After a decade with these products around.. People start reading manuals and actually appreciate it now. Reason it was "Trash" most of the time was people just diving on with the product without reading the manual. Claps for a non biased review and actually appreciating the sound coming off of the amp.
My friend and other guitarist in a past band had one of these and it never sounded good to me. Turns out he was on a factory preset for a year or so. When we finally took time to dial it in it sounded so good. Good video as always Taylor!
@@dddd717 I'm pretty sure they were called HD100 Powercab. They came in 2/12 and 4/12. I had the 2/12 and it sounded incredible. I ran a Mesa Dual Rec through it for years. They really are great cabs. I bet the 4/12 are monsters.
I must say, I like the Spider Valve. Especially that Line 6 did not try to copy iconic amps 1:1 but took the liberty to tweak them. They’re unique. If you gave someone the metal blue or the insane blue channel in a tread plate case with silver dome knobs, told them it’s a $3000 tube amp hand made by some guy in Denmark - people would rave about how polished it sounds.
I bought the Mark 2 because it was super cheap in 2015. There were some presets from the previous owner that are amazing. I actually use this thing all the time. Having the foot switch makes that volume twitch thing kinda go away. It is definitely a one stop shop for gigging. In the end I'm glad i bought it. If you figure it out, its a gem. Good to see it on your channel.
I have this amplifier and have been using it for 10 years. It does cover a lot of ground I use it with my carvin cabinets with v30s. This thing will rip your head off and it has quite a few sounds pretty good cleans average edge of breakup and killer high gain metal! Never thought of putting a boost in front of it I've used the boost internally and it was average at best. Really a good bang for your buck amplifier. If you can't afford a bunch of amps and pedals and stuff this is a great amp that can do almost everything in one box! The only thing I hate about it is you get menu paralysis because all the menus are on that little teeny screen. Other than that I've always raved about this amp. I'm looking at it right now lol. Great video and I like your Jackson I like the black inlays Just not into the Rhoads shape. I've got a few King V's. Thanks again 🤘
It's a great sounding amp but wouldn't recommend for live touring because of its heat issues. Found out it would go nuts after about an hour or two of jamming in the garage because we later found out that the fatal design flaw had the heat from the amp circuit cooking the mainboard! Tried to have it serviced by a line6 authorized repairer, they could no longer replace the the board because Yamaha (line6's parent company) discontinued parts for it.
Yeah they need to field test shit better. The issue with my Variax is if the humidity gets too high, the saddle bases don't ground properly on the base plate, so you lose signal. So I have to remove all the saddles this weekend, ground them (via wire and solder) to the base plate, and reinstall em. You sometimes have to engineer your own solutions to the flaws they didn't think of.
I am using the combo version of the first gen, not mk2 for gigs in a hot climate. Had the overheat issue when I first got it used, installed a heat sync on the Dsp chip, no problems since and still giging with it! Also replaced master volume potentiometer. It was a pain!
I had the 2x12 combo of this thing and it was absolutely killer for metal. Wound up trading it for a full sleeve many years ago but I still think about it. And yeah, it was all about that crunch channel.
I remember trying one of these heads out in a store somewhere around 2008-2010 and was blown away by how good it sounded, great chug tone with lots of air/headroom. My friend has (or had) one and swears by it.
Morel of this video. Read your manual's know you amp's! there are so many hidden gems out there. You should try a Hughes and Kettner Black Spirit 200!😌
I have had several of these. They can be dialed in to be usable. Fantastic , awesome. No. also 2 main issues with them. 1. presets vary in volume greatly. Which can be deafening. Anyone who has owned one is aware of what i am talking about. 2. and the biggest issue is-The dsp chip overheats when used at length ie a long practice or show. Line 6 was aware and simply chose not to fix the issue. If you drill a hole in the chassis directly above the heat sinks and install a computer fan it fixes the issue. The funny thing is the board inside has a 12v power tap right there. So clearly they were going to install a fan and then dis not.This imo is why it is NOT worth buying. However for the $100- to $150 i used to pay. They were good for use as a tube power amp.
Great job , this is a really complete review of this amp !! This is like a "plugin amp" for tweaking!! Maybe in the future amps like this be a thing !!
Big love for Line 6's experimental 'what if we went full retard on our DSP' amp models from the pre-Helix era. Still a great source of obscenely hi-gain, all-out digital tones with no concern for realism. Perfect for extreme death, grind, slam, fuzzed-out stoner metal and harsh industrial guitars.
Cool video Taylor! I have a Spider Valve 112 combo with the original Celestion V30 and it sounds okay. I find the trick to making these really deliver is to back down the Channel volume right down and then compensate by cranking up the Master volume to get the power tubes warmed up. You have to be careful for your hearing (as you spotted!) if you change channels as the default channel volume will revert to 'normal'. Still prefer my 6505 but the L6 can give you a different set of tones if recording e.g..
I’m a huge Line 6 Valve Mk1 guy. The reason is it’s easy live with the footboard to get nice FX that I’d use in the studio & have it approximate it without me needing my giant pedalboard live. It weighs 30 lbs instead of 60-80. It sounds amazing. A couple things you did wrong: it doesn’t accept active pickups well. If you used passives you’d get a much better reaction from the amp. Also, the drive is always WAY too much & same with the bass. My go to is amber metal & I keep the drive on 2-3 & it’s perfect. Lastly, this amp sounds night & day with a BBE Sonic Maximizer/Sonic Stomp in the loop. There’s a lot of issues with this amp not sending things to the cab correctly through phase inversion & all that so the Sonic maximizer turns this from a 5/10 when it comes to tone to a 8-9/10. It sounds incredible. I remember people balking at how I had a L6 Valve yet then after a set they’d be like “dude your tone is freaking amazing!” I remember I was about to buy a modded 1981 JCM800 at Guitar Center which sounded awesome but then for giggles I thought I’d try the valve. It was alright. Then my buddy who worked there grabbed a Sonic Maximizer & I bought it instantly. I had never heard an amp sound SO good without being like 3500+. It blew all of the Dual Rec’s they had there out of the water & same with the 800. Everyone: Get this amp used but make sure to splurge on the BBE Sonic Maximizer in that loop.
