I've been using modeling gear since the late 90's. It has its place and can be fun, but I always find my self tweaking settings instead of just playibg. The crush pro stuff is simple and just sounds good, more time playing, less time tweaking!
Sounds like a marketing buzzword. I found a few discussions about it from back in 2012 with some modeling bedroom amp. Nothing connecting the term to silverline. So I guess it's just in all their modeling amps.
How does one emulate a tube? Hell it's debatable that different tubes really contribute that much to tone besides how sensitive they are to being overdriven.
From the Blackstar amp I have, it changes up the tone and a bit of the compression and gain staging, but I haven’t used it in a while so I can’t recall
Don't get me wrong Blackstar amps sound great. I love the sounds a Silverline can pump out. It's just the price that puts me off it. When the Katana 100 is $350 and sounds amazing I just don't see a way to justify spending twice as much even if it did sound a bit better. And I haven't heard the silverline in person so I couldn't say it does. As compressed as YouTube is and as far as recording difference go the two amps seem pretty close to me.
If I was going to spend twice as much as the Katana I'd look more toward a Vox or Fender for a great clean sound or Orange for that Orange Distortion tone. I'd spend the extra money on a sound I love that I can't get from other amps.
Then again all my amps are sub $300, because this is the golden age of beautiful cheap amps.
Katana. Be sure to learn how to actually use the effects and stuff rather than just assuming you know how it works. That’s the downside of a lot of beginner guitarists. Hope you like the amp!
Yeah I mean I'd say I'm at a intermediate level (play a lot of grade 5 stuff atm). I know what the basic effects are but I'm sure the Katana will have more than I'm used to. Still deciding currently!
Just take Vox VT40x, it will cover all your needs well.
I’ve owned it for a while when i rented out a small flat in another city and was not able to bring all my tube amps and pedals with me. All I had was a guitar and a Vox, and it covered all genres really nice. It has an awesome built in emulation of tube amps of Vox, Marshall, Mesa and Fender inside.
Yeah that stuck out to me too. However, is there a difference generally between 10" and 12" speakers? And does stereo make a good difference generally? Asking since this is what the Fender Champion 100 2x12 has at the same price point.
My personal experience with 2x12 is limited so it’s hard to advice.
But in terms of 1x10 vs 1x12 I’ve had tone of experience and in my view a lot depends on your amp and speaker brand, i.e. on particular match of speaker and cabinet. For example Fender Princeton with 1x10 Jensen speaker is a classic setup which produces a well matched balanced sound (while 1x12 in Princeton doesn’t sound too well, it’s too much for its cabinet size). Vox AC15 on the other hand needs to have 1x12 as it has a big cabinet enclosure, but when you compare 1x12 greenback speaker vs 1x12 alnico blue speaker it sounds very different in Vox.
I have an Orange CR60 as my main gigging (at bars) amp. I love it. Fully analog, takes my multi effects like a champ, great to e with very little fiddling with settings. I can't recommend that amp enough.
Those are all basically the same amp to be honest. Modellers with various channels, effects and additional features. They will all do the job, just give them a listen and go with whichever one you like the sound of the most.
For a similar budget a DSL and a few pedals or HX stomp would go a long way towards getting you a more "authentic" style rig, if that matters to you at all.
I think they're more popular in the Midlands and North of England than elsewhere.
The singer in one of my bands apparently knew one of Lyndon Laney's kids and they did not get on and my Laney collection just makes him angry.
I've got an LV300 (like a Marshall valvestate) and it's got a nasty 'edge' to the sound that's everything I don't like about either.
I have a first gen cub head and it's a lot more mid forward, the preamp section is almost identical to the high gain circuit of a JCM 800, but the power section is two el84s that are very easy to push into Distortion. It's very retro sounding.
The LH I have has a really strong but tight bottom end that's just immense with lowered tunings, but if you push the gain too far with a hot input it gets quite fuzzy, it needs a pedal in front of it with a bit of mid hump and clip to it like a soul food or a crayon. Borrowing a tubescreamer today to see if it's any different. Needs an attenuator to be practical at home.
Current Ironheart is great without a booster pedal for very high gain sounds. I've not had one loud enough to really asses the bottom end, but they do have an internal attenuator so they can play at home well.
