What amp to get?

[kevinweeeeeeeee]

Hellooooooo there.
yes i know, first post, but i've been reading intently to the posts. ^^
once again, let me apologize in advance if i'm posting in the wrong forum.

okay.
so basically, i'm looking for an amp.
either head/cab or combo...i'm quite flexible on this, although head/cab looks VERY COOL imo.
my budget is around 500? i guess, maybe i could strech a bit.
as for the sound i'm aiming for, i'm not too sure if there's a name for it. :/
but i absolutely idolize John Frusciante. ex-guitarist of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
although i'm sure it's near impossible to achieve his sound since he uses some vintage marshall amps.
and vintage guitars like his 62 and 55 strat & his 63? tele.
alright, so i guess i need an tube amp that can do great, bright cleans, and accept pedals well.
yes i've recently really gotten into tube amps. not just because people praise it a lot as compared to their solid state counterparts. but because i've tried a few(not sure about the specific models) but the sound that comes out is truly more defined, as i call it, which...me likey.
my dream rig, is a vintage fender telecaster with (this amp that you all could possibly help me find!)
yes, i don't mind if i have to save up more to get this 'magical' amp.
i don't really need it to be very loud, probably bedroom levels?
unless i perform in school, which i have on multiple occasions with the school's acoustic guitar, mic-ed.
and if i were to perform with an electric guitar, i'd probably just mic this amp.
i don't really need much distortion or anything (hence the desire for a telecaster)
the heaviest i'd get would be some of the older RHCP stuff.
but i'm quite sure the pedals(which i wish i had) could settle.
probably a boss DS2 or EHX big muff pi. JUST LIKE JOHN FRUSCIANTE!
i really like john mayer's stuff too, a pinch of blues and rock blended together.
well i've done SOME research actually, like i've been rather intrigued by the vox ac4tv.
it seems small and cool & i've heard that it takes pedals really well, to accompany it's cheerful clean sound.

yes, i know that's quite a lot of random and unnecessary stuff, sorry.
but i hope that i'll be able to meet my dream amp soon. and slowly work towards my dream rig.
as according to my friend "even if you've got the best guitar and pedals, it's still going to sound like yesterday's rubbish if your amp's a pile of mess"
so yeah, i know i'm quite 'forward-looking' considering i don't even have a fender telecaster, just an okayokay cort fat-strat copy which is doing okay for my at the moment, since i've yet to go mad on improvising and raping my fretboard and all, but yeah baby steps.
Thank you!

 

[kevinweeeeeeeee]

awww crap. no one's replying. ):
please help me. if there's any information lacking just ask.
i'll do my best to fill in the necessary information.
but i'll be away at camp till friday, hope i get some replies by then. :\

 

[illegaltender]

I recommend the Vox Lil Night Train.

As you are going to play in school it should be loud enough for the class room. If you are going to play in the hall, you can hoold the lil night train up to the PA and use it as the cabs.

 

[lokiregnarok]

hmm.. why don't u summarise ur 1st post.. ppl nowadays hate wordy stuffs. =) very lengthy and wordy post will cause to reader to lose track while reading..

 

[kevinweeeeeeeee]

I recommend the Vox Lil Night Train.

As you are going to play in school it should be loud enough for the class room. If you are going to play in the hall, you can hoold the lil night train up to the PA and use it as the cabs.

hi! thank you for the suggestion.
uhm but i heard that the whole Vox Nighttrain/Lilnighttrain series is more suited to rock and stuff.
i mean i do love rock too, but not too much that i'd need to reach metal, because i don't do metal at all.
anyway have you tried it yet? i personally have not :x but i'd definitely go down to city music to try out the Lil Night train.
because i'm just afraid that it cannot do a clean sound very well :\
& does it handle pedals well? eg. ibanez wah, some overdrive and light distortion.
please & thank you!

hmm.. why don't u summarise ur 1st post.. ppl nowadays hate wordy stuffs. =) very lengthy and wordy post will cause to reader to lose track while reading..

hahaha okay. no problem!
sorry i just started this whole 'posting on the internet for opinions' things
and anyway for me, since i've been browsing through these forums quite a bit, i've never really mind long posts.hahaha but i guess personal preferences.
okay to summarize for you all :
1) Looking for a Tube Amp
2) Bedroom levels w/ ability to hook up to PA system
3) Handle cleans well, if it can handle rock then it's a bonus!
4) Accepts pedals well.
5) If you know anywhere where i could try it, feel free to suggest.

