HELP choosing an AMP!

[daozen]

Well, I'm finally getting a band together after about 14 years of playing and making music but I know little about live sound.

I've got a cheap Johnson guitar/amp combo I got more than 12 years ago, and I've never really played anything else. I do use a korg effects pedal to get a decent sound, but I can’t play the guitar clean as it sounds like the cheap chinese thing that it probably is, but I actually love how the 30 watt amp sounds!!! I set the knobs on full vol, full overdrive, and on top of that, it gets the full tube overdrive effect and a decent amount of delay and reverb from the pedal. It always sounds like it’s screaming for it’s life at very low vols, but I’m not sure about how much of the sound comes from the pedal and how much from the amp.

I'm getting a deluxe mexican Fender strat soon (vintage noiseless pickups), and I'm thinking about getting the Frontman 212r amp to go with it but I'm not sure about it!!! I feel I won't get the singing overdrive I get from my cheap 30 watt amp. At the same time, I’m not sure if I will be able to mic the amp at every gig, as I own neither an extra mic nor a proper PA so I would have to rely on the local setup everytime, can that be a problem? Or is it rare they won’t be able to mic the amp?

On the other hand, I feel the f212r is perfect in terms of price and usability. I wouldn’t have to rely on miking the amp for starters, and it seems I won’t need a bigger amp unless we start playing stadiums. I play using mostly overdive and delay/reverb but I would love to use clean stuff aswell as my complex chords lose color and get muffled with the overdrive. So, will I still be able to get the crazy overdriven sound I get from the pedal alone if I get the 212, or if not will it still sound better on both the clean and overdriven setup with the help of the pedal?

Thanks Anyone!

[DrGonz78]

Does not seem that your really needing any help here... Seems that you have already got your answer. FM212r will have great clean channel that if you couple it with your effects then that will basically produce similar/louder results as your original solid state amp. It seems you control much of your gain stage on your effects unit and that is fine as long as it is not clipping. As you incorporate to a larger amp you will notice the volume will increase and may still favor your first amp for bedroom jams. Go out to the store and play this amp to make sure that you really want it... Bring your guitar and effects to make double sure... Personally, I am not a huge fan of the distortion channel on this particular amp, but that is purely only my taste. What is your taste? It would be nice to couple a fender guitar to a fender amp... Go play it before you buy it... Make triple or quadruple sure before you decide, just take your time.

When you go out to play they might need to mic the amp if they mic up the drum kit. Rule of thumb: a fully miked drum kit must be a room that is big enough to contain all that noise and if that be the case they will mic the guitar/bass etc... Other times they will mic the kick or some small overhead over the drummer and all the band relies on their amps. That amp will work in either scenario and you really don't need to worry. Actually, that amp sounds like a good choice for what needs you are describing. So go out and make sure. Try all sorts of other options that are in that ballpark but it sounds like you know what you want already.

[soundguruman]

Well, I'm finally getting a band together after about 14 years of playing and making music but I know little about live sound.

I've got a cheap Johnson guitar/amp combo I got more than 12 years ago, and I've never really played anything else. I do use a korg effects pedal to get a decent sound, but I can’t play the guitar clean as it sounds like the cheap chinese thing that it probably is, but I actually love how the 30 watt amp sounds!!! I set the knobs on full vol, full overdrive, and on top of that, it gets the full tube overdrive effect and a decent amount of delay and reverb from the pedal. It always sounds like it’s screaming for it’s life at very low vols, but I’m not sure about how much of the sound comes from the pedal and how much from the amp.

I'm getting a deluxe mexican Fender strat soon (vintage noiseless pickups), and I'm thinking about getting the Frontman 212r amp to go with it but I'm not sure about it!!! I feel I won't get the singing overdrive I get from my cheap 30 watt amp. At the same time, I’m not sure if I will be able to mic the amp at every gig, as I own neither an extra mic nor a proper PA so I would have to rely on the local setup everytime, can that be a problem? Or is it rare they won’t be able to mic the amp?

On the other hand, I feel the f212r is perfect in terms of price and usability. I wouldn’t have to rely on miking the amp for starters, and it seems I won’t need a bigger amp unless we start playing stadiums. I play using mostly overdive and delay/reverb but I would love to use clean stuff aswell as my complex chords lose color and get muffled with the overdrive. So, will I still be able to get the crazy overdriven sound I get from the pedal alone if I get the 212, or if not will it still sound better on both the clean and overdriven setup with the help of the pedal?

