Best Guitar Practice Amp/Modeller/Device

[rlcramer]

I just sold off a TON of equipment, and I am now left without any type of amp or device to practice guitar with. I have a few preamps, and a direct box that I use for recording, but I need to buy something that I can just plug into when I want to play. I was thinking of a POD, but I've never really been a big fan of the Pod sound. Is there anything else out there that is similar, but sounds a little different than the line6 stuff?

My only real criteria is that I want something that I can use without having to turn on my computer. No 8505, no preamp that requires an impulse, etc. Just something that I can plug into and play. Some basic effects like reverb would be a plus too.

Oh yeah - and if you're recommending me a real amp, I would probably want to avoid anything with tubes or anything loud. I have volume "issues" at my house where I practice.

I guess I really just want to know what you guys practice with when you're not near your main rig, or not near a computer.

Bobby

 

[Zack Uidl]

Roland cubes or peavey vypyrs

 

[Notuern]

Id say a Blackstar HT5.
If you buy the combo with the 10" element its not that loud, but if you want to rehearse with it later, all you have to do is hook it up to a 4*12 cabinet.

Ive tried the Peavey Vypyr, and it just sounds like a bandit, and when you switch the amp models the eq change a little.. didn't really like that one.

 

[MindsinK]

I bought the $200 Vypyr for the same reason. It's got solid tone at low volumes... now I can sit in my family room and practice my Loomis arpeggios while my wife's watching Grey's Anatomy... sweet!!!

 

[mick thompson]

vypyr's are nice - the produce a nice sound for a modeller and at a good price (only played through a vypyr once) cubes are nice too but dam there ugly (few times - various sizes)

all i can really comment on is either a line 6. pick up a line 6 spider 4 - dont know if there any use but the spider 2 done be perfect for years as a practice amp, and the spider 3 is a grand amp for its price - both move a serious amount of air if you do need to crank em up
real line 6's sound much better i think then eg: line 6's gearbox software - so long as you dont go past 50% on the master volume and well pod/gearbox = pretty much the same - good for clean...not so good for gain

second and it might be a little pricy (not too sure) is a marshall valvestate - they have a very warm sound for a digital and are real easy for producing natural required feedback at low volumes and low gain settings. (i played through a few of these in my old rehearsal place in dublin for 2 years - they get a nice metal tone if thats what your after in a cheap amp

as for your volume issues with mam & dad pick up one of those vox pocket amp things - plug in headphones and shred away - no idea if there any good

 

[ParsonsMatt]

Roland Microcube gets my vote

 

[motomoto]

What i do own is a randall rg75 but it doesnt sound that good any more to my ears(in low volumes that is).But when i crank this baby up it sings for its price.

What i'm really impressed with is the pod x3 live.I bought this used for 180£ and it kills.I mostly plug my headphones and play,and it sounds quite good even through them.

 

[Genius Gone Insane]

pod

 

[Rex Rocker]

Yeah, I like my POD.

 

[Harry Hughes]

POD or Vypyr. I love my POD personally (mind you, it's an X3 Live, not one of those old POD 2.0 beans, the old 2.0s sound shit IMO)

 

[rlcramer]

Hi guys - thanks for the opinions.

A bunch of my friends are recommending the POD's as well. I might need to take a ride to GC to check out the X3's - the last one I owned was a 2.0, so maybe things have changed, and I'll like the tones better these days.

I'll also see if I can check out the Cubes and Vypyrs.

Also - does anyone know about the Vox Tonelab stuff? Or maybe a Digitech GSP1101? These are the other 2 that have been recommended to me by friends.

Thanks,

Bobby

 

[Harry Hughes]

Hi guys - thanks for the opinions.

A bunch of my friends are recommending the POD's as well. I might need to take a ride to GC to check out the X3's - the last one I owned was a 2.0, so maybe things have changed, and I'll like the tones better these days.

I'll also see if I can check out the Cubes and Vypyrs.

Also - does anyone know about the Vox Tonelab stuff? Or maybe a Digitech GSP1101? These are the other 2 that have been recommended to me by friends.

Thanks,

Bobby

I know a dude that owns a GSP 1101. It actually replaced the ENGL 530 tube preamp as his main preamp, he liked it that much.
The Cubes are great, but I absolutely hate the noise gate on them, you can't adjust them noise gate and it pisses me off. It really cuts off sustain when soloing, so you gotta boost the preamp with a pedal, like a Tube Screamer, to get a Cube to sustain well.

 

[motomoto]

The tonelab is more lots of stomp boxes in a pedalboard thing.Pod X3 is an amp modeller.I'd go with the X3.Except if you like fx n stuff.But the X3 has delay and noise gate so i dont need anything else

 

[Metaltastic]

Love my Cube 30, best practice amp out there of all the ones I've tried! (except possibly for the Peavey Vypyr, but I haven't spent enough time with one to say - the thing I love about the Cube, though, is it really responds like a non-digital amp, unlike Line 6 stuff which even when tweaked to sound pretty decent I just feel kinda "detached" from, maybe an A/D issue, either in latency or inefficiency - so I'd have to spend some time with a Vypyr to know if it too suffers from that, but I know the Cube 30/30x doesn't, and can keep up with a live drumset in practice! (though it pretty much has to be maxed to do so)

 

[rlcramer]

So I did a little shopping / trying things out today, and I wound up falling in love with the Rocktron Prophesy 2. I have NEVER used or owned anything by Rocktron before, but this thing direct into a mixer sounded really sweet - blew away all the PODs. A little pricey, but after the major liquidation that I went through in my studio these past few weeks, I had some leftover cash for once in my life. I wound up ordering from Sweetwater though since GC wouldn't match their price ($1199 vs $1349...too bad for the GC salesman... If it was a $50 difference I would have walked out with it, but almost $200 with tax was too big of a difference to pass up).

Anyway - I'll report back once I get it - hopefully next week.

Bobby

 

[MindsinK]

Good deal! I've got the Prophesy 1... very, very flexible if you have the patience to sift through menus!

 

[Harry Hughes]

Awesome stuff, can't wait to hear more about the Prophesy once you get it!

 

[Jind]

If your just looking for a practice setup - I love my Digitech RP500 for that. I also have a POD XT but find myself playing through my RP500 more often when just practicing and not recording, although it sounds pretty good recorded as well. As mentioned above if you are looking for something in a rack mount, I really like the GSP1101 - really thinking of getting one in place of my RP500 for more of a rack type unit.