Need some advice from all you gurus...

I'm getting ready to finally get away from the 'practice' gear and get some stuff that I can really enjoy using. I don't gig now but I will be doing a lot of playing with friends upon my return to Canada (currently living abroad)(. I am looking at a few things and would like your input:

1. POD XT Live with a solid keyboard amp: it seems that a lot of people, including a good friend of mine, prefer to run their POD through a keybaord amp. Any thoughts?

2. Vox Tonelab SE: I'm leaning toward the POD though just for ease of use and programming via computer

3. Ampeg Jet 15 watt: the rave reviews kinda speak for themselves

4. Vox AC15CC: Great reviews, tube amp, and vintage tone. Can't ask for more than that.

I was thinking of getting the POD and AC15 but I've read that by using both together, the POD would make me lose some of the tone of the amp. Any thoughts on my options? Thanks

Jason

If you want to have lots of sound options, go for the modeling things. If you prefer to have one nice and versatile amp sound, go for a small tube amp. My personal opinion is that the amp models start to sound alike after awhile, or at least they tend to have some common nuances that make them less usable. Also I noticed you have more than one electric guitar, so my vote goes to a nice tube amp. I haven't played the chinese Voxes, nor the Ampegs but they both might be very good and have a reasonable price. There are lots of other options available, so check the market, make your choice, and play.

I just bought an Ampeg JetII 15 watt (by the way, Ampeg has discontinued them this year along with all of the other Blue Diamond series).

Killer little amp - amazing Vibrato and Reverb. Plenty of punch too. Swapped the stock Sovtek EL84 power tubes for a matched pair of Electro Harmonix - really broadened the sound.

If you are intereseted in one of these and can't find one, let me know - I might be persuaded out of mine if you're here in the States (just paid a giant tax bill to Uncle Sam that I'm going to have to purge some inventory).

Hi Jason!

I played around for the past 2-3 years to find my perfect tone. During this time I also tested a POD XT Live through various amps, including a Vox AC30 CC (that's the new china thingy), a Marshall MG100, a few Fenders ( Twins and Deluxe Reverbs) as well as Kitty Hawks and a H&K Switchblade.

I also tested the Korg AX1500 and Guitar-Rig 2 from NI.

First of all it doesn't make too much sense to run a modeler through the front of a tube-amp. The only reasonable sound I got was by going into the power-amp only, bypassing all pre-amps (for example going into the effect-return of the AC30). Which of course is a real waste. Also after you play some time with modelers most emulations start to sound similar. For the POD at least I have to say that the FX part is really cool and usable.

However, there are a numer of REAL drawbacks: the "feeling", the "reaction" of a tube-amp are by far more direct then of any modeler. Another one is that I started to play too much with the setup of the modeler instead of playing the guitar ( :-? ).

Most of the emulations sound fairly good by the way, but they never sound like the real Mc Coy.

So after many months of toying around I went back to good old basic tube-amps (EL34-my favorite, a Mark-IV, a Kitty Hawk and a Fender Twin Reverb . The only effect I use is a Fulltone Tube Tape and I use the EL34 for distortion. It's just so much more fun, and you never get the same feeling with a modeler.

My advise is to get a real tube-amp, unless you need the versatiliy you get from POD or Guitar Rig for studio work. Then this is the best (easiest) solution. Then I would prefer Guitar Rig.

Btw: this Ampeg got my interest, never played it. Must get hold of one.

Cheers. Rupert

I use a Marshall AVT valvestate 2000 100w 3 channels combo in the spare bedroom plugged straight in
Playing live a Mashall 100w twin stack also i will use a Boss GT6 effects pedal.Try one they will blow you away,but i wont live long enough even to 125 to work it all out
BUT you cant beat a AC30 from the late 60s if you have the dollar

But this is just my opinion :wink:

POD XT Live with a solid keyboard amp: it seems that a lot of people, including a good friend of mine, prefer to run their POD through a keybaord amp. Any thoughts?