If you can get your hands on a DT25 or DT50, snag one. They were kinda the next step in the spider valve evolution. I had a DT50 and it sounded brutal.
@@MC-dj7ri it's been too long since I've owned one, and everybody is different. But I played both the spidervalve and the DT50, and I bought the DT50 lol. And you heard how good the spidervalve sounds in this video. If you can find the head for under $400, grab it. If you can play it before you buy it, do that
Keeping my eye out for a DT25 head at the right price. >$500 is overpriced for what they are in 2023 which is what I keep seeing them sell for in Washington. HD100s go for a more reasonable $250 around here.
DON'T buy a DT, it is horribly difficult to find anyone who will service those amps. And with the notoriously iffy reliability... that is a massive gamble. Almost made that mistake myself.
Great review! Had the same amp for 10+ years, bought a Line6 HD PRO to replace it because I wanted something more compact. (+) * great amp sounds * great fx * simple to use * noise reduction + gate can be run parallel and they work great (-) * dependent on a good cab for getting the full sound of the amp (more than other amps) * REALLY bad wiring and cold solder - like abysmal... had to be serviced every 1.5 years to get that fixed * extra sensitive to transport - not an amp for touring or playing live shows. TL;DR: great for a home amp, bad for a touring/live musician
I’ve got the mk2 version of this amp, I used to have the mk1, but the mk2 is definitely better, with a dedicated manual channel. Meaning you can use the knobs with out being affected by presets, the effects are better. There’s a switchable and adjustable noise gate. Loads of stuff is actually better on the mk2 version. And the power amp is great for putting modern modellers like a head rush mx5 through. Great review. They aren’t the best, but very usable & cheep.
I have that thing since basically forever, and I learned to play guitar on it. It took me years to actually get into how it works, and I can confirm that if you learn it, it can sound very good! I still have it even if it needs a few adjustments, and seeing this video made me want to put it to shine again!
I snagged one of these for $280 off Facebook market place awhile back and it's become my plug-n-play amp when I don't feel like fiddling around with pedals. I replaced the preamp tubes with NOS 12AV7's instead of 12AX7's, which really helped to clean up the high gain stages. I have it going into an Orange 4x12 with two Celestion V30's and two Creamback's - it sounds phenomenal!
Ive had a 212 since way back 07. Its mental for an amp that size, loud asf once you get that master up past half way and those tubes start to glow like mood lighting. You've showed me some new things so I will have some fun playing around with it later, 1000 thanks. If you try that thing up loudish (master between 1/4 - 1/2) the sound fills out and makes your guitar sound so big.
I used to own a 2x12 combo of these as a teen Worked pretty fine to me and after you worked out some presets and don’t have the extreme volume jumps it’s pretty gigable (+ I had the Giant midi Pedalboard) And with 2 V30 speakers it sounded pretty good Very nostalgic to me 🤘
I like this amp and the Line 6 Vetta II head. Plus I like those Line 6 Pod Pro X rack mountable amps. Big fan of the Bogner designed and Lee Jackson designed amps. Good thing about this amp is you can find them in the $300 to $400 price range.
I had one of the 40 watt combos for a while. Picked it up used at guitar center for like $175. I used it as a pedal platform doing the cover band stuff, worked and sounded great. It’s definitely one I regret getting rid of.
Hands down my favorite amp to sell when i worked at guitar center. The hidden menu’s are the game changer. What he did not cover is the amp does VERY well plugged into recording and PA equipment. Extremely versatile for the price.
I Have One. The Head. I Bought mine the first 6 months It was available. Ordered. I WILL NEVER SELL IT. THE Best LINE 6 Has EVER. Done. Insane Good. I am Keeping it & I am Using It. I Love It 🎸❤️
I've had the HD100 head for about 12 years now and it's a freaking BEAST of an amp. I also have an original Vetta II + 2x12 loaded with Celestions along with 3 generations of AxeFX units (II Mark II, XL+, and the III). The HD100 isn't in the same league as the Fractal units, but for a HUGE library of sound possibilities you just can't go wrong with the HD100, especially for metal.
They used the vetta on the faceless planetary duality album , I used the pod HD pro with my krank and with either sim or my amp with some pod eq and od help it sounds great
The MK1 version of this amp runs on XT era models. However, the Mk2 version (with the manual and quick loop buttons) has “HD era” amps and some M series effects and excels at edge of break up tones among others. The manual switch helps with the momentary knob issue. The floorboard and software make adjustments very convenient. Seems like the heads are somewhat hard to find since the Helix crowd figured out they can run the helix into the loop return to warm up their tone.
Been a fan of my HD100 MK2 for years but God help you if you have a problem. Volume fluctuation and distortion cutting in and out . $200 in tubes and paying The Amp Guys $90 for misdiagnosing a tube problem. Took it back and and now they're saying it's the digital board. Done throwing good money after bad. RIP Spider Valve. Thanks for the vids man
Having owned a triple recto that I sold after I bought my axe 3 I this amp is dope. Only drawback is presets will blow your ear drums if you don’t know better. I got it to use as a tube powered v30 cab for my axe 3, but I quite enjoy the amp itself. The tube end is truly excellent.
I bought this amp along with the Line 6 4x12 cab way back in 2007. Still own to this day. I've loved it. I paid a little over a grand for both the amp and cab.
