A Line 6 that sounds good? How about bad freaking ass!!

[Metalhead]

Went into Guitar Center yesterday, just jacking around and grabbed a nice LP and looked for an amp to plug into. Tried a couple HW Marshall Super Leads, but no gain knobs, no gain, blah. Then I turned to the Mesa Stiletto Ace. Getting warmer, but meh. Then, I saw a really nice looking, seriously well built Line 6 amp that didn't have all those stupid display lights and goofy shit all over it. Just knobs and switches, and I plugged in. It was a 1X12 combo I found out later, but sounded easily like a 2X12, but this bastard was a freaking killing machine! It had a pentode/triode switch, 2 channels with 4 voicing modes on each channel, a class A & class A/B switch which really turned it into a 16 tone option amp. It's got 2 EL34's and 2 12AX7 preamp tubes, but implements some form of digital technology too, but the amp sounded totally off the chain! It's called a Line 6 DT50, and it can be purchased in a head only form too, and I'm seriously thinking about getting one of these, and I've got some good amps man. I mean, not to brag, but some of the shit I've got is considered the best of the best, but this thing left me with my jaw hanging open. Hands down, not only the best Line 6 I've ever played, but one of the best sounding amps I've ever played! I was floored man. I got stuck on it for like an hour while my angel of an 8 year old boy patiently waited for me to finish. I just wanted to tell y'all to check this amp out. It will undoubtedly surprise you in a very good way! If anyone out there has one or knows any more about it please chime in!

 

[glip22]

This amp was designed by Reinhold with them. I even think it says Bogner somewhere on it.

 

[kasperjensen]

For a working musician, Line 6 has some great products. I have been very happy with some of their products.

If you are on a serious tone-hunt, you will be led elsewhere.

 

[Milerky2]

The DT50 is a marriage of the best of both worlds. Digital control of Analog tone. The circuits reconfigure depending on what mode/channel you pick. I have not had a chance to try one yet. But a cool feature is the way it integrates with the new HD series PODs. It connects the POD into the signal flow to control the amp switching AND puts the effects into the right location!

The tech geek in me is freaking out. The purist says meh.

The tech geek wins

 

[oldmanmetal]

A 100w version available? 50 w is not enough for me. I am not a fan of Line 6, but am willing to try new things.

 

[Mattfig]

50 watts is almost as loud as 100....Methinks....

It's not half the volume as some may think....

Anyway, I had the first and second Spider Valves and was disappointed....This one takes it a step further for sure....But my Randall MTS stuff slays everything in its path....

 

[glassjaw7]

Agree. They sound pretty good. I've also been quite happy with my HD500 and tube pwr amp for live use.

 

[glip22]

50 watts is almost as loud as 100....Methinks....

It's not half the volume as some may think....

Anyway, I had the first and second Spider Valves and was disappointed....This one takes it a step further for sure....But my Randall MTS stuff slays everything in its path....

I have never found this to be true. It is nowhere near half the volume but a 100 watter is much louder. I have had the loudest 50 watt amps also. The 100 watter gives better bass and more girth to the tone.

 

[oldmanmetal]

50 watts is almost as loud as 100....Methinks....

It's not half the volume as some may think....

Anyway, I had the first and second Spider Valves and was disappointed....This one takes it a step further for sure....But my Randall MTS stuff slays everything in its path....

I am aware of.all that. I need 100w amps. If.you don't understand then I am not going.to.explain. I would be interested in playing one when it is available. They look interesting, and some interaction that looks.to be unique.

 

[oldmanmetal]

50 watts is almost as loud as 100....Methinks....

It's not half the volume as some may think....

Anyway, I had the first and second Spider Valves and was disappointed....This one takes it a step further for sure....But my Randall MTS stuff slays everything in its path....

I have never found this to be true. It is nowhere near half the volume but a 100 watter is much louder. I have had the loudest 50 watt amps also. The 100 watter gives better bass and more girth to the tone.

For sure.

 

[Tone Monster]

50 watters can be plenty loud but don't have enough oomph compared to their big brothers...
Yes, I play alone in my bedroom.

 

[RedRider]

The difference in "loudness" of a 50 watt to a 100 watt amp is roughly 3 decibels...just a quick fyi for "ooomph" factor, however the available headroom is much different. The 50 watters break up at a much different level. Search with your favorite search engine and you will see this VERY publicized all over the web...
http://stereos.about.com/od/stereoscience/a/jargon1.htm

A watt is a unit of energy, like horsepower or joules. In audio, a watt is used to describe the energy output of a receiver or amplifier used to power a loudspeaker. The relationship between power output and speaker loudness or volume is not linear or straight (+10 watts does not equal +10 dB). For example, if you compare the maximum volume of a 50-watt amplifier with a 100-watt amplifier the difference is only 3 dB, barely greater than the ability of the human ear to hear the difference. It would take an amplifier with 10 times more power (500 watts!) to be perceived as being twice as loud (a +10 dB increase). Keep this in mind when purchasing an amplifier or receiver. 2X the power output = +3 dB increase, 10X the power output = +10 dB increase, or twice as loud.