Please & thank you!

 

[mightyboy88]

i think if u are looking to play outside of home, unless you have vehicle transport it is going to be really difficult to get your amplifier to the venue, especially if it has amp/cab, unless its like a one watt amp?

but nevertheless hope u can find your dream amp soon

 

[funky-one]

Get a Blackstar HT-5 head with a 1x12 cabinet. This 5w tube amp is great coz you can get both Marshall-like or Mesa-like tones with the ISF Knob.

Versatile tube amp

I personally use that set up. You can go check it out at WoodWorkz.

Good luck!

 

[lokiregnarok]

Get a Blackstar HT-5 head with a 1x12 cabinet. This 5w tube amp is great coz you can get both Marshall-like or Mesa-like tones with the ISF Knob.

Versatile tube amp

I personally use that set up. You can go check it out at WoodWorkz.

Good luck!

Blackstar HT-5 is gud.. But I think it is a bit pricey ryt? Cant remember the exact figure so i m not sure the whole thing is be accquired in $500.

You may consider this as well.
http://standardvalue.com.sg/store/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=492 << This is tube and oso very small in size. Only flaw.. it lacks a mid-tone control
I can tell you very honestly that Sound Drive is a good stuff but just underrated here.

 

[Godspeed64]

At that budget there's not many good tube amps you can get.

Problem with the AC4tv is the lack of clean headroom, and a very muddy distortion. In fact most people believe the simple Pathfinder 15R does the Vox thing better than the AC4tv.
Lil Night Train is a better option, but likewise the headroom is not much. And regarding the modern Vox amps (the NT series), they can be set to sound very closely to its AC counterparts in the Bright mode, and in Thick does a very good British crunch. In short it's an all-rounded amp, only problem is that this toggle is not footswitchable (only the latest NT announced in NAMM 2011 is).

So, at that budget, you're better off looking at 2nd hand amps, and if possible, widen your budget a little more to include: Blackstar HT5, Fender Pro Jr, Laney LC15R.
If you insist on the budget, do check out the Epiphone Valve Jr as it does great cleans, is a wonderful modding platform, and takes pedals well.

If you are more open to solid states, you can proceed to some very very decent solid state amps which IMO is more worth it compared to a low-end tube amp. If you intend to go this route, check out Roland Cube series, Roland Blues Cube (discontinued), Randall RG, Vox VT, Vox Pathfinder 15R and Sound Drive amps.

 

[kevinweeeeeeeee]

i think if u are looking to play outside of home, unless you have vehicle transport it is going to be really difficult to get your amplifier to the venue, especially if it has amp/cab, unless its like a one watt amp?

but nevertheless hope u can find your dream amp soon

Hi!
uhm. i don't think the transportation is much of a problem if it's not larger than a 2x12 cab.
(which btw is the largest size i want)
anything larger is just (toomuch) for me to handle.
hahaha i hope you get what i mean.
thanks for the heads-up on that though!

Get a Blackstar HT-5 head with a 1x12 cabinet. This 5w tube amp is great coz you can get both Marshall-like or Mesa-like tones with the ISF Knob.

Versatile tube amp

I personally use that set up. You can go check it out at WoodWorkz.

Good luck!

Hi! hahaha i visited the blackstar website.
seems pretty cool for a 1 watt amp.hahha
but what really confused me was the ISF knob.what exactly does it do? :x
thank you for the suggestion by the way!

