Which amp? Opinions and advice please :-)

[Tim O'Sullivan]

I use a Roland Microcube at home. Its amazing!

 

[Spudmurphy]

I use a Roland Microcube at home. Its amazing!

Yeah I'm thinking of getting my son one for xmas.
They are good.

 

[TimSz]

Roadster part deux. That's french for two.

Hey String Kids.

I've been gathering up some info on the Roadster, from various sources as well as playing it myself to give a more in-depth opinion.

I read that closed-back/open-back has come up in this thread. The 2x12 combo is a fully closed back. It provides very little breathing room which means it has a sweet tight gain on it. This hurts the cleans just a wee bit; because with that lack of breathing room it seems that you miss out on a little jingle-jangle that .... a Fender would provide. However, on the TWEED setting without overdriving the clean channel at all; it sounds like a million bucks.

I paid around twenty-seven hundred Canadian dollars for mine, which equates to twelve American dollars (haha, actually about 2400ish) and it's worth every penny. It's definitely built with quality in mind.

The only attempt at naysaying this monster is as follows: it's noisy as hell when playing on a vintage reissue strat. As soon as ou go to something more modern, like a LUKE, the amp noise goes away. That may be less the amps fault andmore Leo's. Damn him. Also, it is heavy. Sound yes... weight you have no idea. It weighs about a million and a half pounds on a good day. Other than that, there is nothing I could even lie about to complain.

Although word to the wise... take the wheel casters off and rest the amp on the floor. It may make travelling a little more cumbersome, but the bass response doubles when you get some floor action. If anyone wants to hear me rant more, or give me a job because I should be selling these damned thing; please feel free to let me know. I'd gladly relocate to... anywhere to work a better job. I think I should be a PR rep for like... every company I love. I could sell an eskimo an igloo!

 

[slukather]

I use a Roland Microcube at home. Its amazing!

A mate of mine just got a Roland Cude 60 the other day, he loves it, nice and small, light, he said it sounds great, he used it for a gig the other night, said it cut through the mix better than my Mesa Dual Rec, l've yet to try it out.

Scott.

 

[candid_x]

A strong solid state amp (like the Roland amps) can “cut through” the mix easier than a basic tube amp. High gain tube amps are designed with less harmonic content in order to achieve this effect. However, there’s more to great tone than just cutting through the mix. The key, imo, is to match the amp to the style of music you’re playing. I’ve never met a solid state amp that could produce great blues tone, for example, and a Deluxe Reverb isn’t likely to be found in a nu-metal band.

If money was no issue, I’d play though a Two Rock or Divided by 13. But, there are some great alternatives to pricey [so-called] boutique amps, and not all of them are well known or popular. An old Ampeg Reverb Rocket, for example, can rock! IE: http://cgi.ebay.com/Ampeg-212-Rever...erbrocket_W0QQitemZ110012441010QQcmdZViewItem My first amp was an Ampeg Gemini II, and though it was too clean for the time (mid 60s), it was Huge sounding, and the reverb was freaking unbelievable. Could make a great base to run modern effects through, like a VOX Tone Lab.

I don’t mean to sound like a Laney advertisement, but they’re worth hearing. I’ve been playing ‘long side other players using some high-end amps, and my rig never ceases to raise eyebrows among them. It’s surprising! For the average Joe’s budget, it kills!

At the risk of sounding like a broken record (forgive me), if you haven’t already been through the tube/speaker/biasing tone-freak phase, welcome! It gets insane. And it’s rewarding. If you have, you’ve spent lots-a-bucks on experimenting, and have settled down of what sounds best to your ears. That’s what it’s all about, isn’t it?

 

[roburado]

I regret that it took two decades of playing guitar (on and off) to realize that 120W, or 60W, or even 50W, is way beyond what's needed, especially in this era of inexpensive, readily available PA systems....I am happy as a pig in s**t with my 5W combos for home use and band practice, and my 18W head for gigs, or my 38W head for BIG gigs.

That's so true. I've down-sized from my Mesa .50Cal+ to an F-30, but it's still too much power! I can do the "Bedroom Metal" thing of turning up the gain and turning down the master volume, but I can't really get to that "sweet spot" that people talk about. Sure, it sounds great to me, but I'm sure if I could open up the master volume a little more, I'd like it a little better. Everytime I turn it up a little, it's fantastic. However, I always have to dial it back. I don't need to be kicked out of my apartment.

I wish Mesa made a "little" amp.

 

[slukather]

A strong solid state amp (like the Roland amps) can “cut through” the mix easier than a basic tube amp. High gain tube amps are designed with less harmonic content in order to achieve this effect. However, there’s more to great tone than just cutting through the mix. The key, imo, is to match the amp to the style of music you’re playing. I’ve never met a solid state amp that could produce great blues tone, for example, and a Deluxe Reverb isn’t likely to be found in a nu-metal band.

