[nothing101]

what is a good CHEAP guitar amp?

i think i could the amp into headphones or speakers so the speaker part isnt of much concern but what guitar amps sound good?

im looking to play basically everything i cant on acoustic guitar on electric so its pretty broad. id probably be playing laid back stuff most so maybe a SLIGHTLY warm amp would be good.

oh and which amps shouldnt i look at?

any help would be much apreciated.



havent been on the forums for a while.... geeee they have changed a lot

 

[jules650]

The Line 6 POD is a good place to start if you don't have much experience with amps, and because you mentioned that you have speakers/headphones for it. The amp selections are pretty good and taught me a lot about amps when I was starting out, ie Marshall vs Fender vs boutique etc.. There is a new version out called the Floorpod (I think) which is cheaper than the PODxt live. I've had experience with the POD 2.0 and PODxt and they are both excellent units and I would recommend them highly. Send me a PM if you want more information.

I've got no experience with standalone guitar amps (dedicated analogue amps with no speakers) so I can't really comment on much else.

 

[Febs]

I use a Line6 PODxt Live (the floorboard version of the PODxt) professionally and it is a very good, versatile unit that works very well with headphones.

I have mixed feelings on these modeling units compared to real amps. I use one primarily (a) because the theater work that I do requires me to have the ability to play in so many styles, (b) it works well with my wireless in-ear monitoring system, especially on those gigs where go directly into the PA instead of using an amp on stage, and (c) it reduces the amount of stuff that I have to carry. I think that they can be a good place for a beginner to start, because they give you many options at a very reasonable price, and they are ideal for use with headphones.

If you are serious about the guitar, however, I do recommend that you take advantage of whatever opportunities you can to actually play the amps that are modeled in the Line6. Modeling amps have gotten much better over the years, but they still do not "feel" like playing a real tube amp. Plus, the presets on those units are usually terrible. However, if you learn what the real amps sound like, you can do a good job of tweaking the Line6 to get the sound that you are looking for.

If you decide to get a real amp instead of a modeler, if you go the route of a tube amp, bear in mind that with tube amps, smaller is usually better. It doesn't matter if the amp can go up to "11" if you never get a chance to open it up. It always cracks me up to see guys in bar bands playing with 100-watt stacks, with the master volume on 1. That's a recipe for bad sound. Tube amps like to be played loud. You're better off using a low-wattage tube amp and running it hot than a high-wattage tube amp with the volume turned down low.

 

[tjkurita]

Every guitar player should have one of these.

A pignose battery powered amp. It is legendary.

You can also probably find a mid-60's Fender Princeton (non-reverb) for around $500. Mid-60's Fenders are my favorite guitar amps.

They are point to point wired on vulcanized fiberboard so they can last forever. It's just capacitors and resistors wired to a tagbaord with some trannys and chokes. Don't worry about durability, as long as you take it to a tech after you buy it who can fix it up for you (usually about $50) you'll have an incredible sounding amp that doesn't need service for another 20-30 years (asided from tube changes).

Check it out:

www.gbase.com

A lot like Audiogon for musical instruments.

 

[blinx]

i freakin love my roland cube series amps.. i have a micro cube and a cube 60.

both have awesome effects and amazing sound.. plus they get as loud as my friends 120 watt crate

 

[cylanes]

Vox AC-30 !!!

 

[MikeB06]

I am a total guitar n00b, just got an electric last month and an amp and haven't had much time to practice yet or get a lesson. But, I have a Vox AD15VT. It is a 15w solid-state/tube hybrid amp, with a bunch of different models that sound excellent. I did a decent amount of research on the amp before I got it, I believe it is around $180-190 retail, I got it for about $125 lightly used on ebay, and I picked it up locally from the guy who owned a music studio, and he loved the amp and showed me a bunch of stuff about it. While I have not yet been able to make great music come out of it, my guitar-playing friends have and they love it. This thing can get REALLY loud, I normally have the master volume turned to about 8 o'clock. It really has a nice deep warm sound, and a nice headphone-out that powers my Grado HF-1's very nicely. Here is the product website:
http://www.voxamps.co.uk/valvetronix...0-50-100vt.asp

 

[DJShadow]

I've also been thinking of the Vox AD15 (or was it the AC15? and is it pronounced 'vox' or 'v-o-x'?)-I want something smaller than what I have now (a Marshall G30R CD) and tube based. So good stuff then MikeB06?

 

[MikeB06]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJShadow /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've also been thinking of the Vox AD15 (or was it the AC15? and is it pronounced 'vox' or 'v-o-x'?)-I want something smaller than what I have now (a Marshall G30R CD) and tube based. So good stuff then MikeB06?

Yes, very good stuff. Though I haven't heard a lot of amps by consequence of being new to the hobby, the Vox AD15VT gets my very high recommendation. There are both AD and AC Vox amps (pronounced 'vox' i believe), with the AC being a true tube amp and the AD being a tube-hybrid. Interestingly enough, the AD15VT has models for the AC15 and AC30TB amps as well, so you can get those sounds out of the AD15VT. Check the Vox website in my previous post and look at the instruction manual PDF and read about the different models on the AD-series, very detailed descriptions.

Also, look here for more informed reviews than mine of the AD15VT on the Harmony Central website.

 

[DJShadow]

Thanks mike. The AC is too expensive for me so looks like the AD is my prime candidate.

. Got to get off my arse to justify the purchase now.

 

[jules650]

I forgot to mention: Using a traditional amp head through normal speakers won't sound very good. You'll need a dedicated speaker cabinet to run an amp head because the speaker is an integral part of the amp's sound. A huge part of the guitar sound is caused by the movement of air in front of the speaker, which is essentially a large woofer. This effect is emulated (to a degree) with the POD series and other amp emulators. Normal speakers could potentially be blown to bits if you try driving them with a 50 watt amp head.

 

[craiglester]

Try and find an old Orange amp, I had one a long time ago, it was very nice sounding. and it's orange, which is good, no?

get out to a second hand musical equipment, there's usually one in most towns.

 

[BlindTiger]

hate to be a broken record but Pawn shops are great places to find musical instruments. The one's in college towns are even better. Sometimes students need cash or graduate and sell their stuff.
My brother found a nice Bedrock amp to replace his fender hot rod deluxe. I've read Bedrock amps have a sound much like the Mesa Boogies.
I love the look of Orange amps and their british sound ever since seeing one at a Connells show.

 

[chadbang]

Sorry to disagree. But if there is one thing pawn shops know, it's musical gear. I have never come across a deal in a pawn shop, and, if you don't know what you're doing, you're very likely to get ripped off. You're better off just hitting ebay or finding a deal on the web.

Ampwise, I really like the Roland Cube 30. Does about five amp sounds very well. I think the advantage of a modeling amp over a pod is that the manufacturer could tweak the models according to the speaker and amp built into their unit. I really love the cube 30 for bedroom playing. But I will give those VOX a listen soon!

BTW, playing an amped instrument through your home stereo is a recipe for disaster. Goodbye speakers.... POOF

 

[BlindTiger]

That's a given, you gotta know what you're looking at. But sometimes you'll find a diamond in the rough. That's the good thing about living in an area with over 10 pawn shops and 4 Thrift and Goodwill stores. I know this pawn shop that still has a adcom 3 channel pro logic amp that hasn't been sold yet.
Of course, my brother bought it thinking he got a deal. The good thing is they accept returns.
There's also consignment sales, sometimes you can deal with the seller and ask to make a deal. (of course, the pawn shop get's their cut)