Question:
This is branching from a discussion in the Guitar forum about how to buy a guitar, but to buy a good electric guitar, you need the right amp. Now this is probably going to center around guitar amps, but many of the same principles apply to buying bass amps, and a few of the principles may apply to getting a keyboard amp (maybe...). So I leave you with a question. How do you buy the right amp?
Answer:
There are tons of things to look for, but one thing you definatly need to do is try it out when it is turned up pretty loud. A lot of times if the store is crowded people will play it a little quiet, but to really apreciate what it will sound like make sure you crank it. This is mostly true for tube amps, but may even be true for some solid state ones.

-Trey
Answer:
Go to a guitar store that has the amp you want. Go at a time when there is relatively few people there, like before 3pm on a weekday. Normally they'll let you crank it as long as there isnt a lot of people there. So go when there arent many people, and if they let you, crank the amp as loud as your gonna be playing it, or at least relatively loud. Another good idea would be, if maybe your friend has the same amp, then use his instead of trying a new one. Amps change tone a little with use. New tubes and new speakers need to be broken in. Maybe if the guitar store has a used one out, try that one too.
Ok, so you found the amp you wanna try, there arent many other people there so you can really crank it. Now you just need one more thing: a guitar! Go find the exact guitar or a comparable guitar to your own. Dont go straight for the PRS's or the Gibsons if you dont own one of those. It'll automatically make the amp your using sound twice as good as what it'll sound when you use your guitar. Some stores may let you bring your guitar in and use that on an amp, so thats always a good idea too.
So, you have your guitar or a comparable one, your crankin the amp, and you just cant get the tone you want. What then? Well, like I said, for one the amp will likely add some character once its been broken in. Second, maybe the EQ is a lot more sensitive than you're used to. When I tried out a Mesa Rectifier, it took me forever to get a tone I could even tolerate. Its not like Mesas suck or anything, its just that I didnt realize how sensitive those EQ knobs were. So change your EQ slowly instead of huge jumps if your having trouble getting the tone you want.
Some other advice, 1) dont be afraid to buy used. Just make sure you know what your getting. 2) Try lots of amps, even amps you dont think you'll like. They may surprise you. 3) If you need advice in the right amp for you, go to your friends who are amp savvy, go to www.harmony-central.com and check out reviews and ask questions on their boards, go here at CGR and ask, but please please please do not go to the guy behind the counter at Guitar Center. If you know your at one of the good GCs, then go ahead. But there is a rather well known reputation with GC employees not knowing a thing about what they're trying to sell you. They may be really nice to you, but it dont mean they know anything. Steer clear of the guys who say stuff like, "Yeah, this Crate amp is just as good as those Mesas over there," or "This [solid state digitally processed] Line 6 amp emulates all the [tube powered, twice as expensive] amps the big rock stars use." Basically, remember that 9 times out of 10, you get what you pay for. There are the exceptions where an incredibly expensive amp isnt worth half of its price, or an amp that is relatively cheap that has tone just as good as another amp that costs over a grand. But most of the time, if its a cheap price, you get cheap contruction and cheap tone. 4) Be careful your just not on a GAS attack. Make a wise decision on an amp, especially if its an expensive one your lookin at. Get one that will last you a long time and that wont be outdated in a couple years. Dont get an amp if you dont need one. 5) The more watts does NOT mean the better the amp! Get an amp with as many watts as you'll need. Buying a 150 watt tube amp for your small youth group worship is crazy. That many watts for even a small club setting is way too much. Arguably, that many watts it too many period.
Thats enough advice for now..... I may post more later.....
Answer:
I agree with all thats been said so far but there is a huge amount to say on this subject.
For someone coming into this as a beginner not knowing where to start its worth knowing the background on the basic types of amp you can get. They will either be valve ("tube" if you are American) or solid state. Solid state amps come in 2 flavours. There are the more conventional ones which tend to be lower priced and there are digital modelling amps which cost more.
Taking each in order: Firstly valve amps. These use valves (or tubes) which in most other electronic applications are considered obselete. Valve amps cost a lot more to make than solid state and they will cost more to maintain. Valves wear out and will need to be replaced every so often. Depending on the amp I would expect to spend £20 to £50 on valves per year. Also valves generate a lot of heat and this (especially in poorly designed amps) and run on very high voltages so valve amps are likely to need more maintenance. The reason they are still used in spite of these drawbacks is that they still sound better - especially the way they sound when they distort.
Solid state is cheaper to build and will also be cheaper to maintain. The cheaper solid state amps use more basic circuits and are cheaper to build and this will be what you will find as entry level amps .
Digital Modelling amps have very clever digital processors on board that attempt to model the way valve amps behave. Until recently almost all "serious" guitar amps used valves but the DM amps have made some inroads. Zoom has recently bought out an entry level DM amp but generally these are more expensive than a conventional solid state amp. Most DM amps also have the added benefits that they model a number of amps so you have a much wider range of sounds you can get and they often come with built in effects as well. You would normally have to buy a floorboard to get the best out of a modelling amp and the amp companies charge a fortune for the floorboards.
