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Hybrid Amp Hell
Topic Started: Nov 28 2008, 12:47 PM (406 Views)
Andy243	Nov 28 2008, 12:47 PM Post #1
Newbie Posts: 2 Group: Members Member #9,028 Joined: November 28, 2008	so the situation is this. i am in the market for an amplifier, either new or second hand. i currently run a gibson SG special through a marshall jackhammer OD/Dist pedal to a Marshall MG30DFX crappy broken amp. this needs to go. as i have been playing for almost 6 years, i thought about making a hefty investment in an amp. the obvious appeal was tube amps such as the fender hot rod deluxe and marshall tsl-122 both of which are very reliable and creative amps. however, as good as their tones/distortions may be, i think i am looking for something more in my sound. think Adam Nutter from The Music or some or Jimmy Paige's more versatile sounds (Nobody's Fault But Mine and Achilles' Last Stand) and more majestic blues tones (Red House). so, i start thinking about modelling/hybrid amps. (where is that distinction drawn anyway because some modelling amps ARE hyrbid amps?!) topping this list are line 6 Spider Valve 212 and Fender Cyber-Twin SE. i have read bad things about the line 6 being very gimmicky and would be rather useless to me as I know you can't have simultaneous effects on the same channel (i own a line 6 floor pod, it is shite. tone is flat and weak.) another issue is that of tubes. i understand the line 6 has preamp tubes but poweramp is solidstate so at high volumes there are issues...? the Cyber Twin looks incredible. the large number of fx and parameters set for each one really open up options for me and my sound, however the price and the questionable use of tubes is an issue. does anybody know the function of the tubes in the Cyber Tiwn SE? it is obviously very important to me to have full control and a large amount of options to carve any tone i want, and not be limited by a knob that has 3 fx attached to it but only operates one of them at a time (cough *line6*) so, in summary, i am looking for: - tonal versatility with simultaneous effects (+parameter settings) - must be loud (over 30w if tube) - not ridiculously priced i know all that seems too much to ask and alot of you are probably thinking "why doesn't he just get a multieffects pedal?" well, as i said i have a line6 floor pod which i just use as a tuner now. the sound is so flat and uninspiring, i do not hope for much better with more advanced multifx such as the boss gt8 and line6 pod2. it seems to me the only way to get believable tones is to own the individual stompboxes. AND can somebody explain to me the point of putting "loads of options but good at none of them" multifx pedals in front of amazing clean tube tone? it would just colour it and make it sound shit, surely?? but any help at all on this subject would be greatly appreciated. with the advent of the internet, it is so easy to be misinformed so please correct me on anything (esp. the colouring thing, that worries me!) andy ps. first post. woop!
voodoorider	Nov 28 2008, 03:17 PM Post #2
Garry Posts: 673 Group: Members Member #8,964 Joined: November 3, 2008	If my head wasn't pounding I'd be much more forward coming with a more detailed answer! I have a VOX AD60VT.. which is a really really nice amp, it has a tube in the output stage and i think it sounds awesome, if you read the manual properly about how the controls interact differently with each amp model it's possible to get any tone you want, from jazz to death metal and everything in between. It has plenty of pre-sets and built in effects and is about £400 i think, they do a neodymium magnet version which is even louder and slightly lighter too. One gripe i have about the amp is that the grille cloth has come away from the piping where the piping has expanded a little in heat i guess. That's one suggestion for you anyway As far as the Modeling/hybrid thing.. modeling amps are solid state and model sounds.. hybrid modeling amps do the same thing but have a transistor based pre-amp section and a tube power amp section. So they have an actual valve in there somewhere...
	Guitars: PRS CU 22 R/W neck | Organic Classic | Heritage H-150 | Fender Eric Clapton Strat | Fender Deluxe Ash strat, scalloped | 2001 USA std Telecaster | 2008 USA std Telecaster | 1996 Gibson Les Paul standard | PRS Santana SE | Maverick X1 | Epiphone SG | Freshman FA400J Amps: Orange Rockerverb 50 | Mesa Boogie Electradyne | Traynor YCV40T | VOX AD60VT | Fender Pro 185 | Zoom Fire 15
Artheus	Nov 28 2008, 03:58 PM Post #3
Member Posts: 31 Group: Members Member #8,647 Joined: July 5, 2008	I'm useing a Line 6 Spider II (150W) and I am not that happy... Voodoorider, do You think You could upload a sound sample? I know how it sounds on clean but it would be great to hear it's Metal side 'Cause I guess I need a new AMP... Edited by Artheus, Nov 28 2008, 03:59 PM.
	Ibanez RG 1570 Line 6 Spider II 212 Marshall JCM 25/50 2554 (1987) ARS LONGA, VITA BREVIS
monwobobbo	Nov 28 2008, 04:34 PM Post #4
Posts: 1,032 Group: Moderator Member #8,625 Joined: June 23, 2008	not a fan of modeling amps per se. line 6 and the peavey vypyr stuff sounds very generic to me. they have them at Guitar Center (i'm in the US) for people to try out guitars with and every guitar sounds pretty much the same no matter what guitar or who's playing them. go with a tube amp especially if you're going for a page sound. if you're on a budget then get a peavey valveking or perhaps one of the V series amps from crate. multi-fx units have their uses but not for distortion. get a good pedal for that. i think that you will find that after hearing a great distorion tone from a tube amp that you might not feel the urge to slop on alot of fx. i usually add a little delay for solos and a wha occasionally if the song calls for it. oh and for the record a 30 watt tube amp will bury a 30 watt solid state amp volume wise so you may find that you don't need mega watts if you go tube. i use a Crate V32 and believe me its loud and works fine for band practice etc.
	and now for something completely different
voodoorider	Nov 28 2008, 06:48 PM Post #5
Garry Posts: 673 Group: Members Member #8,964 Joined: November 3, 2008	Artheus.. if you go to the Vox website, under support, go to videos, and check out the Valvetronix XL series, that's geared more toward metal tones in general and will sound better than a crappy webcam mic recorded demo i could do Check out the Chrome video for the regular kinda AD series, i don't quite get how mine differs. it's a bit more expensive and only comes in 60 and 120 watt, i think it just has a few more effects and the control layout is much nicer i think personally. I can't specifficaly find anything demo wise on the AD60VT though, they used to have a soundbyte section that ran through all the different amps it covered, but i can't find it anymore :/
	Guitars: PRS CU 22 R/W neck | Organic Classic | Heritage H-150 | Fender Eric Clapton Strat | Fender Deluxe Ash strat, scalloped | 2001 USA std Telecaster | 2008 USA std Telecaster | 1996 Gibson Les Paul standard | PRS Santana SE | Maverick X1 | Epiphone SG | Freshman FA400J Amps: Orange Rockerverb 50 | Mesa Boogie Electradyne | Traynor YCV40T | VOX AD60VT | Fender Pro 185 | Zoom Fire 15
Artheus	Nov 28 2008, 09:59 PM Post #6
Member Posts: 31 Group: Members Member #8,647 Joined: July 5, 2008	Thanz for that Will do!!!
	Ibanez RG 1570 Line 6 Spider II 212 Marshall JCM 25/50 2554 (1987) ARS LONGA, VITA BREVIS
slicepack	Dec 11 2008, 02:55 PM Post #7
Member Posts: 57 Group: Members Member #8,993 Joined: November 15, 2008	My main amp is a Line6 Flextone III modelling amp which like - very versatile and convenient.
	Nick Nick's Guitar Service & Repair

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