opinions please:

novarock

http://www.musicstore.de/en/Guitars/3_15_GECOMBO_29_GIT0005308-000/0/0/0/detail/musicstore.html

Is this too good to be true? must buy at least 100 watts, any other budget suggestions??

Eoin Madsen

The description doesn't make it sound that good tbh.

Why a hundred watts exactly? You realise wattage is not equal to volume, right?

Voodu Child

Im not sure what you mean by 'too good to be true'. Its wouldnt describe it as great, or even good. If I absolutely had to buy a gigging amp for 300euro, id look at second hand. Also, im sure there some modelling amps at the lower end, behringer etc. While they wouldnt stand up to a pro, or even semi-pro amp, youd get some fairly passable sounds out of them.

Also, i wouldnt limit yourself to 100 watts. Theres not a huge difference between a 100watt amp and a 50 watt. Certainly, if youre playing a gig of the size that you absolutely must have 100 watts, id think about upping your budget.

I may have a browse through thomann and see whats there at your price range

Eoin Madsen

You'll never need a 100 watt amp, even if you were to assume a consistant relationship between wattage and volume. If there's a suitable PA you can fill the venue with a 5 watt amp. If there's isn't enough PA for everyone, then 50 watts is still plenty to compete with an unamplified drumkit.

Voodu Child

Well, thats not strictly true when you start talking about clean headroom on a valve amp.

HusseinSarhan

voodoo_child wrote:

Well, thats not strictly true when you start talking about clean headroom on a valve amp.

It all really depends on the amp design. 50watts has no real bearing over a particular volume really as Eoin said.

Use a lower wattage amp miced throught the PA. You'll be able to afford a bette4r one and there will be a better sound, probably. If you have good monitors there should be no on-stage problems either.

Voodu Child

I dont agree (if there was no need for 100watt amps, they wouldnt be made, or bought by people), but, in any case, I did say in my first post that 50watts should be enough for this guy.

Does anyone have any opinions on the Fender amp, or suggestions on alternatives? Im sure they would be much appreciated.

HusseinSarhan

voodoo_child wrote:

I dont agree (if there was no need for 100watt amps, they wouldnt be made, or bought by people), but, in any case, I did say in my first post that 50watts should be enough for this guy.

Does anyone have any opinions on the Fender amp, or suggestions on alternatives? Im sure they would be much appreciated.

Ha, I never said there wasn't a need for 100 watt amps! Wheredid you get that. There is a sound produced that cannot be really achieved by anything else. Although, most of the time it's only out of nostalgia (more exaclty, marketing) that these stacks are bought. They were actually needed back in the old days when PA technology was a good deal worse and there simply was a need for volume from the source itself. Think of the beatles, Hendrix et al. I think it sort of became part of rock/pop and was continued to be used for the spectacle and not *necessarily* for the sound.

I think in 90% of cases the high wattage is only percieved to be needed and not actually needed. A lot of the time people presume they'll need high wattages to get the sound they want, which is, as I said, due to myth.

Savman

High volume amps are like performance cars - you'll never drive them to the max but its nice to know that you can.

Of course there is a difference between a 50w amp and a 100w amp! You'll no doubt start distorting the 50w once you start pushin it and unless you like that thin crunch then it can be quite a pain to work with.

For the last 3 years I've been using a 200w Line 6 Head, since it broke down I've borrowed a 1X12" Marshall combo to get me thru and the difference really is painful.

I never did like Fiat Puntos

Doc_Savage

Feylya had/has one of them!

ask him!:D

Eoin Madsen

voodoo_child wrote:

Well, thats not strictly true when you start talking about clean headroom on a valve amp.

Clean headroom is directly related to gain and volume. It's the same thing described in a different context.

HusseinSarhan has hit it right on the head, tbh.

Eoin Madsen

The first thing I'd think to recommend here would be a Line6 Spider. I've owned one in the past (the 50 watt one), and I'm happy that it's probably the best sounding amp in it's price range that I've played or heard first-hand. I'd tend to avoid the Behringer modelling amps, but largely out of a bias against Behringer. I've never been entirely satisfied with any of their products in the past.

sei046

Your 100watts is just gonna give you a tighter sound but by the sounds of it if your looking at a fender thats obviously not what your after. I am sure that Fender is fine but you have to look at its other aspects which many amps share. I wouldnt worry about the wattage. My 200 watt H&K zenamp is as loud as my 100 watt H&K Vortex. Any my 45w watt fender packs serious punch

Savman

Eoin Madsen wrote:

I'd tend to avoid the Behringer modelling amps, but largely out of a bias against Behringer.