As a general rule buy the best you can afford. As ApparentlyNothing stated you do generally get what you pay for.
Even at entry level I would steer clear of small practice amps unless you really can't afford anything else. If you practice and get to the point of playing with a drummer or playing live you will be wanting another amp in a very short period of time. You might as well buy a better amp to start with. Also, even at home in the bedroom a better amp with a decent speaker will sound better. I would recommend a minimum of 30 Watts (for a solid state amp) with preferably a 12 inch speaker. The speakers on entry level amps are not good and I think the only way to get a good bottom end out these is to get one with a 12 inch speaker. A good 10 inch speaker will be OK but you are unlikely to get one on an entry level amp.
A bit higher up the market you get into the whole valves versus modelling debate. This is debated endlessly on most forums! The general consensus is that a good valve amp still gives better raw tone than a modeller but this is generally dependent on being able to turn the valve amp up loud. The advantage of a modeller is that you get a much wider range of tones and you get built in effects. If you have the (expensive) floorboard to go with it you can generally just turn up, plug into the amp and go.
You can still buy a budget valve amp for less than a good modelling amp but these budget amps are built to a price. My Peavey Classic 30 sounds very good but I severe worries about how it will last in the long term. Its designed to be cheap to build, but not with long term maintainability in mind. Most other amps in this price range have the same problem. A lot of amps in this price range benefit greatly from replacing the speaker. Higher up you get better quality construction but you pay more for it. If you want an amp to grow old with you could pay less in the long term by putting down more money up front for a better built amp that uses better components and is designed to be easier to maintain.
You do need to be able to turn a valve amp up loud to get the best out of it. If you can't turn up loud (especially in a church context) then you may well be better off with a modelling amp. Also bear in mind that a valve amp of the same power seems a lot louder than an equivalent solid state amp. A 30 Watt valve amp will probably cut through just as well if not better than a 100 Watt solid state amp. My latest amp is only 20 Watts and its still louder than ideal for my church.
I hope this is useful.
Al
Answer:
As with the market for any type of product, there are pros and cons to any model. Making an intelligent buying decision is based on evaluating what your needs are, and finding what model best fits these for a reasonable price. With amps, there are three main areas you need to consider:
1. Tone: There is a lot of subjectivity in this area, but the vast majority of guitarists, myself included, prefer the sound of tube amps. This is also a hard category to judge simply by trying a model in a store, as many amps don't sound their best until their properly cranked and warmed up. And often, considerable knob adjusting may be need on the amp and/or guitar to get the tone the amp's capable of.
2. Versatility/Features: Generally speaking, modelling amps have the most versatility, and tube amps can sometimes be greatly lacking in this area (there's many single channel tube amps with just volume and eq knobs). There are, of course, exceptions, such as the Mesa/Boogie Mark series, or Rivera's amps.
3. Durability: You can't really get a very good handle on this by trying an amp at a store, so this is where reading up on an amp manufacturer can make a big difference. Cheaper amps generally use cheaper parts, that are more likely to wear out sooner. Higher end botique amps may spare no expense in getting the best, most durable part for each component. Tube amps have a reputation for being difficult and costly to maintain, and in someways they are; they require letting them warm up, occasional tube changes, voltage biasing, etc. At the same time, I've been told by some guitarists who really know the technical side of amps that tube amps are almost always easier to fix if something goes wrong, because it's generally a simple matter of replacing a fuse or a tube. Solid State and Digital Modelling amps are typically harder to fix when something goes wrong.
And there are of course other factors to consider, such as resale value, ease of transportation (as much as you like how that half stack looks and sounds, do you really want to have to transport it everywhere?). Making an informed choice will require carefully weighing each of these factors.
One other thing to point out is that it's always good to keep in mind what resale value an amp has, unless you're absolutely positive you'll keep it forever. Digital modelling amps really lose out in this area as there's always a newer, better model that's just come out. In contrast, tube amps hold value (and sometimes gain value) quite well. If you buy one used, there's a good chance you'd break even if you decide to sell it down the line.
Answer:
1) Always buy an "all tube" amp. One preamp tube with a solid state power section won't get it. Anything else is a compromise, and you will probably find yourself at some point spending hundreds of dollars on boutique fuzz, I mean distortion pedals to try and find that elusive tone in your head.
2) Get an amp that meets the criteria of #1 (above) to match your venue, and no larger. Praise and Worship team - 5 to 20 watts. Live band playing paid gigs with acoustic drums 20-50 watts. Coliseums, large outdoor gigs 25-100 watts. Big amp at low volume setting = compromise tone. Gotta get the power tubes involved.
