New AMP advice

[odontophobia]

Wow guys thanks for the info, deffo staying away from Marshall and the Messa sounds good, and maybe the orange. I play all sorts as I'm in a cover band so cleans and heavy all mixed in.

I'll be heading to YouTube for now to see between Messa and Orange.

additional positive of the F-100 combo by Mesa is that it has a headphone out and a dummy load switch so you can use the preamp in any setting to have something to quietly play through.

[resincum]

Not sure how available they are on that side of the pond but well within your budget, even new, shipped to your neck of the woods (probably).

Carvin x100b

Has two channels -- but the distortion is only meh. Clean channel is great

Takes pedals like a fucking champion.

Has graphic EQ built in. Sort of Carvin's answer to the Boogie Mark series.

FX loop

Built in power scaling, 25w, 50w, 100w.

Haven't used mine much lately. It was last used in a bass guitar, actually. But I like it. Great pedal platform. Paired it with a Beta Lead for quite some time. Great amp. I paid $180 for mine and then invested in new tubes and a check up.

Sleeper amp of the year is, as D.o.S. and I both know, Mesa Boogie F-100. Comes equipped with two Mesa branded v30s. FX loop. Reverb. Takes pedals well and has a good dirty channel. Fender-ish cleans. Again well within your budget if you can find one.

this dude knows what's up

[ThorZ]

I have a friend who keeps telling me to get this but i think it looks ugly Laney VC30-212 VC. If i did get a valve amp how often does it need servicing?

Really tempted by the Orange 120 after listening to some of the suggestions here

[Disarm D'arcy]

If you don't move it while it's hot, probably never

[frodog]

I have a friend who keeps telling me to get this but i think it looks ugly Laney VC30-212 VC. If i did get a valve amp how often does it need servicing?

I've played a lot through a VC50-212 at our space and it sounds great. Nice clean, the drive channel is pretty cool/thrashy, idk if you'd like it, but overall it's an awesome amp. My friend who owns it hasn't had it serviced or even changed tubes in it for like 15 years and it still works, although it could definitely use new tubes.

[coldbrightsunlight]

I have a friend who keeps telling me to get this but i think it looks ugly Laney VC30-212 VC. If i did get a valve amp how often does it need servicing?

Really tempted by the Orange 120 after listening to some of the suggestions here

I have a vc 15. Haven't done any maintenance in 8 years and it's working fine. Also sounds good. Valve amps aren't as delicate as idiots on the internet make out

[odontophobia]

I'm on mobile so I'm not able to check but ThorZ you're in the U.K., right?

If so... embrace the rat fur, man.

http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/Carvin-X100B-EL ... Ciid%253A1

[ThorZ]

I am in the UK. If get that I'll need to get a cab! Not sure my flat will handle all that extra gear ha ha

[odontophobia]

combo required...

never fear...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mesa-Boogie-F ... Sw5cNYHNVD

[popvulture]

Oh damn those Mesa Fs do look pretty sweet...

[odontophobia]

Oh damn those Mesa Fs do look pretty sweet...

it's the VTM of yesteryear, man.
they can still be had on the cheap.

i paid $550 for mine. bought new preamp and power amp tubes and did a speaker swap to eminence swamp things (then sold the v30s). all-in i had like $850 with speakers and tube swap. could've left it as is.

month or two later there was another on the local craigslist for $600. encouraged a friend to pick it up but he didn't.

[CyaNitrate]

I just got a Crush Pro 120 and it's fucking amazing and loud as shit.

I came to say this. It is a fantastic amp, I run mine through a ppc412, but they come as a combo as well, the CR120 2x12, and CR60 1x12. I played the 60 watt combo in store, and it was enough to sell me on the 120 watt head. They sound awesome and aren't stupid expensive like a lot of Orange's tube offerings. But the cool thing is, the clean channel reacts like a tube amp does...if you crank the clean channel and dig in with humbuckers, it breaks up like a tube amp would. Conversely, back off the channel volume and up the master and it stays clean.

[Jwar]

I just got a Crush Pro 120 and it's fucking amazing and loud as shit.

I came to say this. It is a fantastic amp, I run mine through a ppc412, but they come as a combo as well, the CR120 2x12, and CR60 1x12. I played the 60 watt combo in store, and it was enough to sell me on the 120 watt head. They sound awesome and aren't stupid expensive like a lot of Orange's tube offerings. But the cool thing is, the clean channel reacts like a tube amp does...if you crank the clean channel and dig in with humbuckers, it breaks up like a tube amp would. Conversely, back off the channel volume and up the master and it stays clean.

Yea it has amazing breakup. It's funny, when I played it in the store, I was like I love this sucker and it's so cheap for a tube amp. The dude selling it had to tell me it's a solid state and I was absolutely baffled. Best sounding solid state I've tried. Has a tone of headroom and lots of gain.

So, if you can at least go into a store and try one, it'd be worth it. I think my head was a little over 400 USD. So the combo probably is a bit more, but it's fucking great man. I'm using it for bass and it's punchy as shit and gets that gritty tone I love.

UGH! I know this next year I'm going to go nuts and start buy more amps instead of pedals....fuck. LOL!

[D.o.S.]

You should get a real Orange, Jwar.

Also I'm glad the Mesa F gospel is still being spread.

[Jwar]

You should get a real Orange, Jwar.

Also I'm glad the Mesa F gospel is still being spread.

It's definitely on the list man! Just can't afford it at the moment. haha