klankaos Posted September 27, 2008 Share Posted September 27, 2008 I'm in the market for a new amp for my guitar. I need something that is usable onstage (as in, loud). I play hard rock bordering on metal, and unfortunately, I haven't the foggiest where to start when I'm amp shopping. I figured I'd start somewhere where people could give me a few clues as to what I'm looking for. So, any ideas? EDIT: After a couple hours of shopping, I'm at the moment checking out an Ibanez TB100R Tone Blaster 100W 2x12, but it's solid state and I've been hearing bad things about SS compared to all-tube amps. Any thoughts? Being immature is a part of being mature. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toxic388 Posted September 27, 2008 Share Posted September 27, 2008 I dont know how much your willing to spend but a halfstack is the way to go if you do gigs. Awesome sound quality for this amp. http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/prod ... sku=482807 ~Retired 10/17/07~"One of the great things about books is sometimes there are some fantastic pictures." - George W. Bush Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azvareth Posted September 27, 2008 Share Posted September 27, 2008 I dont know how much your willing to spend but a halfstack is the way to go if you do gigs. Awesome sound quality for this amp. http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/prod ... sku=482807 The MGs are the [cabbage]tiest Marshall amps, you do not want to buy one of those. Goodluck cranking that thing up at a gig and think you'll have a decent tone. Pre-teen guitar players snatch those things up so they can say they have a big bad Marshall amp; not caring how it sounds. Can't blame Marshall for making amps like this, but if you are serious about how your guitar sounds and not how large it is, I would recommend going for something with tubes instead of a transistor trying valiantly to sound like vacuum tubes. That said, there are of course good transistor amps like the Randall RG100ES, Randall Century 200, Randall RG100G3+, Randall Warhead 2 (not 1!!) etc. if you really want one. Kids don't seem to like the notion of having to take care and maintain the expensive things they buy, which is one of the differences between transistor and tube amps. Also, tone. It would probably help people more if they knew how much you're willing to spend, and what type of music you play. Also how big gigs are we talking? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lateralus Posted September 27, 2008 Share Posted September 27, 2008 I don't think you'll need a stack or half stack. If you go down the tube amp route, a 60 watt combo would be plenty loud. I haven't kept up with the amp market for a while, but you could look into getting an Ashdown Fallen Angel combo. It's all valve and it sounds amazing. I remember them being pretty cheap too. And yeah, avoid MGs at all costs. The only Marshalls I really like are JCM 800s. DSLs are alright too. La lune ne garde aucune rancune. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klankaos Posted September 27, 2008 Author Share Posted September 27, 2008 Realized I hadn't told my price range. Thanks guys =) I'm thinking a combo amp is probably in my range. I'm looking at about $600, but I've got no qualms about buying used amps. I do want a tube amp, not solid state, but if there are any spectacular ss amps out there for my price range, I'm interested. I'm not playing large gigs - school auditorium kind of things, and others that size or smaller. I play hard rock/metal. Being immature is a part of being mature. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azvareth Posted September 27, 2008 Share Posted September 27, 2008 Hmm, $600 is going to limit you to mostly entry level tube amp options as far as I can tell. You might find some sweet second hand deals though. You should see if you can find a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe on ebay or craigslist or something like that. It's really a fantastic amp. Handles hard rock great - for metal though, you'd probably need to use pedals. If I wasn't getting a DSL401 (two days to go!) this would probably be my second choice. To give you an idea what it sounds like: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klankaos Posted September 28, 2008 Author Share Posted September 28, 2008 The Hot Rod Deluxe sounds sexy as hell in that video =) I listened to some of the other demo videos on YouTube, and it seemed like most people use it to play bluesier music rather than hard rock. Even the salesman wasn't enthusiastic about the hard rock capabilities, and if I remember correctly, the video you gave me had to use pedals to get the metal sound he got out of it. It's certainly a good possibility, but I'm looking for something that can get a little crunchier, probably. EDIT: Another hour or so of searching later, and I've homed in on Line 6, specifically the Spider line. I like the looks of it. Here's the one I'm looking at right now: Line 6 Spider III 150 2x12 Combo. So far reading reviews I've seen a lot of great reviews and a few that didn't like it in an extreme way. It seems like there's no middle ground with this amp. It's looking good to me - this is going to be one of the ones I check out when I go into the music store in the next couple weeks. Being immature is a part of being mature. