Guitar Amps

Read and learn more about fender guitar amps. For more, visit the Guitar Amp website GuitarAmpUniverse.com

Q: Which of these Fender practice guitar amps should I get?
I’m deciding between the Fender G-DEC 15W Junior and the Fender Frontman 15W. I play alot of blues and clean rock, like John Mayer stuff. I’m just looking for this amp to be my practice/studio amp. I want something with effects and cool options but nothing that takes away from an authentic sound.

A: Here’s the deal, The G-Dec is a practice amp with a new twist. It has backing tracks on it to play to. Meaning it has bass and drum tracks on it in different styles of music, rock,blues,etc.. It also has effects on it as well, chorus,delay etc.. I believe they have also put patches on it from famous guitar players like Eric Johnson etc.. to imitate their sound(s).

The Frontman is a regular amp, I would have to look at the specs to see if it has effects. I know it doesn’t have backing tracks.

Q: Would you recommend playing a Schecter or Jackson guitar on Fender amps?
By “or” I meant either one of them, but would you play them in a Fender twin reverb amp from the 60’s? And since it doesn’t have a different channel, what kind of peddles would go well with it?(distorted peddles, but hat kind?)

A: jackson is easier to play i think um i use a wha wha pedal original cry baby and for distortion it does not matter go cheap i say

Q: guitar amps? fender, vox, line 6 spider III, or marshall?
i went to guitar center looking for a 100W-or-so amp.. i have 500 dollars that im willing to expend in this amp (not necessarily i have to expend them all though)
my top two where the 120W spider III from line 6 (400$), and the 250W marshall (500$). i’ve always loved marshall’s but the 400+ effects of the spider III seemed tempty
after playing with both amps and figuring i saved 100$ if i bought the spider III, i bought the spider III
i’ve just owned it for two days and i feel it doesn’t fill me completely =s
vox amps were a bit too expensive.. i searched for other vox on the internet and only the 100W seemed fair (a bit expensive though, 479$).. but the effects seem a bit mediocre.. are they?
i didn’t get to see fender in the store.. but i found a great 100W for 330$ on the internet..
is the 500$ marshall (250W) worth it over the 330$ fender (100W)? i know marshall is louder but i don’t necessarily need THAT much sound..
could u recomend me something?
thanks
mostly i play progressive and classic rock.. but i also play indie, experimental, etc
im not sure if i just havent get to know the spider III enough to set it as i wante to, but the overdrive doesn’t seem very good
the 100W fender seems very good to me but i dont know fender amps quality

A: I can’t stand Fender’s distortion, so I personally avoid them like the plague. They sound great clean, though.

First off, why do you think you need 100w to get the job done? Because I assure you that you absolutely, 100% do not need that much volume.

The downside to a large number of watts is that you need to turn it up that much louder to get a sweet tone. 60-70w is pushing it, and is 50w is more than enough in almost all situations to get the job done. Playing live you actually want a good sound at low volume, if you turn up too loud you swamp out the other mic’s and take away from all the other instruments.

Congratulations on not liking the Spider… that means you have a good ear. They blow, the only thing the spider 3’s have over the Spider 2’s (and I’ve played extensively with both) is that the 3 is louder – it doesn’t have tube dynamics, it doesn’t have tube sweetness, it’s just bloody louder. Bastards. They let me down. =(

I’ve played through a Kustom 65w that frickin’ blew me away. Might be out of your price range, though, but 65w of tube sound is more than enough to blast out anyone. Keep in mind that each tube watt is going to equal 2-3 solid state watts, depending on the topology and design – they’re really that much better. It’s in how they’re rated, but let’s not quibble.

I think the Epi Valve Jr has a great sound, and is very modifiable. Even with only 5w of tube sound, it can easily power a 4×12, and with the right pedal it can anything from a rock, blues, to even make a great metal sound… you’d be surprised!

I guess what I’m saying is to explore your options – see if you can find a solid state amp that isn’t necessarily 100w that sounds good at lower volumes – and maybe try to find a tube amp with around 50w, and see if it doesn’t give you a great sound at lower volumes, but still gives you the ability to crank up if you want to.

Saul

Q: Fender Stratacoustic Guitar Amps?
I just recently bought a Fender Stratacoustic. I plugged it into my amp, but it wouldn’t play. Is there a certain amp to use on a acoustic electric or is my guitar not working?

A: it should play like normal.always wanted one, let me know how it works out.maybe check for open circuit, play with pickup switching etc.

