Guitar Amp advice requested

I tried a line 6 out the other day for someone who was looking for an amp for his son for xmas. I didn't like it at all. The quality was nasty. They ended up getting a Marshall instead.

you could scour the local ads for a used peavy tube amp...
that'd get you into the ballpark.

possibly, you could find a used Fender Blues junior, or a Peavy Classic 30, those amps are quite useful and will hold up to stage volume and road work.

I was going to say Blues Jr too. Nice little amps and plenty loud enough if mic'd.

You guys aren't gonna let me get out of this mess for $200, are you?

Thanks for the info.  Looks like I have some googling and e-baying and craiglisting to do.

Effects pedal next. . . .

On the blues junior - I'm reading you can't really get distortion out of it.  True?  Might be a deal-killer.

Valveking 112 looks like the best price point of the ones I find that you've mentioned.

Classic 30 may be more versatile.

Found an interesting, up-to-date source on this topic:

http://thetoneking.com/wp/ttks-updated-amp-buyers-guide-october-2009/

He recommends the Classic 30 and the Bugera V55H.  The description of the Bugera is very attractive to me.

$300 bucks isn't going to get you a decent tube amp. Well, it can. Search Craigslist everyday, and be prepared to run out at a moments notice. Because if there is a Peavey or Fender tube on there for $300, it wil be gone before you know it. $500 you should be able to find a used tube amp.

Okay, on the other hand. Is there somewhere you can go and play a Roland Cube-30x? To try out. Your sweetwater rep isn't totally off here. Sure it's solid state, but there is some cool sounds there. Are you going to be gigging with a decent house system? With a full monitor mix? Because I always had my amps at a low volume, mic'd and blasting through my wedge monitor. Actually with that cube, you can go direct out too with it, and blast it through your monitor.

But's it's all a matter of what you want your "sound" to be.

Now I'm looking at the Fender Hot Rod Deluxe or Deville.  Any comments on deluxe vs deville?

glen55


Now I'm looking at the Fender Hot Rod Deluxe or Deville.  Any comments on deluxe vs deville?

I had a DeVille, trust me...it's LOUD. I got rid of it because it was too loud. At home, I couldn't get it past 1, on stage,3 or 4 was very loud. It's a great amp, but it's also a lot of amp. If you want grunty tweed tones, the Bassman might be a better fit if the Jr is not enough.
 
I would try several amps out first before you do too much speculation shopping. Be carefull on amps that have a lot of fiddly things to mess with. It's mostly gimmick. Simple circuits sound the best.

OK, I just bid $455 on a Mesa F-30.  I'm leading and I'll know in an hour.

Who the hell am I fooling with this "light on the checkbook" crap.  I can go a long time without buying new gear, but when I go for gear my sanity goes right out the window.

i've never heard or played a sim, that made me want to toss my amp.
YMMV

Interesting point, PH68.

I'm such an amp newbie that I really can't comment on what the old hands say about the tonal differences between live amps and DI: I'm all DI at home, so far.  I will say that I expect whatever differences DO still exist to disappear over time as the digital models get better.  What that's happened yet or not I simply cannot say.

My problem, tho: my ignorance about amps pales in connection with my ignorance about PAs.  I'm kind of hoping/expecting that all I'll need to do is plug my amp in and walk up to a mic and start singing and playing the guitar.  Guess I'd better go over all that with my voice teacher who has talked about getting me the little starter gigs.

Anyway, given how little I know, I'm leery to put it lightly about going for any kind of "cutting-edge" solution.  Simplicity is my hallmark.

p.s. Lost the Mesa Boogie e-bay auction.  Just as well, maybe?  However, now I have an option to buy one outright for $600.  Anybody know whether $600 is a good price for a used 30-watt Mesa F-30 in "mint" condition from an e-bay power seller?

p.p.s. On the Roland front - I know 30 watts of tube amp is plenty loud, but is 30 watts of solid state loud enough to play in a band with drums?  (Or we back to the mic-the-amp-to-the-PA solution which kind of mystifies me?)

You might want to try TECH-21's Trademark series. I have a TM-60(60W), about $500. They have 10W, 30W,  and a few higher. They're tube emulation. You get pretty much the same sound at any volume. The websightwww.tech21nyc.com
gives sound bights of different settings. I've
had mine about 5 years , no problems, very happy with the sound. They emulate other artist sounds, so you can tweak in on your own. Plus they're U.S. made.
 

If you are as new as you say to amps forget a tube amp............you'll be years into stomp distortion,compression,EQ,gates,biasing etc..........blah,blah............
Get a tube amp when you know more what you'll need and the advantages and disadvantages of different set ups.

You initial idea about the Line 6 Spider was spot on.....................line 6 is reputable and makes good gear................With a good solid state modeling amp you'll need no more than the amp and a basic MIDI pedal and you will be good to go for possibly years.

Check out the following................

Line 6 Spider

Behringer V-Ampire

 Maybe even a Vox Modeling amp.

The 2 channel V-Tones aren't bad either..............

Tech 21 gear is always great and should be looked into, its just a little spendy.

If you want a great modeling amp , seriously, great sleeper amp, find a used ART DST 825 or  DST 830 these amps are incredible for live use or recording.....a good gate helps these alot when using high gain. 

Any of these will be portable,quiet and flexible enough to play several genre's

With a Celestion GB12 or a Hellatone 12-30 the V-Ampire will be the most flexible,  it will record better than most any VST's or hardware Modelers , it will edit deeper than any modeling amp with the exception of the Line 6 Vetta's, I own 2 they are very reliable and easy to use. They are not real loud, but do have an extension cab out.............They are cheap. 

The ART DST's will sound the most raw and real.............

My experience with Line 6 has been pretty good as well while not as deep as the V-Ampire it is louder and even easier to use ...............

For me the Vox modeling stuff is OK some guys love 'em some hate 'em..........

I currently have the Tone Lab St and I have it shelved for the V-Amp Pro.........



Check 'em all out and have some fun with it.

good luck