# guitar amps



## Deano (Jul 7, 2006)

can anyone recommend a small practice amp? decided to pick my guitar up again but my little amp has had it. it is 25yrs old. :lol: not looking to spend much.


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## johnnyguitar (Mar 24, 2010)

New range of Vox AD*VT amps are ok, probably the 15 watt. Personally I prefer the sound of a pair of 6L6s but not really living room friendly.


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## AcN (Nov 3, 2010)

Blackstar HT-5R or even the HT-1, it's 5 Watts (or 1 for the HT-1) and it sounds AWESOME for its price (tube amp, and at 1 or 5 watts, you can turn the volume knob where it has to be ).

If you take something bigger and still want to feel the grain you get at high volume, then add a power absorber like the THD Hotplate or NOS DB-Killer  you'll have the exact same feeling at room volume 

But i think there's one more important question : what kind of music do you play / which guitar will be plugged in ?


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## maestegman (Mar 3, 2011)

I have a Roland Micro Cube - one of the best £80 spends I've ever made:

Roland Micro Cube (Black): Amazon.co.uk: Musical Instruments

Unfortunately, even with a decent guitar and a half-tidy amp, I still sound rubbish


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## Deano (Jul 7, 2006)

AcN said:


> Blackstar HT-5R or even the HT-1, it's 5 Watts (or 1 for the HT-1) and it sounds AWESOME for its price (tube amp, and at 1 or 5 watts, you can turn the volume knob where it has to be ).
> 
> If you take something bigger and still want to feel the grain you get at high volume, then add a power absorber like the THD Hotplate or NOS DB-Killer  you'll have the exact same feeling at room volume
> 
> *But i think there's one more important question : what kind of music do you play / which guitar will be plugged in ?*


telecaster and bc rich warlock. anything heavy.:thumb:


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## AcN (Nov 3, 2010)

Totally agree : Roland amps are great value  Had a cube30 and it rocked  

Finally switched to a tube amp because the distorsion wasn't warm/grainy enough for my taste, but still, it was a great amp, especially under the 200€ barrier


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## maestegman (Mar 3, 2011)

My previous amp was a Vox AC30 and I loved it


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## fretfret (Jul 31, 2009)

Great results from Line Six Spyder 3


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## VIPER (May 30, 2007)

I've had a Marshall for over a decade and I love it (not that I play much these days). Previous to that I had a much larger Laney which the specs would say was the better/louder amp, but tbh. the little 15w Marshall is seriously powerful for its diminutive size. I'll post a pic up if I can find one on my PB.


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## AcN (Nov 3, 2010)

Deano said:


> telecaster and bc rich warlock. anything heavy.:thumb:


Blackstar HT-5R or HT-1R all the way then  you'll be able to palm-mute like crazy with the distorsion channel (same circuit as their distorsion pedal which is one of the best for that job )

Otherwise, take any amp with a decent speaker and a crystal clear clean channel, and plug a multi-effect like the TC Nova System in, and you can have a lot of fun 

What is your real max budget anyway ?


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## Shiny (Apr 23, 2007)

fretfret said:


> Great results from Line Six Spyder 3


This is what my lad has, great little amp for the money and was recommended by the music shop. I love the "insane" button


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## johnnyguitar (Mar 24, 2010)

AcN said:


> then add a power absorber like the THD Hotplate or NOS DB-Killer


Didn't mean to thank that post - damn iPhone. 
Deano what's your budget? A THD Hot Plate costs more than most practice amps and you MUST match the impedance of the amp's speakers so if the next amp runs a difference impedance speaker setup then it's time for a new attenuator.


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## AcN (Nov 3, 2010)

johnnyguitar said:


> Didn't mean to thank that post - damn iPhone.
> Deano what's your budget? A THD Hot Plate costs more than most practice amps and you MUST match the impedance of the amp's speakers so if the next amp runs a difference impedance speaker setup then it's time for a new attenuator.


