Help me pick a relatively cheap amp...

M

milkandmeat

New member
Alright I'm sick of me flextone being so muffled and dull ("wet-towl" syndrome is what people say). Well people keep telling me there is no real way to fix it without getting a new amp, so I'm going to try and find a better amp for cheap. I am 21 and have to pay for school full time, so I obviously don't have much money to spend at all. The most I can swing is $500. That's pretty much the max. I pretty much only am looking for so0mething with good distortion. Lots of metal (the typical metal bands).If I had the money I'd get a dual recitfier because it's the exact tone I want. Onviously I'm not going to find something for 500 that is as good as that. I'd like to find something loud enough to play with a band, but i realize that probably won't happen with anything less than a 2x12 combo. What would you guys recommend? I looked for a few minutes and saw these, just for starters......

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=guitar/search/detail/base_pid/481442/
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=guitar/search/detail/base_pid/481394/


are those both tube, or are they "tube tone"? could those possibly be loud enough to play with drums/bass/2nd guitar?

also, this one looks like garbage but i thought i'd ask anyways

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=guitar/search/detail/base_pid/481269/
 
Re: Help me pick a relatively cheap amp...

i guess the xxx i posted is only on sale for a short time and is regularly about $950, so forget that because i wont have the money for atleast a few weeks.

is the peavey transtube series worth looking at?
 
Re: Help me pick a relatively cheap amp...

Yeah both of those Peaveys are tube. If you had to choose one of those I'd go with the Triple X. Those things are sweet. I'm getting an Vox valvetronix which has some cool metal sounds. They arent really tube but through some miracle they get some very tube-ish tone.( I think they sold their soul to the devil lol:laugh2: ) I bought the 100 watt 2x12 version which I had a little test drive with. Plently loud for a band IMO. If you feel like shelling out the extra $50 then I'd say you should get that. If you really can only spend $500 then I'd go with the Triple X. couldnt go wrong with that I think. Good luck finding your amp:)
 
Re: Help me pick a relatively cheap amp...

My suggestion is to get a good Sovtek Mig-50 for roughly $300 - $350 off fleabay and then get a cab for $200 or so. The Sovtek is an awesome amp, but you gotta have a dirt pedal in front for metal. If you already have a semi-decent dirt pedal, you'll have killer tone that will keep up with any boutique amp out there for metal.

Oh yeah, sell the flextone to help finance the better gear...
 
Re: Help me pick a relatively cheap amp...

Gr8Scott said:
My suggestion is to get a good Sovtek Mig-50 for roughly $300 - $350 off fleabay and then get a cab for $200 or so. The Sovtek is an awesome amp, but you gotta have a dirt pedal in front for metal. If you already have a semi-decent dirt pedal, you'll have killer tone that will keep up with any boutique amp out there for metal.

Oh yeah, sell the flextone to help finance the better gear...
Click to expand...

Is the Sovtek a 6L6 amp with 12ax7's?
 
Re: Help me pick a relatively cheap amp...

It's like a cross between a bassman and an old marshall. They are very good amps with excellent tube tone. I own one. With a decent cab and one good dirt pedal, you'll lay waste to amps costing several times as much. It's NOT a good sounding amp at lower volumes and it doesn't like strat pickups much, so expect to play loud.

edited to add - 6L6 power tubes on the Sovtek mig-50 and it's a non-master volume amp. EL-34 on the Mig 60 and I think it's a master volume amp.
 
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Re: Help me pick a relatively cheap amp...

You might keep an eye on eBay for a Marshall JCM600--2 x EL34, dual reverb, plenty of beans....usually see them going for $4-500. Also, Laney has some good tube offerings which in my opinion are both under-appreciated and under-valued. I bought the LH50R (2 x 6L6) on eBay a couple of years ago for $175....I run it through a home-grown 2 x 12" cab w/ Emminence...plenty of bottom, plenty of scorch....rock on...
 
Re: Help me pick a relatively cheap amp...

jammertom said:
You might keep an eye on eBay for a Marshall JCM600--2 x EL34, dual reverb, plenty of beans....usually see them going for $4-500. Also, Laney has some good tube offerings which in my opinion are both under-appreciated and under-valued. I bought the LH50R (2 x 6L6) on eBay a couple of years ago for $175....I run it through a home-grown 2 x 12" cab w/ Emminence...plenty of bottom, plenty of scorch....rock on...
Click to expand...

Great first post! Welcome to the forum!...... Laney's have always been rather underestimated.... I would add to your list to include the older Laney AOR's, Red Bear's and some of the BV Crate's...(everyone may disagree, but they are not that bad!)

