I need a new amp.

Mason Earley

New member
Alright, I was away for awhile. I have done much more research. I have realized that pretty much everything in my original post was just senseless. I am about to go answer all the questions that were asked.

I marked it as solved because I thought that meant that nobody else could post anything else.

pretty much, I am going to get something used so I can get something good for less. I want to go with a head and cab, just personal preference. I am pretty damn sure I want tube, but I think I saw someone that gave a better explanation of the difference, so that might change. No matter how much research I did most answers seemed to be so swayed by everyone's bias towards tube amps, so I understand the differences between the two, and when I listen to the sound difference, it just seems so black and white. tube just sounds better and I am willing to spend hundreds of dollars more to get the tube sound that I hear. if the head has a DI out that would be great. more versatility is best. that is all I can think of for now, more info will be in the replies below.
 
Last edited:
Not to sound snobby...but honestly...if you want to talk about high priced amps...you would be talking about stuff in the $2,000-$4,000 range...and that might be just for the head.

Not saying you can't find an amp for $400 (I think much less than that you're somewhat unrealistic if you want it to be a pretty good amp)...just saying that you should define what "higher priced" means to you, because it probably means something different to most of the involved guitar players out there.

I also don't understand what the "aux of a mixer" has to do with higher priced amps...?
I think you're talking about some kind of a line out on the amp...and you can find that option on both low and high priced amps...but it has little to do with the price of the amp, and more to do with what the designer(s) wanted to include. IOW...you can have that option pretty much on any amp, if they wanted to include it.

Also...you should really take some time to read up on the differences between tube and solid state amps. Most involved players prefer tube amps...and generally, a tube amp will cost more than a SS amp, all other things being somewhat equal.

So bottom line...and this is my opinion...there is no such thing as a "great amp" for $400 or less...but you can find some decent used, "working man" amps for $400-$500...but so much depends on the flavor and type of amp you want...and I get the feeling like you're not really sure what you want.
I mean...when you say a "great amp"...what does that mean to you? Are you talking about a particular style...sound...build...etc...etc...?

Oh...and you said a "new good amp"...but one that doesn't cost as much as a top tier guitar. Well TBH...if I was going to put down "top tier money" on one or the other...I would spend it on the amp, and get an average guitar...which is pretty much what I've been doing for years now. I've got top-shelf amps...and just basic, good playing guitars...because IMO, your sound is really about the amp, and much less about the guitar. So spending thousands on a guitar will NOT yield as much value as spending thousands on an amp.

YMMV.... :)
 
A good all purpose tube amp is a Fender blues junior.
Small enough to carry around, big enough to play with a band and do gigs with. Good for using pedals with. Records well.

It’s a very popular amp because it covers all bases.
Price???? About 500 bucks.

Generally you’re not going to find a good tube amp for under that price point. Except one.

Peavey classic 30 . They run in the 3 to 400 range. Compact loud all tube amp.



For solid state your options in a lesser price point open up a bit.

I’m admittedly a high end tube amp snob, but I have a solid state amp also that I quite like. It’s an 80s Peavey Bandit 65
Loud, bulletproof, 2 channels, distortion and clean with reverb.

The distortion sounds.....well..... solid state.....but.......Dial back the gain and put a tube screamer in front, or a boss overdrive (the yellow one) and it comes alive. As a matter of fact it takes all pedals well. You can pick one up for about 2 bills.

All these amps are used CL prices.

Just start checking out some of your local Craigslist offerings and see what you like that you can afford.



Anyway, just some suggestions on cheaper amps that work well.
 
With music everyone is on a path. As you get better, your requirements change. Any instrument has things it does well and badly. Your very first guitar, piano or trumpet might not be good at staying in tune. A bette one does. You get better and discover the guitar action doesn't let you play some of the things your fingers should be able to play, or the piano action is old and heavy and causes the same thing, and the trumpet valves resist your fingers. You buy another instrument and when you get better, your ears don't like the tone the guitar has when you play in a certain way, and the piano sounds weak in the high right hand. Your trumpet also doesn't have that mellowness in the mid range you reall need. It goes on until your ability matches the results. Every instrument is like this. At some point, there's no point buying another because you're not good enough to appreciate it, and that's fine! I see absolutely no point in spending money on new bass amps and cabs, because my playing is now static. In fact, I stopped taking my big cab and amp to gigs to save van space and my bad back! I have the tone I need through a DI. I could improve the tone with a bette rig, and have no issues with those that do, but I don't need the amp, I'll record direct into chase and use its vsti facilities. What we should do is ban the word 'need' and replace it with 'desire' which is perfectly acceptable but not the same thing at all.
 
