Marshall Amp Forum - View Single Post

***FLICKOFLASH*** · 03-22-2008, 03:53 PM

Step 1:

Fender Combo Amp Before you purchase an amp, it is important to know several factors. How much money do you have to work with? What sound or style of music do you play or play on mostly playing? Is the amp going to be used primarily for practice, studio, live use or all of the above? If live, what size venues will you be playing in?

Step 2:

Mesa/Boogie Stacks The industry standard for guitar amps both live and in the studio is Marshall, Mesa/Boogie, Peavey and Fender. The amps made by these companies are know for their clarity and excellence both live and in the studio. They are very versatile in that you can play almost any style of music on them. These companies typically will make three styles of amps. The first is a combo. A combo amp is an amp who has all the controls, power and speaker in the same box thus the reason it is called a combo amp. These amps typically don't have more then one or two speakers and come in a variety of sizes from small to very large. They are great for both home practice, studio and live settings. Speakers for these amps range in size from 8" to 12". We will go over speaker size and choice in a few moments. These amps are usually the lightest amps of the three styles and are the easiest to transport and move around. They are also often quieter then the bigger amps which is good for practice. The next step up from the combo amps are half stacks. Half stacks consist of two parts. A half stack is essentially a combo amp split in two seperating the speakers from the controls. The speaker box (referred to as the speaker cabinet) is seperate from the amp controls (which are referred to as the head). The speakers come in speaker cabinets with either two or four speakers. These are almost always 12" speakers although some may have 8" or 12" speakers. The amp heads typically are usually around the same size and contain a variety of controls which we will go over in a little bit. The amp head is the brain of the amp. Without the head, the speakers will not function and visa versa. The next step up from a half stack is a full stack. A full stack is a half stack with another speaker cabinet added to it. So you have the head and two speaker cabinets either side by side or more typically stacked on top of eachother.

Step 3:

Marshall Half Stack So now you know the three types of amps, combos, half stacks and full stacks. So what is right for you if you are on a budget? Marshall, Mesa/Boogie, Peavey and Fender all make a variety of amps ranging from very small cheap combos to industry standard large full stacks. If you are looking for a combo amp, Marshall, Peavey and Fender all make several smaller beginner amps that capture some of the sound of their larger industry standard amps and are a fraction of the cost and size. Other companies such as Crate also make cheaper amps that sound good at a great price as well. These are great amps to learn on in that they are portable, cheap and still give you a lot of the signature sound these companies are known for. But let's say you want that professional half stack or full stack look but don't have thousands to spend on the real deal. These companies all offer slightly smaller half and full stacks at cheaper costs. These amps can be bought for under $500. So now your probably asking well how can that be? How can Marshall offer a half stack for $500 and another for $2000. The answer is the age old war of tubes vs solid state

Step 4:

Tube Amp Tubes Tube amps are tubes that use tube transistors like the tubes found in old TV's. Solid state amps are amps that use a simple circuit board to produce the same effect. Then you have hybrids. Hybrids are essentially solid state amps that have usually one or two tubes. So tone wise what is the difference? Almost 99% of the pro's use tube amps. Why? Tubes give you a warmer, thicker and crisper sound then solid state amps. They are the chosen type of amp by professionals and industry experts. However, tube amps are almost always more expensive then solid state or hybrid amps. Most of the cheaper amps you will find like the Crate Amps, Marshall MG, AVT series amps, Fender Roc Pro or Peavey Transtube are solid state or hybrid amps. They are cheaper to produce thus the lower price tag. The solid state amps tend to sound more digital, fuzzy and grainy then the clearer sounding tube amps. Solid state amps however are not to be written off as cheap low quality amps however. Many of manufacturers have come close to recreating the sound of a tube amp by using one tube to create a hybrid amp which sell for the same price as a solid state amp. If you have the money, I would suggest a tube amp but if not, a good hybrid amp made by a respected company like Marshall, Peavey, Crate, Fender or Line 6 is the way to go.

