[snizzle]

One of my students is looking for a new amp. He's 13 and one of those kids that sits around for hours and hours every day playing guitar. He's into hardcore stuff, but also plays in his Jr High praise team at church (although he thinks it's pretty lame). His main guitar is an Epi SG and his current amp is a Fender GDEC: http://www.fender.com/products/searc...tno=2350000000

He goes to Guitar Center pretty frequently and really wants a Raven half-stack: http://www.guitarcenter.com/Raven-RG...11-i1415039.gc

This kid weighs about 90 pounds. He's going to seriously regret a half-stack and I've never even heard of Raven. Plus, I'm trying to steer him away from all the digital modeling stuff.

Anyways, I'm a tube amp guy. But I don't think that's really what this guy needs. As mentioned, he plays a lot of hardcore stuff but also plays worship on occasion. He needs something to suit both. I'm thinking a SS is the way to go for him. I'm trying to steer him towards the guitar/pedals/amp route instead of the guitar/digital modeled amp route. He may not understand it all now, but he'll definitely thank me in the future when he doesn't have a paperweight that weighs as much as he does.

So, what do you recommend? We're looking in the $400-500 range.
-shane

[mulletman]

Tubes are always a good idea, and if he wants a half-stack.....

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/p...ack?sku=485059

But I see what you mean about the half stack idea....

I can't think of any solid-state amps that I'd recommend. The following would do hardcore, and it would do most other things, and it isn't a half-stack. But it has tubes. Alas, my recommendations are not to your specification....

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/p...mbo?sku=480046

You can also get a 75 watt B-52 solid state for 300...

[thesteve]

Raven is a GC house brand.

Honestly, I don't think it's out of the question to pick up a 1x12" or 2x12" tube combo that will have a good enough tonal range to cover both worship music and hardcore. I really feel like the B-52 amp that mulletman recommended might be a great choice here.

In light of all this, what exactly are you looking for in an amp? Why is it that you think an SS amp would be a better choice for this student than a tube amp?

[BillSPrestonEsq]

Originally Posted by snizzle

One of my students is looking for a new amp. He's 13 and one of those kids that sits around for hours and hours every day playing guitar. He's into hardcore stuff, but also plays in his Jr High praise team at church (although he thinks it's pretty lame). His main guitar is an Epi SG and his current amp is a Fender GDEC: http://www.fender.com/products/searc...tno=2350000000

He goes to Guitar Center pretty frequently and really wants a Raven half-stack: http://www.guitarcenter.com/Raven-RG...11-i1415039.gc

This kid weighs about 90 pounds. He's going to seriously regret a half-stack and I've never even heard of Raven. Plus, I'm trying to steer him away from all the digital modeling stuff.

Anyways, I'm a tube amp guy. But I don't think that's really what this guy needs. As mentioned, he plays a lot of hardcore stuff but also plays worship on occasion. He needs something to suit both. I'm thinking a SS is the way to go for him. I'm trying to steer him towards the guitar/pedals/amp route instead of the guitar/digital modeled amp route. He may not understand it all now, but he'll definitely thank me in the future when he doesn't have a paperweight that weighs as much as he does.

So, what do you recommend? We're looking in the $400-500 range.
-shane

Its tube, but I would steer him toward a peavey triumph or ultra. just ftr, those are seriously loaded amps for hardcore, tube, and well within budget. another option... Yamaha T-100c from ebay. Any of these can be gotten in head or combo form and any can blow your ears out and have enough gain for any form of metal or hardcore. Personally I say a combo is the way to go, and I am a 5150/soldano player. I use a 2x12 because the heads I got kind of dictate it.

Triumphs have GOBS of gain and a decent clean channel. Sure, its nowhere like my top amp, but for the price, you can't beat it.

Another option is a krank rev jr pro. It would be pushing price but... yeah, thats a quality amp. Also, it comes as a head so you can stack it with a 4x12 or a 1x12.

Really, I would avoid solid state here more than some of the newer digital stuff.

[Ax]

I play metal, hardcore, blues, grunge, and some very folksy stuff thru a B52... They're HIGHLY versatile amps with amazing clean channels and uber heavy OD channels... This kid will like a B52...

[metropolis4]

The old Fender Performer is a decent SS head, he might need a pedal for the distortion though.
Carvin has a big sale on their SX series amps. You can get a 2x12 combo for $350, a head for $275 and a half stack for $575
Crate isn't really a bad way to go. I think their older amps sound a bit better (mid-90's). The newer ones (since they were bought out) seem much cheaper to me. The Power Block isn't a bad amp, plus it makes a perfect backup to carry around in a gig bag should you decide to upgrade in the future.

[snizzle]

Thanks guys! I'll be checking out the B52.

Not really sure why I leaned towards SS. The tube amps that I have the most experience with don't have drive channels, so I just blocked them out. Plus, in my head I was thinking more of Marshall/Orange than Fender/Vox and forgot the plethora of other options.
-shane

[Forged by Fire]

The B52 is ok, itll get ya by but its kinda meh...IMO, for a decent SS I would look into something like the peavey XXL or something from the early 2000's randall SS line such as the Titan, Cyclone, or Warhead. Not sure if they all come in combo versions though.

