Peavey Jsx, To buy or not to buy? Options

[Vaialation1232]

Hey everyone,
I love my Line 6 Spider III cause of how easy and fun it makes guitar...however soon i would like to purchase a tube amp...

I really like Satriani and his playing, as well as other instrumental guitarists. My favorite styles are blues, rock, and jazz/fusion. I was just wondering if anyone has experience with this amp or advice on getting another one?? Anything in the $2500 price range and under is fine (as i will just save longer if it is more expensive)...the one main thing i need is for the amp to operate well at low volumes (bedroom). I know this isn't necessarily a characteristic of tube amps, however i think some sound better than others at low volumes so does anybody have any advice? Also attenuators and stuff like that i have heard about, however i am pretty unfamiliar with their quality so does anyone think this is a good solution to my volume issue??

Also, i am not partial to any brand of amp as my experience is limited in testing them(guitar center is far away from me, i don't drive yet). So, any brand you suggest i will make sure to test out for myself next time im at GC or another music shop...

Thanks everyone!

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This post has been edited by Vaialation1232: Jan 6 2009, 06:50 AM

[fatb0t]

Hm, well $2500 is a good budget for a real nice amp.
I know Mesa boogie has amplifiers that have the ability to switch to different wattages.
For instance the Lone Star can switch from 10watts to 50 watts to 100 watts.
http://www.mesaboogie.com/Product_Info/Lonestar/Lonestar.htm

The 5:50 Express can go from 25watts to 50watts ect... You basically need to investigate which suits you best.
I have an older F:50 which works very well at low levels somehow (it only has 2 6l6 tubes, maybe this is why?) yet it can really crank when you pump the volume.
So do some research, check out in particular Mesa-Boogie - I think you'll like them - very versatile amps.

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[Vaialation1232]

Hm, well $2500 is a good budget for a real nice amp.
I know Mesa boogie has amplifiers that have the ability to switch to different wattages.
For instance the Lone Star can switch from 10watts to 50 watts to 100 watts.
http://www.mesaboogie.com/Product_Info/Lonestar/Lonestar.htm

The 5:50 Express can go from 25watts to 50watts ect... You basically need to investigate which suits you best.
I have an older F:50 which works very well at low levels somehow (it only has 2 6l6 tubes, maybe this is why?) yet it can really crank when you pump the volume.
So do some research, check out in particular Mesa-Boogie - I think you'll like them - very versatile amps.

I tried a Road King 2, and it needed to be too loud to sound good (lead)....however it may have been just that amp...i will try the lonestar cause the half switch sounds like just what i need..

Thanks

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[bmh1109]

as with pretty much any tube amp, a good power attenuator will be your best friend. Check out the THD hotplate and Weber Mass series of attenuators. You won't regret that purchase to go with your high end tube amp i promise!

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[Outlaw2112]

I just got the line 6 spider valve 212 tube amp yesterday and waiting on it to get here... I have a spider II 75 and i wanted to upgrade to a tube amp..

The reviews on it are fantastic and it is a tube amp.... bogner and line 6 got together and made this amp...
Its like the best of both worlds...

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product...-Amp?sku=483067

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[Vaialation1232]

as with pretty much any tube amp, a good power attenuator will be your best friend. Check out the THD hotplate and Weber Mass series of attenuators. You won't regret that purchase to go with your high end tube amp i promise!

Do you think they'd let me fool with one of these at a store, like hook it up to an amp?

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This post has been edited by Vaialation1232: Jan 7 2009, 07:09 AM

[FrankW]

If you're looking to buy a tube amp with 50-100 watts, you must get an attenuator. It is the only way to sound good at bedroom practice levels. You'll be glad you did.

2500 dollars gives you an enormous amount of killer tube amps to choose from. Check out Mesas' website. The Road King, Roadster, Rectifiers, and Stilettos are all great.

Look at Marshalls. The new JVMs are fabulous. Engls are killer. VHTs are great tube amps. Check out the Fender Super Sonic head.

Do the research. Find magazine and user reviews. Play them loud if you can, or through an attenuator. Happy hunting.

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[Vaialation1232]

Thanks for all replies, will try out everything you guys said!

Are attenuators easy to set up, do they suck some tone? Also, can i try one at a store and if not, how will i know if it solves my problem?

Also, i think a new Mesa is being developed? might wait it out for that to see how it is

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This post has been edited by Vaialation1232: Jan 7 2009, 07:41 AM

[FrankW]

Thanks for all replies, will try out everything you guys said!

Are attenuators easy to set up, do they suck some tone? Also, can i try one at a store and if not, how will i know if it solves my problem?

Also, i think a new Mesa is being developed? might wait it out for that to see how it is

Attenuators are the closest you will get to the true tone of a tube amp without cranking it. With an attenuator, you are able to push the power tubes into saturation where the singing tone comes from. You simply hook one up between the amp and the speaker(s). Trust me, if you want cranked amp tone at quiet practice levels, an attenuator is the ticket.

Google guitar amp attenuators and do some research. They're easy to use. I'm not aware of a new Boogie amp. There are plenty of good ones available now. If you can't find the sound you're looking for amidst all the great amps on the market in your price range, you'll never stop looking. Good luck.

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[Vaialation1232]

Yeah, i think its the Mark V, haven't really seen a review but i think its coming out soon (NAMM show i'd bet its revealed)



For the attenuators though, i've never really seen one out of its box and available to play with at a guitar store..do you think they would let me try it if i asked?

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[FrankW]

Yeah, i think its the Mark V, haven't really seen a review but i think its coming out soon (NAMM show i'd bet its revealed)



For the attenuators though, i've never really seen one out of its box and available to play with at a guitar store..do you think they would let me try it if i asked?

If you tell them that you're shopping for a high dollar amp and an attenuator, and you need to hear the power section of the amp to make a determination, they had better! They want to make the sale. Why wouldn't they? Actually, there are some music store "clerks" that don't understand what an attenuator does. Educate them.

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[Vaialation1232]

This is true, its just that I am 16 and i bet they get a lot of "potential customer" teenagers who want to try out all their high-end amps and surprisingly enough, never end up buying them....but i guess it can't hurt to ask and if not, just try another store..

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[FrankW]

This is true, its just that I am 16 and i bet they get a lot of "potential customer" teenagers who want to try out all their high-end amps and surprisingly enough, never end up buying them....but i guess it can't hurt to ask and if not, just try another store..

I understand what you're saying, man. It is definitely hard to find an understanding, knowledgeable, patient music store clerk. I've found myself ready to wring some of their necks many times in the past. Bring someone with you like one of your parents, and make sure they,(clerks), understand that you have the money and are serious about a purchase.

You're right. Most of the time a young guy won't get the time of day in those places. But, they'll pay attention if they know you have the cash, right? They won't be as willing to try and take advantage of you if you bring someone older with you. Good luck.

Oh yeah, don't feel like you have to make a purchase if you aren't completely satisfied. If they won't hook an attenuator up for you, or if you don't feel like any amps in a particular music store do it for you, go elsewhere. Being from California, you have plenty of places to check out. Hope this helps.

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This post has been edited by FrankW: Jan 7 2009, 08:23 AM