Jeff Seal
 
Re: Help me pick a relatively cheap amp...

Jeff Seal said:
Great first post! Welcome to the forum!...... Laney's have always been rather underestimated.... I would add to your list to include the older Laney AOR's, Red Bear's and some of the BV Crate's...(everyone may disagree, but they are not that bad!)

Jeff Seal
Click to expand...

Red Bear? that's new one for me. BV Crate, would that be the V30?
 
Re: Help me pick a relatively cheap amp...

I second the peavey ultra if you can find one. Those are really neat amps.
 
Re: Help me pick a relatively cheap amp...

Our other guitarist just got his valveking 2x12 and he loves it so far, 100 watts is plenty loud, but i assume you will get the 1x12. Only bad thing ive heard from them is the short delay in channel switching. I say its your best bet.. dont go solid state unless its one of those vox amps. I was in GC over the weekend and played the 2x12 and it did sound VERY nice, especially against other modeling amps like it. The XXX would do every thing you need by itself.
 
Re: Help me pick a relatively cheap amp...

I went through my own $700 or less amp search, and I was not in the postion to be able to drive all over just to track down a "great" used amp. With that in mind, I tried the 1x12 Valveking, a few Peavy Transtubes, Marshalls, Line 6, B-52, and Randall.

The winner was a Randall 2x12 Stereo Combo. I found the Peavy Transtube models sounded "fizzy/cheap", the Line 6 was possesed by unreliable gremlins, The more expensive solid state Marshalls were good, but lacked low-end @ss, The B-52 over bugdet but very good indeed! The Valveking is a good amp...but if you play metal, you may need to spend even more money to get your favorite tone...tubes, and 3 or 4 fuzzboxes later.

The current model is the RG100SC G2. 100 watts, solid state, stereo combo, loaded with Celestion speakers. 5 year warranty. I could care less what others say about this or that tube-tone. This amp is a metal monster for the price. This amp is not for blues purists, sounds metal-iscious with minimal knob twisting. For the first time in my life, I am down to 3 pieces of gear: Guitar/Cord/Amp! No tube changes, no peddles, no hassles. The tones are that good to my ears.

linky to Randall combo:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=guitar/search/detail/base_pid/481194/

By the way, take all that you read (even me) with a grain of salt, and beware of odd rattles and buzzes in the case or speakers, espescially if you buy used from a private party. Take the time to crank your amp up, and if a seller won't let let you, walk. These things are made on production lines, are always another one out there.

Good Luck!
 
Re: Help me pick a relatively cheap amp...

well that randall certainly would fit my budget and will be plenty loud.....but i have no way of testing amps really. there isnt a GC anywhere near me and the music stores here are awful. i read all that i could aobut the flextone befroe i bought it, and heard great things. obviously that didnt work out, so now im very cautious about what to buy. do you by chance have any sound clips of the amp?
 
Re: Help me pick a relatively cheap amp...

milkandmeat said:
well that randall certainly would fit my budget and will be plenty loud.....but i have no way of testing amps really. there isnt a GC anywhere near me and the music stores here are awful. i read all that i could aobut the flextone befroe i bought it, and heard great things. obviously that didnt work out, so now im very cautious about what to buy. do you by chance have any sound clips of the amp?
Click to expand...

Hmmm. Well, no matter where you live there may be some musical gear retailers in your area you may not even be aware of. Randall, as well as all other makers have websites that allow you to enter your zip code and find a retailer.

Or, you could get a less expensive Randall from Musician's Friend...like a 75 watter with or without the digital effects (I shy away from digital effects). The shipping would be cheaper, and so would the return postage if you wanted to return the amp. One thing I did find after a while was that the stereo chorus feature is great for cleaner stuff, but not deep/radical enough for Nirvana "In Bloom" sounds. Randall does make a 200 watter combo for less, but it is not loaded with Celestion speakers.

What region do you live in? This board is a worldwide meeting place. Here is the Randall site where you can locate a dealer:

http://www.randallamplifiers.com/



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By the way, a 30 watt tube amp is gonna be as loud as a 60 watt solid state amp. Most of the time, this is no big deal if you plan ahead for the volume needed.
 
Re: Help me pick a relatively cheap amp...

well, if i'm going to got hrough the trouble of selling my amp and buying a new one, i wanna go tube. even if it's small. will like, a peavey ultra 1x12 for example, be loud enough to play with a band? (not performing)
 
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