Best Solid State Amp for gigs

cbilly22

HAL9000 said:

Spikeedog said:

@HAL9000 sounds about right. Loud enough for a noisy pub and enthusiastic rhythm guitarist though?

I've never properly gigged mine, but use it most weeks at a local jam night. If I have it turned up about halfway it is loud enough for single-note runs to be heard over a room of other guitarists chugging away plus a drummer. I believe @cbilly22 has the same amp and does gig his. My gut feeling is that it's plenty loud enough for pub gigs.

Edit - I've written a longer review in the amp reviews section.

I certainly did but have since sold it and currently use a Bandit with a couple of pedals.
The CR60 is an excellent choice for solid state, hassle free gigging. I only switched as I love the big clean sound on the Bandit and find it works better for my current gig, the CR60 would trump it for a rockier or heavier set though.

Spikeedog

Peavey Bandit. Nice but heavy I would guess. @Trude uses the new Boss Katana that might fit the bill...Specially if it replaces the need for an acoustic amp.

DulcetJones

I recently got a Katana 50 combo(see Katana thread for more) and so far very impressed.   Small and light and easy to control.  I have yet to gig it but this past weekend I used it at a big jam session in a room about half the size of some of the pubs I've played in.  At one point there was nine people playing at once, including an electronic drum set.  They had the drums, all the mic's and a synth going through a PA and the rest of us through our own amplification.  I had the Katana up to just over half volume(master) the the gain and volume almost at half and had to back down my guitar volume.  There was bass guitar, electric piano and 3 guitars all using their own amps.

Spikeedog

@DulcetJones thanks for that. If you play a noisy pub let us know how it goes. Been playing my valve amps today and thinking.....mmm, unlikely a SS amp can throw out such a smooth rich sound at great volumes as this. I'll have to go and try one out.

ennspek

I am a big fan of both the Artist Blues Cube and also the Yamaha THD100.
Either will do you proud.

DulcetJones

Spikeedog said:

@DulcetJones thanks for that. If you play a noisy pub let us know how it goes. Been playing my valve amps today and thinking.....mmm, unlikely a SS amp can throw out such a smooth rich sound at great volumes as this. I'll have to go and try one out.

There is some sacrifice in sound quality, no doubt.  I've owned several tube amps, the best being a Fender Vibrolux Reverb.  I think the Katana will be OK for volume , my main focus was on getting a lighter, cheaper alternative that sounds reasonably good enough, and this one does.  I should point out that this jam was way louder than most gigs ever get.  It was like everybody was cutting loose because they knew no one was going to tell them to turn it down!   But tubes still rule.

HAL9000

DulcetJones said:
I should point out that this jam was way louder than most gigs ever get.  It was like everybody was cutting loose because they knew no one was going to tell them to turn it down! 

Good point. As much as I enjoy jam nights, there does sometimes seem to be one or two folk who don't realise that the volume control also goes anti-clockwise.

Voxman

Dup, ignore

Voxman

Voxman said:

HAL9000 said:

DulcetJones said:
I should point out that this jam was way louder than most gigs ever get.  It was like everybody was cutting loose because they knew no one was going to tell them to turn it down! 

Good point. As much as I enjoy jam nights, there does sometimes seem to be one or two folk who don't realise that the volume control also goes anti-clockwise.

There's a volume control?  I thought '10' was compulsory (or even '11' on certain Marshall's)!   

bigjon

I still gig regularly with a 24-year-old Laney World Series 120 watt 1x12 as my main amp. Don't bother with the amp's overdrive sounds, use pedals instead.

Spikeedog

@bigjon see, that's what I like to hear. How many of us valve addicts could say the same??

olafgarten

Voxman said:

Voxman said:

HAL9000 said:

DulcetJones said:
I should point out that this jam was way louder than most gigs ever get.  It was like everybody was cutting loose because they knew no one was going to tell them to turn it down! 

Good point. As much as I enjoy jam nights, there does sometimes seem to be one or two folk who don't realise that the volume control also goes anti-clockwise.

There's a volume control?  I thought '10' was compulsory (or even '11' on certain Marshall's)!   

Your partly wrong there, the reason Marshall added the 11 was so people could turn it down slightly to 10 and not be looked down upon. 

Spikeedog

I was homing in on a Boss Katana 100w 2x12 but I wonder if the Blackstar ID core 150w has a better sound especially on the cleans (stereo output into the 2 speakers). It is cheaper and has the ISF shaping but the Boss can be used as an acoustic amp - one fewer amp = happy missus. Any experience - I saw the video on Youtube and I'll eventually try them both but any experience of both these amps out there?

Spikeedog

..or the Yamaha THR 100....?

monquixote

I've gigged the TM60 and found it loud enough.
It's a second hand bargain. Don't expect to use both channels as the shared eq needs to be tweaked.
I tried running it through a 2x12 with greenbacks and that sounded awesome.

There is also a TM 120 2x12 and TM 200 head though they are hens teeth.

I quite like the look of the JC40.

Travisthedog

Man I'm looking at all these amps now thinking "fuck valves - no one at this pub/wedding/corporate gives a flying fuck"

Spikeedog

..thas wha am talkin abaht.....!

Spikeedog

It's only the guitarist that cares....my fav quote.

Teyeplayer

There was an article in guitar and bass mag last year about a feller who is building what is near enough to a solid state blues deluxe. Can't remember the company name, but recall being intrigued by the idea of a solid state amp that was 99% of the way there (apparently).

Teyeplayer

Not quite as I remembered it... but interesting all the same, the Award-Session Blues Baby: 
http://www.award-session.com/bluesbaby-complete.html