Advice on buying a new guitar amp! - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Motorbreath · 06-21-2003, 08:08 PM

hey

i can spend (roughly) $500 - $700 cnd on a new amp, and i've been looking at marshalls, mainly because... it's a marshall. the AVT50 combo is in my price range, but i havent really looked at any other amps. what kinda amp would you guys or gals recomend?

gibber71 · 06-21-2003, 08:58 PM

Whatever sounds good to you,I'd say. I'm running a '71 Les Paul Deluxe through a Fender Blues Deville 60 watt 4 10' combo and it just rips.Wouldn't trade for a Marshall anyday.Find what works for you.

Incidentally,I bought my combo amp with a flight case included for $650 Cdn.from some kid who wanted to play,then needed the money fast and had to sell.He paid $1800 six months before.You don't need to get brand new stuff if you can get a good deal. Sometimes some gear gets better with age. Always look to see who's selling.Could get a deal like me.

This may help;http://www.musiciansnews.com/

dunkelhelmut · 06-23-2003, 10:05 PM

It depends on what you play

For straight-out rock or blues, you can't beat a Fender amp.

For metal, take a Marshall, Peavey, or Mesa Boogie.

If you play a lot of stuff, then go with the Fender + a good metal pedal for those moments that you just need to rip out a little metal.

Motorbreath · 06-23-2003, 10:48 PM

cool thanks guys

i play mostly metal to punk. but dont think you wont catch me playing some rush, zepplin, or BB king!

i just got a job and im thinking of saving up for a marshall JCM800 with a 2x12 cab.

i'll be saving for a while, $1999 for a JCM800 here, without the cab too!

merkerguitars · 06-23-2003, 10:55 PM

I hate marshall's. Mainly because the construction is wasn't they used to be. I have a small 30 watt marshall combo. It's supposedly all tube but their are transistors in it

. And the channel selector pedal is not roadworthy at all. The best, I think is a Mesa-Boogie. Built like a tank and sounds wonderful.

Motorbreath · 06-24-2003, 12:07 AM

mesas are really nice amps, but i dont have the $$$ for one. id get a dual recto if i had the money.

Motorbreath · 06-24-2003, 12:11 AM

also, $2000 for a single recto, when a JCM800 is the same price?

DarkCongo · 06-24-2003, 06:24 AM

you can get a JCM800 for a lot cheaper used($600-$1,000), just look on ebay or in classified ads. Also, the AVTs aren't all-tube, they just have a tube preamp, so you might not get the classic marshall tube amp sound you're looking for.

OMFUG · 06-24-2003, 12:15 PM

Dude, MESA BOOGIE. save if you have too. Sell your Grandma if you have to. Whatever. If you ABSOLUTELY have to have one now, then grab a marshall.... but I'm tellin ya, the Boogie kills. I personally own a Marshall but envy all who own Boogies. And yes, I'm saving for one

NuKE · 06-24-2003, 12:51 PM

i love my crate amp, great for punk.

modest · 06-24-2003, 01:54 PM

Sup,
I play through a peavy 5150 half stack that im actually trying to get rid of. its a little too much to handle since im not as dedicated as i used to be, plus the fact that its huge. Dont get caught up with names or the way things look its all about sound.

modest · 06-24-2003, 01:55 PM

Sup,
I play through a peavy 5150 half stack that im actually trying to get rid of. its a little too much to handle since im not as dedicated as i used to be, plus the fact that its huge. Dont get caught up with names or the way things look its all about sound.

viva AT THE DRIVE-IN

Fly · 06-25-2003, 03:26 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by merkerguitars
I hate marshall's. Mainly because the construction is wasn't they used to be. I have a small 30 watt marshall combo. It's supposedly all tube but their are transistors in it . And the channel selector pedal is not roadworthy at all. The best, I think is a Mesa-Boogie. Built like a tank and sounds wonderful.

my brother in law has one of these monsters sittin' in my basement right now.

abso-fucking-lutely amazing sound outta this.

4 ten inch speaks in it and it is LOUD

ElwoodBlues · 06-25-2003, 07:38 AM

I wish I had the cash for a Boogie. I'd get myself an old Mark IIC+.....mmmm.....But since my funds are significantly lower than that, I have a crate 2x12, I'm pretty happy with it. GFX212T is the model. I get pretty good tone out of it thru my MusicMan JP

OMFUG · 06-25-2003, 09:50 AM

While modest's statement is noble, unfortunatly in the area of amps it's more often the case that you get what you pay for. But your price range should get you a decent amp... as for crate, I had one, hated it, and everyone I knew that had one major problems with it. But they seem to be more respectable now, so you might be ok. Make sure you take YOUR guitar if you go somewhere to test one tho-- you'll never get a good idea of what an amp can do for you otherwise. And don't jsut grab a guitar that's the same model as yours in the store... everyone sets up guitars differently, so it's liekly to sound different even then.

