Amp suggestions

Oh, Jimmy

I have a 2001 Vintage series Crate 60 watts 2x12. It is an awesome sounding amp, but now that I am gigging out I need something more relieable. It has started blowing fuses outta the blue again. Last time was recall work on the transformer and I assume it's the same thing again. I can't afford to keep having my amp go out so I am gonna get something more reliable. I plan on fixing it and selling it for 600-800 . I have seen a couple go for over 1000 on ebay.
Anyway, I was looking for amp recomendations. I am willing to spend up to a grand but I would like to stay less. I wanna get another tube, but I need something relieable. Any tube recomendations? My brother in law has a Line 6 Flextone with the big floor board. Anybody know much about these. Live sound, how well they project, reliability, value. I think I am gonna try it out, but if other people speak out against them I am not even gonna bother. It's quite a drive to pick it up. Thanks for feedback.

Pacomc79

What kind of tones do you need and how versatile does it have to be?

Humbuckers/Single Coils? Light? Dark? Focused? What kind of tone are you looking for?

Oh, Jimmy

Oops, I guess that is pretty important info.
I play rock. Hard, classic, alternative. I need something that can scream, but something that I can clean up to.
I have a Les Paul btw. Although, I don't know how important that is. If an amp is good it should make any guitar sound good.

Pacomc79

Oh, Jimmy wrote:

Oops, I guess that is pretty important info.
I play rock. Hard, classic, alternative. I need something that can scream, but something that I can clean up to.
I have a Les Paul btw. Although, I don't know how important that is. If an amp is good it should make any guitar sound good.

A good amp is a good amp and will make most guitars sound good, but when you get down to it, some sound better with buckers and some sound better with single coils depending on thier speakers and tonal structure. We're nitpicking here.

I'd imagine you want a little more gain. There are only half a million or so options you could go here. Line 6's are reliable as far as I know. (Johnson milleniums are the worst digital amps ever I had several DOA) Line 6 does pretty well, but I tend to think they are over kill, no one really needs that many sounds, but if you go that route, look hard at the Duoverb.

I'd look at Mesa, Used Marshall DSL and TSL's Fender Bassman 4x10 combos (you'll need stacked gain pedals for extra crunch) On a budget the Carvin MTS series is very solid Traynor has some very good options (50 Blue) and then there are oh 50 thousand other options. The Rivera Chubster 40 is one of my faves in that range too and it's very very flexible. A great gigging amp. The orange AD 30 and Rockerverbs might be a bit out of your range brand new anyway, but they are built extremely solidly.

I'd really hope to get you to try out a Mesa Blue Angel and a Rivera Chubster 40.

http://www.kcanostubes.com and http://www.thetubestore.com are good places to check out what tubes you'll like

I'd imagine 5881's EL34's or 6L6's are the PT's you'll like. Tesla JJ Electro Harmonix and the new Groove Tubes American Made tubes will probably do you best for the money as I know but there are plenty of other good ones there as well. I have had very good luck with the EI's in my Orange.

Oh, Jimmy

I was gonna try out the Line 6. Since I am in a cover band amp models and effects seem to make it very open to dialing in an accurate tone. However, my Crate was very diverse and while I couldnt dial in any exact tones, I could generally get the overall feel as far as tone. What should I expect to pay for:

Duoverb
used dsl
used tsl


I have played a 30 watt Orange half stack and wasnt a big fan. Could be b/c it was in a music store, and I couldnt crank it. Also I love the TSL and DSL, but I have never seen a price that I thought was fair on one. Also, the combos are such a ripoff that it doesnt make sense to not go with a half stack.

The band I am in is looking into recording as we speak. I guess you could say we are going through pre production right now with writing and arranging songs. We have one complete song, although I have some new ideas for it. Another song that was an idea of mine that we jammed pretty successfully on the other night. Definitely a complete song just need to figure out the arrangement.