Step 5:

Footswitch So far we have discussed the amp sizes and types. Now lets discuss the amp tone you are going for. Many of today's modern amps have two or three channels. Usually a clean and a dirty channel. The clean channel simply put refers to the channel that produces a clean clear sound without any type of distortion or loud noise. The dirty channel refers to the channel with the heavy thick distorted sound that is used in heavy metal, punk an a lot of pop rock. Amps with three channels like the Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier, Peavey JSX or Marshall TSL have a third channel that is also dirty but is a little dirtier then the regular dirty channel and also can be used as a solo channel in which the volume is boosted for solo's to cut through the mix. If you are playing in a cover band or a band that has a wide variety of sounds (i.e. ska, reggae, new wave, pop punk etc), a two or three channel amp is probably the best way to go. This gives you both the clean and dirty options at your disposal. Both the clean and dirty channels can be switched while playing via a footswitch. The footswitch when steped on switches from one channel to the other so that you do not need to stop playing to switch the channels. If you are going for a heavy metal type of sound or punk sound and have some money, I would suggest a Mesa/Boogie Rectifier, a Peavey JSX or 5150, or a Marshall DSL or TSL. For an intermediate player looking for a metal amp and don't have that much to spend, I would suggest a Crate Blue Voodoo, a Randall, or a Peavey XXX or 5150 Combo. For a beginner, a Marshall AVT50, AVT 150 or MG would do along with a Peavey Transtube or a Fender Roc Pro. There are many very expensive types of amps that are hand produced and sound killer as well that if you have the money I would highly recommend. These are referred to as Boutique amps and several pros use these amps Single channel amps are generally used by blues players and those that only use the clean sound. These amps are generally a bit cheap since they are a no frills amp. You can add the dirty sound to them by adding what is known as an effects pedal or stomp box that recreates the dirty sound. Blues players such as Stevie Ray Vaughn used a one channel clean sounding amp in conjunction with an Ibanez TS 808 which is a pedal that distorts the clean signal to produce a dirty sound. The best bet for a beginner would be to get a good two channel amp so that you have both the dirty and clean sounds at your disposal.

Step 6:

Peavey 5150 At this point you have chosen between a combo, half stack or full stack; a solid state, hybrid or a tube amp; and a one, two or three channel amp. Here are some of my suggestions based on cost and the type of sound you are going for. For those metal heads out there with some money to spend, here are my suggestions. Mesa/Boogie - Single, Dual or Triple Rectifier. Stiletto Marshall - DSL or TSL Peavey - 5150, JSX or XXX Soldano - SLO100 Genz Benz - El Diablo For those with not as much to spend and want a heavy sound Marshall - AVT50, AVT150 or MG Peavey - Transtube or 5150 combo For those looking for a cleaner, blues or jazz oriented Fender is by far the way to go. Fender - Hotrod Deville, Bassman, Twin Reverb, Roland - Jazz Chorus For those that want the clean sound on a budget... Fender - Roc Pro, Princeton, There are many very expensive amps out there as well that are referred to as boutique amps. These are hand made amps and are made in limited quantities. If you have the money and can afford them, I would suggest you check out amps by the following companies. BadCat Orange Matchless Bogner Diezel Framus

Step 7:

BadCat Boutique Amp Now there is one last step before you make your purchase. You have narrowed it all down to the final question. New vs Used. This choice will be a personal preference and what your budget can afford. Many pro guitar players own and play through older, vintage tube amps that they have spent a small fortune on. Others are endorsed and receive brand new Mesa/Boogie or Marshall amps right out of the box. This will be completely up to you what you decide. For instance, lets say you are shopping for a Marshall Half Stack. You come across a used Marshall DSL head and cabinet for $1200. You see that you can have the same set up brand new for only $1700. The used amp might have some wear and tear and the new one is....well new. Sit down and play through both. Ask the salesperson about whether the used one has a warranty or if you can purchase one through the store. Often times, you can walk away with a used amp with an extended store warranty that plays and sounds as good as a new one for a fraction of the cost of a new one that comes only with a manufacturers warranty. Once again though, this is personal preference. Test out any amps you are interested in before buying! This I cannot stress enough. If it doesn't sound good, doesn't fit your style or doesn't seem to be what your looking for then don't buy it. There is one out there that will fit you and what you are looking for. You don't want to buy an amp that you aren't happy with only to return to the store a week later to find one that sounds the way you want an amp to sound and is cheaper then the one you just bought.

