Power amp for Line 6 rig?

che_guitarra

che_guitarra

New member
Can anyone suggest a power amp to pair with a Line 6 Pod Pro?

I'm looking to drive a pair of 8Ω speakers (a 2x12 cab loaded with a Celestion Lynchback and a V30).


Power amps for guitarists are not my domain at all. Don't know the specs I should be chasing, don't know the brands I should be looking at (or avoiding). If you can help me out with any info at all i'd be much appreciative :)
 
Re: Power amp for Line 6 rig?

Are you looking for something that should add its own sonic stamp, or merely clean power? For the first I would go with solid state, for the second tube. Solid state will give you greater control evenness of sound over a range of volumes, and should let the modellers themselves shine through more; a tube power amp will colour all modelled sounds so they sound more alike, but give it more of the feeling of response you'd get from a normal power amp. I would probably lean towards solid state, but there are people here who swear by tube power amps as well.

If you are merely looking for clean power, I think you could do worse than the new SD PowerStage 170. This is small (since it is class D), light and has a three-band eq to help fine-tune the tone. Note that the power amp will be slightly more powerful than the speakers, and could blow up if you dimed it; be careful when you go above 12 o'clock on the volume knob and everything should be fine (for this setup the speakers should be wired in parallel).

For rack power amps the Rocktron power amps, and especially the Velocity series, has long been standard. Keep in mind, however, that 95% of the rack power amps you will find are stereo power amps, that is, effectively two separate power amps, so that you may well be getting the double of what you need.

If you want a tube power amp Marshall and Mesa/Boogie both have models that often are used, with Fryette being the most common boutique choice. Please note, though, that power amps using EL34 or 6L6 tubes rarely come in lower powers than 100w (and we all know they produce a lot more when dimed) so you may run into the same matter as with the PowerStage here.

I hope this was useful as a starting point. If you favour one of the approaches above over the other, I might be able to help you out further.

(Full disclosure: I have not tried the PowerStage yet, but I will hopefully be buying one for my guitar synth rig soon)
 
Re: Power amp for Line 6 rig?

Thanks for your reply, Sirion.

Truth is, at this point I don't really know what i'm after in a power amp. I think a dual mono amp would be best, that way I can effectively balance the speakers to preference, also allowing me a quasi-stereo setup from a single cab. This setup is for jams, rehearsals, small gigs, so I need enough power to keep a drummer in check. I'd like enough volume/SPL to match, say, a Hotrod Deluxe.

Tube or SS? I don't really have an established preference at this point. I just want whatever partners best with the POD and the speakers in question. I mostly flip between the SLO-100 and Deluxe Reverb L6 presets. Although if I do go the tube route i'll probably prefer a 6L6 option over EL34 or EL84 alternatives. I dare say it's probably going to be cheaper to buy a 50w tube head than a dual-mono tube power amp, so that might push me toward SS.
 
Re: Power amp for Line 6 rig?

We make 2:
PowerStage 170: for most applications, and it fits on a pedalboard
PowerStage 700 for a loud stage rig. This one is rack mounted.

Bot sound amazing with modelers, as that is one thing they are designed to do.
 
Re: Power amp for Line 6 rig?

I think I might like the PowerStage 170... but I don't get it... is it supposed to be an ultra-mini guitar amp, or a compact power amp? All the demos I see of it, the reviewers are running pedals in front of it, not modellers.

Hmmm.
 
Re: Power amp for Line 6 rig?

Well, some distortion pedals are good as preamps and you can use other effects with them of course. PowerStage 170 is a power amp designed to work specifically with preamps and modellers (which are preamps too). I used a PowerStage 170 to juice my Atomic Amplifire, worked great!
 
Re: Power amp for Line 6 rig?

che_guitarra said:
I think I might like the PowerStage 170... but I don't get it... is it supposed to be an ultra-mini guitar amp, or a compact power amp? All the demos I see of it, the reviewers are running pedals in front of it, not modellers.

Hmmm.
Click to expand...

It is a compact power amp that fits on your pedalboard. You'd need some sort of preamp pedal in front of it, like a Palladium or a digital (or analog) modeler. It isn't really a compact guitar amp.
 
Re: Power amp for Line 6 rig?

I know it shipped overseas, so I would suppose it is...ask your local dealer.
 
Re: Power amp for Line 6 rig?

Has anyone tried using a hi-fi (stereo) amp for use with a modeler?
 
Re: Power amp for Line 6 rig?

Sirion said:
http://electricalconnection.com.au/when-voltage-varies/

Not that it really matters, since 240 should be well within the range of tolerance, but, being Kiwi-based, I must use a rare chance to show up the Aussies. ;)
Click to expand...
Did you read the whole article ?
Conclusion
Australia has a 230V Standard that has not been universally adopted across the country. State-based requirements may need to be checked.
Voltage levels in installations will generally be within the utilisation range of 253V to 205V and may go above or below these limits for short periods.
Although this range is quite large, 230V rated equipment should be capable of coping with it. Some assistance is built into AS61000.3.100 for old 240V appliances and equipment, with the 50 percentile value preferably lying within the range of 244V to 225V.
Click to expand...

The new Standard has only applied since the year 2000. I don't think much of it has been implemented yet. My power averages 240V, plus or minus 10 volts. I quite often plug a multi meter into a power socket and monitor the voltage.I live in Victoria. That 240V figure was what I read out of the power point just before I posted it. It's now at 232 Volts [ 8:31 PM ]:D
 
Re: Power amp for Line 6 rig?

Yes. Not being a proper Shaky Isler I should probably know better than to get involved in neighbourly disputes in any case. ;)

To OP: Never mind my hot air. Getting a Power Stage with the right voltage shouldn't be a problem – be it 230 v or 240 v.
 
Re: Power amp for Line 6 rig?

Ultimately, after a lot of consideration, i'm not sure the Powerstation is the solution i'm chasing. Ideally, I want a dual mono design so I can balance/blend speaker outputs. I'd prefer a rackmountable unit, too.

What other power amps can be recommended?


And also - I'm not sure how many solid state watts I actually need to keep me happy. Is a cigar-box-sized 100w solid state power amp going to throw the same SPL as a 100W JCM800?
 
Re: Power amp for Line 6 rig?

I am afraid that I don't think you'll find many people who have compared different solid state rack units in detail. Something like the Rocktron units, perhaps? The Carvin units have also been industry standards for a long time, but they are not voiced for guitars in particular. Beyond that I must admit that my knowledge is sorely lacking.

One more thing: it is generally said that solid states appear to create less volume per watt than a tube power amp, but I honestly don't know by how much. Solid states generally do not sound good dimed, so I have never compared myself, though.
 
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