Buddy of mine has been using a 50 watt 212 combo from this series for YEARS. He's never has replaced the tubes and no one has EVER bitched that he had "bad tone" and he absolutely not a gear head. People just put too much faith in forums and Fricker the Crybaby. Side note; the main static camera position in this video has a very cool forced perspective thing going on that makes the amp look like a lunch box amp almost. (4:24 for an example of what I mean)
I used line 6 amps in the past and currently running through Helix, i find that line6 products are always so full of options that it's so easy to dial in very bad tones, but that means that great tones are also in there, when you take the time to navigate through the settings and adjust all the little details you can find really awesome tones and most importantly find your own personal sound, this of course impact the ease of use and may induce choice paralisys, that's why people who are used to classic tube amps with bass-mid-treb-gain setting don't like those products, and that's fair, although there seems to be a lot of unjustified hate on line6 just because it's line6 and it's a trend to hate on it. But that's it, line6 amps and modelers need time to dial in because everything is in there but once you put the work in it it can be the best sound you haver had.
I think like a lot of line6 stuff the price point means it falls into the hands of inexperienced players that don't have their ear trained therfore bad tones , I definitely agree with he option paralysis having a pod HD pro myself, took me a long time to get great sounds out of it , I'm running it with my krank and either with Sims or boosting the kranks tone with the pods od it sounds great
Nice video! I have the spider valve 1x12 combo mk 1 and I get what you mean about the overdrive but tbh if you shape the tone right it doesn't sound too bad. Considering it came out in like 2007 it still holds up today tone wise if used correctly. One thing I would say is try the different presets out. For metal they have a few slipknot presets and as I lay dying, killswitch engage that are pretty good. If you have the mk2 version of the spider valve or HD 100 you can edit presets on your PC kinda like the boss katana unfortunately on my mk 1 spider valve that's not possible.
This amp slays. Must have matching pedal, for volume pedal. Then you can scroll presets, without blowing out your ears. Design is odd, but sounds great. It's been my secret weapon for awhile. I have one head, and 2 combos.
Damn I had one of those and had no idea there was like secondary buttons like the boost. Damn. A soder point brought or nothing just stopped working after a while but for years I’d have to jiggle the volume knob to get a better connection
I used to have one of these and it was pretty killer. One of those amps that I kind of kick myself over getting rid of. I got on a kick of wanting to downsize my rig so I sold it about 8 years ago. I just recently made my way back to owning a half stack so I guess it was just a phase. lol
I bought a Spider-Valve 212 mk1 new in 2006 and I still use it every day. It is the secret sauce in my tone but I use it with other amps for a "wet/dry, dirty/overdriven, eq crossover, dual mono rig" since the amp is thinner and pairs well with a bass heavy amp like a Mesa. FBV controllers and saving your presets are mandatory for the volume spikes. I've had to change some tubes every 5 years but wouldn't tour with it for sure. That being said, I forgot about the hidden modes!
@@steveclark9934 : if you have weird volume drops/ramp ups or weird noises... might be tubes! If you have amp problems, start there. Spider valves have touchy knobs so the foot controller is a must.
I have 2 of these. If nothing else, you can tweak the sound of it by using a graphic EQ on the effects loop. It will go from sounding good to sounding amazing.
getting the master up to at least 9 o'clock is the sweet spot for me. the bottom just opens up. Maybe it's psycho-acoustic, maybe I have a dirty pot, but try bringing the master up on the clean channel and see what it feels like to you!
I have the Mk2 version of this I love it I do hate those jumps in volume mine has a Manual mode but some times I forget to turn it on and it get unpleasant quick. I also have the Foot switch to this with I can edit everything with there software similar to the Katana.
Wow!!! I had the chance to get one of these amps at the local pawn shop, but didn't know very much about them at the time. Thet had it on sale for right around $200 bucks!!!
I want one of those Jackson Rhoads with the reverse headstock. Gonna have to keep my eye out for one of those. Not really interested in any amps over 25 watts, or I'd be buying one of these HD100s someone is selling near me for $250. What I'm really looking for is a DT25 at the right price.
Line 6 makes good budget amp,… had a 2x10 spider when I was a young teen that I bought from Sam Ash for $300,… a Marshall or a Create or even a Mesa were easily double the price if not more. Plus the spider came with modeling and FX plus a tuner built in. Believe mine had 3 distortions, chorus, flanger, phase etc like come on! When you’re a teen still learning whose parents don’t have the cash to dish out a ton of money on amps, pedals a guitar cables etc.
I loaned my 100 to the bullet boys at the stanhope house in nj a few years back. He went directly to the insane channel Kick ass show. Nice guys. Very S Cali attitudes.
Had one of these for a couple of years. Mainly as a rig for writing in the home studio. Was definitely a solid and capable amp. Is it better than the amps it "models"? Of course not. However, for the price point, the sounds you can get are definitely worth it and at a fraction of the high end stuff.
Thanks dude. TBH I just like doing this. I'm trying to keep the longer videos going, they are just time consuming and harder to produce. BUT YES THIS IS COOL AND NOSTALGIC FOR ME ALOT
I had a couple of these over the years but i had the MKII version. It has an edit function into pc like all the newer modellers do. I boosted the 2nd one i owned(bought off amazon NEW for $362 bucks)with a Fortin 33 pedal and it was the best tone i've ever had.. It had that "it" factor for tone with the insane channel and the F33 i tell ya. It was really too much of a headache keeping it running etc.. So i have moved on.. Cool video.
@@TaylorDanley I never actually used the MKI version. I aquired the MKII from a guy on craiglist selling it with a cab back in 2013 for $800. Still have the cab. The speakers are decent for sure. The edit software wasn't usable with the MKI version so i've heard. And the DT50's i'm sure youv're heard of? have a very similar edit app function as well.. I've never played one of those from that series. But i definitely would love to see a video from you showcasing a review of it and the edit function.. Cheers!
