What is you favorite practice amp.

[Armitage]

Vox Valvetronix

[cynic]

Apogee Jam into Amplitube 3 through a Dragonfly DAC to Equator D5's.

[murkat]

Vox Valvetronix

same here.

i remember some guys marveled at it when I used it at one of the chicago events,

they sound decent

[The Shark]

1959 Deluxe.....hides nothing. Greatest practice amp I've ever had. No effects. No nothing.

[Biz Prof]

MusicMan HD130 212, set at half-power and fronted by a Chandler Tube Driver rack mount.

[seeker]

VVT X-40 into a boogie-like thiele 1x12. It's rotated over the years but this one has stuck longer than any other. Will sometimes play unplugged, but usually not.

Only use an acoustic to figure out songs/chords. Call me a heretic, but I really don't like playing one. Not for lack of trying; just doesn't strike a chord with me (pun intended).

[santellavision]

My small practice amp is an Egnater Tweaker 40. I know it's a little more powerful than most practice amps, but it's really small and pretty light. Sounds great a low volumes and can be used live if needed.

[ib2010]

The Yamaha THR 10c (the blue, classic rock one) is the choice for "almost no amp" practice. For acoustic guitars,I tend to focus on the practice better with no amplification, or just a little bit of THR added.

[Crimsontider]

.......Much harder to find the right sounds on the Spider, and I feel like it layers so much more modeling on top of the guitar sound that you lose some of the guitar's character....

I had the same results. The sound I finally settled was using the tremelo with just a little gain, which sounded professional and authentic. I finally figured out how to turn off the defaulted on noise gate and it made a tremendous improvement if you like to palm muffle, especially on clean with delay. Was bad as a preamp due to the EQ being linked with the volume. Overall a good practice amp, especially with the built in effects, but with so much built in and tied together, not sure how the Spider's would be with pedals.

I even did a blog with tips for the small one. I have been disappointed in a lot of the new inexpensive practice amps as compared to the same model from 10 years ago.

http://line6spider.blogspot.com/

[cmatthes]

What is this "practice" of which you speak??

[mrpinter]

For practice/playing at home I have a pair of matching silverface Champs - tweaked a little with Kendrick (Weber) Champ speakers and AT-7 preamp tubes for better clean sound. They get used with some stereo effects (old Boss DC-2 Dimension C and an H&K Tube Rotosphere), and this has a really "big" sound at relatively low volume - I'm quite happy with this setup.

[Len]

Vox Valvetronix here too ...

[tomteriffic]

Roland Micro Cube. It works great for late night hack playing & doesn't disturb the wife too much.

This too, but it's pretty much my "noodling on the couch" as opposed to actual practice amp. Essential piece of gear.

But a significant amount of my actual practice is done unplugged with either my Martin or Taylor. The dippy little folk and roll trip that I'm proud to be a part of is at least half "acoustic" so getting that stuff down is every bit as important as the plugged-in stuff.

[Nathan of Brainfertilizer Fame]

.......Much harder to find the right sounds on the Spider, and I feel like it layers so much more modeling on top of the guitar sound that you lose some of the guitar's character....

I had the same results. The sound I finally settled was using the tremelo with just a little gain, which sounded professional and authentic. I finally figured out how to turn off the defaulted on noise gate and it made a tremendous improvement if you like to palm muffle, especially on clean with delay. Was bad as a preamp due to the EQ being linked with the volume. Overall a good practice amp, especially with the built in effects, but with so much built in and tied together, not sure how the Spider's would be with pedals.

I even did a blog with tips for the small one. I have been disappointed in a lot of the new inexpensive practice amps as compared to the same model from 10 years ago.

http://line6spider.blogspot.com/

Thanks, I'll check it out.

The thing I like about the Spider IV 75 is it is big enough to take to a small gig, but I can still get decent tones out of it quiet.

...but just too damn complicated.

