help picking amp ?

dazzer22

have £300 to £400 to spend on a guitar  amp ,  seems that there so many not sure what will suit , I play mostly rock or hard rock sounds ?

bloodandtears

valve? with pedals? gig or home usage?

rawk100

I'd probably consider a Marshall DSL or SLX, a Jet City or a Laney GH. 

dazzer22

bloodandtears said:

valve? with pedals? gig or home usage?

not sure about it being valve but it will be for home use only , I might add some pedals at some point but for now just the amp will do .

sweepy

If it’s just for home use then the Boss Katana is the sensible option 

HAL9000

sweepy said:

If it’s just for home use then the Boss Katana is the sensible option 

^ Just bought one a couple of weeks ago. I know I’m still in the honeymoon period, but it absolutely knocks the socks off any other solid-state amps I’ve come across. At under £200 what’s not to like?

uncledick

If your budget will stretch a bit there's a Boogie 5.25 on here for £550.  A proper grown up amp in comparison with the other stuff mentioned.  Imho of course.

Bellycaster

Roland Blues Cube Hot. £420 ish in quite a few stores.



Can't go wrong for just using in the house.

Dontgiveupyourdayjob

Bellycaster said:

Roland Blues Cube Hot. £420 ish in quite a few stores.


Can't go wrong for just using in the house.

Not sure that really fits the bill for rock/hard rock sounds if that's what he plays. I love my Blues Cube, but it's not a high gain amp by any stretch, and the 'Hot' version is limited in that it's single channel and no FX loop.

Something like a Katana would be the best SS option. The now-discontinued Marshall DSL5C would be good if you can find one 2nd hand. 

Bellycaster

Dontgiveupyourdayjob said:

Bellycaster said:

Roland Blues Cube Hot. £420 ish in quite a few stores.


Can't go wrong for just using in the house.

Not sure that really fits the bill for rock/hard rock sounds if that's what he plays. I love my Blues Cube, but it's not a high gain amp by any stretch, and the 'Hot' version is limited in that it's single channel and no FX loop.

Something like a Katana would be the best SS option. The now-discontinued Marshall DSL5C would be good if you can find one 2nd hand. 

I just thought Hard Rock = AC/DC type gain, which is easily achieved by Brett Kingman in the Demo. The fact that it's solid state also means the OP need not worry about valves (if he's new to them, that is).

cbilly22

Bellycaster said:

Dontgiveupyourdayjob said:

Bellycaster said:

Roland Blues Cube Hot. £420 ish in quite a few stores.


Can't go wrong for just using in the house.

Not sure that really fits the bill for rock/hard rock sounds if that's what he plays. I love my Blues Cube, but it's not a high gain amp by any stretch, and the 'Hot' version is limited in that it's single channel and no FX loop.

Something like a Katana would be the best SS option. The now-discontinued Marshall DSL5C would be good if you can find one 2nd hand. 

I just thought Hard Rock = AC/DC type gain, which is easily achieved by Brett Kingman in the Demo. The fact that it's solid state also means the OP need not worry about valves (if he's new to them, that is).

Very much depends on guitar you drive the BC Hot with to be honest. My Strat doesn't really get the amp up to rock levels of gain but my Les Paul pushes the amp into a near perfect Thin Lizzie live album tone. My Gretsch sits squarely in the middle and sounds bloody marvellous

cbilly22

cbilly22 said:

Bellycaster said:

Dontgiveupyourdayjob said:

Bellycaster said:

Roland Blues Cube Hot. £420 ish in quite a few stores.


Can't go wrong for just using in the house.

Not sure that really fits the bill for rock/hard rock sounds if that's what he plays. I love my Blues Cube, but it's not a high gain amp by any stretch, and the 'Hot' version is limited in that it's single channel and no FX loop.

Something like a Katana would be the best SS option. The now-discontinued Marshall DSL5C would be good if you can find one 2nd hand. 

I just thought Hard Rock = AC/DC type gain, which is easily achieved by Brett Kingman in the Demo. The fact that it's solid state also means the OP need not worry about valves (if he's new to them, that is).

Very much depends on guitar you drive the BC Hot with to be honest. My Strat doesn't really get the amp up to rock levels of gain but my Les Paul pushes the amp into a near perfect Thin Lizzie live album tone. My Gretsch sits squarely in the middle and sounds bloody marvellous

Which is one of the things that makes it feel pretty traditional in use now I think about it.