I know you wanted him to stay away from modelers but at that age learning it would seem having options open to experiment would seem like the way to go to me. I mean I know its not the real thing but he can become a connossiuer later on down the road. ATM something like a combo with decent modelers, like say the peavey vyper would seem like a good step. Lots of different amp models for a young guy to start shaping his preferences and giving him a generalised "yea I know its still not real" idea of how different amps sound.

As far as tube combo's, I would say something like the blackstar HT-5 for the types of aggressive tones he's probably going to be wanting but if he's asking for a half stack I dont know if its going to be loud enough. If you get lucky on the evil-bay you might find a 5150 combo floating around for close to that amount. The mesa F series amps would also be a great buy in that price range.

[snizzle]

Originally Posted by Forged by Fire

The B52 is ok, itll get ya by but its kinda meh...IMO, for a decent SS I would look into something like the peavey XXL or something from the early 2000's randall SS line such as the Titan, Cyclone, or Warhead. Not sure if they all come in combo versions though.

I know you wanted him to stay away from modelers but at that age learning it would seem having options open to experiment would seem like the way to go to me. I mean I know its not the real thing but he can become a connossiuer later on down the road. ATM something like a combo with decent modelers, like say the peavey vyper would seem like a good step. Lots of different amp models for a young guy to start shaping his preferences and giving him a generalised "yea I know its still not real" idea of how different amps sound.

As far as tube combo's, I would say something like the blackstar HT-5 for the types of aggressive tones he's probably going to be wanting but if he's asking for a half stack I dont know if its going to be loud enough. If you get lucky on the evil-bay you might find a 5150 combo floating around for close to that amount. The mesa F series amps would also be a great buy in that price range.

He just wants a halfstack because he thinks it's cool and because his current amp isn't loud enough. But there's a whole lot between the 1x10 digital amp he's got now and a 4x10 half stack. His current amp is digital. So, he's got a good idea of a lot of different sounds but he's become very dependent on just having different programmed channels to pull up instead of actually understanding what effects go into the programming of each 'channel'. He was using patch names like 'insane uber metal' as though I should know what that was, instead of actually knowing what effects contribute to an 'insane uber metal' patch. So, he already has a good digital amp for practice and to try out effects. I know what goes through the head of a 14 yo aspiring rock god because I was there...I also know that I really didn't know anything and I wish someone would have come along and told me what I needed instead of what I thought was cool.

The B52 looks like it has a lot of potential. Something in the 1x12 to 2x12 category is what we're looking for. The half stack he was looking at literally outweighs him by twenty pounds or so. There's no way he's going to be able to get that around and he'll regret it...especially when he can't turn it past 3 or so on the volume knob.
-shane

[BillSPrestonEsq]

Originally Posted by snizzle

He just wants a halfstack because he thinks it's cool and because his current amp isn't loud enough. But there's a whole lot between the 1x10 digital amp he's got now and a 4x10 half stack. His current amp is digital. So, he's got a good idea of a lot of different sounds but he's become very dependent on just having different programmed channels to pull up instead of actually understanding what effects go into the programming of each 'channel'. He was using patch names like 'insane uber metal' as though I should know what that was, instead of actually knowing what effects contribute to an 'insane uber metal' patch. So, he already has a good digital amp for practice and to try out effects. I know what goes through the head of a 14 yo aspiring rock god because I was there...I also know that I really didn't know anything and I wish someone would have come along and told me what I needed instead of what I thought was cool.

The B52 looks like it has a lot of potential. Something in the 1x12 to 2x12 category is what we're looking for. The half stack he was looking at literally outweighs him by twenty pounds or so. There's no way he's going to be able to get that around and he'll regret it...especially when he can't turn it past 3 or so on the volume knob.
-shane

for a b52, I have not heard good from their SS offerings.

I really suggest the old peavey route.

The 5150 combo however, while awesome has the same weight issue.

[RubberChipmunk]

Originally Posted by BillSPrestonEsq

for a b52, I have not heard good from their SS offerings.

Quoted for truth. The last band I played in, the other guitarist used a SS B-52 as a backup, and it sounded like dung in a blender.

However, I'm completely happy with my AT100. The combo versions, as people have said, are wonderful.

[BillSPrestonEsq]

Originally Posted by RubberChipmunk

Quoted for truth. The last band I played in, the other guitarist used a SS B-52 as a backup, and it sounded like dung in a blender.

However, I'm completely happy with my AT100. The combo versions, as people have said, are wonderful.

the at100 is awesome... That much is certain.

i have heard the combos, especially with the celestions rock.

[snizzle]

The B52 A112 is the one I was referring to: http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/p...mbo?sku=480046

Sound like a winner?
-shane

[BillSPrestonEsq]

Originally Posted by snizzle

The B52 A112 is the one I was referring to: http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/p...mbo?sku=480046

Sound like a winner?
-shane

I have not played one, but sounds like a winner to me. A speaker upgrade may eventually be in order, but seriously, thats an amp that could follow him for life.

[Forged by Fire]

Yeah the B52 tube combo's are not to bad. I thought you were talking about there SS stuff which just isnt that great. Ive played the AT100 its a solid tube amp but it always struck me as maybe not being biased hot enough?? Could have been the fault of the stock tubes. I imagine the A112 is a combo take on the AT not totally sure though. Bill is right on the 5150 combo's being supremely heavy, didnt think of that at first.

I see what you mean about the effects patches though. He should certainly learn about his effects. So I think your right to steer him that way.