3) Find an amp within your budget that meets the criteria of both #1 and #2 (above) that does what you want it to do. For example if you want to play metal, find one with gobs of gain, and scoopable mids. There has never been more variety of good sounding amps at a variety of price points than there is today.
Today's solid state and modeling amps = tomorrow's landfill fodder. Today's tube amps = tomorrows vintage market and bargain tone gem "finds" for the next generation. Be environmentally responsible - get a tube amp.
Answer:
Originally Posted by Major Tom 1) Always buy an "all tube" amp. One preamp tube with a solid state power section won't get it. Anything else is a compromise, and you will probably find yourself at some point spending hundreds of dollars on boutique fuzz, I mean distortion pedals to try and find that elusive tone in your head.

2) Get an amp that meets the criteria of #1 (above) to match your venue, and no larger. Praise and Worship team - 5 to 20 watts. Live band playing paid gigs with acoustic drums 20-50 watts. Coliseums, large outdoor gigs 25-100 watts. Big amp at low volume setting = compromise tone. Gotta get the power tubes involved.

3) Find an amp within your budget that meets the criteria of both #1 and #2 (above) that does what you want it to do. For example if you want to play metal, find one with gobs of gain, and scoopable mids. There has never been more variety of good sounding amps at a variety of price points than there is today.

Today's solid state and modeling amps = tomorrow's landfill fodder. Today's tube amps = tomorrows vintage market and bargain tone gem "finds" for the next generation. Be environmentally responsible - get a tube amp. AMEN! Seriously, to all you affectionately-dubbed n00bs out there. When it comes to matters such as this PLEASE seriously consider all-tube. It just can't be emphasized enough that as you grow, so will your tastes. You will find yourself wanting tube so bad, but you blew your budget on modeling poop, which is best characterized above as 'tomorrow's landfill fodder.'
Answer:
trust me, nearly every guitarist i know who has bought solid state has been looking for all tube within six months.
I skipped the solid state step. I am thinking about buying a second amp (fender blues jr.) because it would be 15w and better to practice with.
The real problem is that 15w is still much, MUCH too loud especially for practicing.
Solid state amps have a very linear volume/power curve with their wattage. It looks much like a boring slope.
A tube amp has a concave shaped curve, and is basically an exponential line as you increase power. In a 60w Tube amp, you can drive well beyond the actual "limits" of the 60w for that nice overdriven tone. Contrasting that, when you hit the limit in your SS amp, you're going to be clipping hard.
Also, to demonstrate why a tube amp is exponential, a 60mW (milliwatt) tube amp is 1/8th the volume of a 60w amp. a 30w amp is only marginally quieter than a 60w amp. I should look at my tube curve cheat sheet and put some more accurate figures in here.
Answer:
there's actually a "tube curve"? that's pretty cool. one thing that's great about tubes is how much saturation you can get with an attentuator. for kicks the other day I dimed my Fender HR Deluxe, attenuator running at 4-8W I'd guess. The thing wasn't much louder dimed than it was at 3 or 4, but the thickness was oh so crazy.
btw, i dont' recommend diming an amp.
Answer:
Originally Posted by dudedude2 there's actually a "tube curve"? that's pretty cool. one thing that's great about tubes is how much saturation you can get with an attentuator. for kicks the other day I dimed my Fender HR Deluxe, attenuator running at 4-8W I'd guess. The thing wasn't much louder dimed than it was at 3 or 4, but the thickness was oh so crazy.
btw, i dont' recommend diming an amp.
Yes. It can totally kill your tubes. . But I'm sure everyone will do it at one time or another. It's just one of those things...
And the tube taper curve thing is very cool. I've always wondered why tube watts are so loud!
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where can i find it?
i'm going to search google now.haha
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Diming an amp is probabaly one of the sweetest sounding things God created...... Do it to a vintage non master amp, and you'll know what I mean ...... oh ya, dont do it unless you got some backup tubes obviously.
Answer:
Originally Posted by ApparentlyNothing Diming an amp is probabaly one of the sweetest sounding things God created...... Do it to a vintage non master amp, and you'll know what I mean
ooohhh yeaaa.... I've done that before. Shweeeeeeeeeeet.... It gets a tad bit noisy, though...
Answer:
For those of you who were wondering, "Diming" = "Turning several of the knobs up to 10." (on tube amps, especially the master volume).
Nate
Answer:
Alright. I'm one of those guys mentioned that started out SS....actually VS, which leads me to my first question.
From what I've picked up here and there on the boards. There are two stages to a tube amp. An amp is "all tube" when it uses tubes at both of these stages, and also, the sweetest out there. The two stages are the Preamp, and the power stage... or are those both the same thing?
Now... what exactly is Valvestate, and please state why it is undesirable in the long run.
P.S.- I just sold my AVT, and the only amp I have right now is my friend's VS265(Marshall), much sweeter sounding than my last amp even tho the technology is older.