Considering buying a better Amp...

Hey everyone.

I'm still quite new to the guitar, but I'm already considering buying a new Amp to replace my 10W Starter-Amp, and after looking around, I've seen someone who sells a 1988 Peavey Special 112 with footswitch for around 200€ (all info I've found on it says it is a 160W Amp, which is vastly more than my current Amp). One of my in-laws told me that amplifiers and guitars only get better the older they are, but is this amp really worth the money? I don't know much about the quality-to-price ratio for amps, so that's why I'm asking around for advice. I've got the money to buy it, I just want someone else's opinion on it before I go and buy a bigger amp.

I should probably add that it's a private person selling it and that I'll have to pick it up myself, if that makes a difference.

What kind of stuff do you play and what are your plans?

Also, does the concept of having a tube amp interest you at all?

If you have lots of dough, go for it. If you budget, get something suitable that will last for a while.

I can vouch for the longevity of these 80's era Peavey amps, but older is not always a good thing by itself. Your components can literally dry up over time.

I personally would recommend some kind of 15 watt tube amp. Fender, Vox, Traynor and many others make them.

That said, if you are running a pedal board and using amp sims, a solid state amp will me more trouble-free and arguably a better choice.

I'm not sure of the exchange from Cdn currency, but it looks like you could do better for your money.

Originally Posted by: RazboWhat kind of stuff do you play and what are your plans?

Also, does the concept of having a tube amp interest you at all?

If you have lots of dough, go for it. If you budget, get something suitable that will last for a while.

I can vouch for the longevity of these 80's era Peavey amps, but older is not always a good thing by itself. Your components can literally dry up over time.

I personally would recommend some kind of 15 watt tube amp. Fender, Vox, Traynor and many others make them.

That said, if you are running a pedal board and using amp sims, a solid state amp will me more trouble-free and arguably a better choice.

I'm not sure of the exchange from Cdn currency, but it looks like you could do better for your money.

I'll mostly be playing some rock, kind of a mix between classic rock and new rock. Possibly a bit of "soft" metal too.

As for a tube amp, the thought has occurred to me, but most tube amps I've seen were incredibly expensive.

I've got a couple of pedals, but how many are needed to run a "pedal board", I don't know.

I don't plan on going for one of those cheap budget-amps, though. another amp I've seen is a brand-new (as in not used once) Fender Mustang III, which would cost me roughly 300 Euros where I've seen it, but again, I don't know if it's worth the money.

Consider a peavey valveking 112 to get into a tube amp for not much dough. I owned a peavey special and a crate solid state amp and the valveking blows both away! Experiencing the tube sound the first time for me was sureal - my tone came alive. You should check it out first hand.

Maybe a solid state modelling amp is a good choice for you and you'd get most or all the sounds you need. You'd be limited with the old Peavey, so if you are going SS, you should take advantage of 30 years of advanced technology :)

There are 2 that I read about all the time. The Fender Mustang and the Line 6 Modelling amps are super popular. I've heard better things about the Line 6 version. I see Mustangs up for resale often, and that can be a negative indicator.

I forgot to ask, if you plan on playing with a band or just alone. That will determine the size of the amp. I think you'd want a good 100 watts with a SS amp to keep up with drums. I got a 'live inheritance' from my Dad of an old '74 Traynor SS head that is 100 watts output. He used it with live band on stage for more than 20 years, so 100w would be good enough I think.

Line 6 "JAM"

Should be checked out before you buy. The amp can actually help you learn. I’ve had one for just over a year now. You can go in and slow down or speed up music that comes with the amp or that you record with it. It also has a second half so to speak, so you can also plug in a mic or another guitar, or bass or whatever. So if you have a friend come by with a guitar, you can both plug in and jam. Heck you can even record the two of you jamming. If the friend plays a lick you want to learn, just go in and slow down the music. Play along to figure it out. It goes to just 25% of normal speed.

It has a 12” speaker with 75 watts power, 7 peddle effect already on board and you use can use up to 3 of them at the same time. It also has a small 2” tweeter for playing back music, so you can get the high end sounds from it also. The guitar sound does not come out the tweeter, its just for play back. Check some youtube videos on it.

I’m not saying it’s the best amp or that you may not choose to replace it later, but in my opinion there is not another amp out there that can do so much to help a beginner, in as many ways. You always have a band to jam with.

