BluefoxIcy Posted January 31, 2008 Share Posted January 31, 2008 I'm learning guitar and my current $30 pocket amplifier sucks! I'm looking at a Line 6 amp for $100 re: http://www.amazon.com/Line-Spider-Guitar-Combo-Amplifier/dp/B000JKVLE0/ http://www.guitarcenter.com/Line-6-Spider-III-15-Modeling-Combo-103944831-i1168996.gc Trying to find something around the $100 range, though I might hold off for something else (just got a job!). Tube is looking attractive; but tubes degrade and after about 4 years hit maintenance cycle (replace the tubes). I will probably just go with something solid state; but if I go tubes I'm going to pretty much learn where to get replacement tubes and how to open the damn thing and fix it within a week. The Line 6 has nice features though... it's the kind of thing I'd keep in the hotel room during MAGFest to practice with (I'll probably leave the room for concerts and to try to abduct the jam space). Might be worth getting even if I'm going to pick up a bigger amp in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Majin GeoDooD Posted January 31, 2008 Share Posted January 31, 2008 http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Roland-Cube-15X-Amp?sku=487030 Or, if you can find one, a Tech 21 Trademark 10. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strati Posted January 31, 2008 Share Posted January 31, 2008 You're not going to find a good amp for $100. You'll find okay amps, probably a hell of a lot better than you're using, but you're not going to find a ZOMG AWESOME amp for that price. You're looking at $200-300 for a decent amp. http://www.google.com/products?q=Rocktron+V50C&btnG=Search+Products&show=dd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluefoxIcy Posted January 31, 2008 Author Share Posted January 31, 2008 You're not going to find a good amp for $100. You'll find okay amps, probably a hell of a lot better than you're using, but you're not going to find a ZOMG AWESOME amp for that price. You're looking at $200-300 for a decent amp. If you're looking for a good live concert performance amp you can find some that don't even come close to what you need for around $1600, and then you can find some that just blow you away for around $1600. I guess saying "good $100 amp" is pretty bad for context. I should have probably said "good beginner/practice amp" or something instead. Which might turn into "They're all going to sound crackly and staticky and have all this background hiss like your dad's $80 fender" anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sixto Posted January 31, 2008 Share Posted January 31, 2008 You don't need to open amps to replace tubes. Reach in the back, pull them out, put new ones in. You can get new tubes at most guitar shops. Also, yes, go with that Roland Cube. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluefoxIcy Posted January 31, 2008 Author Share Posted January 31, 2008 http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Roland-Cube-15X-Amp?sku=487030Or, if you can find one, a Tech 21 Trademark 10. Can't find the Tech 21. I see a Tech 30 for a lot more, which has good reviews; I also noticed this one but GC has a 5 star review for the Roland Cube you listed and this only got 4: http://www.guitarcenter.com/Marshall-MG15CD-15-Watt-Combo-482799-i1145903.gc Mm. Musing. I'll hit Guitar Center tomorrow and see if they have any of the Rolands and Marshalls on the floor for comparison probably, after I finish getting fingerprinted. (Edit: Yes, I did just change the constraints and flirt with a $120 amp) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Majin GeoDooD Posted January 31, 2008 Share Posted January 31, 2008 Can't find the Tech 21. I see a Tech 30 for a lot more, which has good reviews; I also noticed this one but GC has a 5 star review for the Roland Cube you listed and this only got 4:http://www.guitarcenter.com/Marshall-MG15CD-15-Watt-Combo-482799-i1145903.gc Mm. Musing. I'll hit Guitar Center tomorrow and see if they have any of the Rolands and Marshalls on the floor for comparison probably, after I finish getting fingerprinted. (Edit: Yes, I did just change the constraints and flirt with a $120 amp) From everything I've heard the Roland should be a much better amp than the Marshall. Do they not make the Trademark 10 anymore? I can't seem to find it anywhere. That would be a great pick if you could find one for the right price. *edit* Per Tech 21's site: SOLD OUT This unit has been discontinued and replaced by: TRADEMARK 30 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluefoxIcy Posted January 31, 2008 Author Share Posted January 31, 2008 From everything I've heard the Roland should be a much better amp than the Marshall. Yeah, I'm seeing pretty much "Marshall has a good clean sound" versus "Marshall is a pile of shit compared to the Roland Cube" out there. The general consensus seems to be Roland. Do they not make the Trademark 10 anymore? I can't seem to find it anywhere. That would be a great pick if you could find one for the right price. I've seen the 30 for $300, which is not really a direct replacement (it's 3 times more powerful and I hear the Trademarks are loud for their wattage to begin with); but everything I've seen says that the amp has an excellent sound to it. Stuff I'll keep in mind for long term; a hobby can be a hobby even if it's an expensive hobby Epiphone has a tube amp for $130 but ... it's pretty basic. Then again we're talking about tube amps here, you get those for concerts and they're usually a lot bigger than that little box and cost $1600 or so. Still, I hear tubes have a much clearer sound (and you get real overdrive if you turn the volume up high enough!). It makes sense because (from an electrical engineering perspective) silicone circuits hit a certain signal level and just plateau (you want 11? No, >=10 ==10) whereas germanium and vacuum tube circuits start to fail when exceeding their operating conditions based on efficiency changes (in the case of tubes, the hot plate gets too