I have 500 dollars, i am in a punk/metal band and I need an amp

[D]

I need some help guys


I just joined an AWESOME and I do mean awesome punk/metal,thrash band and I am the lead guitarist.

I need a fuckin amp though to practice and gig with.

we are goin on tour this summer *bars,clubs etc* and I need an amp that would do a good enough job for this type of  venue.

Problem is< I only have 500 bucks.


Any recommendations or am I pretty much fucked?

[Genesis]

The Vox AD50VT is a good bet. It's a hybrid amp, but has quite a few good models. It models a few high gain amps as well for metal and stuff. The tone is quite good (for a hybrid). 50W should be enough for clubs. It has a power-attenuator you can use to reduce the output to around 1W (for bedroom practice). Costs about $380.

[JimBobTTD]

I think it depends on what you want from it. If you get your main sound from pedals, then you want one which takes pedals well. If you want your main distorted sound to come from the amp, then you want to find out which amp you think sounds the best.

Saying that, I'd go for a Marshall valve (tube) combo. You might be able to pick one up second hand for $500 which will make you very happy (I'm not up to speed on the US second hand market).

[Bill 213]

You can find some decent Randall amps for around that.

[Johnny Rattlesnake]

What do you need? Do you have any preferences or will you use anything?

[IzzyDutch]

http://www.marshallamps.com/product.asp?productCode=AVT50X

Marshall AVT50X

It's very very loud..

[AXL 20]

Ill sell you my ValveKing 212 100watt. Its in pristine condiition. Hasnt been gigged (im 15) and I have absolutely no need for that kind of power. Its an amazing amp though with texture control so you can choose and blend class a and a/b. look for some reviews, they're all positive

email me alex.vinarsky@gmail.com

[Genesis]

I would've recommended the ValveKing 212 as well, except it retails about $620. Unless u're buying it second hand of course...

[D]

Guitar Center is having a huge sale where I live Friday, where they are slashing prices and giving an extra 20 percent off.
So, Im gonna check out these amps u g uys listed and see what I can pick up down there Friday.


My friend h as one of those Tube Marshalls, and it sounds awesome and its what he uses.

[SpiritDave]

My friend h as one of those Tube Marshalls, and it sounds awesome and its what he uses.

For 500 bucks you'll be hard pushed to get a tube amp.  I own two Marshall tube amps and they sound awesome ... but they're far from cheap.

Buying used will give you WAY better chance of getting a nice tube amp.

If your band is that good, and you buy a fucking solid state pile of shit, or one of those fucking Line6 amps, you'll sound naff and they'll not be too happy!

2c

[D]

My friend h as one of those Tube Marshalls, and it sounds awesome and its what he uses.

For 500 bucks you'll be hard pushed to get a tube amp.? I own two Marshall tube amps and they sound awesome ... but they're far from cheap.

Buying used will give you WAY better chance of getting a nice tube amp.

If your band is that good, and you buy a fucking solid state pile of shit, or one of those fucking Line6 amps, you'll sound naff and they'll not be too happy!

2c

Fuck those Line6 amps, I am definitely going with a Marshall of some sort.

[Genesis]

My friend h as one of those Tube Marshalls, and it sounds awesome and its what he uses.

For 500 bucks you'll be hard pushed to get a tube amp.  I own two Marshall tube amps and they sound awesome ... but they're far from cheap.

Buying used will give you WAY better chance of getting a nice tube amp.

If your band is that good, and you buy a fucking solid state pile of shit, or one of those fucking Line6 amps, you'll sound naff and they'll not be too happy!

2c

Fuck those Line6 amps, I am definitely going with a Marshall of some sort.

Marshall Tube Amps:

1. > $500
2. Too loud for bedroom practice.

[SpiritDave]

My friend h as one of those Tube Marshalls, and it sounds awesome and its what he uses.

For 500 bucks you'll be hard pushed to get a tube amp.  I own two Marshall tube amps and they sound awesome ... but they're far from cheap.

