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Robert
August 11th, 2006, 08:12 PM
Been checking up on the Spider II and III and the Vetta amps. I see some of these amps are getting cheaper and cheaper. How do they compare to the Vox Valvetronix? I played a Line 6 amp some time ago (can't remember which model) and I was not overly impressed, but to be fair to it, I didn't spend much time testing available sounds.

I like my Valvetronix, but I am interested in amp heads and a 1x12 cab. I am never happy with the speakers in any combos, it seems. So I plan to get a good cab with a speaker I want, then use a good head with it.

TS808
August 11th, 2006, 08:44 PM
I'm beginning to think I've owned too many amps. :confused:

I've owned a Flextone III Plus, an original Flextone XL (2 x 50 watts) and a Duoverb Head which I ran through a Vetta 212 cab. I now own a Valvetronix AD100VT and a Hughes and Kettner Edition Tube.

The Duoverb is probably one of the best amps Line 6 made, and unfortunately, it never took off and was discontinued. It didn't have all the built in effects like the Flextones and Spiders, but sounded MUCH better than the Flextones I owned. If you can grab a used head or combo go for it, but they are incredibly LOUD! The models were better IMHO than the Flextone and it took pedals really well. It was way too loud for me though playing at home.

The Flextone XL (the original) I thought sounded very good. Really warm, and with the 212 cabinet, alot of bass from the bottom end. Good effects, especially the tremelo and chorus. I don't think the models sounded as good as they do on the Valvetronix though, obviously since I opted for the Vox.

The Flextone III Plus isn't a bad amp at all. It can be played loud and also sounds good at "bedroom" levels. Some of the models are very good, while others really lacked some dynamics. My favorite settings were the Twin Reverb, the Cornford, the Bassman, and the 70's and 80's Marshall. The Flextone sounded too much like a digital amp though...you could tell it was solid state. Sometimes I really liked the tone, other times I thought it sounded a bit thin. Maybe a speaker replacement would make a difference. I added a Line 6 extension cab and really it didn't seem to make much of a difference. I definitely like the Vox better.

If you want a Line 6 amp, go for the Vetta II if you want to sink $1600 plus another $269 for the shortboard MIDI controller. A friend of mine has a Vetta II and the sounds are nothing short of amazing. Too many bells and whistles for some though.

The Spiders, I would not recommend, although a Spider III is due out in October I believe. If you want a decent practice amp, then I'd recommend a Spider. For live situations though, definitely not. I just don't think they have the tone of the Flextones or the Vox.

Also, go to www.line6.com to the discussion forums for some good info.

Robert
August 11th, 2006, 08:56 PM
Thanks, TS808! I thought the Valvetronix would be more natural sounding - that's what I remember from my short test with the Line 6 amp. It seems the Line 6 amps are more for metal heads. I'm more of a blues player, so the Vox tones suit me good. Do you have the 100VT head? I am not in love with my AD50VT speaker. The bass response is wacky, no punch to it.

The Vetta II is just too expensive. For that kinda dough, I'd of course buy a nice tube amp.

Thanks for confirming my thoughts!

jpfeifer
August 11th, 2006, 09:46 PM
Hi Robert,

I've been trying all of these modeling amps since they first came out. I was motivated to make the switch after being badly shocked by one of my previous tube amps :-( So, my wife made me find an alternative.

I tried the Line 6 series of amps, and I owned a Fender Cyber twin for about 5 years before finally settling on the Vox Valvetronix VTX120. From what I could tell, here is how I would classify them from my own testing:

Line 6 Vetta (probably one of the best modeling amps out there in terms of versatility and tone but it is also the most expensive)
I tried the Line6 Spider series but they didn't sound nearly as good as the Vetta. You'd be better off with the Vox Valvetronix than the Spider series in my opionion.

Vox Valvetronix - has the most realistic tube-like feel and tone of any modeling amp I've tried yet. Their Vox and Marshall sounds are fantastic. Their Fender tones are less realistic but close enough.

Fender Cyber Twin - has the best Fender tones of the available modeling amps, however I found them to be weaker in their effects than the others. Also I found that they weren't as dynamic as the Vox amps in their response, especially for the higher-gain amp models like Marshall. If you dial in the amp model just right it, the feel is pretty good. If you're mostly after those vintage Fender tones than this is probably the best one to have.

-- Jim

SuperSwede
August 12th, 2006, 12:11 AM
They are really pushing for Line 6 products here in Sweden, so I have tried most of their amps. I have to agree about the spider amps, the valvetronix are sooo much better and more natural sounding than those. The flextone III is a really fine amp, but it doesnt impress me more than a valvetronix. The Vetta II on the other hand is in a totally different league! Sounds really really good, but as you said... You can get a really fat tube amp for that kind of money. One low cost modeling amp that I did like was the Behringer 2x12 amp, it had a rather good twin sound (which I like) and several other nice amp selections.

TS808
August 12th, 2006, 06:41 AM
Thanks, TS808! I thought the Valvetronix would be more natural sounding - that's what I remember from my short test with the Line 6 amp. It seems the Line 6 amps are more for metal heads. I'm more of a blues player, so the Vox tones suit me good. Do you have the 100VT head? I am not in love with my AD50VT speaker. The bass response is wacky, no punch to it.