Whereas the microcube sounds great, is portable, surprisingly loud, but maybe just a little too simple...there are some sounds I can't get.

Interestingly, I bumped into a Vox Valvetronix VT20+ this morning before I read anyone mentioning it in this thread. It sounded decent, but I was most impressed with its layout. It seems like an intuitive way to get a bunch of sounds (99!) out of an amp, with complete clarity of what you are doing with each change.

My only problem with it is it is too small to gig with. I may end up picking one up anyway, but my wife is already irritated with me having 4 amps cluttering up the space. Gotta get rid of two first, I guess.

[anotherfreak]

I wish I could, use an amp. I mostly have to practice when my girls are asleep, so the HD500 is it. Fortunately I use it "live" as well, and I have to practice my switching as well.

when I get to plat OUT LOUD I'll use a Gibson GA15r, a Black Pearl(fav) or a BillM mod Blues JR. Most people consider ALL my amps to be "practice" sized

[Crimsontider]

.......Much harder to find the right sounds on the Spider, and I feel like it layers so much more modeling on top of the guitar sound that you lose some of the guitar's character....

I had the same results. The sound I finally settled was using the tremelo with just a little gain, which sounded professional and authentic. I finally figured out how to turn off the defaulted on noise gate and it made a tremendous improvement if you like to palm muffle, especially on clean with delay. Was bad as a preamp due to the EQ being linked with the volume. Overall a good practice amp, especially with the built in effects, but with so much built in and tied together, not sure how the Spider's would be with pedals.

I even did a blog with tips for the small one. I have been disappointed in a lot of the new inexpensive practice amps as compared to the same model from 10 years ago.

http://line6spider.blogspot.com/

Thanks, I'll check it out.

The thing I like about the Spider IV 75 is it is big enough to take to a small gig, but I can still get decent tones out of it quiet.

...but just too damn complicated.

Whereas the microcube sounds great, is portable, surprisingly loud, but maybe just a little too simple...there are some sounds I can't get.

Interestingly, I bumped into a Vox Valvetronix VT20+ this morning before I read anyone mentioning it in this thread. It sounded decent, but I was most impressed with its layout. It seems like an intuitive way to get a bunch of sounds (99!) out of an amp, with complete clarity of what you are doing with each change.

My only problem with it is it is too small to gig with. I may end up picking one up anyway, but my wife is already irritated with me having 4 amps cluttering up the space. Gotta get rid of two first, I guess.

Your 75 watt probably has a different setup from the Line 6 Spider IV 15, but I went 6 months noticing something was just not right, it was too crispless when trying to emulate for example "The Edge"

Then I found out why. The darn Noise Gate is on by default in anything other than "Crunch". It was night and day for me. Made the amp sound "classic" instantly.

For anyone with these amps, bought used and hadn't a clue that they made amps with secret built in Noise Gates like I did.

Normal operation, setting presets and defaulting is more widely known than the two below.

Noise Gate

Press and hold TAP as you turn the second SmartFX knob B into the

Reverb “swoosh”. This turns the built in noise gate on and off, which

helps to cut down on hiss and noise. When you do this, the “Insane”

LED comes on to indicate the Gate is on. By default the gate is on for all

the amp models , except Crunch.

Boost

Press and hold the Tap button as you turn the Drive knob past 12 o’clock.

As you do this, Spider IV 15’s Clean Channel LED comes on. This gives

the kind of extra ‘dirt’ that you’d expect from a Distortion pedal with the

distortion control set low and the output control set high. It boosts your

guitar signal before it reaches the Amp Model, so that you hit the model

harder and get a more distorted sound.

[Hamer95USA]

I like practicing through either my Reverend Goblin, Soldano Astroverb 16, or my latest amp I got on a trade, my Laney Cub 12R with a Celestion Blue speaker that I installed in it. I use a Zoom G9.2tt effects processor pedalboard for effects/MIDI controller and a Lehle Dual SGOS for switching between amps. I'm enjoying playing through the Cub 12R combo amp, being able to go from clean to dirty just from the amp's gain knob, effects loop, and the 3/4 & 15 watt amp inputs which allow me to play at low volumes.