Oh for sure, l couldn't agree with you more, he plays more melodic rock type stuff, and has no need for a Mesa, (either do i for that matter), and the Roland amp is perfect for him, you can switch between dirty and clean, and thats all he needs, l don't really need to say it again, but I think l'd prefer this Roland over my Mesa (they are the most overpriced overrated peices of junk l've ever played).

I actually saw aband the other week, the dude was playing a Mesa, and he cut through the band really well, but in order to do that, he was the most thinnist sound l've ever heard, it actually hurt, and he had it up that loud, what you heard was the sound coming out of his cab, so the soundguy couldn't clean up his sound. Yet another kid who think Mesa and PRS go hand in hand, I'm sick of kids who don't know any better, l guess that doesn't make me any better, l feel for the "mesa" propaganda.

Scott.

 

[mhorse]

Yet another kid who think Mesa and PRS go hand in hand, I'm sick of kids who don't know any better, l guess that doesn't make me any better, l feel for the "mesa" propaganda.

Scott.

That's true. For a while, I was one of those kids, except I didn't have the money for PRS so I played Schecter. I was pretty convinced that it sounded good through my Mesa DC-5, except after about a year I realized that a) I sounded like pretty much everyone else out there b) I didn't even sound all that good - muddy and cold. Then I found out about Sub, and then about budget Rivera's, and the rest is history. My quest for my own tone is certainly not over yet, but at least I escaped the ordinary fairly early.

I don't want to completely bash Mesa though - JP gets a huge variety of great and unique tones out of their amps.

 

[slukather]

yeah i priced a lone star here in Oz, a bit out of my league, would have to not buy a EBMM guitar for 6 months, forget that!!!!

I saw one in a guitar store yesterday, they are a bit rich.

Scott.

 

[robelinda2]

not gonna happen.....

 

[candid_x]

Oh for sure, l couldn't agree with you more, he plays more melodic rock type stuff, and has no need for a Mesa, (either do i for that matter), and the Roland amp is perfect for him, you can switch between dirty and clean, and thats all he needs, l don't really need to say it again, but I think l'd prefer this Roland over my Mesa (they are the most overpriced overrated peices of junk l've ever played).

I actually saw aband the other week, the dude was playing a Mesa, and he cut through the band really well, but in order to do that, he was the most thinnist sound l've ever heard, it actually hurt..
Scott.

Ice pick in the ear, anyone?

I've a jam friend who plays a Mesa/PRS combo. Pretty decent player but 'his sound' is flat and lifeless. The fact that his amp packs 4x6L6's in the power section (100 watts) doesn't help, as we don't jam at especially loud volumes, plus he uses his clean channel 80% of the time; not Mesa's strong suit.

Only Mesa I've ever owned was a little Subway Rocket. Very neat little class A amp, but typically Mesa focused in dark midrange territory, and no great cleans to speak of.

A Comment on using 5-18 watt EL84 amps: I agree that you can get power tube breakup/low headroom out of small amps without shattering apartment windows, but the little guys can't match the tone - especially the bottom end - of a decent 50 watt 6L6 or EL34 amp, even at moderate volumes. It's just not there in a 5-18 watt amp. But midrange solos can sound super from them!

 

[beej]

Asking what amp to buy is like asking what pickup to get ... these threads always turn out exactly the same way ... a list of people proposing their favourites.

Try a bunch of 'em, see what you like.

(Guytron, Guytron, Guytron ...)

 

[GuitarHack]

Ice pick in the ear, anyone?

I've a jam friend who plays a Mesa/PRS combo. Pretty decent player but 'his sound' is flat and lifeless. The fact that his amp packs 4x6L6's in the power section (100 watts) doesn't help, as we don't jam at especially loud volumes, plus he uses his clean channel 80% of the time; not Mesa's strong suit.

Only Mesa I've ever owned was a little Subway Rocket. Very neat little class A amp, but typically Mesa focused in dark midrange territory, and no great cleans to speak of.

A Comment on using 5-18 watt EL84 amps: I agree that you can get power tube breakup/low headroom out of small amps without shattering apartment windows, but the little guys can't match the tone - especially the bottom end - of a decent 50 watt 6L6 or EL34 amp, even at moderate volumes. It's just not there in a 5-18 watt amp. But midrange solos can sound super from them!

Agreed on the bottom end, and it's all about tradeoffs. The type of music I've been playing lately, I've moved away from the chugga-chugga of a closed back hi-wattage rig (though I still like that sound), and more toward fitting into the mix. As alluded to above, you may sound awesome by yourself, but your sound can get lost in the mix. So, I've found a balance between a tone I love and letting the bass player and drummer own the low end. Sometimes the best sounding lead tone in the mix can sound a little trebly by itself, IMO.

