Line 6: Spider Valve or Flextone?

[JPXTom]

If you were to choose one or the other which would you and why? What this thread is NOT:

1.Bashing of line 6 stuff
2.A "well other amps are a bajillion times better blah blah blah im awesome cause i play a 4000 dollar tube amp" thread

Im looking at these 2 cause i like line 6's modeling and have heard some impressive tones from both, but am stuck choosing..and leaning a bit toward the flex. more. Any experience with these amps?

[chrisharris]

Originally Posted by JPXTom

What this thread is NOT:

1.Bashing of line 6 stuff
2.A "well other amps are a bajillion times better blah blah blah im awesome cause i play a 4000 dollar tube amp" thread

How in God's name do you expect to get any replies?

And sorry, I can't help you...don't know.

[jonnyc]

Find a used flextone and save some money. The spider valve is crap. I've used one extensively and tried like hell to get a great or even really good tone out of it and had no luck. Never used the flextone but I can't imagine it sounds much worse. BTW, there are several better sounding amps, both new and used, in the same price range as these.

[JPXTom]

Originally Posted by jonnyc

Find a used flextone and save some money. The spider valve is crap. I've used one extensively and tried like hell to get a great or even really good tone out of it and had no luck. Never used the flextone but I can't imagine it sounds much worse. BTW, there are several better sounding amps, both new and used, in the same price range as these.

Such as? I was looking at valvekings and all that stuff, but flextones/spider valves are just so practical...i like the tones i have on my spider II, and i love the fact theres delay and stuff on there. I played around with a flextone and got sick tones...esp. with all the diff delays. If i got a flextone III and a shortboard, id have like every guitar sound i need.

[jonnyc]

Originally Posted by JPXTom

Such as? I was looking at valvekings and all that stuff, but flextones/spider valves are just so practical...i like the tones i have on my spider II, and i love the fact theres delay and stuff on there. I played around with a flextone and got sick tones...esp. with all the diff delays. If i got a flextone III and a shortboard, id have like every guitar sound i need.

Hey, if you think line 6's put out "sick" tones then so be it and by all means buy line 6. Just one example of what I'd rather have though is a Marshall dsl40 1x12 combo and a couple effects pedals. Should be able to get it all for what a spider valve costs. However it doesn't seem you really want great tone, just good tone and a bunch of built in effects.

[JPXTom]

Originally Posted by jonnyc

Hey, if you think line 6's put out "sick" tones then so be it and by all means buy line 6. Just one example of what I'd rather have though is a Marshall dsl40 1x12 combo and a couple effects pedals. Should be able to get it all for what a spider valve costs. However it doesn't seem you really want great tone, just good tone and a bunch of built in effects.

Its not that i dont want it, its just i dont need it right now. My line 6 stuff gets me close enough to the tones i want...im not ready as a 16 year old kid w/o a real future in music to go blow 1500 dolars on amps and effects...i tried a dsl, and it was pretty good, it was the head with a 4x12 johnson cab. And with all the effects id use, its gonna be a bit more than a spider valve...i looked it up, and i'd need up to 11 foot pedals for all the tones i want...when i could just have one convenient shortboard and an amp...so i guess im really leaning on the flextone here, but still. Its just a bit more about convenience and not so much the perfection of the tone. And thats not to say with line 6 stuff im cutting my tone short by a lot. To the contrary, i really love the tones line 6 has..and it gets really close to the amps they are emulating.

[jonnyc]

Originally Posted by JPXTom

Its not that i dont want it, its just i dont need it right now. My line 6 stuff gets me close enough to the tones i want...im not ready as a 16 year old kid w/o a real future in music to go blow 1500 dolars on amps and effects...i tried a dsl, and it was pretty good, it was the head with a 4x12 johnson cab. And with all the effects id use, its gonna be a bit more than a spider valve...i looked it up, and i'd need up to 11 foot pedals for all the tones i want...when i could just have one convenient shortboard and an amp...so i guess im really leaning on the flextone here, but still. Its just a bit more about convenience and not so much the perfection of the tone. And thats not to say with line 6 stuff im cutting my tone short by a lot. To the contrary, i really love the tones line 6 has..and it gets really close to the amps they are emulating.

