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Choosing a new amp

The Black CircleThe Black Circle Posts: 15
edited December 2004 in Musicians and Gearheads
Hi guys, first post :D . I'm a longtime lurker.

I've been playing a year this christmas and play an Ibanez RG2820, click here for pics. Despite the appearance of the guitar i'm not a shredhead, have none of the ability required :p .

After christmas i'm going to be buying a new amp. For past month or so i was decided on a line6 flextone III until i decided to check a couple of other amps out, now i'm not too sure :( .

I have a max budget of around £420. My not-so-short shortlist has on it:

Peavey Classic 30
Fender Blues Junior
Line 6 Flextone III plus
Marshall avt100/150
Marshall dsl 401
Ashdown Fallen Angel 40
Ashdown Peacemaker 40
Laney VC30

Thanks for any suggestions guys

Merry Christmas.
Sleep tight, grim right,
We have two hundred couches, where you can sleep tonight.
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • Six7Six7Six7Six7 Posts: 58
    my suggestion is that you pick the one that goes up to "11"
    Pearl Jam is an ok american rock n roll group
  • The Black CircleThe Black Circle Posts: 15
    The only problem with that philosophy is the peavey and fender (and possibly the laney) go to 12 :p
    Sleep tight, grim right,
    We have two hundred couches, where you can sleep tonight.
  • nailz100nailz100 Posts: 1,176
    Read my "amp ideas" post....I am in the same boat as you, and there are lots of good suggestions on there by other members of this board.
    Only with our eyes closed can we truly see
  • mccreadyisgodmccreadyisgod Posts: 6,395
    The Black Circle wrote:
    Peavey Classic 30
    Fender Blues Junior
    Line 6 Flextone III plus
    Marshall avt100/150
    Marshall dsl 401
    Ashdown Fallen Angel 40
    Ashdown Peacemaker 40
    Laney VC30


    Out of those options, I like the Peavey Classic 30 the most. The Laney would be really nice, too. Between the two, it's one flavor versus another, they're both around the same quality.

    The Line 6 would give you more versatility and flexibility... but I like picking one or two good sounds and getting a good tube amp that does those sounds.

    The Fender Blues Junior has had some bad reviews, muddy tone (especially when using the reverb). The Pro Junior (a bit smaller, no verb) gets better reviews, but doesn't have the options.

    The Marshalls do what Marshalls do.

    Are those Ashdowns tube amps? I'm not as familiar with their guitar stuff, but their bass amps are damn nice (Jeff uses one for his stand-up bass, and Adam Clayton of U2 uses all Ashdown gear).

    But, as always, try before you buy. Take your guitar around to local shops and plug in, see which one calls your name.
    ...and if you don't like it, you can suck on an egg.
  • The Black CircleThe Black Circle Posts: 15
    Hi,

    I'm going to do some serious testing tomorrow and should hopefully have made a choice. I was dead set on a flextone for about amonth until i decided to see what else was in the price bracket.

    I've heard from some BJ (ooo-err) users that it's a completely different amp when the speaker is upgraded.

    I've been put off the avt's after hearing many complaints about the 100W+ models. Their volume seems to 'sag' and people have said they started a gig with master vol on 5 and by the end they'd have turned it up to 8 to get the same volume :confused: . DSL's seem to have a terrible reputation for problems.

    The 2 Ashdowns are all tube. They are made over here in Colchester and their most famous 6 string endorsee is probably Charlotte Hatherly of Ash. The Peacemaker is based on...well...erm i'm not quite sure what its based on :confused: . The Fallen Angel is marketed as a 'hi-gain' metal styled amp but it can be more subtle and has pretty decent cleans too.

    I'll report back on the peavey and laney when i know something about them. If i were to get the VC30, 2x10 or 1x12? I know MiG will say 2x10 but is it going to be significantly louder than the 1x12 version as i would like to keep my house key :p .
    Sleep tight, grim right,
    We have two hundred couches, where you can sleep tonight.
  • Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    Have you checked out Matamp, Orange, or Hiwatt/Reeves yet?
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • mccreadyisgodmccreadyisgod Posts: 6,395
    The Black Circle wrote:
    I'll report back on the peavey and laney when i know something about them. If i were to get the VC30, 2x10 or 1x12? I know MiG will say 2x10 but is it going to be significantly louder than the 1x12 version as i would like to keep my house key :p .


    I'm also willing to admit that 10" speakers aren't for everyone.

    Quick math tells me that 2x10" speakers gets you 157 square inches of speaker, and a single 12" speaker gets you 113 square inches. Of course, that's not exactly right, because speaker cones are, in fact, cones... but it gives you a basic idea.

    The 2x10" version will likely sound louder than the single 12". However, the difference will be small, and it's based more on perception than actual dB levels (2x10" will just sound fuller than 1x12", even though it's not much louder). The bigger difference is in tone: 10" speakers have a more focused bass response, giving tighter lows. 12" speakers have looser lows, and typically have more presence. So buy whichever has the tone you prefer, and to hell with the neighbors.

    I would agree with Paco and put both Matamp and Hiwatt on your short list... just erase the Marshalls and put them in their place...
    ...and if you don't like it, you can suck on an egg.
  • The Black CircleThe Black Circle Posts: 15
    If i could afford any of those i wouldn't be here asking for opinions on these amps, i'd be plugged in making a racket :p .

