Members misterstomach Posted December 9, 2011 Members Share Posted December 9, 2011 i have the worst amp in the entire world for practice at home. i would like something better. something that sounds passably decent and will accept fuzz and distortion pedals. my current practice amp is a kind of broken piece of {censored} crate amp that i got for less than $50. it's been okay for just practicing and trying to write songs, but almost any pedal i put in front of it turns to complete unusable mud. my at home practice pedal that i use with it is a metal muff. i hate that pedal, but somehow i can dial it in so that there is a listenable dirt sound. on a normal amp the way i have it dialed would be an earsplitting shrill, harsh nightmare. but it's the only thing that's not really quiet and muddy on this amp. i don't get it. don't even care anymore. i want something that sounds okay and on which i can use pedals that i like. i have lots of cool dirt pedals that are not on my board for my band. i would like to be able to enjoy them at home. and i'd like to be a little more inspired by the sound when writing songs in my room. i'm not looking for an amp that i would ever gig or record with. i have two beautiful 100 watt vintage marshalls for my band for occasions where it matters. i don't have a lot of money to spend on my home setup and it would be dumb anyway, 'cause it's just for noodling around in my room. i'd love to spend $200 or less. solid state is fine for this. tube would cool, but it's not that important. any suggestions? are the epiphone valve jr's okay? anything else comparable? thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members panther_king Posted December 9, 2011 Members Share Posted December 9, 2011 I've seen Egnater Tweakers for around $300, if you'd be willing at all to slightly expand your budget; and those are great, high quality amps, not 'I'm settling for a bedroom amp' stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members misterstomach Posted December 9, 2011 Author Members Share Posted December 9, 2011 are those two channel heads? i really don't need one. i'm happy with a single channel that'll take a dirt pedal. i know a lot of people like those, but i'm totally happy to settle for a bedroom amp. i really don't need to spend more on more amp than i need. thanks for the suggestion though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Moustache_Bash Posted December 9, 2011 Members Share Posted December 9, 2011 EDIT: Ninja deletion, sorry. Acoustic AB50 is $150. It's a bass amp and I played it with bass, but I'm sure it would probably work for you. Go to a local Guitar Center, check it out. Another one to consider, the Fender Frontman series. My friend had the 15w one, I think. I never thought it sucked, but I never thought it was great either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members misterstomach Posted December 9, 2011 Author Members Share Posted December 9, 2011 HA HA. i see your deletion and i match it with my own! thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pelliott Posted December 9, 2011 Members Share Posted December 9, 2011 are those two channel heads? i really don't need one. i'm happy with a single channel that'll take a dirt pedal. i know a lot of people like those, but i'm totally happy to settle for a bedroom amp. i really don't need to spend more on more amp than i need. thanks for the suggestion though. It's a single channel 15 watter. Admittedly sounds damn good and takes pedals well. A small Acoustic amp like Moustache said would probably be perfect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mlabbee Posted December 9, 2011 Members Share Posted December 9, 2011 There are a few little single-ended 5 watters out there if you want tube (like the Champ 600). And hybrids like the Champ XD. And solid state/modelers like the Vox Pathfinder and Fender Mustang. Lots of options under $200. I have a Mustang III, which is a bit more, but if the cheaper models get anywhere near it, they would probably suit your needs. I'm very happy with mine and it handles pedals just fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members crohny Posted December 9, 2011 Members Share Posted December 9, 2011 Jet City or VHT. Those would be my suggestions. I'd probably lean towards the Jet City. I haven't heard anythng bad about them. I own their 4x12 and have a friend with their 20 watt head. He digs it and it sounds damn good. I have heard they take dirt pedals as long as you aren't diming the gain on them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members d4rk0 Posted December 9, 2011 Members Share Posted December 9, 2011 i got my blues jr for $300 a few years back. loved that little amp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members triviani Posted December 9, 2011 Members Share Posted December 9, 2011 Can you play a bit loud at home? Loud meaning louder than your TV set. For that price range I would check the VHT Special 6. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members t_e_l_e Posted December 9, 2011 Members Share Posted December 9, 2011 i have a line6 spider2 15w at home, it self sounds nice, with the different setting, but putting a fuzz or overdrive in front of it makes him troubles. its only useable on clean, when the pedals them self sound like you want them. adding more gain/overdrive to the modelled gain amp is mud again i would also recommend one of the 5w tube combos, but be aware those are not bedroom amps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members HeartfeltDawn Posted December 9, 2011 Members Share Posted December 9, 2011 Peavey Bandit. Cheap, reliable, get one with the Scorpion speaker installed. Good headroom and takes pedals very well. I picked up two for about Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members recovery Posted December 9, 2011 Members Share Posted December 9, 2011 I had one of those Vox AD Series modeling amps for a while and thought it sounded great, and ideal for "bedroom" level playing. I see them used all the time for between $100-$150. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members NetStar Posted December 9, 2011 Members Share Posted December 9, 2011 Fender Mustang II? meant to sound good ad you get all the digital wizardry there too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Poltergeist Posted December 9, 2011 Members Share Posted December 9, 2011 Jet City 20H, Acoustic Control combos, VHT Ultra 6. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Let It Burn... Posted December 9, 2011 Members Share Posted December 9, 2011 No more love for the Vox AC4? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members t_e_l_e Posted December 9, 2011 Members Share Posted December 9, 2011 No more love for the Vox AC4? still love, but they are fairly expensive (above 200$ new)... i love the 4w 1w 1/4w switch option Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dramaticrunner Posted December 9, 2011 Members Share Posted December 9, 2011 would vote for a vox pathfinder, or a used pro jr. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AaronF Posted December 9, 2011 Members Share Posted December 9, 2011 I'll second the Egnater Tweaker - which you won't really need a pedal for since it has such good clean and distorted tones, but you could still use one nonetheless. It can also easily be pressed into service for gigs/rehearsals. The Blackstar HT-5 is great too. Blues Jr. is another good one that can be used for gig/rehearsal applications. Vox AC4s are great and I'm sure the VHT Special 6 is good, although I have never played one. Whatever you do, make sure you are playing through a good speaker. You could probably ignore that advice if you go for a modeling amp though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members lowbrow Posted December 9, 2011 Members Share Posted December 9, 2011 Peavey Bandit. Cheap, reliable, get one with the Scorpion speaker installed. Good headroom and takes pedals very well. I picked up two for about Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dparr Posted December 9, 2011 Members Share Posted December 9, 2011 Vox Pathfinder R Cheap, sounds great and takes pedals well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TravvyBear Posted December 9, 2011 Members Share Posted December 9, 2011 Pathfinder, Pro Jr, Mustang Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members starmansam Posted December 9, 2011 Members Share Posted December 9, 2011 http://www.musiciansfriend.com/bass/peavey-max-126-bass-practice-combo/481459000000000 this amp is surprisingly great. I have been using one as a guitar amp for a long while, it takes pedals, has a fun drive channel, and is pretty rad, especially for the price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members macadood Posted December 9, 2011 Members Share Posted December 9, 2011 either a used Blues Jr or a Vox Pathfinder 15r HANDS DOWN ninja Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jhamnett Posted December 9, 2011 Members Share Posted December 9, 2011 Another for the Tweaker. Love it, just know if you're playing live you gotta have the Master up at about 50% at least or else you'll sound like poo. But the low volume sounds are good enough for practice and such. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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