Buying used will give you WAY better chance of getting a nice tube amp.

If your band is that good, and you buy a fucking solid state pile of shit, or one of those fucking Line6 amps, you'll sound naff and they'll not be too happy!

2c

Fuck those Line6 amps, I am definitely going with a Marshall of some sort.

Marshall Tube Amps:

1. > $500
2. Too loud for bedroom practice.

No they're not ... if you keep looking you will find a bargain ... They can be had used for $500.  And who cares about bedroom practice?!  The guy's in a band ... the band is all that matters.  He has other gear for bedroom practice.

[Genesis]

And who cares about bedroom practice?!

I need a fuckin amp though to practice and gig with.

I just assumed he would practice with the same amp. Unless he has some warehouse or lives in some remote place, a tube is just going to be too loud.

[AdZ]

If your band is that good, and you buy a fucking solid state pile of shit, or one of those fucking Line6 amps, you'll sound naff and they'll not be too happy!

I never had much respect for Line 6.


Then I heard Bumble play through one a couple of times.

[SpiritDave]

Yeah but generally Bumble has a processed sound to give him as smooth a high gain sound as possible.  Not very punk!

[SpiritDave]

And who cares about bedroom practice?!

I need a fuckin amp though to practice and gig with.

I just assumed he would practice with the same amp. Unless he has some warehouse or lives in some remote place, a tube is just going to be too loud.

It still doesn't matter.

Well ... let's look at it two ways.  1) tube amps come in all flavours.  Did you know you can get 5 watt tube amps ?     2) His main concern is the band.  If he was too worried about bedroom volumes, he'd alienate himself from playing alongside the other players in the band.  Plus ... I don't understand ... I can use my 100 Watt half stacks in the house.  I just keep them low.  You know they have volume knobs right?   Bedroom practice doesn't have to be cranked

[D]

 


Love the arguing! 



We have our own practice space where we get loud as fuck, so.... we don't practice in a bedroom. We have an awesome rehearsal basement complete with a cheap little stage and everything.  A bunch of bands around here use it, so its really cool.

I have a very small Marshall to write and practice by myself in my bedroom.

So really, the gigs are the most important thing. I found some ideas at Guitarcenter.  But which one would be the best?


After the markd own and the extra 20 percent off, All of these are an option.

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Marshall-MG100HDFX-MG412-Half-Stack-with-Digital-Effects-482805-i1145907.gc

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Marshall-AVT100X-100W-1x12-3-Channel-Combo-Amplifier-with-DFX-482629-i1145858.gc

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Marshall-MG250DFX-Stereo-Combo-Amp-483104-i1145928.gc



The 2nd one I listed is the one I am most leaning towards.  with a mark down and 20 percent off, I can grab it for around $550.00

Help once again is greatly appreciated.

[JimBobTTD]

I would avoid the MG series. I think they are more aimed at the younger guitarist.

The AVT is mainly solid state with a valve in the preamp. I've heard some good comments on them. The snobs (like, I'm afraid, me) dismiss them due to the solid state power stage.

If you can get a 50W all-valve amp, you will probably find that it may even be louder than a 100W solid state amp. A head and a 4x12 is going to move more air, and thus seem louder too.

As I said, I'm no expert on the US second-hand market, but I would think you would be able to pick up a JCM900 and a 4x12 cab for $500, or probably not all that much more. Keep looking!

[JimBobTTD]

...just as an adendum...

I picked up my JCM900 head and a Behringer 4x12 cab for 4000 Swedish kronor, which is not all that much over $500, and in general the Swedish instrument market is painfully expensive. A quick look on ebay shows them as being a bit over $500, but you might be able to get a deal on craigslist or a local pawn shop or something like that.

The Behringer cab, by the way, was excellent. They have a bad reputation - deservedly so, if you ask me - but some of their stuff is good. This was a 4x12 stereo angled cab and it was really good. I sold it, but only because it wasn't being used much and took up far too much space in my studio.

