Amp: best bang for the buck?

Hi and Welcome,

Quote: on a budget, don't have many options for an amp.

Yes, there are options. Both new and used. There are some great deals it can take a little time and knowing where to look. If you spend a little time on E-bay, look around near where you live like at pawn shops or yard sales, even ask a neighbor or two. For example a week or two back I picked up a Epiphine Galaxie 10 all tube amp for $105.00.

As for amps they come with many different options and channels, some with and some without amp modeling, one or two channels. it comes down to you deciding. Here's a list of some to research on and see if something would work for you. Take each name and put into a search engine to find the price's and detailed information on each brand and different models.

BC Rich bcl10, Kustom kga10, Daphon, Legion, Laurel,I banez TB15R, Hohner, Epiphone, Dean Markley, Behringer, Peavey makes ones like the Rage, Audition, Backstage, Transtube, Vox make an amp called the Pathfinder, Cambridge 15. Most of these can be found for way less than $100.00.

Hope this gives you some idea's

Joe

Hi all. Being on a budget, I don't have many options for an amp.

Horse hockey. You've got a LOT of options. Any of the amps Joe recommended above will serve you very well. There's quite a few inexpensive (but in no way cheap - as in shoddy) amps out there.

I use my $99 Vox Pathfinder 15 as much in the studio and *more* for live work than my $800 Peavey Duel 212. It's so much fun cranking my little "briefcase with a speaker" up to where it sings, and watching people try to figure out where all that sound is coming from :twisted:

Whats your budget? That would help tremendously.

The Marshall AVT range is fantastic for the money.If you can't stretch that far the MG range is good too.
Stay away from Crate !!

I need to know budget. I have fender hot rod deluxe. it is jpricy but it is great. A crate amp 15 watt may be a good choice that was my first amp. Stay away from starter pack amps

If you can stretch to the mg marshall range, stretch further to the Vox valvetronix series. I have the AD30VT and its a nice amp. Had/Still have the MG30 but not a fan of it.

A lot of people also recommend the Roland Cube amps. For the best bang at the moment in SS amps I think the Vox AD30vt is champ at the moment although it's down to personal taste. Go try some out!

Indeed, really depends on budget. I'd stay MILES away from anything solidstate by Fender and Marshall (although the Fender FM series is somewhat ok). Proper choices:

Vox AD15/30 Valvetronix ($200/$250)
Roland microcube/cube30 ($110/$230)
Zoom Fire16/32 ($150/$240)
Line6 spider 15/30 ($160/$230) (I hate it, some like it)
Behringer Gm110/108 ($100/$60) (just one channel, the GMX110 has two channels and effects for $150)

I'd say these are by far the most versatile and best choices. Roland and Vox are best (I went with the Vox, some go with Roland, see for yourself). Zoom and Line6 sound rather plastic to me, but are very versatile and diverse. Behringer is more basic, but way cheap and still has a fair bunch of interesting sounds. (and an effects loop, speaker-out, and other stuff which none of the others have!)

Peavey offers nice stuff, Marshall and Fender are hopelessly overpriced, never liked Crate much. H&K has a nice series of cheap amps with a great clean sound and reverb, distortion ain't much.

Call me insane, but I tried out an Ibanez toneblaster 25 amp with a MIM strat and it sounded incredible! Maybe that's because i havent played any other electrics other than a plywood squier bullet. :roll:

I just bought the Epiphone Galaxie 10 Joe mentioned from Musiciansfriend for $150 brand new. 10 watts, 6L6 tube with a 10" Celestion speaker. I'm concerned about what it will sound like for that price, but I couldn't pass it by.

Stay away from Crate my shoe! Haven't any expereince with their budget stuff, but my BV head is pretty awsome.

If you're even moderately handy with a soldering iron and know how to scrounge in used electronic stores, you can build a $1000 stack for about $100.

And it will sound as good as anything you buy, it'll just lack the brand name.

http://www.schematicheaven.com/

for a good place to start.