Best practice amp around $150 Can...?

2636 Views 17 Replies 14 Participants Last post by felenoral, Jul 20, 2007

billybilly

Discussion Starter · Jul 14, 2007

Hi. Time for a new practice amp. Won't be gigging so amp will be for at home or jammin with a couple of mates. I am moving to Canada from Australia and am currently using a "marshall mg15cd". I am happy with it but it won't be coming to Canada with me (different voltage). Been thinking about the "roland cube15x" or the "vox valvetronix AD15VT 15w". Maybe even getting another marshall. Has anyone tried these? I am open to other recommendations. I play blues, rock and some finger picking through my Les Paul. Influences are mostly Floyd and Zepplin.

Thanking you,

Billy

1 - 18 of 18 Posts

torndownunit

· #2 · Jul 14, 2007

If effects aren't vital, I'd highly recommend a Vox Pathfinder 15R. I know there are a couple of other users on this forum who love them as well. It doesn't have effects, but it does one thing well....sound great. It has a decent reverb and tremolo on it.

The Cube 15 is a great little practice amp as well.

noobcake

· #3 · Jul 14, 2007

The cube and Vox are both great amps. I personally prefer the Cubes, because they have better distortion in my opinion. The Vox has better control over effects though. The Orange Crush 15 is also a great little warm sounding practice amp.

billybilly

Discussion Starter · #4 · Jul 14, 2007

feedback..

Thanks for your feedback. I suppose I will have to bring my guitar into a store and have a go on the different amps. I am excited.

Cheers,
Billy

GuitaristZ

· #5 · Jul 14, 2007

epiphone valve junior?

violation

· #6 · Jul 15, 2007

Valvetronix all the way!

Robert1950

· #7 · Jul 15, 2007

I have a Marshall MG15Cd and a Vox Pathfinder 15R (Got that thrown in with a Hamer I bought), The Vox blows the Marshall away - totally.

Budda

· #8 · Jul 15, 2007

peavey rage 158 or blazer (the rage, but with reverb). i wouldnt really look at much else. those peavey's are solid, and have great sound.

Mooh

· #9 · Jul 15, 2007

Years ago I had a Fender Bullet Reverb which was pretty good for the money and sounded even better through a larger cabinet. They show up used once in a while. These days the Cube is pretty good, as mentioned.

Peace, Mooh.

Chito

· #10 · Jul 16, 2007

GuitaristZ said:
epiphone valve junior?

+1 5 Watts, Class A tube amplifier. It might be a little over your budget but at least you get a tube amp.

danbo

· #11 · Jul 16, 2007

Try to save some more $$ & check out the Fender G-Dec. It's amazing fun. :banana:

http://www.fender.com/products/search.php?section=amplifiers&subcat=g-dec

david henman

· #12 · Jul 16, 2007

1. vox pathfinder 15r - i'll never part with mine

2. vox da5 - digital, but an amazing little amp

3. peavey rage/blazer 158 - another great little solid state beast, and an amazing recording amp.

4. the fender frontman series with the cascading gain controls sound great, although i've never owned one.

-dh

Steve P

· #13 · Jul 16, 2007

Go with the Vox practice amps

On the weekend I sat the roland microcube next to the Vox DA-15 (not the VT with the tube pre-amp, the bigger brother to the DA-5) and compared the cleans, crunch, blues & lead sounds. Both were played through my Yamaha Pacifica fat strat clone.

The microcube is a great little amp for the size, but the Vox won -- the tones & built-in effects were superior in pretty well every way (to my ear).

And then the VOX AD-XXvt series sound even better!

my $0.02,

The Kicker Of Elves

· #14 · Jul 16, 2007

Steve P said:
On the weekend I sat the roland microcube next to the Vox DA-15 (not the VT with the tube pre-amp, the bigger brother to the DA-5) and compared the cleans, crunch, blues & lead sounds. Both were played through my Yamaha Pacifica fat strat clone.

The microcube is a great little amp for the size, but the Vox won -- the tones & built-in effects were superior in pretty well every way (to my ear).

And then the VOX AD-XXvt series sound even better!

my $0.02,

Slightly off topic (as it isn't a $150 amp) but I'm massively jonesing to get out of work and get home...as I have a brand spanking new AD50VT in my car that I bought at lunch.

Sat down in the Local Guitar Shop and cranked it for about an hour and couldn't get my wallet out fast enough. :rockon2:

GuitaristZ

· #15 · Jul 16, 2007

The Kicker Of Elves said:
Slightly off topic (as it isn't a $150 amp) but I'm massively jonesing to get out of work and get home...as I have a brand spanking new AD50VT in my car that I bought at lunch.

Sat down in the Local Guitar Shop and cranked it for about an hour and couldn't get my wallet out fast enough. :rockon2:

Glad you like. Seems like a great amp.

The Kicker Of Elves

· #16 · Jul 16, 2007

GuitaristZ said:
Glad you like. Seems like a great amp.

The 50 has a spkr out (8 ohms) and I'm thinking of getting a small cab with a a 20W or so speaker in it so I can drive the speaker a little harder and not get a divorce.

The internal speaker cuts out when connected to an external.

Budda

· #17 · Jul 18, 2007

i recently played on a traynor guitar mate 15 - it's been a while hehe.

this was at band practise, bassist doesnt have a big amp there but its loud. drummer doesnt know "quiet" even if i smack him with it lol.

that amp didnt sound half bad! i set the EQ to 5, adjust the gain to taste, turned down the volume on my neck pickup to clean up w/o swithcing "channels"

that amp doesnt sound half bad either!

felenoral

· #18 · Jul 20, 2007

Chito said:
+1 5 Watts, Class A tube amplifier. It might be a little over your budget but at least you get a tube amp.

-1 They're great little amps pedals on front of them I find, however, it will NOT cut through in a band jam situation with only 5 watts at its disposal.

1 - 18 of 18 Posts

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