Amp Trials

Guitar Toad

Guitar Toad

Toadily Stratologist
How long does it take you to determine whether an amp is the right amp for you? Let's say you want a Blues Junior or a Bogner Shiva or a Laney LC30R or a Marshall JCM 800 and the local shop has 3 of the one you want. How long will it take you decide which of the three is the best pick?
 
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Re: Amp Trials

Guitar Toad said:
How long does it take you to determine whether an amp is the right amp for you? Let's say you want a Blues Junior or a Bogner Shiva or a Laney LC30R or a Marshall JCM 800 and the local shop has 3 of the one you want. How long will it take you decide which of the three is the best pick?
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You play them with your guitar(s) and pedal(s) and you figure out which one you want the most. It might take a few minutes, it might take an hour or more.
 
Re: Amp Trials

as long as it takes is what it's gonna take!!! take your time and try out everything...every channel and every feature and if it feels nice to you that should be the one...oh and even more importantly...IF IT FEELS NICE TO YOUR BACK HAHHAH!!! BTW i heard EVH or someone would get to the store early when it opened and he would turn every amp on and tell the guys from the store to leave em that way...then when the store was closing he would get there and if any one of those suckers still worked perfectly hed buy that one...dunno if its true though...
 
Re: Amp Trials

Hmmm, with my amp i tried almost ever one in town... then bought a used one id never played before from my guitar teacher... it rocks
 
Re: Amp Trials

There's no set time

I think you should play it 2 or 3 times (space it a few days between at least 2 of them), and do some A/B's if they are expensive.

MOST IMPORTANT - Take someone with you. I get overhyped on things til someone I trust is in the room with me.
 
Re: Amp Trials

Usually in the first 15mins of dialing it in and seing how it interacts with me...

some tips and a rant:

Play them with your #1 guitar & cab if possible or atleast play one of the same or similar models locally first...

I cannot stress that enough!!! I've taken home a few amps and played them with my gear and just was not feeling them...

I also wait for the drool fest and honeymoon periods to wear off...no matter how pretty it is and how much you like it because its new to you...It can all change in the long run after the romance changes

I've returned amps I thought i'd never need too because they just didnt gel with my guitars, speakers and pickups...or after a bit tehy just didnt complete the biggerpicture tonally

-Peavey ultra plus and 5150 and XXX
-Crate Blue Voodoo
-Mesa Stiletto (more so a money issue @$950 it maxed out my CC)
-Crate Club 50

all gotten at GC sans the mesa for $200-$350 US...all just did'nt work out because I A. did'nt try them with my guitars or cab or B. once the wow fatcor went away I just wasnt feeling it...
 
Re: Amp Trials

it takes 10 minutes for me to "hear" if it's tight or not!
i test
1)Hi-gain /crunch sensitivity
2)Heavy olam muted riffing.very slow ,slow ,fast and very fast.
3)I test it with a booster/od/distortion
4)i play lead and tap some notes to hear how it reacts.
I do all of the steps with tweaking.i tweak the hell out of them if i think they are worth to try!
 
Re: Amp Trials

OlinMusic said:
MOST IMPORTANT - Take someone with you. I get overhyped on things til someone I trust is in the room with me.
Click to expand...

+1000

But I'll add to that, make sure its someone who doesn't Play guitar, Or at least doesn't know ANYTHING about gear. That way if they say something sounds better that something else, you'll know its because it actually DOES. Rather than takeing the other guitarist in your band an him saying it sounds amazing Simply because he thinks "Its a JCM800 an everyone says those sound good, and Zakk wylde uses one. So this must be what good sounds like." ya know? Someone that doesn't know anything about gear isn't gonna have they're opinon biased because of Brand, or endorsements, or whatever, like another guitarist will.
 
Re: Amp Trials

You buy an amp to fit your needs. You don't need a 100-watt Jimi Hendrix Limited Edition Marshall for a bedroom amp. A professional usually needs several amps to cover various situations.

You should always play an amp in the store with YOUR guitar, YOUR cords, YOUR pedals. If you are buying a head, you need to play it with the cabinet you will be using. If you can, the acid test is playing it on-stage with your band at a gig.

You need to make realistic assessments about what your needs really are. And you need to make sure, that you think about issues like, "How am I going to get my JCM800 full-stack to my gig in my Geo Metro?" Will it fit in your car, along with all the other stuff you need on a gig? "Little things" like that can be major factors when living with an amp.

Bill
 
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