I agree with RFR's suggestion of the Classic 30. They are everywhere, can be had for a good price, and its one amp that really sounds decent on both the clean and drive channels. I grabbed one years ago for just over $300 and its still solid. The Fender Blues Jr Is good too, but I prefer the Peavey.

The OP doesn't mention if he's using it only at home for recording or is planning to use it for live performances. The Classic will hold its own on stage.

In a pinch, a Fender SuperChampX2 isn't a bad amp. They can be had used for under $300. I'm not as impressed with the digital effects, but if you just want an amp to record, its not too bad.
 
Someone asked what I meant when I said connect to the aux a mixer, ya I definitely didnt say that right at all. What I mean is, is it possible to connect to a mixer and send different channels to it. I can do that with my mixer but a high pitched noise comes out of the amp when I open my DAW, so I stopped doing that.

OK...I kinda get a better idea now...though I'm still not sure what it is you are wanting to connect to a mixer...?...a line out from the amp...a mic from the amp...?

That high-pitched noise from the DAW is most likely an audio loop issue...you're send/receiving signal to the same thing, so you get a feedback loop.
It's probably nothing more than a routing misconfiguration at the mixer....or the DAW. Without knowing exactly how you have everything hooked up and routed...it's hard to say which it is...but it certainly should be fixable.

Speaking of the Peavey Classic 30...I've been seeing this one in my local Craigslist (NY Hudson Valley) the last couple of weeks no...$250 is a great price.
Not sure where you are located...but this is what everyone is talking about:

Peavey Classic 30, made in USA, upgraded speaker - musical...

I had a Peavey Blues Classic...which is pretty much the same amp give-or-take...and it was a decent amp, though I was never a big fan of EL84 power tubes...they always seemed to sound "fizzy" when you pushed the amps into some good distortion...but a lot of people do like them.
 
Edit: Thank you to everyone who replied to this post to give me answers and tips, I understand that I can't get a great amp for lower than $400 now, and that is what I was pretty much beginning to realize before this post, I just wanted to see if anyone knew anything I didn't at the time, which of course there are, you can move your eyes about an inch or two up to see that. I will leave this open to make sure anyone can leave their suggestions. I am also looking at the Fender Champion 100 combo amp. Can anyone give me more info on that. I believe that is the amp I will be going with. Someone asked what I meant when I said connect to the aux a mixer, ya I definitely didnt say that right at all. What I mean is, is it possible to connect to a mixer and send different channels to it. I can do that with my mixer but a high pitched noise comes out of the amp when I open my DAW, so I stopped doing that.

Hi Mason, Just reply in the thread instead of editing your first post. This way future readers of the thread can follow the conversation.

Speaking of which.... any reason it has to be new? There are some deals out there. A friend picked up a Fender Blues Deluxe used for $350. I'm looking at getting a Laney VC30-212 for $400. Both of these amps would be $800+ new. Look at the used market, too.
 
Boss Katana 1x12 100 watt is a decent amp. I don't own one as I have a number of other amps I like, but the Katana impressed me more than similar offerings by other companies. The 100 watt Katana has a bigger speaker enclosure than the 50 watt version, so power requirements aside (50 watts might be plenty for what you need) the 100 watt has a bigger sound.

I have an old Blues Junior that I really like. No DI out though.

I've known a couple of guys with Peavey Classic 30's. Might just be coincidence but both of those amps blew up.
 
Aside from the price and being able to try out the amp (sometimes at decent volume) benefits, you’ll also usually get an amp with a broken in speaker. Sounds better right out of the gate. :)

Please, whatever you do, don’t buy a Bugera ;)
 
I mainly just wanted to say thank you too all the answers and tips, and responded to a couple in the edit of the post because some of the answers were things that I said that were wrong or not said correctly. Although in the future I will respond more specifically. I absolutely don't need it to be new, I am looking at anything, and if I have to choose a little bit of a beat up one that costs less than a brand new one, I would go with the used one if it still sounded good.
 
thank you very much for the suggestions, as suggested by another user, I looked into SS vs Tube amps, and due to the fact that the next amp I buy is probably going to be one of if not my main amp for a bit, I definitely think I will pay more for a Tube amp. Although please, murder me with any amps that you love that are not more than maybe ~$800 (I rose my price range because I am realizing that for the type of amp I am looking for, -$400 just isn't going to cut it.)
 
