Line6 Spider II, or Peavey TransTube/Transformer amp?

[Roubster]

Howdy guys! So I was wondering what you guys think about these amps and which is better. First of all I OWN the Line6 Spider II 75watt amp. It's pretty good, but for some reason I am starting not to like it that much anymore. It just doesnt sound "real" to me. It has a lot of cool things on it, but still. So I was wondering if you guys think it would be better to upgrade to one of those Peavey combo amps, and weather they sound MORE REAL? I was thinking of the Satriani combo amp which is all tube. That definatly looks real and has amps of course, so no doubt that's a good one. I dunno wether I should keep on practicing on this thing and wait for a while and just save up or what? I am not gigging right now nor playing with anybody . I havent jammed for the longest time, which makes me sometimes bored of just playing by myself and sort of uninspired, but nontheless I play every day as much as I can since I am studying music in college right now. Well anyway, what would you guys say about the amp thingusness?


P.S. I should have the Vintage Sunburst pictures up pretty soon......I HOPE......Sine I have to purchase a camera hopefully in the next few weeks. The freakin vintage sunburst is the nicest color I have seen by far, and with the black perloid PG, it looks so freakin beautiful. Anyway, I'm gonna go play the HELL out of it right now. Check you guys later!

 

[SteveB]

My vote would go to the JSX combo (the Satriani model).

 

[Luiz Gustavo]

In your case, I wouldn't change to peavey trans tube, you will be disapointed.

 

[bluebullet]

if your just playing at your house the jsx is going to be overkill you wont be able to turn it up far enough to get the power tubes breaking up without the whole neighborhood hating you i would go with a smaller tube combo in the 15 watt range the fender pro jr. is pretty cool and the v series crates sound really good and are affordable. when you are ready to get the band together then go for the bigger amp. just my opinion.

 

[Jimi D]

I agree with Bluebullet - the JSX is too much for most gigging musicians, and it's definitely uber-kill for home practice... Smaller tube amps in the 15 - 30 Watt range will prove a better match for most guitarists unless you're playing arenas and outdoor venues on a regular basis...

 

[koogie2k]

Correct me if I am wrong...being I have a Line 6 Vetta II....could a Hot Plate help with the volume levels while giving him the drive needed on the JSX? I never used one, but I think that is what it is for.

 

[Tim O'Sullivan]

I tend to agree, the JSX will be overkill for home use. How about one of those 30 watt orange combo's that people have been raving about here?

 

[jaxadam]

I have three combo amps in addition to my rack. I like the Spider II the best. The other two are a Koch Twintone and a Fender Power Chorus. NOT because of sound, but just because of playability, practicing, fun, etc...

I agree that it does lack that "real" sound, and the one thing that I dislike about it the most is that it doesn't have an effects loop. But this is actually the combo amp I use the most. I like it for practicing for some reason, but I would never use it for anything else (i.e. live gig, etc...)

I would just stick with the Spider II, and tweak the treble settings to get some different tones and play with some of the delays. Granted, the delay, chorus/flange, and other effects are not that very good either (I typically only use some reverb and delay).

I don't think it's worth getting anything else anytime soon, I would just save up and wait a while and then get some pieces that you can really work with for a very long time. I have had my rack stuff for approx. 10 years, and none of the components have really changed. It is my main sound. Wait until you find some pieces that you want to put together and use for a very long time!

 

[jaxadam]

Actually, I was just looking at the Line 6 website, and noticed that the 75 watt is the 1 12 version. I have the 2 12 version, and there is a HUGE difference in the 1 12 versus the 2 12 combo. the 2 12 has a much better sound than even the 2 10.

 

[SteveB]

JSX combo overkill for home?

These amps have a master volume which is separate from the individual volume controls for the 3 channels. So, you can get good sound at low volume, IMHO.

I play a Triple XXX 120 watt head thru a 4x12 cabinet in the house. No neighbors have killed me yet!

 

[beej]

I play a Triple XXX 120 watt head thru a 4x12 cabinet in the house. No neighbors have killed me yet!

Hey Steve! I think that's 'cause you can't hear them knocking at your door!

("Honey ... did you hear something? Or is that just the ringing in my ears ... ?")

 

[shreder75]

some amps hold their gain well at low volumes and only get better at higher volumes...my AT-100 sounds pretty good at low volumes...I can play at night while the wife slumbers and she can't hear me...

