$300

[yeti66]

Hello All, Well it's time for a new amp and I have a hole wopping (hold on to your hats) $300 for the new toy;) . Went to GC and looked at what Mr. Cranky can afford (my wallet)! and they only had a few to look at, was'nt impressed! fender frontman 65, line 6, berringer, none can get me to open old cranky, now I'm looking on line and am considering the peavey 110 or 112 bandit, any opinions? Happy New Year!!!!!
http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Peavey-Envoy-110-Guitar-Amplifier-with-TransTube-Technology?sku=481333
http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Peavey-Bandit-112-Guitar-Amplifier-with-TransTube-Technology?sku=481332

[sunvalleylaw]

Save another 50 to 100 bucks and get a used Peavey Classic 30. In that price range, I don't see how you can beat it. If you want new, look at either a Peavey Vypyr 30 or Vox VT30.

EDIT: I just checked and found on fleabay a used C-30, about 5 years old with reportedly in house playing only, with starting bid of $285, no bids with 2 days left on a 10 day auction. So they are out there. I think that is the route I would go. Spud also likes that 22 watt Bugera that is out now. I think it is under $350.

[oldguy]

I would recommend the Jet City JCA 20H head........but you'd still need a cabinet. At $299, it's a tone monster, only one sound, but a very good sound, rock 'n roll.

That being said, I'd agree w/ Sunvalley. A used Classic is a good choice, Spudman really seems to like the Bugera.
http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Bugera-V22-22W-1x12-Tube-Guitar-Combo-Amp?sku=502583

Another good choice woud be the Fender SCXD.

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Fender-SuperChamp-XD-120V-Guitar-Combo?sku=483075

I'd suggest trying out a few and see what you prefer.

[Spudman]

$300 for something new is going to be tough. The Bugera V22 is just a little more than that and sounds quite good and it's all tube. I've been using one for a while for gigging. Maybe the Line 6 Spider series or Vox AD series would be a consideration?

[Eric]

Maybe the Line 6 Spider series or Vox AD series would be a consideration?
Question about this: what's your general impression of the Spider series? I've fiddled around on them before and found them to be variations on the same crap, but it's entirely possible I just wasn't messing with the settings enough. Have you had good experiences with them?

[oldguy]

The SCXD would get you there for $310.
15w and nice sound w/ a 10" speaker.

[Spudman]

Have you had good experiences with them?

I've only played one at Guitar Center. I don't know much about them. I'm just throwing out ideas.

As for an amph with a 10" speaker - I haven't been really that impressed with any 10" amph and speaker. A 12" seems to be just right at least for me. Maybe it's because I play loud?

[oldguy]

The SCXD does a pretty good job for a 10" speaker, lots of people upgrade to a better one. I know Duff did. I prefer 12's myself as well, but I don't know if Yeti is sticking to his 300 price range yeti........errrr........yet.....or not.

You would have to play too loud w/ a strong drummer or bass player for the SCXD to sound really good w/ the stock 10" speaker.
Take the drummer's sticks away, hand him a set of brushes, make the bass player use an upright acoustic, and you're golden.
Or plug the amph into a 2-or-4x12 cab and enjoy the thunder!

[hubberjub]

Question about this: what's your general impression of the Spider series? I've fiddled around on them before and found them to be variations on the same crap, but it's entirely possible I just wasn't messing with the settings enough. Have you had good experiences with them?

A good friend of mine has one. It serves it's purpose as a beginner amp and probably would work well for someone in a cover band who needs a lot of different sounds.

[rev156]

Check out the Blackheart Little Giant! Seriously, it is great for a low cost, very reliable platform that takes pedals very well. The combo new will be under 300 I believe. I've been using mine for over a year and a half with no problems. I play at my church once a month and it's only at 1/4 to 1/3 power miced, with a full band and drummer. Real tube goodness, and with only 1 preamp tube and 1 power tube you can afford to experiment and swap them.
I'm using a Jan 5751 preamp and a nos el84.
Check it out

[sunvalleylaw]

The Blackheart Little Giant did sound nice at Spud's house when I played it. His is the head with a cab. It is a good suggestion. I am not sure though what you are using the amp for though. The Lil' Giant sounds great at home but does not have the volume or versatility of a larger amph. I would still save just a little more and get either the used C-30 or that Bugera, depending on which one you liked in the store. I would think a GC would stock both and you could compare.

[Eric]

A good friend of mine has one. It serves it's purpose as a beginner amp and probably would work well for someone in a cover band who needs a lot of different sounds.
I'm far from a gear snob, but when I tooled around with one at GC, I couldn't quite understand why they were so popular. Maybe I'll go check them out with a little more patience next time and fiddle around a bit more -- not to buy, but just out of curiosity.

[Ilovecheapguitars]

I don't hear too many other people talk about it but I have a Kustom double barrel. I love it and I picked it up on sale for 199 bux. 30w 2 channel 2x12 combo. it has delay, reverb and chorus but I dont use them, I have pedals for that. only downside is there's no foot switch to change channels. for me its no big deal because If I'm switching from clean to distorted during a song I have several pedals for that too.

[piebaldpython]

Since you mentioned the Peavey Transtube series, with those being SS....I'd like to mention the analog Tech 21 Trademark 30. Awesome lightweight amp that sounds great with 3 different amp voices, 3 different gain stages and 3 different cabinet simulations, an active EQ and Accutronics 3 spring reverb.

