cheap amps

guitar junkie

guitar junkie

Guitar User.
Hey guys

So with little money on hand in the studio fund... Or more to the point no money to spend in the bank....

What are some decent cheap amps to look around at?

I think I am gonna have about $50 to spend at the most...
 
I should state that I pretty much wanna play clean eclectic country with maybe some small doses of ambient stuff from time to time, but I am guessing in my budget an amp with reverb won't be doable...
 
I was quite suprised by Fenders little 15-watt Bullett Reverb, and a similar Peavey. And guess what? The all have reverb! On the Fenders, depending on the year it was made, you get either DSP multi-effects including reverb, or honest-to-gosh spring reverb. And they can be had used for $50 all the time- some times as low as $30.
 
Save your money until you can get something worth getting. A $50 amp isn't going to be much of an amp.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
Yep, 15 watt Fender Bullet Reverb! Being in Germany I paid a lot more for it new - but 2nd hand , I bet you'll pick one up dirt cheap... and the reverb is better than the bathroom (or singing with your head in a bucket).

K.
 
Find a second hand Peavey Bandit. You should be able to get an older one for around that price. At that price range, that's about the best you're going do.
 
Seems like Fender makes some decent stuff alright, even in the low end their amps sound better than say a solid state Crate....

I might be able to earn some more money towards a Champion 600 or something with a tube but to be honest right now money is tight.

What about Vox Pathfinders?
 
Light said:
Save your money until you can get something worth getting. A $50 amp isn't going to be much of an amp.
Click to expand...

Yeah, just play the guitar without an amp, while you watch your investment in all the rest of the equipment just collect dust...:rolleyes:

Translation: 99% of the time, SOMETHING beats NOTHING.

Not trying to bust anyone's chops, here, but really- the man needs an amp NOW and only had fifty bucks. Again, SOMETHING beats NOTHING.

Something like a Peavey Bandit or Fender Bullett bought smart and used will sell for the same you paid for it, when you have some extra dough. Pathfinders would fill the bill, but I don't think you would find one for $50 or less.
 
Last edited:
wbcsound said:
Find a second hand Peavey Bandit. You should be able to get an older one for around that price. At that price range, that's about the best you're going do.
Click to expand...
I have one of those...a 112, that I haven't mastered in getting a decent tone from yet, but I still wouldn't sell it for 50 bucks!

It's a powerful little amp. I can turn it to a little over 1/4 power ability and it screams in my tiny studio.

I've changed the settings over and over and still can't get anything I am happy with, tone wise. I've managed tone I like much better, out of my 15 watt Crate practice amp with the tube screamer...so I guess, what that really says, is my skills suck.:eek::D



guitar junkie...You may find some good deals in your local Craiglist....good luck~!:)
 
Traded my REALLY crappy drumset for a funky Japanese guitar and a HoneyTone amp from Danelectro... Little dude kind smokes, and I found that I can set the amp on a hard surface and jam a SM57 in the grill and the little bugger sounds HUGE!

Sources tell me I am getting a Super Champ XD for christmas though:D

Still digging all the sounds I can get out of this little amp...
 
Glad to hear the Gear fairy is coming to your home soon...:D...and great that you got something to play on 'til then, guitar junkie!!
 
i dunno if they still are or if there are any still available (can't check from here), but musicians friend was "blowing out" the 1x10 all tube crate combos for $99 and some of their other heads and combos (the "crate" branded ones) at good prices. i'm also not sure if they are any good or sound like crap.
i know that's 2x your budget, but maybe it's reachable.
 
yeah well I think I can hold off a while and just wait till Christmas....

This thing is cool though!

I ran it on AC power and put a 57 on the grill and it sounded great, but when I took the battery and cover out of the thing, I noticed the bass got a little fuller sounding, and to get an even bigger guitar sound I took the mic and put it inside the battery compartment.

The clean sound still breaks up a little more than I would like on a few pickup selections but I still like the sort of lofi sound I get from it.:)
 
I bought a Kustom 66 Dart from MF for $39 new and the lil thing cranks plus the silverflake tuck and roll covering looks cool as shit, lol. LOUD lil dude too......The Fender Bullet Reverb must be pretty cool for the money, Harvey Gerst says he uses one quite a bit in his studio and he has a ton of more expensive amps to choose from. Usually talent and creativity will give you a better result than deep pockets and a lack of either one.....
 
Yeah the Dart looked really cool but I can't find them for sale anyplace.

I would love to lay hands on a Fender Frontman 15G and if I find one in the pawnshops at a decent price I will nab it. But for now I am just needing to lay some rough tracks....

Thankfully I don't need to make Metal or anything like that, just country music :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top