Thinking of grabbing a Spider Valve Mk II...

[stratotone]

Yeah I know, last thing I need is another amp, but one that has all the effects in it where I could just take it, a cab and a footswitch to a gig appeals to me. By the time I rack my AxeFX with the VHT 2/90/2, it's too damned heavy to tote around and I don't like how rack gear fits on 4x12s. ;0

So SV II owners and folks who have played them - give me the good, bad and ugly please!

Pete

 

[Digital Jams]

I am looking for a small combo myself and the SV is on the list to check out, getting tired of lugging all my crap out of the basement every week

 

[ejecta]

I've got one and think it's a very cool amp. Let's put it this way I sold my Axe after my friend from the local store let me take the SV MkII home. Honestly I almost didnt even get it out of my car thinking I wouldn't like it because in the store I wasn't that impressed and was sure my AxeFX was much better. I had to play the SV MKII in the store super low volume as lessons were going on. So Brian told me to take it home and try it in my environment. Anyway I'm glad I took in and gave it a shot. After extensive ABing between the Axe and SV MkII it was no brainer. The SV was much more present and natural to me. YMMV.

IMHO if you need an amp with a bigger selection of tones and EFX in a grab and go then I think its a very very good option.

 

[Rogue]

I've got one and think it's a very cool amp. Let's put it this way I sold my Axe after my friend from the local store let me the SV MkII home. Honestly I almost didnt even get it out of my car thinking I wouldn't like it because in the store I wasn't that impressed and was sure my AxeFX was much better. I had to play the SV MKII in the store super low volume as lessons were going on. So Brian told me to take it home and try it in my environment. Anyway I'm glad I took in and gave it a shot. After extensive ABing between the Axe and SV MkII it was no brainer. The SV was much more present and natural to me. YMMV.

And now you're selling it.

 

[ejecta]

I've got one and think it's a very cool amp. Let's put it this way I sold my Axe after my friend from the local store let me the SV MkII home. Honestly I almost didnt even get it out of my car thinking I wouldn't like it because in the store I wasn't that impressed and was sure my AxeFX was much better. I had to play the SV MKII in the store super low volume as lessons were going on. So Brian told me to take it home and try it in my environment. Anyway I'm glad I took in and gave it a shot. After extensive ABing between the Axe and SV MkII it was no brainer. The SV was much more present and natural to me. YMMV.

And now you're selling it.

To get the head version. And why did you sell your Axe and are buying my combo?

 

[Rogue]

Yeah I know, last thing I need is another amp, but one that has all the effects in it where I could just take it, a cab and a footswitch to a gig appeals to me. By the time I rack my AxeFX with the VHT 2/90/2, it's too damned heavy to tote around and I don't like how rack gear fits on 4x12s. ;0

So SV II owners and folks who have played them - give me the good, bad and ugly please!

Pete

I'm picking one up soon from the greatest second hand source ever....ejecta. Hopefully before the weekend.

I've played one at GC twice and thought it was a cool little amp. It's not as versatile, doesn't have some of intricacies, doesn't have the same dynamics (in terms of guitar volume/picking touch) as the Axe-FX. However, it did have a warmer tone (not warmer as in darker, warmer as in sounded more appealing), more present, did the mid gain crunch stuff better, and sounded more 3d. I didn't try any of the effects and I suspect the Axe-FX's are much better, but line6's effects will do fine for my purposes though. I will say this much, I prefer line6's OD pedals over the Axe-FXs. But the reverb from the Axe-FX is very, very nice.

I do think the 1x12 sounds a little bit boxy. The 2x12 might be the better option. I also don't think the modeled amps do a fantastic job of recreating the originals, but they are nice in themselves. That weird model with mid sweep thing is pretty damn cool. There is a lot of good tones to be had with that model. Tones that I could not get with the Axe-FX.

 

[blackba]

I've got one and think it's a very cool amp. Let's put it this way I sold my Axe after my friend from the local store let me the SV MkII home. Honestly I almost didnt even get it out of my car thinking I wouldn't like it because in the store I wasn't that impressed and was sure my AxeFX was much better. I had to play the SV MKII in the store super low volume as lessons were going on. So Brian told me to take it home and try it in my environment. Anyway I'm glad I took in and gave it a shot. After extensive ABing between the Axe and SV MkII it was no brainer. The SV was much more present and natural to me. YMMV.

