Hello,
I'm looking for a new amp for $300. I don't want a modelling amp. I had a Marshall with 100 presets and it was overwhelming. I prefer that it has new technoloy like the latest USB and BlueTooth. Still trying to decide between tube and solid state. Can you even buy a tube amp at that price?
Thanks,
Greg Hinkle
Equipment is very personal Greg, so I would never make a recommendation. But if you are willing to look at the off brand market, little tubers are going pretty cheap.
If you are willing to look at the used market, $300 will get you a brand name tube amp at pretty fair power. That comes in handy if one of your friends has a drum kit. So you might want to think about that.
This pic is my Fender Hot Rod Deluxe IV, which I just picked up for $969 CAD new. But on the used market around here, the III can be had for $400. So if you are in the US, a $300 budget is certainly workable for a brand name tube amp with some serious poke. But I've never seen Bluetooth in an amp like this. They might be out there, I just haven't seen them.
I love looking around for gear. Do some research, think about what you want to do with it** and good luck. Let us know what you get.
** If you want to run pedals, get something with an effects loop.
This year the diet is definitely gonna stick!
Hi Greg,
As we don't know which Marshall you had, whether it was Marshall by coincidence because it was your first amp or you specifically bought Marshall for Marshallesque tones etc. Some idea of your intended use for it i.e, home, how loud you want to go -or not, and tones you're after would be a help in making recommendations.
As an owner player of all three types, it appears to me that your requirements are in conflict. Any amp currently coming with features like integrated BT [u]and[/u] "latest USB" integrated is invariably going to be a solid state digital modelling amp.
I get the straightforward without a zillion patchable presets totally, but a tube amp combo with its own idiosyncrisies and maintenance is not what you're really after in reality from the gist of your post.
BT can be solved easily with a quality BT receiver/transmitter selectable adapter. They aren't expensive and are much more flexible than integrated BT, especially if owning more than a single amp, and with the plus of being easily upgraded. I use a lagless TaoTronics.
USB? Well either a unit has it or it doesn't. I've yet to see any contemporary amp featuring other than an ancient original mini USB (1) port or or capable of utilising later than USB 2.0. Have you?
So trying to advise on the scant info you've provided without knowing whether you want 40W or 100W, and tones you're after is a lucky dip.
As a starting point for you to consider, I can personally recommend the Fender Champion range as meeting the [u]straightforward, versatile[/u] and a [u]pleasure to use[/u] criteria. No USB though. I have the 100 2x12" combo. Very nice cleans, and very capable of dirty although I wouldn't recommend Champions as preferred if metal is your thing. Solid state is better in a big amp if intended to double in use at low volumes at home for learning/practice. This amp can get very loud, so the 40W is arguably preferred in that application. The proprietary Fender speakers are remarkable at the price point. I can recommend the Champion series without encumberance of Fender brand fanboyism. I don't own a single Fender brand guitar, but I do like the tone, simplicity, functionality and value of their amps sufficent to buy and still own two of them.
PS. If you have your heart set on a tube amp regardless, tonally this is "to die for". NEW, it's over your proposed budget, but if you're about a tube amp, price isn't a primary criteria. I have its 'grown up' sibling or predecessor, Blackstar's Artist 30W in Blonde which also uses ECC83 preamp valves and 6L6 poweramp valves, but I'd happily settle for the new Studio 10.
Edit Addendum: If you want tube/valve tones without the hassle, have a look at the Blackstar solid state range with the TVP (suffix) feature. Blackstar have recently superseded the ID Series TVP amps with the Silverline Series new look cabinets, but essentially the guts of the equivalent models are the same save now featuring Celestion branded speakers. The caveat they do feature the zillion editable patchable presets included. But, you don't have to use them and can just leave it in manual mode or with one of the initial preferred defaults 100% of the time if preferred. I do use them, as the presets are useful, and importantly, ergonomically user friendly.
The aspect of these amps that rates them mention here is that between ISF and valve type emulation selectable TVP the way they've been implemented in these amps, they deliver incredible tonal versatility. No regular tube replacement nor biasing maintenance. I swear. I was sceptical, but was just blown away by mine in how favourably it compares with my Artist 30 6L6 tones [u]and[/u] volume.
I am in the same boat, and as a beginner I settled on the Fender Mustang I v2.
It is a modelling amp, but it is very easy to use, and you can add a lot of presets graphically from a computer.
It only costs $140, and for a beginner it´s way more than enough.
Just my 2 cents