That said, I get the best sound out of my 5-watters when they are on the floor; a lot of folks put them on a table or on an amp stand, and you lose bass then. But, I can also run my 5-watters through a 212 or 410 cab, and that sounds real professional. I also occasionally (just for fun at home) run my Peavey Classic 30 12 combo into my 5150 412 slant cab...hang on, baby, that is a heckuva ride.

 

[Spudmurphy]

Ice pick in the ear, anyone?

I've a jam friend who plays a Mesa/PRS combo. Pretty decent player but 'his sound' is flat and lifeless. The fact that his amp packs 4x6L6's in the power section (100 watts) doesn't help, as we don't jam at especially loud volumes, plus he uses his clean channel 80% of the time; not Mesa's strong suit.

Only Mesa I've ever owned was a little Subway Rocket. Very neat little class A amp, but typically Mesa focused in dark midrange territory, and no great cleans to speak of.

A Comment on using 5-18 watt EL84 amps: I agree that you can get power tube breakup/low headroom out of small amps without shattering apartment windows, but the little guys can't match the tone - especially the bottom end - of a decent 50 watt 6L6 or EL34 amp, even at moderate volumes. It's just not there in a 5-18 watt amp. But midrange solos can sound super from them!

Right that's it!!
The wife's out the nextdoorneighbours are out - let's go and crank that little ol' 25/50 Marshall!!!!
Spud

 

[GuitarHack]

Agreed on the bottom end, and it's all about tradeoffs. The type of music I've been playing lately, I've moved away from the chugga-chugga of a closed back hi-wattage rig (though I still like that sound), and more toward fitting into the mix. As alluded to above, you may sound awesome by yourself, but your sound can get lost in the mix. So, I've found a balance between a tone I love and letting the bass player and drummer own the low end. Sometimes the best sounding lead tone in the mix can sound a little trebly by itself, IMO.

That said, I get the best sound out of my 5-watters when they are on the floor; a lot of folks put them on a table or on an amp stand, and you lose bass then. But, I can also run my 5-watters through a 212 or 410 cab, and that sounds real professional. I also occasionally (just for fun at home) run my Peavey Classic 30 12 combo into my 5150 412 slant cab...hang on, baby, that is a heckuva ride.

There are even more things it took me way too long to learn. Let's see:

1). The best tone by yourself often is not a suitable tone in a band mix, and vice versa.
2). Your best bedroom tone will NEVER sound the same once you take the gear out of the house. Once you dial it in for practice, it changes when you get to the gig. Once you dial it in at the gig, it changes again when the room fills up.
3). Larry Carlton or Robben Ford or EVH or SRV could play my rig and sound like themselves. I could play theirs, and sound like me.
4). THE BIG ONE: Nobody really cares about your tone except for other guitarists. As long as it isn't ice picks in the ears, 95% of the people listening don't care. So...
5). ...for me, the main reason to get a tone you love (or guitar, or amp, any piece of gear) is to inspire you and instill confidence in playing outside your boundaries.

Believe me, I'm not even close to being the best guitarist I know, nor have i escaped buying tons of gear in a search for that elusive sound (that sounded like somebody famous). I just wish I knew then, what I know now, which isn't a thought unique to music gear.

Anyways, now that I'm so wise, ping me in six months and see what else I've bought and swear by. So there's another takeaway:

6). Tastes changes, abilities change, perceptions all change as you become a better musician and change and grow, so wanting something new is natural and unavoidable.

GuitarHack

P.S.: One more
7). Anyone who says the can easily nail the tone of the first Van Halen record with their EBMM EVH or PV Wolfgang through a 5150 is smoking crack. Let's see: Frankenstrat with low output pickups into a Marshall with the power tubes (EL34s?) begging for mercy on VH1, versus high-output pickups into a hi-gain preamp in a master volume 6L6 amp. Yeah, that nails it! See #3 and #6 as well.

Cheers!

 

[beej]

My last plug for Guytron ... new 20W combo ... it's on my Christmas list ...

http://www.guytron.com/

 

[GuitarHack]

My last plug for Guytron ... new 20W combo ... it's on my Christmas list ...

http://www.guytron.com/

Love that tone on the Guytron website!

 

[candid_x]

Agrees with all the above.

Dems some fine samples, Beej! But 100 watts only available? I especially like the versatility. And slickery distortion. And… and… and…

Damn you!

 

[candid_x]

Oops, Missed the 20 watt page and clips.

Dunno if the opening page is the 20 or 100 watt Guytron playing. Probably the 100, since the 20's brand new.

 

[francric]

My last plug for Guytron ... new 20W combo ... it's on my Christmas list ...

http://www.guytron.com/

Sounds nice but can it do metal................