Spider Valve Head

wyllie

wyllie

^^ Why-Lee^^
Sep 19, 2007
409
0
16
Glasgow,Scotland
www.myspace.com
Anyone used one? im lookin to get a cheapish head to match a L6 cab. I've heard mixed responses about it but ive noticed alot of the guys on here use L6 gear so
mabey you could give better insight?

-Scott
 
Fuck me , I tried one out today and ive got to say it fucking slays!!

It's only 549 with a 449 matching cab....me thinks its the new rig.

I swear it destroys anything they've done before it rips brutal tone ala mesa/peavey/etc...plus its got really nice clean tones too....Seems like the perfect gigging amp tbh :notworthy
 
i doubt it sounds anything like a mesa/peavey/etc.... i would never get it simply because its geared to all genres so the "jack of all trades, master of none" qoute comes into play here. dude just get a 6505 off of american musical and do the 5 ez payment plan. i get ALL of my stuff like that.
 
well its all valve unlike the combo versions of it.

I was able to dial old Fear Factory tone pretty quickly and i love Dino's Demanufacture sound so i was in love with it pretty quickly tbh you kinda have to just play it to believe it ...Yeh its line 6 , but its also ALL valve.

I mean i allways thought i would go straight for a 6505 but this thing slays it...For me anyway i need more than just one channel and thats where the spider valve really shines cuz you get good cleans and ripping distortion and everything in between!
 
wyllie said:
well its all valve unlike the combo versions of it.

I was able to dial old Fear Factory tone pretty quickly and i love Dino's Demanufacture sound so i was in love with it pretty quickly tbh you kinda have to just play it to believe it ...Yeh its line 6 , but its also ALL valve.

I mean i allways thought i would go straight for a 6505 but this thing slays it...For me anyway i need more than just one channel and thats where the spider valve really shines cuz you get good cleans and ripping distortion and everything in between!
Click to expand...

It's not ALL valve, it has a 100% valve power amp but the preamp is still digital with a single tube acting as a buffer to warm up the sound. It's certainly not hybrid the way a valvestate is but it'd part digital/part tube.

What it is for certain is a great head, not even in the same league as the Spider III. It won't get lost in a mix like all the other L6 gear too.
 
saying its "all-valve" is misleading...yes, there are preamp and power tubes, but they are not used the same way they are in an ALL_TUBE amp (well the power tubes are, but thats it). There is a very complex DSP inside that amp that has an extremely huge impact on at least the preamp stage of the amp...
 
Razorjack said:
It's not ALL valve, it has a 100% valve power amp but the preamp is still digital with a single tube acting as a buffer to warm up the sound. It's certainly not hybrid the way a valvestate is but it'd part digital/part tube.

What it is for certain is a great head, not even in the same league as the Spider III. It won't get lost in a mix like all the other L6 gear too.
Click to expand...

Actually, it has multiple 12AX7's (one for the PI, naturally), though you're right about their propriety digital modeling still being the core of the preamp sound. And Wyllie, I'm pretty sure the head and combos are identical in architecture, differing only in quantity of power tubes.
 
i wanna try one.
although i feel slightly sordid saying it... a bit like saying, i wanna rub marmalade over my bollocks and agitate a bee hive.
 
I didn't see specs on the Line6 website, but I can guess that the signal path is:

12AX7 (using 1 or 2 stages) --> Modeling Engine --> 12AX7 (phase inverter) --> 6L6s

You can't get really hi-gain sound using only 2 tube gain stages (tube amps like Mesa/Bogner/Soldano, use 5 stages, so 3 tubes, 5150 uses 6 stages)...

As XeS noticed it is more or less like putting a POD into a tube power amp (driven by a phase inverter tube)...
The only difference is the first preamp stage(s), that features a tube instead of a solid state preamp like the Pod...
The basic idea of using tubes for the first gain stages (often the most important ones) and for the phase inverter sound interesting to me, considering that tubes are probably supplied with high tensions (not like Vox Tonelab or Zoom tube pedalboard I suppose).
I'm curious about the sound...

The combo has 4 tubes because is 50W probably, so 2 6L6s instead of 4...
 
I played one of these at the store and was SEVERELY dissapointed. I think the Vetta and the HD147 sound waaaaaay better than the Spider Valve for high gain stuff. My least favorite Line 6 models for high gain are the Insane model and the close variants - all of which seem to be the only high gain tones the Spider Valve has. And the artist presets for high gain tone sounded, again, like variations on that Insane model setting.

I do like the new V30 equipped cabs, though.
 
I did a show with a band last week that had one guitarist with a Bogner uber and the other guitarist with a new Line6 Bogner-Spider3..........the Line6 sounded very weak in comparison.
 
spider-pig.jpg
 
I thought the combos sounded and felt terrible.. The other day I tried the head and v30 cab...that was better, but still not great...

I have a vetta I use in a cover band..it is no where near amazing but as good or better ( way more options) as the spider valve head...
 
Looks like it's time for another free concert by yours truly at my local guitar center. I'll be showcasing all my favorite riffs at volumes sure to be heard across the entire store.

Where: Smyrna, GA Guitar Center, amp section
When: probably this friday around my lunch hour
You Bring: bullet belt, a loose neck for headbanging, and some ear plugs
 
-J- said:
Looks like it's time for another free concert by yours truly at my local guitar center. I'll be showcasing all my favorite riffs at volumes sure to be heard across the entire store.

Where: Smyrna, GA Guitar Center, amp section
When: probably this friday around my lunch hour
You Bring: bullet belt, a loose neck for headbanging, and some ear plugs
Click to expand...

Funny shit........... I actually tried the 2x12 combo and didnt particularly care for it, however it wasnt the worst thing ive ever plugged into either, still two things would stop me from going this route,
1) not a huge fan of the line 6 stuff at loud volumes, and based on the fact you want a half stack you must want volume, sure it may be flexable tonally but all good amps will have a trade off, my bet is the trade off is going to be a thin irritating sound at loud volumes,
2) Its still a new product, I would wait for most high dollar stuff to prove its durability before i jumped on board, you would be surprised by the low quality of stuff SOME companys will put out at first, Im still pissed about my first run Randall Warhead that I bought back in 98.......

Good luck though
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

The Rhone
Line 6 Spider Valve Head
Replies
2
Views
689
Backline
Pman
P
Kazrog
Line 6 Spider Valve - my first impressions
Replies
17
Views
2K
Backline
Loren Littlejohn
L
wyllie
New doom mix in process....Help?
Replies
6
Views
687
Practice Room
wyllie
W
P
valve help
Replies
1
Views
425
Backline
vinta9e
V
wyllie
Doomyish kinda metal/Anyone up for doin vocals?
Replies
5
Views
585
Practice Room
wyllie
W
Top Bottom