Line6 Valve Spider - do you know it ?

[That90'sGuy]

Re: Line6 Valve Spider - do you know it ?

So since it is a subjective term, would his cousin still be incorrect in thinking its a great sounding amp since you think its a joke ?

Is it not possible that subjectively, you are correct that its a joke, and he's correct its the best sounding amp he's heard, because both of your opinions are simply that, opinion ?

What is the absolute basis for what sounds "good" ???

No, he wouldn't be incorrect for thinking it's the best amp ever, but it still doesn't change the fact that I think it's a joke of an amp. If I mention something on a board, it's just that, my opinion.

There is no basis that everyone can go by; I know that, you know that and anyone with common sense knows that.

Since people don't like experiencing things for themselves and would rather have other people express their opinions, I expressed mine. It's that plain and simple, why complicate things further than it has to be?

If you want an affordable, Bogner flavored tube amplifier, don't go with the Line 6 Spider Valve unless you absolutely need all those millions of presets; I'd personally pick up the Alchemist instead. As far as metal amps go though, I'd go with several different amps before picking the Spider Valve: ENGL, Mesa, Framus, and VHT just to name a few.

 

[SlowGroove]

Re: Line6 Valve Spider - do you know it ?

http://www.citymusic.com.sg/images/alchemist_img1.jpg


Now that looks like a nice amp to own !
Thanx for mentionning them !
I'll tell my lil cousin about 'em !
Neber knew about these !


Cheers
James

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: Line6 Valve Spider - do you know it ?

http://www.citymusic.com.sg/images/alchemist_img1.jpg


Now that looks like a nice amp to own !
Thanx for mentionning them !
I'll tell my lil cousin about 'em !
Neber knew about these !


Cheers
James

Hey James, you seem like a good guy so I'll be honest with you - you and your cousin should go out to a few stores and just play stuff. Don't let my opinion or anyone else's opinion impact your buying decisions. I was never happy with my setup when I listened to other people. There's always something bigger and better with the online world. So, play different things, find what sounds good and screw everyone else because none of it matters. Your cousin may love the Spider Valve more than anything else out there. And if that inspires him then that's great because he'll save a lot of money in that process. What works for you works for you, don't let anyone else tell you differently I would have been a lot happier if I had just hit up guitar stores more when I first started. There's so much hype out there so if you hear good tone out of something then "it is" good tone.

 

[SlowGroove]

Re: Line6 Valve Spider - do you know it ?

Hey James, you seem like a good guy so I'll be honest with you - you and your cousin should go out to a few stores and just play stuff. Don't let my opinion or anyone else's opinion impact your buying decisions. I was never happy with my setup when I listened to other people. There's always something bigger and better with the online world. So, play different things, find what sounds good and screw everyone else because none of it matters. Your cousin may love the Spider Valve more than anything else out there. And if that inspires him then that's great because he'll save a lot of money in that process. What works for you works for you, don't let anyone else tell you differently I would have been a lot happier if I had just hit up guitar stores more when I first started. There's so much hype out there so if you hear good tone out of something then "it is" good tone.

Advice well taken !
Thanks man !

Well, we only have three stores in the city, and one that specializes in used gear. Nothing to write home about !
It just boggles the mind that my cousin thinks this amp (one that i still have not heard myseld) sounds sooo much better than a Laney GH50 half stack.

By the looks of things, he is still on a tone-search.
Me - i know what i want (amps wise), it is just a question of money for me right now !
One day, i will have my Mesa Siletto Duece MKI, Electric USA MVU & Vox AC50CP.

And let's not mention all the vintage Fenders that i would love to have.


James

 

[dr. ad]

Re: Line6 Valve Spider - do you know it ?

Yeah man. Ever since i started working at the only Sam Ash store in Georgia, (which is also one of the biggest music stores in Georgia) I have had lots of time to try out all kinds of gear in all kinds of circumstances

cheers man, that's good to know ; ]

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Line6 Valve Spider - do you know it ?

The minute the first one hit the stores, I wrote a big review on it here, which might be searchable....haven't checked.

Your friend isn't wrong about the fact that it's a great metal amp, amongst it's other features. It was the amp that we'd all dreampt about - a mating of modeling with tube power section. It almost delivers in spades, but almost....

