Practice Amp purchasing help - who is top dog?

[PowerTube]

I have a POD 2.3....

One word of caution.... I also have a POD 2.3. If you like the overdrive sounds, you might be disappointed with the newer Line 6 stuff, the Spider in particular. Personally, I think that the original POD Modern Hi-Gain Soldano (like on your POD 2.3) model is to kill for, but they haven't sounded nearly that good *to MY ears* in years.

I would suggest that you look into a practice amp with an auxiliary input so you can run the POD across it. That'll give you the best of both worlds -OR- get an older Flextone or Flextone II cheap from E-Bay or a pawn shop. That'll really give you the POD across speakers.

Good luck.

[Cygnus X1]

Cyg,

I build tube amps too, but for this situation they just aren't a good fit. Even my micro 2203 (2203 preamp with a 35W4 rectifier and 50C5 power tube) needs room to breath, and doesn't have that "thump" like the Cube 30 does. I'm thinking of getting bigger iron for the output tranny.

I played all of my tube amps this weekend and they all sounded great. I thought I would hawk one in order to pay for whatever I get, but I really don't want to go there.

I picked up a used stereo 6V6 chassis that I'm going to experiment on making a Rebel 20 with, only I'm thinking of keeping it stereo, having 6V6's on one side and EL84's on the other. Use the stereo balance knob to dial in how much of each power amp. I'll use my Micro Stack with Vintage 10 speakers left and right.

Sounds great, Don!
Please post some pix of it as it goes.

[quiksilver]

IMO, the Vox excels at organic, Vox tones, the Fender excels at clean & half-dirty Fender tones, the Roland offers super clean (a la Jazz Chorus) or slick distortion (a la Boss Metal Zone) tones, and the Tech 21 has some nice attempts at Marshall crunch (though lacking gain for some).

The Valvetronix amps sound great and require very little tweaking. I have the larger model (AD120VTX), which is just a great-sounding, easy to use amp. It has really made me appreciate Voxy tones, and it also has some decent (not perfect) Marshall-esque tones.

I've had a couple of Micro Cubes, but in the end, I always find that it sounds kinda "fake," too produced and slick-sounding for me. They do have a stereo, 2 speaker model out now that almost tempted me to getting my third one.

The Trademark 10 and 30 have great Marshall-esque tones (my favorite), but of course, don't have any effects built in, other than reverb. I've had 2 TM10s, a TM30 and currently have a SansAmp GT2 (same tones), and I love Tech 21.

The G-DEC has some great blues backing tracks and some great bluesy, Fender-type tones. I've had both the smaller one and the 30. They were fun amps if that's the sound you're looking for. I was not impressed with the Marshall tones, though, so I ended up not playing them.

I'd like to try the Behringer. I had a V-Amp and a V-Amp Pro some time ago, and I thought they offered great value. I would guess the amp is nice, too.

I wish Marshall would offer a nice practice amp (maybe they do, but not according to the reviews I've read). Marshall tones are really what I want, and I'd jump at a great Marshall tone-producing practice amp. I had a Valvetronix 2x12 combo years ago with chorus built in that I loved, but it eventually gave up the ghost.

Let us know how you do!

[Spivonious]

Just a quick note, I think the VTX valvetronix amps are different than the VT. They had more models and more effects.

[DonP]

IMO, the Vox excels at organic, Vox tones, the Fender excels at clean & half-dirty Fender tones, the Roland offers super clean (a la Jazz Chorus) or slick distortion (a la Boss Metal Zone) tones, and the Tech 21 has some nice attempts at Marshall crunch (though lacking gain for some).

The Valvetronix amps sound great and require very little tweaking. I have the larger model (AD120VTX), which is just a great-sounding, easy to use amp. It has really made me appreciate Voxy tones, and it also has some decent (not perfect) Marshall-esque tones.

