Just got an American strat, now which small amp?

[Prizen]

Hi guys,

I'm an acoustic man that has ventured into the electric world. Got a fender strat and am having a hard time choosing an amp. I've done some research and see that the first decision appears to be amp type - tube, solid state, or a modelling amp (which I believe is solid state but also replicates the sounds of multiple different amp types). I never plan to gig, and the amp will be for use in my home only.

From my understanding so far, it appears to me to be a no brainer to choose a modelling amp as it replicates many different tones? I see a lot of folks prefer tube amps for tone, but I am put off by the maintenance involved with tubes - what's the real maintenance burden on say, a fender super champ, is this something to be worried about?

Welcome any thoughts on directing me to choosing an amp - music style is folk, country, rock, blues. Really anything but metal!

Thanks

[The Old Gaffer]

The maintenance burden is not that big a deal. If you want that Strat to sound great I'd recommend a Fender PRRI or DRRI.

[GnLguy]

You shouldn't have any issues with maintenance; I have a Peavey Classic 50 from the early 90s that has many scars from gigging and no issues.

I think that it would be better for you to start with a modelling amp as you stated. As you begin with electric, there is a learning curve to effects until you find your sound and a modelling amp would make that process more simple. Once you find that sound, you can decide if you want to go a tube amp.

I suggest that you look at the Peavey VIP Vypyr and the Fender Mustang. especially the Vypyr 2 and the Mustang ii; both should have good features that will serve you well. The Peavey has their TransTube technology which has been refined over the years and many feel that its close enough to a tube sound that they won't pay the extra for a tube amp

• http://www.musiciansfriend.com/ampli...ling-combo-amp

• http://www.musiciansfriend.com/ampli...itar-combo-amp

[Gcunplugged]

If you're only going to play at home and want classic strat sound, I'd recommend a low wattage tube amp.

Something like the Carvin I've linked here:

http://www.carvinguitars.com/products/VINTAGE16

Of course there are plenty of other brands, including Fender, but I bought the big brother of this Carvin (50w Nomad), and it will blow the windows out of the house. Way more than I needed.

Gary

[pitner]

I have a few Fender amps that really work well with my strats. Blues Jr and a Deluxe Reverb both plenty loud for my church gig.

[pieterh]

As I do play out my experience is not directly relevant but here goes...

Modelling amps are great and certainly have their place. Anyone who wants a comprehensive range of sounds at their fingertips will enjoy something like the Super Champ. If your playing eventually takes you out doing gigs and the demand is for recognisable styles and sounds then Line6, Rocktron, Fender and others all do amps that are designed to, well, sound like something else...

However...

You may find that a simple tube amp will be more fun in the long run. Many of the professional guitarists I know prefer the warmth and clarity of a good tube amp and then do the modelling (if any) with effects and pedals. If you are playing for your own enjoyment you need to decide what is most important - a "genuine" sound that you feel is a part of you, that reflects your playing, or a "copy" of a classic amp (or several amps) that will help you sound like someone you admire.

My own journey has taken me away from versatile amps towards tube amp simplicity and greater control and versatility in the pedal board. But then I do not aim to sound exactly like someone else, though I do get close often enough when needed.

As for the maintenance with tube amps, well yeah after a few months or years depending on how much the amp is used you will have to replace a tube or two, but if you see the cost of a replacement tube as the equivalent of a new set of strings then it shouldn't put you off!

I've enjoyed playing through some modelling amps, including a Line6 (which I loved but was selling for a friend and didn't need for myself), a Fender (which I liked) and a Rocktron (which I didn't like). But then through the years I've played through or owned a Fender Twin (nice but too powerful for my needs), a Fender Deluxe Reverb (love it!), a Duncan Tube 84-40 (my first tube amp), a Marshall JVM tube combo (nice but not the best match for me), Vox AC30s (sweet), Fender Blues DeVille, Fender Hot Rod, and many more. My current arsenal is the Duncan Tube 84-40 (now getting old and fragile...) and a little Vox AC4tv. The Vox turns out to be my favourite go-to amp - 4w, one pre and one power tube, quiet enough to give me tone, crunch and distortion while playing reasonably quietly at home.