GUILTY AS CHARGED

Savman

novarock wrote:

any other budget suggestions??

that fender's prolly your best option, it would do for a while man

novarock

well..... that escalated fast... Im basically looking for an amp that I will be gigging very frequently that i wont have to spend a months wages on, I thought that fender might fit the bill because its only €270, and if anyone has one do they know what it sounds like?? Or can anyone sell me a similar powered marshall for around €300?

Savman

There's loads that'd do the job grand

H&K http://www.thomann.de/iw_smb_suche.html?sn=5fb2282893ce551792a71d48ffd8c034&FOLLOW=1&SUCHBEGRIFF=kettner&HERSTELLER=&PREIS1=&PREIS2=&ABTEILUNG=&iwid=6&PAGE=1&ABTEILUNG=GIGC

LordJimbo

Good job...GO TEAM!

sei046

H&K are the beeswax

Eoin Madsen

novarock wrote:

Or can anyone sell me a similar powered marshall for around €300?

I'd take any amp on Earth over a Marshall on that budget.

sei046

no im a guitarist

Eoin Madsen

Sorry, I wasn't going to bother getting into that, I didn't notice you'd answered.

"Tight" is a completely non-technical term with somewhat vague meanings. Not all people would even consider it a good thing. More to the point, there's no reason why wattage would have anything to do with it for reasons already outlined.

sei046

just like when tubes give a warmth?

Eoin Madsen

Eoin Madsen

Eoin Madsen wrote:

there's no reason why wattage would have anything to do with it for reasons already outlined.

sei046 wrote:

just like when tubes give a warmth?

Are you even trying any more? :rolleyes:

sei046

i am saying that it doesnt need to be a technical term to describe a sound. The Focus withing the frequencies is a lot more...wel focused within most 100watt amps than that of their 50watt counterparts. Or even listen to a jumped marshall, When they boost the wattage the sound is completely different. You get more pronounced frequenciessuch as a tighter bass response. Listen to a Dual Rec. With its powersoak on. Listen to the bass frequencies and the clarity in the highs.

Voodu Child

Were getting off the original post lads. I think its fair to say that were all in agreement that there is a very big difference between a 50 and hundred watt valve amp, in terms of volume, headroom, etc. Just be because the relationship between volume and wattage isnt linear doesnt mean that there isnt a relationship there. And while it may be true to say the relationship is asymptotic, that really only starts to happen above 100watts. Of course, if we really want to get nitpicky, we can start talking about the definition of volume, loudness, 'tightness', power etc. But lets not take up any more of the OPs thread, and leave it for suggestions of an amp for him.

sei046

thats true but i think if people are gonna go and get into the nitty gritty of an amp for 300 euro instead of giving some experience in cheap amps then ya gotta give your 2 cents.

Savman

voodoo_child wrote:

Were getting off the original post lads. I think its fair to say that were all in agreement that there is a very big difference between a 50 and hundred watt valve amp, in terms of volume, headroom, etc. Just be because the relationship between volume and wattage isnt linear doesnt mean that there isnt a relationship there. And while it may be true to say the relationship is asymptotic, that really only starts to happen above 100watts. Of course, if we really want to get nitpicky, we can start talking about the definition of volume, loudness, 'tightness', power etc. But lets not take up any more of the OPs thread, and leave it for suggestions of an amp for him.

Stop reading my mind :mad:

Amen.

Voodu Child

aye, Sei, but theres some resident smartypant's on boards that are never gonna let you have the last word, itl just turn into page after page of quotes. Best leave it be

Savman

No, you leave it be.:D

novarock

well.......That was interesting.

Eoin Madsen

It's one thing to offer an opinion on a subjective aspect of an amp. I like x amp better than y amp because the sound is more z. It's altogether different to be inventing reasons for what you hear that have no basis in reality.

It's interesting that you seem concerned with getting the last word. That's not why I post here. I enjoy helping people, and I enjoy intelligent conversation. I'm not a big fan of perpetuating ignorance, so I like to make sure, to the best of my ability, that the OP and anyone following the thread casually doesn't walk away mistaking facts for what you guys pulled out of your asses so you could sound smart. This is not a competition, so stop compromising what you post by thinking that way.

