Line 6 amps?

M

Metal Titan

New member
Ok i've been looking for an amp set up that i get to rent out for recording, and to use myself. Recently i tried out a new guitar player for my band and he brought in his Line 6 spider amp. Its a smaller one and has the pedal plugged into the amp with a cable that looks just like the one i use for the internet.

Anyway, to me, it sounds great and i love the ability to create multiple pedal boards on it. He has 4 effects at a time and can cycle through several different set ups like this.

My question is, does anyone have experience with these amps and have hints, reviews, or opinions on them? I would use a very diverse number of effects so if they have good ones and bad ones please let me know. Also does anyone know of a bigger amp i would be able to use on it? He has a 1x12" and i was hoping to get something bigger so it'd be heard over a good sized drum kit.
 
Keeping in mind that the amp your friend bought is probably a solid-state, Line 6 makes good amps for the money. The built-in tones on the Spider series can be pretty nice, though I generally find it more flexible to build a real pedal board with actual stompboxes so your tone doesn't end up tethered to one specific amp.

A 75 watt 1x12 should be sufficient for playing in a practice setting and should be more than loud enough to play over a drum kit, but you can look at some of the bigger models here: Guitar Amps with FX Modeling - Spider IV - Line 6
 
I have a Line6 amp but I agree with guitarplayr82 as the effects must be looked into a good pedal rather than the amp. One con of the line6 is that it forgets the settings you have after you turn off the amp.

I recently bought a VOX AC30 Black Comet and that one really rocks!!
 
Well id love to build a real pedal board. The problem with that is I want to keep things affordable for me and be able to have diversity in my effects. I play mostly a hard rock/ metal style but I often deviate. Also id like to be able to offer this to any bands I might be recording as some extra effects for them to use. Im mostly looking at line 6 for the pedals and such but im not sure about the amps so I want to be able to use them on any. Which I found out you can't do with the fbv shortboard mkii. Upseting for me because that has the sounds I like and is only $200
 
I have a Spider 212- somewhat older, 100-watts. Uses the older-tech Line 6 pedals, like the long board. Currently in the rehersal/recording studio in New Orleans- the animals who rent space from my son have trashed a Fender FM212 AND a Peavey Chorus 212, so if the Spider holds up, it will speak volumes for it's durability.

If you get an older Line 6 amp, here's a tip: Line 6 is blowing out long boards, direct, for $50. The sold, new, for $200. Best to call them before you order, to make sure it will work with your amp.
 
I'll give you my opinion...save your money and get a different amp lol. 6505 combos, fender combos, jet city combos, all affordable. I wouldn't worry too much about FX there's probably better ones in your DAW than built in on the amps.
 
Metal Titan said:
Anyway, to me, it sounds great
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I picked up a Spider IV 75 watt a couple of months ago. It's tons louder than my old Fender Bandmaster, even with just 1 12" speaker, so I would have no problem using it in practice un-miced.
The person who said you can't save the tone settings must be referring to one of the mini amps or an older model, as you can store 64 user settings (16 banks of 4) in this model and the higher power Spider IV series. the control pedal boards offer more features for more money. The basic one will let you cycle through the user tone bank of 4 presets, but you have to manually change the bank on the amp. The short board will let you scroll through the banks, too, and the long board will let you turn on/off individual FX or combinations of them.
I like the sounds, there is a great variety and easily configurable - of course there are hundreds of presets available, so it takes time to dial in the one you want. Hopefully someone at band practice has already done this homework so is ready to rock at rehearsal!
 
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mjbphotos said:
The person who said you can't save the tone settings must be referring to one of the mini amps or an older model, as you can store 64 user settings (16 banks of 4) in this model and the higher power Spider IV series. the control pedal boards offer more feautres for more money. Th ebasic one will let you cycle through the user tone bank of 4 presets, but you have to manually change the bank on the amp. The short board will let you scroll through the banks, too, and the long board willlet you turn on/off individual FX or combinations of them.
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+1 True. My friend has a Spider and a shortboard. He loves it.
 
If you need more volume/power there are 120 watt and 150 watt Line 6 Spider IV combo amps (both with 2 12s) and a 150 watt head. Note that the head has to be used with 2 cabinets or a stereo cabinet (both left and right output jacks must be used to prevent the amp from burning itself out).
One disadvantage to the FX on these new Spider amps is that certain ones are ganged together, so you can't use both a flanger and a chorus, for example (not sure why you would). As there is no FX loop on the amps, you can only use an external pedal in the guitar-to-amp position of the signal chain.
 
I've test driven a few Line 6's, didn't care for them much. I have a Vox Valvtronix 100w 2x17 combo, very decent for the money, several amp & digital fx. Though I only use the reverb and auto wah. Don't mess with the amp mod's, just the super clean & pedal board.

Saving for an old Marshall.
 
Do not like them. I thought the bogner spider was just ok, there are certainly better amps on the market for the price though.
 
Then it sounds like I need to look for better options. I have another question though

What would be the advantage of buying a combo amp rather than a head and speakers? There's got to be a reason that so many big names use the seperate head
 
A good combo amp is lighter on the back if you're tired of lugging around a 4x12 & fits easier into a sedan.A combo amp depending on how it's made can have different tones from a head version.If for instance,the combo is an open back or a closed cab you may have more options when recording.Some soundmen like the brighter sound of a miced open back combo over a more bass heavy 4x12.Most decent combos can easily push a 4x12 too so you have the added option of either or both.

I liked my Hughes and Kettner 2x12 combo with a 4x12 when i played out live.I knew a guy who would set up his cab by the drummer and his combo off to his side.That way whenever he wanted to get some feedback he could just turn into his amp slightly and dial it in.I've seen many use two combos and switch between the two.There's really no disadvantages in my opinion.More personal preference than anything.
 
Metal Titan said:
Then it sounds like I need to look for better options. I have another question though

What would be the advantage of buying a combo amp rather than a head and speakers? There's got to be a reason that so many big names use the seperate head
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The proximity of the tubes in a combo amp cause the speakers to shake the crap out of the tubes. This causes tube chatter and the premature death of the tubes. Having a separate head and speaker cab is a much better option. Not only is it better for the tubes it sounds a million times better. Open back combo amps sound weak and tinny when compared to a closed back 2x12 or 4x12 cab being pushed by a beefy 100 watt head. But if you play the blues, country, or 60s music you may like the cheesy sound of an open back combo.
 
ocnor said:
The proximity of the tubes in a combo amp cause the speakers to shake the crap out of the tubes. This causes tube chatter and the premature death of the tubes. Having a separate head and speaker cab is a much better option. Not only is it better for the tubes it sounds a million times better. Open back combo amps sound weak and tinny when compared to a closed back 2x12 or 4x12 cab being pushed by a beefy 100 watt head. But if you play the blues, country, or 60s music you may like the cheesy sound of an open back combo.
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I'm laughing at you right now.

But I'm of the opinion that a quarter stack is just right (a 2X12 cab and a head).
 
ocnor said:
The proximity of the tubes in a combo amp cause the speakers to shake the crap out of the tubes. This causes tube chatter and the premature death of the tubes.
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Utter crap. I'm sure the thousands (milions?) of Fender Twin Reverb and Deluxe Reverb combo amps would disagree as well.

The sound difference may or may not be significant between open back and closed cabinets, but this is subjective, just like the sound of one guitar over another. What YOU like may not be the same was what THEY like.
 
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