Suggestions for a "beginner" amp needed

D

desertrat

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Oct 21, 2019
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I'd like to have some suggestions for an amp for my Studio 10 Strat. Not sure if it makes a difference as to what pickups are on it, but I could list them. It's my first electric, and a general novice, too. It's not like money is no object - - because it is :) Also, I'm not sure what instrument is needed to adjust bias on guitar amps, so that would be nice to know (as I'm sure some folks will suggest tubes). I'm kind of an audiophile, but many tubed amps in HiFi only require a screwdriver, as meters are often standard.
 
For your Strat, you can't go wrong with the Fender sound. They were built to go together. Though, what type of music do you play? This would be more important than the amp at this point, because what music you play will help determine what type of amp you should choose.
 
I too use a Monoprice. I have the 15 watt version. I was at GC with a guy who has around 100 guitars and a pile of amps. When he tried the Monoprice, he said I just might have to buy it, and that he did.

it a fine tube amp and has plenty of oomph.
 
justjoshin said:
https://www.monoprice.com/product?p...QNCtLBRNLJlHvy2TuuT92egbsjLs_hHkaAqD2EALw_wcB

I have 2 of those for practice amps at the house (me & my son). Great if you want a tube amp and its on sale now!
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I had the 15 watt Monoprice as well. With a retube it was a great sounding amp. I believe, iirc, it's a rebadged Laney Cub. Well worth the dough! That said, early 90's U.S. made Ampeg Reverberocket amps can be found cheap and they are professional grade, great tone machines. Thays what I use now and I got it for only $300! Mine already had a Celestion A speaker upgrade so that might be part of the magic but i dont need another amp any longer.
 
CandidPicker said:
For your Strat, you can't go wrong with the Fender sound. They were built to go together. Though, what type of music do you play? This would be more important than the amp at this point, because what music you play will help determine what type of amp you should choose.
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Thanks for that perspective - I hadn't considered the music type per se as a part of the equation. Good point. I'm pretty much middle of the road because I do like some rock at times, blues others, and folksey/Americana and bluegrass, too. I don't know too much about the amps except for what I've read lately, but I do want that nice, recognizable tube tone, but also reliability (I live in the mountains a long, long way from any shop), and it gonna have to be affordable. When I look at some of the amps, Fenders included, it seems like the $200-$300 spot is a bit limited - but then maybe I'm not looking where I need to, or not looking at used when I should be?
 
WEDGE said:
Craigslist is loaded with clean used Blues Juniors which sound real good with a strat and are reasonably priced.
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Just yesterday I a couple of guys were remarking how they liked the Blues Jr for practice, they were really liking the tone and so on. Plus cheap. My nearest town is Reno, so I'll poke around there....Though sometimes I'm in San Diego, so that might get me a better stab at the market.
 
Spend more on the amp than you do the guitar. A great amp can make a good guitar sound fantastic. It took me years to figure that out. Buy a darned good amp that makes you happy then buy all the guitars you want and they’ll all sound fantastic. Simple!

My preference would be either a Fender Deluxe Reverb (the quintessential universal), a used PRS Sweet 16, or a used 20w Archon combo. For doing a lot without pedals, I’d lean toward the Archon.
 
Boogie said:
Spend more on the amp than you do the guitar. A great amp can make a good guitar sound fantastic. It took me years to figure that out. Buy a darned good amp that makes you happy then buy all the guitars you want and they’ll all sound fantastic. Simple!
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Lots of truth here, even though I didn’t think of it.

In the 70s, after 3 crap amps I paid more than double the price of my bass for a good amp. Everything sounded good. It paid for itself many times over. I still have it.

Late 80s I paid 75% more for a Boogie Mark III than for my dream guitar. Everything sounds great through it, including the 5 90s PRS I got. I still have it.
 
I would also suggest a better amp. And if you need a cheaper one ceriatone makes really really really good handwired copies of almost any amp you want relatively cheap. Which means good reliability (compared to thin, cheap PCB) and easier serviceability.
 
Boogie said:
Spend more on the amp than you do the guitar. A great amp can make a good guitar sound fantastic. It took me years to figure that out. Buy a darned good amp that makes you happy then buy all the guitars you want and they’ll all sound fantastic. Simple!

My preference would be either a Fender Deluxe Reverb (the quintessential universal), a used PRS Sweet 16, or a used 20w Archon combo. For doing a lot without pedals, I’d lean toward the Archon.
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FULLY AGREED.

We would all agree based on experience that PRS makes the very best guitars on the planet. But what you're hearing on the radio is the amplifier, along with everything else that's augmented the guitar's signal. The amplifier is a keystone ingredient.

Once kids came along, my guitar playing was relegated to headphones, and so I picked up a Digidesign Eleven Rack unit and made some good use of it. But it didn't take long to realize that real tube amplified guitar tone is what it's all about. So now I'm growing a stable of heads and combos, and am even making some amps in my garage. You don't have to spend a mint, but when put in the right place, a small bag of coin for a great amp can change your guitar-playing universe forever.

Hey OP, ever thought about adding a PRS?
 
You might check out Fender’s Champion Series, too. They’re solid state, but I’ve got the smallest one (20) in my bedroom. Plenty of different tones from the little bugger for little coin. Lots of choices out there in amp land.
 
Well the OP stated that budget was a factor and that is why I suggested the Monoprice amp. I picked it over a Blues Jr. for a few reasons: 1 watt capability, gain & tone knobs for more sound options, and an effects loop. We could all agree that a high end amp is great, but for a budget practice amp it is hard to beat at a third the cost of the BJ.
 
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ViperDoc said:
FULLY AGREED.

We would all agree based on experience that PRS makes the very best guitars on the planet. But what you're hearing on the radio is the amplifier, along with everything else that's augmented the guitar's signal. The amplifier is a keystone ingredient.

Once kids came along, my guitar playing was relegated to headphones, and so I picked up a Digidesign Eleven Rack unit and made some good use of it. But it didn't take long to realize that real tube amplified guitar tone is what it's all about. So now I'm growing a stable of heads and combos, and am even making some amps in my garage. You don't have to spend a mint, but when put in the right place, a small bag of coin for a great amp can change your guitar-playing universe forever.

Hey OP, ever thought about adding a PRS?
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I get what you all are saying about the quality of the amp. Just like in my audiophile world, same principles apply. That said, I will have to save $$ for quite awhile to afford what some you guys are talkin about :)

@viper - - Are you asking if I'd considered a PRS amp?
 
desertrat said:
I get what you all are saying about the quality of the amp. Just like in my audiophile world, same principles apply. That said, I will have to save $$ for quite awhile to afford what some you guys are talkin about :)

@viper - - Are you asking if I'd considered a PRS amp?
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I've heard nothing but GREAT things about the PRS Sonzera amp line. The PRS Sonzera 20 is an all-tube 2-channel 112 combo with 6L6 tone AND REVERB brand new for less than $800.
 
ViperDoc said:
I've heard nothing but GREAT things about the PRS Sonzera amp line. The PRS Sonzera 20 is an all-tube 2-channel 112 combo with 6L6 tone AND REVERB brand new for less than $800.
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Sounds nice. It's probably a little more than is left in my budget after buying my guitar - which was more than I intended to spend (how does that happen, right?).
 
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