Well it doesn’t seem like it is in fact solved. :)
You would have posted about what you bought. All that happened was your budget increased. ;)

Ok time to ask some questions.


You in a band?

Need an output level that will keep up with a hard hitting drummer?

You just using it for recording ?

You have a place where you can crank the amp into the ‘sweet spot’ and mic it without pissing off your neighbors??

You like that Marshall sound Or a Fender sound? (All tube amps are pretty much a clone or variation of those two)

You use pedals??

You want a head and cabinet or a combo?

Questions, questions, questions.....

Depending on your answers, you may not need to up your budget at all.


I mean a full stack marshall is great, but if you’re just doing bedroom recording, not very useful. Would be better off buying an amp sim, and spending the rest on other recording gear.


Now I have a question for you..... and I mean no offense....How is it that you’re a guitar player, and on a recording forum, and you don’t have an amp????? Just starting out ??
 
Last edited:
(I am sorry if this wasn't the right forum to post this on, I wasn't sure)

Okay, I have been looking everywhere for a new amp. I can't find a great amp that doesn't break the bank. Although I also don't want to come off as a cheap stake, I would go to $250-$300, I would consider going to $400, but definitely no where above that. I really have no specific brand in mind, as long as it can really play most tones. Tube or Solid body are fine, I don't know the exact difference. I would definitely consider a higher priced amp if it had the capability of going into the aux of a mixer. Thanks for any tips in advance.

Edit: Thank you to everyone who replied to this post to give me answers and tips, I understand that I can't get a great amp for lower than $400 now, and that is what I was pretty much beginning to realize before this post, I just wanted to see if anyone knew anything I didn't at the time, which of course there are, you can move your eyes about an inch or two up to see that. I will leave this open to make sure anyone can leave their suggestions. I am also looking at the Fender Champion 100 combo amp. Can anyone give me more info on that. I believe that is the amp I will be going with. Someone asked what I meant when I said connect to the aux a mixer, ya I definitely didnt say that right at all. What I mean is, is it possible to connect to a mixer and send different channels to it. I can do that with my mixer but a high pitched noise comes out of the amp when I open my DAW, so I stopped doing that.

harley benton tube 15
 
RFR's questions in #13 are spot on. Also: What type of music are you playing? Tube amps give that valve-crunch mild saturation at lower volumes to big punch at louder volumes that guitarists love, but as already said the sound of a Fender is way different than a Marshall.
If this is for recording (and hence why you are asking about plugging it directly into a mixer) rather than for live gigging, you may want to look at a SS modeling amp, as most of these feature DI outputs (sometimes as XLR, sometimes as a stereo headphone jack).
 
RFR said:
You like that Marshall sound Or a Fender sound? (All tube amps are pretty much a clone or variation of those two)

The trinity would have to include Vox for that ear splitting "top end boost" sound. Honestly though Mason, you'll get way better suggestions if you can answer the questions in post #13.

$800 opens up your options a lot. If you can wait for the right deal to come around on the used market that might get you a Deluxe Reverb reissue, or maybe a Twin of some kind if you have a good back. Classic Fender - clean, loud and mid-scooped. They take pedals very well and sound good at lower volumes. Good luck finding one with a line out. Blues Junior is still a good amp, but at 15 watts you're in good shape for home practice, recording, band rehearsal and maybe smaller club gigs if your band is not overly loud.

There are exceptions, but most guys aren't going to suggest a Fender for a gigging metal band. A raging Marshall Plexi is a glorious beast, but a very different amp. Mid forward rather than scooped. It's the sound of classic rock crunch and early metal. Plexis in particular and some of the other Marshall range in general don't sound very good at all at lower volumes. You need to crank it up to get the sound. (Vox amps can be like that too. Negative feedback makes a difference) You will have enough volume to peel paint off the walls, so you might have to use some kind of attenuator or constantly deal with people asking you to turn down. Good luck finding a Plexi at $800, but there are other options at that price point, new or used.

Also don't get too hung up on watts. A 15 watt Blues Junior can handle small gigs at reasonable volume, and you can always mic it through the PA. A 22 watt Deluxe Reverb is a much louder amp. A 20 watt Marshall Studio Vintage is a small Plexi that can switch to a low power mode of approx. 5 watts. It's much louder than the other 2 amps and can handle small gigs in full blown crunch mode on the low power setting. It's not a bedroom amp at all.