Another great Demo Taylor. Dig that Jackson man! I’ve been looking for one of these for a friend of mine. Thanks for sharing the hidden settings, I would’ve never figured that out (boost & gate) and possibly would’ve ditched one because of it.
I was skeptical till i played one.. now i have a spider valve mkii and a dt50. Great amps for the money, and the best part, my roadking and 5153 stealth can stay home and not get beat up.
Hey Taylor! Quick question. If you were playing metalcore or thrash metal and on a budget, what would you choose? This amp in the demo, the xxl or a earlier ampero or mini? Feel free to throw in a amp I didn’t mention. I enjoy your work and the fact that you take time to answer questions. It’s a real bummer when someone you know buys a amp that doesn’t do what they’re hoping for. Again much obliged for all your efforts to share knowledge. Keep up the great work!
Just scored a Mk1 212 combo, £80 inc FBV Express pedal, low price was due to the master volume pot was busted which caused it to be stuck at max volume! replaced the 100KΩ pot et voila, really impressed. Next up is to read he manual and tweak the 4 presets to my taste.
Keep an eye out on Facebook. That's where I got mine. The only issue is apparently when these amps start to have problems it's a nightmare to fix due to the hybrid nature. I don't know much about it, but that's what I've heard.
Yamaha owned, overall Yamaha makes a very reliable product. I've always gravitated towards Yamaha stereo receivers because they're built so damn well, especially the older model units, built like tanks compared to other stereo receivers. With the Line 6 stuff it interests me how these sound and what others are saying their experience has been with them.
I've been using one of these Spider Valve MkII's for writing for YEARS. I also use a Line 6 HD-147. But if you want to get better functionality, you're going to want one of the Line 6 Floorboards to go with it.
I have this exact amp.. In fact I just used it to track a few songs.. I love it. Only problem is the channel volume knob is very touchy, which I'm sure is fixable.
Yes, it's louder and has more head room. In terms of tone, if you can tell the difference between tubes and modeling, then you might notice, but to me, doesn't have quite the same body a full tube amp would have.
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Quick question, if you can have just one amp. Would you pick the Blue Voodoo, or the line 6 hd100, thanks!
I believe devourment used these
@@joshuachavez6859 tough call, I think I like the blue voodoo more, but the hd100 does more 🤷♂️
@@metal_only_no_trash_please1525 they use the spider v full solid state heads. The guitar player actually commented on the video I made on it.
@@thunderfootpower I mean, that makes sense. You’re basically just running better tech in front of a 100w 6L6 powered tube amp!
After a decade with these products around.. People start reading manuals and actually appreciate it now. Reason it was "Trash" most of the time was people just diving on with the product without reading the manual. Claps for a non biased review and actually appreciating the sound coming off of the amp.
My friend and other guitarist in a past band had one of these and it never sounded good to me. Turns out he was on a factory preset for a year or so. When we finally took time to dial it in it sounded so good. Good video as always Taylor!
Yep!same thing in our old band we didnt realise we had just presets on 🤦
ohhh boiiisssssss
The cabs that came with these were insanely great. 12 ply finger jointed birch loaded with V30's.
My guitar player has one. It's a monster cab.
@@bedrockhead Hell yeah they are. Massive low end without the flab.
What’s the model name and number? They all look the same lol
@@dddd717 I'm pretty sure they were called HD100 Powercab. They came in 2/12 and 4/12. I had the 2/12 and it sounded incredible. I ran a Mesa Dual Rec through it for years. They really are great cabs. I bet the 4/12 are monsters.
Stop telling everybody, jeez
I must say, I like the Spider Valve. Especially that Line 6 did not try to copy iconic amps 1:1 but took the liberty to tweak them. They’re unique. If you gave someone the metal blue or the insane blue channel in a tread plate case with silver dome knobs, told them it’s a $3000 tube amp hand made by some guy in Denmark - people would rave about how polished it sounds.
Agreed...Metal Blue is simply devastating in every way.
This is a fantastic idea! Can I steal this business idea from you, since I’m already in Denmark?
I got mine about the
First 6 months it was released.
LOVE HER.
Have the Big Board also.
Running into a
Marshall 1960 A Cab.
I bought the Mark 2 because it was super cheap in 2015. There were some presets from the previous owner that are amazing. I actually use this thing all the time. Having the foot switch makes that volume twitch thing kinda go away. It is definitely a one stop shop for gigging. In the end I'm glad i bought it. If you figure it out, its a gem. Good to see it on your channel.
I have this amplifier and have been using it for 10 years. It does cover a lot of ground I use it with my carvin cabinets with v30s. This thing will rip your head off and it has quite a few sounds pretty good cleans average edge of breakup and killer high gain metal! Never thought of putting a boost in front of it I've used the boost internally and it was average at best. Really a good bang for your buck amplifier. If you can't afford a bunch of amps and pedals and stuff this is a great amp that can do almost everything in one box! The only thing I hate about it is you get menu paralysis because all the menus are on that little teeny screen. Other than that I've always raved about this amp. I'm looking at it right now lol. Great video and I like your Jackson I like the black inlays Just not into the Rhoads shape. I've got a few King V's. Thanks again 🤘
It's a great sounding amp but wouldn't recommend for live touring because of its heat issues. Found out it would go nuts after about an hour or two of jamming in the garage because we later found out that the fatal design flaw had the heat from the amp circuit cooking the mainboard! Tried to have it serviced by a line6 authorized repairer, they could no longer replace the the board because Yamaha (line6's parent company) discontinued parts for it.
Yeah they need to field test shit better. The issue with my Variax is if the humidity gets too high, the saddle bases don't ground properly on the base plate, so you lose signal. So I have to remove all the saddles this weekend, ground them (via wire and solder) to the base plate, and reinstall em. You sometimes have to engineer your own solutions to the flaws they didn't think of.