Q: Tube guitar amps- Fender Blues Jr. vs. Epiphone Valve Standard?
I play blues at jam sessions with friends- no gigging- I’ve been shopping for something with tubes for my Jimmie Vaughan Strat -I’ve played through both at GC-can’t seem to make up my mind- any input either way? They’re both 15 watts, the Fender is about $100 more than the Epiphone, but if we disregard the price tag…I’m not looking for volume, just good reasonably-priced tone-and if anyone can point me to a low-priced tube combo amp besides these two, that would be great also..Thanks-

Seamus
PS- I’ve been checking out AX84.com-brings out the DIY’er in me, but that’s a project for another day-after the lawn, the painting, the bathroom remodeling, the new fridge….

A: If you want a all tube amp and you are trying to stay at low power(the 15 watts you speak of) I would go for the Fender, its a more reliable amp then the Epiphone,but in my opinion, you should go for 30 to 50 watt tube amps, there are hundreds out there for sale, new and used.Here is a web site that I recommend to check out used and new equipment,type in daddy’s junky music.com. and click on the sit that says ”Daddy’s music located in New England and New York,and the east coast, they have 21 stores and some of BEST prices on used amps,I have bought from them and I am TOTALLY IMPRESSED with the quality of their used gear.I live in Indianapolis where the ”mother” Guitar Center is and I frequently go ther to check out gear and they will beat anybodys price on gear,except on the used gear, they are too high priced, so go and at least humor me and check out the site I recommended and you be the judge. Good Luck.

Q: BEST ELECTRIC GUITAR AMPS FOR UNDER 200?
I have always played on fender guitar amps and peavey amps. Im getting a new amp soon, what is another good amp and why? Thanks
and if you like fender or peavey, why?

A: Marshall MG-15 DFX. Very good Amp, with a good sound and it is under 200 Dollars.

Q: guitar amps? spider III, fender, vox or marshall?
i went to guitar center looking for a 100W-or-so amp.. i have 500 dollars that im willing to expend in this amp (not necessarily i have to expend them all though)
my top two where the 120W spider III from line 6 (400$), and the 250W marshall (500$). i’ve always loved marshall’s but the 400+ effects of the spider III seemed tempty
after playing with both amps and figuring i saved 100$ if i bought the spider III, i bought the spider III
i’ve just owned it for two days and i feel it doesn’t fill me completely =s
vox amps were a bit too expensive.. i searched for other vox on the internet and only the 100W seemed fair (a bit expensive though, 479$).. but the effects seem a bit mediocre.. are they?
i didn’t get to see fender in the store.. but i found a great 100W for 330$ on the internet..
is the 500$ marshall (250W) worth it over the 330$ fender (100W)? i know marshall is louder but i don’t necessarily need THAT much sound..
could u recomend me something?

A: You should perhaps check out the user reviews at www.harmony-central.com and www.wholenote.com. Musicians Friend will also have their own equipment reviews as well.

In your post you didn’t mention the type of music you played. But for overall versatility, I think the modeling amps are the way to go given your budget. I like the Line 6, Behringer, and Vox. I think you need to give yourself a little more time with the Line 6. It sounds like you’re still dialing it in. You might try taping yourself while you practise. This will give you a better idea of where you’re headed. If it seems hopeless, then you’re probably better off with something else.

Also if you need more volume consider getting an extension cabinet later. Volume is about moving air. The more speakers you have the more air you move, the louder you get.

I prefer all tube amps myself. I own a Carvin X-60 single 12″, but I do have Peavey, Randall and a Vox 15w practice amp. One day I’d like to get my hands on a THD.

Good luck.

Q: why do tube guitar amps not use cooling fans?
Why is it that the majority of tube powered guitar amps not use cooling fans yet produce much much more heat than solid-state amps? My Fender Hot Rod Deville Produces a massive amount of heat and it stays hot for hours after use and seems like a cooling fan would help.

A: Vacuum tubes tolerate heat more than semiconductors, and require a certain amount of heat just to operate. Natural air circulation is all that is usually needed.

Q: best amps for my guitar? (Fender Strat)?
please helpme out with getting a new guitar amp
i want to know some cheap good one’s that i could consider buying.

thanks for the help

A: I recommend the carvin 212 tube http://www.carvin.com best bang for the buck

Q: What is the normal setting for guitar amps?
I got a guitar amp and I was wondering, what is the normal setting for it? My amp is a Fender Frontman.

A: I will echo one point everyone is making, which is that it IS largely a matter of opinion. However, there are some other key points to consider.

