Practice amp....Which one??? - Page 2

American Viking · 11-02-2009, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by speedtravis

wow dude, you took it really personal... the HT5 is like a tiny 900, hybrid OK!! but the input stages and the diode clipping AND the phase splitter ARE solid state. AFAIK Blackstar adverts them as ALL TUBE, that is what I am referring to. We are not discussing if you or HC guys like it dude.

lol. I think you are misreading him a bit. Note there is no tone of voice in type.

As for a practice amp, how about a 2203 half stack? It's not overkill, it could be a full stack!

Jesstaa · 11-02-2009, 09:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by American Viking

lol. I think you are misreading him a bit. Note there is no tone of voice in type.

As for a practice amp, how about a 2203 half stack? It's not overkill, it could be a full stack!

I came to this thread just for your reply viking, and you definitely delivered xD

I agree totally. If you're not gonna be moving it, then why the fuck not go big? Sure, power tube distortion is great, but if you were considering an MG, the preamp of a JCM 800 will do you just fine.

Viking may have been taking some sarcasm into it, but i'm quite serious, my 'practice' amp is a 100watt halfstack and it's great.

American Viking · 11-02-2009, 09:47 PM

yeah lol, there's a little bit of sarcasm there, but there's also a whole lot of truth. The rig I practice with is typically my show rig, a JCM800 over two 4x12's. Either that or a DSL100 on an old Blue Voodoo cab when I feel like watching a shitty movie on mute.

Ken · 11-02-2009, 10:06 PM

Marshall Major stack. Hands down the best low volume practive amp ever; just run it 8 instead of 10! Of course, I'm deaf...

Okay, kidding aside, I do like my DSL 50 at low volume, but there are some class A amps at like 1 watt that people rave about. Look into those and forget about the cheapo "practice amps" from Marshall, Fender et. al. if you have a budget of a couple hundred. If you don't have that big a budget budget...well go to GC and play a bunch of practice amps. Some people don't like the DSL at low volume but it works for me, so find out what works for you. $100 or less gets a pretty good choice of low wattage amps.

Ken

nofearfactor · 11-02-2009, 10:14 PM

Quote:

As for a practice amp, how about a 2203 half stack? It's not overkill, it could be a full stack!

dude,I'm with you. I practice enough in my rehearsal space,with the band,or just doing gigs that I dont need to be practicing while watching TV or with CDs. And I practice with what I use in band rehearsals,on stage,in the studio,etcetc. I'm lucky I guess to own my own home and have a rehearsal room at my home where I can practice when I want and as loud as I want. My wife doesnt want me sitting around noodling on a guitar while watching TV- she has to endure enough of it when I'm out in my space playing at ungodly volumes. Plus I just couldnt stand to sit with that little bitty amp and try to get some work done,it just wouldnt do it for me. Now sitting with an acoustic or a classical I can do.

noise5150 · 11-03-2009, 10:39 AM

Try to find a used AVT amp they sound amazing and they are cheap. If not, get one of the new MGs I have the older MG100dfx combo and I love it. I would also have to say take a look at Line 6 and the new Peavey Vypyr amps. They both give you alot of bang for the buck.

Grandturk · 11-03-2009, 10:47 AM

I think its a good idea to have a little "practice" amp to throw in the back seat and take with you. While my 90lb, 100W Boogie combo may sound a whole lot better than my Marshall Kerry King MG 10, its complete over kill for bringing down to my sister's house to show my nephew some licks and exercises.

tbwrench · 11-03-2009, 11:06 AM

Someone had mentioned the vox valvetronix series. I have a 15 watt version and really like it. It has every sound I need for practice, cleans to metal and most everything in between. I think it has the feel of a tube amp as well. In my opinion, it should be at least looked at and played to hear it.

I would have NEVER bought this amp, I was looking at line 6, small marshalls, peavey, fender etc. The salesman at the GC recommended this VOX valvetronix, I laughed and said a need more than a beatle amp from the 60's. He plugged me in and the rest is history. We even use it to record rough demo's because the sound is so good and easy to find. It will not replace my marshall and boogie stacks but it is a very portable, small, easy and quick amp to get a decent sound out of.

Best wishes, TBW.

PS I had a valvetronix 100 watt 2x12 and it sounded very good especially with a 4x12 under it. I needed to thin the herd and sold it regretfully.