-the 'FUG

Motorbreath · 06-25-2003, 02:04 PM

has anyone here tried the single recto? if i can get enough money together, i'll consider getting one of those.

the AVT line of marshall is a hybrid amp (tubes and transistors)

i dont need anything extremely loud (ie. the marshall mode four or the randall warhead).

right now im looking at Traynor and peavey amps. traynor makes a good priced tube amp, but im not sure if its good for heavier music. anyone try this amp before?

later

modest · 06-25-2003, 03:49 PM

i played through a triple recto a couple of times....i have to say Mesa Boogies are fuckin sweet...i would go with a single recto...or maybe a dual..the triple is way too much unless your playing arenas and shit. A friend of mine played through a crate and he hated it. I think he uses a marshall now.

no info for you on the trayno...
Have you ever considered Line 6?....pricey but worth it i think ....
i would go with a single mesa half stack.... plus you can get the mesa head and buy a different cabinet that sounds just as good as a Boogie cab...actually the single recto and generic cab is my current plan...just as long as the cab has decent speakers....its the tubes that count... and of course the guitar.

later

Motorbreath · 06-25-2003, 04:18 PM

i've looked at line 6, but i wont use all the extra stuff on it, i want something really simple. i dont like having so many knobs to play around with.

if i can get $2000ish together, i'll get the single recto. i dont gig much, so i'll just be playing in my room. im thinking of buying a generic 2x12 cab instead of a 4x12.

are there any mesas under $1000? they seem really expensive. a guy who works with me owns a traynor tube amp, and he says it smokes a marshall AVT.

see ya

ElwoodBlues · 06-25-2003, 07:04 PM

Dude, if you can get $2000 together, get a used Boogie Mark IIC+. Absolutely incredible tone

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...category=43374

thats a particularly pricey example of one, usually they sell for a good bit less in my experience. They show up periodically on Ebay, well worth the money

Motorbreath · 06-26-2003, 08:20 AM

i think that is $2000us, im in canada. i think metallica used those amps for their first few albums before they sucked.

i think i'm going to save for a mesa single recto or a JCM800. ahh decisions...

gibingus · 06-26-2003, 08:31 AM

Marshall's are great because they are clean and powerful, but you need to use effects pedals to get any sounds. I used to gig with a half stack and tried both solid state and tube heads, but got my distortion from either a rat pedal or a tube screamer. Marshalls have no real presence or reverb to them, they sound pretty flat by themselves.

I now think that big amps are for kids with penis issues. I got damn tired of lugging mine around, all you need is something for a stage monitor and practice, generally you're running through the board at a gig anyway. I switched to a Fender Twin Reverb... which had a very, very cool sound. I'm now playing a Fender 60 watt tube combo with a single 12 in it. It's all you need to get over the sound of the drum kit.

I have a Korg modelling unit that I'll plug in when I want to sound freaky, but generally, I just use what the amp can give me. Back when I used to play in a lot of straight up cover bands, I tried hard to match the sounds of the original songs, but now I am more into finding my own sound.

If you are looking for some sonic versatility, the modeling amps by Line 6 are really, really good. Fender also has some pretty decent ones (Cyber Twin, etc). Modeling amps can get steep though, and there are plenty of good multi-effects units out there by Boss, Korg, DigiTech, that run only a couple hundred bucks and will keep you busy.

mike21 · 06-26-2003, 08:48 AM

marshalls are great. i love them but they're expensive. i have a crate gfx1200 halfstack. it is cheap and sounds good. i like it. it is a very small half stack though. you i got mine for like 600. i would recommend it any day

modest · 06-26-2003, 08:58 AM

i agree with gibingus's statement about the power of things and the fact that if you're just doing small venues/gigs you dont need a half stack, a combo would suffice. The fender twin reverb is a good amp, especially for the money you want to spend and for the uses you want to apply. I would also second the idea of a Line 6 amp. yeah you'll have a shit load of knobs to tinker with the amp is more versatile.
Line 6

soopafreek · 06-27-2003, 07:04 AM

best advice i ever got was to go to the music store and find a guitar and/or setup like you have already and then plug into different amps and listen. the one that sounds best to you is the one you should buy....

but i'm with these guys on the mesa.... i'd get a triple rectifier if i could afford one. or two.

i've heard great things about the line6 spider and vetta.

and personally, i use a roland jc-120 to play everything from metal to jazz, to funk, to reggae, to experimental. i never thought i would like it for metal, but it does it.

