Jump to content

Beginners amp!


thecornman

Recommended Posts

  • Members

A buddy's daughter is just starting out on guitar and he has asked me advise on getting her a amp with a headphone jack! I have no idea what to suggest to him, because it has been a long time since I have looked into these kind of things. Doubt he wants to spend a fortune on something, but I am sure he would want to get her something new, because it would be a christmas present. Probably would be good to get her something with some built in effects as well. So what say you?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 56
  • Created
  • Last Reply
  • Members

God help me...

Fender G-Dec...Blackstar, Vox, etc are nice, but for a beginner, something with looping, phrase training, effects, amp sims, rhythm tracks, etc are really valuable.

I personally hate the tone of the G-Dec-at least the first generation(haven't tried the newer version) but for a beginner, it's really the only way to go...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

ok, {censored} it. Mesa Mark III. The Mark V is probably too fiddly for a beginner, but with the Mark III, she's got classic tweed tones on tap, as well as some Marshall flavor and the "only-in-a-Mesa" lead channel.

Also consider a pre-'99 Vox TBX series(AC15 or AC30)...they not only have the celestion blues, but true-tube rectifying in the power section. They'll spend a little more but believe me, it's worth it.

Finally, I know we're talking amps, but it's worth mentioning that with a Godin SA guitar, she can perform every part in "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen. Tell him not to be cheap here, either and spring for one of the $2000 Godins(and don't forget the Roland guitar synth or it'll be useless!)






biggrin.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

ok, {censored} it. Mesa Mark III. The Mark V is probably too fiddly for a beginner, but with the Mark III, she's got classic tweed tones on tap, shimmering Fender-like cleans, as well as some Marshall flavor and the "only-in-a-Mesa" lead channel.

Also consider a pre-'99 Vox TBX series(AC15 or AC30)...they not only have the celestion blues, but true-tube rectifying in the power amp section. They'll spend a little more but believe me, it's worth it.

Finally, I know we're talking amps, but it's worth mentioning that with a Godin SA guitar, she can perform every part in "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen. Tell him not to be cheap here, either and spring for one of the $2000 Godins(and don't forget the Roland guitar synth or it'll be useless!)






biggrin.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members
Quote Originally Posted by mrbrown49 View Post
A Fender Mustang I would be a great first practice amp. I wish my first amp sounded as good as those.
I really think that's the best answer. So much bang for the buck on those. Specifically they have a wide range of voices and fx so it's a more versatile AND affordable amp than most.


I have around 25 amps in the house and I thought about parting with my Mustang I (when a new electric guitar player I know was looking for a starter amp) but I decided to hang onto it for my bedroom amp. I was playing through it just this morning and enjoying its tone. And my plan was that if I did get rid of the Mustang I, I would have replaced it with the Mustang III.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I think the youngins of today that can find their way through iPhones and iPads without any instruction manuals will not falter with the relative ease of the Mustang amps. More bells and whistles often encourages keeping up the interest. I'm a Pathfinder fan too, but the Mustangs have a lot more voices that it does well. The Pathfinder, in comparison, is more of a one trick pony until you start adding stomp boxes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Okay thanks for the suggestions guys! I will let him know that the Mustang I and Vox Pathfinder seem to get alot of recommondations. It will be up to him to decide if she would want more bells and whistles in there. I just had no clue on what was out there these days for this kind of thing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members
Quote Originally Posted by honeyiscool View Post
yeah but you listen to the music that youngins of today want to play, and pathfinder is great for that. so the one trick the pony can do is a good one.
I dunno, I know what kind you like (which works well with Vox tones), but it seems like a lot of the youngsters like heavier music as well. But I do grant you that the Pathfinder tends to "sound bigger than an 8-incher" a bit more so than the Mustang I does. But I do think the gadgetry of the Mustang I is a significant plus on its side. So I would think the Pathfinder 15R would be good for a beginners' amp for a classic Vox tone, but the Mustang I for a beginner if the buyer wants more versatility.

The Roland MicroCubes mentioned above are good amps, but they excel more on the heavier/metal tones. On the one I currently have, the 20X, the Tube Drive channel is the only one I like. It has a bit of bluesy warmth to it at the right gain levels, but I prefer the Pathfinders cleans and the Mustangs' classic Fender tones.
I very recently got the Yamaha THR10, and I was surprised that it farts out more readily than I would have expected with all the kudos being thrown its way these days. But if it's aimed directly at you with the volume down, it is indeed impressive for creating a rather amazing spatial characteristic to its sound. But I would think a young player would also want to be able to rock their room, so I would eliminate that one since it's designed for a more educated (apparently even more so than mine biggrin.gif) set of expectations.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I had a Roland Cube 15X, I thought the Overdrive channel is rather nice and I always liked the clean channel on it. I think Roland MicroCubes are a bit of a toy but the Cube is a good example of an easy to use digital amp that still gets pretty good tones. It's a bit out of fashion in the wake of Vox VT20+ and Fender Mustang I but I think Roland Cubes are pretty darn good. They were the standard practice amp for a while and their reputation is well earned.