RazorDave · 11-03-2009, 11:10 AM

I personally use an MG 10 for practice. I have to Dsl 100 stacks, but with the price of tubes, I keep them stashed for shows only! The MG 10 does a great job for practice. Its cheap, has a descent tone, and can be toted around, especially when you travel!

LesBalls · 11-03-2009, 11:27 AM

The MG series are fabulous plug and play practice amps.

If you have a little more cash to burn (and want to go with something other than a Marshall) get a used Fender Champ. Definitely one of the all time greats.

nofearfactor · 11-03-2009, 11:48 AM

Quote:

I think its a good idea to have a little "practice" amp to throw in the back seat and take with you.

I can understand that. The only 'small' amp I have ever had was a 5150 combo,but,it was like your Boogie though,not light at all. It was portable and I could take it to bandmates houses or to auditions and I didnt have to take the van as it fit in the backseat of my club cab or the wifes car. I do buy MGs and sell them to my students,theyre just not for me. The only small tube combo I ever really thought I might like,besides any Marshall tube combo, was the Peavey Colossal.

Buy Peavey JSX Mini Colossal Guitar Amp | Tube Combo Amps | Musician's Friend

zslane · 11-03-2009, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nofearfactor

I'm lucky I guess to own my own home and have a rehearsal room at my home where I can practice when I want and as loud as I want.

Yes you are.

I would be very curious to see some numbers on what percentage of guitar/amp buyers today are solitary hobbyists living in an apartment or dorm. Whatever that number is, it seems to me that their needs are vastly different from those of gigging musicians with access to dedicated rehearsal space.

wkcchampion · 11-03-2009, 05:21 PM

Well I have my own studio in my house lol
But I play on my own

as I'm fed up of people who don't study their own parts

Ken · 11-04-2009, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zslane

Yes you are.

I would be very curious to see some numbers on what percentage of guitar/amp buyers today are solitary hobbyists living in an apartment or dorm. Whatever that number is, it seems to me that their needs are vastly different from those of gigging musicians with access to dedicated rehearsal space.

I agree. I've been all of the above: alone practicing, in a band with space, and in a band without space! And the the question is: What is "practice"?

When I'm working on band songs I play stage volume through just a half stack at home. I need those dynamics because that's how songs get depth; you can't reproduce that dynamic of guitar/amp at voulme at low volume.

When I'm learning songs, I play at low volume until I have the parts down. Then I start practicing at stage volume to see what works for amp settings, guitar choice, etc...

When I'm practicing theory or just exercise I usually am playing my acoustic. It slows me down and forces me to play cleanly. This works well in front of the TV and I frequently get ideas for new songs this way too.

Ken

American Viking · 11-04-2009, 10:06 AM

I've always wanted a Little Smokey.

Grandturk · 11-04-2009, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by American Viking

I've always wanted a Little Smokey.

Those things suck. I had to run into a tubescreamer first. It would just fart out if you didn't slam it with high input volume.

BluesDisciple · 11-04-2009, 10:53 AM

Consider the new/revamped MG series. They are voiced completely different that the older series. You can A/B them using the Marshall Theater on the Marshall website by running Windows and Firefox, or Safari and Firefox if you are a Mac user (

).

I have the older series and cannot wait to get to the store and try out the newer series. The sound is significantly different in the samples, enough for me to consider swapping my MG100DFX for a MG102FX. Nice thing about the MG series is all of the inputs/outputs needed are at the front, except the Line In for a CD/MP3. A longer patch cord will solve that problem...

Anyhow, my two cents worth. I think the MG series is at the top of the heap for a solid state amplifier - and the new one may surpass the proverbial Peavey Bandit 112. I need to go and find that out for myself.

BD

Gtrman58 · 11-04-2009, 04:01 PM

I love my little vox pathfinder for just a cheap little practice amp for under a 100 bucks. If you want to stay with the valves, I like the blues junior but we are talking considerably more jack... Hit the pawn shops near you and see what deals you can find.

