I am going to get a half stack, need expert opinions

[gibson59neck]

I have had enough of my Fender Hot Rod. It rattles and the input plug is loose. I want to be a Rock God, and none of them play Hot Rods. I want a half stack. I want one that has tubes. Any good recommendations under a grand? Used vs. new? Speaker brands?

Gimme the lowdown, please, all you cooler than me with your knowledge and half stacks....

[jonnyc]

Originally Posted by gibson59neck

I have had enough of my Fender Hot Rod. It rattles and the input plug is loose. I want to be a Rock God, and none of them play Hot Rods. I want a half stack. I want one that has tubes. Any good recommendations under a grand? Used vs. new? Speaker brands?

Gimme the lowdown, please, all you cooler than me with your knowledge and half stacks....

Look for a Peavey 5150 half stack on ebay. That'll be all the godlieness you'll ever need really. Other than that try looking at some of the newer, cheap, tube amps that are on the market. Epiphone, Peavey, B52, and a few others have half stacks under a grand.

[Crumbles]

Originally Posted by gibson59neck

. I want to be a Rock God, and none of them play Hot Rods.

Why don't you become the first?

[Outlaws]

Originally Posted by gibson59neck

I want to be a Rock God

Your thing says you are 35 years old. I am sorry to be the one to tell you this, but you missed your train about 10 years ago.

Given the tone of your current two threads, I get the impression that you play one thing and make your basis on the whole lot of them. In this day of age, quality control isn't really there. You have to play more than one of something to find the good ones. Even if you buy a half stack, you might get a dud. You really have to look it over before you buy it.

Funny thing is, you didn't say you don't like the tone of your HR, so maybe you don't know what you want. I take it you can't take the time to go play a few on your own to make up your own mind other wise you wouldn't ask this kind of question.

My opinion on amps...
Every amp is the greatest amp in the world, and every amp is the worst amp in the world. It just depends if the person playing it likes it.

[flamin-gitaur]

One of THESE should do ya.

[invisiblenemies]

Originally Posted by gibson59neck

Any good recommendations?

Yeah.

Don't get a half stack. You get better tone from Fender combos...especially their older models.

Besides, have you ever lugged around a half stack to & from shows?

I have.

Let me tell you - it fuckin blows.

Cheers.

[Outlaws]

Originally Posted by flamin-gitaur

One of THESE should do ya.

Thats not really screaming "rock star" enough IMO.

I this or this would shout it out loud much better.

[invisiblenemies]

Originally Posted by invisiblenemies

Besides, have you ever lugged around a half stack to & from shows?

I have.

Let me tell you - it fuckin blows.

Wow. That's practically a song right there & it rhymes.

Christ, I AM awesome.

[Anfontan]

Originally Posted by Outlaws

Thats not really screaming "rock star" enough IMO.

I this or this would shout it out loud much better.

That Dumble might cost a bit over a grand-if you can score one~

[dave.....]

i have a half stack...... ampeg vh140c head crate 4x12 cab..... i have used it at 4 outside gigs....... i use 2 mashhall combos that i use for all the other gigs...and they have been used hundreds of times...... think about your amp choice carefully..... what are you going to do w/ it what sounds do you expect out of it..... how are you going to transport it ?? i am a big fan of bigger is better... but you should check out some of the combos out there... you might be suprised..... and you might not get that great tone out of a big amp w/ your volume set on 2 ....... w/ a smaller amp you can crank it up enough to let the speakers realy sing ???????

[ggunn]

Originally Posted by Anfontan

That Dumble might cost a bit over a grand-if you can score one~

Don't you have to already be a rock god before Dumble will even consider selling you one at any price?

[myhatbroke]

Get the Crate Voodo or a Mesa Dual Rectifier. I hate peavey, I don't like the sound.

The Voodo has this really thick heavy sound man. It's awesome. And the Mesa has this hot crunchy sound that just tingles my dingle.