Here's where we'll have to disagree. Line 6's aren't even really in the same ballbark as the amps they emulate. I've worked with Line 6's and I've worked with most of the amps they emulate and there is a huge difference. I've worked with so many kids who had the same mentality you do, and all of them have sold there spiders. Every last one of them are tickled pink with how much better the real thing sounds. However, as I said, I doubt you'll really hear what I'm saying because it would seem that you're dead set on practicality over tone. I only have two questions. Can you tell me what the need for 10 different amp models is for, do you really need to go from blues to insane metal? Next, can you tell me what 11 effects pedals you need? I've seen some pretty insane rigs and even did some road work for a semi famous guitar player who loves effects and even he didn't have 11 effects pedals.

[JPXTom]

Originally Posted by jonnyc

Here's where we'll have to disagree. Line 6's aren't even really in the same ballbark as the amps they emulate. I've worked with Line 6's and I've worked with most of the amps they emulate and there is a huge difference. I've worked with so many kids who had the same mentality you do, and all of them have sold there spiders. Every last one of them are tickled pink with how much better the real thing sounds. However, as I said, I doubt you'll really hear what I'm saying because it would seem that you're dead set on practicality over tone. I only have two questions. Can you tell me what the need for 10 different amp models is for, do you really need to go from blues to insane metal? Next, can you tell me what 11 effects pedals you need? I've seen some pretty insane rigs and even did some road work for a semi famous guitar player who loves effects and even he didn't have 11 effects pedals.

You're right...ive actually moved on to thinking about getting a fender blues jr...and about 8-10 pedals..for all the tones i need. I do actually use quite a few pedals...not all at the same time, but a few chains of 4 or 5.

[Zaphod B]

Originally Posted by JPXTom

If you were to choose one or the other which would you and why? What this thread is NOT:

1.Bashing of line 6 stuff
2.A "well other amps are a bajillion times better blah blah blah im awesome cause i play a 4000 dollar tube amp" thread

Im looking at these 2 cause i like line 6's modeling and have heard some impressive tones from both, but am stuck choosing..and leaning a bit toward the flex. more. Any experience with these amps?

Well, since you don't want any confusing input, I'd say:

Pick the one you like.

[tom18222]

ok listen, TRUST ME ON THIS:

buy a POD X3
any buy an ATOMIC AMPLIFIER.


i swear to god, these things are incredible. i'm playing mine as i type. this. i can get almost any sound i want, and it sounds fuckin fantastic.


BETTER THAN THE SPIDER VALVE, HUNDREDS MORE TONES

[ocnor]

Originally Posted by tom18222

ok listen, TRUST ME ON THIS:

buy a POD X3
any buy an ATOMIC AMPLIFIER.


i swear to god, these things are incredible. i'm playing mine as i type. this. i can get almost any sound i want, and it sounds fuckin fantastic.


BETTER THAN THE SPIDER VALVE, HUNDREDS MORE TONES

I'm sure that setup would be fine if you don't require any dynamics, and always keep your guitar volume knob all the way up. I would much rather have one good tube tone than 100's of flat, lifeless solid state tones but that's just personal preference.

[jndietz]

Spend the money on something else. Get a Crate Vintage Club or something.

[tom18222]

the atomic amp is a tube amp.

[ocnor]

Originally Posted by tom18222

the atomic amp is a tube amp.

A Pod X3 isn't.

[JPXTom]

anyone..catch my last post...anybody? i said im off the line 6 stuff...even though it was only 2 weeks ago haha...ive come to my senses...the only way to get really good original tone is to have a nice tube amp, and some sick pedals...which is pretty damn affordable if your not some crazy person that needs a 5000 dollar amp...and to you that are like this replace crazy with...awesome.

[tom18222]

Originally Posted by ocnor

A Pod X3 isn't.

go read what an atomic amp is, then get back to me.

[ocnor]

Originally Posted by tom18222

go read what an atomic amp is, then get back to me.

Dude I've been playing more years than you've been alive I know what an atomic amp is.