Beard Files: Do We Need Beginner Combo Amps?
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- Опубліковано 25 гру 2024
- What do you think? Is there really a purpose for beginner combo amps anymore with all the available technology?
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Easy answer, there's still a market for combos. It might not be the best solution for you but for a lot of people it still is. I rock combos from time to time because it's just fun to quickly plug into something and get a sound going in the room. Don't judge them out, be happy that we guitar players have so many awesome options for different situations. We are really spoiled in that sense
Ola!
But this video isn't about combos in general, but simply practice combos. Fluff says in the beginning that combos have their place
Nick-Gon Jinn what is a practice combo? A cheaper combo? Still a combo in my opinion. just like there are cheaper amp heads, cheaper modeling units, cheaper plugins. There is still a market for them
And of course this is not to disagree with fluffs video, but sometimes it just makes more sense to sell a small practice amp to someone in a store who is just starting to play guitar. It should be easy and simple to just plug and play. Not everyone wants to use a computer or a smartphone.
Fair enough, all those plugins and programs can be a little baffling. I'm sure some people just prefer tp plug in to something and play without having to overthink
I think beginner combo amps should always be a thing. Not everybody can afford an iPad and turning on a pc to jam is a terrible idea. turning on a small combo is a stress free process that makes you focus on the guitar rather than your pc.
vojtasTS29 Exactly, I agree alot.
vojtasTS29 very good point!
vojtasTS29 exactly what I think
Carrying around small crappy combos is an easy way to play with your friends. That's what I used to do back in 2010.
vojtasTS29 dude...you took words from my mind, that is the real shit
I still see a purpose to small combo actually.
Not everyone wants to play with headphones, or boot up your PC and then load your software and so on....
Plugging a guitar into a combo is simple, straightforward and immediate.... I believe there is still a market for such gear.
i havent tried but i would only imagine that a pair of headphone wires would be just one more thing to be in the way of just trying to play. I have a Line 6 spider series With a Celestion speaker in it that i do use alot less since i bought Rocksmith where i can plug my guitar straight into my game console and build tones,get lessons and learn to play songs.
I understand you dude... but again, I believe not everyone wants to turn on their playstation or xbox, then load up a game, tweak the sound settings etc.... to play.
As a learning tool I'm sure it's great though.
I agree. Playing through headphones sucks. Hell, I hate headphones, in general. Dealing with a fucking computer just to play my guitar sounds like a massive pain in the ass. Give me a real amp (no matter the size) any day of the week. Fuck software.
That is literally what I was about to write. I was going to have more cursing.
Yes I think that small combos are great too and if I'll buy electric guitar or bass I would deffinitely buy small combo but I'll rather plug headphones in it because off speaker...small combo I mean 3w or 5w and 2" or 3" speakers in it can't deliver so much bass than headphones...yes they are great and some of them sound great but speakers are crap...
if you're a kid starting out, playing through a crap $200 dollar combo will be more inspiring/fun/cool than playing through an iphone with headphones or a little bluetooth speaker. kids starting out can't really get together with their friends and jam and get loud enough through an iphone/ipad/computer. plus all the middle school chicks will swoon over the kid with the line 6 over the kid plugging into his iphone ;) that's the reason why just about everyone starts playing guitar in the first place - cause we thought it was cool! there's still something more tangible about a kid starting out having to lug his combo amp to his buddy's house to play cover songs!
I don't wanna be the old dude neither but I think beginner combos should never be replaced by software. I mean, combos teaches you great lessons, about eq, about how to place your amp in the room, about taking care of your guitar signal and your cables, and so many other things that eventually makes you want a better amp. If every beginner starts with software, they are never gonna go back from software,they will just save for an axefx. For me, software is an excellent sounding aolution for the guitar player who is not a beginner anymore, why give a ton of tones to a beginner that only needs a clean tone and a couple of dirty tones to practice and will actually have no idea about how tone works?. Setting the idea aside, I'm actually saving up for BIAS lol
This^
Man, you have all that in the softwares...eq. cabinets and speakers...you can even change mics and positions for them....i know i will sound like a noob maybe, but today, if i was in a band, playing small gigs...my setup would be a laptop, a midi control pedal board and thats it!
Getting worse sound just for to learn old technology that they will not probably use ? I love tube amps, I have Mesa Mark III from 1985 with 212 cabinet, but the truth is that I haven't played on it for a while. It sounds far better than BIAS AMP or any other simulator, but it's so inconvenient to use it :) I turn it on only on special occasions, for rest iPad does the job.
I'd argue that a beginner on a budget would be able to learn more about how their sound works through a plugin than a cheap practice amp. Look at a delay effect for example. On most practice amps it's just one knob, but in a software plugin they can play with feedback, delay time, etc. They gain access to a plethora of effects to tinker with, and learn what does what.
For beginners it's all about staying motivated to practice. Sounding like crap everyday is not motivating. Being able to go out and download a patch to sound like your favorite artist is.
*seriously noob question * When you have a plugin in a laptop, what do you use to listen yourself? Laptop speakers? Monitors? Headphones? How are you gonna learn how feedback and room acoustics work then?
So you can jam with your friends. Simple as that.
And so you can let your friends/family how you can play.
I can do that with a computer and some monitor
And still a small combo amp would be more convenient for that (size/weight/number of cables laying around, etc)
Exactly, jamming, a first band, any small gig, its more logical to take a small combo than a computer and moniters. And as good as all the modeling is now, nothing beats real tube tone in my opinion.
Couldnt you just run directly to a cabinet off a laptop if you wanna play through a good speaker/and be mobile? You would get way more quality tones, and definitely a better speaker than the crap ones the slam into those combos?
3:51 $9.99+$9.99=$30 nice.
NA education right there
ya I noticed that
I see that as a $10 difference for odds and ends.. I often do the same thing when thinking or talking about prices of things
tax included
Are you serious? Imagine a bunch of beginners get together (most likely at school or something) and decide to form a band. What the hell else are they going to play through?