Step 8:

Fender Strat Pack Once last tip for the beginner. Check to see if your local music store offers packages for beginners. Fender for instance has a guitar package known as the Strat Pack. It contains a beginner guitar, an amp, picks, strings, a strap, a case, instruction book and a string winder. The whole package retails for only $200 and is cheaper then going out and buying everything seperately. It is an excellent quality instrument for a beginner to learn on and contains all the necessary things needed to start playing guitar. Gibson makes one through their company Epiphone as well as do several other guitar and amp manufacturers.
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Tips & Warnings
Ask yourself what is your budget?
What style of music do you play or plan on playing? (i.e. Metal, Punk, Blues, Jazz, Reggae etc).
Where will you be mostly playing (i.e. home, studio, live a combination of those)?
Will you need one, two or three channels?
Is the brand of amp I'm looking at a known brand (i.e. Marshall, Peavey, Mesa/Boogie, Vox etc) or is it a no name amp?
If a used amp, is it in perfect electronical and playable shape?
If new, what does it include/what comes with it?
Does it have a warranty? If not is there one available?
Are there any sales on the amp or deals that the store is offering if purchasing a product by the manufacturer (i.e. buy a Marshall amp get a free guitar case etc._
Is the store you are looking to buy it from a respected dealer (i.e. Guitar Center, MusiciansFriend etc)?
What is the return policy?
Check Harmony Central® - The #1 Online Community For Musicians to read reviews written by people that have played through the amp. It is a great website that lists thousands of amps by just about every manufacturer.
If you own a guitar, use it when testing out the amp. For instance, if you own a $200 guitar and are testing the amp with a $3000 Gibson Les Paul Custom, it will sound drastically different when you get it home and plug in your $200 guitar.
If you are buying an amp head, test it out with your speaker cabinet to make sure it sounds good through your cabinet. Its the same as a guitar. If you test the head through an expensive cabinet and have an inexpensive cabinet at home, or you test it through a cheap cabinet and have an expensive cabinet at home, it will sound very different.
Always check the amp to make sure it works properly. Never buy an amp without playing through it first.
Always make sure you buy from a respected dealer that specializes in musical equipment
Always make sure the amp sounds exactly the way you want and has the features you want.
Last but not least, go with your gut feeling. If the amp doesn't feel or sound right or the people at the music store appear to be sleazy or in a hurry to sell you the amp and you feel weird about it, don't buy it. Wait until you find the one that sounds right or the one that you can buy through a respectable dealer.

