Amp dilemma - what would YOU do?

[Inazone]

My quest for a replacement head continues. After further email exchanges with an ART tech, he explained that the company changed hands and (surprise) now consists of employees who know nothing about their pre-2000 equipment...which means no support of their guitar amps, preamps and processors that I love so much. I now find myself in a bit of a bind. The ART heads and preamps continue to pop up on eBay now and then, usually in the $200-300 range, which I consider reasonable for solid state amps that I know to sound good at gigging volumes. I also know that Peavey TransTube heads (Supreme XL, XXL, EFX 100, etc.) sell in that same ballpark. I'm familiar with the Peaveys and consider the tone "good enough" for practice and out of town gigs where I don't have room to haul my main rig.

I like the ART "Xtreme" distortion better than the TransTube, but if I buy another ART head and it dies, I'm dead in the water again. If I compromise by getting a TransTube (which has a footswitchable effects loop vs. footswitchable built-in effects on the ART), the tone isn't quite as good, but better than most other amps I've tried and easy to get serviced if necessary. Obviously, my amp preferences are different from most JCFers, but brand and SS-versus-tube aside, what would you do in my situation?

[sevser]

Well...Over the last couple years it's become apparent that you are rather unconventional when it comes to gear cool though...And you have a great gig goin with Under Eden that justifies some serious gear...

If I were you...I would get a PODXTLive and a good SS power amp...

Bro...You could tinker with that, putting different pedals with different pre amps, cabs, mic placement and getting something very unique...

You could put a Tube Screamer in front of a JC 120 with 2 x 10 cab for instance…I bet you would have fun with it.

I only suggest the PODXTLive because that’s what I have experience with…I’m sure the other stuff is great too.

Personally…I like it much better running into my 120 watt tube power and running side by side with the same set up only the other is 160 watt/SS…I do get told that my tone is more pleasant and over powering. Even with the extra 40 watts Steve has to crank it right up wher I only have my power amp half way and a lot of pre volume too...

But I think you tend to lean towards the SS…Perhaps for the cost and maintenance factor. That’s why Steve goes that rout.

Just my 2 bits...

[jtr]

A tube amp can be serviced by almost any Tech ,as you have learned SS amp when they go are obsolete so quickly they are junk.(it'll cost you more to fix the buy another like TV, CD players, Ect.) I'ld buy a good tube amp it'll cost you more but will last forever. ( I.ve got marshall, fender amps that are 30-40+ years old and have had to do very little service on them)

[Inazone]

A tube amp can be serviced by almost any Tech ,as you have learned SS amp when they go are obsolete so quickly they are junk.(it'll cost you more to fix the buy another like TV, CD players, Ect.) I'ld buy a good tube amp it'll cost you more but will last forever. ( I.ve got marshall, fender amps that are 30-40+ years old and have had to do very little service on them)

Well, that's why I'm considering the Peavey SS amps. Other than changing the front panel appearance, they really have not changed much that I can tell since the early `90s. The Supreme got a metal faceplate and chrome knobs, know what I mean? Just about any shop can work on them, or you can send it back to Peavey for repair. I can't do that with my ART stuff, or I would. But this is strictly for gigging, and not even for ALL gigs. I still have my pedalboard (Peavey wireless, ART Xtreme pedal, ART Tube EQ, Hush, Boss DD-2) and Peavey Classic 60 tube power amp as my "ideal tone" rig, but most of the amps I'm looking at currently have onboard effects or a switchable loop, meaning that I can run everything with a two-button footswitch. That is a factor when playing out of town, where everything has to fit in a van. And price is also a factor, or I would have a brand new Koch Powertone right now!

I've been playing the ART preamp/Peavey power amp/Boss delay combination in some form since 1997, which is why I've made a point of sticking with that. We have a Peavey endorsement which gives a decent discount, but still have to pay shipping charges; no problem on small items, but hardly worth the bother on amps and cabs. Our drummer also works at Guitar Center, which means some sweet deals there. But it's still impossible to get a tube head (other than a Valve King, which lacks the switching I need) on my budget. I have a studio rack rig already, so when we record (more $$$) this spring/summer, that is at least covered.

Basically, I have too much stuff, yet none of it is ideal for every situation.

[LastInLine]

If I were you...I would get a PODXTLive and a good SS power amp...

Just my 2 bits...

I agree, or if not that exact setup, something from the Line 6 product line.

[lerxstcat]

Maybe get another Xtreme off Ebay so you have a backup, and buy a top-notch power conditioner AND a GFI plug for your rig so that shitty power doesn't kill your rig.

Rather fucked that ART washes their hands of their older stuff. I'd keep looking around, you know ADA has ADA Depot as a resorce, maybe ART users are or will do something similar. Their distortion really is great, I ran mine into a Marshall Major bass head a couple weeks ago and it was killer!

[toejam]

But it's still impossible to get a tube head (other than a Valve King, which lacks the switching I need) on my budget.

I've got a Crate Blue Voodoo 60 head that might be up your alley. Two KT66 power tubes with four 12AX7s. Two channels, dual reverb, footswitchable loop. Let me know if you'd be interested.

[Sinistas]

I don't know if this helps.

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/msg/268483107.html

[data187]

you can go with a modeler/fx board into ss power amp.
podxtlive or boss gt6/gt8 into a crate powerblock is an affordable solution.
gt6's sell for $250 on ebay all day long and crate powerblocks are usually uner $100.

[Inazone]

As luck would have it, I tracked down another Eighty/Eighty selling for the same price as the first one. It's a little scuffed up and doesn't have the big Marshall-style head shell, but that's fine since it's going in a rack. It's from a shop out of state, so now I just get to wait for it to arrive.

Until we get our next CD recorded, we're going to have a pretty light gig schedule, so scoring a cheap replacement now means I can always buy something else if we decide to tour after the album is done...if that ever happens.