Blackstar HT-5 is gud.. But I think it is a bit pricey ryt? Cant remember the exact figure so i m not sure the whole thing is be accquired in $500.

You may consider this as well.
http://standardvalue.com.sg/store/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=492 << This is tube and oso very small in size. Only flaw.. it lacks a mid-tone control
I can tell you very honestly that Sound Drive is a good stuff but just underrated here.

Hi! i checked out your link.
that seems like the perfect thing!
including the 12" cab that is.
i'll go down and try it out soon!
have you personally had some intense sound-listening done with this amp?
hahaha. & does it accept distortion/overdrive pedals well?
&&& i like the whole see-the-tube-glow thing.
it's super cool!
but one question : what's the 'effector loop jack (send return)' for? :x
hahaha okay thank you for the suggestion!
definitely going to try this soon

At that budget there's not many good tube amps you can get.

Problem with the AC4tv is the lack of clean headroom, and a very muddy distortion. In fact most people believe the simple Pathfinder 15R does the Vox thing better than the AC4tv.
Lil Night Train is a better option, but likewise the headroom is not much. And regarding the modern Vox amps (the NT series), they can be set to sound very closely to its AC counterparts in the Bright mode, and in Thick does a very good British crunch. In short it's an all-rounded amp, only problem is that this toggle is not footswitchable (only the latest NT announced in NAMM 2011 is).

So, at that budget, you're better off looking at 2nd hand amps, and if possible, widen your budget a little more to include: Blackstar HT5, Fender Pro Jr, Laney LC15R.
If you insist on the budget, do check out the Epiphone Valve Jr as it does great cleans, is a wonderful modding platform, and takes pedals well.

If you are more open to solid states, you can proceed to some very very decent solid state amps which IMO is more worth it compared to a low-end tube amp. If you intend to go this route, check out Roland Cube series, Roland Blues Cube (discontinued), Randall RG, Vox VT, Vox Pathfinder 15R and Sound Drive amps.

Hi! whoa that's a chunk of info you've got there.
hahaha
well i read that the Laney LC15R is more of a rock - metal amp that can't do cleans very wells :\
so i guess that's out.
i've also checked out the Epiphone Valve Jr.
heard some good things about it!
not sure if i should get the combo or the head/cab version
but i'm sure they both sound great.
i'll find a way to try out one soon.
as for the last para..uhm i don't think so luh.
i'm trying to stay away from the digital evil of solid states. :x
more of a personal preference/feeling kind of thing.
thank you for all the information about Vox and many other wonderful amps!
you're amazing!

 

[carboxymoron]

what's the 'effector loop jack (send return)' for?

The effects loop is a point (usually) between the pre-amp and power amp parts of your tube amp, where you can place your effects. Meaning your signal will go like this:
guitar > pre-amp > effects pedals > power amp > speakers
Some people prefer this so that the guitar goes direct to the pre-amp and supposedly shapes the tone first, before going to your effects like delay or reverb.

If you don't use the effects loop or your amp doesn't have one, then you just put your effects "in front" of the amp, like this:
guitar > effects pedals > (everything in the amp)

There are pros and cons to both approaches and if your amp has an effects loop it's worth experimenting with different effects there, if not then don't worry about it.

digital evil of solid states.

I got nothing more to add except to point out that solid state has NOTHING to do with digital. Solid state amps use transistors instead of vacuum tubes to do the same job with the electrical signals coming from your guitar. Good luck in your search!

 

[MadWerewolfBoy]

heyya! sorry to break your bubble but here's from my own experience

1) 5 watt tube amps do not have enough clean headroom to achieve a volume for a school hall even with mic-ups.
2) sadly, 5 watt tubes and below are the only amps near your budget.