First, the fender frontman is a very nice little amp and as a fender it is definitely going to give you some nice clean tones (as one other person pointed out) that are very useful in certain styles of music such as jazz and blues (think about some of Stevie Ray Vaughn’s music and you’ll know what I’m talking about, though he also made very good use of some dirty tones as well).

Which leads me to my next point, style of music is also going to be a factor in how you set up your amp. If you are going for that classic rock sound, then one nice thing you can do with fender amps is to lower the bass a bit and crank the mid and the treble and get some really nice crunchy tones.

One more thing to think about is the type of guitar you are using (and even the pick you are using to play it with) can affect how you’ll want to adjust the settings on your amp.

These are all basically ideas on what will play a role on how you’ll want to set your controls. My biggest suggestion for you, however, is not to settle for what sounds OK, play with the controls until you get the tone that you LOVE out of this amp. What I generally do is to take a new amp and put all the controls in the 12 o’clock position and adjust from there and play with it until I get something that I personally feel is a great sound. There’s a good chance that you’ll find what someone else tells you is a good sound is not necessarily the sound you’ll fall in love with from your amplifier. This is one way to define what YOU sound like.

Q: Guitar Amps under $400?
So I have been looking around for a decent amp under $400 dollars. Well let me clarify, not just decent since there are a lot of decent amps but I mean one which is both clear but can also ge decently loud and handle crunch well. I currently own a little Roland Microcube which serves me well for cleans but with my distortion pedal hooked up it simply cannot handle the volume. At lower volumes, it simply does not sound like metal, but at higher volumes it soon distorts and there’s no real bass behind it. I know its simply the size but I’ve tried Line 6 amps 15-30 watts and I like the sound, but it does not have a true clean tone which takes away from my pedal since I run it on clean tones. I played on some Fender amps today, including the Super Champ XD but I didn’t much care for it. It brings out some warm tones but I loose individual string clarity. I’ve played on the Marshall MGs but they have problems of their own. I’m at a loss for a lower end amp which I can play some metal tones. I play mainly Metallica type songs with my DF-7 pedal and clean songs with my acoustic so I’d appreciate an amp more with a great clean and string clarity and let my pedal model the distortion I want. The amp should have some decent equalizer but I don’t really need any FX except maybe chorus or reverb. I really liked the Epiphone Valve Jr. but I don’t really have the room to buy a cabinet and the like. My buddy has a crate and it sounds pretty nice, but I’m wondering if its because he’s spent all his time trying to match his guitar, pedal, and amp together. Either way I need to go up size at least but no higher than 30 watts. Any suggestions? Sorry for the length.

A: dude trust me go all the way with

PEAVEY VIPER 30 watt its only 200 bux for 30 and only 300 for 75 its a bad ass little amp i have a 15 watt and it KICKS trust me

Q: Guitar players, could you compare and contrast Vox, Marshall, and Fender amps?
Which do you like best for what style? Explain some pros and cons, I am shopping for an amp.

A: Well All In all they are all great reliable amp companies.I would say that Marshall has the most in selection for many many different types of music styles. I have a 100watt Marshall SLP it is a great all around amp although for it to get dirty zeppelin type crunch the volume has to be pretty loud as for the Vox AC30 it does not, but in my opinion the vox ac30 has more midrange. I really hate My Amp does not have an effects loop though I think they put them on now. My amp is forever old.I would say go to you local guitar shop with YOUR guitar and plug into many different amps and see which tone will suit you best. Look at the Vox AC30 Marshall SLP or (if your into metal) Marshall JCM 2000 and Fender Twin, but you just might walk out of the store with a HiWatt or a Hughes & Kettner …..

Q: What do you call the wrapper or the black cover used to cover guitar amps or guitar hardcases?
for example: http://www.made-in-china.com/image/2f0j00avFtfMbJhYgBM/Electric-Guitar-Hardcase-Fender-Gibson-Ibanez-Bass-KHhc001-.jpg

A: Tolex

Q: What is a good website to buy electric guitars and amps from?
I’m looking for a few things (Gibson guitars and Marshall and Fender amps) and would like to know what would be a good site to look on.

A: Ebay,, it might sound shizzle,, but its awesome dude!

Q: How do you connect two guitar amps together for a stereo effect.?
I have a Vox Valvetronix 30 watt. I have a Fender Blues Deluxe 40 watt.

A: You can use a 2-way splitter for 1/4″ jacks, which gives you two outputs from a single one.