Paladin

Responding just to the amplifier question:

I bought one of these for our singer. He sometimes plays guitar for a few songs.

Its great value for money. It sounds good. It doesnt need to go through the PA cause it has plenty of power (though I put my 150W through a PA for balance, but Im more picky about my sound than our singer).
The clean channel is very nice. Surprisingly nice for such a small price.
Distortion is decent but not great. However with the good clean channel you can always get a good sound with pedals.

Its a hell of a lot better sounding than the Behringers of a similar price. I think the speakers sound a lot better than the behringer speakers.

You wont regret buying it for that price.

sei046

ah now come on. Anyone who has some experience playin guitar knows well that you cannot define an amplifiers sound, a guitars sound or more specifically its character by technicalities. Thats why i have to laugh when someone says they dont like this or that because its behringer, fender, marshall or whatever. I will try anything and if it sounds good i will use it regardless of its wattage or manafacturer. Many famous guitarists use equipment that is not technically the best and is full of shortcomings or setbacks in its production. Its people who base their entire arguements on technicalities and no opinion or insight that are not worth listening to. You need to know your stuff but overrule it with your ears. Dont be teaching these people to forget about their eyes and read the box. The clever people here put their technical knowledge in the background and know what they are talking about. This has nothing to do with a last word, I just wanna see this guy go get himself an amp he is happy with

Doctor J

Gentlemen, let's not get caught up with all the peripheral stuff, it's not helping the OP. Suggest amps and justify by all means and let's leave it at that for this thread please.

sei046

Exactly.

Seany

Paladin wrote:

Responding just to the amplifier question:

I bought one of these for our singer. He sometimes plays guitar for a few songs.

Its great value for money. It sounds good. It doesnt need to go through the PA cause it has plenty of power (though I put my 150W through a PA for balance, but Im more picky about my sound than our singer).
The clean channel is very nice. Surprisingly nice for such a small price.
Distortion is decent but not great. However with the good clean channel you can always get a good sound with pedals.

Its a hell of a lot better sounding than the Behringers of a similar price. I think the speakers sound a lot better than the behringer speakers.

You wont regret buying it for that price.

No offence guys.. but this was possibly the most relevent reply to OP

Slightly Off topic, but it might be an idea to have some of the tech guys that post here that would be, lets say more familiar with a greater range of amps.. to draw up their top 3 list of guitar amps.

Descriptions of sounds and amp most suited to a particular genre e.g Metal, Rock, Pop, Blues, etc could possibly be included?

Maybe we could even work together and come up with a definitive list within agreed budgets and put in resources section as "considered opinions".

For example -

Budget Under €300

Amp

1.
2.
3.

Budget €300 - €500

1.
2.
3.

ETC

Personally, I have found shared experiences on these boards a great help when choosing equipment and each persons view should be taken on board and not necessarily taken as fact.

There are many different types of guitars, amps which cover a range of sounds..some more versatile than others.

Horses for Courses People!

Any thoughts??

sei046

thats all really complicated though. What your saying is great but in my experience some of the heavist amps have a great clean tone etc. and you cant really put amps or guitars into sections which is what i was saying earlier. You cannot define good and bad by technical specifications and really its just up to the person to go out and see what works for them, I hate some of the amps the guys on here swear by lol...not the cube though....Thats the only amp worth putting on every list

Savman

sei046 wrote:

Thats the only amp worth putting on every list

and you were doing so well....

novarock

I have to agree about the cube, If i could get that tone but a lot louder, i would be very happy. About the original post, all I want to know is f anyone has any prior knowledge of that amp or similar, as I wont be trying before I buy. right now im using a terrible epiphone special, and I will be playing either a mex strat, or an RG with seymore Duncan pick-ups added in.

sei046

Savman wrote:

and you were doing so well....

you have to admit it cant be beaten at that price. There are a few amps i would recomend but sure its all up to novarock. I love The hughes and kettner zenamp but its up to him

Seany

Sei046 > I agree with what you are saying however I'd see it more as a starting point than a definitive list tbh.

It is up to the person who is buying the amp to try a few different models and find what works for them.

I think it would be a useful resource...