Hope this helps!

[Bob Womack]

For home use only get a Fender Mustang II v2 modeling amp. I say this even though I play tube amps. The beauty of a tube amp is that ability to push it until it distorts in a lovely way. Even though 5 watts sounds like a tiny amp, when pushed, it is plenty loud and disruptive to a small home. For home volumes the modeling amps make sense because you can get much of the feel of a pushed amp at lower volumes. However, they are a little complicated compared to a regular tube amp. If you prefer the simplicity of a tube real amp, the Bugera v5 makes sense. It is a full-featured 5 watt amp with reverb and an attenuator that allows you to pull the volume down low enough to use at home.

Well, that's my opinion anyway. Have fun looking!

Bob

[bnjp]

I agree. Small tube amp. I have a Peavey Classic 30 (not small enough for home probably) and a Bugera V5. I'm always impressed with the Bugera. You might want a couple of pedals...then that will turn into you wanting a lot of pedals! Modeling amps will box you in a little bit...and the resale value on them usually stinks.

[BoneDigger]

Modelling amp! Go with a Mustang II v2 or a Mustang III V2. Or, the small Yamaha portable battery powered amps seem to get a lot of love. The micro cube is also not a bad amp for household use.

Todd

[DesolationAngel]

I'm going to go totally against the grain... if you're just getting into electric, are only playing at home and want to experiment with a whole range of stuff with a big smile on your face I'd recommend a Yahama THR10C. I have one in the lounge and I can spend hours just noodling around with wildly different sounds AND if you're going away somewhere for the weekend you can pack it up really easily and take it with you (you can even use it to play music through from your phone or iPod).

I love it.

Yamaha THR10C

There's other versions too after a lot of thought I went with the 'C' model. Now, if you wanna get loud and want to experiment with sounds then it's a whole different ball game...

[guitararmy]

As I've posted before, my resident guitar god just got one of these (the single 12" combo version) and loves the tone. He also has tube amps and this is the one he gigs with....

http://www.blackstaramps.com/products/idseries/

[Dru Edwards]

If you want a modeling amp, the Fender Mustang will be a good, inexpensive amp. A tube amp though can be something special though.

In case you're unaware, the vast majority of electric guitars on country/rock/metal songs you hear on the radio are done with tube amps. The problem is that you usually need to play them loud to push the power tubes to get that great sound. A small wattage tube amp (i.e. 5 watts) helps for the home. Don't be fooled, 5 watts is very loud.

A Bugera (as Bob W pointed out above) is a popular amp here on this sub forum. Traynor also makes nice ones too (and they're made in Canada), and there are many more manufacturers out there.

[clintj]

If you have a computer to plug it into, a Mustang I or II is a nice home use amp, especially late at night with headphones. I enjoy mine quite a bit once I made some good presets, downloaded a few more, and loaded them into the amp.

For tube amps, the Bugeras are nice, and so is a Fender Champion 600. More upscale, and a delightful match for a Strat, is a reissue Fender like a Deluxe Reverb or Princeton Reverb. I personally wouldn't skimp on the amp; it's at least half your tone with an electric.

[Steve DeRosa]

+1 for Bugera, but speaking as an owner I'd step up to the Deluxe Reverb/Vox AC15-league V22: two footswitchable channels, digital reverb (IMO one of the best built-in digi-verbs I've heard), selectable power levels (unlike the Deluxe you can get some real tone going at home volume) and mid-boost - and the new Infinium models have upgraded speakers and self-diagnosing/biasing circuits (no more worries about maintenance). There's a lot going on for $379 street - less if you hit a coupon day at one of the major retailers - and IMO you'd be making a mistake if you didn't at least try one out...

[noledog]

+++1 on Bugera V22...simple, versatile and easy to dial in a great sound. I've even played my workhorse Tak KC70 and Lowden thru it and it had a warm and wonderfully rich & natural acoustic tone. A nice feature is the ability to switch between tube settings of pentode/triode. Nice vintage mojo look too!