Practice Amp Selection

[preolt]

Howdy all,

I want to apologize first if this has been created already, I did use the search function and all the searches I hit came up with fixes and alterations for amps.

Now that I have moved back to the states I am looking at getting back into my first love, music. I was curious what people have been rocking for small practice amps. My price cap really is 150$ish. I understand what you pay is what you get but I would really like to stay in that price range. I play mostly Jazz and own a super old Taylor acoustic that was my fathers and will use this amp mainly with my PRS SE. Music styles I play are mainly jazz with branches hitting some light metal and fusion.

I have been looking a lot at the Orange crush 12" and 20"
Orange Crush 20 1x8" 20-Watt Combo - Orange | Sweetwater.com

The Mustang amps
Amazon.com: Fender Mustang I V2 20-Watt 1x8-Inch Combo Electric Guitar Amplifier: Musical Instruments

I used to own a vox that I really enjoyed but cant seem to find it again. I really just want a clean sound, doesnt have to be loud by any means just clean. I have eq and distortion I can add myself just looking for a good base line. Hopefully this can be compiled to help out other new comers or people returning for newer practice amps. Thanks in advance for any and all aid.

Cheers

[Enzo]

Go to a music store and play through amps.

And consider a used amp. There are many of them, and you get a lot more amp for your dollar.

[elipsey]

Howdy all,

I want to apologize first if this has been created already, I did use the search function and all the searches I hit came up with fixes and alterations for amps.

Now that I have moved back to the states I am looking at getting back into my first love, music. I was curious what people have been rocking for small practice amps. My price cap really is 150$ish. I understand what you pay is what you get but I would really like to stay in that price range. I play mostly Jazz and own a super old Taylor acoustic that was my fathers and will use this amp mainly with my PRS SE. Music styles I play are mainly jazz with branches hitting some light metal and fusion.

I have been looking a lot at the Orange crush 12" and 20"
Orange Crush 20 1x8" 20-Watt Combo - Orange | Sweetwater.com

The Mustang amps
Amazon.com: Fender Mustang I V2 20-Watt 1x8-Inch Combo Electric Guitar Amplifier: Musical Instruments


I used to own a vox that I really enjoyed but cant seem to find it again. I really just want a clean sound, doesnt have to be loud by any means just clean. I have eq and distortion I can add myself just looking for a good base line. Hopefully this can be compiled to help out other new comers or people returning for newer practice amps. Thanks in advance for any and all aid.

Cheers

I suggest that you consider the Fender Champion 600, Gretsch 5222, or Vox AC4TV-mini. These are all similar 4-5 Watt, single ended, all-tube amps. I have tried all of them, and they all had a nice vintage tone to my ear, and took pedals well. They are also inexpensive, and very simple to fix or mod. You should be able to find any these used for less than $200 -- try checking ebay.

The speakers are small, so they won't make a ton of bass, but they will get louder than you expect, and also have a nice subltle breakup at moderatly high practice volumes, segueing into TS9 flavored distrotion as you turn up, but of course much better sounding because they're real. If you like jazz, think of Django -- just a hint of warm breakup. A 5W tube amp will get you there.

You might also check out the VHT special 6. It's similar to the others, but I can't vouch for it because I haven't tried it.

[Justin Thomas]

There was a little 2 or 3-tube Kustom my cousin got new a few years back for $100. That thing sounded any good for what it saw,it and even better through a good speaker. The distortion was also decent (for the price!) without having to use a pedal. Not "natural tube distortion from cranked power tubes," but it had a MV. It sounded good cranked clean, too... it was mostly tube, and I'd put it up against anything with all that digital mumbo jumbo... Sorry, I really don't think all those little modeling digital computer amps sound so good. I can never dial out enough treble to be usable.

Enzo' s advice is still best - otherwise, you'll get 100 posts recommending 100 amps. Also, pit your location in your profile - someone may recommend an . Actual shop where YOU can try the amps, instead of pro sound clips through earbuds with who-knows-what added...

Justin

[preolt]

Thanks for the replies every one. I have been scouring the used forums looking for a deal. I found a Roland Micro Cube for 60$ could probably barter him to 50$ seems to be in good shape but I will test it before i buy it.

I sort of wanted to make this thread for other people to see different peoples opinions on sound signatures for different small form factor amps so that others would be informed on their purchases. I understand the best option would be for me to go to the store and try a bunch of amps but the store closest to me doesnt have many small form factor options, and their entry level is just a muddy sounding peavy amp for kids to learn on.

From my looking and review reading the Orange crush seems to maybe be an option. I will follow up on the cube amp as well. Hopefully the shop nearer to my University has a marshall practice amp I can try out. Just looking for a clear souning amp, not worried about the dirty channel just some thing that will reproduce nice in a small form factor.

[Enzo]

What university is in Holland?

And you are not that far from Grand Rapids, I am sure there are stores there with many amps to audition. There is a Guitar Center store in Kentwood. I am sure there are others.

[gui_tarzan]

I have a Fender Mustang (I or II, I forget) and I wouldn't gig with it. Hell, I don't even like it for practice. I'd rather lug out my Fender se112 for a nice clean tone that actually sounds good.

[olddawg]

I wouldn't ignore solid state options. I'm not a big fan of Line 6 (although some people love them). Definitely check out the Marshall MG 15 CD, the small Peavey Vypyr (as Enzo suggests), and the various Fenders, Voxs, etc. There's a lot to be said for light weight portability and volume flexibility. (I use an MG 15 for band rehearsals with a live drummer. You can always mic it or DI to the board) If you aren't in a big hurry...... There will be a lot of stuff very cheap on CL in about 2 months. It's amazing what you can get for the money nowadays. I bought a Bugera V22 new last January for $250 free shipping/ no tax and gig with it all of the time. Many think it's a botique amp. Doesn't have the greatest cleans and reverb, but I'm not playing much surf or jazz.

[preolt]

I am buying a micro cube amp tonight for 60$, doesnt really fill the "need" for a decent practice amp. But I played on it the other day and it sounded so clear for such a tiny little guy I couldnt hold myself back. I will keep up the search for a practice amp in this price range. There has to be a sweet spot for quality here especially since there are so many options.

[Usable Thought]

I am buying a micro cube amp tonight for 60$, doesnt really fill the "need" for a decent practice amp. But I played on it the other day and it sounded so clear for such a tiny little guy I couldnt hold myself back.

Coming to this late so maybe it is a ghost thread by now. Just in case you are still around, I wanted to ask - how do you like your Micro-Cube? I too play mostly clean jazz, and for tone I like to have just that little "hint of warm breakup" that elipsey mentions in his comment.

I bought a Micro-Cube maybe 2 years ago when I was in your situation - I bought it without having the chance to hear it (not any good/large music stores in my area) and because of seemingly positive reviews. Eventually I came to loath it - it is not really an amp at all and even plugging it into a good speaker does not help. I agree with what Justin Thomas says higher up in this thread about modeling amps being fairly horrible. That has been my experience so far, both with the Micro-Cube and various "virtual" amp apps. I'd rather a well-designed SS amp without modeling than a SS amp with modeling.

I think small tube amps w/ a good clean sound can be just the ticket, though your price range is very tight for that - but maybe if you shop used? I ended with a Laney Cub 10, which I would NOT recommend only because although it has a very nice sound, it is a noisy out of the box due to a cheap PT and overcrowded PCB. I was able to get rid of the noise by relocating the PT but you wouldn't want to have to go through all that. So maybe find a used tube amp that isn't noisy. Or a nice SS amp. UNLESS . . . you love your Micro-Cube!