new to electric. Which type of amp? valve?

[AJ Ray]

Hi I am new to the electric world. I here alot about amps and i am told that valve amps are better. Can anyone give me a bit of basic info on the differences between this type and others?

Ray

[kiptest]

HERE we go.

[telex76]

I certainly think valve amps are better.

Depends on what your needs are at this time which amp is best for you.
Your playing ability, where you will be playing, what kind of sound you are after.
If you are just starting out a Solid State, or modeling amp might be better for learning what kind of sounds you like.

[davmac]

Originally Posted by telex76

Depends on what your needs are at this time which amp is best for you.
Your playing ability, where you will be playing, what kind of sound you are after.
If you are just starting out a Solid State, or modeling amp might be better for learning what kind of sounds you like.

Bingo! Telex76 hits the nail on the head 1st try. :)

The best (additional) suggestion I can offer is to grab your guitar, head down to the music store and plug into as many as you can, both within your price range and above.

Oh, and if anybody makes you feel uncomfortable because you're just starting out, find another store. One of the best tests of a music store is how they treat beginners.

[hemingway]

The key here is "new to electric". There are plenty of good cheap solid states you can cut your teeth on - and you might never feel the need to move "up". Are valves better? Are they so much better that they justify the huge price hike? Not for an electric beginner, I'd say.

[AJ Ray]

I am a decent acoustic player who is new to electric and will play both rythym and lead. I am not into metal and would not need an amp to do that specifically. That said i would like to buy an amp that can handle most styles and well. I dont really want to buy and trade up later etc. I think around the 300 - 400 pound mark. Is that realistic.

"Here we go"

Glad i could cheer you up

Ray

[homesick345]

A safe and cool bet is the fender deluxe reverb. A good used one would fetch $750. This all tube amp is on 1000s of records, and a great platform for pedals. the reissues are good allround giggers, jammers, studio amps, and late night companions...

It's a great shortcut to serious tone.

[AJ Ray]

just watching a video of a vox ac30 vr. Sounds good

[BobbyZ]

All amps sound good in the videos.
Take some time to really know what you want in an amp and if your lucky you'll get the right one the first time.

[Drubbing]

I got a SS amp as my first, a Pathfinder 15, still use it and haven't found a good enough reason to up it... yet. Heard plenty of tubes and the PF clean sound is as good as, or better than many.

Tubes will dirty up nicer, and the PF isn't going to play gigs or jam with a band and drummer too well, but if it's just for home and you're a beginner, then an AC30 isn't going to get used anywhere near its potential, and a basic Vox will offer you near the same kind of sound with out the massive outlay.

I decided to do this, as SS amps are very cheap, and there's not really much lost while you work out the sort of amp you want/need, and the sound you prefer when buying something substantial.

[AJ Ray]

do most amps come with the function of playing backing tracks?

[BobbyZ]

Four backing tracks you'd be getting into something new and I would think soilid state.
I'm lost on the new stuff my newest amp is from 1974.

[pondcaster]

As the other guys have stated, tube amps are great and something you will no doubt get to if you play long enough. I'd suggest a Pro Junior for great tones with only the two knobs.

That being said, do yourself a favor and go try out a Fender Mustang III. Hard to beat.

[Vizcaster]

Modeling amps are lots of fun. They particularly excel at giving you an approximation or taste of some classic tones but at bedroom volume levels. You could mortgage the house and buy a vintage plexi head and full-stack, and not be able to get it to sound like your guitar heroes. It's simply a rule (that's not really an exaggeration) that tube amps have to be cranked in order to get their characteristic tone.

[Vizcaster]

Oh, and remember that wattage is a tricky thing. Most amps suitable for practice or small bar gigs will be in the fifteen to thirty-watt range if they're tube amps. Below the fifteen or twenty watt mark and you probably won't be able to hear yourself in a band situation with a loud drummer (think Fender Princeton or Deluxe being on the border of useful, but a Blues Jr. does just fine). Those are tube amp numbers, though.

To get the same volume from a solid state amp you're easily going to need 65 to 100 watts, but thankfully wattage in solid state amps is cheap.

Theres a new Super Champ that's a hybrid with a traditional tube amp that also has digital amp modeling more or less as a built in effects patch.

[robt57]

Go to the music store and plug into everything in your price range/budget.

The big stores have 30 day return policies, so you won't get stuck out of the gate.

[Drubbing]

Originally Posted by AJ Ray

do most amps come with the function of playing backing tracks?

You're going to need a SS or modelling amp with a Aux in for an iPod, or something like a Fender G DEC, which can play backing tracks, drum beats and loops.

[fauxsuper]

Originally Posted by BobbyZ

All amps sound good in the videos.
Take some time to really know what you want in an amp and if your lucky you'll get the right one the first time.

This is such a key point. You might also say all amps sound like crap in videos. The truth is that videos tell you very little without knowing a lot about the conditions they were made under.

I think this is great advice. If nothing else comparing your own experiences with what more experienced guitarists notice will give you the ability to understand what their tastes in amps are. This is no one best amp for every player.

If you take your time you should be able to find an amp you can keep for 400 pounds. On your side of the pond you might not find some of the Fender range of tube amps are as big of bargains as they are here.

[jklotz]

If it were me, I'd just go buy the smaller Mustang III. Can't gig with it, but, as stated before, will give you an approximation of lot's of different amps. Just plan on having some fun with it and learning what it is you're after, then sell it and buy what you'll keep for years. They are very inexpensive.

I can assure you EVERYBODY here went out thinking "this is the one", and ended upgrading down the line. Until you know what it is you want, don't spend a lot of $$.

[robt57]

Originally Posted by jklotz

I can assure you EVERYBODY here went out thinking "this is the one", and ended upgrading down the line. Until you know what it is you want, don't spend a lot of $$.

+1, unless it is such a good deal you can safely trade it or sell for more later to fund the next mistake.