AS for Line 6, yeah I agree they are getting a LOT better....however they have quite a way to go.

 

[jlbaxe]

Ive been watching that amp. Have wanted to try one and not sure if I want a Head,2x12 or 1x12. Think it would be cool to have, throw a HD500 at it and mess with.

 

[Axe-Man]

Quite an interesting amp though I've wondered if it's really 'all that'.

TGP users either love it or hate it but I've been tempted to check one out.

50w should be plenty loud for the usual stuff though I've found I can get buried even when running a 50w poweramp pushed really hard. 100watts seems to provide that bit extra headroom, girth, volume and bottom end. I'd prefer to have a 100w amp personally.

 

[JTyson]

(Hands over ears) I cant hear you! I cant hear you!

I know the day is coming where they will catch up, and even surpass tubes.
I dont want to have to start over

 

[Mokaccino]

I gigged intensively with the AX212 many years ago. Plug and play in 20 seconds flat. I stupidly sold it, should have kept it. Maybe not the "best tube tone" but what a great all-arounder tool, very reliable and a breeze to operate.

 

[Metalhead]

All I can say is that I've got a Fortin, a Friedman, had a couple Camerons and a CCV, have a Wizard MC, a Cameron modded 5150 and an Engl Steve Morse at the moment, and in that room, in that store, the DT50 sounded every bit as good if not better than any of the amps I listed. I'm a boosting SOB man. I ALWAYS throw a boosted OD pedal in front of ANY amp, and this particular Line 6 absolutely did not need any type of boost whatsoever to achieve plenty of sustain, harmonics or good old metal chugga chugga. I'm telling y'all, I was fucking blown out of the water. The list of amps I gave you is just part of what I've had or have now. I've really owned about 50 amps over the last 3 years, and this one had magic in every department you'd need an amp to have. A true Swiss army knife of amps, with clarity, great pick response and just a wicked tone or should I say multiple tones. This IS NOT any Spider valve or bullshit amp where you've got built in f/x and an "insane" setting on it. This is a totally serious amp, and for $1,000, it's worth it's weight in gold. Don't wanna come off as a snob or some kind of self-proclaimed amp connoiseur, but I know good tone when I hear it, and this has so many bad ass settings and tonal options that ALL sound good in their own right. There is not a shadow of a doubt that I'm buying one of these heads...it's just down to whether or not my buddy that works at GC can get me a better deal with his employee discount or not. If I was getting a combo, I'd go for the 2X12 for sure, but the 1X12 I played still sounded ENORMOUS! It just totally took me by surprise. I've always considered Line 6 stuff to be for teenagers that can't afford to buy a truly quality amp, and if you judge on the other shit they have on the market, that still rings true, but this one is in a class of it's own. The only thing I'm unsure about is that I've finally got my W/D/W setup rigged up and functioning, and with the DT50's capabilities of tying into one of the POD units, I wonder if I could achieve even more cool tones using their amp sims and different f/x. Currently, I use a TC Electronics Nova System that I really like, but it's very appealing to me to utilize the digital inputs and other Line 6 products along with an already ass kicking amp. We'll see, but you guys have to play one of these things to believe it. They've really gone above and beyond with this amp.

 

[mindseye]

I felt just like the OP the first time I tried one out in a store.....Sounded huge for a 1-12 combo, loved everything about it from the 30 min. or so that I played it....I walked away from that amp just knowing that it was gonna be my next amp!!!!

A few weeks later when my local mom & pop store got one in, who in witch let me try out anything they have at home for a week or so at a time......when I got it home I really dont know what happen to the awesome tones I was getting the first time I tried one out,
the clean to mild overdrive sounds were still pretty good but the high gain tones I need were just uninspiring the closer I got to gigging volume, it was like the louder it got the crappier it started to sound, and this was threw my recto 4-12 cab or threw its own combo speaker.

I was very disappointed because I had spent a few weeks just knowing that this amp was gonna just work for me and make my life better...lol, maybe the fact that its only 50w was the reason I felt it was lacking when turned up to gig levels I really wanted it to work out for me but it just didnt......hell maybe there are good ones and bad ones and the first one I played was a exception and not the rule.....

 

[Metalhead]

Interesting to know. It's always different once you get something home. Now I'm suspicious as to whether I want to get one or not. Can always order though Musician's Friend and return it if it ends up sucking! Very valuable insight man.