Need a new Guitar amp: recommend one to me

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Kenazo

Lifer
Sep 15, 2000
10,429
1
81

The Line6 amps look quite affordable for what you get. Are they any good? I play electric guitar pretty exclusively, but wouldn't mind a good clean sound for the future when I hope to get an accoustic. Also I don't have any sort of effects pedals, but play with distortion quite a bit, so it needs to sound good for that too.

Any suggestions?
 
D

davestar

Golden Member
Oct 21, 2001
1,787
0
0
looking for an amp or a combo? what style do you play?

i've got a Peavey XXL ($300 used) for metal/rock and a '76 Twin Reverb ($250 used) for blues. you'll probably never find a twin at that price, but i highly recommend the XXL
 
nakedfrog

nakedfrog

No Lifer
Apr 3, 2001
62,468
18,495
136
Originally posted by: JasonSix78
This is what I have. I've had it for 3 years now and it's a great little amp. Sounds great with my Strat and my electric-acoustic.

-Jason
Click to expand...

I've got a couple of those...
Pic
One is 12W, the other is the 25/50W Silver Jubilee edition. Paid $500 used for the pair.
 
R

Rudee

Lifer
Apr 23, 2000
11,218
2
76
I play with halfstack and peavy head, however, I have jammed on the Line 6 Spider 212 and found it to be an incredible amp for the money. If I was to get a combo amp I would definitely look into the Spider II or Flextone III series.
 
K

Kenazo

Lifer
Sep 15, 2000
10,429
1
81
OK, to clarify my situation. My current gear: Godin SD running into a Fender Frontman 25R (little practice amp). I'm looking for a combo amp, I'm thinking, though that tiny Marshall stack that someone mentioned looked like an interesting idea. Hadn't thought of that, though I think it'd be a little annoying to tote around vs a combo amp.

As for sound, not sure yet what I want in distortion, or rather not sure who would have a comparable sound.

Here's the ones I'm tempted to test at the music store next time I'm there:

Fender FM212 $299
Behringer GMX212 $259
Line6 Spider II 210 $399
Line6 Spider II 112 $299
 

You should read some reviews at HarmonyCentral first:

http://www.harmony-central.com/Guitar/Data/#man

I really am not big on Behringer or Line6. The Fender is a 100W. Do you really need something that loud?

If I were looking for an amp these days I would consider:

Vox AD30VT
Fender Blues Junior
Roland Cube 30
Epihone Valve Junior

Don't worry so much about distortion. You want an amp with good natural disto but really ain't getting that with a solid state amp. If you are doing really high gain stuff you may want to consider some pedals or one of the Mesa Boogie amps (they're really expensive though). If you are doing just overdrive and light gain some of the modeling amps like the Roland Cube and the Vox Valvetronix might work for you.
 
K

Kenazo

Lifer
Sep 15, 2000
10,429
1
81
Most of the playing I do is in a church that seats 300+, and we currently don't have the equipment to mic the amps, so I need something with some power. Probably a 10w amp won't cut it. I'm usually playing lead, so I need enough power to be heard over the drums, rhythm guitar, etc.

I've been playing through a friend's 2x12 Peavy tube amp. not sure what the power is on it, but it sounds sweet, I just can't justify spending $1000+ on such an amp for myself.
 
S

Slvrtg277

Golden Member
Sep 9, 2004
1,004
0
0
I use a Line6 Flextone II XL and I like it a lot. But you probably don't need something that loud for church music.
 
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whattaguy

Senior member
Jun 3, 2004
941
0
76
Get this

with this

and you'll have a sweet sound for about $500.

You'll have the sweet Fender clean and/or crank the volume up to saturate the tubes for down and dirty.

A very versatile amp and an awesome guitar amp mic.
 
K

Kenazo

Lifer
Sep 15, 2000
10,429
1
81
Originally posted by: Slvrtg277
I use a Line6 Flextone II XL and I like it a lot. But you probably don't need something that loud for church music.
Click to expand...

it's mostly during the week for the church's youth group. My wife and I are two of the leaders. Trust me, w/ those kids the louder the better it seems. :) Fine with me, playing loud and distorted is far easier.
 
Fritzo

Fritzo

Lifer
Jan 3, 2001
41,920
2,161
126
Originally posted by: dwell
Originally posted by: Fritzo
I played with this one over the weekend. I liked it so much I think I'm going to buy it.
Click to expand...