Whatever you do, don't accept second best. I think choosing A over B because A was $100 less would be a mistake - you'd be better off trying to scrape a bit more to get something which you aren't going to outgrow in a few months.

[D]

Thanks JimBobTTD

Yeah u are absolutely right. I don't want to settle for 2nd best when I could spend a bit extra and get something kick ass.


Thats why Im glad u guys are so knowledgable on here, that way I dont fuck up and buy something shitty.  I can play music, but Im not real smart when it comes to the technical aspect of equipment etc.

Im gonna go check out Ebay.

I wonder if people sell shitty equipment on there though that is busted or on its last legs??

Thats the only problem I have with 2nd hand stuff.

[SpiritDave]

D,

buy an MG and you might as well be a 12 year old kid starting out.  MG amps ... while not the worst on the market, are truly low grade budget amps.  I just came home from a gig and one of the bands had a guitar player using an MG head into a 1960A cab ... Holy stinking shit... it sounded like a wasp in a jar.  So fucking bad.  Sure, they're ok for practicing ... but turn them up and what do they do?  They sound shit.

AVT's are different.  AVT's actually sound alright.  They're a mid range... so don't expect the best.

Then of course tube amps ... do NOT assume all tube amps are good.  Some suck.  But you do some research and find out what is best for you.

I love my amps ... they're both Marshall ... all tube 100 Watt heads on 4x12" matched cabs.  They sound superb.

[Bobarcord]

Check out a local Iwanta or something like that .

Might be able to find a good amp for considerably cheaper. Plus a lot of those people will be close to you and maybe you can heck it out be for buying.


Or maybe something like this.
http://www.peaveymag.net/productdetails-dealer-02849-prodid-2529.aspx

[SpiritDave]

Or maybe something like this.
http://www.peaveymag.net/productdetails-dealer-02849-prodid-2529.aspx

Never used one buy heard good things.... this will be LEAGUES ahead of Marshall's shitty MG series, or their AVT's

[Bobarcord]

I am currently using one  and you can play some really good sounding metal riffs with it. They seem to be suited for Metal .

[D]

So if I get a Peavy ValveKing Tube, U guys think they are comparable to a Marshall? I know Marshall is the standard, but I dont have a thousand bucks.

[Genesis]

Just for argument's sake, of course:

1) tube amps come in all flavours.  Did you know you can get 5 watt tube amps ?     

Yes and a 5W tube amp is quite loud compared to a 5W solid state.

2)I can use my 100 Watt half stacks in the house.  I just keep them low.  You know they have volume knobs right?   Bedroom practice doesn't have to be cranked

I don't see the point of buying a 100W tube head, if you can't crank it up past 1. You have to play with clean tone or use a pedal, but then what's the point of buying the tube anyway? If u're getting a tube, you should be able to crank it up. That's the only way to use that mother.

Although tube amps are the best out there, they aren't for everyone. I used to be a tubehead like you, recommending tube amps left and right, but it's when I got my amp that I realised even the lowest rated tube is too loud for my bedroom. Basically, if you have the space and can afford it, get a tube amp. If you don't, settle for a hybrid, or get a power attenuator.

We have our own practice space where we get loud as fuck, so.... we don't practice in a bedroom. We have an awesome rehearsal basement complete with a cheap little stage and everything.  A bunch of bands around here use it, so its really cool.

Well, since that's cleared up, like SpiritDave said, I recommend going for a used tube amp too. Stay away from that MG series crap.

[Bobarcord]

So if I get a Peavy ValveKing Tube, U guys think they are comparable to a Marshall? I know Marshall is the standard, but I dont have a thousand bucks.

I think they are very comparable to the Marshall. In my humble opinion.

[D]

Ive been reading some reviews for the Peavy and I think Im gonna just spend some extra cash and get a Marshall.


I read over 100 reviews and it seems that most of the great reviews came from people who played country or some lighter type of music.