Guitar George

[polara]

I wish I could, use an amp. I mostly have to practice when my girls are asleep, so the HD500 is it. Fortunately I use it "live" as well, and I have to practice my switching as well.

when I get to plat OUT LOUD I'll use a Gibson GA15r, a Black Pearl(fav) or a BillM mod Blues JR. Most people consider ALL my amps to be "practice" sized

Having mucho gigged a Black Pearl, those suckers can bring the goods at bedroom or stage volumes. GREAT amps.

[Crimsontider]

I read somewhere several years ago that many Metal guitarist's used small low wattage amp to record in the studio. I am assuming they are easier to contain, and you can turn them up to a sweat spot without having to blow the roof off. There was one particular amp but I have forgotten. Another is using these small amps as preamps, or like pedals. I know that the Fender Champ's overdrive is as good as any pedal I have ever used. Just a thought. This is probably common knowledge, I am no gear head.

[zzzdat]

Most of the time unplugged on the couch watching tv. Lately I'm using a Fender superp champ XD with the new EHX soul food into the clean channel, it gets good amp feel at low volume. I also have the orginal Yamaha THR 10 that sounds great, but not as amp like as the XD and Soul Food.

Cool Beans

Gene

[Jakeboy]

If no one is home, I will use a fully cranked gig amp, no joke.

If she is home, I'll use a Lil Dawg 5f1 tweed Champ clone with a 12" speaker in a larger cab.....or my Lil Dawg 5E3 tweed deluxe OT a Traynor YGM-3 GuitarMate if I want Fender BF tones at low volume. I am amp rich and blessedly so......

[FGJ]

For us play-at-home amateurs, I guess there's no difference between a "practice" amp and our regular amp. Be that as it may, I use a lowly MusicMaster Bas Amp with various pedals. I actually picked up an Egnator Tweaker, thinking it would be better than the Fender, but in the end I thought the Fender sounded better, so I sold the Tweaker.

[Crimsontider]

For us play-at-home amateurs, I guess there's no difference between a "practice" amp and our regular amp. Be that as it may, I use a lowly MusicMaster Bas Amp with various pedals. I actually picked up an Egnator Tweaker, thinking it would be better than the Fender, but in the end I thought the Fender sounded better, so I sold the Tweaker.

Fender has made some great amps, I think they are maybe overshadowed by the guitars. I use one as a preamp signal for a virtual amp program that tries to emulate hundreds of different amps, cabs and effects. The Fender's signal makes a huge difference in the overall sound. Nice warm full spectrum.

Kind of surprised at the higher level of gear. Was assuming I would hear things like Crate, Peavey, Fender, Ampeg and other popular amps. But this is not the Kramer forum.

[TBP]

I read somewhere several years ago that many Metal guitarist's used small low wattage amp to record in the studio. I am assuming they are easier to contain, and you can turn them up to a sweat spot without having to blow the roof off. There was one particular amp but I have forgotten. Another is using these small amps as preamps, or like pedals. I know that the Fender Champ's overdrive is as good as any pedal I have ever used. Just a thought. This is probably common knowledge, I am no gear head.

It's been a while, but I was once an audio engineer. I mainly worked in mastering, but I did a bit of in studio work, as well. Much of the time, lower-powered guitar amps were preferred. There are a few reasons, including isolation, the concern of fatigue--especially on the occasion a guitarist does 73 takes of a solo--and, mostly being easier to get a sound which, coupled with mic placement, records well.

From what I hear from a few of the people I know who still regularly record, however, digital processors are now used at least as often as amps.

[gorch]

I frequently swap between AC-15 with blue Celestion, a cannabis fitted VAC 25, an old Silvertone, and Rockman XPR.

It's all a matter of taste for a certain phase.