[yeti66]

Thanks everyone for your thoughts and input:socool unfortunately for me I could only find 2 of the amps that were recomended to actually play and hear!:messedup: 1 was out of my price range, and the other I just didn't take too very much.

I'm only a hobbyist and have been playing a $150 epiphone lp and a 15 watt fender for the about 10 years, bought myself a new gibby silverburst recently and this will be my 1st (real amp):rolleyes: I would like to buy new, have had bad luck buying used electronics! so without hearing it I've decided to go with the peavey 112 bandit! hope I made the right decision, only time will tell! Thanks again.
:rockon

[Brian Krashpad]

Another vote for the Super Champ XD.

I found a like-new SC XD in a pawn for $175 earlier this year, and for me it is the perfect small amp. Portable, easy to use, decent volume, and with a line out that actually sounds good as well. As soon as I got it I knew I'd found my stage monitor for my church rig (I also line it out into something bigger, which in turn is in the house PA). I've been tweaking the settings ever since, just about live on the Vox AC-30 setting for overdrive (but several other settings are geat as well). The deepest delay setting can also get you a nice "Edge/U2" type sound, used that today in church in fact.

[Duff]

Yeti, yor idea to get a Bandit is not a bad idea; those are great sounding amps if you ask me.

However, I have found that tube amps have better sound and the Fender Super Champ XD that I have is an awesome example of a new type design tube amp that is very high quality and produces very awesome sounds and gets really loud from fifteen tube watts.

Those Bandits do indeed have a great reputation. I played one recently that I really liked and probably would have bought it but someone got it before me and I got the Peavey Mini Colossal five watt one - an awesome little amp. The place was selling off their Peavey stock at half the internet price. I got in on a few deals.

[epi0205]

Excellent choice yeti!!
Had my 112 for a long time. It was the first amp I
bought and still have it tucked away. Great variations,
plenty of power and very reliable.:AOK

[yeti66]

Hello Everyone, well I thought I would fill you in on how my purchase went, 1st off I decided on the bandit:cool: MF gave me 10% off and free shipping, total price $269.99:bravo:

Then MF does what they seem to do best, they make a mistake! (now I know what your all thinking, a mistake, NO! NOT musicians friends):whatever: they end up shipping me the 110 envoy instead of the bandit, after making sure I had orderd (and paid for) the 112 bandit, a call was made and the bandit was sent out and they emailed me a return tag for the envoy, I go to the ups and drop off the package the following morning, problem solved right? (NOT)!!!!

What does MF do? they do send me the bandit, but they also send me out another 110! and charge me for it!!:thwap I contact MF asap, and they tell me they will refund my credit card in the full amount and for me to just reject the package (the envoy) when ups delivers it, then to add salt to my wound they send out the envoy 1st! ofcourse I'm not here when ups comes, so the envoy is left (on friday) which means that I would not be receiving the bandit until the following monday or tuesday!! OK, this time I was pissed I have a amp that I cant use because I'm worried that MF wont refund me for it if I open and use it, (BIG-TEASE) no backup amp to use while this is all taking place (4-5 days) I gave my old epi lp and 15 watt frontman to a young hooligan relitive of mine! so I could'nt really enjoy my new gibby:nope

so saturday afternoon I found myself looking at an un-opened 110 envoy and decided it was time to try it out, WOW I thought it was great! it was so much more amp then my 15 frontman fender "ofcourse" and really loved the sound and the distortion!! it had so much more then the frontman!!! I was thinking about calling MF and telling them that I was going to keep the envoy.

I was busy sunday getting some things done around the house so this sunday is free "SUPER BOWL"!! and didn't get a chance to call them, well monday I get home and there's the BANDIT, the envoys BIG BROTHER! and boy is it:cool:

Neither one of these amps are bedroom amps, in my opinion? the envoy is less powerful but still is to loud for a "bedroom amp" and after hearing the bandit my choice was so easy, the bandit had its new home!! it's just so much more amp, for $80 more I cant go wrong.

The bandit sounds so much stronger, with alot less humming in the high gain, lead and distortion modes! I really thought the envoy was somthing else, until I tried out the bandit, I'm very happy with my choice

Thanks to you all for your help and info!!!! ROCK-ON!

:thankyou :rockon :beer:

[Bloozcat]

For $60.00 more you could go for one of these all tube amps:
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/ValveSr/

It's tough to find a decent amp new in the $300.00 range.

[Kazz]

That Bandit 112 is a very nice amp for the money....I bought mine 2nd hand at a pawnshop and got alot of good use out of it the year I had it before selling to buy the Classic 30...that I sold too :-) Tone is a constantly evolving journey.

[Darren James]

Question about this: what's your general impression of the Spider series? I've fiddled around on them before and found them to be variations on the same crap, but it's entirely possible I just wasn't messing with the settings enough. Have you had good experiences with them?

I've owned two of them and fried them both. I owned the heads and I guess they just couldn't handle being cranked all the time. they both literally fried, smoking and everything. I found that the distortion settings where alright and the clean was a bit weak but they where cheap and thats all I could afford at the time. After, I bought the HD head and it sounded great for a year and a half and then it decided to go as well. It froze and wouldn't produce any sound. Luckily It had warranty on it so it didn't cost anything.

I also owned a bandit when I first started playing and never had a problem.

Darren