It's all very well having an app on your phone and some headphones for personal practice but a) Not everyone has an iPhone/iPad (as many of the good amp sim programmes aren't available for Android) and b) They still need something to amplify the sound. A digital modeling amp is going to be perfect as it contains a lot of usable sounds and will amplify to an appropriate level for rehearsal and small gigs. Also, because you aren't powering and connecting multiple devices together, you don't have to worry about ground loops (which requires more money be thrown at it to eliminate).
Hell, I know a lot of local bands that use digital modeling amps (higher wattage but exactly the same in all other respects as the "beginner" combos). The average pub audience aren't all that discerning when it comes to tone, so the added reliability of these amps is attractive to the gigging musician and it means they don't have to spend hundreds/thousands on a pedal board because the modeling amps have many passable sounds.
I personally have a Blackstar HT-20 head and 2x12 cab. Guess where it is. It's in for repair and it's the third time I've used the f***ing thing! Meanwhile my bandmate's "beginner" combo amp (Blackstar TVP 60, which actually sounds pretty good) hasn't given him any trouble. As a result I'm currently having to borrow a Spider ii. It may not sound great, but it does the job and has bailed me out of the sh*t.
i got Peavey Vypyr 15 for years, is that a beginner combo ? am i a beginner guitarist ? am i beginner in life ? :(
I can think of two reasons - you want to play your first gig and you're hardly going to give the sound guy your iPad or phone.
The other reason is that nothing will ever beat a real amp. You want to be introduced to the world of amplifiers properly, not via a simulation of the real thing. You want a real experience of how a speaker vibrates inside the cabinet, where to put your amp in the room. You want to do VanHalenesque experiments... what does your amp sound like if you put your blanket over it? How about 5 blankets? I'm not saying you should poke holes in your speaker with a pencil or anything... but if you want to, you should be able to! A real amp will always be there to pick up, plug in and rock out with.
Also... You need to buy software, good monitors an interface and reliable cables anyway, not to mention have a decent computer. Might as well get a Valveking or something. If you really want value, you need an entry level combo.
Yes -- most of the attention is on the software app, but more goes into using the app then just "buying the app". We are assuming they have a good computer (or iPhone/Droid phone), good monitors or headphones (iPhone earbuds won't do it), an interface to plug the guitar into (you can't use an 1/8th" cable into your iPhone). It gets real expensive.
Everything you say is true... but can only be achieved with a grown up amp. Don't know what amps you had growing up, the ones I played taught me none of those things... they only taught me how to wake up my parents in the middle of the night
my first combo amp was a 60s tube combo that's like 13 watts and it sounds great and I got it for $50
You're lucky I guess :) My first was a POS Samick that sounded like bees in a jar...
$9.99+$9.99=$30
Ikr
xNimrod97x You'r Wrighte
xNimrod97x taxes bro
Glad i wasn't the only one paying attention lol.
I have noticed that too. I think he was thinking about 2 apps (Bias AMP + FX) and adapter :)
The answer is simple. It's foe your first shitty rehearsal space when you can't afford anything else. Because this is the point of music, playing with others. Not recording yourself in your bedroom and never learning to lock in with a live drummer and no click track.
I would dare anyone to show us proof that you can use this thing in a rehearsal space, with a drummer, successfully.
My personal experience with most solid state combo amps like a line 6 amp, when used in a practice space, is that they get drowned out so quickly with the rest of the band. Either that, or the guitarist turns the amp up way too loud and there's a ridiculous amount of feedback. Mainly because the midrange on a line 6 amp is absolute trash. It doesn't cut through at all. Maybe a 35rt would sound better, but that's also an Orange amplifier. Not to mention I looked up reviews for it, and let's just say that the 35rt gets mixed reviews.
Practice combos are good for the bedroom, but not for the band.
had a line6 in 03 (pre-pod era) that was 60w, I'd jam with friends in a small 75sqft room and never raise the volume higher than like 6 outa 10... even taking it to the back yard, same thing, never had to max the volume out on a 60watt amp...so yea, little combo amps are literally, the beginner "live" tool for musicians.
well, but in most cases the Speakers simply don't make 'em loud enough - I'm saying speakers, because dayum can 15 Watt sound loud over a proper 4x12 Cabinet ;)
TheAbsorbant my band jams without amps, and we use acoustic drums. everyone has headphones and we can use which ever plugs we want
First of all that phone costs $650. Secondly, the global Iphone market share in smartphones is less than 20%. The vast majority of us smartphone users don't have the option of using our phone as a substitute for practice amp because those apps don't exist for other operating systems. The whole point of being a musician is playing with other people. For that you want something that can heard in the room, not just in your headphones.
Thank you, I was searching the comments for someone to make these points. You can't jam with your friends off a laptop's speakers or your headphones, especially if one of them is a drummer or a bassist. Of course, there are ways of amplifying the sound of your digital devices, but it's much easier and cheaper to just use a combo.
Plus, for everyone else reading this comment. Combo amps are good for band practices and rehearsals. Not everyone has a spare room where they can set up their gear and leave it there, ESPECIALLY beginners. It's easier to move a combo back and forth between home and practice, and only whip out the half-stack and pedalboard for actual gigs.
Plus most guitar apps only work on iOS, and I don't want to buy an iPhone, iPod, or iPad JUST to play guitar when I prefer using Android phone for everything else. Not to mention you need a more than decent computer and good interface so there's no latency between what you play and what you hear.
you folks never heard of blue tooth or small powered speakers wow .and the plug ins can run on any android phone not just the overpriced i phone . so yeah there goes your arguments kinda down the toiliet eh. take a trip to radio shack and look at some new tech gezz
Scott Gallimore Which plugins are there for Android? I haven't found any. There is one that only works with a couple of Samsung models, but not with all Android devices by any means. I'd love to know if there is something I missed.
Audio latency with Bluetooth on Android is hundreds of milliseconds. Feel free to try playing guitar with that kind of latency and let me know how it worked out for you. 😉
Have you tried it. Android phones have no standards and success varies greatly on a per model and sometimes carrier basis since they often have a custom build or rom and cut corners where they feel they can. Low latency audio streaming is often one area that isn't a priority and most andoid phones don't handle it well. Part of the reason there are so few apps for them. Did Bias ever release an Android version of their app.