I played a peavy XXX in a sam ash once and had it low and it sounded decent....so I'd imagine the JSX would sound good at low volumes as well..

keep in mind, COMBOS ARE HEAVY!!!!!!!!!

you might consider getting a head and a 2x12 cab....yeah, combined it's heavier, but each peice weighs a little less =)

you could probably get a used 5150 combo for cheap as well....I had a 5150 head through a 4x12 cab and I hated it..but when I play through a 5150 combo, it sounds so much better it's not even funny..but those are REALLY heavy...LOL

 

[SteveB]

Hey Steve! I think that's 'cause you can't hear them knocking at your door!

("Honey ... did you hear something? Or is that just the ringing in my ears ... ?")

Beej,


Hmm.. that could very well be the case...

 

[hbucker]

I've never been impressed with the Spider amps. I'm not impressed with the PV Transformer amps either. BUT I am impressed with the basic tone of the PV Bandit amps. For a bedroom/garage jamming amp it's a killer and a great price. That's if you're all about budget. I'd take a Bandit over a Transformer any day of the week.

If you're only going to use it for bedroom/practice playing, I agree, the JSX is overkill and you're spending $$$ you don't have to. Just because you can get groceries in a 911 turbo doesn't mean it's the best car for the job.

As long as you're looking at PV anyway, consider a Classic 30, Classic 50 or a Delta Blues. If money isn't such a big deal, I've played a Mesa Nomad and was impressed with it. Carvin makes several combos that might be up your alley and they usually include power switches so you can raise or lower the power as the setting requires.

If you want a more rockin' amp with more gain there are quite a few 112 combos with more gain. Many, many of them sound like poo but many don't. Just be patient and you'll find the sound that speaks to you.

I agree though. You can do better than the Spider.

 

[Jonny Dubai]

Are these the ony makes you are intrested in? Vox do some good stuff in my op, and so do Laney. I had a PV 5150 combo and it was amazing, but i needed to work out 4x a week just to be able to get it off the ground.

I understand what u say about the "real sound", but my vox 60w 1x12 is great for the bedroom.

Go to the store and try a bunch in your price bracket and then go home and play with your spider! You will be able to tell then.

 

[Roubster]

Thanx for all the replies guys. So now the never ending quest for the sound beggins......AGAIN! hahahaha. Freakin never stops. I thought I'd be done for a long time after getting the Silo. I even bought a Boss recording device which I havent used yet. Well, that is the beauty of being a guitarist, there is ALWAYS something to spend money on. I'll definatly start lookin into all kinds of amps. I am goiung to keep the Spider for a while, since I am not doing anything too much right now . It is pretty good for practicing. I am surprised that there is actually a difference between the 1x12 and the 2x12. I guess I'll see when I go to Bulgaria next summer to see my best friend. I actually shipped him the big a*s thing maybe half a year ago. Anyway, thanx people.

 

[blackspy]

Again, I'll mention Crate. The Crate GT/GTX/GFX any one of them in a 2x12 with the Flexwave 5 preamp. I don't know what they're doing in those amps, but they're doing something right. If you can, give one a listen. Depending on your guitar, these can sound great, and a perfect for @ home practice or tossing in the backseat of the car.

I'm getting one soon, so I can give my back a rest and leave the 5150 combo @ home. ...and yes, Crate always 'sucked' as far as I knew. Who knew they made anything that was good.

 

[Roubster]

hey man, i got a Silo MM of course, with pics I havent posted yet. I also got an Ibanez neck through, but dont play that much now. I guess I'll check into the Crate's ven though my friend used to have one and I HATED it. But it was one of those 15 watt craps. I'll start checkin things out tomorrwo maybe after the Gym, and report back with any updates of what I liked. Later.
-Rob

 

[lock-ny]

Robuster dont rule out the XXX 60 watt combos, they are all tube with an efx loop 1/12 combos and they sound pretty nast, three channel as well, but if your only deciding between the two solid state amps the spider is a better sounding amp than the peavey transformer, but the XXX combo will blow them both away - another amp you might wann check out is the new valve king amps from peavey, their combo is all tube as well and they are cheap as hell but they dont have the gain that the XXX combo has, its more like a classic 30 than it is like a XXX, i could give you so many options but I need to know your price range, the mesa mark iv stuff are killer combos as well -

 

[Spudmurphy]

I just tried out a 50 watt Vox valvetronics - REALLY nice !
I would recomend this to anybody - £150 on Evil Bay !