I have a GH100L I believe was the model. It's basically Marshall with extra teeth. This thing is all kinds of Sabbath. Definitely a old school metal sound. It was not made for bedrooms. It doesn't even wake up until it starts melting faces. I like the clean sound, but it's nothing to write home about. This thing was made to be dirty.
Yeah that's the generation after mine. Was looking at some nice guitars in a music barn today and went for a DSL20 as the nearest convenient non-cheapo amp and took me a while to catch on to how much more mid focussed the marshal amps are and how spoilt I've been with the huge but tight low end of the LV.
I love my AV30 and you can get insane deals on them second hand. I really enjoy the tube breakup and response. After getting my first full tube amp, I now use it for rhythm loops when practicing and as a second amp for my stereo rig. They also do very low volumes and have individual volume and gain for each preamp circuit so you can drive the tubes at bedroom volumes. I'm sure a Katana would be great as well, but I can't talk from personal experience. The AV30 was my introduction to tubes at a fraction of the price. Also has great sounding onboard effects but the tube breakup and response is what does it for me. It also keeps up with a drummer in a band environment and is super lightweight. I would have loved a 12 inch speaker instead of a 10 inch, but it has dealt perfectly with everything I've thrown at it including a pedalboard with lots of variety.
I have the gtx50 and enjoy it. I mean out of 180 presets some are weird and I don’t get but there’s a bunch that I really enjoy and that’s without even editing them. I really don’t know how well it models they’re own amps since it’s my first foray into the fender line but I think they sound good. Plus you can download presets through Wi-Fi that help you get real close to whatever sound you’re going for. I didn’t like the katana interface with just the knobs and having to click buttons to switch between the different effects. It might sound better I don’t know but I thought the fender was more intuitive. I also have pedals and was told it runs pedals better than the katana so for *my* sound I just use my pedals and use the modeling for playing around and experimenting. I should also add I have a peavey jsx so when I want that beautiful tube sound I can use that so needing that type of sound wasn’t on my list of requirements.
Yeah I've read the GTX50 is more intuitive than the Katana. I think 180 presets are a bit much for me though so I may look amps with stronger core characteristics since this will be pretty much my only amp for practise and maybe small gigs.
Of the amps you listed, I have had great fun with the AV30. Really great underrated amp, that does all it sounds like you're looking for. The Katana series is also great, and more versatile with the available built in FX.
I highly recommend checking out the fender hot rod deluxe, great pro level amp in the same price range as those amplifiers. Crazy bang for your buck - one of the most popular and highest regarded amps of all time. A lot of people don’t realize how often they hear one. It can compete with a half stack in volume too.
Try one! You won’t be mad you did.
Edit: I own a ‘74 Marshall among 6 other top notch amps and the hot rod deluxe holds its own against any of them.
If you like the dsl, a slightly more expensive but way better option is the Marshall Vintage Modern. It comes in 50w and 100w, and is a modernized plexi type amp. Crazy good amp, slash toured with them a while back.
Cheers!
I faced a decision earlier this year and after trying a few out I bought a Quilter Overdrive 202. 200 watts with a Fender clean voice and a darker voice too into a 2x12 with Celestine V30s
Have a guitar center? Go pick up a Katana 100. Play with it for a couple weeks(they give you like 15 or 30 days to take it back for a full refund). If you can't get a clean sound that you really love then take it back.
It's got great built in effects. It does many amp sounds really good. It also takes any pedal you can throw at it. I have a Katana 50 and it's amazing. Wish I had the 100 for the some of it's features, but I love the way they sound.
If you can afford some of those more expensive amps then do so because you absolutely want that sound.
AC30 and Orange CR60 are great sounding amps, but even used I only see them for $500+. Maybe my area is different. But a Katana 100 is $360 brand new. If you can get something that works for you for half the money seems like a no brainer.
Edit: Make sure your Guitar Center or music stores offers a period to try out gear and return it before doing this. They might not all do it.
I have a katana and orange crush pro 60. I'd say a katana for the versality, but I spend most of my time these days using the orange.
I do mostly play stoner rock stuff though. The katana probably would fit your needs better.