**** oh, and if you want to see what other people think about music gear, check <a href="http://www.harmonycentral.com">harmony central</a> ****

gibingus · 06-27-2003, 11:06 AM

one of the good things about the line 6 is that you get the mesa boogie sound without the mesa price, and 32 other modeled amps to boot. someone with less tinitus might be able to tell the difference, but to my worn out ears it's pretty darn good.

forseti-6 · 06-27-2003, 06:39 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by gibber71
[B]Whatever sounds good to you,I'd say. I'm running a '71 Les Paul Deluxe through a Fender Blues Deville 60 watt 4 10' combo and it just rips.Wouldn't trade for a Marshall anyday.Find what works for you.

If you're into combo amps you might want to try out a Blues Deville, but I honestly prefer the Hot Rod Deville. It's the same amp as the Blues Deville except it has a pretty good drive channel. If you like the tweed though, go with the blues.

Motorbreath · 06-27-2003, 07:08 PM

i tried a single recto today, and man, i was blown away! i saw some peavey tube amps, but i didnt try them out yet..

Motorbreath · 06-29-2003, 01:47 PM

OK! made up my mind, im getting a LINE 6 FLEXTONE DUO!!! 100 watts, amp models, effects, its a killer amp!

only $500 too!

thanks for your replies guys!

06-21-2003, 08:08 PM	#1 (permalink)
Motorbreath Upright	Advice on buying a new guitar amp! hey i can spend (roughly) $500 - $700 cnd on a new amp, and i've been looking at marshalls, mainly because... it's a marshall. the AVT50 combo is in my price range, but i havent really looked at any other amps. what kinda amp would you guys or gals recomend?

06-21-2003, 08:58 PM	#2 (permalink)
gibber71 Loser	Whatever sounds good to you,I'd say. I'm running a '71 Les Paul Deluxe through a Fender Blues Deville 60 watt 4 10' combo and it just rips.Wouldn't trade for a Marshall anyday.Find what works for you. Incidentally,I bought my combo amp with a flight case included for $650 Cdn.from some kid who wanted to play,then needed the money fast and had to sell.He paid $1800 six months before.You don't need to get brand new stuff if you can get a good deal. Sometimes some gear gets better with age. Always look to see who's selling.Could get a deal like me. This may help;http://www.musiciansnews.com/ Last edited by gibber71; 06-23-2003 at 03:55 PM..

06-23-2003, 10:55 PM	#5 (permalink)
merkerguitars Buffering......... Location: Wisconsin...	I hate marshall's. Mainly because the construction is wasn't they used to be. I have a small 30 watt marshall combo. It's supposedly all tube but their are transistors in it . And the channel selector pedal is not roadworthy at all. The best, I think is a Mesa-Boogie. Built like a tank and sounds wonderful. __________________ Donate now! Ask me How! Please use the search function it is your friend. Look at my mustang please feel free to comment! http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/showthread.php?t=26985

06-24-2003, 12:15 PM	#9 (permalink)
OMFUG Insane Location: Philly	Dude, MESA BOOGIE. save if you have too. Sell your Grandma if you have to. Whatever. If you ABSOLUTELY have to have one now, then grab a marshall.... but I'm tellin ya, the Boogie kills. I personally own a Marshall but envy all who own Boogies. And yes, I'm saving for one __________________ This space intentionally left blank.

06-25-2003, 07:38 AM	#14 (permalink)
ElwoodBlues Psycho Location: Massachusetts	I wish I had the cash for a Boogie. I'd get myself an old Mark IIC+.....mmmm.....But since my funds are significantly lower than that, I have a crate 2x12, I'm pretty happy with it. GFX212T is the model. I get pretty good tone out of it thru my MusicMan JP __________________ I think Pringles initial intention was to make tennis balls. But on the day that the rubber was supposed to show up, a big truckload of potatoes arrived. But Pringles is a laid back company. They said "Fuck it. Cut em up." -Mitch Hedberg, '68-'05 Bauer's the man.