I went the other way, from Bias FX and Bias Amp to a couple of combo amps in different rooms. Now I just need to get a wireless G10 relay or something to get rid of the cables :)
Janne Oksanen IK Multimedia I-rig. works awwsome. Even has free amps to download in their app.
I got a little squier combo with a squier guitar in a 2nd hand shop, couldn't take the guitar only.
I've turned it into a talkbox, now it serves a purpose.
I know this video is almost a year old, but I'd like to thank you fluff. You just saved me a ton of money, I have amplitube on my phone, got the orange package, and an adapter for like $40 and have an awesome sounding orange tiny terror on 4x12"! Thanks again.
how about a beginner amp to play with your band? can you play with a band using apps? (for rehearsal). is it viable?
André Araújo It is viable, but of you want a physical amp, try the Marshall DSL 40. Amazing combo.
Well, you can, but nice speakers are kinda expensive, 2 nice powerfull speaker are waaaay more expensive than a begginer shitty but powerfull combo
The Metalhead-Hippie-Goth yes, that Marshall is amazing!
That's my point Waldo, for a beginner playing in a band a small amp is a necessity, unless he can rehearse in a studio. For playing at home, sure, no amp needed anymore.
They are not good I admit it, but seriously the strong hate train towards Spider amps are getting out of hand. You can produce a decent sound from the 75-150W combos in a band. I'm talking from my own experience. I have gigged with a Spider IV amp and no one complained about the sound. There are times where you got to borrow the amp and you did not have any time to configure the settings or use the right pedals or anything and that sound was way more horrible than my own Spider. Like I said they are not great, but they can produce a good sound if you know how to tweak it right.
I don't want to play through headphones, I want to feel the amp
There isn't much to feel with a 30 W solid state practice amp. Those things have 10' speakers max, they just don't have that kind of power.
30 watt solid state can get plenty loud, ask your family while you crank one in your house
30 watts is very loud.
Name so then you would have to buy monitors...defeats the whole argument of cost
It is loud, but with it's cheap speakers it can get earpiercingly harsh. If you want to feel the amp, you will need decent speakers/amp. Computer speakers just don't sound anywhere near real guitar speaker. I've been playing on amp sims for like 6 years, have had little SS amp with multiFX processor, but now I am thinking on moving to a real thing.
I'm a young guy, and I personally think that we still do need beginner combos because they teach us quite a few of the basics about how to get good sounds, how speaker placement affects what you hear, how to wring all you can out of what you have, and yet they're quite affordable. I just have one thing to say: Stay away from anything with a speaker smaller than 10 inches.
I actually bought a new VOX AV15 to replace my Fender Frontman 15G and it's one of the best decisions I've ever made. I can use the AUX out to plug into my boxes and interface, and I get that classic tube response combined with digital cabinet emulation. And if I'm playing small shops, I know I can get close to those same tones by just bringing the amplifier and my pedalboard along. It really does work for me.
I say we blame parents for not doing their research when they go buy a new guitar for little Johnny or little Susie. They ultimately go for "cheap" and "brand new" and end up with the lowest priced guitar and amp package they can find because they don't know if the kid will stick with it.
This. My first try at playing was hindered by the toy/trash gear because my parents weren't educated about what acceptable starting points are, and I sure had no say in it. If anything, the parents should do some reasearch, or listen to their kid who probably has obsessed over it (and consider their input) into the first rig. Heck, now even the mediocre stuff has resale value or potential on Craigslist unlike when I was a young 'un. The Jack White school of "Fight your plastic guitar and win!" is cute, but not practical for a beginner. My guitar was unplayable - by my own experience and my instructor's experience - spent more time trying to keep it in tune than playing it.
You have to consider that many parents don´t have the slightest clue about music, let alone guitar gear. And kids probably watch their "guitar heroes" and say to their parents "I want a Gibson Les Paul and a 412351 Watts Marshall head", then the parents look it up on the internet and say "This is fucking expensive, kid, grab the cheap version of these things" and there you go. Anyways, there are good amps and guitars for beginners, but you have to do some research, and knowing a little about the products also helps a lot
Artec619 Yes, parents (and anyone buying gear these days) need to do their research. And with all the information available these days (ie. the internet) and with the plethora of good used gear out there, there is zero excuse and zero reason to buy crappy gear. IMO.
99% of people can't buy their kids a 1,000 guitar and 2,500 amp.
I was happy i got anything as a kid. My first amp was the shittiest thing epiphone threw in a starter kid but I learned on it still.
Yes, we need them! it's all context and needs of a (beginner) player. Playing through a real amp helps you perform better live. You learn to control your sound or tone. Dynamics and feedback. All those things can be lost sitting in front of a computer. What if your friend comes over with his drums to jam? Can't carry your PC into the garage. Or you have to buy some sort of PA to use your iPad in a love situation. I totally get your point but they are useful or not useless.
A bunch of people have already said it, but yes, absolutely. It's real hard to get your cell phone to play your guitar louder than a drummer. There's a whole world of playing with others that is made much more simple and affordable because of smallish, shitty amps.
I've "run sound" (being generous with the term) for a band at a block party where one of the guitar players was getting his tone out of an IPad. It wasn't my favorite sound, but it worked well enough because I was able to cobble together a monitoring system. And then it was sunny so his iPad overheated and they had to stop the set until he could put is in the shade. Meanwhile, the other guitar player had some old crappy Fender combo that didn't sound amazing, but it was loud enough for everyone to hear and worked even though it was sunny. I just threw a mic on it to beef it up and all was well.
Moral of the story: beginner combos are useful
I'm 18 and I've been playing about a year and I use a Peavey Vypyr 120 watt tube amp. It is amazing and I get every sound that I want out of it.
