Amps amps amps!!

[adam-antium]

Hey there people,

Just looking for opinions here, im sure some people are gonna think im crazy but here goes!!

basically im looking to get rid of my Engl powerball stack reason being i don't feel im getting my moneys worth out of it, it sounds like a monster on stage, but i cant crank it up at home as i would be evicted, therefor i feel i am not getting the full potential out of the amp, and would be as well off plugging in to a small practice amp which i do (a peavey studio pro my first ever amp) .
so im thinking of down sizing!!!! to some sort of combo im sick of having a big amp that i dont use when not playing live, has anybody any suggestions? or experiences of getting great sound on stage at home and even in studio from a good combo amp? im not looking to spend a fortune on some messa boogie or what not just looking for something that can deliver some of this.

been looking at some videos of guys getting amazing sounds from relatively cheap amps, the roland cube 80x being one of them..just wondering would an amp of this size miked up have enough ummmphh to say fill a room of 300 people???

sorry this is going on forever....

p.s i play a bfr petrucci!!!!!

Adam.

 

[colinboy]

just sent ya a pm there mate!

 

[Sweat]

Adam,

man amps are such a subjective thing, what one likes another dislikes, only way on amps is to try them out yourself.

One thought on down sizing is the multi watt amps such as mesa 5:25, and other Mesas as well, Egnater rebel 20 is a multi watt as well, some i think could stand out live, hopefully the guys that gig will chime in.

 

[ScoobySteve]

You could consider options which would allow you to play at better levels at bedroom sounds.

A power attenuator or an isolation cabinet, are just a couple examples.

 

[Dante]

my orange thunderverb 50 has a built in power soak. makes it more bang for bucks AND rocks both bedroom and stage. plenty of good tones too.

 

[Voo]

I agree 100% with Scooby, both of my combos sound best when cranked but like you I have no desire to get evicted. I use power soaks on both and it really allows me to crank them but still maintain low volume (great for recording too btw)

 

[bkrumme]

+1 for the isolation cab or attenuator. The THD Hot Plate is pretty good. You could also try to find an old Marshall Powerbrake.

 

[Larry]

Have you thought about using an attenuator? I had one when I had a stack and it really quieted it down without loosing alot of the feel and tone.

 

[Dead-Eye]

If you're happy with the Engl, why not look at one of their combos? Maybe something like a Screamer 50.

 

[parker1963]

Line 6 latest spider comes in a 2 12 and kicks some serious ass as well as having every amp model in one box Fender through Soldano great amp for recording or live....just my 2 cents.

I personaly can attest to the Egnator Rebel 20 Great amp from 7 to 20 watts and can hold its own at gigs.

Park

 

[JasonT]

In the end, you're not going to crank a stack or a combo at home, so what does it matter which one you have if you're not lugging them around? As others have said, I would suggest an attenuator if that's what you really want. However, I will say that I have a Powerball and I am pretty happy with the tones you can get at lower volume.

It really sounds to me as though you're looking for something different from your Engl. So, perhaps a description of what kind of tones you're looking for would yield better recommendations?

 

[Jonny Dubai]

Either get a THD hotplate or a small vox valvetronix for the house. May get one cheep on the bay! Or get both!

J

 

[adam-antium]

First off thanks everyone for their reply's.Never heard of those attenuator things ill check em out!! I never really said i was unhappy with my powerball, its actually one of the best amps Ive ever heard to be honest.
My problem is that i only really use it live, which lately isn't that often
My actual problem is that i tend to just plug in to my crappy combo and just wondered is there something out there small compact and that can be used live..??

i watch a lot of players on youtube using small inexpensive combo's and they get amazing sound out of them, I suppose in a nutshell what im saying is that for someone who isn't gonna be doing a world tour anytime soon and playing to thousands of people , do you really need a stack to play live..??

 

[Voo]

i have never used a full stack gigging...ever. I have always used two 2x12 cabs run in stereo and have never had a problem being heard over guys with 4x12 stacks. Hell even my combos are usually 2x12 and I never have an issue

 

[bkrumme]

First off thanks everyone for their reply's.Never heard of those attenuator things ill check em out!! I never really said i was unhappy with my powerball, its actually one of the best amps Ive ever heard to be honest.
My problem is that i only really use it live, which lately isn't that often
My actual problem is that i tend to just plug in to my crappy combo and just wondered is there something out there small compact and that can be used live..??

i watch a lot of players on youtube using small inexpensive combo's and they get amazing sound out of them, I suppose in a nutshell what im saying is that for someone who isn't gonna be doing a world tour anytime soon and playing to thousands of people , do you really need a stack to play live..??

The quick answer is "NO" you don't need a stack to play live, not even if you're playing stadiums. It's all mic'ed and re-amplified with the PA anyway. Most times when you see a wall of 25 guitar cabs, they don't even have speakers in them. Or if they do have speakers, they're not all being used.

Take John Petrucci for instance. He has 8 cabinets with 4 Mark V's on top, but none of those are where his tone is coming from. He has a rack behind that with a few Mark V's and is pushing only a couple cabs. Everything you see from the audience is for show...

That being said, I will be the first to tell you that you can't compare a combo amp to the HUGE sound you get from a 4x12 cabinet. They're just different beasts altogether. If you're looking to go smaller, I suggest trying out everything you can. Or you could go with something digital. The Axe-FX is a wonderful product which you can use silently in your bedroom or live direct to the mixing board. Or you can use it with a combo amp or stack. Really versatile.

 

[candid_x]

I'm happy as a clam with my little 6V6 15 watt Fender SCXD in a 1x12 JD Newel cab. It hangs with a drummer great and practices great. This is the first and only amp with digital voicings and fx that I like. The stock amp can be had for around $350 and the Newell and a good speaker another couple hundred. Figure on upgraded tubes too for a little more. It has a line out so it's easy to slave to a bigger amp or PA. Tung-Sol 6V6 and 12AX 7 in mine. You might find a used one around in a Newell. Great little grab 'n go amp. The original comes in a heavy little 1x10 combo. Some replace the stock speaker with an Emi Ragin Cajun, or other, with good results. But a good 12" takes it to a whole other level.

 

[adam-antium]

Thanks everyone for their replys. I have a bit to chew on now, just have to figure out what to do now!!

 

[HCB]

I'm happy as a clam with my little 6V6 15 watt Fender SCXD in a 1x12 JD Newel cab. It hangs with a drummer great and practices great. This is the first and only amp with digital voicings and fx that I like. The stock amp can be had for around $350 and the Newell and a good speaker another couple hundred. Figure on upgraded tubes too for a little more. It has a line out so it's easy to slave to a bigger amp or PA. Tung-Sol 6V6 and 12AX 7 in mine. You might find a used one around in a Newell. Great little grab 'n go amp. The original comes in a heavy little 1x10 combo. Some replace the stock speaker with an Emi Ragin Cajun, or other, with good results. But a good 12" takes it to a whole other level.

^^^^^^ Absolutely a great approach to a common problem.

 

[bdtunn]

I have a 100 watt Marshall JVM with a marshall power break and it can go to practice level volumes with little tone loss. I would get one of these or the hot plate for sure. I don't need my Mesa 4x12 cab, but damn if it dosn't give me the rock star feeling everytime I plug it in...hahahaha.

 

[Smellybum]

I'll take your questions at the end...