The ones who played Metal or very hard rock complained of the cheap speakers and the sound etc. Also a lot of people had problems with it messing up......


So that doesn't give me tons of confidence.....


Id rather save and spend 1,000 on a Marshall I know will be awesome than buy something for 600 that isn't great.

I will be playing for rapid hardcore punk/metal fans, and I don't want to sound lame...............

[SpiritDave]

D, if you're gonna save extra, yeah ... go for Marshall hehe ...

I am 100% a Marshall fan ... and btw ... I have used a LOT of amps ...

so my opinions in this thread are based on 13 years of amp experience.

[D]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Marshall-AVT-150-Half-stack-w-footswitch_W0QQitemZ220175277529QQihZ012QQcategoryZ38075QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem



Would this be a good deal?

[D]

^
Fuck that one

I found this though:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Marshall-JCM-601-Combo-Amp-60-Watts-All-Tube_W0QQitemZ220171912290QQihZ012QQcategoryZ38075QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[JimBobTTD]

Looks nice. Good luck!

[D]

Guys thanks alot!


I went to guitar Center and picked up this big Daddy today


http://www.guitarcenter.com/Marshall-DSL401-Combo-Amp-100496703-i1145929.gc?mode=1




U guys educated the fuck out of me and I was able to walk in there and buy a quality amp.

As u can see, this fuckin thing retails for almost 1200 dollars

I got a used one in pristine condition *not a fucking scratch on it* for 550.00 dollars!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Its fuckin awesome

I turned it up to only 3 and it blew my god damn ears off!

Its a Tube amp by the way so I feel blessed


Thanks guys for all your help

Without u guys, Id be sporting a shitty MG series Right now, Im not gonna lie, Its what I was gonna buy.


So now

How do I take care of this amp?  As far as tubes,fuses, cooling it down, warming it up etc?

[JimBobTTD]

Nice one! That's a hell of a deal!

It is commonly accepted that you should turn the amp on (the red switch) and leave it to warm up for a while before turning it off standby (the black switch). I like to do the same in reverse when I turn it off too.

As far as fuses, leave them alone unless one of them blows. Then replace it with an exact same type. As far as changing valves, you will need to change the power valves (EL34s) when they start to wear out. When that will be depends on how much you use it, but even with heavy use you should get about a year or so out of them. By heavy use I mean high volume (master volume) so you get power tube saturation. The preamp valves (12AX7s) should last a very long time.

Congratulations again on a damn fine score. Welcome to the Marshall appreciation club!

[JimBobTTD]

Oh...

...and get a tech to change the power valves for you when it is time. The amp will need to be biased for optimum performance after each change of EL34s. This is not hard to do, but you are dealing with very high voltages and it would be best to leave it someone who isn't going to fry himself.

[D]

Thanks JimBob


How will I know when its time to change them?

Will it stop working? Start sounding bad?


This amp blows my fuckin mind.

WOW, I have never sounded this good playing guitar. HOly Shit, 10 years of shitty equipment! To finally get a Marshall Tube, Its something I cant put into words

I feel like fuckin Slash, I swear to god

I have already wrote 2 awesome bonecrushing heavy ass songs Im sure my band is gonna love!!!!!!!!!!!

All thanks to the sound that I got inspired bycoming out of this Marshall.

[JimBobTTD]

You'll know. Your amp will start being quieter and the sound will start being a bit shitty. It's pretty hard to explain, but you'll know.

I am super glad that you are happy with the amp. There's nothing quite like that "Woah! That's me?!" feeling of getting a great sound. And I suppose that the amp must still smell new. Ahhh...

[*Timothy*]

Kick ass D . Sound like you got a good deal .


And Bob Don't recommend that shitty ass Peavy ValveKing , dude. That shitty doesn't sound that good.

