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Author Topic: New Amp  (Read 2524 times)

Offline trackman

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New Amp
« on: March 19, 2007, 05:15:52 PM »
I need an opinion on whether or not I need a new amp.

I have a Crate XT120 right now. It's a pretty basic combo set-up. My weapon of choice is a 2007 LP. My board is a Digitech GNX-3.

With this set-up and to the best of anyone's knowledge, can I get get some quality tones out of this or do I need to buy a new amp?  ;D

I'm thinking that the amp can only sound so good and that an upgrade will improve my sound (with practice, of course).
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Offline gtrdave

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Re: New Amp
« Reply #1 on: March 20, 2007, 09:41:00 AM »
You probably can get some good tones but it will take some tweaking to disguise the "processed guitar sound" that could be a product of the Digitech.

The biggest thing to watch out for with anything non-tube and/or anything that has modeling technology is it's ability to suck the life and breath from an instrument. The key factors in this is, to me:
1. too much treble
2. too much buzz in the overdrive/distortion
3. too much compression

The general rule for finding good tones is to first use only a decent quality guitar and decent quality amp and it sounds like you've got that (although criticisms are high on Crate amps...some get decent reviews and others not so good) so remove the Digi from the setup and try just your amp and guitar together and see if you can get some good tones going on.
After you've got a good baseline established, THEN put your Digitech in the chain and start tweaking to see if you can improve upon that raw guitar/amp sound.
Do not, I repeat, DO NOT use effects and such to try and get you a good sound from a guitar or amp that's unable to do so by themselves.
Worse case, replace the guitar or amp before you go shuffling around trying to find a new multi-effects device to get you what you want to hear.

Check this out...I just bought a used Epiphone Valve Standard amp...Class A 15 watt all-tube amp...paid $150...after playing it for the last few days I'm ready to toss my Line 6 rig out the window and use the Epi in church. With just my Godin guitar and the Epiphone amp I'm getting sounds that I've NEVER gotten from my Line 6 stuff.
I had forgotten what Class A tube circutry sounded like...even cheap Made in China Class A circutry is sweeeeeet  ;D
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Offline jlynnb1

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Re: New Amp
« Reply #2 on: March 20, 2007, 01:06:54 PM »
i just got rid of my Line 6 stuff too Dave....after playing Line 6 for about 10 years. I'm still using modelling stuff, but it's Vox Valvetronix, and man this thing has tone. (it's the older ones with the Blue Grille's, not the cheaper new ones)

I'm pretty much in love with my tone right now.......

Offline JayP5150

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Re: New Amp
« Reply #3 on: March 20, 2007, 02:46:21 PM »
I had forgotten what Class A tube circutry sounded like...even cheap Made in China Class A circutry is sweeeeeet  ;D

Not to mention, those things are ripe for cheap mods, if you are so inclined to so so, or have it done.  with just a few bucks (okay, $40 or so), you can have a sweet little amp.  Orange drop and silver mica caps, better tubes, etc.  Basic stuff.

I hope that bug bites you hard, Dave lol.  I'm eventually going to rip into my Classic 30 for the same stuff.

Offline gtrdave

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Re: New Amp
« Reply #4 on: March 20, 2007, 03:35:05 PM »
Not to mention, those things are ripe for cheap mods, if you are so inclined to so so, or have it done.  with just a few bucks (okay, $40 or so), you can have a sweet little amp.  Orange drop and silver mica caps, better tubes, etc.  Basic stuff.

I hope that bug bites you hard, Dave lol.  I'm eventually going to rip into my Classic 30 for the same stuff.

Yes, the Epi Valve series have a bit of a following and mods are supposed to work wonders so I'll probably go that route with it.
I have a mod sheet for my Delata Blues, too...and my Classic 20 needs a new speaker and a retube so I'll be digging into all three of them eventually.
Music theory is not always music reality.

Offline JayP5150

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Re: New Amp
« Reply #5 on: March 20, 2007, 10:12:13 PM »
A speaker swap in my Classic 30 made a world of difference.  I had a 2x12 with a pair of peavey sheffields in it (like in the 5150 cabs--basically a celestion 75 knock-off).  It was half the ohmage (from 16 to 8), so that really woke the amp up, and it's got a lot more in the low-mid reange than the blue marvel did.

Those blues marvels are too twangy for me, but, I replaced that Sheffield with it, and now my 2x12 sounds better, as well... odd.  Kinda' like it needed the upper-end emphasis.  That 2x12 is for my 5150, though, and that's a whole 'nother monster altogether.

Offline trackman

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Re: New Amp
« Reply #6 on: April 02, 2007, 06:00:05 AM »
OK, now I have another question. What are the benefits/downfalls of having a combo set-up rather than a stack with a head set-up and vice-versa?
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Offline gtrdave

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Re: New Amp
« Reply #7 on: April 02, 2007, 08:05:35 AM »
OK, now I have another question. What are the benefits/downfalls of having a combo set-up rather than a stack with a head set-up and vice-versa?

Combo benefit: could be less to lug around
Combo drawback: maybe not as easy to customize the tone as you would on seperate pieces by swaping cabinets and heads

Personally, I haven't needed anything but a combo for over 10 years.
Music theory is not always music reality.

Offline funkStrat_97

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Re: New Amp
« Reply #8 on: April 05, 2007, 06:36:13 AM »
IMO, for most situations a combo is an excellent choice.  I'd love to have a pair of 100 watt Marshall stacks (no half stacks...I'm talking about each amp driving a pair of 4x12 cabs) cranked to the max, but that would be horribly out of place with my worship team.  Even when I jam, a combo serves me well.  And like Dave said, there's less stuff to lug around. 
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