I've had a couple of Micro Cubes, but in the end, I always find that it sounds kinda "fake," too produced and slick-sounding for me. They do have a stereo, 2 speaker model out now that almost tempted me to getting my third one.

The Trademark 10 and 30 have great Marshall-esque tones (my favorite), but of course, don't have any effects built in, other than reverb. I've had 2 TM10s, a TM30 and currently have a SansAmp GT2 (same tones), and I love Tech 21.

The G-DEC has some great blues backing tracks and some great bluesy, Fender-type tones. I've had both the smaller one and the 30. They were fun amps if that's the sound you're looking for. I was not impressed with the Marshall tones, though, so I ended up not playing them.

I'd like to try the Behringer. I had a V-Amp and a V-Amp Pro some time ago, and I thought they offered great value. I would guess the amp is nice, too.

I wish Marshall would offer a nice practice amp (maybe they do, but not according to the reviews I've read). Marshall tones are really what I want, and I'd jump at a great Marshall tone-producing practice amp. I had a Valvetronix 2x12 combo years ago with chorus built in that I loved, but it eventually gave up the ghost.

Let us know how you do!

I think I agree with your findings. It's like you need a Vox for some things, but a Cube for high gain. I went through the owner's manuals of both last night, and it seems like for the same price (30VT vs. Cube 30x), you get more features with the Vox.

I'm wondering if I put the POD into the line-in of a Vox if it would sound like a Spider II so that I could cover that ground?

I still need to try the Tech 21 and Behringer. Still a lot of test driving before making a decision.

[Larz]

I think the cubes are great for a variety of sounds, decent effects.

I think the four speaker version has backing drum tracks on it too.

[DonP]

Just a quick note, I think the VTX valvetronix amps are different than the VT. They had more models and more effects.

Yes, it seems like the AD30VT is the old model, and the VT30 is the newer model.

[Spivonious]

The VTX came out first. It was also the most expensive, and sounded the best (IMO).

Then they stripped it down to make the VT. This is the one I had.

Then they added more high-gain models to compete with Line 6 and made the XL. Haven't heard it, but I hear it's the same as a VT just with some different models.

[DonP]

I played the XL next to the AD30VT, but wasn't too hot for the XL's models. GC is blowing out the XL's for $175 - I wonder if they were a poor seller and they are trying to dump them?

[emperor_black]

If you're so inclined to get the POD's tones, try this...Line 6 uber metal pedal in the pulverize mode -> line 6 spider III's clean. Best metal tone to my ears.

The problem with multi-fx units is that they sound great in head-phones, but suck when amplified. The gt-8 came close, but the uber metal pedal was hands-down a clear winner.

Also, have you tried the Jam vox? Seems pretty good. http://www.myjamvox.com/

[emperor_black]

I played the XL next to the AD30VT, but wasn't too hot for the XL's models. GC is blowing out the XL's for $175 - I wonder if they were a poor seller and they are trying to dump them?

I played on the 30 watter? (not sure) and my take on it was that since they wanted to capture the closed back cab's bass response, they made the amps completely closed back and unless the amp is facing you entirely, all the sound seems lost. Crank it up and its gets too muffled. All the great tone is there, but you need an amp stand or something to hear most of the stuff. Proly the reason they're not selling well.

[broken_fusion]

A Fender Princeton Chorus makes great inexpensive practice amp.

[Gartron]

I've got a marshal mg15 which is pretty solid, but recently started playing on the 30 watt peavey vyper which I find incredible for nailing screetching hair metal to incredibly clean and lovely warm overdrive...I just can't see past it at the moment

[drixll]

the marshall lead 12 is great, if you can find one on ebay. it sounds like you've got all of your effects covered with the pod?

[DonP]

the marshall lead 12 is great, if you can find one on ebay. it sounds like you've got all of your effects covered with the pod?

I already have 3 Micro Stack Lead 12's. They don't sound good IMO until the volume is at 12 oclock. Too loud.