I've been playing the OG Spider Valve 112 for more than a decade without any issues (knock on wood)
I am using the combo version of the first gen, not mk2 for gigs in a hot climate. Had the overheat issue when I first got it used, installed a heat sync on the Dsp chip, no problems since and still giging with it! Also replaced master volume potentiometer. It was a pain!
Brutal stuff!!
Those C# chugs reminds me of Dying Fetus!
I had the 2x12 combo of this thing and it was absolutely killer for metal. Wound up trading it for a full sleeve many years ago but I still think about it. And yeah, it was all about that crunch channel.
I remember trying one of these heads out in a store somewhere around 2008-2010 and was blown away by how good it sounded, great chug tone with lots of air/headroom. My friend has (or had) one and swears by it.
I feel like the people that stuck with them are die hards, and there's no convincing them there's something better out there lol.
Morel of this video. Read your manual's know you amp's! there are so many hidden gems out there. You should try a Hughes and Kettner Black Spirit 200!😌
I absolutely loved my SpiderValve. It was the best of both worlds, featuring the tube preamp, Power amp and effects processor all-in-one
Man, that sounds…dare I say it…Insane.
Insane mode can be pretty good if you keep the gain very low and push the mids.
exactly, even in the spider iv and v, its underrated. i LOVE line 6
I have had several of these. They can be dialed in to be usable. Fantastic , awesome. No. also 2 main issues with them. 1. presets vary in volume greatly. Which can be deafening. Anyone who has owned one is aware of what i am talking about. 2. and the biggest issue is-The dsp chip overheats when used at length ie a long practice or show. Line 6 was aware and simply chose not to fix the issue. If you drill a hole in the chassis directly above the heat sinks and install a computer fan it fixes the issue. The funny thing is the board inside has a 12v power tap right there. So clearly they were going to install a fan and then dis not.This imo is why it is NOT worth buying. However for the $100- to $150 i used to pay. They were good for use as a tube power amp.
This demo sounds badass. Especially through the Mesa cab. Great audio recording by the way, very clear, very well made demo video.
I was suprised how good this one sounds. No joke, one of your best tones.
Haha, thanks dude. Hey you never know where you'll find the tone 🤷♂️
I haven’t seen the whole video yet, but I just wanted to add that the cab that came with this was actually pretty great too. All birch ply with V30’s.
I still have both the amp and cab from when I bought it in 2007. Still serves me well.
15:09 that right there...thats the spot! Sick TONE!
Great job , this is a really complete review of this amp !! This is like a "plugin amp" for tweaking!! Maybe in the future amps like this be a thing !!
Glad you enjoyed it
I remember having a go on one of these in my local music store. Changed preset on the amp and nearly blew my head off with the volume jump.
😂 yeah, that's annoying af!
Big love for Line 6's experimental 'what if we went full retard on our DSP' amp models from the pre-Helix era. Still a great source of obscenely hi-gain, all-out digital tones with no concern for realism. Perfect for extreme death, grind, slam, fuzzed-out stoner metal and harsh industrial guitars.
You gotta give it to them, they were true pioneers in the space.
the line 6 valve actually sounds better than the helix on high gain did u even bother watching the video?😂
plenty of tones are thrashy 80s and sound superb
@@TaylorDanleynot 1 of those distortion tones sounded bad or fake infact u can tell the tube helps it sounds great
they had reliability issues nobody said they sounded bad
Cool video Taylor! I have a Spider Valve 112 combo with the original Celestion V30 and it sounds okay. I find the trick to making these really deliver is to back down the Channel volume right down and then compensate by cranking up the Master volume to get the power tubes warmed up. You have to be careful for your hearing (as you spotted!) if you change channels as the default channel volume will revert to 'normal'. Still prefer my 6505 but the L6 can give you a different set of tones if recording e.g..
I did notice that! Good pointer.
I’m a huge Line 6 Valve Mk1 guy. The reason is it’s easy live with the footboard to get nice FX that I’d use in the studio & have it approximate it without me needing my giant pedalboard live. It weighs 30 lbs instead of 60-80. It sounds amazing.
A couple things you did wrong: it doesn’t accept active pickups well. If you used passives you’d get a much better reaction from the amp. Also, the drive is always WAY too much & same with the bass. My go to is amber metal & I keep the drive on 2-3 & it’s perfect. Lastly, this amp sounds night & day with a BBE Sonic Maximizer/Sonic Stomp in the loop. There’s a lot of issues with this amp not sending things to the cab correctly through phase inversion & all that so the Sonic maximizer turns this from a 5/10 when it comes to tone to a 8-9/10. It sounds incredible. I remember people balking at how I had a L6 Valve yet then after a set they’d be like “dude your tone is freaking amazing!”
I remember I was about to buy a modded 1981 JCM800 at Guitar Center which sounded awesome but then for giggles I thought I’d try the valve. It was alright. Then my buddy who worked there grabbed a Sonic Maximizer & I bought it instantly. I had never heard an amp sound SO good without being like 3500+. It blew all of the Dual Rec’s they had there out of the water & same with the 800. Everyone: Get this amp used but make sure to splurge on the BBE Sonic Maximizer in that loop.
Hey dude, im interested into that, u used the Sonic Stomp or some rack versions of it?
Love the "They Live" shirt! One of my favorite early 90's movies.
Mine too!
I've come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass, and I am all out of bubblegum. 🤣
If you can get your hands on a DT25 or DT50, snag one. They were kinda the next step in the spider valve evolution. I had a DT50 and it sounded brutal.
I’d always wondered about those amps. So they do the chug thing pretty good? Can you recommend a start setting for heavy riffage?