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rangeor Posted September 28, 2008 Share Posted September 28, 2008 EDIT: Another hour or so of searching later, and I've homed in on Line 6, specifically the Spider line. I like the looks of it. Here's the one I'm looking at right now: Line 6 Spider III 150 2x12 Combo. So far reading reviews I've seen a lot of great reviews and a few that didn't like it in an extreme way. It seems like there's no middle ground with this amp. It's looking good to me - this is going to be one of the ones I check out when I go into the music store in the next couple weeks. Yeah I have that amp but 75 watt, it sounds amazing. Much better than the marshalls i've played. I'm considering getting a gig amp, like you, except this one instead Line 6's give such amazing tones it's insane. I've had mine for about a year and i've never once thought of getting a distortion pedal. And eventually i'll probably upgrade to a valve instead of a spider. Those things look so tight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azvareth Posted September 28, 2008 Share Posted September 28, 2008 It's pretty much universally accepted that Spiders are terrible, terrible amps. Trust one who's played a Spider for the last 3 years. It was when I was forced to use it during a gig that I realised I had to buy a new one. Hell, you would probably be better off with an MG... Have you checked out the Peavey Valveking series? If you don't mind the half-second delay from using the awful footswitch I think it might possibly be your best bet as far as tube amps go. The one I have experience with is the Valveking 112, which is pimarily a metal amp and can probably pull off some decent hard rock tones. At least try one out. A lot of people don't like the VK series because the speakers aren't exactly top notch (among other things), but like I said: $600 really limits your options. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klankaos Posted October 1, 2008 Author Share Posted October 1, 2008 I wouldn't say universally. The Spiders have INTENSELY polarized opinions around them. Many people are absolutely in love with them, and then there are a few who hate them with a burning passion. Like, in the most extreme senses of the words. I'm going to have to try one out when I get into the music shop next... see for myself. I'll also take a look at the VKs, I've heard good things about them too. Being immature is a part of being mature. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Range_This11 Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 Spider III Cab Spider III Head This is the set up the guitarist in my metal band uses. It sounds absolutely amazing live and in studio. "He could climb to it, if he climbed alone, and once there he could suck on the pap of life, gulp down the incomparable milk of wonder." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ragen Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 I wouldn't say universally. The Spiders have INTENSELY polarized opinions around them. Many people are absolutely in love with them, and then there are a few who hate them with a burning passion. Like, in the most extreme senses of the words. I'm going to have to try one out when I get into the music shop next... see for myself. I'll also take a look at the VKs, I've heard good things about them too. I play a spider III. So does the rhythm guitarist out of my band. I agree that they can seriously sound terrible, especially if you're unexperienced with EQ'ing amps. There are better amps out there for the money but I don't think there are any as versatile with the effects (even though they are pretty poor, they get the job done). If you need an amp for a gig, save up a bit more and buy something worth keeping. If you get a Spider III you'll want to change it within a year or 2. I know I want to change mine. Thanks Venomai for this super sig and Kwimbob for the awesome avatar! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil_Sabre Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 Get a stack instead. You can buy cabs and heads pretty cheap used. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klankaos Posted October 2, 2008 Author Share Posted October 2, 2008 Thing is, I don't need a stack. A combo will do perfectly fine for what I need to do and can see myself needing to do for the next few years. Especially if it's a 120W 2x12. I think that can handle my playing fine, so I'm out to get best value for my money in that range. Being immature is a part of being mature. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azvareth Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 Yeah you don't need a stack unless you'll be playing large venues. As for the Spiders, I've heard that Spider Valves aren't half-bad - quite versatile tube amps. They aren't really within your price range though. I agree with what was said earlier in the thread though, unless you're in desperate need of a new amp right now, I would save up a few more $100s. Otherwise you'll most likely be wanting a new amp in a year or two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klankaos Posted October 4, 2008 Author Share Posted October 4, 2008 Okayy... say I've got $900. What can I get in that range that'll do what I want it to do, and do it well? Being immature is a part of being mature. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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