Speaking of which, though, the Vox VT20+ is another fantastic 8" combo amp. The 12AX7 in the "power" circuit adds a different dimension to the tone.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I had a Roland Cube 15X, I thought the Overdrive channel is rather nice and I always liked the clean channel on it. I think Roland MicroCubes are a bit of a toy but the Cube is a good example of an easy to use digital amp that still gets pretty good tones. It's a bit out of fashion in the wake of Vox VT20+ and Fender Mustang I but I think Roland Cubes are pretty darn good. They were the standard practice amp for a while and their reputation is well earned.

Speaking of which, though, the Vox VT20+ is another fantastic 8" combo amp. The 12AX7 in the "power" circuit adds a different dimension to the tone.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

The Vox Pathfinder(15R specifically) is a personal favorite of mine when it comes to solid state. The tone is so genuinely Vox it's astonishing.

I'm still with GASman here...it's a one-trick pony-if you don't take my advice and go G-Dec, the Mustang is the clear choice for a beginner if the options are Pathfinder and Mustang...no comparison.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members
Quote Originally Posted by bjcarl View Post
I'm still with GASman here......-if you don't take my advice and go G-Dec...
I've actually bought 3 G-Decs

First a Thirty. The tone wasn't that great, but upgraded with an Eminence Copperhead for about $65, the tone improved remarkably.

Then a G-Dec Exec (with actual wood sides) that I bought for my son.

But then when the Three Thirty came out, I let my stepson keep (he was borrowing it) my first G-Dec 30 and I got one of those for the upgraded backing tracks, down-load capability and computer card reading capacity.

I actually (come to remember) bought a 4th one when the prices of the 30 dropped down to around $145 on clearance and gave it to my son, so he now has two icon_lol.gif But at that price, I couldn't resist. The one I got of that last generation I got on sale, and I got the "Blues Edition" for $291. it could also use that same speaker upgrade, but I'm not as sure how "compatible" that would now be since the last generation has a tweeter built in addition. But I've been running mine into a 100W Kustom PA with a 15" woof and horn tweet, so it sounds huge biggrin.gif




But my point for quoting this, is indeed the D-Dec does have more bells and whistles than just about anything out there. It's not only buying an amp, it's buying an amp with a backup band. I think the basic tones of the Pathfinder or Mustang are a bit better, but the G-Dec is more, it really is a "Guitar Digital Entertainment Center" and in that respect, it really does offer a lot of engaging features for a beginner. I also bought several of the Hal Leonard G-Dec books that comes with sheet music and computer card loaded backing tracks for the G-Dec system. They're pretty cool and not too pricey.

Just don't know if they are still available at those killer close-out prices of around $150-ish
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Vox Pathfinder and Fender Mustang are both great options.
Another option, believe it or not, is one of the Rogue (MF House brand) amps. They have the Rogue SC80 2x10 combo on sale for $99 right now. I happen to have one and it's a perfectly capable amp.
They 15 w 1x6.5 combo is also on sale for $39.99.
Both have headphone outputs.

-Kit

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members
Quote Originally Posted by honeyiscool View Post
Yeah, I feel like fewer knobs the better with beginner amps, I'd take a Pathfinder over a Mustang, but that's me.
Speaking as a sort-of beginner, I'd disagree. I bought a simple amp at first (cheap transistor Fender) but rapidly grew bored with it. I'd suggest a Mustang as a decent starter. I've pretty much stuck with multifunction stuff myself (POD XT, RP500) and haven't had too many issues with the buttons.

Yes, they won't be able to dial in a good tone at first, but there are a hundred factory presents on these things. Many aren't very good, but then again perfect tone is the least of the concerns of a beginner. What they give you is a lot of presets that are "good enough"- no, it's not a perfect copy of AC/DC or whatever, but it's fairly close and you get to sound kind of like the player you want to be. Don't underestimate how important this is for a beginner- I remember the first time I played with a patch that matched Gilmour's tone on Wish You Were Here. I practiced that intro riff *far* harder than I would have otherwise. Playing it note for note and having it sound right was a huge deal.

Plus, they double as a computer interface, which is a help both ways. Modern notation and track slowing software are amazing tools in learning, plus you have a built in recorder to save your progress.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


×
×
  • Create New...