Solved Saving for amp for recording

[danny.guitar]

I need some suggestions on a new amp, mainly for recording.

It needs a good clean channel and a decent distortion. I don't play metal or anything heavy, but I do play some bluesy-type stuff and some classic rock.

I don't care about onboard effects, except for reverb.

I'd rather have a tube amp, but due to budget restraints that's probably not going to be possible. I was thinking maybe a valve amp or something. I don't have a lot of experience with amps, I've only owned 3 (shitty) amps since I started playing, so I'm kind of lost...

My budget is around $400-$500.

I'd really like the amp to be versatile and be able to play most things (except heavy/metal), but the things I listed are the most important.

 

[timthetortoise]

Valve = tube. Just an FYI.

 

[whjr15]

Fender Blues Jr.

Great sound, all tube, reverb, and it fits in ur budget with a little room to spare.

 

[lumbago]

If your neighbours are precious about noise, you may consider a Pod, Pod 2.0 or Pod XT, or any of the other excellent amp modellers (Vox make one also, as do Digitech). I know purists will disagree, but it's sometimes easier to get a variety of reliable tones through a modeller than it is with a single amp/mic combination.

 

[Micter]

A used Carvin Nomad or Crate V32

 

[dwarf]

One of the laney VC series, VC15 only 15 watts so you can crank it. I have the VC30 and I believe it sounds ok.

 

[gitrguy87]

I second the Fender Blues Jr.

 

[danny.guitar]

Hmm...I've heard a lot of good things about the Blues Jr. but I also heard it's mainly for just blues. I play some blues, but not that often.

I really want to get a good lead sound out of it...

Think of Slash's solo in "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" or something similar to that. Obviously, I'm sure he's got top-end amps, etc. so I probably won't get that sound, but that's the kind of thing I'm aiming for...

I'll put the Fender Jr on my list and try it out when I get the chance.

Anymore suggestions?

Also, here's another example of a similar tone I'm going for...it's a sample of the TS808 TubeScreamer pedal. I had this pedal but didn't have a good amp to use it on, so I sold it.

http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=6A96A6C9696570CC

 

[myhatbroke]

Well I already told you I have a RandallRG75D and you heard what it can do.

 

[danny.guitar]

Well I already told you I have a RandallRG75D and you heard what it can do.

Yea, it sounds real nice and it's definitely on my list. It's the G3 right? I think the G2 is discontinued...

 

[myhatbroke]

Yea, it sounds real nice and it's definitely on my list. It's the G3 right? I think the G2 is discontinued...

I put the link in the mp3 forum.

 

[Yareek]

For recording, I will take any amp that has a vintage sounding clean channel along with a couple pedals.

For $400 I would get either:
- Used Fender Blues Junior ($300), a Marshall Guv'nor ($60) and a Bad Monkey ($40)
- New Vox Valvetronix AD30 ($250), a Marshall Guv'nor ($60) and a Bad Monkey ($40)

The Blues Junior will take some tweaking but should sound really good in stock form. The Bad Monkey does that slightly compressed blues overdrive and the Guv'nor does anything from classic rock Plexi to JCM 800 stuff. It can even get a little chunky. I fooled a lot of people on the Gear Page with some clips of that pedal.

The Valvetronix is a slick little amp and I'd like to get the little 15 watt version just for recording. A mic on an amp at low volumes sounds better to my ears than a POD of any kind. And the Vox amps feel like tube amps, especially on the clean amp models, but the heavier amps suck. That's where the pedals come in.

 

[danny.guitar]

So do you think the Blues Jr is as versatile as the Randall amp?

I like the idea of having a tube amp, but I've heard the Randall and it sounds pretty good to me.

 

[Dani Pace]

Fender Blues Jr. would be an excelent choice, another small Fender to consider is a Princeton Reverb, or a Princeton Chorus (I use a Princeton Chorus on at least half of my recordings.) There are lots of other small amps but for classic clean sound you can't beat a Fender, and with a couple of minor adjustments (just tweek the amp a little) they are good for blusey tones as well.

 

[Micter]

From the description of the tone you want you should really look at the Crate V32. The clean channel is real glassy in a Vox sort of way. Very bluesy! The lead channel is very Marshall like. Let me tell you I own like 35 tube amps and I grab the V32 for gigs more often than not and as far as recording goes it is fantastic. The V16 has simular charactoristics but it is only a one channel amp.

Lastly you will never get a Slash like tone from anything Fender has made
(the Prosonic might but not in your price range). A lot of guys love the Fender clean channel so much they are willing to sacrafice lead tone. Putting pedals in front of a tube amp is not the same as cranking the gain knob and letting the natural tube saturation kick in. No offence intended to the Fender lovers here. But Fender amps don't do Marshall very well. At least not stock.

 

[Yareek]

Clips of a Fender Hot Rod with Pedals at Low Volumes

Z Vex Box of Rock

Marshall Jackhammer, Fulltone OCD, Z Vex Box of Rock

Same as above

Same as above

Crate VC3112 with Bad Monkey and Zakk Wylde OD

Sound Clip

Roland Microcube

With Bad Monkey and Zakk Wylde

Just the Microcube

Just the Microcube Again

All of those are at pretty low volumes.

 

[Sirnothingness]

If my budget were in that range, I would seriously consider a Pod or something comparable. Otherwise, I'd hold off on an amp until I had more dough. Particularly if it were for recording and not playing live. Remember, you'll also want mics.

 

[TelePaul]

For $400 I would get either:
- Used Fender Blues Junior ($300), a Marshall Guv'nor ($60) and a Bad Monkey ($40)
- New Vox Valvetronix AD30 ($250), a Marshall Guv'nor ($60) and a Bad Monkey ($40)

.

I agree with combining the pedals with a great amp, but IMO thos Marshall pedals aren't worth it. I've ownded the Jackhammer Distortion and Supervibe chorus. Great sounds on offer but they really just didn't last. I think you'd be better with a few used Boss stomps.

 

[Micter]

Clips of a Fender Hot Rod with Pedals at Low Volumes

Z Vex Box of Rock

Marshall Jackhammer, Fulltone OCD, Z Vex Box of Rock

Same as above

Same as above

Crate VC3112 with Bad Monkey and Zakk Wylde OD

Sound Clip

Roland Microcube

With Bad Monkey and Zakk Wylde

Just the Microcube

Just the Microcube Again

All of those are at pretty low volumes.

I didn't listen to all of these clips but the ones I did surley didn't sound like any Marshall I own or have heard for that matter. There was some great blues tones for sure but not what a Marshall amp cranked up would sound like.

 

[zacanger]

One other thing you might want to consider is Marshall's AVT series. Very versatile amps. Not the warmest tube sound, obviously, but not bad.