@@MC-dj7ri it's been too long since I've owned one, and everybody is different. But I played both the spidervalve and the DT50, and I bought the DT50 lol. And you heard how good the spidervalve sounds in this video. If you can find the head for under $400, grab it. If you can play it before you buy it, do that
Keeping my eye out for a DT25 head at the right price. >$500 is overpriced for what they are in 2023 which is what I keep seeing them sell for in Washington. HD100s go for a more reasonable $250 around here.
DON'T buy a DT, it is horribly difficult to find anyone who will service those amps. And with the notoriously iffy reliability... that is a massive gamble. Almost made that mistake myself.
Thanks for the tip!
Great review!
Had the same amp for 10+ years, bought a Line6 HD PRO to replace it because I wanted something more compact.
(+)
* great amp sounds
* great fx
* simple to use
* noise reduction + gate can be run parallel and they work great
(-)
* dependent on a good cab for getting the full sound of the amp (more than other amps)
* REALLY bad wiring and cold solder - like abysmal... had to be serviced every 1.5 years to get that fixed
* extra sensitive to transport - not an amp for touring or playing live shows.
TL;DR: great for a home amp, bad for a touring/live musician
I don't have much experience with the Spider, but I really like the POD and Helix. Cool tones here!
I LOVE your "They Live" T-Shirt !!
ME TOO
I anticipate a lot of comments along the lines of I had this and loved it but I sold it 🤣🤣 - Great demo as always sounds sick 🔥🔥
I’ve got the mk2 version of this amp, I used to have the mk1, but the mk2 is definitely better, with a dedicated manual channel. Meaning you can use the knobs with out being affected by presets, the effects are better. There’s a switchable and adjustable noise gate. Loads of stuff is actually better on the mk2 version. And the power amp is great for putting modern modellers like a head rush mx5 through. Great review. They aren’t the best, but very usable & cheep.
Great video Taylor, love these videos where you reveal a hidden jem
Glad you like them!
I have that thing since basically forever, and I learned to play guitar on it. It took me years to actually get into how it works, and I can confirm that if you learn it, it can sound very good! I still have it even if it needs a few adjustments, and seeing this video made me want to put it to shine again!
I snagged one of these for $280 off Facebook market place awhile back and it's become my plug-n-play amp when I don't feel like fiddling around with pedals. I replaced the preamp tubes with NOS 12AV7's instead of 12AX7's, which really helped to clean up the high gain stages. I have it going into an Orange 4x12 with two Celestion V30's and two Creamback's - it sounds phenomenal!
Have you tried the Lynchbacks?
@@Grizzleback07 I haven't and this is the first time I've even heard about them tbh
Ive had a 212 since way back 07. Its mental for an amp that size, loud asf once you get that master up past half way and those tubes start to glow like mood lighting. You've showed me some new things so I will have some fun playing around with it later, 1000 thanks.
If you try that thing up loudish (master between 1/4 - 1/2) the sound fills out and makes your guitar sound so big.
I used to own a 2x12 combo of these as a teen
Worked pretty fine to me and after you worked out some presets and don’t have the extreme volume jumps it’s pretty gigable (+ I had the Giant midi Pedalboard)
And with 2 V30 speakers it sounded pretty good
Very nostalgic to me 🤘
Had the same rig!
I like this amp and the Line 6 Vetta II head. Plus I like those Line 6 Pod Pro X rack mountable amps. Big fan of the Bogner designed and Lee Jackson designed amps. Good thing about this amp is you can find them in the $300 to $400 price range.
Like this revisions from old amps. I want to see if you can find a Line 6 Vetta II HD. Messhugah used it live back in the day
This amp is great for Modelers. It's so much better then any frfr
I had one of the 40 watt combos for a while. Picked it up used at guitar center for like $175. I used it as a pedal platform doing the cover band stuff, worked and sounded great. It’s definitely one I regret getting rid of.
Hands down my favorite amp to sell when i worked at guitar center. The hidden menu’s are the game changer. What he did not cover is the amp does VERY well plugged into recording and PA equipment. Extremely versatile for the price.
I Have One. The Head.
I Bought mine the first 6 months
It was available. Ordered.
I WILL NEVER SELL IT.
THE Best LINE 6
Has
EVER. Done.
Insane Good.
I am Keeping it
&
I am Using It.
I Love It 🎸❤️
I've had the HD100 head for about 12 years now and it's a freaking BEAST of an amp. I also have an original Vetta II + 2x12 loaded with Celestions along with 3 generations of AxeFX units (II Mark II, XL+, and the III). The HD100 isn't in the same league as the Fractal units, but for a HUGE library of sound possibilities you just can't go wrong with the HD100, especially for metal.
They used the vetta on the faceless planetary duality album , I used the pod HD pro with my krank and with either sim or my amp with some pod eq and od help it sounds great
Good info, I have one and think it's pretty good once you get to know it a bit. Great video!
Thanks!
The MK1 version of this amp runs on XT era models. However, the Mk2 version (with the manual and quick loop buttons) has “HD era” amps and some M series effects and excels at edge of break up tones among others. The manual switch helps with the momentary knob issue. The floorboard and software make adjustments very convenient.
Seems like the heads are somewhat hard to find since the Helix crowd figured out they can run the helix into the loop return to warm up their tone.
Been a fan of my HD100 MK2 for years but God help you if you have a problem. Volume fluctuation and distortion cutting in and out . $200 in tubes and paying The Amp Guys $90 for misdiagnosing a tube problem. Took it back and and now they're saying it's the digital board. Done throwing good money after bad. RIP Spider Valve. Thanks for the vids man
I had one. Liked it but they have a problem with the power section and the first generation version always craps the bed.
Having owned a triple recto that I sold after I bought my axe 3 I this amp is dope. Only drawback is presets will blow your ear drums if you don’t know better. I got it to use as a tube powered v30 cab for my axe 3, but I quite enjoy the amp itself. The tube end is truly excellent.