The Vetta II is just too expensive. For that kinda dough, I'd of course buy a nice tube amp.

Thanks for confirming my thoughts!

I have the combo. I was really close to buying the head, but thought the 412 cab would have been too much punch and would have driven my wife and neighbors crazy.

I'm more of a blues player too, and although you can coax some good blues tones out of the Flextone (again the Cornford model is excellent), I just thought some of the models were a bit too solid-state sounding. Alot of Line 6 users put a BBE Sonic Maximizer in the effects loop and swear by it, stating that it really brings the amp to life. Also, alot of folks on the Line 6 forum swap out the speakers and also state that makes a difference.

The speakers on the AD100VT sometimes seem a little flat for my tastes too, I just don't know if I want to sink $195 for the neodog. If I can find a good Eminence replacement, I would consider a speaker swap.

TS808
August 12th, 2006, 06:45 AM
They are really pushing for Line 6 products here in Sweden, so I have tried most of their amps. I have to agree about the spider amps, the valvetronix are sooo much better and more natural sounding than those. The flextone III is a really fine amp, but it doesnt impress me more than a valvetronix. The Vetta II on the other hand is in a totally different league! Sounds really really good, but as you said... You can get a really fat tube amp for that kind of money. One low cost modeling amp that I did like was the Behringer 2x12 amp, it had a rather good twin sound (which I like) and several other nice amp selections.

Agreed. I think the Valvetronix models are much more dynamic than the Line 6 products, although the Duoverb was excellent and very close to the VT. Plus, I like simplicity in an amp, and the Line 6 floorboard and all the different patches was alot more than I needed for home playing.

I do highly recommend the Line 6 POD XT though for recording. It's pretty much a mini Vetta without the ability to play two amps at once. I use the bassman patch alot with a tubescreamer and the tones are great. In fact, most of the amp models on the POD sound VERY good.

SuperSwede
August 12th, 2006, 08:25 AM
Yeah, the XT is great, but I think that the Vox Tonelab sounds a bit better when it comes to vintage amps & cabs. The XT is better on getting those "radio-ready" sounds however...

duhvoodooman
August 12th, 2006, 09:02 AM
I like my Valvetronix, but I am interested in amp heads and a 1x12 cab. I am never happy with the speakers in any combos, it seems. So I plan to get a good cab with a speaker I want, then use a good head with it.
Just curious--have you considered going with a 2x12 cab? I'm always reading about how much bigger the sound gets when two speakers are used. For someone who play professionally as much as you do, I'd think that would be a nice advantage.

BTW, if you get a speaker cab, you just GOTTA get one of those $99 Epi Valve Jr. heads! You'll love it, I guarantee. In addition to the "main head" you decide to get, of course....


I am not in love with my AD50VT speaker. The bass response is wacky, no punch to it.
I'm surprised you haven't changed out the stock speaker, if you don't like the bass. This is definitely one of the main areas where Vox "skimped" to keep the price down on the AD15-30-50-100VT amps. There are many, many good 12" speakers available under $100. The Celestion G12 Vintage 30 is a very popular upgrade by AD50VT owners. I put the 10" version of this speaker in my AD30VT and it really firmed up the flabby bottom.

Robert
August 12th, 2006, 03:51 PM
DVM, I have considered a 2x12, but they seem too heavy and awkward to haul around. I am thinking that I will do fine with a good 1x12 cab. I usually play small gigs anyway, and space is often tight.

The Epi head seems like something I must get. Thanks for giving me all this Epi Valve Jr GAS! :)

The Vox, well since I'm gonna get a good cab with a 1x12, I figured it's no point switching out the speaker in my Vox - I wouldn't use it by itself all that much - I'd use it with my ext. cab. I bet that a good cab will sound much better than that Vox with a good speaker - the Vox cab isn't that good in design. If I don't get a cab, I'll have to switch out the Vox speaker for sure.

SuperSwede
August 13th, 2006, 01:27 AM
Perhaps you could remove the speaker and convert the AD50VT into a head ;)

DaveO
November 29th, 2006, 02:41 AM
To revive an old thread. I tried out one of the new Spider III amps. 400 presets and so many options, the only problem was I had to tweak and adjust every one of the presets I tried to get a sound I liked. I know tone is subjective but I took mine back after 3 days of trying all the bells and whistles on the Spider and got a Roland cube 60. I guess I might be too old for all the new things on these amps but with the cube all I need to do is turn it on and go.
Thanks, Dave

Lev
November 29th, 2006, 04:38 AM
with the cube all I need to do is turn it on and go.


Dave, there's alot to be said for that!! Take a look at the number of presets on the Spider III
http://line6.com/spideriii/sounds01.html

I have seen a demo of the Spider III and there seems a huge improvement over the older version but with this many presets to tweak you'd spend less time playing and more time tweaking! :(

Robert
November 29th, 2006, 08:25 AM
Hey, somebody please start a thread about the Cube 60! It's seems like a fantastic solid state amp. I would not mind getting one. I haven't played one though.

Yeah, too many bells and whistles can take the fun out of playing. I prefer easy set-ups too.