[metalj]

Originally Posted by Outlaws

My opinion on amps...
Every amp is the greatest amp in the world, and every amp is the worst amp in the world. It just depends if the person playing it likes it.

Well there you have it. Enough said, We might as well never ask any questions about amps ever again. Lets just close down the whole site while were at it

Full 1/2 stack Under a grand with tubes?? tough if you want to sound like a rock star. I would definantely consider used for under a grand. Maybe a Carvin Legacy brand new would come close to a grand but im thinking it is still over your limit. Maybe the Peavey someone else mentioned would come close too. Just spend the money and get what you need. Dont skimp on your tone. In order to be a rock star you must carelessely spend money, so why not start practicing now.

[kid klash]

A new all tube half-stack for under a grand? I'd be looking at one of these if I was you. Around $750 for the head and 4x12 cab. Available in January :

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/docum...01215&g=guitar

[soundchaser59]

Get a Traynor YCS100 for about $800 from affordableaudio.com then get a 4x12 Vintage 30 (or Tonker) cab from Avatar. Total might be closer to $1500, but if you cant get Rock God sound from this setup then you dont deserve a real Rock God amp...... learn this rig first, then we'll quiz you and promote you to the next level in real amps.

[Nick_Black]

I've playd a peavy half-stack (I forget wich one, not 5150, those things rock) but all honesty, my garage-sale radio with a mic input sounded better than it. so don't asume that just becouse it looks cool that it sounds cool, I play thrue a Ibanez bass amp, a Ibenez dist. pedal with my strat clone guitar, and it gives me awsome "Mud"(y) sound that I love for my songs, so go to a store and try out for yourself.and my advice is to get one that has a good clean, dis't isn't to hard to get nice.

[pinhedgtr]

I have a B52 AT-100 and this thing is a pretty decent amp, especially for the price: $600 at GC. The cleans on it are super clean and the distortion is more than enough for any rock/metal/thrash. It is however a little harsh in the highs, but I switched the cheap chinese tubes out with some JJ's and it made the amp warmer. I would place the sound of this thing somewhere between a Marshall and a Mesa. Al the very least, go to GC and try one out.

B

[pinhedgtr]

Oh yeah, I should mention that I play this head through a Marshall 1960A 4x12 cab....sounds sweet!

B

[soundchaser59]

Whatever you do, dont make a choice at all if Guitar Center is the only store you've been to to test drive the amps......

[noisedude]

In my world, it's not only impossible to transport a 4x12, it's impossible to afford a house with enough space to store it in too. I use two combos, typically, although my sound comes from pedals and the amps are just clean boxes.

If I was pressed, I'd buy a Laney LV-series head and the cheapest cab I could find with some Celestions in it.

[myhatbroke]

Originally Posted by pinhedgtr

Oh yeah, I should mention that I play this head through a Marshall 1960A 4x12 cab....sounds sweet!

B

but does it tingle your dingle?

[gibson59neck]

Originally Posted by Outlaws

Your thing says you are 35 years old. I am sorry to be the one to tell you this, but you missed your train about 10 years ago.

Given the tone of your current two threads, I get the impression that you play one thing and make your basis on the whole lot of them. In this day of age, quality control isn't really there. You have to play more than one of something to find the good ones. Even if you buy a half stack, you might get a dud. You really have to look it over before you buy it.

Funny thing is, you didn't say you don't like the tone of your HR, so maybe you don't know what you want. I take it you can't take the time to go play a few on your own to make up your own mind other wise you wouldn't ask this kind of question.

My opinion on amps...
Every amp is the greatest amp in the world, and every amp is the worst amp in the world. It just depends if the person playing it likes it.

I love how so many people on this freakin' site are looking for a fight.

