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Best Tube Amp for the money. Need your help


Cowhelmet

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Well my amp just died (solid state, line6 spider 2). Now I'm in the market for a new amp. I don't have a ton of money to spend, and am looking to spend between 350-450 on a used tube amp.

 

Please help me out. What in everyones infinite wisdom is the most bang for the buck. I had my eye on a Peavey Valveking 2x12, combo. The guy is asking $350.

 

Is this the right direction? Check out my bands sound if need be @ www.myspace.com/woolandwater.

 

Any input is welcome.

 

Thanks,

 

Dan

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Yeah ... can't go wrong with Peavey.

 

Don't be an effete "tubular-purist", and believe vintage tube amps, and "boutique"-amps (hate that word!) are the greatest things since sliced-bread.

 

Vintage tube amps sound great in a studio or your bedroom. A Peavey amp is better choice for stage-use applications. Peavey amps are true "road-warriors", seldom (ever?) breaking down. Dead reliable. Also, great "bang-for-the-buck" in the value department. Retain value, also.

 

I think (?) they are all still made in the good 'ole USA (Mississippi).

 

 

"TAPS" -- the 24 toughest notes in music

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Yeah ... can't go wrong with Peavey.


Don't be an effete "tubular-purist", and believe vintage tube amps, and "boutique"-amps (hate that word!) are the greatest things since sliced-bread.


Vintage tube amps sound great in a studio or your bedroom. A Peavey amp is better choice for stage-use applications. Peavey amps are true "road-warriors", seldom (ever?) breaking down. Dead reliable. Also, great "bang-for-the-buck" in the value department. Retain value, also.


I think (?) they are all still made in the good 'ole USA (Mississippi).


 

 

All true, pretty much sums it up. The only other amps I would recommend in that range are maybe a Blues Jr, but if you can definitely give Traynor a test drive. Traynor can do your sound all day long. Built like a tank in Canada. You can get a brand new YCV20WR for about another $100 bucks.

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Well thanks for the help guys. Im going to look into traynor. The peavey is probably going to be the end choice though. After my last amp failure, im looking forward to owning something reliable.

 

Thanks again

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Well my amp just died (solid state, line6 spider 2). Now I'm in the market for a new amp. I don't have a ton of money to spend, and am looking to spend between 350-450 on a used tube amp.


Please help me out. What in everyones infinite wisdom is the most bang for the buck. I had my eye on a Peavey Valveking 2x12, combo. The guy is asking $350.


Is this the right direction? Check out my bands sound if need be @
www.myspace.com/woolandwater
.


Any input is welcome.


Thanks,


Dan

My suggestions would depend on your intended usage, desired features, and what you want for tones.

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I do sound for an open mic every wednesday and we let people bring their own stuff as opposed to making them play through a backline that doesn't fit them.

 

A few weeks back, a guy I know brings his Crate Vintage 30 (or whatever they call it, the 30 watter). I throw a mic on it and I gotta tell you, it sounded very good. I am an amp snob for the most part and Phil played cover tunes from Hendrix to Sly Stone and had very good tone through the different channels of this thing. He is like me, basically plays with no pedals, just a wire, guitar and amp.

 

Other things I noticed recently, I played through a Peavey XXX in a studio with my band. The XXX sounds really cool by itself. Big thick distortion. It all seemed to get lost though when I played with the band.

 

In my old age, I have noticed that too much distortion is really not needed. Take Angus Young, he is a prime example of how very far, "a little" distortion will go.

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+1, but don't forget, most of the guys play metal here and will recommend gear that they think sounds good for metal.

 

 

You are probably correct ... sadly. But, that will pass ... ("all things must pass" -- George Harrison).

 

Metal-Heads ... :wave:

 

"This is the age of grossness and stupidity" -- Bill Watrous (probably the greatest Trombone-player on the planet)

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Well I managed to snag a peavey valveking 212 yesterday for 300 bucks. I'm very happy with it. The tone is amazing, the amount of variety that can be achieved with the settings is amazing.

 

Clean tones are exactly what I was looking for. My next concern is if I should take the Celestion speakers out of my line6 and throw them in this baby. I've read complaints about the stock speakers on this amp. I'm curious to see what difference in tone can be achieved by switching the stock speakers.

 

Right now I don't have 120 bucks per speaker to spend on the v30's. I'm wondering how the custom Celestion speakers stack up to the peavey ones. I'll let you guys know.

 

-Dan

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ive saw a lot of 5150's for 500 bucks.

 

 

I have't seen a 5150 go for $500 in a while. Lately they've been going for about $700 to $800 on ebay. Although, I bought mine several years ago for $450!

 

Edit:

I just realized you were talking about a combo amp. I was talking about heads. In which case I think they do go for around $500. I sold mine about 2 years ago for $550.

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Well I managed to snag a peavey valveking 212 yesterday for 300 bucks. I'm very happy with it. The tone is amazing, the amount of variety that can be achieved with the settings is amazing.


Clean tones are exactly what I was looking for. My next concern is if I should take the Celestion speakers out of my line6 and throw them in this baby. I've read complaints about the stock speakers on this amp. I'm curious to see what difference in tone can be achieved by switching the stock speakers.


Right now I don't have 120 bucks per speaker to spend on the v30's. I'm wondering how the custom Celestion speakers stack up to the peavey ones. I'll let you guys know.


-Dan

 

 

Awesome! Congrats. Let us know how the Celestion's work out. I never realized that the spider amps had celestions in them.

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