06-23-2003, 10:05 PM	#3 (permalink)
dunkelhelmut Insane	It depends on what you play For straight-out rock or blues, you can't beat a Fender amp. For metal, take a Marshall, Peavey, or Mesa Boogie. If you play a lot of stuff, then go with the Fender + a good metal pedal for those moments that you just need to rip out a little metal.

06-23-2003, 10:48 PM	#4 (permalink)
Motorbreath Upright	cool thanks guys i play mostly metal to punk. but dont think you wont catch me playing some rush, zepplin, or BB king! i just got a job and im thinking of saving up for a marshall JCM800 with a 2x12 cab. i'll be saving for a while, $1999 for a JCM800 here, without the cab too!

06-24-2003, 12:07 AM	#6 (permalink)
Motorbreath Upright	mesas are really nice amps, but i dont have the $$$ for one. id get a dual recto if i had the money.

06-24-2003, 12:11 AM	#7 (permalink)
Motorbreath Upright	also, $2000 for a single recto, when a JCM800 is the same price?

06-24-2003, 06:24 AM	#8 (permalink)
DarkCongo Upright	you can get a JCM800 for a lot cheaper used($600-$1,000), just look on ebay or in classified ads. Also, the AVTs aren't all-tube, they just have a tube preamp, so you might not get the classic marshall tube amp sound you're looking for.

06-24-2003, 12:51 PM	#10 (permalink)
NuKE Upright	i love my crate amp, great for punk.

06-24-2003, 01:54 PM	#11 (permalink)
modest Upright	Sup, I play through a peavy 5150 half stack that im actually trying to get rid of. its a little too much to handle since im not as dedicated as i used to be, plus the fact that its huge. Dont get caught up with names or the way things look its all about sound.

06-24-2003, 01:55 PM	#12 (permalink)
modest Upright	Sup, I play through a peavy 5150 half stack that im actually trying to get rid of. its a little too much to handle since im not as dedicated as i used to be, plus the fact that its huge. Dont get caught up with names or the way things look its all about sound. viva AT THE DRIVE-IN

06-25-2003, 09:50 AM	#15 (permalink)
OMFUG Insane Location: Philly	While modest's statement is noble, unfortunatly in the area of amps it's more often the case that you get what you pay for. But your price range should get you a decent amp... as for crate, I had one, hated it, and everyone I knew that had one major problems with it. But they seem to be more respectable now, so you might be ok. Make sure you take YOUR guitar if you go somewhere to test one tho-- you'll never get a good idea of what an amp can do for you otherwise. And don't jsut grab a guitar that's the same model as yours in the store... everyone sets up guitars differently, so it's liekly to sound different even then. -the 'FUG __________________ This space intentionally left blank.

06-25-2003, 02:04 PM	#16 (permalink)
Motorbreath Upright	has anyone here tried the single recto? if i can get enough money together, i'll consider getting one of those. the AVT line of marshall is a hybrid amp (tubes and transistors) i dont need anything extremely loud (ie. the marshall mode four or the randall warhead). right now im looking at Traynor and peavey amps. traynor makes a good priced tube amp, but im not sure if its good for heavier music. anyone try this amp before? later

06-25-2003, 03:49 PM	#17 (permalink)
modest Upright	i played through a triple recto a couple of times....i have to say Mesa Boogies are fuckin sweet...i would go with a single recto...or maybe a dual..the triple is way too much unless your playing arenas and shit. A friend of mine played through a crate and he hated it. I think he uses a marshall now. no info for you on the trayno... Have you ever considered Line 6?....pricey but worth it i think .... i would go with a single mesa half stack.... plus you can get the mesa head and buy a different cabinet that sounds just as good as a Boogie cab...actually the single recto and generic cab is my current plan...just as long as the cab has decent speakers....its the tubes that count... and of course the guitar. later

06-25-2003, 04:18 PM	#18 (permalink)
Motorbreath Upright	i've looked at line 6, but i wont use all the extra stuff on it, i want something really simple. i dont like having so many knobs to play around with. if i can get $2000ish together, i'll get the single recto. i dont gig much, so i'll just be playing in my room. im thinking of buying a generic 2x12 cab instead of a 4x12. are there any mesas under $1000? they seem really expensive. a guy who works with me owns a traynor tube amp, and he says it smokes a marshall AVT. see ya

06-25-2003, 07:04 PM	#19 (permalink)
ElwoodBlues Psycho Location: Massachusetts	Dude, if you can get $2000 together, get a used Boogie Mark IIC+. Absolutely incredible tone http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...category=43374 thats a particularly pricey example of one, usually they sell for a good bit less in my experience. They show up periodically on Ebay, well worth the money __________________ I think Pringles initial intention was to make tennis balls. But on the day that the rubber was supposed to show up, a big truckload of potatoes arrived. But Pringles is a laid back company. They said "Fuck it. Cut em up." -Mitch Hedberg, '68-'05 Bauer's the man. Last edited by elwoodblues43; 06-25-2003 at 07:09 PM..