hot, the cold plate warms up and stops accepting electrons as easily, and the signal degrades); if your silicon diode can't switch fast enough at a given (high) frequency or has too much capacitance for a certain part of the signal you simply lose that part of the signal, while tubes decay differently and don't really care until you overdrive them. This is also why an (almost) identical circuit using Germanium diodes produces an overdrive effect, while silicon diodes produce distortion. I wonder if I could learn enough electronics to mod a Roland into a tube amp... really it's pretty simple if you happen to be an EE, tubes are diodes; overdrive circuit uses 2 diodes and an op-amp, which is basically an IC that contains a certain diode circuit (I originally designed one when I was 15, then dad was like "use a 7558" and explained op-amps to me). The only issue is proper size tubes and power regulation... ... I think I've stepped out of scope here somewhere. :s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluefoxIcy Posted January 31, 2008 Author Share Posted January 31, 2008 Hmm. I think I might just go with the Epiphone Valve Junior. The Roland Cube looks really nice; but my dad's got a Fender solid state versus the Marshall full tube system the dude next door has, and the little mini amps I have are all solid state. The tube amp sounds better, or at least it's nice to have something that sounds different. I guess I'll get the tube amp now and grab the Roland Cube later, or maybe the Trademark 30. Both look like really nice amps to have. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Majin GeoDooD Posted January 31, 2008 Share Posted January 31, 2008 Dude, don't go with the Valve Junior. They're cool amps, I have the head version, but the Roland is overall a much better amp. The only control on the VJ is volume, it's gonna get rather annoying very fast. You can't compare a SS Fender with a tube Marshall. A tube amp is almost always gonna sound "better", especially if its a nice Marshall, compared to a SS amp. Sure, the VJ is tube, but it has one preamp tube and one poweramp tube, and a volume control.. you don't have any power over the tone, other than the tone knob on your guitar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluefoxIcy Posted January 31, 2008 Author Share Posted January 31, 2008 Sure, the VJ is tube, but it has one preamp tube and one poweramp tube, and a volume control.. you don't have any power over the tone, other than the tone knob on your guitar. To be fair I don't know much about EQing besides you can mess with the tones to get a different sound. How to effectively use that... I'm no sound engineer. Dad's Fender has volume, gain (volume through an overdrive pre-amp circuit, just to cause overdrive), bass/mid/treb EQ, and reverb. The Roland cube has more built-in effects, same 3-band EQ. The ironic thing is I know how (electrically) to properly control tone/volume. Volume should use logarithmic potentiometers (because of how sound gets produced and how we hear; doubling the power won't double the volume). Tone should use linear ones, and the tone knob affects specific frequencies depending on the type of capacitor sitting in line with its hot lead. Throw a bigger cap into the hot lead and you kill more highs; bypass the pot (solder across hot-in/hot-out) with an RC circuit using a smaller cap and a resistor in the right range, and you can make an upper bound on the band the tone controls (i.e. go to the bottom of the mid, and then use the tank to make treble bypass the pot). In reality, when I want the 3-knob EQ I can design, build, and solder in the circuit myself (with a hard bypass switch, of course; extra circuitry through pots means uneven signal attenuation, affects the basic tone). Epiphone actually brags that people "trick out" their tube amps on their info page for the Head model; they're easy to get inside of and easy to jigger around. Like I said, I have a solid state fender readily available in the next room; and I'll buy the Roland Cube later because it does look like a really nice practice amp. I just haven't had a chance to really play with a tube amp, but the one I've heard sounded nice and they look pretty interesting technically. Burning curiosity and all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sixto Posted January 31, 2008 Share Posted January 31, 2008 I've only heard good things about that Valve Junior, and there are a ton of mods you can do yourself. Great with pedals, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Majin GeoDooD Posted February 1, 2008 Share Posted February 1, 2008 Oh yea, don't get me wrong, the VJ is a great amp (as I said, I own the head version). I just think that for a beginner the Cube would've been a smarter buy, many more tones in it, no tubes to fool with, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluefoxIcy Posted February 3, 2008 Author Share Posted February 3, 2008 Oh yea, don't get me wrong, the VJ is a great amp (as I said, I own the head version). I just think that for a beginner the Cube would've been a smarter buy, many more tones in it, no tubes to fool with, etc. Cube's definitely on my list. I'm modding up the VJ though (I got a crap V1, see other thread on this), which is of course.. what I do. Gotta have a little fun huh? Side note: I bought some Hearos High-Fi earplugs. THEY WORK AS ADVERTISED. They're awesome and I'm sitting directly in front of this damn amp that's blasting sonic death at me (that thing is LOUD, 5 watts what the hell?). I tried without plugs, after about 30 seconds my ears felt like I was stabbed. In the head. And the green 50 cent earplugs I got from MAGFest make it sound like I'm underwater X_X Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Majin GeoDooD Posted February 3, 2008 Share Posted February 3, 2008 Heh, the other fun thing with tube amps.. they're loud . The louder, the better! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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