A great sounding small combo that's SUPER versatile. $700ish

[EvilMeow]

Hi to everyone that's known me for the seven or so years I've been on HCAF (that place is a terrible, terrible madhouse now. No thank you)

Here's my situation. It's pretty unique, really.

I play in an electric guitar ensemble. We number about eight people or so right now, though we've had as many as fourteen. It's almost like an electric guitar orchestra, really, since we have people doubling and tripling parts sometimes.

Anyway, we play classical music or modern 20th century stuff with electric guitars, distortion, effects, etc. It's a really cool group and we are damn good at what we do. Concerts are pretty packed.

The thing is I need a small amp that'll sound good in that kind of situation. We're pretty loud but by no means do we get to crank it, since a lot of times we're dealing with balancing levels and EQ between a bunch of guitars.

We play things like compositions from George Crumb, Hindemith, Stravinsky, etc. We're also doing a Halloween Monster Musik show this season, so we're going to do an arrangement of the theme from Halloween, and I'll be doing Bach's Toccata in Dm.

Anyway, I need something with a KILLER liquid lead tone, basically, and a good clean as well. I'm looking to spend around $700 or so. It has to be a small combo. I can push it close to $1000 if I have to.

As much as I love tube amps, I've been considering a Tech21 Trademark 60. Thoughts?

 

[Telephant]

AtarisPunk had a good suggestion the other day but I cant remember what it was...

So you're looking for a two channel amp right? You do NOT want to use pedals for gain?

Your killer liquid tone is in a Mark IV or III combo. They're small, relatively light, and sound monster. A used mark III combo goes for pretty cheap these days.

 

[EvilMeow]

AtarisPunk had a good suggestion the other day but I cant remember what it was...

So you're looking for a two channel amp right? You do NOT want to use pedals for gain?

Your killer liquid tone is in a Mark IV or III combo. They're small, relatively light, and sound monster. A used mark III combo goes for pretty cheap these days.

Yeah, I know I posted this on HC, but I got a bunch of ridiculous suggestions like various rack systems and other things that were the complete opposite of "COMBO." I think the MarkIV/MarkIII combo is just too loud for these applications. I don't think I'll be able to get what I need out of it and make it sound decent.

Maybe I should check out a MarkIV anyway. I'll probably only be in this ensemble until May or so.

I have no problem using pedals for gain, but I'd rather stay away from it. I do have a pretty extensive pedalboard that I'm using right now, however (a Digitech Whammy pedal, an old MIJ SD-1, old MIJ Phase 45 and phase 90, Line6 DL-4).

Keep in mind that we're talking about concert halls, not rock concerts, and there are 8-10 guitars up at a time. Volumes can't be too insane.

At least two channels, yes.

 

[Meathead]

If you always want your same sound loud or quiet (with lots of presets ready) lately I've been digging this little live rig; Tonelab LE in front of a Tech21 Power Engine 60.
I usually bring a louder tube amp to the club I played at last weekend. It's a large club with loud stage volume, but this little setup kept up just fine, I was surprised.

 

[Mudder]

I have a TM60 and while it's a grea amp, I'm not sure about "liquid" lead tones. It's solid though. When I think liquid I'm thinking MkIV or maybe Carvin Legacy. You could use a Legacy and 1x12 cab and get those tones, and still be under your budget mark.

 

[Variable]

You may want to wait until the Line 6 Spider Valve comes out. Assuming Bogner didn't just let Line6 use his name for $$$ and actually participated in the design, of course

https://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/ ... sku=483067

You'd probably still have to pick up a footswitch, though, but I bet that'd be the most versatile thing you could get for the money.

 

[Telephant]

If you always want your same sound loud or quiet (with lots of presets ready) lately I've been digging this little live rig; Tonelab LE in front of a Tech21 Power Engine 60.
I usually bring a louder tube amp to the club I played at last weekend. It's a large club with loud stage volume, but this little setup kept up just fine, I was surprised.

Im actually beginning to think this is your best option. Tons of possibilities and tones. BUt can you break away from the terrifying stigma that is the modeller? Im not sure I could stomach it.