Apps like BIAS still sound like crap, playing on headphones isn't quite the same experience as playing on speakers and hi-fi speakers don't sound like guitar speakers either. I rarely play guitar since I sold my combo (and most of the time I do it unplugged). And I even got a fancy Thunderbolt interface and Peavey Revalver which sounds ok. Combos are great and especially physical knobs and controllers are great.
@Fluff: Agree 100%. I am about the same age as you. When I was growing up learning to play, I only had a combo amp and I kept the volume down low. My parents wouldn't stand the noise so it made no sense to go any larger. Fast forward to my young adult years and I got used to that same old amp and never bought anything else. A few years ago it was stolen and I've never felt the need to replace it. I now play exclusively through digital amp simulators on the computer or smart phone.
own the thr10x. a beast for practice and recording.
Ivan Vidal The 100w variant is in my opinion not yet developed well enough. The thr10x variant offers everything for the home rocker, perfect. my live rig heads a orange cr120h.
Maaaaan I really want to play with that amp... how good it is????
I agree with Ola. I have just bought a Boss Katana KN100 combo, why, because its a get up and go to a jam night/open mic night which packs a wallop. Great clean tones and good presets that can be managed with an app. I have a Fender GB combo for clean channel and a Laney IRT Studio with 1 x12 Celestion G12h anniversary and 1 x 12 Jensen C12k. I have a mod delay pedal board and front end pedal board. If I have 30 mins to set up and tear down thats fine and fine for home recording, but for jamming with friends and going to jam nights the light weight Katana and a guitar is all I need! So that is my use of what you call a beginner combo. I have a Rage 158 to but that is poor sound compared to the Katana!
I agree to the point that there is no need for those shitty modelling amps when small combo tube amps cost a tad bit more but sound sooo much better and are even good at taking pedals. That being said, when a beginner guitarist goes into the store, guess which amp the dude working there is gonna push on him? A small orange amp 15w amp with a cool cab or the Spider VI 100w? There's your real problem: A beginner has no idea what he needs and the guy in the store needs a sale.
Mahmoud Kattan and this is exactly why you should never listen to the reviews of anything music related if the reviewer is an employee at a music store. I was dumb enough to get a Line 6 Spider IV about 2 years ago when I still was a beginner, all because I had no idea and the employee of the store did his job too well for me...worst decision in my whole life
even non digital transistor amp can get a decent job done for not that much money
i partially agree with him, I live in a rural area with not many musicians. And not many people are heavy into music around here. I own a combo amp, but using Bias is good for if you want to record and be by yourself. A combo amp is essential for jamming and playing live. It depends on your situation
ayyyyy beard files is back !!!
Because asking a beginner to fiddle around trying to get a bunch of software working and set up correctly is a good way to make them drop the guitar in a hurry. With an amp you just plug in, flip a knob or three, and go to town. Remember that while your ear as a long-time player is refined to the point where that little 15 watt Marshall combo isn't cutting it for you anymore, but the ear of someone who's only been playing for a few months isn't.
Are you seriously asking why there's still beginner combos? It's because they sell. People buy them. Amp sims and the like are good for recording, but what if I want to practice in my living room? Am I really supposed to unhook my computer and drag it upstairs just to play while on the couch? Phone sims are equally cumbersome if you want to practice with a good speaker. Don't get me wrong, I love my sims, phone apps, and mic'd cabs, but a cheap little practice amp is just worlds more convenient. I love my doofy little Blackstar id:core 10. I wouldn't be surprised if it gets used more than the stuff I actually record with for the simple fact that I can take it upstairs, on the porch, to my friend's house, etc. Way more convenient than wasting my phone's battery with even worse speakers, or spending ALL of my down time in my studio.
So yeah... They're not irrelevant because there is clearly a market for it. They're not nearly as bad as some make them seem... Especially if the end goal is just portable practicing.
One of this biggest parts of playing electric guitar is the visceral feeling of playing through an amplifier. You simply can't get that visceral feel through a laptop, even if you have studio speakers. This is the difference between playing live and just recording. It might not be like this for everybody, but I am always more energized (and thus inspired) by playing with a live sound than having a guitar playing through my headphones on my couch.
peavey transtube bandit does not consider as "entry level" combo, doesn't it? .. because that amp awsome
rangga aditya I have a pre Transtube Bandit. You can gig with it. Definitely not a beginner combo, too freaking heavy!
well the vypyr is fairly decent, and the 15 watt one isn't too heavy. even so I got a 30w vypyr and dig it.
but you can get one at a pawnshop for under 200... steal!!!
I bought a Blackstar TVP combo amp this winter, with 120 watts and 2x12" speakers in it, and I'm able not only to rehearse with a band, and still have some volume to spare if I need it, I can play it at home without bothering my neighbors, and still have great sound (as the TVP function emulates the sound and feel of EL34's and 6L6's to mention some). And it wasn't even that expensive (about $ 650 I guess), which makes it quite affordable for many guitar players that don't have that much to spend on gear
Fluff this sound like a precursive to a shootout video between cheap "practice" combo amps and their equivalent guitar plugins like amplitube, guitar rig 5 (which i've used for years and love) etc
btw totally agree with you on this one fluff ... i have a small solid state ibanez TBX 15R amp that i haven't used in ages, gathering dust in the corner of my room :) dunno why i still keep that thing around :)
I own a Fender Mustang V2 and the included software is pretty cool. You can share settings and download settings others have created. Pretty impressive to me. Many beginner combo amp makers are now including software with their amps,so it isn't like you're stuck with just the settings that the amp came with. Most have effects to experiment with,too...
How about playing even the smallest gig through your cellphone with 15 years old mixer and PA, no earplugs. You need to hear yourself. Also amps do not come up with program bugs or errors during the gig. They do their job and that's it.
bucketheadrox I am truly sorry ! I accidentally hit the report button and now it refuses to undo it. I'm trying again but I did not mean to do it at all !
watch the video again. he is not talking about replacing your gigging amp. he is talking about the shitty little amps with speakers in them that are smaller than 10 inches. in this day and age, those amps are needed less and less.
lawngnome412
Yes, he is talking about practising amps. At the same time, unless you are a professional musician, you want to find a small amp that usually go to practice amp category and don't want to spend forturen into it.