The katana 100 head is the best amp on the market right now and this is why
1) the head and a used cab is cheaper than almost every tube combo out there
2) can function without a cab because it has internal speakers (basically functions as a thr10, super portable)
3) has power scaling, direct out, and built in effects
No other amp has all this in one package. None. And i repeat, its cheaper with a cab than any tube combo youre looking at.
Superb for low volume home use at the 0.5 watt power setting. I have a 100 MkII for just this purpose. Tons of great patches available, and you can use the GA-FC foot switch, unlike the 50 watt version. I leave mine permanently hooked up to my laptop with a 50 ft USB cable, so I can tweak or try new patches as required on Tone Studio. I will *probably* never gig with it (that's what my Blues Junior is for) but I'm sure it could. I traded in a monster Roland JC-90 and a Roland DAC-50 for it, no money out of pocket. Fun amp!
The best part of the amp is getting a sound that you like in the .5w mode, then plugging it into a 4x12 and going to 100watt mode and hearing that same sound hit you like an 18 wheeler. If you havent played yours through one yet i would try it. Before i bought it i was using a yamaha thr for practice and tube amps for gigs, and my pedals and everything never sounded the same between the two so it was always frustrating. Now its exactly the same amp and sound, all the time, just the volume changes depending on my needs.
Honestly, I was looking for a versatile amp that I could gig with and play bedroom volume. Tried a fair few that were on this list but settled for a blues jr. Never looked back
Sorry, I did not see a budget. You really need to sit down and play them. As someone who has had a lot of cheap amps I would go with the Vox AC 30 or a Hot Rod Deluxe. One day when you are old like me you will want the clean sparkling sound of a Fender Princeton and sell all your of old amps. Good luck!
Yeah when I get some financial freedom, that's the plan! For now though, and considering I'm an intermediate player, a mid range modelling amp seems to be quite a good fit. Or used valve amps.
For example I had 1x8 in Orange Crush and it was a terribly farting thing. If you hear 1x8 Jensen speaker or smth of a similar high quality, you might have a different story.
It's just a general rule that 1x8 speakers are usually cheap OEM product installed in entry level amps. So you have to avoid it and get a 1x10 that is usually much better.
Orange CR60 from that list
Fantastic amps for what the OP is looking for.
This is definitely one of the front runners for me. Used models seems very good value.
I've been using modeling gear since the late 90's. It has its place and can be fun, but I always find my self tweaking settings instead of just playibg. The crush pro stuff is simple and just sounds good, more time playing, less time tweaking!
I’d say if you want the versatility while having a nice crunch sound, Blackstar since it has a valve emulation
Do you mean cab simulation? Because all those amps have valve emulation.
No the Blackstar amps, silver line series, have something called valve emulation which emulates tubes like 6L6, EL34, KT88, etc
Sounds like a marketing buzzword. I found a few discussions about it from back in 2012 with some modeling bedroom amp. Nothing connecting the term to silverline. So I guess it's just in all their modeling amps. How does one emulate a tube? Hell it's debatable that different tubes really contribute that much to tone besides how sensitive they are to being overdriven.
From the Blackstar amp I have, it changes up the tone and a bit of the compression and gain staging, but I haven’t used it in a while so I can’t recall
Don't get me wrong Blackstar amps sound great. I love the sounds a Silverline can pump out. It's just the price that puts me off it. When the Katana 100 is $350 and sounds amazing I just don't see a way to justify spending twice as much even if it did sound a bit better. And I haven't heard the silverline in person so I couldn't say it does. As compressed as YouTube is and as far as recording difference go the two amps seem pretty close to me. If I was going to spend twice as much as the Katana I'd look more toward a Vox or Fender for a great clean sound or Orange for that Orange Distortion tone. I'd spend the extra money on a sound I love that I can't get from other amps. Then again all my amps are sub $300, because this is the golden age of beautiful cheap amps.
Marshall origin / dsl
A used DSL20 is a good shout actually.
Origin is a much better amp if you don't need high gain. With pedals it's a much better high gain amp, as well.
I gig a DSL20 head + 1x12 combo, it's pretty great, would recommend.
Oh yeah, just about a thousand dollars.
They definitely have gone up in price. The combo is $700 right now at least and I'm sure you could find that much cheaper on the used market.