03-22-2008, 03:53 PM	#1 (permalink)
*FLICKOFLASH* Super Moderator Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 61	How to Buy a Guitar Amp Step 1: Fender Combo Amp Before you purchase an amp, it is important to know several factors. How much money do you have to work with? What sound or style of music do you play or play on mostly playing? Is the amp going to be used primarily for practice, studio, live use or all of the above? If live, what size venues will you be playing in? Step 2: Mesa/Boogie Stacks The industry standard for guitar amps both live and in the studio is Marshall, Mesa/Boogie, Peavey and Fender. The amps made by these companies are know for their clarity and excellence both live and in the studio. They are very versatile in that you can play almost any style of music on them. These companies typically will make three styles of amps. The first is a combo. A combo amp is an amp who has all the controls, power and speaker in the same box thus the reason it is called a combo amp. These amps typically don't have more then one or two speakers and come in a variety of sizes from small to very large. They are great for both home practice, studio and live settings. Speakers for these amps range in size from 8" to 12". We will go over speaker size and choice in a few moments. These amps are usually the lightest amps of the three styles and are the easiest to transport and move around. They are also often quieter then the bigger amps which is good for practice. The next step up from the combo amps are half stacks. Half stacks consist of two parts. A half stack is essentially a combo amp split in two seperating the speakers from the controls. The speaker box (referred to as the speaker cabinet) is seperate from the amp controls (which are referred to as the head). The speakers come in speaker cabinets with either two or four speakers. These are almost always 12" speakers although some may have 8" or 12" speakers. The amp heads typically are usually around the same size and contain a variety of controls which we will go over in a little bit. The amp head is the brain of the amp. Without the head, the speakers will not function and visa versa. The next step up from a half stack is a full stack. A full stack is a half stack with another speaker cabinet added to it. So you have the head and two speaker cabinets either side by side or more typically stacked on top of eachother. Step 3: Marshall Half Stack So now you know the three types of amps, combos, half stacks and full stacks. So what is right for you if you are on a budget? Marshall, Mesa/Boogie, Peavey and Fender all make a variety of amps ranging from very small cheap combos to industry standard large full stacks. If you are looking for a combo amp, Marshall, Peavey and Fender all make several smaller beginner amps that capture some of the sound of their larger industry standard amps and are a fraction of the cost and size. Other companies such as Crate also make cheaper amps that sound good at a great price as well. These are great amps to learn on in that they are portable, cheap and still give you a lot of the signature sound these companies are known for. But let's say you want that professional half stack or full stack look but don't have thousands to spend on the real deal. These companies all offer slightly smaller half and full stacks at cheaper costs. These amps can be bought for under $500. So now your probably asking well how can that be? How can Marshall offer a half stack for $500 and another for $2000. The answer is the age old war of tubes vs solid state Step 4: Tube Amp Tubes Tube amps are tubes that use tube transistors like the tubes found in old TV's. Solid state amps are amps that use a simple circuit board to produce the same effect. Then you have hybrids. Hybrids are essentially solid state amps that have usually one or two tubes. So tone wise what is the difference? Almost 99% of the pro's use tube amps. Why? Tubes give you a warmer, thicker and crisper sound then solid state amps. They are the chosen type of amp by professionals and industry experts. However, tube amps are almost always more expensive then solid state or hybrid amps. Most of the cheaper amps you will find like the Crate Amps, Marshall MG, AVT series amps, Fender Roc Pro or Peavey Transtube are solid state or hybrid amps. They are cheaper to produce thus the lower price tag. The solid state amps tend to sound more digital, fuzzy and grainy then the clearer sounding tube amps. Solid state amps however are not to be written off as cheap low quality amps however. Many of manufacturers have come close to recreating the sound of a tube amp by using one tube to create a hybrid amp which sell for the same price as a solid state amp. If you have the money, I would suggest a tube amp but if not, a good hybrid amp made by a respected company like Marshall, Peavey, Crate, Fender or Line 6 is the way to go. Step 5: Footswitch So far we have discussed the amp sizes and types. Now lets discuss the amp tone you are going for. Many of today's modern amps have two or three channels. Usually a clean and a dirty channel. The clean channel simply put refers to the channel that produces a clean clear sound without any type of distortion or loud noise. The dirty channel refers to the channel with the heavy thick distorted sound that is used in heavy metal, punk an a lot of pop rock. Amps with three channels like the Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier, Peavey JSX or Marshall TSL have a third channel that is also dirty but is a little dirtier then the regular dirty channel and also can be used as a solo channel in which the volume is boosted for solo's to cut through the mix. If you are playing in a cover band or a band that has a wide variety of sounds (i.e. ska, reggae, new wave, pop punk etc), a two or three channel amp is probably the best way to go. This gives you both the clean and dirty options at your disposal. Both the clean and dirty channels can be switched while playing via a footswitch. The footswitch when steped on switches from one channel to the other so that you do not need to stop playing to switch the channels. If you are going for a heavy metal type of sound or punk sound and have some money, I would suggest a Mesa/Boogie Rectifier, a Peavey JSX or 5150, or a Marshall DSL or TSL. For an intermediate player looking for a metal amp and don't have that much to spend, I would suggest a Crate Blue Voodoo, a Randall, or a Peavey XXX or 5150 Combo. For a beginner, a Marshall AVT50, AVT 150 or MG would do along with a Peavey Transtube or a Fender Roc Pro. There are many very expensive types of amps that are hand produced and sound killer as well that if you have the money I would highly recommend. These are referred to