    I've played Orange amps and thought they were great, really responsive and individual tone. I've never played a matamp or hiwatt though, too expensive :( .
    Sleep tight, grim right,
    We have two hundred couches, where you can sleep tonight.
  • The Black CircleThe Black Circle Posts: 15
    Well, i got an amp. I saw a flextone xl, the top model with 2x12" at an amazing price of £399 which is about $770. Damn musicians friend being $70 cheaper :rolleyes: . I'd played lots of other amps and when i plugged into the flextone 'it' was just there. Every setting and model had a good sound, none of this fiddling with the controls every 30 seconds. Very happy with my choice, got more than I was expecting with a 2x12 stereo amp, the 'ping pong' delay sounds brilliant with each speaker playing different delay times like quarter notes on the left and dotted eighths on the right :cool: .

    Just need to find a midi cable for it now....
    Sleep tight, grim right,
    We have two hundred couches, where you can sleep tonight.
  • Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    The Black Circle wrote:
    Well, i got an amp. I saw a flextone xl, the top model with 2x12" at an amazing price of £399 which is about $770. Damn musicians friend being $70 cheaper :rolleyes: . I'd played lots of other amps and when i plugged into the flextone 'it' was just there. Every setting and model had a good sound, none of this fiddling with the controls every 30 seconds. Very happy with my choice, got more than I was expecting with a 2x12 stereo amp, the 'ping pong' delay sounds brilliant with each speaker playing different delay times like quarter notes on the left and dotted eighths on the right :cool: .

    Just need to find a midi cable for it now....


    it's a good amp indeed, and the connections on the back are pretty much unmatched. You got it for a decent price across the pond too I think.

    You'll have some fun with it. Now you're going to want to add the floorboard to give you that extra flexibility
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • solsurfrsolsurfr Posts: 207
    The Black Circle wrote:
    Hi guys, first post :D . I'm a longtime lurker.

    I've been playing a year this christmas and play an Ibanez RG2820, click here for pics. Despite the appearance of the guitar i'm not a shredhead, have none of the ability required :p .

    After christmas i'm going to be buying a new amp. For past month or so i was decided on a line6 flextone III until i decided to check a couple of other amps out, now i'm not too sure :( .

    I have a max budget of around £420. My not-so-short shortlist has on it:

    Peavey Classic 30
    Fender Blues Junior
    Line 6 Flextone III plus
    Marshall avt100/150
    Marshall dsl 401
    Ashdown Fallen Angel 40
    Ashdown Peacemaker 40
    Laney VC30

    Thanks for any suggestions guys

    Merry Christmas.

    FWIW, I have the Flex III Plus and HD 147 from Line6. They are great amps for anything under the sun, blues, rock, metal, jazz, acoustic, etc. Get the FBVSB and you'll have no need to carry around pedal FX's. I've been using L6 gear since 2001 and haven't regretted it at all.

    POS: Great versatility, decent effects, all-in-one amp. great low-volume tones, competitive pricing.
    CONS: Need to tweak to get playable tones on stage. Still sounds a bit digital on some amp models, especially the hi-gain models, IMO.

    Here's some clips from a bandmate/friend of mine who has his own recording business. He recorded these soley on the original Flextone I.

    http://www.cd2productions.com/index.asp?fa=sounds

    I'll post some clips of my amp when I get a chance, if you want.
  • NullifidianNullifidian Posts: 110
    Sorry to add another one to your list. But have you tried the new Line 6 Spider amps?

    http://www.line6.com/spiderII/about_112.html

    I hate the Flextone amps but I really love the spider ones. They just seem to give out a better quality of sound. (In my opinion of course.) They're in your price range and can provide a nice varity of sounds. Obviously it's up to you but I think they're well worth a try.
    [Kitchener 05 - London 05 - Hamilton 05 - Toronto 05 - Astoria 06 - Dublin 06 - Leeds 06 - Reading 06 - Wembley 07] -- I think I've had enough ....
  • The Black CircleThe Black Circle Posts: 15
    I've tried spiders before and didn't really like them. I think the new little 15W version could give the regular practice amps a run for their money. I want to connect the amp up to the PC now so i can update the firmware and download some presets submitted by other people. I'm pretty sure this is the lead i need. It won't matter that the female D-SUB connector is hanging out not connected to anything will it?
    Sleep tight, grim right,
    We have two hundred couches, where you can sleep tonight.
  • solsurfrsolsurfr Posts: 207
    The Black Circle wrote:
    I've tried spiders before and didn't really like them. I think the new little 15W version could give the regular practice amps a run for their money. I want to connect the amp up to the PC now so i can update the firmware and download some presets submitted by other people. I'm pretty sure this is the lead i need. It won't matter that the female D-SUB connector is hanging out not connected to anything will it?

    Why go that route? I use this midi interface and it works great:

    http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=3278&item=3771449041&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW
  • mccreadyisgodmccreadyisgod Posts: 6,395
    The Black Circle wrote:
    Well, i got an amp. I saw a flextone xl, the top model with 2x12"....

    I'd played lots of other amps and when i plugged into the flextone 'it' was just there. Every setting and model had a good sound, none of this fiddling with the controls every 30 seconds. Very happy with my choice, got more than I was expecting with a 2x12 stereo amp, the 'ping pong' delay sounds brilliant with each speaker playing different delay times like quarter notes on the left and dotted eighths on the right.

    Good choice... that will last you for a long, long time...

    The best thing is, once you start looking for that good tube amp, you'll have a better idea where to start, since you're familiar with what different models sound like on the L6.

    I agree with Paco... the floorboard makes for a lotta fun...
    ...and if you don't like it, you can suck on an egg.
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