Can You Recommend a Good Small Practice Combo?

[Aceman]

Re: Can You Recommend a Good Small Practice Combo?

You know - this thread reminds me of how much my Peavey Backstage 20 practice combo sucked.

Today, awesome stuff is available in 5-30 watts tube, combo or mini-head, solid state with or without fx, drums/backing tracks, and channel switching, and modeling to the extreme from a Cube/Valvetronix/Spider/Vyper to a POD.

All > Peavey Backstage 20 A Peavey Rage 158 kicks @$$ compared to that old heap of junk.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Can You Recommend a Good Small Practice Combo?

For $30 more than a Fender Frontman, try the new Peavey Vypyr VIP series. I just got a the smallest one (a VIP 1) and it has everything most people would need for practice. It sounds really good too- better than the Mustangs, and way better than the Frontman (which I replaced).

Check them out here.

 

[Jeff5]

Re: Can You Recommend a Good Small Practice Combo?

The Blackstar HT-5 fits everything you described. It's a great little amp.

 

[Franknfilms]

Re: Can You Recommend a Good Small Practice Combo?

The Blackstar HT-5 fits everything you described. It's a great little amp.

+1, there is no need for a modeling amp now that affordable tube amps like this exist. The isf will let you dial in different amp voices, the heavy gain sounds great, the cleans are very clean unless you crank it up with a drummer, in which case it is still a great sounding channel with breakup. The tweaker is a nice option too, but no footswitch. The blackstar has everything.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Can You Recommend a Good Small Practice Combo?

+1, there is no need for a modeling amp now that affordable tube amps like this exist. The isf will let you dial in different amp voices, the heavy gain sounds great, the cleans are very clean unless you crank it up with a drummer, in which case it is still a great sounding channel with breakup. The tweaker is a nice option too, but no footswitch. The blackstar has everything.

Not true.

My Cube can do thinks the Blackstar just can't period. Small tube vs SS vs Modelling is a choice. Everyone's needs and wants vary. I can plug into my Cube, hit the 5150 Model, toss on some chorus, and delay and NAIL Def Lepp Hysteria. I can also go with the recto model, some tight delay and get Metallica Ride The Lightning. And I can go JC120 with some reverb and get an excellent Jazz tone going. Your Blackstar CAN'T do all of that.

Not saying the Blackstar is not awesome. Spent a good chunck of time looking at all of them. It is a fantastic sounding amp. I'm personally a huge fan of the 40. Overall tone beats my Cube period. But when I want ot go from Chicago Blues to Texas Rock to BAy area metal in one sitting without a bunch of pedals....Blackstar ain't gonna do it. Yes, the ifs 'move the tone stack' thing makes it much more flexible, but it isn't close IMO to going from completely different models. Cool yes, Uber-solution, no.

And if you REALLY need fx tweaks, you'll want the Vox.

 

[Franknfilms]

Re: Can You Recommend a Good Small Practice Combo?

Not true.

My Cube can do thinks the Blackstar just can't period. Small tube vs SS vs Modelling is a choice. Everyone's needs and wants vary. I can plug into my Cube, hit the 5150 Model, toss on some chorus, and delay and NAIL Def Lepp Hysteria. I can also go with the recto model, some tight delay and get Metallica Ride The Lightning. And I can go JC120 with some reverb and get an excellent Jazz tone going. Your Blackstar CAN'T do all of that.

Not saying the Blackstar is not awesome. Spent a good chunck of time looking at all of them. It is a fantastic sounding amp. I'm personally a huge fan of the 40. Overall tone beats my Cube period. But when I want ot go from Chicago Blues to Texas Rock to BAy area metal in one sitting without a bunch of pedals....Blackstar ain't gonna do it. Yes, the ifs 'move the tone stack' thing makes it much more flexible, but it isn't close IMO to going from completely different models. Cool yes, Uber-solution, no.

And if you REALLY need fx tweaks, you'll want the Vox.

I agree, modeling is in its own league, blackstar can't reproduce all of those sounds. I meant to say that "I" no longer have a need for a modeling amp because I'm happy enough with a good gain channel and a good clean channel. I think modeling amps are fun, I've got a peavey vypyr and have been impressed by the cubes that I've played.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Can You Recommend a Good Small Practice Combo?

Cool - no doubt it's a wider ranging amp with that. But there are wide range amps and then there is Blackface, Tweed, Marshall, Recto...that's not wide, that Grand Canyon!

My Peavy Transtube Studio Pro was wide range. But no way did it do Blackface or Recto.

And some simple but decent turn a knob fx certainly sweeten the pot when you need just a chorus for sound instead of "THAT" tone, when practicing.