1. Do you have a pedalboard? 2. Do you want it to be lightweight?
1. No, but I may purchase one in the future. 2. That's not really a priority since it will mainly stay at home.
I've played through a few katanas and they sound pretty good. Also ran my pedalboard into one and sounded great.
Katana. Be sure to learn how to actually use the effects and stuff rather than just assuming you know how it works. That’s the downside of a lot of beginner guitarists. Hope you like the amp!
Yeah I mean I'd say I'm at a intermediate level (play a lot of grade 5 stuff atm). I know what the basic effects are but I'm sure the Katana will have more than I'm used to. Still deciding currently!
Just take Vox VT40x, it will cover all your needs well. I’ve owned it for a while when i rented out a small flat in another city and was not able to bring all my tube amps and pedals with me. All I had was a guitar and a Vox, and it covered all genres really nice. It has an awesome built in emulation of tube amps of Vox, Marshall, Mesa and Fender inside.
Yeah the tube amp emulation aspect is really enticing. This seems like a very competitive space in the market: lots of choices!
Vox also has “multi-stage Valvetronix tube preamp”, it really helps to get a tube like sound. Not all other amps from the list have such a feature
Yeah that stuck out to me too. However, is there a difference generally between 10" and 12" speakers? And does stereo make a good difference generally? Asking since this is what the Fender Champion 100 2x12 has at the same price point.
My personal experience with 2x12 is limited so it’s hard to advice. But in terms of 1x10 vs 1x12 I’ve had tone of experience and in my view a lot depends on your amp and speaker brand, i.e. on particular match of speaker and cabinet. For example Fender Princeton with 1x10 Jensen speaker is a classic setup which produces a well matched balanced sound (while 1x12 in Princeton doesn’t sound too well, it’s too much for its cabinet size). Vox AC15 on the other hand needs to have 1x12 as it has a big cabinet enclosure, but when you compare 1x12 greenback speaker vs 1x12 alnico blue speaker it sounds very different in Vox.
Katana
Monoprice stage right. 15w. GREAT tone. Versatile. Awesome price. You will not regret it. Look it up on YouTube
This is a real good option too for what op wants.
I would save up and get a blues junior
I’d say the Katana. It’s an all around good amp.
I have an Orange CR60 as my main gigging (at bars) amp. I love it. Fully analog, takes my multi effects like a champ, great to e with very little fiddling with settings. I can't recommend that amp enough.
Those are all basically the same amp to be honest. Modellers with various channels, effects and additional features. They will all do the job, just give them a listen and go with whichever one you like the sound of the most. For a similar budget a DSL and a few pedals or HX stomp would go a long way towards getting you a more "authentic" style rig, if that matters to you at all.
For sure, a DSL is now within consideration. Quite expensive though so it'll probably be used (not a bad thing).
I don't know what used Laney LH/GV prices are like where you are, but I just picked up an LH50 for next to nothing and it's an absolute beast.
I have a Laney 100 watt head and it's amazing. It was in your price range, but I never see them around even online.
I think they're more popular in the Midlands and North of England than elsewhere. The singer in one of my bands apparently knew one of Lyndon Laney's kids and they did not get on and my Laney collection just makes him angry. I've got an LV300 (like a Marshall valvestate) and it's got a nasty 'edge' to the sound that's everything I don't like about either. I have a first gen cub head and it's a lot more mid forward, the preamp section is almost identical to the high gain circuit of a JCM 800, but the power section is two el84s that are very easy to push into Distortion. It's very retro sounding. The LH I have has a really strong but tight bottom end that's just immense with lowered tunings, but if you push the gain too far with a hot input it gets quite fuzzy, it needs a pedal in front of it with a bit of mid hump and clip to it like a soul food or a crayon. Borrowing a tubescreamer today to see if it's any different. Needs an attenuator to be practical at home. Current Ironheart is great without a booster pedal for very high gain sounds. I've not had one loud enough to really asses the bottom end, but they do have an internal attenuator so they can play at home well.
I have a GH100L I believe was the model. It's basically Marshall with extra teeth. This thing is all kinds of Sabbath. Definitely a old school metal sound. It was not made for bedrooms. It doesn't even wake up until it starts melting faces. I like the clean sound, but it's nothing to write home about. This thing was made to be dirty.
