SCREAM!
11.10.13 | List is folk metal digs |
lyzakthellama
11.10.13 | Don't get a spider, everyone regrets it later |
SCREAM!
11.10.13 | I'd heard a lot of mixed opinions about them but a friend of mine has one and loves it plus the videos I've seen of it sounded pretty good. What kind of stuff have you heard against it though?
As far as looks go, I'd pick the orange right away but unfortunately there's more important factors at play here than that haha |
itsalltherage
11.10.13 | Don't get the MG or Spider. It can't possibly be much better than what you already have & represents poor value in the grand scheme of upgrading.
Valvetronix aren't too shabby - some sounds are impressive, others not so much. What sort of music do you play though? |
SCREAM!
11.10.13 | Mostly metal but also some rock and cleaner stuff here and there. As of right now I have a 19w washburn amp and a ZOOMG3X pedal. So I can get some pretty decent tones depending on the effects I pick out on the pedal but even so the distortion never sounds quite as "powerful" as I'd like it to. |
lyzakthellama
11.10.13 | The valvetronix isn't bad but I'd highly advise to just go for tube. It will definitely be worth it because you'll want to upgrade soon and be stuck with an amp that you think is mediocre while wishing you just saved up for a tube in the first place |
chemicalmarriage
11.10.13 | Don't get the spider.
Check out Blackstar if you haven't yet. Opeth and Gus G use them. They make good shit that's affordable. |
DominionMM1
11.10.13 | if you can afford an orange go for it |
SCREAM!
11.10.13 | @Chemical Looked them up and they definitely sound interesting but no music store in my city seems to carry them and I don't really like the idea of buying one without having had the chance to try it first.
@Dominion that orange is only about 270$CAD so it fits into what I was hoping to spend (under 300$) |
SCREAM!
11.10.13 | @lyza what are your thoughts in the Vox AC4C1? |
DominionMM1
11.10.13 | the pix 35 isn't a tube amp is it? |
SCREAM!
11.10.13 | nope. Unfortunately the budget I was hoping to stick to doesn't have much in terms of tubes (from what I've seen so far anyway) |
DominionMM1
11.10.13 | keep saving and get a tube amp |
itsalltherage
11.10.13 | Yer to be honest, if you're not planning on doing any gigging in the near future & think you might be able to hold out & save up enough for an actual tube amp - then that would be the ideal option because you should be significantly more satisfied with the sound than a budget solid state.
If you would rather edge closer to tonal nirvana sooner than later - then another idea would be to save up a little more & try & get hold of a used or new Line 6 Spider Valve combo. I know Line 6 gets a really bad rep & all, & the solid state Spider range is pretty fucking dire. But hear me out because I love to preach this to at least provide a genuine first hand perspective.
The Spider Valves are a different breed. These are actually some really exceptional amps if high gain & cleans constitute the majority of what you play. The pre-amp is hybrid, but the power amp is pure tube goodness & it's quite evident in the tone. Just like a tube amp, as you push the master volume, the amp comes to life with wonderful depth & definition that is deceptive of it's name & price tag - whilst the benefit of the hybrid preamp is that you can still EQ it to get really good tone at lower levels for practice. This, combined with the brilliance of the Celestion V30 speakers that cut through the mix incredibly well, make it one of the best value buys I've ever made.
I've used a 2x12 as my practice & gigging amp since 2008 when I got serious about my playing & gear. & despite having indulged in a Mesa Roadster & Splawn Nitro a couple of years ago, I still hold it in high regard for what it is & still use it for practice sessions. Really awesomely articulate clarity under high gain on the blue metal setting which is perfect for any kind of modern metal or shred, & the yellow recto setting is pretty good too. The 'insane' settings are admittedly somewhat unusable, but fun nonetheless. & the Roland Jazz Chorus & HiWatt models, the cleans are actually quite excellent too. The mid gain sounds aren't as impressive, but certainly usable & the numerous presets can help provide a useful template for the sounds you want. & if you ever feel you want to take it to the next level, give it a tube upgrade & experiment because it really responds to any alterations made. Even includes a built in tuner & boost/TS pedal emulator.
Best thing is - I'd imagine you can get h
old of them for some ridiculously good prices these days. |
ChuckyTruant
11.10.13 | For an amp like this get a Roland Cube |
R6Rider
11.10.13 | You really can't go wrong with any of the amps you mentioned, but personally I would hold off and get some kind of tube combo.
You'll be happier in the long run. |
Athom
11.10.13 | Unless you're buying a JCM800 or a Plexi don't waste your time on anything with Jim Marshall's name on it. The VOX valvetronix series are quite nice little functional bedroom amps. The effects sound decent and on the 80's high gain setting you can get a useable Slayer tone.
In your price range you can still afford a couple of nice sounding low wattage tube combos. The Fender Excelsior is a 13 watt tube combo amp that uses 6V6's and sounds great for a base clean tone, and Bugera has the V5 for $199 (5 watts tube is still more than loud enough to have your roommates pissed at you) that's a little more high gain. Yeah they're not "amazing" amps by any stretch, but as far as tone goes in the sub-300 dollar combo range they'll blow all those solid states out of the water. Most Guitar Centers will have both of those models out on the floor so they should be pretty easy to test. Tone is such a personal thing that you really have to play anything before you buy it. |
XingKing
11.10.13 | Vouching that the AC4C1 is fucking awesome. Check out my band if you want ideas of how it sounds. The distortion is using an OCD pedal https://warrenofohms.bandcamp.com/track/frequency |
ZombicidalMan
11.10.13 | It's already been said, but don't buy a Spider or the MG. The Spider was my first, it was total rubbish, despite the fact I thought it was awesome at the time. The MG may actually be worse than the Spider, I'm not sure.
Orange solid state I dunno about. I had a Pix bass amp and it was dreadful, but I haven't heard the guitar ones. If you have to choose from that, then I'd go for the Vox, it sounds useable at least.
Last tip: look used! Go on Craigslist or Kijiji and you can find awesome stuff. My friend got a Valve King combo amp (which is not too shabby) for $200. All tube and definitely under budget. So be on the lookout for small combo amps that are tube in the $300-400 range, since you can probably get it down to $200-300. Cheers |
Butkuiss
11.11.13 | The spider and the valvetronix are both meh at best. Don't. |
bloc
11.11.13 | If you don't mind solid state, and want a modelling amp, check out the Roland Cube and especially the Peavey Vypyr series. |