Lots of options but we need to know what you're doing.
 
A raging Marshall Plexi is a glorious beast, but a very different amp. Mid forward rather than scooped. It's the sound of classic rock crunch and early metal. Plexis in particular and some of the other Marshall range in general don't sound very good at all at lower volumes. You need to crank it up to get the sound. (Vox amps can be like that too. Negative feedback makes a difference) You will have enough volume to peel paint off the walls, so you might have to use some kind of attenuator or constantly deal with people asking you to turn down. Good luck finding a Plexi at $800, but there are other options at that price point, new or used.

. A 20 watt Marshall Studio Vintage is a small Plexi that can switch to a low power mode of approx. 5 watts. It's much louder than the other 2 amps and can handle small gigs in full blown crunch mode on the low power setting. It's not a bedroom amp at all.

Lots of options but we need to know what you're doing.

I just built my dream amp, but its not for someone who is not handy. I Bought a Marshall Origin 20. Its the same exact amp as the Studio 20 only its built in Korea as opposed to England. I paid $450.00 for the amp Then I took out the stock 10" speaker , cut the hole to accommodate a 12" Vintage Celestion 30 and I have an absolute mini Plexi beast. It attenuates from 1watt, to 5watt, to 20 watts perfect for every situation I need. Total project 600.00 bucks about 7 hours labor. ( Requires disassembling the amp and removing the grill cloth) .(NOTE of CAUTION Do Not buy an Origin 5 they sound terrible, they are nothing like the 20 or 50.)

View attachment 106722 The other option is to buy the Origin 20 Head and a 1x12 cab or a 2x12 cab. Trust me there is no 10" guitar speaker that re-creates the Plexi tone.
 
As everyone has said so far, first you should answer RFR's questions.

There's really no point in continuing this discussion until you do.

THEN we can get somewhere. Btw, we're not all going to agree, so you're going to have to do some in person testing on your own.

Personally, unless you're playing good sized gigs or you've already become a tone snob (nothing wrong with that, but there's a time and a place), I think you can DEFINITELY get where you want to be for under $400. But like they said, that's used, not new.
 
Well it doesn’t seem like it is in fact solved. :)
You would have posted about what you bought. All that happened was your budget increased. ;)

Ok time to ask some questions.


You in a band?

Need an output level that will keep up with a hard hitting drummer?

You just using it for recording ?

You have a place where you can crank the amp into the ‘sweet spot’ and mic it without pissing off your neighbors??

You like that Marshall sound Or a Fender sound? (All tube amps are pretty much a clone or variation of those two)

You use pedals??

You want a head and cabinet or a combo?

Questions, questions, questions.....

Depending on your answers, you may not need to up your budget at all.


I mean a full stack marshall is great, but if you’re just doing bedroom recording, not very useful. Would be better off buying an amp sim, and spending the rest on other recording gear.


Now I have a question for you..... and I mean no offense....How is it that you’re a guitar player, and on a recording forum, and you don’t have an amp????? Just starting out ??

I'm not in a band atm.

No I don't NEED that output level, because by the time I do need that, I will have gotten a different amp.

No I am not just using it for recording, I might be using it for recording, so I am hoping for a DI out for when I want to use it to record.

I live in the middle of nowhere, what are "neighbors"?

I love both sounds, but if I have to choose, fender.

yes I use pedals.

head and cabinet

I do have an amp, but it is a small not so great amp that came with my first ever guitar, a Glen Burton strat, I don't even have that thing anymore. I mean you can't even find it on guitar center as far as I know, It is a Glen Burton GA-10. I have been using an amp sim because up until now that has been fitting my needs, recording. Now I want an amp for gigs and/or playing around.
 
Last edited:
As everyone has said so far, first you should answer RFR's questions.

There's really no point in continuing this discussion until you do.

THEN we can get somewhere. Btw, we're not all going to agree, so you're going to have to do some in person testing on your own.

Personally, unless you're playing good sized gigs or you've already become a tone snob (nothing wrong with that, but there's a time and a place), I think you can DEFINITELY get where you want to be for under $400. But like they said, that's used, not new.

I didn't know "tone snob" was a word, glad I found a new thing to call myself.
 
Back
Top