[IzzyDutch]

Rick Richards used a Marshall DSL401 combo on Izzy's 'Miami' album

And Izzy himself a 15W all-tube Fender Pro Junior

[SpiritDave]

D .... if the amp sounds good ... don't worry too much about retubing it.  Tubes can ... if used correctly ... last YEARS.  If you have MINT amp ... you will probably find it's not been used heavily and the tubes are perfectly fine.

My JCM900 had stock tubes ... and it was 15 years old.  Sounded awesome.  Unless you start to hear a shitty sound, don't worry

[Bobarcord]

yeah unless you start notincing the sound quality going doing  , Don't worry.

That was a pretty good deal on that amps .


Oh and Timothy bite me .lol

[D]

Question:


I was playing today and my amp cut out and the sound was gone for like 2 seconds and then it slowly came back...........


What caused this?


I put a fan behind my amp afterwards and it never happened again............ So did my amp overheat? Should I keep a small fan behind it at all times?

[Johnny Rattlesnake]

Sounds like dirty pots. $10 for a can of aerosol pot cleaner/lube at any electronics store.
Just pull your knobs off and spray the pots and turn them. Let dry and repeat. Should clean them right up.

[JimBobTTD]

Dirty pots shouldn't do that, unless you were turning a knob at the time. A pot is a carbon resistor and a wiper - when it is connected and not being moved, dirt shouldn't have an effect on it.

If you do want to clean your pots, you will need to open up your amp. On the pots, you'll see a small hole. Spray electrical cleaner (go easy) in there and rotate the shaft. As we are dealing with tube amps here, don't touch the capacitors (cylindrical things) inside, as they store up electricity. Learn how to discharge the capacitors if you really want to start poking around in there, and never touch the insides of the amp with both hands. Ideally, put one hand in your back pocket.

On a spanking new amp it is unlikely that the pots are dirty. Not impossible that the pots are shit - this has been a Marshall flaw for a long time.

I would say it was most likely caused by a power dip. Perhaps a lot of people in your area all suddenly decided to put the kettle on.

[Genesis]

Question:


I was playing today and my amp cut out and the sound was gone for like 2 seconds and then it slowly came back...........


What caused this?


I put a fan behind my amp afterwards and it never happened again............ So did my amp overheat? Should I keep a small fan behind it at all times?

I don't know if it was the heat that caused this, but the DSL401 does have overheating issues. In fact, some people have permanently fitted fans at the back of the amp. You might want to check out some reviews at harmony central, where they've written what they've done.

[D]

What is the best tube u guys would recommend?


My amp isnt sounding as good today as yesterday

So Im thinkin where its a used amp and all, Maybe I could use a new Tube???


If not, when the time does come, what should I get?

[Genesis]

I don't think anyone can recommend a "best" tube amp, depends on what you like and your budget of course. Only the higher end Marshall heads are good IMO. My suggestion would be to narrow it down to 3-4 heads, go to your local guitar store, play them and pick the one that you like. Go for combo's only if you can't afford a head + cab.

[D]

Im sorry

I meant when my tubes go bad in my amp, what should I replace them with?  talkin bout the power tubes.

[Genesis]

LOL    My bad.

JJ Audio (formerly Tesla) or SED (Svetlana) should be fine.

Edit: You can get matched JJ EL84 pairs at around $16.

[JimBobTTD]

I thought the amp was almost new? I don't think you need to change the tubes just yet. But if you do want to, JJ and Svetlana are good. Groove Tubes get mixed reviews.

Getting good tone one day and not so good the next is pretty standard. Sometimes the amp just doesn't want to play. Spend some more time playing with the amp, and get to know it better. You'll soon find that you understand it more and will get better tone more often.

You need to treat it like a workhorse. Warm it up before use and you can use it hard for a while, but the thing will need a break. Let it cool down afterwards. Some days it - like a horse - will simply not want to do what you want to do.

[D]

^
Thanks for the tip.



I got it at practice last night and it performed very well, So u guys are right, it doesn't need anything changed.

[D]

Ok guys, I need some more help.

Which amp is better, the first one or the 2nd one?

I bought the 2nd one but I also WON the first one off Ebay.