Pacomc79

The duoverbs are generally below $500 They essentially give you two amp models at once without the DSP. Line 6's are very good for your situation because they also have excellent recording capability with the XLR outs and you can record quietly if you have to with the cabinet models (also helps for covers so you can match the patch to the band you are emulating). I am not a fan of thier effects models but they are not bad at all. Hell I own a DL4. The Pod XT and the floor unit are very good at what they do as well especially in your application. A flextone 3 would do you quite well, I kind of like the Duoverb head because I love the available tones, the price and the fact that you can use whatever cabinet and speakers you want. It also has the power you need to make a digital pre amp convincing (this is the reason many of those heads are 300 plus watts) I'm just mainly a traditionalist. DSL's are generally around $700 $750 used for a 50-100 watt head. You can easily get out under a grand used. The TSL's are probably going to be considerably more expensive for the heads (new same price as a mesa TripleRec $1500) Used maybe a grand. The TSL 60 combos should be well under $1000

Soldano Avengers might be in that range too but barely.

If you can find a TSL for a fair enough price it's great. The DSL market is so saturated that you should easily find one in the 650 to 750 market, and I'll keep my eyes open.

But at sub $500 a Duoverb or a Flextone 3 would be perfect for right now, I just worry about the resale a bit because they are essentially todays technology.

What you might do is sell your amp, and buy a Pod XT Pod XT pro rack unit or the POD XT Live and run it strait to the PA or strait to the board, or, buy a cab, and a cheaper 100 watt mono block power amp and run it as such. Either will work very well. Something to ponder anyhow. The flexibility of POD's in recording (and live "XT LIVE") through the PA is nothing short of amazing, I don't think it's exactly nailing every tone, but it's close enough, and they are pretty much perfect for cover bands.

never hurts to read up anyhow, http://www.line6.com The Pod XT live might be an excellent solution for you right now.

HeavyMetalNyge

Don't forget about the Peavey Classics.

Oh, Jimmy

One more question about the Line 6. I like to use feedback for certain stuf. Do they produce pretty controllable feedback?

I have wondered about those POD XT's. Seen them but never fiddled with it. I kinda like the idea of having an actual amplifier to plug into. I know with the technology its not necessary anymore, but I just think it would look strange. to not have an amp to go stand in front of and let that feedback howl back at you.

Pacomc79

Oh, Jimmy wrote:

One more question about the Line 6. I like to use feedback for certain stuf. Do they produce pretty controllable feedback?

From what I've heard (Fender American Deluxe - XTlive into a Fender DRRI) it gets fine controlable feedback depending on pick or finger attack through the various higher gain patches. This is a personal thing though I think, impossible to describe you'll have to try it. line6.com has some clips though.

exhausted

PODxt's used soley as effects units before amps are a bit strange. just won't sound the same as quality individual effects. i've tried it for fun.

however, using one to process a line out from an amp with the PODs cab models to give a direct signal to the board would be nifty i've learned.

but you still need a quality amp in a high volume band situation i would think.

if you can find someone that carries them. check out a traynor custom valve 40, 50 or 80. amazing build quality and value for the price.

Pacomc79

exhausted wrote:

PODxt's used soley as effects units before amps are a bit strange. just won't sound the same as quality individual effects. i've tried it for fun.

however, using one to process a line out from an amp with the PODs cab models to give a direct signal to the board would be nifty i've learned.

but you still need a quality amp in a high volume band situation i would think.

if you can find someone that carries them. check out a traynor custom valve 40, 50 or 80. amazing build quality and value for the price.

yeah the TCV are nice (5881's) and then the 50 Blue is cool too (EL34's)

Kovo

I have a Line-6 half stack (Spyder) and I couldn't be happier.

All Those Yesterdays

Might consider looking for a all tube head, and get a cabinet in leiu of a tube amp combo. tubes in a combo seem to get more abuse then in just a head. Just my suggestion.

maddrummer

Oh, Jimmy wrote:

I have a 2001 Vintage series Crate 60 watts 2x12. It is an awesome sounding amp, but now that I am gigging out I need something more relieable. It has started blowing fuses outta the blue again. Last time was recall work on the transformer and I assume it's the same thing again. I can't afford to keep having my amp go out so I am gonna get something more reliable. I plan on fixing it and selling it for 600-800 . I have seen a couple go for over 1000 on ebay.
Anyway, I was looking for amp recomendations. I am willing to spend up to a grand but I would like to stay less. I wanna get another tube, but I need something relieable. Any tube recomendations? My brother in law has a Line 6 Flextone with the big floor board. Anybody know much about these. Live sound, how well they project, reliability, value. I think I am gonna try it out, but if other people speak out against them I am not even gonna bother. It's quite a drive to pick it up. Thanks for feedback.

marshall, marshall marshall! wtever ya get, get a marshall!