I bought this amp along with the Line 6 4x12 cab way back in 2007. Still own to this day. I've loved it. I paid a little over a grand for both the amp and cab.
Buddy of mine has been using a 50 watt 212 combo from this series for YEARS. He's never has replaced the tubes and no one has EVER bitched that he had "bad tone" and he absolutely not a gear head.
People just put too much faith in forums and Fricker the Crybaby.
Side note; the main static camera position in this video has a very cool forced perspective thing going on that makes the amp look like a lunch box amp almost. (4:24 for an example of what I mean)
Wonder what I did there? When I came back to shoot the second portion, I think I had a different camera set up. I can't remember!
Can't wait for the Vetta II HD video! I know you want to do one ;)
I JUST MIGHT DO THAT
Really like that Jackson RR do you have video on that guitar or model info you could share. Great video
I used line 6 amps in the past and currently running through Helix, i find that line6 products are always so full of options that it's so easy to dial in very bad tones, but that means that great tones are also in there, when you take the time to navigate through the settings and adjust all the little details you can find really awesome tones and most importantly find your own personal sound, this of course impact the ease of use and may induce choice paralisys, that's why people who are used to classic tube amps with bass-mid-treb-gain setting don't like those products, and that's fair, although there seems to be a lot of unjustified hate on line6 just because it's line6 and it's a trend to hate on it. But that's it, line6 amps and modelers need time to dial in because everything is in there but once you put the work in it it can be the best sound you haver had.
I think like a lot of line6 stuff the price point means it falls into the hands of inexperienced players that don't have their ear trained therfore bad tones , I definitely agree with he option paralysis having a pod HD pro myself, took me a long time to get great sounds out of it , I'm running it with my krank and either with Sims or boosting the kranks tone with the pods od it sounds great
Don't know if it's the tuning or tones but I was catching some Dying Fetus vibes from your riffs on those metal settings. \m/
I got a mid-late 2000s 75 watt Spider 3 and it sounds amazing. Got it for $35 used. Line 6 does not disappoint
Nice video! I have the spider valve 1x12 combo mk 1 and I get what you mean about the overdrive but tbh if you shape the tone right it doesn't sound too bad. Considering it came out in like 2007 it still holds up today tone wise if used correctly. One thing I would say is try the different presets out. For metal they have a few slipknot presets and as I lay dying, killswitch engage that are pretty good. If you have the mk2 version of the spider valve or HD 100 you can edit presets on your PC kinda like the boss katana unfortunately on my mk 1 spider valve that's not possible.
I had the Mark II version of this head before I moved, loved how it sounded on the amber Metal channel. Truly a hidden gem.
I really want to try an mk2
Taylor do you think the Spider Valve HD100 sounds better then the Peavey Vyper valve amp?
🤔 Idk, it's been a long time since I've played that one. I think it had more high gain models iirc.
One of the best clean/crunch tones I've ever heard was from a Spider Valve Mk2 1x12 combo. Chimey and rich
Always a great day when you upload!!
Thank you! That means a lot!
This amp slays. Must have matching pedal, for volume pedal. Then you can scroll presets, without blowing out your ears. Design is odd, but sounds great. It's been my secret weapon for awhile. I have one head, and 2 combos.
Cool review 😎 . have the 40 watt combo. thanks for the hidden features info.
BROTHER!!!! AWESOME CHANNEL AND THANK YOU FOR THIS KILLER REVIEW!!!!
Damn I had one of those and had no idea there was like secondary buttons like the boost. Damn. A soder point brought or nothing just stopped working after a while but for years I’d have to jiggle the volume knob to get a better connection
I used to have one of these and it was pretty killer. One of those amps that I kind of kick myself over getting rid of. I got on a kick of wanting to downsize my rig so I sold it about 8 years ago. I just recently made my way back to owning a half stack so I guess it was just a phase. lol
Nothing sells a 4x12 like a few years of your tone whipping past your ankles
I bought a Spider-Valve 212 mk1 new in 2006 and I still use it every day. It is the secret sauce in my tone but I use it with other amps for a "wet/dry, dirty/overdriven, eq crossover, dual mono rig" since the amp is thinner and pairs well with a bass heavy amp like a Mesa. FBV controllers and saving your presets are mandatory for the volume spikes. I've had to change some tubes every 5 years but wouldn't tour with it for sure.
That being said, I forgot about the hidden modes!
Just picked up the 112 mk1 I've never owned a tube amp before how do I know if the tubes need replacing?
@@steveclark9934 : if you have weird volume drops/ramp ups or weird noises... might be tubes! If you have amp problems, start there. Spider valves have touchy knobs so the foot controller is a must.
Taylor, if you guys want to use a modeler through the return as power amp , that amp sound huge ...moves a lot of air..
I have 2 of these. If nothing else, you can tweak the sound of it by using a graphic EQ on the effects loop. It will go from sounding good to sounding amazing.
Absolutely, I did the same thing with a Boss seven band EQ pedal. Put it in the effect loop of my SV and now it sounds amazing.
getting the master up to at least 9 o'clock is the sweet spot for me. the bottom just opens up. Maybe it's psycho-acoustic, maybe I have a dirty pot, but try bringing the master up on the clean channel and see what it feels like to you!
I have the Mk2 version of this I love it I do hate those jumps in volume mine has a Manual mode but some times I forget to turn it on and it get unpleasant quick. I also have the Foot switch to this with I can edit everything with there software similar to the Katana.
It’s the exact amp I always play. It does have some killer presets depending if you got the first batch or not. It absolutely rips
Wow!!! I had the chance to get one of these amps at the local pawn shop, but didn't know very much about them at the time.
Thet had it on sale for right around $200 bucks!!!
