Recommend me an amplifier

[guitarman001]

Quest ended!
Got a great deal on a new Blackstar ID:TVP 260. £400 which includes the FS-10 footswitch.

Played one in a store recently and it was very flexible and almost as good sounding as the HT Club 40 (valve) right next to it!

I also have a Roland Cube 30 - not sure whether to sell that on now...

The Orange TH30 sounds amazing and is nice and simple... BUT I thought single note leads sounded a little fizzy - just not my sound.

 

[CoreyT]

You will not be disappointed.
The foot switch alone is pretty expensive.
I think I paid $60 or more just for it.

 

[BlueSky]

How about a PRS 2-Channel H (or C if you can find one)? I don't know if the Sweet 16 will have enough headroom for what you are looking for. Also, the new Fender Deluxe Reverb re-issue is a ridiculously good amp.

+1

 

[guitarman001]

Thanks, CoreyT!

I got the lot (new) for £400. I only just noticed...... with the 260 you can't really plug headphones straight in (it's on the Blackstar FAQ) - how do you use headphones with it?

Also I see there is no dedicated FX loop - but you can re-program the mp3 in and emulated out to make an FX loop (obviously then rendering the emulated out for headphones useless until you re-program again). So those two things are the only downsides I can see. It's also heavier than I'd have liked but given the price I can't complain..!

I've got an AMAZING pedal-board right now going into a clean amp at practice... I think I might replace it just with the Blackstar pedal-board and see how I get on.

 

[GS1]

Congrats, that sounds great! It's a little more than I need, but I am heavily leaning towards an ID. They have the same deal for just about the same price, converted to USD, at Sweetwater.

 

[guitarman001]

Pretty versatile and much cheaper (and lighter) than a valve amp.

For CoreyT - have you encountered any hiss on your amp? See here:
http://www.soundonsound.com/forum/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=1060121&Main=1056039
http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=1286047

It all seems a bit inconclusive.

 

[CoreyT]

I have not noticed any hiss from mine.
I only play on the two dirty channels though, and the noise gate is on those two channels by default.

 

[Rookie]

There's a guy on the other PRS forum recently got an Hughes & Kettner. Has the powersoak and 3 channels. The 18watt for best bang for buck? They are supposed to be german engineering finest and handles auto tube biasing and all that malarky of which I know nothing about. I was looking at getting the wee 5watt one recently as first tube amp for home, but went for the 4watt VoxAC4-12 instead.

That could be me! Anyway, I do have the 18 Tubemiester Head and a 112 cabinet that I found like new on the bay. Since I'm no expert, I researched everything I could and keeping in mind my talent (or lack of) and price range, it fit.
I think it sounds fabulous. It's capable of waking the neighbors, and maybe the dead, but can also be dialed down to 5 w. and 1w. although I thought every step took a bit of tone away. I also got the two button pedal that gives it boost and switches between clean and gain. I looked at the Vox 15, as well as Blackstar, but the H&K just kept calling me.
The unit is designed in Germany, but made in China, but I don't think they scrimped on anything. If I were to change anything, I'd put a dimmer on the blue light. It's cool, but really stands out.

 

[jimistephen]

For something cheap with creamy leads and smooth cleans, I'd go with Orange CR60 which is a 1 12 combo or a CR120 which is either a 2 12 combo or a head. Analog solid state with a digital reverb, which orange has some of the best reverb in the business if you ask me. Modeled after the Rockerverb 100's. The 60 is just 350 of your Great Imperial credits and the 120c is about 480 of those same credits with the 120H will be 300 but you'll have to buy a cab. Note:All prices pulled off of Andertons.co.uk, prices might be different where you shop.

 

[CoreyT]

I have a few small battery amps, the Yamaha THR 10X, and the Roland Microcube.
Both sound very "big", and can get quite loud, as I have taken both of them to work and let them ripped.

I got an email update to one of the YouTube channels I subscribe to, and Blackstar has now entered the battery amp market.
This thing is smaller than the Roland Microcube.
Not sure at this point if I will pick one up or not, I have amps coming out the yin yang at my place right now, but it does sound good, and very portable.