The Amp Pron Thread.... (guitar or bass)

[Napoleon 8710]

I'm using the quarantine to finally learn to play the guitar. I have acquired a few electrics with varying styles of pickups (p90s, single coil, humbuckers) and am now looking for an amp to buy online. 

Though I'm not going to go this big to start...

I was wondering what amps people have at home and what might be recommended for a beginner. (Thanks, I'll hang up and listen.)

Photos are always welcome.

[hullabelew 3724]

Fucking tapafuck

 

https://www.surlyhorns.com/board/index.php?/topic/198-these-go-to-11-the-guitar-amp-thread

 

[hullabelew 3724]

I gave up on the link but that thread has some glorious goodies. Take the question over there.

[Goredho 17510]

Have been playing live a lot more this summer, nothing big, but one-man band stuff and sitting in with some local bands at pubs, little outdoor venues, one festival.  Anyway, as far as sitting-in-with-bands, I've played mostly electric guitar, but have been asked to play bass, acoustic guitar and keyboards as well, and encountered a few problems.  I had to turn down the acoustic guitar and keyboard opportunities because I wasn't really set up well to do them live.  I've had times I was plugged through a modeler direct to PA and been unable to hear myself because they had no monitors, etc... 

Anyway, this has put me on a quest to find something with a 1x12 combo footprint that could work for all those instruments that has a line out to go to PA but a speaker and enough power to be a self monitor.  I just ordered these two items from Sweetwater.

This has the 1x12 footprint, enough power to be a self-monitor and handle a small pub alone, a line out to go to PA for sound reinforcement when needed, the speaker to handle all those instruments, something akin to 4 channel mixer for busking/1man band gigs/band practice, individual channel EQ, post EQ, and some built in effects.

In addition to that, I bought a Tonex pedal.  This is an AI powered amp profiler for guitar and bass, and reviews are pretty good as far as tones go.  It's real small, which is important to me.  I need to fit into whatever space isn't being taken up by the band, so I want something that will fit into the pocket of a gig bag vs needing its own gig bag.  I've been using Fractal/AxeFX products for awhile now, so if this doesn't work out, I'll return it and get a Fractal FM3 which is slightly bigger and significantly more expensive but can play presets I've made for the AxeFX.

My hope is that I'll have just a single 1x12 combo-sized thing sitting around cluttering up my space, and when I have an opportunity to play, I'll just be able to throw it, a couple cords, and the gig bag with whatever instrument I'll be playing into the truck and go.  If its electric guitar/bass, I'll also make sure the tonex is in the gig bag.

This is all theoretical.  It may turn out to be shit, I dunno.  I'll post more about how the experiment works.

[Goredho 17510]

Did I dig up some old, abandoned, alternative amp thread?

[dcbc 14568]

On 9/22/2023 at 11:31 AM, Goredho said:

Did I dig up some old, abandoned, alternative amp thread?

As the OP in that thread:

 

Edited September 23, 2023 by dcbc

[Gil Bang 26099]

don't sweat it. Surly has two Andy Griffith threads...we can handle two amp threads.

[Rimbo 26420]

I've had this (well, technically it was my brother's until the 1990s) since it was brand new.

Speaker's blown. Amp still good. Well, the preamp is still good.

I can get a decent speaker (Eminence Legend CA154) for... oh, $180 or so. I'm wondering if it's worth the cost, for a piece of equipment that's barely worth $300...

Also worth mentioning I barely use the thing. But it's one rare case where I find modifying my bass sound easier and better through the amp than through VST emulators (I have TH3 and just downloaded the Marshall Silver Jubilee VST.

Fix or ditch?

[tbone_ 14255]

Fix

[Rimbo 26420]

Hi.

I just wanted to tell you that ROLAND CLOUD IS THE BEST PURCHASE I EVER FUCKING MADE IN MY LIFE.

 

Actually, I've made 3 purchases music-wise that have literally ... well, let's just say, I won't be catching up on my favorite streaming services any time soon. In order:

1. Roland Cloud Professional
2. FocusRite Scarlett 4i4 4th Gen which just happened to come with, among other things, Softube Marshall Silver Jubilee 2555
3. A cheap-ass ($220!) Yamaha Pacifica PAC012DLX

Here's the deal.

Many, many years ago, I had a Roland LAPC-I. At some point in my past, I ditched it, because my days of having a full-length (thirteen-inches) IBM ISA bus card were past-due. But I missed being able to do actual analog synthesis, and was frustrated with free alternatives, so I gave Roland Cloud a try to see if its software-based D-50 was worth a damn. And because the Professional subscription gives you two of their "Legendary" instruments, I grabbed a Jupiter-8, because that's what Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran said was his favorite synthesizer. And after I started playing with the Jupiter-8, I realized that I never really wanted the D-50. The J8 was the real thing I wanted.

BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE

This also comes with Zenology, which is literally the entire modern-day Roland synthesizer engine, and even has modes that replicate all their old synthesizers (but digital versions, not the full analog emulation that the Legendary comes with). OK, really fuckin' cool, right?

It also comes with Zenology FX which is literally every effect Roland, Boss, and then some have ever done.

Including the following list of Guitar Amplifier Simulators:

Look, I'm telling you -- there's only one of these I'm ever using. I'll give you a hint: I pre-ordered Alex Van Halen's upcoming memoir.

But look at this list. These things sound phenomenal and just like the real thing. You get to choose where the mic is placed in front of the speaker, how much of the output is direct in and how much is mic'd, etc. (And then there's the Softube Marshall Silver Jubilee 2555, like I mentioned above.)

I don't have the space or money for a real amp. Guys I'm in guitar heaven and I haven't even spent money on a single actual guitar amplifier. I just load up the DAW and I've got every amp I ever wanted. (I haven't tried out the Mesa Boogie for that Metallica sound... yet.) Oh, and then the free version of Cakewalk by Bandlab includes TB3 and all the amp simulators in there.

this concludes my Ted Talk

[Gil Bang 26099]

Best purchase I ever made was this redhead whore that I met at the bar at the Golden Nugget in '91 or so. Oh boy, she was something. $300 was a screaming deal.