Suggestions for low power beginner amp?

S

santiu

Rock-scientist
hey all. Guitar isn't my main instrument, but i just inherited a Fender Ultra Strat (which is gorgeous BTW), and now I want to start playing more. So I'm hoping to get a decent, budget minded amp. I'm not planning on playing live, so low power is preferred, and I don't have much money to spend on it. I'm looking mainly for nice warm, fat jazz and blues tones, and indie rock type sounds.

Can anyone help with suggestions? thanks a bunch!!
 
One of the older Peavey Bandit 112 combos can be had cheap. A fairly common amp and bullet proof. Check your local pawn shops, etc. If your willing to spend the time with it, you can get a good sound from it without any effects pedals. Just depends on what your after.
 
mainly looking used to keep price down. Budget is a few hundred (maybe $300 tops). The cheaper the better since i'm just starting.
 
You can get away with a Roland MicroCube or Vox DA5. They're battery/AC powered practice amps that actually sound prety good. You can run a line out into a PA for louder playing, they're under half of your budget, and unlike nicer tube amps, they sound fine at whisper volume or through headphones. When/if you graduate to a bigger/better/more specialized amp, you'll still have a value in a small, portable, decent-sounding amp.
 
solo2racr said:
One of the older Peavey Bandit 112 combos can be had cheap. A fairly common amp and bullet proof. Check your local pawn shops, etc. If your willing to spend the time with it, you can get a good sound from it without any effects pedals. Just depends on what your after.
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Just a quick check on eBay found these were selling between $50.00 and $180.00. Should find a similar price locally.
 
I would look for a Silverface (68-79) Fender Champ. Hard to beat the sound of a strat through one of those. They're found all the time at $300 and lower these days.

Maintenance on em is easy and one should last a lifetime provided proper care. And they hold their resale value if you ever want to get rid of it, unlike "new" amps.


cheers,
wade (who feels like he's been pitching Champs to folks a lot lately)
 
mrface2112 said:
I would look for a Silverface (68-79) Fender Champ. Hard to beat the sound of a strat through one of those.
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"...And a cheesy little amp
With a sign on the front said
"Fender Champ"
And a second-hand guitar
It was a Stratocaster with a whammy bar..."

- Frank Zappa, "Joe's Garage"

:D
 
I have to agree with the Roland Cube series as good beginner's amps. The specs and user reviews both really put this amp in pretty high regard as far as I'm concerned. I've heard a few on recordings and I've always been impressed (considering its size, price, and that its solid state).

Also, take a look at the Fender G-DEC. It's got some bells and whistles that make it a good deal for beginners by incorporating some handy practice tools and built-in effects. It has kind of a "band in a box" feature where you can pick a drum beat, a bass line, and a guitar tone. Then you can jam along. I can't imagine that it has tone to die for, but it has some cool features that might help you along in your first attempts at learning to play the guitar.
 
I would recommend test-driving the Fender Super Champ XD - the price just went up, but you can find them used under $300 (hey, sometimes under $200, I hear) and they're still not that old. Class A/B tube power section (15 watts, but sounds good on lower volumes too, unlike a 15-watt all-tube). The preamp is a digital modeler, which sounds VERY good through the tubes. 2 channels. 10" speaker.

Or, since you're a hobby player, Fender Vibro Champ XD - the "younger brother", it's 5 watts Class A, single-channel, the drawback is really the 8" speaker, but it might be fine for you.

Normally, though, for the $50 diff, SCXD is more than $50 better than the VCXD.
 
At ~$100 I'd suggest a Roland Cube 15 (note these are analog not the COSM modeling engine of the rest of the line), a Peavey VYPYR 15, or First Act VA850 (based around the excellent V-Stack circuit).

Between $100 and $300 a Tech 21 Trademark 30, Fender Vibro Champ XD, or (new series) Peavey Bandit.

The price ranges I listed are based on new prices, used you'll be able to take 1/4 to 1/2 off those prices.
 
Thanks so much for the suggestions guys! they are all super helpful. now it's time to start shopping :D
 
santiu said:
mainly looking used to keep price down. Budget is a few hundred (maybe $300 tops). The cheaper the better since i'm just starting.
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You can actually buy this class A all tube Head and 212 cab brand new from AmericanMusical.com for just under 3 Benjamin's
Here Is the link to the cab
PICT0040776x581.jpg

this will carry you beyond beginner you will actually be able to gig with this rig
I own it, and it is a fantastic little rig.:cool:
 
WhiteStrat said:
To summarize:

It's a pretty good time to be shopping for a decent beginner amp, huh?
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Man, you can say that again. I started out playing through cheap stereo speakers and was happy to pickup a horrible Crate! For the same money now, you can have a fabulous tone by comparison and in many cases enough volume to handle small gigs.
 
wbcsound said:
Man, you can say that again. I started out playing through cheap stereo speakers and was happy to pickup a horrible Crate! For the same money now, you can have a fabulous tone by comparison and in many cases enough volume to handle small gigs.
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Yep. Same here. But the funny thing is that now with my modeller even cheap stereo speakers sound better than my early amps!
 
Yeah, there's no question that you can get better quality gear for less money now, than you could 20-30-40 years ago. Cheap guitars and amps back then were really pretty crummy. There are so many more choices now and the overall quality of the gear is pretty impressive.
 
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