Good deal
Sounds pretty good. I'm shocked and Drop C# is a great tuning
*_Drop Db, in my opinion, is the best “heavy” tuning there is. 🤙_*
what riff are you playing at 4:07? i have a very similar riff i wrote many years ago.
As the owner of a Spider Valve 212, yes 👏
Do the Flextone III XL now!! That was always a favorite way back in the day when I would visit guitar center. Lush stereo effects!
Honestly I think they should do a refresh with their catalyst series, it already sounds tube like. I think it would be a good fit.
I want one of those Jackson Rhoads with the reverse headstock. Gonna have to keep my eye out for one of those. Not really interested in any amps over 25 watts, or I'd be buying one of these HD100s someone is selling near me for $250. What I'm really looking for is a DT25 at the right price.
They're super sick.
Line 6 makes good budget amp,… had a 2x10 spider when I was a young teen that I bought from Sam Ash for $300,… a Marshall or a Create or even a Mesa were easily double the price if not more. Plus the spider came with modeling and FX plus a tuner built in. Believe mine had 3 distortions, chorus, flanger, phase etc like come on! When you’re a teen still learning whose parents don’t have the cash to dish out a ton of money on amps, pedals a guitar cables etc.
240 hc Lin 6 space
I loaned my 100 to the bullet boys at the stanhope house in nj a few years back.
He went directly to the insane channel
Kick ass show.
Nice guys.
Very S Cali attitudes.
Had one of these for a couple of years. Mainly as a rig for writing in the home studio. Was definitely a solid and capable amp. Is it better than the amps it "models"? Of course not. However, for the price point, the sounds you can get are definitely worth it and at a fraction of the high end stuff.
Had all of them and two Bogner's . Shrill on the ears ! The floor controller helps
I can always tell when you like an amp. There is usually a longer demo video at the beginning. Great video as always.
Thanks dude. TBH I just like doing this. I'm trying to keep the longer videos going, they are just time consuming and harder to produce. BUT YES THIS IS COOL AND NOSTALGIC FOR ME ALOT
I had a couple of these over the years but i had the MKII version. It has an edit function into pc like all the newer modellers do. I boosted the 2nd one i owned(bought off amazon NEW for $362 bucks)with a Fortin 33 pedal and it was the best tone i've ever had.. It had that "it" factor for tone with the insane channel and the F33 i tell ya. It was really too much of a headache keeping it running etc.. So i have moved on.. Cool video.
Thanks! Everyone I've talked to says the mk2 was better, but I've never actually tried one!
@@TaylorDanley I never actually used the MKI version. I aquired the MKII from a guy on craiglist selling it with a cab back in 2013 for $800. Still have the cab. The speakers are decent for sure. The edit software wasn't usable with the MKI version so i've heard. And the DT50's i'm sure youv're heard of? have a very similar edit app function as well.. I've never played one of those from that series. But i definitely would love to see a video from you showcasing a review of it and the edit function.. Cheers!
Another great Demo Taylor. Dig that Jackson man! I’ve been looking for one of these for a friend of mine. Thanks for sharing the hidden settings, I would’ve never figured that out (boost & gate) and possibly would’ve ditched one because of it.
That's not a Jackson.
@@soulfare333 the Jackson isn't a Jackson?
@@oliverjames7315 😄
Thanks dude. YES that Jackson is the bees knees.
I was skeptical till i played one.. now i have a spider valve mkii and a dt50. Great amps for the money, and the best part, my roadking and 5153 stealth can stay home and not get beat up.
“Stay in your lane, Line 6” 😂😂
🤷♂️ I mean, it's kinda like that lol
Hey Taylor! Quick question. If you were playing metalcore or thrash metal and on a budget, what would you choose? This amp in the demo, the xxl or a earlier ampero or mini? Feel free to throw in a amp I didn’t mention. I enjoy your work and the fact that you take time to answer questions. It’s a real bummer when someone you know buys a amp that doesn’t do what they’re hoping for. Again much obliged for all your efforts to share knowledge. Keep up the great work!
Just scored a Mk1 212 combo, £80 inc FBV Express pedal, low price was due to the master volume pot was busted which caused it to be stuck at max volume! replaced the 100KΩ pot et voila, really impressed. Next up is to read he manual and tweak the 4 presets to my taste.
I have been wanting to get one of these lately but they are all expensive around me.
Keep an eye out on Facebook. That's where I got mine. The only issue is apparently when these amps start to have problems it's a nightmare to fix due to the hybrid nature. I don't know much about it, but that's what I've heard.
Yamaha owned, overall Yamaha makes a very reliable product. I've always gravitated towards Yamaha stereo receivers because they're built so damn well, especially the older model units, built like tanks compared to other stereo receivers. With the Line 6 stuff it interests me how these sound and what others are saying their experience has been with them.
I’ve got the combo 40w and the head the combo sounds way better for some reason I don’t use the speakers I run it into a Marshall cab sounds killer
I love my spidervalve 40 watt combo!!
I've been using one of these Spider Valve MkII's for writing for YEARS. I also use a Line 6 HD-147. But if you want to get better functionality, you're going to want one of the Line 6 Floorboards to go with it.
Yeah that's true. I actually have one, but didn't even think to use it for the demo.
I have this exact amp.. In fact I just used it to track a few songs.. I love it. Only problem is the channel volume knob is very touchy, which I'm sure is fixable.
Oh hell yeh!! I still have mine! I love it. Just have to know how to use it.
it seems almost the same caracteristic as the Spider II and I was wondering what the Tube add vs the solid state. Does it really affect the thing ?
Yes, it's louder and has more head room. In terms of tone, if you can tell the difference between tubes and modeling, then you might notice, but to me, doesn't have quite the same body a full tube amp would have.
I've struggled with modelling amps but I can't deny that in the right hands they work.
I only seem to be able to drive fire hazards