 

[thiswaythatway]

Mark IV combo. The Mark amps sound better than most other amps at low volumes, they're only too loud if you turn them up that way.

 

[Shiny_Surface]

Hi to everyone that's known me for the seven or so years I've been on HCAF (that place is a terrible, terrible madhouse now. No thank you)

Here's my situation. It's pretty unique, really.

I play in an electric guitar ensemble. We number about eight people or so right now, though we've had as many as fourteen. It's almost like an electric guitar orchestra, really, since we have people doubling and tripling parts sometimes.

Anyway, we play classical music or modern 20th century stuff with electric guitars, distortion, effects, etc. It's a really cool group and we are damn good at what we do. Concerts are pretty packed.

The thing is I need a small amp that'll sound good in that kind of situation. We're pretty loud but by no means do we get to crank it, since a lot of times we're dealing with balancing levels and EQ between a bunch of guitars.

We play things like compositions from George Crumb, Hindemith, Stravinsky, etc. We're also doing a Halloween Monster Musik show this season, so we're going to do an arrangement of the theme from Halloween, and I'll be doing Bach's Toccata in Dm.

Anyway, I need something with a KILLER liquid lead tone, basically, and a good clean as well. I'm looking to spend around $700 or so. It has to be a small combo. I can push it close to $1000 if I have to.

As much as I love tube amps, I've been considering a Tech21 Trademark 60. Thoughts?

If a PA is being used you could use a modeling floorboard straight in

 

[PeteLaramee]

Has anyone tried a H&K Switchblade combo? I've been pretty curious about those.

 

[Meathead]

If you always want your same sound loud or quiet (with lots of presets ready) lately I've been digging this little live rig; Tonelab LE in front of a Tech21 Power Engine 60.
I usually bring a louder tube amp to the club I played at last weekend. It's a large club with loud stage volume, but this little setup kept up just fine, I was surprised.

Im actually beginning to think this is your best option. Tons of possibilities and tones. BUt can you break away from the terrifying stigma that is the modeller? Im not sure I could stomach it.

For me, If it sounds and feels good, it's good.
If you can do all your gigs with the Super Bass and a 4x12 you're set.
I need a very versatile rig soundwise for all the songs the bands I play with do.
It needs to sound great very quiet (for symphony and corporate gigs) or really loud (large bars) and also be light and easy to load around.
So far I can't find a better setup than this for all these things.
I guarantee you wouldn't say it sucks if you played through my rig.

That Bogner/Line6 colab has me intrigued now.

 

[ratter]

If you always want your same sound loud or quiet (with lots of presets ready) lately I've been digging this little live rig; Tonelab LE in front of a Tech21 Power Engine 60.
I usually bring a louder tube amp to the club I played at last weekend. It's a large club with loud stage volume, but this little setup kept up just fine, I was surprised.

Im actually beginning to think this is your best option. Tons of possibilities and tones. BUt can you break away from the terrifying stigma that is the modeller? Im not sure I could stomach it.

For me, If it sounds and feels good, it's good.
If you can do all your gigs with the Super Bass and a 4x12 you're set.
I need a very versatile rig soundwise for all the songs the bands I play with do.
It needs to sound great very quiet (for symphony and corporate gigs) or really loud (large bars) and also be light and easy to load around.
So far I can't find a better setup than this for all these things.
I guarantee you wouldn't say it sucks if you played through my rig.

That Bogner/Line6 colab has me intrigued now.

Are you using anything in addition to the tonelab?

 

[guitarslinger]

Mesa DC5 combo.

 

[Meathead]

Are you using anything in addition to the tonelab?

I started off like this...lots of pedals, hey this is great!

Now it's just this (I don't even use the comp pedal anymore)

Small and simple for gigging night after night makes me a happy guy.
Setup = 2 minutes Teardown = 2 minutes.

 

[EvilMeow]

If you always want your same sound loud or quiet (with lots of presets ready) lately I've been digging this little live rig; Tonelab LE in front of a Tech21 Power Engine 60.
I usually bring a louder tube amp to the club I played at last weekend. It's a large club with loud stage volume, but this little setup kept up just fine, I was surprised.