Yeah it's too pricey  still, there are a lot of other attenuators with the ability to switch from 4 to 16 ohms 

But that's why i advise a 1 or 5W amp, which is more than enough to kill the neighbours and better than a 20W or more to really enjoy what's coming out of the speaker


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## johnnyguitar (Mar 24, 2010)

I like valve amps and wouldn't use anything else live. I've had a Peavey Ultra, JTM60 combo, Laneys LC30 and LC50 and am now on a Mesa Express 5:50 which can be switched (as the name would suggest) between 5 and 50 watts. The tone is fantastic but the big downside is that using it in 5w mode in the house only runs one of the 6L6s and drives it HARD. This has put me on my second set of Winged Cs in 18 months (I think) and at 60 quid a pair, plus a trip into Nottingham to make sure I get a properly matched and tested set, it's not a cost I would be very pleased to accept if I was just playing for fun.

I'm not a fan of modelling amps particularly but they are far more useable and better for home use than big valve amps, scaled down. I had the use of a Minimat 4 watt amp that could be scaled back to about 1/4 watt and used this through a 112 cab for a while but, whilst it sounded very nice, it only really did one thing. If I wanted the balance of clean tones with the ability to dial in some crunch, then I would certainly be looking at a modeller. The Vox and the Roland Cubes are my two favourites. I don't really like the G-Dec amps and, personally, the only Line 6 amp that sounds any good is the one built around the Bogner tube amp. I also have an Epiphone Valve Junior combo which is moderately entertaining for a 5 watt amp and I have gigged it albeit flat out, but being able to control my tone is more important, which I just couldn't with an on/off switch and a volume knob.


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## Deano (Jul 7, 2006)

budget is sub £150 really but dont mind 2nd hand gear.


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## AcN (Nov 3, 2010)

Can't find a decent guitar forum with a really active selling section... I found some good stuff on french forums and audiofanzine.com, but it would cost more to ship the amp than the amp itself 

I bet johnnyguitar knows some cool places on the internet


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## johnnyguitar (Mar 24, 2010)

The only forum with an active classifieds section is musicradar. Sound on sound classifieds are worth a look but eBay is about the best place.


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## nilitara (May 2, 2008)

I've recently started to play again, after a 15yr break!! I got a Marshall MG15CDR of eBay for £30, it's a great little amp, that packs a punch. The Overdrive is dirty, and theres reverb too. 

Today I added a new toy to my collection, well with a Surname of Gibson, I just had to have one, My Les Paul will be here tomorrow. 

Nige


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## BRUNBERG (Oct 21, 2010)

If it's just for noodling you can't go wrong with a fender G Dec IMO mate. Great little amp with loads of prefixes and backing tracks built in which you can add to, good for improving your timing when metronome gets boring

I also have a Zakk Wylde mini wall of doom lol which can achieve great sounds but my baby is my Marshall cab with my 410VH head. I've got several JCM 800 heads too including a slash signature but Can't find the matching cab anywhere.

I'm a guitar addict with an ever growing collection so any advice you may need feel free to ask and if I can help I'm happy to


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## BRUNBERG (Oct 21, 2010)

nilitara said:


> I've recently started to play again, after a 15yr break!! I got a Marshall MG15CDR of eBay for £30, it's a great little amp, that packs a punch. The Overdrive is dirty, and theres reverb too.
> 
> Today I added a new toy to my collection, well with a Surname of Gibson, I just had to have one, My Les Paul will be here tomorrow.
> 
> Nige


I've got a few and love them, which model did you go for mate


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## nilitara (May 2, 2008)

Nothing fancy, got a Raw worn White Melody Maker, the older one, was going to get the latest 2011 model, but the older one got a better review. That will sit beside my Ibanez RG420FB, this guitar I love. Hoping to get a nice Telecaster in the future.


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## BRUNBERG (Oct 21, 2010)

Awesome mate, post a pic when you get it. I collect signature series and custom authentic les Paul's and Ibanez Jems mainly but I've got a few other models. Hot to pre CBS vintage stratocasters that I love too. I'm slowly acquiring all the guitars I wanted as a kid


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## johnnyguitar (Mar 24, 2010)

Ideal for home practice
Probably my first choice
VERY nice, could get loud and will eventually want a set of tubes, but not hideously expensive for one of these
Worth keeping an eye on Deano as local to you

OR

This one?


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