Which amp? Amp questions

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Now the band's going again, I need a decent guitar amp. What I'm after is a combo, suitable for small venues and rehearsal. I want something that's fairly versatile - a nice warm clean sound and non-tinny distortion. Preferably some other footswitchable effects. I'll spend up to £400-ish. Any recommendations?

What about the Marshall MG50DFX or MG100DFX? Anyone used one? They seem to have a decent range of on-board effects.

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Tuesday, 17 June 2003 08:58 (twenty-three years ago)

something like an 80W tranny Fender or summat would do the trick.

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Tuesday, 17 June 2003 10:31 (twenty-three years ago)

one problem. 400 pounds + decent = no comprendez

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Tuesday, 17 June 2003 10:31 (twenty-three years ago)

Tranny Fender? Does it dress up like a Vox at the weekends?

― kate (kate), Tuesday, 17 June 2003 10:32 (twenty-three years ago)

(me = amp snob)

yes.

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Tuesday, 17 June 2003 10:32 (twenty-three years ago)

what's the fancy term? ah yes. 'solid state'.

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Tuesday, 17 June 2003 10:32 (twenty-three years ago)

Can I hope to buy an amp that can work for: guitar, brutal electronic noise and vox if there's no venue sound? (only one at a time)

My Crate practice amp don't cut it!

Also, what kind of amp/speakers should a DJ setup have?

― Jon Williams (ex machina), Tuesday, 17 June 2003 10:36 (twenty-three years ago)

just one amp? that would be cruel and unusual punishment for you audience

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Tuesday, 17 June 2003 11:01 (twenty-three years ago)

your

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Tuesday, 17 June 2003 11:01 (twenty-three years ago)

err, i mean it would only server one duty at a time

― Jon Williams (ex machina), Tuesday, 17 June 2003 11:15 (twenty-three years ago)

A vote here for a Roland Jazz Chorus. Clean as a whistle.

― Lynskey (Lynskey), Tuesday, 17 June 2003 11:28 (twenty-three years ago)

Ditto. Either a Roland JC or a Behringer Blue Devil would be fine.

― Francis Watlington, Tuesday, 17 June 2003 14:42 (twenty-three years ago)

I've used a JC quite a lot and never really got on with it. In your experience what's good about them?

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Tuesday, 17 June 2003 14:46 (twenty-three years ago)

i'll second the recommendation for roland j.c. as well ... good amps -- clean, reliable, lighter-than-a-fender-twin, reasonable.

i sometimes find the mids sound scooped and the whole sound rather brittle, almost like playing through a bass amp -- which isn't everyone's cup of tea.

i have a crate vintage club combo thingy. it's a 2x12 and it's pretty good.

― fields of salmon (fieldsofsalmon), Tuesday, 17 June 2003 14:53 (twenty-three years ago)

Drive CD300-8G = great distortion, several reverb/chorus/delay/flange effects, four EQ knobs. And it's very inexpensive. I lurve it.

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Tuesday, 17 June 2003 15:07 (twenty-three years ago)

Get something old with tubes and try before you buy. I don't think there's anything good enough AND new for the money you're talking about, but there'll be something old out there.

― Colin Meeder (Mert), Tuesday, 17 June 2003 20:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Onstage: Roland JC, Musicman 100W with a single 12" (Twin wannabe, still designed by Leo). The JC is fab for spitting out whatever the effects create, the Musicman creates "natural" overdrive/distortion thanx to combo tubes/solid state approach (but it weighs a ton), plus footswitchable.

Studio: 195X Fender Tremolux (refurbished several million times)

Lazy: a Zoom digital box thingie direct into the PA/board...brittle sound, but workable in a pinch.

PS I recently bought a Marshall practice amp just to get "the sound," and it works fine for "the sound," but totally useless for anything else. And onboard effects beyond spring reverb and maybe tremolo are dross.

― Chris Clark (Chris Clark), Tuesday, 17 June 2003 20:32 (twenty-three years ago)

I don't like Roland JCs but I'm extremely fussy. brittle sounds are pure evil round my way.

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Tuesday, 17 June 2003 21:32 (twenty-three years ago)

The Roland JC's are popular (heck, I've got one myself), but in the "they can have it when they pry it from my cold dead fingers" category is my trusty Ampeg Reverb-o-rocket. Love that amp to death. Hate Marshall. Hate most on-board effects too.

