Author Topic: guitarists of the blf: what's a good amp under $200? (Read 2302 times)

hillkill · July 24, 2017, 06:14:40 PM

i've been stuck with this stuffty fender 10w amp that has no mid settings and stuffty OD and i need an upgrade.

i've been thinking of the boss katana 50w mostly.

here's what i'm looking for in an amp:
-modulation
-solid state or tube doesn't matter to me
-programmable memory
-decent amount of effects (chorus and reverb mostly needed)
-good crunch with metal
-can be used with many different genres of music

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ShadowsfeaR · July 24, 2017, 06:19:26 PM

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Spider5-30

This is right at $200 but my father has the 120 and its loving insane. It's going to get you everything you asked for here and more.

hillkill · July 24, 2017, 06:28:52 PM

whenever i see someone mention a spider, i just think of the whole meme about them.

i don't know if they're actually good or not.

ShadowsfeaR · July 24, 2017, 06:35:06 PM

Quote from: hillkill on July 24, 2017, 06:28:52 PM

whenever i see someone mention a spider, i just think of the whole meme about them.

i don't know if they're actually good or not.

Well people stuff on solid state/modelers all the time. First hand experience trying them out, I'm definitely very impressed. But you certainly aren't going to get ONE TRUE brown townOGUE(tm) tone with all the effects built in at that price. But for what it is, it's really nice.

hillkill · July 24, 2017, 06:39:05 PM

i think the whole meme is that kids just turn up the drive and volume all the way up.

besides that the amp looks very promising.

i don't know why people stuff on modelers, it helps a lot with getting the right tone without loving with the amp for like 30 minutes.

ShadowsfeaR · July 24, 2017, 06:46:02 PM

Theres a lot of finesse and options on the Spider. You can link it with your phone or computer for easier control, but you can customize your signal chain, use compressors, EQ, and more straight from the front panel. My dad was looking at a lot of different modeler amps and he ultimately landed on Line 6.

nomnomnom777 · July 24, 2017, 08:05:42 PM

Well the thing about cheap amps is really you get what you pay for when it comes to cheap amps. Much like a cheap guitar. I mean the whole memes about line 6 stuff aren't without reason. You could try those marshall code ones. I mean if you are starting out then it shouldn't matter too much but if you are a little more experienced then dissing out $500 - $700 could land you some pretty decent gear.

Mr Unicode · July 24, 2017, 08:07:58 PM

Id recommend the Roland Micro Cube, I have one and its really great sounding.

ShadowsfeaR · July 24, 2017, 08:34:41 PM

Quote from: nomnomnom777 on July 24, 2017, 08:05:42 PM

Well the thing about cheap amps is really you get what you pay for when it comes to cheap amps. Much like a cheap guitar. I mean the whole memes about line 6 stuff aren't without reason. You could try those marshall code ones. I mean if you are starting out then it shouldn't matter too much but if you are a little more experienced then dissing out $500 - $700 could land you some pretty decent gear.

You can spend very little this day and age for some really great sounding gear that sounds good in a mix. The reason its cheap is because distributing software based amplification is a helluva lot loving cheaper than making and distributing tube amps. People stuffting on Line 6 is directly brown townogous to Unity. People using easily accessible gear and making stuffty things with it doesn't make the gear stuffty. You can do some really great stuff on the cheap.

hillkill · July 24, 2017, 08:52:52 PM

i was going to buy the amp in question and this guitar.

ShadowsfeaR · July 24, 2017, 08:56:15 PM

I'd be careful with that FR at that price range. Will probably be fine, but Chinese made Floyds aren't going to be the most stable thing in the world. But I was eyeing that exact model before.

hillkill · July 24, 2017, 08:59:14 PM

it's probably fine, i never really go full on the tremolo. i don't play too "hard" of metal. the only metal guitarist i try to emulate is randy rhoads.

nomnomnom777 · July 24, 2017, 09:26:23 PM

Well to be fair its not really a Floyd but Ibanez's own trem but I agree cheap trems are notorious for not being able to stay in tune. And if its a Randy Rhoads vibe you're looking for why not go with a Jackson? Great instruments for the price.

Frankie� · July 24, 2017, 09:27:59 PM

the one that goes up to 11

hillkill · July 24, 2017, 09:29:25 PM

any good jackson guitars you know of under $400?