dread1 · 11-04-2009, 05:25 PM

O.K., pulled the plug last night at guitar centers and bought a Marshall MG30FX.
Itried a whole bunch of amps that were in it's class, including the equivalent Line 6, the Vox Valvetronics, and so on....This was the ONLY amp, to me that is, that didn't sound boxey. I mean at all.
I understand the whole thing of using your main rig as your practice amp. Totally understand that but number one, I have a 1981 jcm800 full stack , a 1962 fender bandmaster and a 1969 50 watt plexi with an 8 x 10 cab . All of amps have to be cranked to sound good.
Now, if I weren't married, with kids, believe me, they would be cranked and there would be no MG. But my 4 year old is actually worse than my wife with the tuen it down stuff.
Oh also, here's another big factor. With this amp, I could leave the room with my crazy kids also in the room, and not have to fear a baseball bat sticking through the grillcloth of a vintage amp or things like that.
I was also checking out the dsl marshalls and although they sounded real good, it would've defeated the purpose being a good used one would cost 600.00
This MG was also a special edition in red tolex with the same style basket weave grillcloth. Each guitar center got one of them. Cost was 2 beans and I'm pretty satisfied with the little sucker.

nofearfactor · 11-04-2009, 06:30 PM

Quote:

When I'm working on band songs I play stage volume through just a half stack at home. I need those dynamics because that's how songs get depth; you can't reproduce that dynamic of guitar/amp at voulme at low volume.

When I'm learning songs, I play at low volume until I have the parts down. Then I start practicing at stage volume to see what works for amp settings, guitar choice, etc...

When I'm practicing theory or just exercise I usually am playing my acoustic. It slows me down and forces me to play cleanly. This works well in front of the TV and I frequently get ideas for new songs this way too.

+1. This is me.

But I understand Dread too. Its just my kids are 13,17 now and I dont have to worry about anything but my 13 rd and his stoopid friends playing on my gear when I'm out of town gigging. But, when my son was little he was Mr Destructo. More than a few of my guitars have nicks in the headstocks from him knocking them over. My vintage hand made Rodriguez classical I kept in the case just from him.

So,on that level I understand Dread. Have fun with it.

11-02-2009, 09:47 PM	#33 (permalink)
American Viking Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: RICHMOND, VIRGINIA Posts: 1,510	Re: Practice amp....Which one??? yeah lol, there's a little bit of sarcasm there, but there's also a whole lot of truth. The rig I practice with is typically my show rig, a JCM800 over two 4x12's. Either that or a DSL100 on an old Blue Voodoo cab when I feel like watching a shitty movie on mute. __________________ -I'd rather be a good liver than have one...

11-02-2009, 10:06 PM	#34 (permalink)
Ken Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Arlington Heights, IL Posts: 607	Re: Practice amp....Which one??? Marshall Major stack. Hands down the best low volume practive amp ever; just run it 8 instead of 10! Of course, I'm deaf... Okay, kidding aside, I do like my DSL 50 at low volume, but there are some class A amps at like 1 watt that people rave about. Look into those and forget about the cheapo "practice amps" from Marshall, Fender et. al. if you have a budget of a couple hundred. If you don't have that big a budget budget...well go to GC and play a bunch of practice amps. Some people don't like the DSL at low volume but it works for me, so find out what works for you. $100 or less gets a pretty good choice of low wattage amps. Ken

11-03-2009, 10:39 AM	#36 (permalink)
noise5150 Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 67	Re: Practice amp....Which one??? Try to find a used AVT amp they sound amazing and they are cheap. If not, get one of the new MGs I have the older MG100dfx combo and I love it. I would also have to say take a look at Line 6 and the new Peavey Vypyr amps. They both give you alot of bang for the buck. Last edited by noise5150; 11-03-2009 at 02:07 PM.

11-03-2009, 10:47 AM	#37 (permalink)
Grandturk Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: NYC Posts: 110	Re: Practice amp....Which one??? I think its a good idea to have a little "practice" amp to throw in the back seat and take with you. While my 90lb, 100W Boogie combo may sound a whole lot better than my Marshall Kerry King MG 10, its complete over kill for bringing down to my sister's house to show my nephew some licks and exercises.

11-03-2009, 11:06 AM	#38 (permalink)
tbwrench Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: wisconsin Posts: 61	Re: Practice amp....Which one??? Someone had mentioned the vox valvetronix series. I have a 15 watt version and really like it. It has every sound I need for practice, cleans to metal and most everything in between. I think it has the feel of a tube amp as well. In my opinion, it should be at least looked at and played to hear it. I would have NEVER bought this amp, I was looking at line 6, small marshalls, peavey, fender etc. The salesman at the GC recommended this VOX valvetronix, I laughed and said a need more than a beatle amp from the 60's. He plugged me in and the rest is history. We even use it to record rough demo's because the sound is so good and easy to find. It will not replace my marshall and boogie stacks but it is a very portable, small, easy and quick amp to get a decent sound out of. Best wishes, TBW. PS I had a valvetronix 100 watt 2x12 and it sounded very good especially with a 4x12 under it. I needed to thin the herd and sold it regretfully.

