Buying a cheap amp

[Willias]

Hey guys, met with this forum about 5 mins ago so sorry if i break any conventions

I recently acquired a Epiphone Gothic Les Paul Studio and am now looking for an amp to match, currently i am renting a Fender Frontman 15G which originally i was thinking of buying but i heard they deteriorate rapidly and in general aren't very good amps.

So after talking to some people from the Rockshop and Musicworks and alot of net browsing i have narrowed it to 2 amps, as far as i know.

http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/reviews/ ... index.html

And

http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/reviews/ ... index.html

I'm very open to ideas though as my knowledge of amps is scratchy at best.
I'm looking to spend little more (+$20-$30) than $200 and am opposed to getting my amp of trade.

Your help is greatly welcomed

Thanks in advance
Willias

PS. I was hoping to go in and try/buy one of these amps tomorrow or saturday.

[Rog]

FWIW, I've had a 15G for about 15 years and use it for all sorts of things. Its never skipped a beat and I think whoever told you they'd crap out early is talking through a hole in his arse... They are a little 15W solidstate amp and no better or worse than all the other little solidstate 8" speaker practice amps, IMO. That said, they are only a practice amp and I'd never think of them as anything else.....

If you want more power and cheap and since you seem to like solidstate, I'd suggest you get over your aversion to trademe and you'll be able to buy a 60-100W SS 1 x 12 amp for around your price. That would sound so much better than any of the others you're looking at.

[Willias]

While i see where you are coming from the Epiphone seems very small and unajustable, but maybe thats just also as i said i would prefer something over the counter, as far as something from a bricks-and-mortar goes what would you recommend?

[Rog]

OTOH - something liike this would sound much better than what you are using:
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Music-instrume ... 590043.htm

[Willias]

I can see that this is a high quality amp but i like to think i will be playing something that requires disort so want an amp with a built in distortion preferably.

[dc]

Welcome to our forum, BTW. Good to have you on board.

[rocklander]

When I started hanging round here, I had the same idea about not getting 2nd hand gear... the guys here eventually convinced me to get over it, and I couldn't be happier..
in fairness I was aiming at a higher price bracket (was looking for a valve head), but the theory still stands. get a 2nd hand unit. try it out first.
if you want distortion, you sure can get an amp with it included, but it may not be long before you find it really sounds like @rse, and will buy (or if you get the bug, make) a pedal anyway.
get a higher wattage (IMO solid state, cos I still think they need less looking after than valve - for a first amp at least) 2nd hand amp, and a pedal (or 12 ).

[grahic]

Hey mate, i have a Summco Integrated Amplifier AK-10 for sale. It has an input, Clean/Overdrive( DIST)/Volume, Treble,Bass,Phone input.

Very nice amp, only 6months old.

Hows $50 sound?

[DaNextSlash]

For $200-$230-ish mark. I'd look at the Marshall MG15s and those range. Or a peavey of similar style. Best try and get something with at least an 10" speaker...Theres not much on Trademe atm...but sometimes some decent amp come up at that price range. Apparently the Roland Cubes are real good practice amps...I wouldnt know. Pushing the envelope...you could get a Epiphone Valve Junior... or something like this could do

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Music-instrume ... 864806.htm

Either way, you have made the right choice to come ask us first though

Get something decent that will make you want to plug in. I couldnt be stuffed playing plugged in with my first amp and my playing suffered badly from that.....

Well....that's my excuse for being a sloppy player

[Willias]

Atm i am seriously leaning toward the Roland Mini-cube, tis a bit above my budget but it seems so good i might make the sqeeze

What do you guys think of this amp?

[rocklander]

never heard it myself, but it gets good reviews from owners on this site.

[DaNextSlash]

Atm i am seriously leaning toward the Roland Mini-cube, tis a bit above my budget but it seems so good i might make the sqeeze

What do you guys think of this amp?

I think slash-ed is/was selling one...hit him up about it

[dc]

Atm i am seriously leaning toward the Roland Mini-cube, tis a bit above my budget but it seems so good i might make the sqeeze

What do you guys think of this amp?

I've got the Micro cube. Great little amp.

[sopachrga]

or something like this could do

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Music-instrume ... 864806.htm

Those Envoy 110's are actually not too bad an amp, I had one as a practice amp a few years ago, 10inch speaker too.

I was playing a guitar at a friends place a while back through a small Fender Practice amp, with an 8inch speaker, and it really was awful!
I still feel that 8" is too small for a guitar speaker, especially for distortion, they will just sound buzzy.

[slash-ed]

Atm i am seriously leaning toward the Roland Mini-cube, tis a bit above my budget but it seems so good i might make the sqeeze

What do you guys think of this amp?

I have one... it's great for practice, and getting a good variety of sounds in a small amp. I've used it for home recordings and it fares decently. I've also put it through a PA for practice with a full band once or twice... Not the best, but not the worst either in that situation.