The problem is that they chose a Spider type preamp section, not a Vetta type pre. Possibly because they thought it would render their Vetta line obsolete???

If the amp were EVERYTHING it could be, it'd be a Vetta with Bogner power section. But they skimped and made it have a limited number of amp models and FX.

I'd be interested in A/B'ing it with a SS Vetta head and see which one has the superior tone. I'd be willing to bet the Bogner version has more real tone, but less versatility than a SS Vetta. Ashame they didn't combine THOSE two amps.

Still, I like the amp and think it's a worthy amp to have, provided it covers the tones you want. If it doesn't, I think money would be well spent bumping yourself up to a Bogner Alchemist, which has much better tone, but less FX.
In the $1200 price range, I still think the Alchemist has whipped most brands.

 

[ken361]

Re: Line6 Valve Spider - do you know it ?

The spider valve is a decent amp i had one, pretty much digital tube amp. I really liked it for awhile. Then i only used the the crazytrain setting and the clean channel mostly. Bought a tonelabe, ran it with it,sounded better more options I could use. It only has a 1 preamp, 1 phase inverter tubes then 2 power tubes. I traded it later for a carvin all tube belair and ran the tonelabe through that it kicked some ass for sure. Then I had the peavey triple xxx, alchemist for a few months then the bugera which I like best for metal hard rock with the eq. I have a few for sure lol and a vox 30 watt my first taste of tube then I was hooked. The spider is a nice combo amp for sure, you really have to sit down jam it loud and fine tune it back and forth to get your tone. You can get a mod now its a extra 12ax7 that you can hook up to the amp and alot of people like it.

 

[SlowGroove]

Re: Line6 Valve Spider - do you know it ?

The spider valve is a decent amp i had one, pretty much digital tube amp. I really liked it for awhile. Then i only used the the crazytrain setting and the clean channel mostly. Bought a tonelabe, ran it with it,sounded better more options I could use. It only has a 1 preamp, 1 phase inverter tubes then 2 power tubes. I traded it later for a carvin all tube belair and ran the tonelabe through that it kicked some ass for sure. Then I had the peavey triple xxx, alchemist for a few months then the bugera which I like best for metal hard rock with the eq. I have a few for sure lol and a vox 30 watt my first taste of tube then I was hooked. The spider is a nice combo amp for sure, you really have to sit down jam it loud and fine tune it back and forth to get your tone. You can get a mod now its a extra 12ax7 that you can hook up to the amp and alot of people like it.

Thanx for your insight !
Looks like you still prefer an all valve amp over the Line6 anyways !
Correst ?


James

 

[ken361]

Re: Line6 Valve Spider - do you know it ?

Thanx for your insight !
Looks like you still prefer an all valve amp over the Line6 anyways !
Correst ?


James

yeah pretty much plus i like 120 watts:naughty:

 

[apj]

Re: Line6 Valve Spider - do you know it ?

If you want an affordable, Bogner flavored tube amplifier, don't go with the Line 6 Spider Valve unless you absolutely need all those millions of presets; I'd personally pick up the Alchemist instead. As far as metal amps go though, I'd go with several different amps before picking the Spider Valve: ENGL, Mesa, Framus, and VHT just to name a few.

I would hardly compare the spider valve to a framus as they are in completely different price points, you'd be lucky to get a dragon or a deliverance for even a small percentage more than you're spending on the spider valve, if you're going to suggest other amps, at least suggest something in a similar price range.

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: Line6 Valve Spider - do you know it ?

I would hardly compare the spider valve to a framus as they are in completely different price points, you'd be lucky to get a dragon or a deliverance for even a small percentage more than you're spending on the spider valve, if you're going to suggest other amps, at least suggest something in a similar price range.

Ok, I'd go with a Peavey 5150 then or even a XXX

 

[SlowGroove]

Re: Line6 Valve Spider - do you know it ?

ok, i'd go with a peavey 5150 then or even a xxx

 

[apj]

Re: Line6 Valve Spider - do you know it ?

Ok, I'd go with a Peavey 5150 then or even a XXX

I love the 5150, owned one for a very long time, but even that doesn't have the versatility that the spider valve has when I gave it a quick run over in store. I agree for straight ahead metal I'd go with the 5150, but at least the spider valve kills it in clean, as well as having the versatility of onboard effects. My main point is, I really dislike it when people say an amp is ****, every amp can have it's own uses and strong points.

