amps

See if you could buy the mustang back - it's lightyears better than the spider or the orange. For 250 you're very limited. I would say the mustang is the best all round mp in that price range - sorry. Go used after x-mass.

i found this one as well

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/amplifiers-effects/vox-valvetronix-vt40-40w-1x10-guitar-combo-amp

it seems like a great deal.

ezra's right. the best deals will be after christmas.
orange amps have a unique tone. i personally like it, but it's gotta be something you enjoy, because there's not a lot of flexibility, which might bother you after coming off a modeling amp, especially if you don't have pedals to color the sound. i don't really like the spider amp tone, or modeling amps in general, which seemed to have been a problem for you and the fender, but if you like it, it could be a good choice. otherwise, you're probably going to have to go used at that price range to get a quality amp. crate makes some alright tube amps that you could find cheap, or a solid-state marshal. bugera and behringer both make real pieces of junk that tend to break down, so i'd avoid those.
personally, i'd probably get an orange amp or whatever cheap used amp that sounds good until i can afford something better.

thanks for the advice guys, gonna head to a pawn shop and guitar center, i really want to check out that vox vt40+.

Hello, posting this to try and get an idea of amps in my price range. basically looking for the best bang for my buck. I have about 200 to spend give or take(if i see something i really like maybe willing to fork out 250). I have a 2010 gibson les paul studio and was playing it through a fender mustang 2 amp, but i never really liked the sound i got from the amp and sold it. So now im in the market and seeing what you guys think. I want to get a classic rock sound but also be able to shred some crazy metal. I was looking at one of the line 6 spider amps and also an orange, i think it was a 30 w 1x10. any input would be appreciated.

What is it with young guitarists and that "brutal" distortion? :shock: :lol:

Seriously, I'm really surprised you couldn't get a sound you liked from the Mustang. That's one pf the better modelers out there.

Name some people you want to sound like.

In my opinion good amps start at around $400 or so. A few that come to mind are the Fender Blues Jr, Blackstar and the Marshall Class 5. One thing that you could do is run one of those stompbox size power amps like the .44 Caliber or the smaller .22 Caliber by EHX and get a preamp stompbox in the flavor of your favorite amp. Cost effective and sound good. I actually have a set up where I’m running an AMT Electronics 3 watt Tube Cake stompbox size power amp with their F1 preamp pedal. Sounds killer and right in your budget. I also added a Wampler Plextortion to get that JCM800 crunch. Lots of options out there. Take a trip to the store and watch reviews on YT for ideas.

The thing i really didn't like about the mustang was the lack of control over the tones, their were a boat load of pre set modeling tones but beyond that it really didnt offer much, every time i wanted to play clean, i would have to select one of their pre set tones, Its not that I didnt like some of the modeling i just wish that all that pre programmed stuff was an independent part of the amp, and that if i wanted to turn off all the modeling and just play straight with maybe a little gain, i couldn't do that. I would need to select the cleanest model i could find then turn off all the effects and fiddle with the thing forever. So as of right now the VOX seems to be the ticket, it seems to have all of the features i am looking for and is tube driven for an incredibly reasonable price, I am going to go buy an amp tomorrow so i will let you guys know what i decide on, hopefully guitar center will have a lot of used gear they don't post online, and if i buy the factory floor model of that vt40 its only 199 which is by far the cheapest tube driven amp i have found. Still doing a lot of online browsing though so i know exactly what i want to try out without having to spend the whole day at the guitar center.

I appreciate all your guys input :D
and more is welcome.

Hello, posting this to try and get an idea of amps in my price range. basically looking for the best bang for my buck. I have about 200 to spend give or take(if i see something i really like maybe willing to fork out 250). I have a 2010 gibson les paul studio and was playing it through a fender mustang 2 amp, but i never really liked the sound i got from the amp and sold it. So now im in the market and seeing what you guys think. I want to get a classic rock sound but also be able to shred some crazy metal. I was looking at one of the line 6 spider amps and also an orange, i think it was a 30 w 1x10. any input would be appreciated.

What is it with young guitarists and that "brutal" distortion? :shock: :lol:

Seriously, I'm really surprised you couldn't get a sound you liked from the Mustang. That's one pf the better modelers out there.

Name some people you want to sound like.

i really like that bluesy classic rock sound, jimmy page is probably my favorite guitar player. Stevie ray is also up their on my list, but i also like to put on some crazy distortion sometimes.

The thing i really didn't like about the mustang was the lack of control over the tones, their were a boat load of pre set modeling tones but beyond that it really didnt offer much, every time i wanted to play clean, i would have to select one of their pre set tones, Its not that I didnt like some of the modeling i just wish that all that pre programmed stuff was an independent part of the amp, and that if i wanted to turn off all the modeling and just play straight with maybe a little gain, i couldn't do that.

Pretty much any Modeling amp is going to be more of the same. They're great for trying lots of different stuff at home, but they all require a lot of work to make them gig-ready. Plus, a LOT of discipline to not be constantly "fiddling" with them.

Given the artists you listed in your following post, and if you expect to be gigging with it AT ALL, I'd spend a bit more and go with a Fender Pro Jr., A Vox Night Train stack or a Blackheart Handsome Devil and a good distortion pedal to go with your choice.

And the modeling portion of the VOX series is available now in an Ultra cheap stomp box - like $50. I had the 50watt 1x12 vox, I got it cheap and thought I'd use it for recording and practice but it couldn't handle any kind of volume without getting glitchy and flatulent. Good bedroom amp. I have a solid state champ that is a great little amp and can be had for around $100 - the fender chorus is legendary in solid state circles - throw that vox stomper in front of a good used combo.

Well i went with the VT40+ from vox, and i am very pleased with it. It is far louder than the mustang 2, when i have this thing at 1/4 volume its practically blowing my doors off and the ac30 modeling sounds great. I also like the power level knob that can adjust the wattage from 0-60. all in all i'm very satisfied with the amp and would recommend it. It comes with a plethora of effects and i was surprised how good the auto wah sounded in particular. Their is also a optional vox foot switch which i might decide to pick up down the road.

I like our Vox 40+, and the foot-switch is useful when you're playing live.