I never said I didn't like the tone of my HRD. I said the input plug is loose, and that the amp rattles. It sounds great at lower volumes, but compared to the sound that I've heard from various half stacks, it has no ass (bottom). The rock god thing was a joke. Yeah, I'm 35, have three kids, a wife, and manage a company. I don't intend to try to make it big but I do want to start gigging soon with my band, on a more or less local basis, as regularly as I can find the time for.

Why the hell are you so damned condescending and full of yourself? I asked a question to get an idea from people that might have experience with half stacks, so you jump on me and talk to me like you think I'm stupid. Go f yerself dude.

[gibson59neck]

And to those who say that it is impossible to lug around a half stack, I say - get a van! I wouldn't expect to put the thing in a Tercel. As far as how much fun it is to move, I've done it for several friends hundreds of times. No big deal. Ya sissies!

Seriously, to all of you so far that have given me your opinions on half stacks based on what you know, thank you.

[gibson59neck]

Originally Posted by dave.....

i have a half stack...... ampeg vh140c head crate 4x12 cab..... i have used it at 4 outside gigs....... i use 2 mashhall combos that i use for all the other gigs...and they have been used hundreds of times...... think about your amp choice carefully..... what are you going to do w/ it what sounds do you expect out of it..... how are you going to transport it ?? i am a big fan of bigger is better... but you should check out some of the combos out there... you might be suprised..... and you might not get that great tone out of a big amp w/ your volume set on 2 ....... w/ a smaller amp you can crank it up enough to let the speakers realy sing ???????

I used a Fender Twin for a while that a friend wasn't using, and it was better than my Hot Rod but still didn't have the bottom that a 4x12 kicks out. I might revisit some kind of 2x12 but I think my ear is really wanting the "bigger" sound of a half stack. I have a van and am a big guy - not worried about transport. Do you mike the Marshall combos live? My band is not out there (yet) so I'm ignorant of the whole stage thing. All I know is that most live heavy heavy rock bands I've seen utilize heads/cabs, not combos. Plus, in my band, the bassist and other guitarist both have em.

[soundchaser59]

Originally Posted by gibson59neck

I love how so many people on this freakin' site are looking for a fight.

Glad you picked up on that and fired back. This site has more of this "beat up the guy we dont know yet" attitude than any other site except Harmony Central.....but if I'm gonna get raked, I'd rather get it at HC than here. This is the one thing that sux most of all about this forum. On the bright side, you will notice after a while that it's always the same 5 or 10 people who do that. There is a really cool new forum technology available.....it's called "Ignore List." Works great, less filling.

I've been thru 8 amps in the last 2 years, and I've played at least a dozen different brands of heads and combos and cabs in the stores. I admit I will never play metal, but for classic rock and blues I can say without any reservation that the best "training" amp I've ever had for introducing myself to tube amps and speakers is a Traynor. I loved it the moment I played it, and it took me a year of toying with Mesa and Fender and Vox and THD and Budda and Rivera etc.etc.etc. to realize that the Traynor was a great basic beginning tube amp. Built like a tank, with a basic raw punchy gritty tube sound that helped me figure out why tube amps are soooo cooooL! If I had not found great deals on a Mesa and a Twin, I would probably be buying that YCS100 right now. The Vox AC30 is also very tempting.

But if I had more money to burn, I'd definitely be shopping the Riveras, the THD's, the Badcats, the Frizell, the Budda, Bogner, Randall, etc.... I think so far my favorite is the THD Bivalve.

Have fun shopping and comparing before you commit your money. And you can always sell it on eBay if you find something you like better. Being the seller gives you an advantage. I got back 80% or more what I paid by selling on eBay a year later. But I bought my Mesa and my Twin locally from a soundman I've known for a long time. Include trips to see live local acts, and pay attention to what amps they use and ask them between sets if the amps and cabs are modified in any way. If you like what you hear, remember what it is and go test drive it later at a store. Research the web for a few days, find out what rig was used to make your favorite guitarist sounds, then go shop that gear.

And dont let the booger chippers scare you off......