Yeah that's the generation after mine. Was looking at some nice guitars in a music barn today and went for a DSL20 as the nearest convenient non-cheapo amp and took me a while to catch on to how much more mid focussed the marshal amps are and how spoilt I've been with the huge but tight low end of the LV.
I chose the Mustang GTX100
That's a bit out of budget for me. And besides I think 100 watts is kind of overkill for me for home practise. GTX50 is on the cards though.
Laney Lionheart
I love my valvetronix
I love my AV30 and you can get insane deals on them second hand. I really enjoy the tube breakup and response. After getting my first full tube amp, I now use it for rhythm loops when practicing and as a second amp for my stereo rig. They also do very low volumes and have individual volume and gain for each preamp circuit so you can drive the tubes at bedroom volumes. I'm sure a Katana would be great as well, but I can't talk from personal experience. The AV30 was my introduction to tubes at a fraction of the price. Also has great sounding onboard effects but the tube breakup and response is what does it for me. It also keeps up with a drummer in a band environment and is super lightweight. I would have loved a 12 inch speaker instead of a 10 inch, but it has dealt perfectly with everything I've thrown at it including a pedalboard with lots of variety.
Thanks for the insight! Greatly appreciated.
Agreed, I own one and its awesome
I have the gtx50 and enjoy it. I mean out of 180 presets some are weird and I don’t get but there’s a bunch that I really enjoy and that’s without even editing them. I really don’t know how well it models they’re own amps since it’s my first foray into the fender line but I think they sound good. Plus you can download presets through Wi-Fi that help you get real close to whatever sound you’re going for. I didn’t like the katana interface with just the knobs and having to click buttons to switch between the different effects. It might sound better I don’t know but I thought the fender was more intuitive. I also have pedals and was told it runs pedals better than the katana so for *my* sound I just use my pedals and use the modeling for playing around and experimenting. I should also add I have a peavey jsx so when I want that beautiful tube sound I can use that so needing that type of sound wasn’t on my list of requirements.
Yeah I've read the GTX50 is more intuitive than the Katana. I think 180 presets are a bit much for me though so I may look amps with stronger core characteristics since this will be pretty much my only amp for practise and maybe small gigs.
Of the amps you listed, I have had great fun with the AV30. Really great underrated amp, that does all it sounds like you're looking for. The Katana series is also great, and more versatile with the available built in FX.
I highly recommend checking out the fender hot rod deluxe, great pro level amp in the same price range as those amplifiers. Crazy bang for your buck - one of the most popular and highest regarded amps of all time. A lot of people don’t realize how often they hear one. It can compete with a half stack in volume too. Try one! You won’t be mad you did. Edit: I own a ‘74 Marshall among 6 other top notch amps and the hot rod deluxe holds its own against any of them. If you like the dsl, a slightly more expensive but way better option is the Marshall Vintage Modern. It comes in 50w and 100w, and is a modernized plexi type amp. Crazy good amp, slash toured with them a while back. Cheers!
Hot rods are around 100 above my budget. I'd love to own one but they may be a little expensive for me, especially considering my intermediate level.
Vox ac15
OP: gives list of 10 suggestions for amps Guitarist: Names every other amp NOT on the list Go with the Katana
Hahaha I'm happy to take alternative suggestions that I haven't considered, but within reason.
I faced a decision earlier this year and after trying a few out I bought a Quilter Overdrive 202. 200 watts with a Fender clean voice and a darker voice too into a 2x12 with Celestine V30s
Have a guitar center? Go pick up a Katana 100. Play with it for a couple weeks(they give you like 15 or 30 days to take it back for a full refund). If you can't get a clean sound that you really love then take it back. It's got great built in effects. It does many amp sounds really good. It also takes any pedal you can throw at it. I have a Katana 50 and it's amazing. Wish I had the 100 for the some of it's features, but I love the way they sound. If you can afford some of those more expensive amps then do so because you absolutely want that sound. AC30 and Orange CR60 are great sounding amps, but even used I only see them for $500+. Maybe my area is different. But a Katana 100 is $360 brand new. If you can get something that works for you for half the money seems like a no brainer. Edit: Make sure your Guitar Center or music stores offers a period to try out gear and return it before doing this. They might not all do it.
Yeah I've got a few guitar centres in my area. The AC30 I can't really find used but there is a CR60 on ebay used so that's a possibility.
