Best Fender Strat Amp

lark

New member
Hello,

I went looking for electric guitars today, and I found that I really liked the Fender Strats. Now, thing is I would like to know is what would be a good amp for this? I've been playing guitar intensively for about 6 months, and have been playing guitar for a little over a year. Though I've always played on my acoustic, and now I want to venture into the electrics. I went to Mars and Guitar Center today to check out guitars, but I didn't get much of a chance to really look into amps. I was wondering if someone could suggest me a good amp for the strat for around 300-400 USD, so that I could go and check it out at a store. My friend suggested I get a Marshall, and I tried it out. It sounded quite nice to me, but just wondering if there were other, possibly better choices? Thanks a lot, appreciate any help.
 
Lark,
No-one else can answer this for you.

Get out and try as many amps as you can......then make your own decision.

:cool:
 
Do you just want to record, or will you play live at clubs as well?

What sounds do you favour?

My general recommendation, if you can afford it, is towards 20-50W tube amps. I would rate older Fender combos right up there in terms of benchmark tone, but there are tons of others. They will deliver a warm clean sound, that can be pushed with pedals for grind. If you must shred, then perhaps this is not your best option.

It is going to be a matter of opinion; there are many great guitar amps available.



NOTE...Sorry I should have read your post clearer. If you can search and research used amps (this is really a good idea) for 300-400USD maybe:

Fender Hot Rod or Deville model,
Peavey Classic 30 or Classic 50?
Silverface Fender Champ, Princeton, Bassman or Tremolux?
Or other small old tube amps like Gibson,

Again this states my preference towards tube amps. They really have a feel and sound that you are probably used to hearing on your favourite music as most pro's still use them.

However, let your ears decide. Take your time looking and listening, and you won't be dissapointed with your choice.

Good luck!
 
Yeah. You've got to audition the amps yourself. If you let us know what kind of tone you're after or which guitarists' tones you like, we can do a better job of making suggestions.

If you're looking for opinions, my suggestion would be a Marshall DSL or TSL. Unfortunately, that's a bit above your price range. I personally prefer Mesa/Boogie, but I prefer those amps with guitars with humbuckers. If you like a more bluesy tone, check out Fender.

However, as mentioned, you've got to audition the amps yourself.


Matt
 
for around $500 you should be able to buy a used fender twin...for a couple hundred less, you can buy a used peavey "twin"--if you decide on peavey try to find a peavey "heritage"--they have the "black widow" speakers with built-in circuit breakers...
 
a friend of me ownbed a Peavey with the blach widow in it and personally, I totally hated it. In my opinion you're much better of with a fender amp
 
I wouldn't go out and try to buy used tube amps.....your buying someone elses headache and you don't get a warranty. I have had fender tube amps and 100 watt marshalls in the past and every time something goes out on one its VERY expensive to fix.
Pevey has a line of solid state amps they call "transtube". The bandit is 80 watts and costs a little over 400 bucks and the studio pro (the one i have)is 60 watts and costs a little over 300 bucks. These amps are very versatle and sound dynamite (I had a classic 50 and got rid of it when i got the studio pro...cause the pro sounded better). In my opinion if your in the market for an amp it would be hard to find a better amp in the 300 to 400 range than a studio pro or a bandit....and you get the full warranty of a new amp. Im glad to see your going with a strat, thats all i play...nothing esle comes close. It would be hard to find an amp that a strat dosen't sound good on.
 
MARSHALL ALL THE WAY


I have to say it comes down to your personal fav. but try the Marshall line. I play mostly accoustic and love to run one through my VS100. I get a great blusey feel with this combo.

Howlin' Dog:cool:
 
I'd say you should look into a J-Station, POD or some other simulater. They sound good and cost about the same as a decent stomp box. Plus, you get all the effects. You'll need to get a good amp sooner or later, but one of these units is a good place to start.
 
Let me re-ask the question - what sound are you looking for?
There are many great amps and sounds - if you let us know what type of sound you are trying to get it will help us give you better information.

As a 'fer instance'

Marshall stacks SOUND GREAT REALLY LOUD. But there are much better choices for jazz, country etc.

A re-issue Fender Bassman sounds great on Willie Dixon tunes, but may not give you the type of sound you're looking for if you're wanting to sound like Brian May (and if you just said 'Who' then a Vox AC30 probably won't work for you, either)
Post more info on your musical goals and you will get enough advise to keep you confused for years.

(c:]

foo
 
Misterqcue is 100 percent right!

Find an old, used Fender Twin.... and then bask in the glory! ;)

Buck
 
I've never heard anything better than a vintage Twin. It helps if you also have an ampguy friend who'll do any necessary work for cheap or free. :
 
Yea its true that a vintage Twin is a defining sound, but it is also true that its a REALLY CLEAN sound until its near deafening loud. You might find a silver face twin for under $500.

I still think you should consider 50W or less for the home recording game. A Twin can wail at stage volume in a large theatre if you're EVER allowed to turn up by your band or, god forbid, SG sound-guy.

Marshall has some sweet older combos - but unless you live in Europe, they're probably out of your price league. The older JCM800 combos don't sound too bad, and you might find one of those in your price range.

I
 
My personal favorite for louder playing is the Strat/Fender Super Reverb combo. Something about the voicing of that amp with the 4x10 speakers, really brings out the juiciness of a strat. If you want some distortion, you can go with a Fender Deluxe. It's smaller, quieter, distorts more easily.
 
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