Checked the Line6 spider

[Jimi75]

I have a 10 day holiday and I took my time to check the Line6 Spider Valve 2x12 intensively. You can not chose sepcific models like deluxe or british modern or so, the groups are seperated in clean, blues, crunch, metal and such, but I guess this is the same layout as with the usual spider. I have checked this amp with Strats, Teles and Paulas. I am very sorry to say but the sound of this amp did not convince me at all. The clean is okay, but I couldn't hear any differences between Tweed and Blues. Also there is a second alternative to every amph model, but the sound didn't really change. This amp is loud and I had a hard time dialing in a good sound, although I took more than an hour to play with it. The metal sounds sounded farty and I missed tube like warmth - in fact this amp is as far away from tube sounds as planet earth is from the mars. The effect section is not very practical. You have some modulation and delay effects and it is tough to dial them in correctly, they always sound to much in front and you can not change the intesitiy of the effects. The effects sound digital - very digital - the mix between the amph sound and effects sounds unnatural, hard to get a good balance. This guy has a Vox Valvetronix top ( I know that they are discontinued) for 300€ which is approx 420USD, the Valve would be 799€ approx. 1100USD. I would always go with the Vox alternative, the Valvetronix beats the sound quality of the Line6 by far.

I have also played a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe and I love this amp. Had I no plans to buy a tube amph, the Vox would already be mine!

[SuperSwede]

So the Valve versions doesnt offer that much improvement from the standard Spider III series?

[hubberjub]

I've never been a fan of Line 6 amplifiers. I have Gear Box Gold on my computer for laying down scratch tracks and that is fine. I also have two of their modeling pedals (fm4 and mm4) so it's not like I think Line 6 makes all bad products. Their amps have never done it for me. They would probably be great if you were in a cover band though.

[Spudman]

I am very sorry to say but the sound of this amp did not convince me at all. The clean is okay, but I couldn't hear any differences between Tweed and Blues. Also there is a second alternative to every amph model, but the sound didn't really change. This amp is loud and I had a hard time dialing in a good sound, although I took more than an hour to play with it. The metal sounds sounded farty and I missed tube like warmth - in fact this amp is as far away from tube sounds as planet earth is from the mars.

Exactly the same thing I experienced too. I think I might have posted about it a while ago but ya, it did nothing for me.

[TS808]

Thanks for the review. Lately I've been on a Line 6 kick, and had been thinking about looking into the Spider Valve. I've heard mixed reviews of these amps, some good and some bad, but honestly, none of the reviews have been stellar.

I really like the options on the Flextone amps, and in fact just picked up a used Flextone II XL from ebay.