Bought a new amp!

[Lazarus1140]

Re: Bought a new amp!

Lew

I'm glad you found something that works for you. Low volume playing can be a challenge.

The only church around here that I am familiar with has tube amps that are built by one of the guitar players blasting away and mic'd in another room so the loudest thing on stage is the raw vocals and everyone has in-ear monitors.

I'd like to try one of the more modern SS or digital amps just to see what they're all about, but I'll probably stay with tubes as long as I can. It's like having a wife you love or something. You might see a younger, feature laden model that is very attractive, but you wouldn't necessarily consider trading in your sweetheart for one.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Bought a new amp!

Lew

I'm glad you found something that works for you. Low volume playing can be a challenge.

The only church around here that I am familiar with has tube amps that are built by one of the guitar players blasting away and mic'd in another room so the loudest thing on stage is the raw vocals and everyone has in-ear monitors.

I'd like to try one of the more modern SS or digital amps just to see what they're all about, but I'll probably stay with tubes as long as I can. It's like having a wife you love or something. You might see a younger, feature laden model that is very attractive, but you wouldn't necessarily consider trading in your sweetheart for one.

Hey Laz! I only bought it for these extremely low volume gigs I've been doing and for playing at home now that we've moved down from the mountains and bought a small Townhouse...in town.

Our church is not a typical church. It's very "new thought" if you know what I mean.

But I do wish they'd let us rock out a little more. Some of the more traditional churches rock out at a lot more volume than we do.

Anyways, this Mustang III will be useful for the low volume gigs...and when I get to turn it up again I'll bring a Deluxe Reverb or two.

And a great Dumble emulation pedal I've been using from Mad Professor: the Simble.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Bought a new amp!

I liked the Line 6 Spider IV and it excelled at super overdriven metal tones but the clean tones were lacking.

Well I'll tell you what: if you go check out one of these Mustang II or III amps, you might be saying: "If I'd have only listened to Lew sooner!"

I went the Line 6 Spider IV route a little while ago, and it works for home practice, so that I'm not putting a lot of wear on tubes. I don't play totally clean, and don't use lots of distortion either. More like blues overdrive. Geez, who knows, maybe I should have listed to you sooner, but I don't own any Fender guitars, so the clean Strat sound doesn't do anything for me.

Glad you're excited about your amp. What a testimonial. This thread needs to be turned into a Fender ad.

 

[LesStrat]

Re: Bought a new amp!

:bigok:

So, it's 250k pots into a Mustang amp, right?

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Bought a new amp!

:bigok:

So, it's 250k pots into a Mustang amp, right?

When I'm playing a Strat or Tele? Yes.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Bought a new amp!

I went the Line 6 Spider IV route a little while ago, and it works for home practice, so that I'm not putting a lot of wear on tubes. I don't play totally clean, and don't use lots of distortion either. More like blues overdrive. Geez, who knows, maybe I should have listed to you sooner, but I don't own any Fender guitars, so the clean Strat sound doesn't do anything for me.

Glad you're excited about your amp. What a testimonial. This thread needs to be turned into a Fender ad.

I wanted the Line 6 because the other guitarist in our band sounds great through his. But almost everyone wanted to talk me into the Mustang III.

And they were right because the clean tones are better. But the Line 6 Spyder IV overdrive and Modern Marshall tones were terrific.

I was tempted. But I don't really play that style except for fun once in a while.

 

[Diego]

Re: Bought a new amp!

Glad you liked it. I recently tried a Mustang head (Mustang IV, I think) with its 4x12 cab and the sounds were pretty incredible, actually.
It's way, way ahead of my poor Cube 60.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Bought a new amp!

Glad you liked it. I recently tried a Mustang head (Mustang IV, I think) with its 4x12 cab and the sounds were pretty incredible, actually.
It's way, way ahead of my poor Cube 60.

. Hi Diego...nice to hear from you!

That would be the Mustang V. It's a stereo head with 75 watts per side. Wish I could have tried one. Couldn't find one in stock anywhere.

 

[Diego]

Re: Bought a new amp!

And BTW, I see no reason why digital/modeling won't catch and destroy tube amps in a short to medium time-frame.
What on Earth makes you guys think that it can't be matched?

We're in times where I can post stuff here from the top of a mountain. I can take pictures in Rio's Christ and you guys will see it in Tennesse in a split second.
Technology is absolutely nuts at this point and if tubes in guitar music haven't been rendered fully obsolete it's just because it's not as profitable as smartphones or something like that.

Just a matter of time, people. Just wait.

 

[Demanic]

Re: Bought a new amp!

Ones and Zeroes.

Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Bought a new amp!

And BTW, I see no reason why digital/modeling won't catch and destroy tube amps in a short to medium time-frame.
What on Earth makes you guys think that it can't be matched?

We're in times where I can post stuff here from the top of a mountain. I can take pictures in Rio's Christ and you guys will see it in Tennesse in a split second.
Technology is absolutely nuts at this point and if tubes in guitar music haven't been rendered fully obsolete it's just because it's not as profitable as smartphones or something like that.

