Changing from a Marshall, need some input and ideas

[dtb]

I am a working guitarist doing around 200 gigs a year. I have been using Marshall combos for donkey years ending up with a 100W JCM900 Dual Reverb Combo ( bloody overkill in a small pub ). The amp is now dead from overuse and I am looking to replace it with something around 30 watts like a Line 6 Spider of even a Peavey Classic. I use a Zoom 2020 procesor and have for years, so the Marshall was only used as a power amp. ( Unless you use a power soak, no way can you crank 100Watt of tube power in a pub ).


Sell me a nice 30 watt combo .

[wahwah]

Try a Flextone II XL. They're a 100watts but it's not that instant volume when you so much as look at the master volume of a Marshall or Fender. They're powered by two independent 50w stereo power amps, have great effects, a superb SRV style Twin Reverb sample as well as Marshall and Boogie type sounds. The clean is well clean (Roland Jazz Chorus 120 sample). If you buy the pedalboard as well you'll get a top notch wahwah and volume pedal, a built in tuner, tap control for your delay and full control to save 36 different amp settings. I sold mine and wish I hadn't[img]images/smilies/icon_ball.gif[/img] eBay, you'll prolly get one with the controller for less than £300. Hope this helps.

[CanyonCarver]

If you are working, you might consider getting a Line 6 Vetta amp or Line 6 Flextone III for instance. It has more tricks and tonal possibilities than you can count and is flexible enough to sound good at any volume.
My 2 cents.

[VB]

Since you were using your Marshall more for a poweramp than anything .My suggestion would be a Classic 50. It's a nice tube amp good tube sound and extremely reliable. Also big enough for the not quite small pubs with plenty of headroom for most club applications. The 4x10 combo kicks butt and the 2x12 gives a good full sound as well. It will also drive a 4x12 without any problems if the need arises.

VGB

[SuckaInA3Piece]

I'm using my Marshall essentially as a power amp as well, and it has a pretty bad ass sound. You can't go wrong with the Marshall AVT-50 combo.

[micoyote1]

Dude, I have the Flextone 3 XL and it is awsome. The volume on it will let you go from small pub to a good size gig. If you are thinking about a Spider 2...scatch that and look at the Flextones or as mentioned the Vetta.....way better!!!! Nice amps for the money. [img]images/smilies/icon_thumb.gif[/img]

[dtb]

It seems everyone on here is working on my wavelength. I am gonna borrow a classic 30 and a Spider 30 for the next gig and try them in situ.

Lots of food for thought there.

[nobozos]

Hey dtb, check out this link.

http://www.atomicamps.com/

[VHF]

The atomic amps are cool...but by the time you buy that and a PODxt...you may as well just get a used Vetta Combo....about $700 on E-bay. They will get the full sound at any volume.....but can be a bit difficult to lug around.

[YetAnotherOne]

[ QUOTE ]
CanyonCarver said:
If you are working, you might consider getting a Line 6 Vetta .... It has more tricks and tonal possibilities than you can count and is flexible enough to sound good at any volume.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'll second that. The Vetta is capable of great tones at anywhere from bedroom level right up to as loud as you want to go. It also has a half-power switch which is helpful.

[dtb]

Ok, I did a gig on Friday night and used a Line6 Spider II 30. While I admired its ability to model other amps, it still sounded like I had a swarm of bees buzzing behind me .

I guess I am to old school and have been using tubes for far to long. I have tried several solid state amps in as many weeks and they are have no warmth and distort like a 2 stroke moped even though I only use it as a power amp and have a digital front end processor.

So my choice is deffo gone back to full valve , I am going to try a Marshall JTM30 combo this week.


This should work because the JCM900 was about the worse tube amp Marshall made and I got on with that ok .

[Stiglar]

hey mate ..

what kind of music do you play ? ... i've used the peavey classic 30 myself and it has fantastic clean tone .. that's my recommendation .. fantastic amp

[dtb]

[ QUOTE ]
Stiglar said:
hey mate ..

what kind of music do you play ? ... i've used the peavey classic 30 myself and it has fantastic clean tone .. that's my recommendation .. fantastic amp

[/ QUOTE ]


I play a wide range from Classic 70's rock, right through to some Vai with a local band .

I heard the Classic 30 once and was well impressed with the tone, but the guy was playing a PRS direct into it with no processing, so I didnt really get a good idea what it would sound like with my gear. ( Zoom 20 and 40 series ).

[Mr Crumb]

You couldn't give me enough cake to get rid of my Marshall setup.

If you lose your Marshall, you may lose your mojo. That wouldn't be good :icon_wink

Just my 2 cents

[dtb]

Another update.

I tired the Marshall JTM30..........err nice sound for the 5 minutes it lasted. :icon_cry:


Seems Marshall have been making some real crock of shite amps in recent years ( as in build quality and design ).

So Marshall is now out of the window unless there pre 80's ones. A guy came up to me after the gig and said that he has had 4 Marshalls smoke on him in the last 5 years and now runs a Messa.

I called up Marshall ( I only live 10 mins down the road from em in the UK ) and had an heart to heart with one of there techs and there was some serious hinting about poor design in recent years ( including the newish JCM2000 range......

So for the first time in years I am gonna dump Marshall and buy a decent brand like Peavey

Sorry Marshall, but since Korg got hold of your gonads, you have gone down the shitter