IMHO if you need an amp with a bigger selection of tones and EFX in a grab and go then I think its a very very good option.

Watch out for the Axe-Fx police with a opinion like that.

 

[Rogue]

To get the head version.

So you say. You know someone will post a clip of some new amp and you'll be itching to get your hands on it. I mean hell, you've got a day or two.

And why did you sell your Axe and are buying my combo?

Because it sounds better.

 

[Rogue]

Watch out for the Axe-Fx police with a opinion like that.

Well you know, I just couldn't dial it in right. So be it.

The Axe-FX is a great unit. I think it's the best you will get for a direct recording setup, especially with the effects...at least for most types of tones. It sounds pretty good in the room through a amp/cab setup as well, but in the end, I felt the SV sounded more natural, more present, and more dimensional. I'm sure I'll find all the pitfalls and limits of the SV soon enough, but I was rather impressed with it.

 

[jlbaxe]

Surprisingly Line6 makes some great effects. I miss some effects in my M13 and hope they do something like the Axe FX with just effects. A 2 space unit with the ability to adjust like a pedal and add a usb port for easier upgrades. Never tried their amps but Bogner put his name on a few.

 

[ejecta]

So you say. You know someone will post a clip of some new amp and you'll be itching to get your hands on it. I mean hell, you've got a day or two.

Hey you're right! Off to the emporium.

Watch out for the Axe-Fx police with a opinion like that.

Oh I can handle it. They just can't handle it that I said something negative about their lover.

 

[RedB4Black]

I went to GC at lunch just to check one out. I liked it, but I couldn't really get a good sense of it with all the back-ground noise and the sales guy asking me to turn it down.

I do know I don't like how the effects work with the dials.

I mostly played the high-gain blue which is supposed to be a Herbert model. It doesn't sound like a Herbert, but was good in it's own right.

 

[stratotone]

Very cool. I think I'll check one out tonight or tomorrow night and get one if I dig it... then it's off to the gig saturday to really check it out

 

[ejecta]

I went to GC at lunch just to check one out. I liked it, but I couldn't really get a good sense of it with all the back-ground noise and the sales guy asking me to turn it down.

I do know I don't like how the effects work with the dials.

I mostly played the high-gain blue which is supposed to be a Herbert model. It doesn't sound like a Herbert, but was good in it's own right.

I agree with you on the dial but there is a software interface coming out here shortly. IMHO none of the models sound like "insert name here" amp but like you said sound pretty good in their own right.

 

[SkyhighRocks]

I had a mk 1, 1x12 combo and ended up not really liking it. Like someone said above, it sounded really boxy and the effects were ok at best without enough control over them. I do agree that the head through a cab or the 212 version probably sounds much better.

 

[Stratboy151]

I do agree that the head through a cab or the 212 version probably sounds much better.

actually no. i prefer the stock 1x12 combo over the head and a V30 loaded 2x12. i have no boxiness issues and use it where my mark iv/gsystem rig is either too big or overkill

 

[SkyhighRocks]

I do agree that the head through a cab or the 212 version probably sounds much better.

actually no. i prefer the stock 1x12 combo over the head and a V30 loaded 2x12. i have no boxiness issues and use it where my mark iv/gsystem rig is either too big or overkill

that's cool. the 112 sounded really sterile to me...even turned up. I tried the head at GC once and it sounded much warmer.

 

[mctallica1]

The head is pretty killer IMHO.

Never tried the combo, but I don't like most combo's , so I doubt I would have a good opinion of it....combo's just don't work very well for metal IMHO.

The cleans are great and the high gain stuff is very good. I don't like the Herbert based model at all. I also don't think it sounds like the real thing....but then I don't care for the real Herbie either or the VH4's I have played either


The delay is pretty damn good and the chorus works very well. I also tried a MXR EQ in the loop and it worked very well.


Definitely a cool amp.

I don't think it sounds or feels as good as my Axe, but that doesn't mean it isn't a very good tool.

Definite thumbs up from me.

 

[Mailman1971]

I owned the head for a while.
THought it was pretty cool.
I actually like the Peavey Vyper a little better between the two.

 

[gtr31]

FWIW they are offering a free upgrade if you either get the express or new MK2 board,
upgrade was supposed to be released 2 weeks ago but basically it is going to add 28 effects from the Mseries.
Wahs ,Comp, Overdrives ,Eq mods delays and verbs.
plus the editor for your comp