The first one would cost me 130 more dollars........ I can take the one I bought the other day back and get this one.

Do u guys think the first one is 130 dollars better than the 2nd?

I need to know ASAP cause I gotta let the guy I won the auction from know something by tomorrow night.








http://cgi.ebay.com/Marshall-JCM-601-Combo-Amp-60-Watts-All-Tube_W0QQitemZ220171912290QQihZ012QQcategoryZ38075QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem





http://www.guitarcenter.com/Marshall-DSL401-Combo-Amp-100496703-i1145929.gc?mode=1

[Genesis]

Well, basically it's the same amp but at 60W instead of 40W. The JCM601 will be quite louder. I guess it depends on if you really need the extra power and are willing to spend $130 for it.

If you're happy with the loudness of your current amp w.r.t your bandmates instruments, keep what you have. If your guitar is getting drowned out by your drummer and other bandmates, go for the JCM601.

[JimBobTTD]

As you are going to have both for a while, you can A/B them and keep the one you like best.

[D]

I am taking the JCM2000 DSL401 back to Guitar center and getting a refund.

So im gonna roll with the 601.



The guy is shipping it to me even with the original packaging and Box Plus he has taken amazing care of the amp, no scratches or nicks.? He warms it up and cools it down properly and 20 more watts for 130 more dollars is worth it to me.


It was one of u guys on here who told me to not let 100 bucks stand in the way of getting the best possible quality. So Im gonna fork over an extra 100 for the extra power.


Also, on the JCM2000 DSL 401, they have had overheating issues which concerns me, the Tubes etc are hard as fuck to get to whereas the 601 is easily accessible etc.


Also, when playing Sunday night, I had my amp up to 7 and could barely hear myself playing, and that was doing solos which should cut through anything.

So the band I am in, I definitely need more power.

[JimBobTTD]

That was me. I said not to let $100 stand in the way. It's great advice and it has helped me alot.

If you want to cut through, increase the mids. It's the mids which are heard.

[SpiritDave]

D...

It's got 3 ECC83 Preamp tubes, and 2 EL34 Poweramp tubes.  This is the SAME tubes you find in the DSL401, and in fact, in almost all Marshall amps.  They're easy to get hold of, so I don't know why you think they're hard to get.

Hope you enjoy the amp

One thing I'll say is this .... when you're using this amp ... push the master volume ... That's the power section.  Sure, dial in as much gain as you want, but make sure you use the power section ... that's where you'll get that 'thump', and the natural harmonics and tone.  It's all about power amp section on tube amps.

[Genesis]

It's got 3 ECC83 Preamp tubes, and 2 EL34 Poweramp tubes.  This is the SAME tubes you find in the DSL401, and in fact, in almost all Marshall amps.  They're easy to get hold of, so I don't know why you think they're hard to get.

He meant they are hard to access on the amp.

[SpiritDave]

It's got 3 ECC83 Preamp tubes, and 2 EL34 Poweramp tubes.  This is the SAME tubes you find in the DSL401, and in fact, in almost all Marshall amps.  They're easy to get hold of, so I don't know why you think they're hard to get.

He meant they are hard to access on the amp.

ok hehe I misinterpreted

[Oddy]

yo D.

in a band?

what happened to your solo projects.

is this the same donnie?

i thought you hated playing in a band?

 

[D]

Im still doing the solo stuff but I need another outlet and this band is so different than my style that its pretty cool.


This band I just make up heavy riffs and guitar solos. No stress, I show up, rip some guitar riffs/solos and thats that. I don't have to do everything.


Bands do suck in a way though but this one isn't so bad.

they dont have the ambition i have though which sucks.

[D]

I want to thank all of u guys on here again for the amazing advice and help.


The amp Is unfuckin believable. IT is loud, sounds amazing and is very very reliable.


If it weren't for u guys, I would've ended up with a big flaming pile of shit for an amp.


So once again

thanks everyone who contributed!