amp tone

Hello PsYcHoNIK- Maybe a few questions.

Are you in a band? Are you planning on playing out? If so, what type of music? Answering these questions will help you make a better amp purchase.

Turning your High and Bass up and Mid down is a classic Metal setting. It is hard to say if you could get this EXACT sound on another amp. Every amp has it's own characteristics.

Also, your amp is 15 Watts, so you are really able to crank it up. If you purchase a tube amp, you will also have to crank it up to get this type of distortion.

Just my opinion, but unless you are planning on playing in front of large crowds, you will be happier with a less powerful tube amp. If you play just around the house, no more than 30W. Even if you play small to medium sized clubs, a 50W tube amp will get you there.

Go out and try a few tube amps. Tube distortion does not sound like modern "Grunge" if that's what they're still calling it. Make sure you can get the distortion you want with a tube amp. I own tube amps, they are great for Classic Rock, but I use a Distortion pedal when I need the newer sound.

what kind of amp do you have wes_inman?

Well, I own 4 in all. My main amp right now is a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. It is a 40W tube amp. It has a beautiful clean channel and great reverb. For distortion, it has Drive and More Drive. These are great Blues distortion, but you can not get the modern "Grunge" distortion with it. A friend who really knows his stuff suggested the Fab Tone Distortion pedal by Danelectro. It is great. I can get the modern distortion with great tone.

I also have a Marshall 50W, that I have had for many years. I have not used it for some time because it has problems. I think I must have played 300 gigs with this, and I didn't take the best care. It's really beat. It's in storage. I can't even remember the exact model (I've never been a "techie"). Someday, I may try to fix it, but I'd probably just get a new one. I love Marshall.

I have a 130W solid state amp that I loaned to a kid for his first big gig about a year ago who has never returned it. I loaned this same kid a Digitech RP12 effects pedal. He fried it. Needless to say, he is cut off. I have had a hard time trying to find him, he moved out of his home. So I guess I really DON'T own this amp.

I also have a little 30W Peavey Backstage practice amp. It's great for playing around the house.

I own 3 guitars. A Fender American Strat, an Ovation Balladeer, and an old Martin acoustic.

Don't have a lot of money, but my goals are to get a Les Paul and another Marshall amp. Great combination!!

I am more into metal and classic rock, and the only grunge that I like, or can listen to without the urge to break my radio is nirvana. I just want to know if there is some type of amp that will give me something close to the sound on my amp. I played a tube amp, and I love the clean sound, but when I need distortion, it's absent. Maybe some type of effects could give me the sound I need. Im really into the g3-ish sound, too. Im not formally in any band, but I often gig with different people. a small amp is all I'm looking for, I just like the sound of a tube clean, so Im assuming that the distortion would sound good. thanks for your response, wes, and I see you joined the forum finally. lol.

Hi again PsYcHoNIK- I own one of these Zoom pedals.

http://www.music123.com/Item/?itemno=40455

As you see, it's very inexpensive. I actually gave it to my Bass player and it works well for him too.

The thing I was impressed about this particular pedal is that you can get almost any effect you can imagine. It has amp simulations, EQ, Compression etc....  I almost believe you could get about any sound out of this.

It would take some tweaking, but you can really get an amazing number of sounds.   AND CHEAP!!