https://guitarnoise.forum/opinions-and-polls/best-way-to-ditch-trade-an-amp/ Guitar Noise Discussion Board en-US Fri, 05 Jun 2026 07:31:49 +0000 wpForo 60 https://guitarnoise.forum/opinions-and-polls/best-way-to-ditch-trade-an-amp/#post-370812 Mon, 05 Dec 2011 21:14:18 +0000
Surprised no-one has yet suggested the 'best' (most rock'n'roll) way to ditch an amp is out of a hotel window :)]]> Opinions and Polls imalone https://guitarnoise.forum/opinions-and-polls/best-way-to-ditch-trade-an-amp/#post-370812 https://guitarnoise.forum/opinions-and-polls/best-way-to-ditch-trade-an-amp/#post-370778 Fri, 02 Dec 2011 06:40:25 +0000
Oh, and it is not that I don't like little amps, I just felt that the little Mustang was cheap, in the store anyhow. I am used to a good feel, if not sound. I have a G-DEC 30 which is so-so, could be a lot better, and no complaints with the Fender Bullet 15W which is a little solid state workhorse, and drives a big cab like a Marshall, almost? And I like the Danelectro Nifty Fifty - it's also 15W, strangely. I don't think they make it any more. Anyway,if you can find one, they're a little screamer too. 8)]]> Opinions and Polls Blue Jay https://guitarnoise.forum/opinions-and-polls/best-way-to-ditch-trade-an-amp/#post-370778 https://guitarnoise.forum/opinions-and-polls/best-way-to-ditch-trade-an-amp/#post-370775 Fri, 02 Dec 2011 04:19:54 +0000
The problem with modeling amps in general seems to be that they often appeal to relatively new players who haven't yet settled on 'their sound' or sounds. I thought it would be really useful to have the choice of a wide range of sounds. I naively imagined that I'd dial through some options and quickly find my preferred sweet spot. Nah.... didn't happen... :? All it did was open my eyes to how many different ways that I could be ignorant of what was going on and how somebody's signature sound is put together. :(

Hard to find something when you don't really know what you're looking for. :D

The problem was compounded by the fact that I didn't know how much of the sound (for good or bad, but mostly for bad....) was caused by the amp setting, how much by poor choice of music style for that particular sound, how much by the guitar pickups, how much by my lousy newbie fingers and poor touch, etc, etc.

The answer seems to be to go back to basics - one simple clean sound and one basic 'dirty' sound and to work up from that. Don't add any more effects until the fingers are doing a real good job with the basic settings, etc...

The kid who bought my amp soon came back to the teacher with a similarly wildly confused look in his eyes. :shock: So the teacher dialled in those two basic settings - one clean and one dirty - assigned them to the recall buttons and showed him where to leave the other knobs. He went away happy after that...

He'll probably do what his teacher told him.... for a while.... but I have to rely on self-discipline and patience.... and where I am I going to find supplies of that?? :oops: :lol:

Maybe I could have got him to set it up for me, and then taped the knobs down? But now I just plug in and work on getting the best out of an amp with a lot less options. Suits me...

Cheers,

Chris]]> Opinions and Polls Chris C https://guitarnoise.forum/opinions-and-polls/best-way-to-ditch-trade-an-amp/#post-370775 https://guitarnoise.forum/opinions-and-polls/best-way-to-ditch-trade-an-amp/#post-370774 Fri, 02 Dec 2011 03:53:19 +0000
Actually, none of them are getting the play that my eleven Rack is getting, but that's a whole other story way off topic.

The Jet City thing: I almost took too long to decide. someone else was keenly interested, but I did say "yes" first. :mrgreen: Hard to imagine before lunch on a week-day. I got lucky. They set it out while I was there test driving the 5W Fender. I went outside, dilly-dallied a bit too long and went back in to find that someone else was test-driving it. IIRC, I found my salesman right away and told him I would take it. The other dude was disappointed when my salesman went over to grab it for the sale. It's the only time I've seen one in a store.]]> Opinions and Polls rparker https://guitarnoise.forum/opinions-and-polls/best-way-to-ditch-trade-an-amp/#post-370774 https://guitarnoise.forum/opinions-and-polls/best-way-to-ditch-trade-an-amp/#post-370771 Fri, 02 Dec 2011 03:24:13 +0000 I did play that 5W Fender and would have bought it except that the Jet City got set out on the floor while I was there. I snagged it quickly and almost not quick enough. :twisted: :twisted: !]]> Opinions and Polls imalone https://guitarnoise.forum/opinions-and-polls/best-way-to-ditch-trade-an-amp/#post-370771 https://guitarnoise.forum/opinions-and-polls/best-way-to-ditch-trade-an-amp/#post-370769 Fri, 02 Dec 2011 02:39:04 +0000
The Fender is one of those Hybrid amps. Tubes in the Pre Amp and Power Amp section and digital "Voicings" in between. It came with a 10-inch speaker which I despised. I had to fit it up with an EQ - something I despise almost as much - just to make it sound good. I did go out and get an aftermarket speaker and it sounds much better. I did use it as the amp for my old Boss GT-10 for a while, and it did a fine job. The amp itself has those 16 settings that they call 'Voicings", which is pretty much 16 amp models ranging from an acoustic flavor to some Heavy Metal. I did buy mine when it first came out, so perhaps they've worked on the speaker. Others have liked theirs.

