Modeling amps

Thanks to everyone for your input. Sounds like I need to give Vox and Line 6 a test drive before I make a decision. So I'll throw out another question:

How do you audition an amp before you buy it? Do you bring your own guitars/effects to the shop and play them through the amp at the store? Or do you just use one of the guitars at the store?

By the way, this leads to the only part of having G.A.S. that I don't like -- playing guitars at a guitar store. We've all heard the cliches, and yet I experienced it again yesterday. I was at Mike's Music on the UC campus here in Cincinnati (mikesmusicohio.com). This is a very funky shop with a really interesting combination of great old guitars, pawn shop guitars, and all kinds of old amps. I walked in and a guy was just plugging in an old black & white Silvertone guitar (the kind with the really ugly headstock). He starts playing -- or should I say butchering -- "Kashmir." I didn't stay long enough to see if he had Stairway to Heaven on deck.

Anyway, I hate playing guitars plugged in at a shop, so I usually find a quiet corner and play them unplugged.

Yep... that's why I tend to not like the "Electric" section of most Guitar Centers. Some of the stores I frequent have separate "amp" rooms, which are ideal.... but sometimes I have to wait my turn (not a big deal, because I can generally check out guitars unplugged. If I get serious about an amp, I'll bring my Strat in or play through the amp with a very similar guitar (American Deluxe Strat with the Noiseless Pickups)... Of the amps I've committed to, most of them were ones were I had access to them through a friend...with the exception of the Mesa Boogie, where I was able to compare their whole line vs some Fenders, Marshall, and Badcats in a quiet room..... (the Boogie had the best bang for the buck).

Sometimes I go to Guitar Center at odd hours (weekday mornings or lunchtime during days I know schools are in session), and I get lucky.... but if there is a bunch of shredders going at it, I'll simply head over to the acoustic room, and pray they go away soon. Never go to a Guitar Center on a weekend to test amps or guitars plugged in.

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Couldn't agree more with the guitar center comments. I'll only go in GC on a weekend to get picks or strings, never to try anything new out. I've heard every fifteen yr old jam the 'master of puppets' intro for 30 minutes straight. God speed the employees

Any time I try out an amp, I try to take one of my guitars that i'm used to hearing. That way I can actually hear what the amp does for a guitar that will be used on it. I've had friends try out a $200 Crate amp using a $3500 PRS. Part of the great sound they remember hearing, was colored by how cool they felt holding that guitar

But be sure to find a quiet corner when testing an amp, because you have to turn it up. This is a must for tube amps, as the load on the tubes can dramatically change the sound. Solid state amps can still sound good at lower volumes, but it's good to check the speakers at near stage volume.

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Well, I made my purchase - the Valvetronix AD30VT. As I've mentioned elsewhere in the forum, this amp is amazing. Right now, on a scale from 1 to 10, with 1 being horrible and 10 being perfect, I'd give the amp a 9.5. Frankly, the only thing I don't like about it is the auto wah effect. Definitely lacking in the character of a true wah pedal. Fortunately I own a Vox wah pedal, so no big problem.

Everything else about the amp is fantastic. I've never even opened the owner's manual and won't need to do so until I get ready to save my own pre-sets. The amp is so easy to use it's crazy. And the tones just blow me away. When I get a chance I'll choose one of Adaptable's recommendations and record some sound bytes.

I've tried the amp with several of my guitars. So far it has me convinced that P-90s are the best pickups ever created. My Les Paul doublecut sounds outrageous with the Marshall models.

I paid $230 for this amp. What a great value! I think Vox is leaving money on the table...if I had paid $350 for this amp I'd still be totally satisfied. Not that I'm complaining

By the way, I noticed that Fender now has an amp targeted at this product segment: http://www.fender.com/products/searc...tno=2318500000. Doesn't seem like there's been much fanfare around this amp. Has anyone given one a test drive?

If you're looking for a great amp for home use & even small gigs, and you want tube warmth with modeling flexibility, I absolutely recommend a Vox.

Attached Images

Vox2.jpg (37.3 KB, 44 views)

Did you know that Vox and Marshall are both the same company? They are made by the Korg corporation. I met the regional manager a few months ago.

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That's very interesting. The Vox UK web site gives no indication of a merger, other than in chapter 3 of the Vox Story, where it says the following:

2001
Apple Computers introduce first generation iPod.

VOX R&D becomes a division of KORG Europe.

It's almost as if they're insinuating that VOX outsourced its R&D to Korg. (By the way, my AD30VT owner's manual states that the modeling hardware in the amp uses Korg technology.)

The Korg and Marshall web sites give no info on a merger...it's not unusual for merged companies to maintain the appearance of independence on the Internet, although Fender and Gibson, for example, have made it pretty obvious that they've acquired multiple competitors over the years.

Did your contact indicate that Korg has fully acquired Marshall and Vox?

Yes. He says that they tend to have very few overlapping products, in his opinion. It's like buying brands, but ultimately the profits go to the same place.

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If you want a good amp with 65 watts and a ton of tones check out the Fender Cyber Champ. It sounds good and is loud enoogh yet do not weigh a ton.

I also have a VOX AD30VT, and I've been fairly happy with it overall. Great amp if you're not going to be using too many pedals. For example, it's hard to use delay (or any time-based effects) with any distortion because there's no effect loop, but for the price of this amp, I don't really expect it to have an effects loop. It's really an amazing value. For most of the stuff I play, I usually keep the "amp type" in the AC15 or AC30 setting. I love the tap temp for the delay and the tremolo.

You might want to check out Valvetronix.net for user presets to try out for different songs.

I've outgrown it and have bought a Peavey Classic 30... I really like the value of this amp, made in the USA, effects loop, all tube with EL34's in the power section.

Welcome to the forum and thanks for the info on valvetronix.net. I'm definitely going to spend some time on that site experimenting with those presets. Right now the amp is still so new to me that I'll just plug in a guitar, leave all of the volume and tone controls in one position, and cycle through all of the amp models just to experience the differences in tone, volume, and overdrive from one amp to the next. So far my favorite models are probably the 1x12 and UK 80s.