Usually for that price range you can buy usable Audio Interface and plug your guitar in a computer. Usually these little amps are not loud enough for rehearsals, sound terrible. Whereas modern computers can boot up like instantly and are very stable (macs at least).
My line 6 Amplifi works fine! Its got an app to control via bluetooth and save all of your tones and you can assign tones to any of the pedals they do. I can plug it into my laptop to record through the amp as it acts as a sound driver.
I need a new amp..
Mike Windisch same haha
Mike Windisch same.
Mike Windisch who doesn't?
I have a blackstar ht-5 for jam night, a traynor ycv40 for performance a peavey bandit for performance backup and a handful of solid state amps. the amp that gets posted the most is my Roland microcube cause it's light, easy to move around and sounds good enough
if i was still a beginner i would rather play through a shitty combo than through an app. What fun is playing guitar if your playing live in front of someone through a phone? or a phone hooked up to a shitty speaker? unless you have really good computer speakers, or a surround sound or something it sucks for playing in front of people, or jamming because your not going to want to bring a speaker with you if its good. If your a beginner your going to suck anyway, and not going to be good at recording right away, so why do you need to sound good anyway? Besides twisting physical knobs and finding out how to get a good tone is all part of the fun.
zevvay "you already can't play good in the beginning, so why have a good sound?". So, how are beginners supposed to know they're getting good if their tone and overall sound is still awful, even if they have genuinely improved? And wouldn't the phone hooked up to a shitty speaker be the same as a shitty amp? Oh wait, you don't have to pay $200 for a shitty tone with the phone and speaker.
they are less expensive and ok transistor amp that can bring you satisfying tone.
When you are an absolute beginner you don´t care much about tone and gear, I myself was a beginner not that long ago and I only cared about learning songs and new techniques. Later I started caring and searching for good tones and amps, but up until last year my only amp was a 10 or 15 watts little amp that just has a volume and a sort of tone knob. It doesn´t sound good, but I came home, plugged into it and practiced for some time. Even now that I have a much better amp, I still use it when I have to rehearse with my bandmates that live far away from my house. Im glad that little beginner or practice amps exist. Although if they are too expensive, complex to use and don´t sound that good, they aren´t probably worth it
Artec619 your comment says evrything.
I use a Blackstar ID Core 10 and love it. Perfect for playing at home and is nice when traveling. I don't gig yet (only been playing under 2 years) but when I do I am aware I will have to get a bigger amp and it very well might be the Blackstar ID Core 100
Fluff, I love you, but do you still work for Positive Grid? Shouldn't you disclose that in a video advocating software (like the stuff PG makes)?
It had been said in a previous video earlier this week.
I'm not Ryan, but he took a job with Joey Sturgis Tones.
do a demo for us old guys that don't know all the best paid guitar apps plz. and tkz omegadeth1
I've worked with a small after school music program and Small Beginner Combos are essential for Band Jams and with the Headphone out jacks Silent practice
what If you don't want to rely on a computer ? what If you don't want to live in the fear that someday your computer will die and you won't be able to use an amp for a few days ? what if you love the sound of an amp in the room ?
The sound of the instrument filling the space is exactly the reason. The physical and emotional response to sound in the room has no app/headphone equal.
You might still need to be able to make noise. In that case you need a good sound system to go with your app, which is usually as costly as a combo amp. But for bedroom practice, app and software are more practical for sure
An amp is easy. Plug and go. I don't want to figure out how to plug into a computer and get software and all that other stuff.
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Even that sentence is tedious. Amp > plug in > GO.
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A great player can make anything sound good.
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Can't you play Purple Haze though?
My comment stands. Cheap gear is fine if you have the skill to play.
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Your mind is closed.
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Hundreds of dollars? These amps are cheap..... dirt cheap.
Great point, Ryan. W/ all these modeling amp applications, the need for these entry-level combo amps diminishes.. With all this being said, could you argue that these cheap amps could be used for guitar teachers to use while teaching their lessons? Or maybe for little jam sessions w/ friends?
Not every kid sits alone in their room at 10pm playing on headphones... Some actually do want to play with other os, GASP, BE IN A BAND!
Assuming the "beginner" amps are things like the Vox Valvetronix range, Blackstar ID:Core range, etc., I think there is definitely a space for them. I've been in and out of too many amps to count in the last 14 years of playing. I most recently tried to go headphones and a POD HD since I only play at home, but honestly it just didn't do it for me. There's something to be had in having a physical speaker that's moving air in the room vs software and headphones. If I'm just practicing, not recording, I'd much prefer a combo amp.
what's the currently the best modeling amp?
I think that's a really hard question to answer - they each seem to do one or two things well, but I don't think anything does EVERYTHING well. I'm currently using the newer Vox VT20X and it has some of the best bass feel out of any small home combo amp I've played. I use it strictly for the AC30 tones and the Orange Rockerverb tones. It does both amazingly well, and that's all I need.
The Blackstar ID:Core, for as cheap as they are, sound amazing with the stereo speakers. If i didn't have the Vox, I'd probably go Blackstar.
Most beginners are technologically clueless. I'm not knocking them, but just about all the young kids I know learning to play guitar have no idea how to use DAWs, VSTs, etc. And MOST guitar players out there are also still technologically clueless regarding computers, DAWS etc. The don't want to learn how to program stuff, they just want to plug in and play. A combo fills this niche.
Studio guys like us are a bit jaded and assume most folks are more like us, with actual knowledge of hi-tech stuff, but the majority of musicians today are still incredibly uneducated in the new methods of digital technology. Really. Go visit the music stores in my area. Even the people who work there are not at all into recording technology or computers. I know more than them. That's pretty sad.
So, yeah, I think beginner combos are necessary for beginners.