Im actually beginning to think this is your best option. Tons of possibilities and tones. BUt can you break away from the terrifying stigma that is the modeller? Im not sure I could stomach it.

That's a good idea, actually. I have no problems with modellers. The stuff I'm playing is pretty precise and, like I said, fairly low volume. I'd never be able to bring my 2Rock there and use it to its full ability.

I'm actually now considering a used Vetta. But if I could buy new, I would (simply because I know the no-interest-financing deals are coming up soon at GC, and my credit rocks), How much does Tonelab+Power Engine go for? I could use a PodXT Live too, hrm...

Now you guys have me thinking

 

[Meathead]

If you always want your same sound loud or quiet (with lots of presets ready) lately I've been digging this little live rig; Tonelab LE in front of a Tech21 Power Engine 60.
I usually bring a louder tube amp to the club I played at last weekend. It's a large club with loud stage volume, but this little setup kept up just fine, I was surprised.

Im actually beginning to think this is your best option. Tons of possibilities and tones. BUt can you break away from the terrifying stigma that is the modeller? Im not sure I could stomach it.

That's a good idea, actually. I have no problems with modellers. The stuff I'm playing is pretty precise and, like I said, fairly low volume. I'd never be able to bring my 2Rock there and use it to its full ability.

I'm actually now considering a used Vetta. But if I could buy new, I would (simply because I know the no-interest-financing deals are coming up soon at GC, and my credit rocks), How much does Tonelab+Power Engine go for? I could use a PodXT Live too, hrm...

Now you guys have me thinking

If you are used to how a tube amp 'reacts' to your playing, the Line 6 stuff will probably disappoint you. It feels very solid state to me.
Although people out front were saying I had a good tone with it, the feel of the PODxt Live started to make me really want to go back to tube amps again for gigging. I tried the Tonelab LE based on opinions from some friends and I can deal with the feel of this unit. It responds a lot more like a tube amp. It's something that clips won't tell you.
Compare the two and see what you think.

 

[OneArmedScissor]

I don't know why you say a Mark III/IV is "too loud." It's multiple channels with their sounds being completely preamp-based, so it should be right up your ally.

I could tell you to get an AC15CC, which will do plenty of sounds and runs on a "mere" 15 watts, but it'd be loud as hell if you want to be able to use all the sounds it has.

 

[Scott Ians Beard]

Hey, I have no input to this, but id be interested in hearing clips of the ensemble. Sounds like a very cool idea. Do you have anything?

Good luck on the amp search!

 

[EvilMeow]

Hey, I have no input to this, but id be interested in hearing clips of the ensemble. Sounds like a very cool idea. Do you have anything?

Good luck on the amp search!

Well, here's a recording of a piece that I played in the spring concert that my composition professor/guitar teacher wrote called Asterism. An asterism is a cluster of starts in the sky that is not part of a constellation. It went with another piece called Nebula, which precedes this. It's a solo piece, but we do a lot of those during the concert too. It's got some monster scary difficult string-skipping arpeggio shapes in it as the main theme at the end. The sound at the end is manipulation of a Line6 DL-4. The whole thing is tracked in real time. The amp is an Ampeg Jet with an MXR Phase 45, an original MXR Distortion+. and an original MIJ Boss SD-1. The beginning is just a normal whammy bar trick with a strange tetrachord played while the strings are slacked.

That's right, composed electric guitar music. There's not enough of it out there

http://www.box.net/shared/lx5ugxa6y7

I'll see what I can dig up of past concerts to post for you. I think I have a recording of us doing an arrangement of Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells (real popular in the 70s. neat piece), and Philip Glass' Facades off of the Glassworks album.

 

[EvilMeow]

I don't know why you say a Mark III/IV is "too loud." It's multiple channels with their sounds being completely preamp-based, so it should be right up your ally.

I could tell you to get an AC15CC, which will do plenty of sounds and runs on a "mere" 15 watts, but it'd be loud as hell if you want to be able to use all the sounds it has.

I also can't get a Mark IV for $700. Not even used. In fact, I'm going for new because I'd like to get in on a no-interest financing deal that Guitar Center is going to have later this month. I figure, why not?