as Boutique amps and several pros use these amps Single channel amps are generally used by blues players and those that only use the clean sound. These amps are generally a bit cheap since they are a no frills amp. You can add the dirty sound to them by adding what is known as an effects pedal or stomp box that recreates the dirty sound. Blues players such as Stevie Ray Vaughn used a one channel clean sounding amp in conjunction with an Ibanez TS 808 which is a pedal that distorts the clean signal to produce a dirty sound. The best bet for a beginner would be to get a good two channel amp so that you have both the dirty and clean sounds at your disposal. Step 6: Peavey 5150 At this point you have chosen between a combo, half stack or full stack; a solid state, hybrid or a tube amp; and a one, two or three channel amp. Here are some of my suggestions based on cost and the type of sound you are going for. For those metal heads out there with some money to spend, here are my suggestions. Mesa/Boogie - Single, Dual or Triple Rectifier. Stiletto Marshall - DSL or TSL Peavey - 5150, JSX or XXX Soldano - SLO100 Genz Benz - El Diablo For those with not as much to spend and want a heavy sound Marshall - AVT50, AVT150 or MG Peavey - Transtube or 5150 combo For those looking for a cleaner, blues or jazz oriented Fender is by far the way to go. Fender - Hotrod Deville, Bassman, Twin Reverb, Roland - Jazz Chorus For those that want the clean sound on a budget... Fender - Roc Pro, Princeton, There are many very expensive amps out there as well that are referred to as boutique amps. These are hand made amps and are made in limited quantities. If you have the money and can afford them, I would suggest you check out amps by the following companies. BadCat Orange Matchless Bogner Diezel Framus Step 7: BadCat Boutique Amp Now there is one last step before you make your purchase. You have narrowed it all down to the final question. New vs Used. This choice will be a personal preference and what your budget can afford. Many pro guitar players own and play through older, vintage tube amps that they have spent a small fortune on. Others are endorsed and receive brand new Mesa/Boogie or Marshall amps right out of the box. This will be completely up to you what you decide. For instance, lets say you are shopping for a Marshall Half Stack. You come across a used Marshall DSL head and cabinet for $1200. You see that you can have the same set up brand new for only $1700. The used amp might have some wear and tear and the new one is....well new. Sit down and play through both. Ask the salesperson about whether the used one has a warranty or if you can purchase one through the store. Often times, you can walk away with a used amp with an extended store warranty that plays and sounds as good as a new one for a fraction of the cost of a new one that comes only with a manufacturers warranty. Once again though, this is personal preference. Test out any amps you are interested in before buying! This I cannot stress enough. If it doesn't sound good, doesn't fit your style or doesn't seem to be what your looking for then don't buy it. There is one out there that will fit you and what you are looking for. You don't want to buy an amp that you aren't happy with only to return to the store a week later to find one that sounds the way you want an amp to sound and is cheaper then the one you just bought. Step 8: Fender Strat Pack Once last tip for the beginner. Check to see if your local music store offers packages for beginners. Fender for instance has a guitar package known as the Strat Pack. It contains a beginner guitar, an amp, picks, strings, a strap, a case, instruction book and a string winder. The whole package retails for only $200 and is cheaper then going out and buying everything seperately. It is an excellent quality instrument for a beginner to learn on and contains all the necessary things needed to start playing guitar. Gibson makes one through their company Epiphone as well as do several other guitar and amp manufacturers. Ads by Google Warehouse Guitar Speakers High Quality, American Assemblied, Speakers w/ British & Vintage Sound WarehouseSpeakers.com Bass Guitar Speaker Guide Directory Of Bass Guitar Speaker. Find Bass Guitar Speaker Quickly. BassGuitarSpeaker.GizmoCafe.com ValveTrain Relic Tube Amp The Perfect Amp for a Relic Guitar! Available at Fretspot.com Fretspot » New Stuff AER Acoustic Amps Compact 60, Alpha, Domino & More Boutique Guitars, Amps & Effects The Guitar Boutique Home Page Tips & Warnings Ask yourself what is your budget? What style of music do you play or plan on playing? (i.e. Metal, Punk, Blues, Jazz, Reggae etc). Where will you be mostly playing (i.e. home, studio, live a combination of those)? Will you need one, two or three channels? Is the brand of amp I'm looking at a known brand (i.e. Marshall, Peavey, Mesa/Boogie, Vox etc) or is it a no name amp? If a used amp, is it in perfect electronical and playable shape? If new, what does it include/what comes with it? Does it have a warranty? If not is there one available? Are there any sales on the amp or deals that the store is offering if purchasing a product by the manufacturer (i.e. buy a Marshall amp get a free guitar case etc._ Is the store you are looking to buy it from a respected dealer (i.e. Guitar Center, MusiciansFriend etc)? What is the return policy? Check Harmony Central® - The #1 Online Community For Musicians to read reviews written by people that have played through the amp. It is a great website that lists thousands of amps by just about every manufacturer. If you own a guitar, use it when testing out the amp. For instance, if you own a $200 guitar and are testing the amp with a $3000 Gibson Les Paul Custom, it will sound drastically different when you get it home and plug in your $200 guitar. If you are buying an amp head, test it out with your speaker cabinet to make sure it sounds good through your cabinet. Its the same as a guitar. If you test the head through an expensive cabinet and have an inexpensive cabinet at home, or you test it through a cheap cabinet and have an expensive cabinet at home, it will sound very different. Always check the amp to make sure it works properly. Never buy an amp without playing through it first. Always make sure you buy from a respected dealer that specializes in musical equipment Always make sure the amp sounds exactly the way you want and has the features you want. Last but not least, go with your gut feeling. If the amp doesn't feel or sound right or the people at the music store appear to be sleazy or in a hurry to sell you the amp and you feel weird about it, don't buy it. Wait until you find the one that sounds right or the one that you can buy through a respectable dealer.