Hey Fluff. You definitly have a good point. I recently bought the Boss Katana 100 combo 1x12 amp, which cost me 400€ together with the GA-FC footswitch by Roland. I believe that this amp fits into your Beginner Combo Amp category. I knew about the software bevore, but i still wanted this amp for resasons. 1. i needed an amp which was small, loud, had many different but easy to archive sounds and effects and sounded kinda good for band rehersals and gigs. you see... im an 18 year old student. get 30€ a month from my parents and during shool time i cant really have a job to earn more money, so my options are really limited. The Boss Katana just fit exactly for all my needs and for the needs of my band. If it sounds good is ofcourse an opinion which requires experience to really have. To me it sounds quite alright :) Ive used it during our last rehearsal and id did the job perfectly. it cut through, it was only< at half of its volume, the effects and the easy acces to tones as well as the control that the GA-FC offers helped me alot already. Im really happy with this amp and i dont think any software would do this job for the price of 400 € that easy. you are welcome to proof me wrong, id love to hear your opinion on this, just because i know, that my tone journey has just started and i like to hear more experienced travellers ;) Greetings from Germany :D
Two kids jamming together with iPhone headphones not exactly great tone or maybe they're jamming with their drummer friend that has an electronic kit and they're all just jamming in silence...not cool. Or they're trying to have their computer speakers compete with a real drum kit...also not cool. Yeah Spider's suck but they suck less than apple headphones or most people's computer speakers. The one benefit is that kids coming up today are much more comfortable with headphones...I'm not at all. Even when overdubbing I'll often just wear one of the headphone speakers and hope I get it right because I just can't focus with them on. If I had a kid and they wanted to play guitar I'd probably start them out on a small tube amp like a Champ something nice and quiet but with good tone that would still be useful when they got more advanced.
connect it to mixer. all is possible from there
I live in a small apartment, and am the only one in my band with any space to jam. We use electronic drums, and both guitarists and bassists use amp sims (combination of revolver and guitar rig 5), and the singer does the same. All of our instruments go into my audio interface, my DAW, where I set it up to have the effects, I then mix the sounds where I want them, and all of us have on Bluetooth headphones, the latency is minimal but is there.
For gigging I break out one of my fairly priced tube amps (Bassbreaker, and a Blackstar)
I understand the perks of having a small combo amp to jam, and learn on, but with how cheap GOOD amps are getting, its not really a hard issue.. for $250 I can get a used HT5, and that will blow spider away.
Adam Sweet More power to you guys. There are a lot of good small combo amps and head/small cab options for practicing at home and even in apartments. I wish I was more comfortable with headphones but hearing my 100-watters coming out of there sounds so sad compared to having them in your face that I just don't have much interest in learning and I've gotten pretty good at faking it with overdubs. As long as I can hear the start and one or two key parts somewhere in the middle I can double my parts pretty well.
Alex Martinez And then what, run it into a PA which would work but it's not my favorite way or you're all just rocking it out in silence while wearing headphones which is fine if you're comfortable with it...just not for me.
dude, come on man. watch the video again. he is talking about practice amps. not band practice. practice. like when you were 12 and sitting in your room, with a crappy amp with a 8 inch or even a 6 inch speaker, playing at bedroom levels. he is fairly clear he does not mean band worthy combo amps. he is speaking of shitty little tiny amps that are marketed as "beginner" combo amps, like the line6 amps with 8 inch speakers. and when the technology where its at now, and the likely hood of kids now a days having a computer and a smart phone, the dumb little 'beginner' amp is past its prime.
I have a Vox Vt40x. It was around $400 and comes with some really nice tones. The cabinet itself is also really nice. I do use software instruments to record usually (unless I have a nicer acoustic instrument). For live however, I need to use a legit amp. It's plenty loud, and sounds great at high volumes too. All for half the price of a comparative tube amp (this one as a tube in the preamp btw). I also rehearse with it. So for that reason, I do still see a need for beginner combos.
A capable smart phone still costs more than a practice amp. And besides, rehearsal studios should have one of those to just have the living crap beat outta them.
I rock two tube combo amps. A 1x10 Laney and a 1x12 Vox. I love them, but I also keep a Yamaha THR10 on my desk which I love too.
For fucking TRVE Norwegian Black Metal!
You mentioned AmlpiTube. I'd love to see a video going in depth into the new AmpliTube 4
I went with the Amplifi 150. 5 speakers, all controlled by my phone, awesome recording interface, sounds good. And you have never heard effects like this thing can produce. The chorus, reverb, delay, trem, all of the modulations are so much more lush with five speakers. And with the MKII Shortboard floor controller is just icing on the cake. But it's still digital and has a digital sound.
I don't agree with you. The best reason to buy a combo instead of buying what you had mentioned is that the only way to learn how to make the most with your equipment is by having a really bad combo. I don't know whether you follow me or not. We you have an experimentation period to get the fucking great sound your guitar idol has... This part is omitted with the other option.
What else, begginers do not need to have to many options to deal with because the main porpoise should be to learn how to play rather than playing with hundreds of pedals.
I would say as a beginner, just turning on the amp and start playing immediately makes playing guitar extremely accessible. It removes all the extra time and effort every day of booting some devices, connecting stuff etc. These actions can hold me back from picking up a guitar. I can then use my phone to play tutorials if i want to. Sometimes less is better (but more expensive that's true).
the only place for a beginner amp is a trash can
A trash can works better than a beginner amp.
My starter combo was a Marshall Valvestate 2000 AVT100. 10 years and still getting the job done!
I think the key word is beginner. The person just starting out on guitar doesn't know about the awesome apps and amp sims that are available because they aren't guitar nerds yet like 99% of the people watching this video. Not to mention, most new players are little kids, and their parents are going to be the ones buying the gear initially, which consists of going to guitar center and buying whatever the sales person recommends. Therefore, I think beginner combos are going to be relevant for a very long time.
sadly what most music store sell are those cheap modeling amp... even if there are good sounding analog out there
I think you're right on as far as your comments about beginner combos. I got the very first spider combo 1-12 50 watts and it sounds better than the Spider V. I've been watching the guys on youtube who work for line 6 and they can't even dial in a good sound. So yes, you are a 110% correct.
I have a $9.99 Obama Phone, so................