IF you still insist on a tube amp, try your best to up your budget a lil to get a Blackstar HT-5 combo (10" driver, ie speaker size)
-combos are 200% more convenient to transport around compared to head+cab
-the ht-5 is a very versitile amp, in short, the ISF extreme left and right changes the amp's voicing to british (eg jcm 800) & american (eg dual rec)
-tube dynamics are there when you push it up to past 12 o'clock, but that's way past bed room level, more of jamming studio level

IF you must get an amp that can still do good cleans at sch hall stage-sized venues, get either a Line6 Spider IV 75 (12" combo) or a Vox VT80+ (12" combo)
-these 2 amps are the don't-know-what-eth generation of amp modelling solid states and i find them able to achieve realistic tube amp tones
-the feel is not exactly like a tube amp (as with most modellers), but it's not bad
-you will be able to get good tones no matter the volume, from toilet volume to fort canning volume, you're guaranteed pristine cleans that will accept pedals well


ALTERNATIVELY, like me on a tight budget with much focus on bringing my "rig / tone" everywhere i go, get a Line 6 Pod HD300 / HD400 and all your tone woes are permanently solved. just need to pray that the venue has a above average PA system and you will sound like steve vai / joe satch / john frusciante whatever. and i swear, the amp modellers on this thing feels like a tube amp more than any other modellers i've tried.

 

[kevinweeeeeeeee]

@carboxymoron
thank you!
i'll definitely read up more on the pros & cons.
as for the second part : sorry! i really should learn before i say anything like that :\
thanks for effector loop info!

@MadWerewolfBoy
it's okay!
well i'm sure i can break my budget actually, because like i said, this is just the planning stage.
the time when i actually get the amp can be adjusted hahaha.
i don't really mind waiting extra to save up more.
after all, the plan was to get an amp that stays!
i've looked up the Blackstar HT-5 Combo & it seems really interesting.
although i'm going to try the Sound Drive Tube-7 Head & SP-112 Cab first.
as you said the Line6 Spider IV 75 (12" combo) or a Vox VT80+ (12" combo) are able to achieve realistic tube amp tones.
i guess i'll give them a go too.hahaha
i'm quite open to opinions at the moment.
oh and the things about the Line 6 Multi FX boards.
i guess those are pretty cool too.
Not really my thing.. but i'll give them a go.
see if they match up to some 'stand-alone' pedals which i've been meaning to get.
thank you for all the suggestions man!

 

[Godspeed64]

If you say Laney is for rock and metal, by God you've never listened to Burgerman's demos on Youtube.
The Blackstar is more catered to the higher gain territory, but can deliver in the clean department as well.

And please no more delusional thoughts about 'solid state' amps and generalising them. They're excellent, and in fact much much more feasible clean platforms since that's what you want. Use a low wattage TUBE amp and you're limited by the clean headroom, and using any form of dirt pedal will cause the tubes to break up at a lower level/volume.

If you want GREAT cleans, and want a TUBE amp, then your budget has to be twice that amount AT LEAST. If you want GREAT cleans, at THAT budget, then a solid state amp.

 

[subversion]

if you wish to maintain the clean head room at insane volume levels- the bass amp would help.

 

[kevinweeeeeeeee]

If you say Laney is for rock and metal, by God you've never listened to Burgerman's demos on Youtube.
The Blackstar is more catered to the higher gain territory, but can deliver in the clean department as well.

And please no more delusional thoughts about 'solid state' amps and generalising them. They're excellent, and in fact much much more feasible clean platforms since that's what you want. Use a low wattage TUBE amp and you're limited by the clean headroom, and using any form of dirt pedal will cause the tubes to break up at a lower level/volume.

sorry about that. i should really search for demos and read up more before i say anything. :\

If you want GREAT cleans, and want a TUBE amp, then your budget has to be twice that amount AT LEAST. If you want GREAT cleans, at THAT budget, then a solid state amp.

well. i guess i could wait.
i probably need to find out more about the difference between a small tube amp, a large tube amp and a good solid state amp.
thank you for the tips!

if you wish to maintain the clean head room at insane volume levels- the bass amp would help.

uhhh.idk
i've never played a guitar through a bass amp before :x
sorry.