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I understand that a lot of the players here own "boutique" valve amps...and that's great for them...really it is...BUT..
To get the most from a good multi-effects/modelling unit you're better off running it through a clean transistor amp.
Hence the comment you've heard from ppl running theirs through keyboard amps.
I use a B-52 100 watt tranny amp with a ZOOM G2.U via the clean channel.
I kick in the overdrive channel for solo's as a boost/tone change and this setup work briliantly.
With a clean channel,unaffected by the amp's gain stage,I have one model setup for a SRV tone with my strat...another with a more saturated Gary Moore tone for my LP...and a third setup for my V.
Plus I have a WAH model...delays....phase...etc etc.
All these run through the one channel...I only have to go to the patch on the ZOOm...then step on the boost for leads....not too much tap dancing on pedals.

Wow guys this is exactly what I wanted! Thanks so much for the insight.

Marcus: I've been looking at the Ampegs as well. What model number is the Jet II? I have only seen the J1T BLue Diamond and the Super Jet on the sites in Canada. I would be interested in yours but shipping from Texas to East Coast Canada would kill me P.S. How was the guitar show you went to? Lost of candy and severe case of GAS I assume???

rgrafend: You bring up a very good point about wasting too much time with effects. I'm not much into using flangers, fuzz, etc. Maybe I would be better served by just getting an good tube amp.

Rossi: As far as a 60's AC30, I seriously doubt that's gonna be in my price range and I don't even know the price! Upon my return to Canada I'll be back in school so...

Outsider and Ozeshin: Thanks for your opinions. I'll probably be ordering from here to my home so it'll be waiting for me when I arrive. So I guess I've got some thinking to do. :-?

Again, thanks guys.

Jason

P.S. Are all Vox amps made in China nowadays? How can you tell which are and which aren't? Thanks

What Ozeshin says is right on for a modern approach.
Also Amplitube 2 sounds pretty good to me.
If you want to do it the old way there is nothing better than a late 1970's Marshall Master Volume 50 watt amp IMO.
It's got that true Marshall tone but can do just about anything from death metal to the Artic Monkeys.
A classic amp for recording and gigging IMO.
For big places that I've played I'd mike it through the PA and for practise I'd just set the volume level so I wouldn't drown out the drummer.
Gets a 9.4 out of 10 from 44 respones on the Harmony Central reviews. Of course there's always some idiot that will bring the rating down because they were not happy with the colour of the amp or some other trivial thing.

http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar+Amp/product/Marshall/2204+JMP+MKII+Master+Volume+Lead/10/1

Chinese Vox I know are post 2.003 models with chinese spekers(including Blue Alnicos), CC-1 and CC-2 models.I tried an CC-1 and I felt it good enough, very clean(and very heavy weight too),it was good sounding with a Rickenbaker and a 335 style guitar....

Big Willie Style said:

Wow guys this is exactly what I wanted! Thanks so much for the insight.

Marcus: I've been looking at the Ampegs as well. What model number is the Jet II? I have only seen the J1T BLue Diamond and the Super Jet on the sites in Canada. I would be interested in yours but shipping from Texas to East Coast Canada would kill me P.S. How was the guitar show you went to? Lost of candy and severe case of GAS I assume???

Click to expand...

The model number is J-12T - yeah, shipping would be pretty expensive. Keep an eye on Ebay for one. I paid $399 for mine and bought a nice padded Tuki cover for it. Played it yesterday during band rehearsal with my Edwards LP Junior with the amp tone rolled down to about three - made that P90 sound really fat.....

There was plenty of eye candy at the guitar show. One of my bandmates bought a MINT 1962 Gibson SG (with Les Paul on the truss rod cover, folding jacknife trem arm, original case, strings, hang tags and a picture of the owner as a kid with the guitar as a Christmas present in 63) for the tidy sum of $34,000. Little rich for my blood but this guitar is a museum qualtiy piece that'll only go up in value.

Sweet Mother that's a lot of $ for a guitar!

If you can justify the expense go for a Mesa F50, i have had loads of amps over the years including vintage marshalls but absolutely nothing comes close to this thing, it is the only combo bar one with a 5 star rate from the mags it can do everything for blues to metal and it is simple to use its two channels. Sounds more like a Marshall than a Marshall. Probably pick one up for round about ?500 s/h. It will not dissapoint!!

Raymie

Be patriotic,try and find aTraynor tube amp from the 70`s .I particularly like the YGM 3 combo 25 watts of point to point EL84 driven heaven and dirt cheap too,see the reviews on Harmony Central ,if you don`t believe me.Canada rules OK.

$34,000 for a LPSG. I sold my one in 1984 for ?550 :lol: