What practise amp

VimFuego

currently using my old v-amp 2 through a set of PC speakers, which is fine, but it means plugging in 2 plugs, so was thinking of getting a little practise amp. I am totally out of touch with the current gear so was wondering what are all the cool kids using these days? Guess the only thing it must have is the ability to plug something into it to play backing tracks. Other than that, want a good blues tone, a nice clean tone and a good distorted tone (the v-amp doesn't do the best clean, leastways not that I can find).

RaymondLin

Value or modelling? And how much?

I think the Yamaha THR10 is a great practice amp personally.

ThePrettyDamned

Blackstar ID core are really amazing, beat the yamaha for me - great stereo sound, easy to use.

Roland cubes are still pretty good, too.

VimFuego

Raymond, whatever works, have no allegiance either way. Technically have no budget as I have no money. If I have to pay £250 then that's what I'll work towards, if it's less than that's what I'll go for. Was aware of the THR, have no experience of them, have some experience of modelling amps as I have the v-amp and a pocket pod. If you can plug something into it to run backing tracks then it sounds like it's on the list.

ThePrettyDamned

Definitely try the thr range and the id core - both do what you want and depending on the sounds you like, I reckon one will fit the bill.

ICBM

Hiwatt 400!

vasselmeyer

Roland Microcube

Chuffola

Fender Mustang version 2 are pretty good too - think the Mustang 1 is around £90 new. Good cleans and fendery blues tones. Awful high gain though. 

Yamaha THR is great but pricey. I hated the Blackstar ID core for the one day I had one, but others seem to love them. Not my thing - not great clean tone but excellent high(er) gain ones.

VimFuego

ICBM said:

Hiwatt 400!

reminds me of when I went to get an amp from the marshall factory for one of the Bristol gas fests (some huuuuge great stack thing). My neighbours face when she saw me getting it out of the car was priceless.

nickp

I've just bought a blackstar ID core  - 20W.

the mp3 sound for playback is good - so you get good sounds from the ipod from backing tracks or when trying to learn a song

the cleans are OK - fine enough for me

don't really know about the effects yet - as I haven't tried them out

crunch channel is ok - higher gain sounds are a bit "fizzy" but OK 

I don't think the 20w amp has enough balls to take to rehearsal and the sound would be too boxy and not "organic enough" for my taste but it is great for home use and good for proper intensive practice etc and at £120 I recon is good value.  I demo'd it head to head against the Yamaha THR and it certainly came out ahead given the fact that it was half the price - although visually the Yamaha would look better on the dining room table!

I 

Neil

For a practise amp I have been impressed with the Fender Mustang Modellers. 

Decent range of sounds - and cheap.

gubble

A second hand Park G10 and a Second Hand Pocket Pod (or even a bigger Pod) from ebay.

Might sound daft but i've found it to be the ultimate home use practice rig for me. Probably cost you less than £50 in total from ebay

Octahedron

Personally I quite like Marshall MG combos  

Have had a couple of MG30s over the years. They look cool, they sound reasonable, they're Marshall! And yeah I don't know I just like 'em. As I said, I've had a couple. 

VimFuego

gubble said:

A second hand Park G10 and a Second Hand Pocket Pod (or even a bigger Pod) from ebay.

Might sound daft but i've found it to be the ultimate home use practice rig for me. Probably cost you less than £50 in total from ebay

and use the pod as an effects pedal kind of thing? Oddly enough, I did think of trying that.

Oct, I think I have an old MG 10 watter knocking around, leastways, I have a box, I assume there's something in in.

meltedbuzzbox

use the volume on dial on your main amp/gigging amp?

big amps can play quietly too

Grunfeld

VimFuego said:

Guess the only thing it must have is the ability to plug something into it to play backing tracks. Other than that, want a good blues tone, a nice clean tone and a good distorted tone (the v-amp doesn't do the best clean, leastways not that I can find).

Any of the Roland Cube series ticks those boxes.  If I were really short of space I'd go for a micro cube.  But just slightly bigger are the 20W and 40W versions.  I've got a micro and an old 30W, very happy with both.  They have been absolutely bullet proof so far.

And they do all that FX malarky stuff and will have sex with your iPhone if you want that sort of thing. 

carlos

I used to have a THR. It's great as a practice amp, but probably too expensive for that.

I'm currently using a VOX Valvetronix. The amp and effect modelling is great, it has an Aux in to play backing tracks, headphones socket as well. I got a VT40+ for £100 used. The song presets even though they sound daft are cool if you don't have much time. How many of us spend all practice time fudging getting good tone instead of playing? With the song presets you can just dial in a reasonable tone instantly. The one I got is loud enough for small gigs too. The only thing it's missing is a volume control for the Aux in, but if you're using it from an ipod or similar you can use the control on that device I guess.

Phil_aka_Pip

Epi VJ?

Fretwired

VimFuego said:

currently using my old v-amp 2 through a set of PC speakers, which is fine, but it means plugging in 2 plugs, so was thinking of getting a little practise amp. I am totally out of touch with the current gear so was wondering what are all the cool kids using these days? Guess the only thing it must have is the ability to plug something into it to play backing tracks. Other than that, want a good blues tone, a nice clean tone and a good distorted tone (the v-amp doesn't do the best clean, leastways not that I can find).

Just went through the same exercise and ended up with a Roland Micrcube GX ... great little amp. It sounds great for home practice and is as cheap as chips.

http://www.roland.co.uk/products/productdetails.aspx?p=1286&c=57

TheMarlin

My favourite home practice amp is a Blues Jr wound up full, but only when the family are out of the house

For night time noodling, I use a Vox DA5 (with an upgrade 8" Weber speaker).  Sounds lush!  But....now out of production. 

If you're lucky, you'll get one used on eBay for not a lot.  Mine was £40 before upgrades..

If I was buying now, I'd probably go for another DA5, or a Fender Mustang moddlng amp.  

Marlin

John_P

I'd vote for the yamaha thr - they sound great, easy to use and have the aux in.  

I use mine a lot!     But since then the newer blackstar id amps have come out and if I was looking now I'd definiely compare them. The yamaha is a very practical bit of kit but it's a little more expensive than the Blackstar.