn to the D20 MK2 is the weight.

I’ve had serious back problems in the past, and the older I get, the less I want to haul a 5150 half-stack like I used to. This thing is super light — just 15.5 pounds. It actually weighs less than my pedalboard.

For me, that’s huge. I can grab the amp, a gig bag, and my pedalboard and load into a gig in one trip without stressing my back.

I don’t even own a cab yet, but I’ll be picking one up soon — and this will be my main amp. But honestly… with the D20, you don’t even need one.

3. You Can Go Direct — With a Real Tube Amp

This is the biggest one for me.

The D20 lets you experience real tube feel while still recording silently or playing through headphones. I don’t care what anyone says — hitting a real tube amp feels different from using a modeler or profiler.

The magic happens through REVV’s internal load and built-in Two Notes reactive load and IR loader. It comes preloaded with six cabinet IRs, and you can load your own.

For someone in my situation — living in a small space with sleeping kids — this is a game changer. I get tube tone and feel without waking the house up.

Between the portability, the silent recording, and the flexibility, I’ve officially christened the D20 MK2 as: “The Ultimate Dad Amp.”

4. No More Option Paralysis

The fourth reason I love this amp: it helps me avoid option paralysis.

With TONEX and the HX Stomp, it’s easy to get sucked into endless scrolling — downloading new captures, trying new models, comparing A/B/C/D options. It’s a rabbit hole.

With the D20 MK2, the workflow is simple.

• Dial in the amp for the guitar you are using

• Pick the cab IR that fits

• Dial in your pedal tone

• Play

  
  

Sure, you can go wild loading IRs if you want — but you don’t need to. The stock ones can cover everything you need.

Modeling and captures are awesome — I’ll absolutely keep using them — but they’re not the same as the real thing.

Wrap-Up

I honestly didn’t think I’d be able to get back into tube amps until my kids were older and we were in a house where I could crank one. But REVV made it possible.

It can even be silent if I need it to be, which means I can literally have my daughter crawling on me while recording — and it’s fine.

The tech in this little amp is incredible. Ten years ago, something like this wouldn’t have even been on my radar. Innovation from companies like REVV and Two Notes is the reason I haven’t given up on tube amps.

Huge thanks to REVV, and thank you for watching and reading.

Drop a comment below and let me know your favorite modern tube amp.

Oh — and this video is sponsored by REVV.

Nate