Help Picking an Amp

[absolutexenocide]

I just bought my first guitar, which is a 2005 Yngwie Malmsteen Signature Strat...except I don't have an amp to plug it into. I'll probably be borrowing my friend's small, cheap Danelectro until I find one for myself. Nevertheless, I have to start thinking about what to get. I'm setting my budget at about $500, and I'm looking for an amp to play mostly in my house and dorm room...so it doesn't have to be loud, but I do want it to have the best sound quality possible. I'm interested in neoclassical and metal, as well as some classic rock and blues. I want to focus mainly on distortion, but some clean-tone as well.

 

Any input is appreciated. I haven't played on many amps, and admit that I don't know much about them.

[AeroG33k]

An epiphone valve junior head with a cab and an overdrive pedal should be within your budget. Most people really seem to like it and that way you can have a good versatile TUBE amp, which makes quite a bit of a difference to solid state. I think the peavey classic 30 is another great and moderately priced (but slightly over $500 I think) tube amp with great sound. I almost got that before I decided to get my Gibson amp instead.

[absolutexenocide]

By the way, I'll probably be shopping used--mostly on ebay, which will stretch my budget a little higher, because things tend to go for about 60-70% of the new price if you buy used on ebay. I've heard the Peavey Classic 30 mentioned a few times in another thread...so it must be a good amp. I'll look into it. Also, my $500 budget is just for the amp--any pedals and other equipment I'll set aside other money for. I just don't want to be putting a grand into an amp the same way I did my guitar--especially because I don't plan on doing any gigging anytime soon.

[Ol Boy Rivers]

Allright...Im going to do something i never thought i would do...SUGGEST A SOLIDSTATE AMP, THERE I SAID IT!! The Line6 Spyder amps are pretty cool man. Theyve got...Fairly good tone, And distortion that could keep up with Metal. Now...Im not so sure on your choice of instrument for metal...But like the 1-10 spyder has fourchannles and a butload of effects for under 300!!! Look into it man, They are awsome little beginer amps.

[strangedogs]

Yeah thats a good SS amp for ya'... I have tube and SS amps - it's all good

[Guitarzan]

if you want to have good tone at low and loud volumes and don't want to deal with tubes, look for a used Yamaha DG80 or DG100 on ebay. they come equipped with real celestions and are very versatile. tube amps are great but not cheap. though the epi valve jr head is making some big waves from what i hear.

[picker]

IF you wanna keep the noise down in the dorm room but still get decent tones, you might look into a Roland Micro Cube. There go for about $130, they have a wide selection of tones from clean to insane, they have good sounding effects built in, and they only have about 2 watts. They're are very small, so they won't take up precious real estate in a dorm room, and they sound pretty wonderful. You could never really play out with one unless you were working with a PA that had great monitors, and forget jaming with anyone who has anything bigger, but for the purposes you stated, it would work reallly well.

[Gifthorse]

Peavey Classic.

[Xplorer]

Originally posted by Picker:

IF you wanna keep the noise down in the dorm room but still get decent tones, you might look into a Roland Micro Cube. There go for about $130, they have a wide selection of tones from clean to insane, they have good sounding effects built in, and they only have about 2 watts. They're are very small, so they won't take up precious real estate in a dorm room, and they sound pretty wonderful. You could never really play out with one unless you were working with a PA that had great monitors, and forget jaming with anyone who has anything bigger, but for the purposes you stated, it would work reallly well.

I second Pickers comment. Micro Cube all the way. With the left over budget money, buy the Epiphone Valve JR Combo and an A/B switch, then save up for a tube screamer and you'll be laughing in the face of tone.

Even better,

Guitar->A/B switch A->Micro Cube; B->Tube Screamer-> Valve JR Head & Triggerman Cab or open back 2x10 cab.

[BillWelcome Home Studios]

Vox Brian May Model

 

Fender Blues Jr

 

Reverend Goblin

 

Fender Champion 600 or 800

 

Silvertone 1300

 

$500 buys a lot of amp, particularly if you buy used. For a few bucks more... THD UniValve.