06-26-2003, 08:20 AM	#20 (permalink)
Motorbreath Upright	i think that is $2000us, im in canada. i think metallica used those amps for their first few albums before they sucked. i think i'm going to save for a mesa single recto or a JCM800. ahh decisions...

06-26-2003, 08:31 AM	#21 (permalink)
gibingus Insane Location: 38° 51' N 77° 2' W	Marshall's are great because they are clean and powerful, but you need to use effects pedals to get any sounds. I used to gig with a half stack and tried both solid state and tube heads, but got my distortion from either a rat pedal or a tube screamer. Marshalls have no real presence or reverb to them, they sound pretty flat by themselves. I now think that big amps are for kids with penis issues. I got damn tired of lugging mine around, all you need is something for a stage monitor and practice, generally you're running through the board at a gig anyway. I switched to a Fender Twin Reverb... which had a very, very cool sound. I'm now playing a Fender 60 watt tube combo with a single 12 in it. It's all you need to get over the sound of the drum kit. I have a Korg modelling unit that I'll plug in when I want to sound freaky, but generally, I just use what the amp can give me. Back when I used to play in a lot of straight up cover bands, I tried hard to match the sounds of the original songs, but now I am more into finding my own sound. If you are looking for some sonic versatility, the modeling amps by Line 6 are really, really good. Fender also has some pretty decent ones (Cyber Twin, etc). Modeling amps can get steep though, and there are plenty of good multi-effects units out there by Boss, Korg, DigiTech, that run only a couple hundred bucks and will keep you busy. __________________ if everyone is thinking alike, chances are no one is thinking.

06-26-2003, 08:48 AM	#22 (permalink)
mike21 Upright	marshalls are great. i love them but they're expensive. i have a crate gfx1200 halfstack. it is cheap and sounds good. i like it. it is a very small half stack though. you i got mine for like 600. i would recommend it any day

06-26-2003, 08:58 AM	#23 (permalink)
modest Upright	i agree with gibingus's statement about the power of things and the fact that if you're just doing small venues/gigs you dont need a half stack, a combo would suffice. The fender twin reverb is a good amp, especially for the money you want to spend and for the uses you want to apply. I would also second the idea of a Line 6 amp. yeah you'll have a shit load of knobs to tinker with the amp is more versatile. Line 6

06-27-2003, 07:04 AM	#24 (permalink)
soopafreek Psycho Location: ask your mom	best advice i ever got was to go to the music store and find a guitar and/or setup like you have already and then plug into different amps and listen. the one that sounds best to you is the one you should buy.... but i'm with these guys on the mesa.... i'd get a triple rectifier if i could afford one. or two. i've heard great things about the line6 spider and vetta. and personally, i use a roland jc-120 to play everything from metal to jazz, to funk, to reggae, to experimental. i never thought i would like it for metal, but it does it. ** oh, and if you want to see what other people think about music gear, check <a href="http://www.harmonycentral.com">harmony central</a> ** __________________ aaarrrrrgggghhhh!!!!

06-27-2003, 11:06 AM	#25 (permalink)
gibingus Insane Location: 38° 51' N 77° 2' W	one of the good things about the line 6 is that you get the mesa boogie sound without the mesa price, and 32 other modeled amps to boot. someone with less tinitus might be able to tell the difference, but to my worn out ears it's pretty darn good. __________________ if everyone is thinking alike, chances are no one is thinking.

06-27-2003, 07:08 PM	#27 (permalink)
Motorbreath Upright	i tried a single recto today, and man, i was blown away! i saw some peavey tube amps, but i didnt try them out yet..

06-29-2003, 01:47 PM	#28 (permalink)
Motorbreath Upright	OK! made up my mind, im getting a LINE 6 FLEXTONE DUO!!! 100 watts, amp models, effects, its a killer amp! only $500 too! thanks for your replies guys!