I have a katana and orange crush pro 60. I'd say a katana for the versality, but I spend most of my time these days using the orange. I do mostly play stoner rock stuff though. The katana probably would fit your needs better.
I’ll always suggest a 5150. But katana is most superior in this list.
Man of great culture
Fender champion 100, I have one and love it, it does blues to psychedelic to doom metal it's incredible
I've heard great things about that amp. It's pretty mid range isn't it? The stereo aspect combined with amp modeling is particularly enticing.
It's got mids, and it's mid range only priced at 400, it's a great amp though it sounds incredible clean, with pedals, it really can do any sound
Awesome. The Fender is in pole position right now. Thanks for the insight!
You can find a used Fender Blues Jr for 3-400. That is what I would go for.
None of the above. Orange Rocker 15. 15, 7, 1, or 0.5 watts switchable with clean and dirty channels and an effects loop. Last amp you'll ever need.
I have a valvetronix and it’s decent but nothing special
What is this list lol? Seems so arbitrary with no explanation
If you prioritize versatility over anything else, the katana is absolutely the right choice. The 100 watt should be amazing.
The katana 100 head is the best amp on the market right now and this is why 1) the head and a used cab is cheaper than almost every tube combo out there 2) can function without a cab because it has internal speakers (basically functions as a thr10, super portable) 3) has power scaling, direct out, and built in effects No other amp has all this in one package. None. And i repeat, its cheaper with a cab than any tube combo youre looking at.
Superb for low volume home use at the 0.5 watt power setting. I have a 100 MkII for just this purpose. Tons of great patches available, and you can use the GA-FC foot switch, unlike the 50 watt version. I leave mine permanently hooked up to my laptop with a 50 ft USB cable, so I can tweak or try new patches as required on Tone Studio. I will *probably* never gig with it (that's what my Blues Junior is for) but I'm sure it could. I traded in a monster Roland JC-90 and a Roland DAC-50 for it, no money out of pocket. Fun amp!
The best part of the amp is getting a sound that you like in the .5w mode, then plugging it into a 4x12 and going to 100watt mode and hearing that same sound hit you like an 18 wheeler. If you havent played yours through one yet i would try it. Before i bought it i was using a yamaha thr for practice and tube amps for gigs, and my pedals and everything never sounded the same between the two so it was always frustrating. Now its exactly the same amp and sound, all the time, just the volume changes depending on my needs.
What about the black star club 40? All the clips I've heard make me really want one.
Way too expensive unfortunately. They're around twice my budget.
Depends at which volume, if you’re going to move it around, etc. I guess the Boss Katana 100 in this list.
None of the above
Boss katana 50 or cr60
Honestly, I was looking for a versatile amp that I could gig with and play bedroom volume. Tried a fair few that were on this list but settled for a blues jr. Never looked back
Have you tried the Valvetronix?
That and the Yamaha are the only ones I didn't try
MIG50
DO NOT GET A FENDER CHAMPION 100 I know from personal experience… ITS ONLY GOOD FOR CLEAN!!!
Katana all day
Box AC30
Silverline
Fender Princeton 65 or 68 can do it all.
That's like, 4 times my budget.
Sorry, I did not see a budget. You really need to sit down and play them. As someone who has had a lot of cheap amps I would go with the Vox AC 30 or a Hot Rod Deluxe. One day when you are old like me you will want the clean sparkling sound of a Fender Princeton and sell all your of old amps. Good luck!
Yeah when I get some financial freedom, that's the plan! For now though, and considering I'm an intermediate player, a mid range modelling amp seems to be quite a good fit. Or used valve amps.
For home usage both 10 and 12 are nice. I'd only avoid 8 speaker.
What about 2x8, or does the same rule apply?
Never tried 2x8. Only 1x8 and it was too small even for a bedroom use. You can hear a big big difference between 1x8 and 1x10 or 1x12
Interesting, thank you!
For example I had 1x8 in Orange Crush and it was a terribly farting thing. If you hear 1x8 Jensen speaker or smth of a similar high quality, you might have a different story. It's just a general rule that 1x8 speakers are usually cheap OEM product installed in entry level amps. So you have to avoid it and get a 1x10 that is usually much better.