Here's a demo link to hear what the line 6 can do..

http://licklibrary.ceros.com/iguitarmag/issue3/page/140

Sweetwater.com shows a good price on it also

Originally Posted by: haghj500Line 6 "JAM"

Should be checked out before you buy. The amp can actually help you learn. I’ve had one for just over a year now. You can go in and slow down or speed up music that comes with the amp or that you record with it. It also has a second half so to speak, so you can also plug in a mic or another guitar, or bass or whatever. So if you have a friend come by with a guitar, you can both plug in and jam. Heck you can even record the two of you jamming. If the friend plays a lick you want to learn, just go in and slow down the music. Play along to figure it out. It goes to just 25% of normal speed.

I've looked at the Line 6 Spider Jam amp, but sadly it's just a bit too expensive for what I can afford, when shipping costs are included in the price. I'll try to see if I can find one that's within my budget, though. Are there any other, newer SS amps that are great for beginners, that are still of proper quality at a low price? Preferably suited for using pedals, since I have a couple of those I use to add effects to my sound.

This one boils down to what you like the sound from best.
Try as many as you can in the price range. I would go with a 12” speaker
No matter what you buy, if you can.

When I went out looking I settled on a Line 6 Spider III 12” 30 watts. My intended us playing at home and jamming with a friend every now and then. It works great for that. I also really like it has an MP3 or pc input jack, so you can play your favorite music through it as you jam along.

I was in a local music store one day and they had a used Jam, for $100.00 off. I had the money at the time so I grabbed it.

You may fall for a PV or Fender or Vox or ……..It’s you money decide with your ear.

Originally Posted by: Razbo
I forgot to ask, if you plan on playing with a band or just alone. That will determine the size of the amp. I think you'd want a good 100 watts with a SS amp to keep up with drums.

I'm a solo guitarist, but once I learn a good number of songs, I wouldn't mind at least trying to play in a band (but that won't be any time soon). I did a bit of chatting with an employee in a nearby music-store (about 60km from where I live), and he recommended the Line 6 Spider IV 30 including footswitch, and suggested that I come try it out before I just order it. So I'll be going there one of these days. I might try a few others in my price range at the same time, just to compare the sound.

I'm starting to have second thoughts on the 160W amp, though. It just takes too much power, which will make it very expensive for me to use. Then a 30-40W is much more suiting for me, really.

With that said, I'm looking forward to testing the Line 6 Spider IV 30 (and hopefully get a quick introduction to what the different knobs do...). Maybe I'll like it, maybe I won't. The only way to be sure is by testing it with my own guitar and cable, since that also gives me a better idea of how it will sound than just using an exhibition-model and a borrowed cable...

Quick question:

What's the best beginner-friendly way to test an amp? I know that when I bought my starter-kit, the people in the shop tested the equipment to make sure it worked properly, but this time I'd prefer to test it myself if possible. Should I just hit some random strings and hope for the best or try playing bits of some of the songs I'm learning? Which option would be the best?

Sorry if I seem like an idiot. I just want to make sure I get the best possible idea of how the amp sounds when I test it :)

here is the manual if you want to get an idea what the knobs and switches do

http://line6.com/data

Live sound from Line 6

http://line6.com/spideriv/sounds75.html

Just tried the Fender Mustang I, and I must say... I loved its sound, but I'd still like something slightly larger than 20W, so I think I'll be looking out for the Fender Mustang II. I can only imagine that it has at least just as nice a sound to it. With some luck, they might just have it in a store I'll be checking out this Wednesday :)

That said, I'm still open to other options, if I find one I like within my budget.

Fender makes nice amps. I bought a Fender Twin Reverb back in 1977.

I'm glad you are going to go try some amps. Most stores have someone around who can play, just ask and they will try to show you what each can do.

Try to be in front of the amp and back 5 - 6 feet when you play.
You don't want to be on a stoole and have the amp by your foot on the floor, you're not going to hear the same sound.

Looks like I might have to test the Mustang I again, then. I heard it up close, not at a distance. Oh well... It's only one more amp on the list of amps to test :)

Hopefully, I'll find an amp I like. Not that that should be hard, with the huge selection they have in store.

So, I checked out a couple of amps that met my criteria today. In the end, I picked the Fender Mustang II, because I liked its sounds and interface better than the other amps I tried. And now that I have a proper amp, I have a feeling I will get a lot more time for practice, especially next week, where I have no classes at all :D

Cool, the Mustang II is a great little amp. I'm glad you got what you wanted.
Time to grab some supplies and lock yourself in a room for a while.

Hi,

Have you considered to use a Fender G-Dec 3 thirty or fitheen. Great amps for practice and with the Fender Fuse software very versatile.

Originally Posted by: jurjen.bosHi,

Have you considered to use a Fender G-Dec 3 thirty or fitheen. Great amps for practice and with the Fender Fuse software very versatile.

I did look into the G-Dec 3, but I couldn't find any Guitar stores that sold them, so I went with the amp I liked the best, the Mustang II.