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What do you recommend for a small, solid-state practice amp?


heymisterk

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Hi All,

 

It's time to buy a practice amp. I have actually never owned one, but I don't always feel like going into my basement and plugging into my Mesa-Boogie combo, which is what I normally have to do.

 

I am looking to spend less than $200, and really do want a solid state amp just for the ease and reliability.

 

Think: "Amp to keep next to the couch and play through during commercial breaks." Suggestions please?

 

Thanks!

Jeff

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I hear ya, Murph, and I can empathize. But basically I am just looking for some sound on the cheap.

 

I was thinking about the Pignose. I like the design: You get one knob.

 

I was just kiddin'. I knew a guy that had a Pignose when I was a kid learning. I used it a time or two. They were very cool.

 

[thumbup]

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Look into the Fender Mustangs.

I have the Mustang One which is 20 watts with an 8" speaker.

The Mustang line are modeling amps, so it has built in special effects and can emulate the sound of other amps from clean to mean.

My model was $100 from Amazon.

 

http://www.fender.com/products/mustang

 

They have videos at the above URL, and the 'Tube is loaded with them too.

The one below is the one I have.

 

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I was just kiddin'. I knew a guy that had a Pignose when I was a kid learning. I used it a time or two. They were very cool.

 

[thumbup]

 

Murph,

 

Been awhile since I have been on here, but when I was on here last, you must have been taking a leave of absence...

 

Glad you're back.

 

All - Thanks for the tips. I am going to check out all of them.

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I have a Pignose guitar...it has one nose (not knob [biggrin] )

 

The amps are fun too

 

As are the various Vox's's, including the excellent Valvetronics

 

Laney Prism is cheap and possesses great models

 

Roland Cubes are also good

 

Too much choice really

 

Not forgetting Marshalls various...

 

V

 

:-({|=

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I like my Bugera V5 for what you intend on using it for. It is very loud set to 5 Watts. And has a nice tubey break up at lower volumes on the 1 Watt setting. It also has a 1/10 Watt setting for head phones. However, it only has one channel so a certain amount of gain is always present.

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Why not just browse Guitar Center's website for SS amps under $200 and see what your options are? I have owned a Roland Cube 15 and Fender Mustang I. Sound wise, I liked the Cube better but it didn't have all those snazzy effects. Also, had a Vox Pathfinder for a little while but it crapped out on me. The amp I keep next to the couch and play during commercial breaks is now a Greta.

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I think you will like it.

I may get another one to give to my son (just got him a 2012 PRS SE Semi-Hollow) or I will end up giving him mine.

I have three amps now, but I may miss it :D

The effects built in are kind of cool, but not as good as a stand alone stomp pedal.

 

Yes, give us a demo when you get it.

I wish the cheaper ones had the LED readout panel though.

The pricier Mustangs have a LED panel that shows you the amp model you selected, and the effects.

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I was going to recommend either the little Mustang or something like the Kustom Sienna 30 Acoustic Guitar Combo Amp.

 

The former for reasons you already know...

 

The $150 latter because it offers the opportunity to run a mike through one side, guitar through the other - and run the combination easily as a small venue gig solution or into a computer for recording. I have the older version of it, and would rapidly replace it were it to go belly up. I wouldn't say it's super, but the one I got some 7-8 years ago is still tickin' and running quite nicely. If you don't like having just reverb and chorus - which is plenty for most of what I do - it also handles a pedal setup rather nicely. For recording... it's like a mini-mixer and front end for computer recording if you use a USB adapter for the line out.

 

m

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I own a few peactice amps.

Roland MicroCube

Vox DA-5

Marshall MG 30DFX

But without a doubt the Fender G DEC 3 30 kicks ***. It is similar to the Fender Mustang series but in my minde has more and better features. MP3 backing tracks and that cheesey sounding MIDI crap. The features are just too many to mention but you can tweak all the amp models and effects from your connected PC via Fender Fuse software. They stopped making these in favor of the stripoed down Mustang series but you can still find one.

I guarantee you will not be dissapointed by what this amp can do.

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I own a few peactice amps.

Roland MicroCube

Vox DA-5

Marshall MG 30DFX

But without a doubt the Fender G DEC 3 30 kicks ***. It is similar to the Fender Mustang series but in my mind has more and better features. MP3 backing tracks and not the cheesey sounding MIDI crap. The features are just too many to mention but you can tweak all the amp models and effects from your connected PC via Fender Fuse software. They stopped making these in favor of the stripoed down Mustang series but you can still find one.

I guarantee you will not be dissapointed by what this amp can do.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCF267KHEPg

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvU6ZVx8--c&feature=fvwrel

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I've had one of these, since they first came out in the 80's. Don't play it much but it has always worked when I plug it in and slap in a fresh battery. I think I paid $30 for it brand new back in the day.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Fender-mini-amp-cabinet-MA-10-1980-s-nice-/160876684219?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2574ff63bb

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