Help! My student gets a Ball! (pics) Help him with an amp choice.

[Headstock]

Vox Valvestate amps are great amps that can be had very reasonably. They have a new one out this year the VT15 that looks cool and is very reasonable @ $199. Very cool variable wattage feature

I have the AD100 head which has variable output wattage as well as the mini/portable vox da-5 which has a half watt, 1.5 and 5 watt switches. Extremely versatile, dependable, cheap and sound good to me.

 

[Twilight Zodiac]

If he wants something that has some built in effects, I would suggest something like the new Peavey Vypyr series, relatively cheap, and has gotten good reviews, the new higher models have tubes.
I have a Vetta 2 combo, great amp, but it does not have the feel that only tubes can deliver. So, a tube amp with a few effects I think would be great, and it will still allow him of course to experiment with real pedals and not just those in his amp.

Oh, and good to hear someone young who has such drive.

 

[mesavox]

On another front (I also think the Switchblade would be a nice compromise of still getting a real tube amp that has effects and midi) might be to get a cheaper boogie like a DC3 or DC5 for 7 to 800 bucks and get some pedals that he'll be in love with 30 years from now like a Fulltone Choral Flange, Boss DD6, and maybe Keeley comp. That way the amp will sound killer on its own if he can't take the pedals somewhere, but he'll have world class pedals in a very simple rig that any pro would be happy to plug into.

I know I would have killed to have something like the flextone III when I was his age. When I was a Sr in high school I had an ART SGX Nitro and I thought it was the most amazing thing ever... it still has some nice sounds in it, but now days... the modeling things out there are pretty amazing for one size fits all rig. I'd say the bigger Vox modelers are better than the Line 6 though in my experience.

With that kind of budget though, the Switchblade (how awesome would that have been when we were first getting into amps? LOL) or a high quality pedal setup with a nice used boogie would be a cool way to go.

The DCs are pretty versatile. Only two channels but two very different channels sonically.

 

[Rockman82]

I use a fender amp, of course, my amp model is discontinued, but check out some of the fender amp models on musiciansfriend, or guitar center, they've got some great deals on decent amps. I would like to get a marshall.

I wanted one of those cabinet and head deal for $500. But i have to stick with my little fender. But hey, check out those two websites, and look through those amps. Line 6 might be a good brand for him, since he's young, but the tone on some of them, in my opinion, is kinda cloudy, and its not very clean. My fender amp gives me a great classic hard rock tone too. Thats why Im staying with the fender amp.

But hey, all i can say is to just try out different kinds and see what he likes best. I hope i helped some.

 

[whitestrat]

You guys who question the choice of the JP for his son obviously aren't parents... Don't you know that whatever the son doesn't play, the father inherits??? This was the PERFECT excuse to the wife for buying ANOTHER guitar!!!!!

 

[whitestrat]

If the boy want's an amp that has effects built in then may I recommend the Vox Valvetronix.
My son has had two of them - A 30 watt which he has now traded up to a 50 watt.

Actually, for longevity's sake, I'd recommend the Fender Cyber Twin SE. It's got everything, and the amp will last him forever... Will never need to go for a "better" amp.

 

[Headstock]

So what did he get?

 

[73h Nils]

So what did he get?

A Diezel VH4 and Mesa Triple Rec. through 4 Recto 4x12s...

 

[Zaarin]

We ended up with a Mesa F-50 and a Line6 pod x3 live. Sounds godly. He is in France, and I get to play it 'til he gets back... WAHAHAHAHA!