I want a new amp. Help decide

[loudriver23]

Hey people I am GASn for a new amp. Currently I have a Mesa Mark IV, but I find it WAY WAY WAY too loud for bedroom levels and no matter how I muck with the EQ I can't get a good sound from it.
So I decided to throw some money at the problem and get a new amp that would get some great tones at bedroom levels.
Any and all suggestions would be appreciated. Currently I'm looking at.
Peavey Cl30
Fender Blues Jr.
Some kind of Line 6

Thanks in advance!!!

Loudriver

 

[lex666]

Re: I want a new amp. Help decide

My vote is for the blues jr.

I dig the way the blondes look. But then again, I've always preferred blondes...

 

[sosomething]

Re: I want a new amp. Help decide

The Classic 30 and Blues Jr. are both going to be too loud at bedroom levels if you're looking to get good tones out of the tubes. I'm not sure about Line6 as my preference has always been the real deal.

You could try the Zinky Blue Velvet - hand-made at a reasonable price. It's 22 watts but still sounds very good at lower volumes.

Another good option would be a Dr. Z MAZ Jr. which I believe is 18 or 15 watts. Anybody that knows Dr. Z amps knows that they are the be-all end-all for many in terms of toneful, low-wattage amps.

There's also the THD UniValve, which is extremely versatile and a lot of fun to use if you like to try different power/preamp tube configurations.

 

[loudriver23]

Re: I want a new amp. Help decide

How are the Fender Champs/Vibrochamps?

 

[Neeradj]

Re: I want a new amp. Help decide

ENGL Powerball, a great high gain sound and I always play it in my bedroom. Don't let the 100W scare you

 

[Deafened]

Re: I want a new amp. Help decide

i would personally go for a line 6 spider II, theyre pretty loud too but for bedroom levels theyre great, ive got one and i would recommend it

 

[tone4days]

Re: I want a new amp. Help decide

hmm, maybe an attenuator for your mk iv so you could dial in your tone, but then just cut the volume? ... if you cant get a good tone from a mk iv, maybe its just not the amp for you 'cus they are tone monsters

 

[loudriver23]

Re: I want a new amp. Help decide

I think i have made myself unclear, or maybe I just need to restate my problem.
I love my mark IV. It's just way too loud for day to day practice in my current living situation. I've also heard that an atenuater is not truly designed to get killer tones at bedroom levels, rather it helps get that wide open cranked tone at slightly lower vols. I could be wrong, as I've never used one, so WHOOMP There it is!!! As for tone, Tone is no problem with the Mark IV at all! just the volume. Plus there is the fact that I just need a second amp for a myriad of reasons. GAS, My GF is learning the guitar and is intidated by the Mark, and I always love hoarding gear.

BTW a side thought...How are the Vox modeling amps?
I'm really leaning towards a cool modeling amp.
Loudriver

 

[FretFire]

Re: I want a new amp. Help decide

Roland Cube 15 or 30. I want to get one for a desktop practice amp soon.

 

[seanguynj]

Re: I want a new amp. Help decide

i own a fender champ 30 DSP... it's horrible and i recommend you don't get it. it BLOWS. i can live with the cleans... but the distortion channel is just... :yell:

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: I want a new amp. Help decide

I think i have made myself unclear, or maybe I just need to restate my problem.
I love my mark IV. It's just way too loud for day to day practice in my current living situation. I've also heard that an atenuater is not truly designed to get killer tones at bedroom levels, rather it helps get that wide open cranked tone at slightly lower vols. I could be wrong, as I've never used one, so WHOOMP There it is!!! As for tone, Tone is no problem with the Mark IV at all! just the volume. Plus there is the fact that I just need a second amp for a myriad of reasons. GAS, My GF is learning the guitar and is intidated by the Mark, and I always love hoarding gear.

BTW a side thought...How are the Vox modeling amps?
I'm really leaning towards a cool modeling amp.
Loudriver

I'm not sure how loud the Mark IV is, but attenuators were made to make the tone much more bearable. Keep in mind that you may need to adjust your settings to make it sound better to your ears (ears perceive things differently at lower volumes than at higher). You can use an attenuator to really cut it down to bedroom levels, but don't expect it to sound the same as when it's cranked.

Attenuators help push the power tubes, but they can't emulate the actual experience of pushing air through speakers. Pushing speakers is what really gives great tone and unfortunately amps need to be cranked for that.

I like seeing modeling/solid state digital stuff nowadays. It makes great tone at very easy volumes possible. I may purchase one in a year or two when I get an apartment of my own, but for right now, my 30w tube amp brought down to 15w allows me to get just enough power tube push without becoming "too loud". That's why it kills me that there are so many 100w amps out there, most musicians will just never be able to use that much (and yes, I have done band practices with a 30w tube combo and had no problem cutting through a loud drummer and a singer with a PA system, in fact, I had to cut down on my volume a bit to blend better with the band).

 

[aaron]

Re: I want a new amp. Help decide

Well, my vote goes for the Blues Jr. too. I don't think it would be too loud for bedroom use by any means, it sounds awesome at low volumes. And it just sounds awesome.

Or, for cheaper, the Vox modeling amps are actually pretty sweet. Definately suprised me. There was one about the size of a Blues for about $200 (I think) that blew me away. So, either way.

If you wanted something you could use for gigs or when you need really great quality audio, Blues Jr for sure. I've met plenty of respectable guys who just mic a Blues when they play out. Of course, I wouldn't use a $200 Vox playing out, but the tone did surprise me.