 

Bill

[fantasticsound]

All this talk of tube amps and several avatars of vintage amps sent me to Ebay in search of some bargains. I looked up vintage Gibson GA amps and found this GA-6 auction . The seller was such a jerk to two people who posted comments clarifying what he has and a misleading bit of information in the auction I almost sent a comment that he should stop harping on people trying to help and just say, "Thank you." I thought better of that and returned to the search results.

 

The next item is listed GA-6 GIBSON Rare Antique Krups Coffee Maker!!! and sports the same opening bid, buy-it-now price and shipping as the GA-6 auction above it.

 

I entered and it's absolutely hilarious, especially the comments below. (Mine is the 9th comment, I believe.)

 

Check both out for a good laugh!

[AeroG33k]

LOL!

[Xplorer]

fantasicsound, that is absolutley hilarious!! You just made my day!

[fantasticsound]

Glad to be of service!

[Ol Boy Rivers]

Ok, Just reading this. YES! The micro cube is once more an awsome SOLIDSTATE DIGITAL MODELING amp. Its small, Portible by battery, HAs ALOT of obtions, And you can use it in your bathroom, C'mon. For a first amp i allways say " Get something that lets anyone play any kind of music through it " And for that reason, The Digital Modlers are allways...*Coughs* A good choice.

[Mudcat]

I am endorsing the Spyder amps from Line 6 because:

• They do metal sounds well.
  
• Their clean sounds are reasonably good too.
  
• Volume is not an issue for you, so their (allegedly) ho-hum power amp section is not a problem.
  
• They have reasonably good effects built-in.
  
• They can be had for cheap, especially used.
  
• You will have no problem selling it if/when you decide you want more amp.
  

 

 

BTW - Does your Strat have scalloped frets? If so, are you having any trouble adapting to them?

[mdrs]

Fender Blues Junior.....one of the best amps I've ever played that would fit the bill for you. It plays sweet clean, and dirtys up nicely! You can play it at low dB's, and it's relatively small and portable. You might also see if you can find a used Fender Champ......some of them can be found at reasonable prices, and sound really cool. I can play one in my living room at midnight, and not wake anyone up.

 

Don

[Tone Taster]

That peavey classic 30 is at 16 Ohms and is too loud for dorm rooms

 

The blues junior won't give you the neo-classical metal thing even w/ a pedal

 

the epiphone valve junior at 5 W w/ a crunch pedal would be ideal, but it seems that people have to do 2 to 300 bucks in mods to get the optimum tone

 

SINCE YOU MENTIONED (whoops) wanting clean and dirty, is channel switching desired?

 

Or are you satisfied turning the knobs each time for your clean sound and then resetting to dirty?

 

If you don't want to do that, and you want to switch from clean to dirty, then the THD univalve is out, although that amp is EXCEPTIONAL for both tones

 

It seems like for what you want (clean to dirty-dorm room, etc. . ), the Cube amp mentioned is it

 

The spyder has really harsh weasley distortion sounds on any setting in comparison to the Cube

[mdrs]

neoclassical/metal.....is possible on a Blues Jr.....set it up clean, and use one of these;

 

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Boss-MT2-Metal-Zone-Effects-Pedal?sku=151328

 

And, still under budget!

 

Don

[Tone Taster]

I do not disagree that the BluesJr. has a good tone. In fact, I WANT ONE !!

 

But for this kid, he is probably going to want to goof off w/some effects and distortion and all those footpedals will clog up precious dorm space

[Ol Boy Rivers]

I agree with yZe on this one. For NeoMetal a phaser or a cool chorus Flang allways sounded pretty awsome. The BluesJr is a MACHINE When it comes to tone...But i dont think it will cut it juuuusut enough, Even with a Metalzone or even an UberMetal. I stick behind my first too suggestions, Line6 Spyder ( Which if you buy the 210 will give you the ability to switch channles as well as even MORE sound Obtions ) Or the Micro cube ( Which someone said sounded better then the Line6, But you loose the channleswitching ability as well as a little bit of Air-pushin' power. )

[Tone Taster]

Originally posted by Ol' Boy Rivers:

, But you loose the channleswitching ability as well as a little bit of Air-pushin' power. )

Maybe less power, but a friend of mine had a multibutton footswitch hooked up to his micro cube

[Ol Boy Rivers]

ooOOOooo mabye its the microcube with the 10 or 12 inch speaker that has switching ability. Ill look into it a little bit and see what the HooHa is.