Thanks Anyone!

Fender Amps have definitely proved to be the most reliable overall, compared to other manufacturers, and so that would be the best choice.
What you "do not" want is any amp made in China.

[Resonator Guy]

Fender Amps have definitely proved to be the most reliable overall, compared to other manufacturers, and so that would be the best choice.
What you "do not" want is any amp made in China.

And a number of Fender amps are indeed made in China.

[Jag]

I believe the Frontman is manufactured in China.

[olddawg]

I believe the Frontman is manufactured in China.

Most "affordable" amps are made in China. Just for the hell of it, if you are in a big store like GC. Check out the Jet City amps. IMHO the best bang for the buck out there and all tube. Also made in China.

[DrGonz78]

Just picked up an Epiphone Valve Jr. to mod up and it's made in China. I know it is not a solid state amp(off subject), but it is nice for being a product of china. Will be replacing some components, but the overall sound of the amp already sounds great!! As I recall the one Fender Frontman 212r that I fixed up was made(or assembled) in Mexico... Not sure about the FM212 models that have all that DSP stuff on it...? Wouldn't you think most of the parts that are sent to Mexico (Fender) are probably from China anyway? So that would make it a Mexina made amp!

[soundguruman]

Just picked up an Epiphone Valve Jr. to mod up and it's made in China. I know it is not a solid state amp(off subject), but it is nice for being a product of china. Will be replacing some components, but the overall sound of the amp already sounds great!! As I recall the one Fender Frontman 212r that I fixed up was made(or assembled) in Mexico... Not sure about the FM212 models that have all that DSP stuff on it...? Wouldn't you think most of the parts that are sent to Mexico (Fender) are probably from China anyway? So that would make it a Mexina made amp!

So don't buy amps made in China.

[soundguruman]

I believe the Frontman is manufactured in China.

So don't buy a Fender Front Man, it's made in China.

[soundguruman]

Most "affordable" amps are made in China. Just for the hell of it, if you are in a big store like GC. Check out the Jet City amps. IMHO the best bang for the buck out there and all tube. Also made in China.

When you buy these Chinese amps, don't expect them to last very long, don't expect parts support, and don't expect schematics to fix them. Forget Chinese, don't buy them.

[DrGonz78]

For solid state I have been fixing up old Peavey amps from the 80's and have loved all of them after the fixing. Studio pro 112 is almost like the bandit and sounds pretty damn good for "usually" a great price. Also, for practice purpose the Backstage or Backstage plus amps prove to be nice sounding to me as well. Even the old tube amps from this time period of Peavey (Classic 212 w/ 6L6 tubes) sound great. I love that those amps all say "Made in the USA" on the front. Made in Mexico Fender amps are usually made between 1999 and 2003 as far as I have seen... I have had many 1999-2002 Princeton amps that were "Made in Mexico" but have not had any of the newer Fender type China made amps. My thought is to buy used amps and fix them rather ever buy brand new ones, especially when they are getting cheaper parts wise... But what is worse Made in Mexico or Made in China or are they the same really???

[rjb]

But what is worse Made in Mexico or Made in China or are they the same really???

I dunno. But FWIW, I've always heard that the difference between MIM and USA Fenders is that MIMs are built by Mexicans in Mexico and USA are built by Mexicans in California.

-rb

[olddawg]

I dunno. But FWIW, I've always heard that the difference between MIM and USA Fenders is that MIMs are built by Mexicans in Mexico and USA are built by Mexicans in California.

-rb

Lol... I'm in San Diego and we always say we're trapped between two foreign countries, Mexico and Las Angeles. LA being the second largest city in Mexico. On topic. VJs are great little amps. I have a late production stock head I use all of the time. People always ask what it is. They benefit from a tube and OT swap out but mine is adequate as is. Yeah, it may not last 50 years, but for $99 so what? Unless you go mil spec I find modern low end stuff is about the same. I'm not a cork sniffer. My go to guitar is an MIJ Squier Strat too. Been playing it for 25 years with a pickup change. VJs, there isn't a whole lot in there to go wrong and easy to fix if it does. Most amps nowadays have integrated pcb tube sockets.

[Muskratt]

I was told the USA Plant makes all the necks and all then ships them to Mehico to assemble them. Other then that what makes the USA models so much better? Or is it just selective parts used on the USA and the poop bin gets sent over the boarder?