Modelling Amps

Hey everyone,
I am looking into getting a new amp, as my Peavey Classic 30 is no longer high-gain enough for the Satriani/Vai/Gilbert stuff I am taking increasing interest in playing. I was thinking of getting a modelling amp, particularly Line 6's Spider Valve 112. I was just wondering what everyone thinks of modelling amps, if you have any experience with Line 6 or can recommend any suitable alternatives? My budget is about £350 ($700), so no half or full stacks (more's the pity.)

Thanks all,
Afro

I reccomend a Roland cube to everyone that comes in here... but that's solid state. The Spider Valve isn't supposed to be as bad as the Spider solid state amps - but I've heard it's still overpriced for what it is.

Any chance you can try out a Cube? It's probably the best in terms of solid state for high gain... see if you're going valve you'll probably need some extra equipment like an overdrive pedal.

I don't really know about the high gain but i'm been really attracted to the Vox Mod amps i think they have the Valvetone or what ever but the XT for higher gain stuff.

But were also not into the same tunes but would like an update on what you get.

Cheers

why not just get a distortion or overdrive pedal
Digitech has some really nice pedals for that kind of stuff.
the Grunge is my fav... but there a million others I'd suggest you at least take a look at them...could be alot better than buying a whole new amp...they run about 50-90 bucks so it'd ALOT cheaper than a new amp....

i've never heard the spider valves,but if their anything like
marshall's valvestates(i had the avt150h head)it will be right
up your alley especially where it has modeling effects. i traded
my valvestate for a twin reverb because i like a more classic sound
and the marshall had way to much gain for me.

i'm suprised your not looking into pedals cause that classic 30 is
one hell of an amp.

Marshall Valvestates aren't all valve, they're hybrids I think.

I think most tube amps these days are hybrids. I used to have a fender hot rod deluxe and it was a hybrid. It was friggin sweet but but still a hybrid.

i didn't know the spider was all valve. yes the valvestate is a hybrid.

Telecrater... most tube amps are tube. If they were hybrid they wouldn't be classed as a full tube amps. And you get loads of tube amps around.

And the normal Spider amps aren't valve, they're solid state.

sure they are. Look there are certain things inside the amp that make a tube amp a tube amp.

they can take out the tube rectifier and put in a solid state one. they can remove one of the preamp states and replace it with a SS one. I don't think Marshall used tube rectifies at all. the jcm 800 and 900's were still classed as tube amps.

There are 2 types of amps class A and A/B. I have had long time amp heads who really could not tell me the difference between the two but just because it has a tube in it does not make it a tube amp and vice verses.

Look at tube amps schematics, That is the only way to tell for sure if it's a hybrid or not. any more companies are using words like "valve" in place to tube and selling their crap as tube amps.

If your any sort of peace loving tree hugging individual you should steer clear of tube and valve amps because it burns a whole lot of coal to warm up those tubes. I think i need another beer or three

Really it does not matter what is a tube amp or not it's all about sound but keep in mind that everyone wants your money so buyer beware.

http://www.ax84.com/

yes the spider valve is an all valve amp with the same preamp and power tubes as my fender.

i have a fender twin. i went to the store looking to buy the spider valve 212. i really liked the spider valve. it sounds just as good as the other tube amps in my opinion. the clean channel is real clear then it builds all the built in effects on top of that. i still kinda wish i would have gone with the spider versus the fender but i let the guys in the store and other customers talk me into the fender. I am happy with the fender but i think the spider is just has good and has the added plus of all the built effects. Of course everything is subjective and its just my opinion. people love to hate on the spider amps alot. dont know why really.


telecrater made me do a double take then i realized he changed his avatar. i was like whos the new guy?

i wouldn't say every hates on all spider amps just the SS ones just
as everyone hates on the marshall mg's

Yeah...the problem with running high gain pedals through a vintage amp is that the ap is only made to go so far, so when it gets too much distortion sent through it getsquite crackly and loses some of the force. I am currently using a Blackstar HT-Dist which is v. high gain and this is the problem I am experiencing.
@Doz:I will certainly try and give the cube a go, but being a guitarist whi is always in search of the ultimate tone I am genetically predjudiced against solid states. But hey, if it sounds good and does the job then why not?
Cheers to everyone for responding - anyone else got any more ideas?

Afro

have you tried plugging in a tube overdrive into your amp? Like the blackstar

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Blackstar-HT-Series-HT-DRIVE-Tube-Overdrive-Guitar-Effects-Pedal-152007-i1395622.gc

With something like that your basically giving another gain stage but though a tube and not a transistors.

Tele: there are standards for something to be called a tube amp. It's classed as hybrid when the power amp section isn't tube... because that's the part that gets you the tube overdrive.
But yer... I think hybrid amps are a bit of a con because it won't get you the same overdriven chunky crunch but they're marketed as 'half tube'.

here we go again, do you mean the part of the amp that drives the speakers or the power section conditioning section(Rectifier)?

Look when tubes get hot and get pushed to their limit they sound good when transistors do they sound like crap. there are 3 main stages to an amp, preamp, the output to the speakers and the power conditioning. now if you have a solid state preamp that is increasing the gain of your guitar signal to the output to the speakers running through a tube. I'm not sure we can really call that a tube amp?

Hey Doz, I know what you mean, but I also don't believe everything i hear about. if it has a transistor in the amp it is not a "full tube amp". Thats really what my point was. I did not really want to get into a big debate over it. the hot rod deluxe does have tranisters but is, one of the best sounding tube amps i have ever played.

I think we're talking about slightly different things. I'm talking about just the power amp section really... though I guess the pre amp section comes into aswell. If it's tube pre amp and power amp it's tube. If it's transistor based for both it's solid state... what I'm getting at is that if the pre amp is tube and the power amp isn't... then it's hybrid, and should only be called hybrid, not tube - since the 'tube sound' comes from the tube power amps, for the most part.

go with the valve 112