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Guitar Amp for a Newbie

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(@springrod)
Active Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 3
Topic starter  

Hi All,

I just got a new Jackson JS1 electric guitar for 100$ from one of the auction here in town, and I'm now looking to get myself an amp. Since I'm a newbie, can somebody help me to choose what amp do I need? BTW, I've been playing for about 2 months now :) and save some money to get an amp, my price range would be about the same as my guitar

thanks a lot, your help and input would be greatfully appreciated
:)


   
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(@dagwood)
Noble Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 1024
 

Springrod,

Welcome to Guitar Noise 8)
The Best Guitar Forum on the NET. The folks here are awesome and full of all kinds of knowledge and experience.

If I only had a $100 and change to spend.. simple a Behringer V-AMPwith some Good Headphones.

No Really. This will allow you to explore a multitude of tones, amp sims, effects and the like, then once you dial in your tone, be it a rectified fuzzed out wah'd hellion or a raunchy blackfaced devil of a tone-meister then you could possibly set your sites on the real deal. (Marshall Plexi or a Fender Tube'd or Mesa Boogied).

This is only my suggestion, since I take it your in the exploration phase of the cool, awesome sounds that await you. Or you soon will be :).

If you get just one amp, you'll be locked into that amps tone (and/or effects that may come with it) And quite honestly, I think you'll do yourself more justice with something like a V-amp than say one, 'inferior' amp, for only $100 bucks. Mind you though, there are alot of great amps out there for around $100 bucks, but I put my Money on a V-amp.

I went this route almost a year ago and found the tone I was after and I later 'splurged' for real amp. I still love my V-amp and play with it often, especially early in the morning. ( love putting on the headphones and dialing in a maxed out, rectified, stadium sound and just kicking arse first thing in the morning).

Another Plus side too is you won't bug the rest of the household if you go the headphone route... at least for the time being. And yes you can turn one of those up plenty loud...enough to blow your head off with it if you want. You can also plug it into your 'puters speakers or your stereo or whatever and crank it if you wanna piss the neighbors off. :twisted:

Just my .02cents

Research is what I'm doing when I don't know what I'm doing. - Wernher Von Braun (1912-1977)


   
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 vink
(@vink)
Prominent Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 722
 

The kind of amp you want to get depends a lot on what kind of music you like. At your price range, any amp you get is only probably going to do one type of sound well.

If you go to around $200, then you can get into some amps that have many different types of amp models, and hence can produce different sounds (eg. VOX Valvetronix AD15VT).

If you can live with headphones for a while, then the V-amp type modeling box that Dagwood suggested could be a good choice. I considered going that route when I first started, but decided to go with a conventional amp with headphone jacks, so that I could do hear it both ways.

So, if you say what kind of music you like, I am sure the people here will point you to lots of good choices.

--vink
"Life is either an adventure or nothing" -- Helen Keller


   
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(@dagwood)
Noble Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 1024
 

So, if you say what kind of music you like, I am sure the people here will point you to lots of good choices.

They sure will :)

Research is what I'm doing when I don't know what I'm doing. - Wernher Von Braun (1912-1977)


   
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(@forrok_star)
Noble Member
Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 2337
 

I'll say Hi and Welcome.

There are so many amps on the market it come down to what you want to sound like and what you expect to get from the amp. Next it comes down to how much your wanting to spend. I've always said All tube amp first, Equalizer second, Attenuator third. Then work from there on effects. Being this my opinion others will have their opinion also. Which will lean toward modeling technology. This will bring us full circle to what's already been brought up about being your choice.

Perhaps if you can go to a music store and try a few different amps out and base your decision on what sounded like it was you.

Joe


   
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(@springrod)
Active Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 3
Topic starter  

Thanks a lot for the quick reply, Gentlemen. I forgot to tell you, that I'm new here in the US (almost 2 yrs now) I'm now in middle 30's with basically zero knowledge when it comes to guitar and amps and I just want my kids to get incline to music. Honestly, I'm now getting addicted to my guitar which leads to the jealousy of my wife LOL.

The music I learned, and currently be able to play right now, of course came from this site also such as the "Horse with no name", Sandman, Vetura Highway, Wish you were here, Imagine, Wonderful Tonight, easy REM songs, and right now studying the "While my guitar gently weeps, by Wes Inman, and some easy songs of The Eagles. I should say that I am not partial to any types of music, I just want to learn how to play guitar just for my kids :)

Again, thanks a lot for the help and inputs. I am really gratefully indebted to you guys, esp the founder of this site David Hodge, (is that right? I apologize if not).

thanks a lot,
Springrod


   
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 Moai
(@moai)
Estimable Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 159
 

My first amp is a Roland Cube-15, and I love it! It has four different distortion modes, too, and they all sound pretty good, although limited. But, the whole amps costs about as much as a pedal. It'll go LOUD, too! :twisted:

Bettie Page is the most beautiful woman who ever lived. You better recognize, G!


   
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(@english-one)
Estimable Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 153
 

I would strongly recomend a Roland Cube 15. It's a very high quality,very small, easy to use amp that wont cost you a fortune and will last forever.

It would be good to get a tube amp, but probably better to get one when you've been playing for longer, as they're more expensive, delicate and not always easy to get a good sound from.


   
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(@smokindog)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 5345

   
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 vink
(@vink)
Prominent Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 722
 

Couple of other options are : VOX Pathfinder 15R, Marshall MG 15 CD or Marshall MG 15CDR. The VOX and the CDR have built in reverb. They are all between $100-$150.

I just recently bought an inexpensive tube amp (Epiphone Galaxy 10 on closeout) which is in the same price range, but like English One said, they take a little bit more work, and maybe couple of extra pedals to get a good tone. I don't think that would have been a good first amp for me.

If you go up to the next level in price (around $200 mark), you have the Roland Cube 30, VOX Valvetronix AD15VT and VOX Valvetronix AD30VT.

--vink
"Life is either an adventure or nothing" -- Helen Keller


   
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(@springrod)
Active Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 3
Topic starter  

hi Guys,
I went to the store yesterday, and got the new Roland Cube 15 for 90$ (per your suggestion). The store allowed me to try it for 2 days, and if I'm not happy, I could try the Vox and the other amp that you recommended.

Again, thanks a lot for the help and input(s) you provided :)

have a nice Sunday,
Springrod


   
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(@ignar-hillstrom)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 5349
 

Hi,

If you're not going to be playing high volumes then you might want to check out the Microcube. A bit more models then the Cube15, some usefull basic effects to make it sound a bit more smooth, and enough volume to play with a piano or singer. Same price as the Cube15, but smaller and less volume. Really a nifty thing. The cube15 is in any case a well known amp, responds well to dynamics, has a near-perfect clean and a variety of distorted sounds. The cube series is truly great for a beginner since it really reveals playing mistakes more then similar amps from Marshall and Fender. Have fun!


   
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(@gnease)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 5038
 

Among my half dozen amps, I have the MicroCube and the Cube 30. I like the Micro for battery-powered situations. But for longer term usefulness, I'll recommend the Cube 30 - or either of the Vox AD15VT or AD30VT (which friends own). All of these are great small amps, reasonably priced and excellent for practice. The 30 watters are even giggable with a drummer -- you'll probably want that one day.

-=tension & release=-


   
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