I did play that 5W Fender and would have bought it except that the Jet City got set out on the floor while I was there. I snagged it quickly and almost not quick enough. :twisted: :twisted:]]> Opinions and Polls rparker https://guitarnoise.forum/opinions-and-polls/best-way-to-ditch-trade-an-amp/#post-370769 https://guitarnoise.forum/opinions-and-polls/best-way-to-ditch-trade-an-amp/#post-370764 Thu, 01 Dec 2011 17:52:28 +0000 Opinions and Polls TRGuitar https://guitarnoise.forum/opinions-and-polls/best-way-to-ditch-trade-an-amp/#post-370764 https://guitarnoise.forum/opinions-and-polls/best-way-to-ditch-trade-an-amp/#post-370761 Thu, 01 Dec 2011 14:20:50 +0000 just a two channel amp, i.e. it amplifies nicely and responds to guitar volume). I've got a pocket pod, but it would be nice to have something a bit less fiddly and more friendly to use - this is where the 'darned knobs' thing comes in. In this class (Roland Cube, Vox Valvetronix, Spider, Vyper, Fender Mustang) the Vox seems to take the most flack for being too featured. What I'm worried about is exactly what you describe, spending too much time playing with sounds when it would actually be much better if I was playing. On the other hand I do want a bit more scope than just clean -> crunch -> screech. So has anyone used any of the others? I'm kind of leaning towards a Mustang at the minute, planning on finding one to try closer to the time. There's also the Yamaha THR, but it is kind of dear given it could only ever really be used for home playing. You know.. I wouldnt say the VOX has MORE things to fuss with then the others... My dislike of fiddling is for modeling amps in general. Frankly the VOX is a great sounding amp. There is a lot of "off" sounding settings in it.... but any modeling amp will be that way. Ive adjusted it to run.... I guess I will use the term natral.. no extra effects turned on, and using the three volumes to get that tube amp slightly overdriven cleanish sound... With those settings I can bounce between the AC15, AC30, and marshal amp models and get three slightly diferent sounds that I like.

So dont discount the VOX off hand.. Agean just becouse I want something simple, and not realy the kinda guy thats going to spend the time setting up a amp... It realy is a great sounding amp...and gets better with age... But I just like simple.]]> Opinions and Polls s1120 https://guitarnoise.forum/opinions-and-polls/best-way-to-ditch-trade-an-amp/#post-370761 https://guitarnoise.forum/opinions-and-polls/best-way-to-ditch-trade-an-amp/#post-370751 Thu, 01 Dec 2011 03:07:25 +0000 just a two channel amp, i.e. it amplifies nicely and responds to guitar volume). I've got a pocket pod, but it would be nice to have something a bit less fiddly and more friendly to use - this is where the 'darned knobs' thing comes in. In this class (Roland Cube, Vox Valvetronix, Spider, Vyper, Fender Mustang) the Vox seems to take the most flack for being too featured. What I'm worried about is exactly what you describe, spending too much time playing with sounds when it would actually be much better if I was playing. On the other hand I do want a bit more scope than just clean -> crunch -> screech. So has anyone used any of the others? I'm kind of leaning towards a Mustang at the minute, planning on finding one to try closer to the time. There's also the Yamaha THR, but it is kind of dear given it could only ever really be used for home playing.]]> Opinions and Polls imalone https://guitarnoise.forum/opinions-and-polls/best-way-to-ditch-trade-an-amp/#post-370751 https://guitarnoise.forum/opinions-and-polls/best-way-to-ditch-trade-an-amp/#post-370731 Wed, 30 Nov 2011 15:13:05 +0000 Opinions and Polls TRGuitar https://guitarnoise.forum/opinions-and-polls/best-way-to-ditch-trade-an-amp/#post-370731