I hear nothing but good things about those amps. I might get the 30W myself.
Click to expand...

I had a 68 Vox tube amp I used for 15 years (before a spilled beer and an electrical fire brought an end to it). It's not the old Vox I used to know, but it had everything I want in an amp.

The Line6 stuff is nice too. Marshall has that new Microstack that's making me drool---DAMN IT! STOP MAKING COOL STUFF!!! I ONLY MAKE SO MUCH MONEY A YEAR!!!! :|
 
T

TechBoyJK

Lifer
Oct 17, 2002
16,699
60
91
i have the line 6 Spider 2x10 series I, and it is wonderful. It has a nice array of sounds and works well with the footswitch. I use it more for recording than anything. I run a cable from the headphones jack straight in to the Line in on my audigy. Great Quality, hands down.

I recommend it.
 
K

Kenazo

Lifer
Sep 15, 2000
10,429
1
81
So, about these Marshall microstacks. Would something like that put out enough power to play in a 300seat church w/o micing it? I usually play w/ distortion, do some fills etc and don't have a seperate distortion pedal, so I'd be relying on the amp to do it all for me.

Originally posted by: nakedfrog
Originally posted by: JasonSix78
This is what I have. I've had it for 3 years now and it's a great little amp. Sounds great with my Strat and my electric-acoustic.

-Jason
Click to expand...

I've got a couple of those...
Pic
One is 12W, the other is the 25/50W Silver Jubilee edition. Paid $500 used for the pair.
Click to expand...

 
Fritzo

Fritzo

Lifer
Jan 3, 2001
41,920
2,161
126
Originally posted by: Kenazo
So, about these Marshall microstacks. Would something like that put out enough power to play in a 300seat church w/o micing it? I usually play w/ distortion, do some fills etc and don't have a seperate distortion pedal, so I'd be relying on the amp to do it all for me.

Originally posted by: nakedfrog
Originally posted by: JasonSix78
This is what I have. I've had it for 3 years now and it's a great little amp. Sounds great with my Strat and my electric-acoustic.

-Jason
Click to expand...

I've got a couple of those...
Pic
One is 12W, the other is the 25/50W Silver Jubilee edition. Paid $500 used for the pair.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

I think so. Sould work fine.
 
JDub02

JDub02

Diamond Member
Sep 27, 2002
6,209
1
0
in a few weeks, i get my hands on an old Fender Bassman.

looking forward to that.

that Marshall microstack is looking pretty sweet. i think i'm going to see what kind of a deal i can get on one from guitar center .. i can usually manage to get prices a little over cost.
 
M

Mr N8

Diamond Member
Dec 3, 2001
8,793
0
76
I love this Ibanez 100W amp.

I don't own it, but I have played on it at the shop where I'm taking lessons. You can't even turn the volume up at all in the store, or you will blow people away.
 
K

Kenazo

Lifer
Sep 15, 2000
10,429
1
81
Still haven't found what I'm looking for. Any new suggestions? We just bought a house so I think I'll have to pull my budget down a little.
 
M

Mears

Platinum Member
Mar 9, 2000
2,095
1
81
I'm slightly partial, but I would go for a used Music Man hybrid. Check out
www.musicmanamps.com for model information. Leo Fender helped found this company in between Fender and G&L. You can be sure that it won't ever go down and in value and the current prices are in your budget.
 
K

Kenazo

Lifer
Sep 15, 2000
10,429
1
81
After doing some shopping I think I've narrowed it down to either:

Marshall MG100DFX Combo which is about $550cdn

or:
Line6 Spider II 210 combo which is about $540cdn

The other option I suppose I have, though it's substantially more money is my friend wants to sell me his Peavy Classic 50-212. The unfortunate thing is it's around $700 cdn, but it is a sweet sounding tube amp instead of a solidstate like those other two. I've played all three, and all three sound great.

The Marshall has an emulated line out, which might be quite important for me, since I do most of my playing in a church, this would allow me to skip the mic and plug right into the sound system.

Any more advice?
 
S

SouthPaW1227

Golden Member
Aug 4, 2004
1,863
0
0
Get a Line6 Spider or Vetta and get a Floorboard to control the built-in POD features. Best value hands down.

If you've got cash to spend, you can't beat a Mesa.
 
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