11-03-2009, 11:10 AM	#39 (permalink)
RazorDave Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 6	Re: Practice amp....Which one??? I personally use an MG 10 for practice. I have to Dsl 100 stacks, but with the price of tubes, I keep them stashed for shows only! The MG 10 does a great job for practice. Its cheap, has a descent tone, and can be toted around, especially when you travel!

11-03-2009, 11:27 AM	#40 (permalink)
LesBalls Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: USA Posts: 63	Re: Practice amp....Which one??? The MG series are fabulous plug and play practice amps. If you have a little more cash to burn (and want to go with something other than a Marshall) get a used Fender Champ. Definitely one of the all time greats.

11-03-2009, 05:21 PM	#43 (permalink)
wkcchampion Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 145	Re: Practice amp....Which one??? Well I have my own studio in my house lol But I play on my own as I'm fed up of people who don't study their own parts

11-04-2009, 10:06 AM	#45 (permalink)
American Viking Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: RICHMOND, VIRGINIA Posts: 1,510	Re: Practice amp....Which one??? I've always wanted a Little Smokey. __________________ -I'd rather be a good liver than have one...

11-04-2009, 10:53 AM	#47 (permalink)
BluesDisciple Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 18	Re: Practice amp....Which one??? Consider the new/revamped MG series. They are voiced completely different that the older series. You can A/B them using the Marshall Theater on the Marshall website by running Windows and Firefox, or Safari and Firefox if you are a Mac user (). I have the older series and cannot wait to get to the store and try out the newer series. The sound is significantly different in the samples, enough for me to consider swapping my MG100DFX for a MG102FX. Nice thing about the MG series is all of the inputs/outputs needed are at the front, except the Line In for a CD/MP3. A longer patch cord will solve that problem... Anyhow, my two cents worth. I think the MG series is at the top of the heap for a solid state amplifier - and the new one may surpass the proverbial Peavey Bandit 112. I need to go and find that out for myself. BD

11-04-2009, 04:01 PM	#48 (permalink)
Gtrman58 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: St. Louis, Mo. Posts: 148	Re: Practice amp....Which one??? I love my little vox pathfinder for just a cheap little practice amp for under a 100 bucks. If you want to stay with the valves, I like the blues junior but we are talking considerably more jack... Hit the pawn shops near you and see what deals you can find. __________________ 2009 JCM 2000 Dsl 100 MLB MC412A 1951 Fender Deluxe 2006 Hot Rod Deluxe 1995 Blues Junior 1994 Blues Deville Vox Path Finder 1982 Legend A 30 1980 Gibson Herritage Cherry Sunburst Standard 1980 Explorer White with gold HW 2000 52 Telecaster USA RI 1983 57 Strat LH USA RI 2003 57 Strat USA RI 1960 Silvertone Danelectro 1994 Fender P-bass 68 RI Acoustic guitars....not enough space to list !!!!!

11-04-2009, 05:25 PM	#49 (permalink)
dread1 Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 89	Re: Practice amp....Which one??? O.K., pulled the plug last night at guitar centers and bought a Marshall MG30FX. Itried a whole bunch of amps that were in it's class, including the equivalent Line 6, the Vox Valvetronics, and so on....This was the ONLY amp, to me that is, that didn't sound boxey. I mean at all. I understand the whole thing of using your main rig as your practice amp. Totally understand that but number one, I have a 1981 jcm800 full stack , a 1962 fender bandmaster and a 1969 50 watt plexi with an 8 x 10 cab . All of amps have to be cranked to sound good. Now, if I weren't married, with kids, believe me, they would be cranked and there would be no MG. But my 4 year old is actually worse than my wife with the tuen it down stuff. Oh also, here's another big factor. With this amp, I could leave the room with my crazy kids also in the room, and not have to fear a baseball bat sticking through the grillcloth of a vintage amp or things like that. I was also checking out the dsl marshalls and although they sounded real good, it would've defeated the purpose being a good used one would cost 600.00 This MG was also a special edition in red tolex with the same style basket weave grillcloth. Each guitar center got one of them. Cost was 2 beans and I'm pretty satisfied with the little sucker.

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