Just a matter of time, people. Just wait.

You're right. I think we've already reached that day. They just need to get the cost of the super high end modeling amps down and then it'll be all over.

 

[Diego]

Re: Bought a new amp!

You're right. I think we've already reached that day. They just need to get the cost of the super high end modeling amps down and then it'll be all over.

I recently tried the AMT Stonehead, and while it's an analog modeling amp, it's still an amazing, tiny and quad-channel 50W head that can do anything.
I don't understand why you'd be skeptical about technology. Just look around. It's mad.

 

[Demanic]

Re: Bought a new amp!

I always wanted to try one of those 200 watt SS lunchbox heads through my 4x12 with a good guitar and set of pedals in front.

Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk

 

[dystrust]

Re: Bought a new amp!

I haven't tried a Kemper, but I've actually played through an Axe FX and the tone / feel is amazing. That being said, I'm not really interested in getting one for a few reasons. First of all, depreciation. The Axe Ultra was $2500 when it first came out, and they routinely sell for $1000-1400 now that the Axe II is available. How much are they going to be worth when the Axe III comes out? Second, serviceability. If something goes wrong with my Marshall Jubilee a competent tech can fix it. OTOH if something goes wrong with an Axe FX and it's out of warranty, it's a paperweight. Maybe it's a bit of my inner hippie coming out, but I don't like the idea of disposable amplifiers.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Bought a new amp!

I haven't tried a Kemper, but I've actually played through an Axe FX and the tone / feel is amazing. That being said, I'm not really interested in getting one for a few reasons. First of all, depreciation. The Axe Ultra was $2500 when it first came out, and they routinely sell for $1000-1400 now that the Axe II is available. How much are they going to be worth when the Axe III comes out? Second, serviceability. If something goes wrong with my Marshall Jubilee a competent tech can fix it. OTOH if something goes wrong with an Axe FX and it's out of warranty, it's a paperweight. Maybe it's a bit of my inner hippie coming out, but I don't like the idea of disposable amplifiers.

That's something nice about the Mustang III. When it dies five or 10 years from now I'll be out $329 but I'll probably be ready for the Mustang IX by then anyway. Amps now are like buying a computer or tv or phone. You toss it and get a new one when the time comes and by then you're ready for for the next new thing. Very different mind set than for old collect able Fenders and Marshalls. My '51 Super is 64 years old and I wouldn't dream of throwing it out. Besides, it works perfectly.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Bought a new amp!

Amps now are like buying a computer or tv or phone. You toss it and get a new one when the time comes and by then you're ready for for the next new thing. Very different mind set than for old collectable Fenders and Marshalls.

+1. I had an amp tech tell me that. He said a lot of amp's today aren't designed to be worked on; they're made to be disposed of and replaced when they have problems. From a manufacturer's point-of-view, why make amps that last for 50+ years? They sell a guy one and never see him again. They'd rather sell him several over the course of his playing years. They can double or triple sales that way.

 

[DankStar]

Re: Bought a new amp!

I always liked the modellers I've had. Whether they'll replace every "real" amp out there I dunno about that, but there's no excuse now to use some crappy old practice amp with like 1 bad sound anymore huh!

I'll have to watch the A/B video you put up here with the fenders side by side. I know with my modeller, it does a pretty good Roland JC emulation...until I plug into the real one. There's a depth & response in the real one that is missing in the modeller. But if I recorded it and told you it was a Roland you may believe me. I'm going to do a shootout soon; I'd like to sell the roland for space purposes, but not if I can't replicate it almost to a T.

 

[guitfiddle]

Re: Bought a new amp!

I once had a Mustang I save my butt at a pair of gigs when my Pro Junior died...I set it to the over-driven Bassman setting and it sounded fine through the PA. Not loud enough to hear myself with the amp in addition to the monitors, but the MIII would solve that nicely. At $329, I'm tempted...

 

[Myaccount876]

Re: Bought a new amp!

Sorry, but I think the Line 6 Spider IV (or any of the earlier models) sound like ass. I had one for years - don't miss it in the slightest. Way better amps for the price, whether tube, solid state, or digital. I could only ever recommend the Spider for someone to experiment with what type of amp they'd be interested in, and then find an actual amp suited for that need.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Bought a new amp!

Sorry, but I think the Line 6 Spider IV (or any of the earlier models) sound like ass. I had one for years - don't miss it in the slightest. Way better amps for the price, whether tube, solid state, or digital. I could only ever recommend the Spider for someone to experiment with what type of amp they'd be interested in, and then find an actual amp suited for that need.

The Line 6 IV doesn't sound like ass - not by a long shot.

But the Mustang III, IV and V do sound better to me and the III has 100 presets that can be modified and then stored as a new preset.

Truth be told, of those 100 presets I only found 15 that appealed to me.

But then you take one of those presets and maybe remove the chorus or turn down the reverb or turn up the bass or remove the Rat or Tubescreamer or just change the settings on the Rat or Tubescreamer and then you store it.

Pretty amazing technology.