I agree with the just of this. I've had a couple 30watt combos in the $300 range and thought they were awesome at first. Then as i progressed with my playing and eventually got some cool apps like AmpliTube for on the go recording, I noticed that that there isn't much difference in tone and as mentioned, you can store a plethora of amp models, pedals, etc and all for a fraction of what even a cheap beginner amp costs all on my phone & tablet!!!
Though I must say I really dig the Marshall Tube combos among others ;)
Try to play live through your phone xD
I prefer the old school way. I hate all that stupid digital crap.
Keep this series alive! Great video, Fluff. I agree with you 100%.
I have a line 6 spider 2, and it has 2x12 celestions in it. I love it, its got 6 different sounds along with reverb, delay, phase, delay etc. However, I also use the speakers with other amps too like marshall and peavey and little micro amps, etc. It's cool to play around with. Yea it's big but it's in my home studio office area and I don't gig anymore so whatever.
I have a fender mustang 3 v2. It doesn't have the best tones compared to some apps but I like playing through a 12 inch speaker and feeling the floor vibrate.
my computer speakers will never compare to a 100 watt 12 inch speaker. Also its nice to just plug in and play without adapters or screens (just real knobs on an amp).
All that being said we don't need beginner amps. But its closer to a real amp in physical experience (in the room) then my computer for me and sometimes thats what I'm after.
I personally still use my combos. I have two combos here at home: a Yamaha GA15II and a Cort MX30R. Except I rarely use the dirty channel and use my Zoom G5 in stereo instead. It just doesn't feel the same if it isn't loud. Not from the desk speakers but from amps.
Hey, Fluff, hopefully I can provide a unique perspective since I work in a well-known music store outside of New York City and sell many of these combo amps on a weekly basis. First, combo amps are an easy way to get going. There's no need to purchase specific hardware and software, no complexities with drivers, cables, etc. Just choose an amp that fits your needs and buy it.
Second, there are many affordable combo amps that sound good and fit a wide range of needs. In my store, the most popular beginner combo amp is the Fender Mustang. They start at $100 (on sale thru Christmas!) for a 20w 1x8 and $199 for a 40w 1x12. Not only do the amp models and effects sound good, they can serve as a gigging amp. They even have a USB out for recording purposes!
Third, most people I deal with, young and old, find this option much easier and preferable to the software option. They see an affordable amp, the modeling and effects sound good, and they're easy to navigate. If it breaks or fails, they haven't invested a lot of money, and they can easily move on to something new.
Finally, the technology with these amps is only getting better. Especially with things like the Fender Super Champ and Vox Valvetronix, which have tube preamp sections and built-in effects, these amps are only going to get better. The Line 6 Spider is more of an anomaly, because the speaker is so bad and it's so unintuitive. As far as I can tell, we're only going to see more of these amps in the future.
P.S., the Brent Hinds Flying-V is fucking awesome, you need to play it.
I still love little combos. I own a Mesa Mk IV and Fender Deville, but I still use a little Orange CR12 and Marshall MG15 for the bedroom and travel. Its just nice to have something to play at 3 AM. I like BIAS, but I dont want to use headphones all the time.
Well, here's what I think
First, for a completely computerized set up to sound good you still need quite expensive active speakers. Unless you allready have those, I think a practice amp is cheaper.
Second, perhaps I am wrong, but I think for a kid it's cooler to plug into a 'real' amp than into an interface.
Third, you can plug and play immediately instead of starting the required software and stuff.
Then again, instead of buying a pricey practice amp with all kinds of digital features, I would reccomend investing that money in a good modelling muti-FX and play that through either a bare bones amp or an old stereo. The quality FX-wil still have good value when you switch to a louder amp. Even when you switch to a decent tube amp you can still use the delays etc through the FX loop.
At least, that what I've would have done back then with the knowledge I have now. Instead of putting expensive effects in front of a crappy amp and thinking the pedals sucked. :)
As a salesman, I notice there's still quite a market for entry level combos. Customers ask for it. Peavey Vypyr, Roland Cube, things like that. That's why we still have to keep pushing those.
Oh, and those THR's sell themselves, because they're awesome for what they are, a tiny good sounding bedroom amp. I'm a software/hybrid guy, but I'd still like one for lazy couch playing in the evenings. It's simply more convenient than loading up the DAW, changing the buffer from 1024 because I was just mixing, firing up the track preset, probably changing stuff in the patchbay... Just a quick fix.
I was just looking this up and came across your post. I hope I'm not too late to the party! I am a beginner. Learning blues. I have my eye on either the yamaha thr 10C or possibly the Boss katana air. But first, I'm gonna get the Vox amplug II Blues. I live in an apartment and don't wanna disturb my neighbors. Should I get something like a blackstar fly 3 or ID core 10 second hand under 100 bucks or would it be a waste of money? Thanks for the feedback. I figure look at the thr or air in a year or so when I can actually make some kind of music
Hi S. Murphy+ I read your comment, I hope you don't mind if I put in my 2 cents. I've done road work with lots of bluesmen, taught, done workshops and had a guitar in my hand for 40 years. One of the most important considerations is "EASE OF USE". A guitar on the couch already plugged into a small amp, ready to go is VERY important. 10 minutes of practicing six times during the day, is an hour of practice. If you just practice while watching TV during the commercials, it will really add up.
So find a small amp that doesn't force you to be tied to a computer, laptop, phone, hooker, rabid hamster etc.
I have a Blackstar Fly that I love. It sits on the coffee table. It was 30 bucks used at a Pawn shop. Vox makes a Mini3. It is a bit more but has a a few more features. Both are battery powered with AC options. Camping will never be the same once you have a tiny amp. btw
Also it will allow you to get out and jam with a friend. I worry about guitarist that don't get out and jam with other players. That thang of playing guitar in yer room by yerself in front of a computer ain't right! lol Most players lack social skills already and damn!! The last thing they should do is stay in their rooms and be guitar hermits.
Best wishes on your guitar journey.