― Chris Barrus (Chris Barrus), Tuesday, 17 June 2003 21:39 (twenty-three years ago)

suddenly it occurs to me that no amp is ever going to stand up to my now-departed AC30. looks like i'll just hafta get another.

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Tuesday, 17 June 2003 21:46 (twenty-three years ago)

Dr. C: The glassy, crystal-clear tone and the solid state reliability do it for me. AND THE CHORUS! OH, THE CHORUS! As for distortion, just use the stompbox of your choice.

― Francis Watlington, Tuesday, 17 June 2003 23:39 (twenty-three years ago)

I am yet to find a stompbox that satisfies my distorto needs.

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Tuesday, 17 June 2003 23:43 (twenty-three years ago)

am I the only one who is wondering how you can answer this question without knowing what kind of guitar sound Dr. C is after?

― Mike Taylor (mjt), Wednesday, 18 June 2003 00:59 (twenty-three years ago)

Hey, Jim: I spent years looking for that elusive candy of transonic delight. You ever tried those Zoom pedals. They're very overrated, and I think I'm (somewhat) satisfied with my Zoom PD-01 Power Drive. That, or tired of looking.

― Francis Watlington, Wednesday, 18 June 2003 01:04 (twenty-three years ago)

I have an Ampeg Gemini II (mid 60s) that fits your description well, apart from having nothing onboard except for a really nice reverb. It looks about the same size as a Fender Super Reverb, but it's only 30 watts and has one 15" in it, so it's nice and bassy. I don't know how rare they are, let alone in the UK, but mine was about $200. I don't know how reliable it is (I'm not a gigging musician or anything) nor do I know how it breaks up if you really push it. But its clean sound is really great.

― g--ff c-nn-n (gcannon), Wednesday, 18 June 2003 01:17 (twenty-three years ago)

I've got a EH Bigmuff and a yellow Boss Overdrive which seem to fulfil most (not all) of my needs. I've tried a Vox (weedy and nasty), Rat (very nasty), orange Boss (murky), Boss Blues Driver (nice, but it broke..) and a couple others.

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Wednesday, 18 June 2003 01:17 (twenty-three years ago)

None of you have said the right answer... which is, given the price range, a silverface Twin Reverb.

― Aaron W (Aaron W), Wednesday, 18 June 2003 01:25 (twenty-three years ago)

The right answer is a karaoke machine.

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Wednesday, 18 June 2003 02:34 (twenty-three years ago)

Jon Williams: You need to look into the Roland KC-series of keyboard amps. And a modern DJ setup should ideally have some sort of powered biamplified speakers a la recent offerings from Mackie/Yamaha. I was going to get a pair of Yamaha ES400s or whatever they were but then they stopped making them. Brilliant low end on those fuckers.

For a guitar the correct answer is Orange.

― Millar (Millar), Wednesday, 18 June 2003 02:56 (twenty-three years ago)

they sound shit if you want to play quietly though

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Wednesday, 18 June 2003 03:04 (twenty-three years ago)

400 pounds will get you SHIT. Why you wanna play geetar? Do U have the chops and hottest licks? I think not. Geetar es bullsheet! Why play? Buy synthesizer. Don't sweat and bleed for a living! Just stick weener in electreecal socket and go buh buh blee blee! Go east or go west. Just stay out of the Holy Land of the Shredder. U R not want here! Pee Pee!

― Yangwie Molsteam, Wednesday, 18 June 2003 06:13 (twenty-three years ago)

there is no correct answer . don't pay close to RRp for whatever you decide on . you get what you pay for. amps that do a million things do them merely adequately whereas simpler amps do fewer sounds bettereg: a fender hod rod deluxe will cost you £529 and do a few variations (3 channels, reverb) on the one sound excellently - however it's all valve and doesn't sound at it's best unless cranked - you'd be surprised how loud a 15w fender blues junior can get roundabout £330. some people don't like the harsh brittle trebly fender sound that may be due to the fact they like bassy marshalls, play solo jazz as opposed to accompanist in a predominantly brass orchestra etc etc - different tool s for different jobs. you should be able to pick up a marshall avt 100 (middling) at around £350 or avt 150 at £4ish. or other answers which may be equally vaild. no two pairs of ears the same etc,.

― bob snoom, Wednesday, 18 June 2003 12:11 (twenty-three years ago)

― bob snoom, Wednesday, 18 June 2003 12:12 (twenty-three years ago)

1, 2, 3...

― bob snoom, Wednesday, 18 June 2003 12:12 (twenty-three years ago)

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