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: Line6 Valve Spider - do you know it ?

actually, apj, some amps are totally crap. that's just the way it is.

 

[SlowGroove]

Re: Line6 Valve Spider - do you know it ?

actually, apj, some amps are totally crap. that's just the way it is.

BUGERA ???


James

 

[SlowGroove]

Re: Line6 Valve Spider - do you know it ?

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/...112-60W-1x12-Tube-Guitar-Combo-Amp?sku=582106

Gonna show me lil cousin this . . . maybe he will trya nd test this one !


James

 

[millsart]

Re: Line6 Valve Spider - do you know it ?

actually, apj, some amps are totally crap. that's just the way it is.

And suppose your going for a crappy tone for whatever reason ? Wouldn't a total crap amp then give you exactly what your looking for, and naturally an amp that delivers exactly what your looking for sonically must be a good amp ?

Take one of those little Pignose amps. I checked them out at the shop I worked at once and frankly thought it was garage. One of those things where I plugged in and in 30 seconds knew I hated it.

So is it crap ??

Well no because a friend and coworker actually loved them and used his on some commerical recordings believe it or not. It sounded like a cheap amp and little speaker but thats the sound he wanted for his tracks and honestly it worked well.

Take the old Roland x0x drum machines of the late 80's. Once pcm sample playback drum machines came out everythought couldnt ditch those crappy sounding units fast enough.

Who picked them up ? A bunch of dance and hiphop producers and suddenly that Tr808 bass drum, which was such crap because it didnt sound "real" became a legend and changed the face of hip hop and dance music.

Trent Reznor takes a rather crappy sounding Zoom unit. lets the battery get near dead, and turns that badly distorted crappy sound into a staple in the industrial genre for distortion.

One mans trash is anothers treasure.

Doesn't matter if its art, wine, microphones, or guitar amps. For everyone who hates something theres someone else who thinks its great and those things that might make something crap to you are perhaps what the other person likes about it.

There are no absolutes when it comes to taste

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: Line6 Valve Spider - do you know it ?

Trent Reznor takes a rather crappy sounding Zoom unit. lets the battery get near dead, and turns that badly distorted crappy sound into a staple in the industrial genre for distortion.

I was always under the impression that he got most of his recorded tones from Izotope's "Trash" models and I'm pretty sure Trent Reznor has used various fuzzes over time including the Way Huge Swollen Pickle and Fender Blender. He's Trent Reznor though and he's a genius, so he could make anything sound cool.

 

[millsart]

Re: Line6 Valve Spider - do you know it ?

I was always under the impression that he got most of his recorded tones from Izotope's "Trash" models and I'm pretty sure Trent Reznor has used various fuzzes over time including the Way Huge Swollen Pickle and Fender Blender. He's Trent Reznor though and he's a genius, so he could make anything sound cool.

Trash didn't come out til fairly recently, past few years I belive. Good program, I have it but its one of those things I never touch.

Trent actually used an application called TurboSynth to manipulate a lot of sounds from what I understand.

A good deal of the guitar work though was done with the Zoom pedals and low voltage. Then I'm sure additional processing was done but its still a case of using something that was said to be "crappy" and turning it into something cool.

Point being, that even if its an mfx box or amp etc thats said to be crap by most because it sound steril, harsh, digital, fake, etc, that doesn't mean its worthless.

It might not be a good unit if your trying for a rich and warm tube vibe, no, but if you think outside the box and use the "weakness" of the item, such as its cold and steril tone, as a strength because you actually want something very cold and steril and lacking any warmth or organic quality, you've got yourself a great unit

 

[millsart]

Re: Line6 Valve Spider - do you know it ?

KB: Did you mike the guitar cabinets, or go direct?

TR: I never mike cabinets. I've tried it, but I just don't like the sound that much--versus just going direct or through amp simulators. Broken, for example, had a lot of that super-thick chunk sound. Almost every guitar sound on that record was me playing through an old Zoom pedal, direct, and then going into Turbosynth. Then I used a couple of key ingredients to make it sound unlike any real sound in the world, and layered about four of them together. By then, it wasn't a guitar anymore. It's an awesome sound.