I bought my roland cube 20 toghether with my first guitar and it's still the piece of gear I'm mostly using, even though I have an orange halfstack in the basement and bias on my pc. Besides that you have to say, that if you go on apps only and don't want to use headphones all the time, things will get way more expensive and not really portable with monitors.
the crate mx10 is a phenomenal piece of manufacturing and will always have a special place in my heart for letting me control the sound when crappy digital ones wouldn't turn the bass down.
I have never liked combos due to the weight, but for practicing I did have a peavey bandit and it somehow sounded great.
Through the years in my high school jazz band, I've seen many guitar players and bass players play out of small student combo amps. I started out as the bass player getting my sound from (of course) a rage 158. I eventually got a crate 2x10, which improved my tone plenty. Eventually, I switched to drums and new people coming in are using student practice amps with their small 8" speakers.
Bought a Spider III when i was probably 15. Still using it 13 years later. Kinda faulty sometimes but still works. If ever it gets broken id probably just get some monitors or a cab. That will probably take years before it happen
It depends on the scenario too because I play in a punk band and we do a lot of backyard shows and play in a house where my drummer lives in. So it's not convenient for us to haul computers and play from there we use the combo amps like a 75 watt crate a fender frontman 25 r and a acoustic 100 watt amp for rehearsal and backyard shows. I'm the other hand when we play at venues and record we use our halftime stacks so it just depends of the scene in my opinion
I think a small, cheap combo is a great way for a beginner guitarist to get excited about playing. Honestly. They have a piece of kit from one of the bigger brands, such as peavey or vox and they then have what of maybe one of their favorite artists play. As well as the fact that they also have something small to jam with while playing with friends, or if they don't have much money, they have something to be their first gigging amp. It's not great or anything, but it's definitely a start. That being said, I do use my old laptop, Bias FX demo and a stereo system, like a big stereo system to practice sometimes, and sometimes I use my Peavey vyper II, and sometimes I use rocksmith. They're all great options for learning.
I have a Roland cube. Practicing and recording demos with it miked up just has a nicer feeling than DI-ing my guitar.
I use freeware plugins often when it comes to recording, but i recently got a small Vox VT20, and i have to say i love the sound i get from it when i record into an SM57. i think that with combos you can get some sounds that are really unique that you cant get from amp sims, and still sound great without breaking the bank on an amp head and cab.
Thats just my personal experience though. and i am very new to the recording world.
I bought an iRig 2 today, which is supposed to be compatible with most Android devices (I have a Galaxy S7 Edge)...but apparently not the latest Android devices since none of the AmpliTube apps worked, not even the one specifically for Samsung devices. After giving up on AmpliTube I tried AndRig, which actually produced sound, but with latency so bad it was un-usable. All-in-all I spent $40 and an hour of frustration trying to get this POS to work with no luck. It's going back to Amazon tomorrow. I just plugged into my Orange Crush 35rt and flipped the power switch. Easy and reliable with no messing around. Yeah, we still need practice combos because not everyone (most people) has an iPhone.
I like quite a few combos. But I don't know if they could be called entry level. like the 5150 combo, or any fender amp ever (let's say blues jr.) Or the Mesa combos. Then again these are all tube amps. I do own a Marshall Code 50 and I absolutely love it.
Sometimes if I just have a quick burst of inspiration I like to fire a 15 watt combo up rather than fire up the Mac and plugins .......if your in a rush a quick jam on a combo avoids loading up and shutting down macs or scrambling around for headphones for your phone.....it's kind of just there in the corner :)
Still have my good old Peavey Rage lucky it sits next to my 5150 and AC30 now
i have owned a line 6 spider IV 75 watt for about 4-5 years or more and I learned everything with that amp, I would say combos have their place. However, now I want to invest in better gear so that I can really get the tone I want and have tons of options to play with. So combos are great for just learning and starting out, maybe even for people who need to take an amp around and get some decent tones.
I agree. I've got one of those vox headphone amps and it suits my needs just fine. All the metal riffing I want with out bothering a single person in my house
all hail peavey my first one was the audition 20 and i had the blazer and the rage 158 and some other one i cant remember and i have a small peavey backstage ..
After years of dreaming about a computer setup, after getting it together, I mostly use my combo amp for quick jamming. I find myself doing more noodling in the computer and less playing, unless I have a real recording goal. Won't trust a phone for reliability, but I don't do iphones which appear to have better stuff. I think redundancy between my computer and a small amp helps if one goes down I can still play. Also, after crafting the nastiest tone in bias, then just plugging into my marshall MG15, with a distortion pedal and graphic eq after, the real amp just still feels more real on the reaponse. I'll admit to using a keeley boss metal zone, but that asymmetrical clipping mode gives me the nastiest death metal tone outside of my 5150 half stack I can find. so yes, combo amps still matter in the bedroom, if you do it right.
I've played for 4 years now, and idk if I should be embarrassed for never owning an amp head but I'm in love with my 2x12 Marshall combo. I've just never gotten around to buying a more expensive amp
Wonderful points. But what about lower volume after-hour-band practice/goof around time? When it's not a serious setting and not in the main jam room/recording room and you don't want a full rig to set up and break down.
Imagine you're a 15 years old guy who just started playing. You imagine that you're playing along with the band you love. You wanna jump around bang your head while you're guitar is blasting, though it sounds like crap, but still it's blasting. You cannot get the same feeling with headphones, IMHO. For us, older ones (I'm 35), it may not seem very sensible to do so anymore. But I still remember the time when I was blasting my guitar along nirvana's record. It was one of my best memories. And to me, that's why they're still around.
Not to mention, it's small enough to carry as a portable amp and play for friends, girlfriends, school, ect than it is to bring an interface, USB cables, midi controllers, laptop, speakers, ect. And if you decide to upgrade later on, the combo can still serve a pourpose. I use my old Spider 4 on the clean channel for my drummer to use as a monitor. It just works
Definitely with you on that. I do know that younger musicians can't afford nice amplifiers as easy (teenage aspiring guitarists), but they like to play in a band setting with their friends. A cheap combo allows them to get loud enough for that to happen. It will sound awful, but it's definitely a ton of fun. I used to do this when I was younger.