-
Hi, I'm going to Sweetwater soon to pick up my first electric. I've got a list of semi-hollows I want to try out. I'll coil split the humbuckers so I can get the funk sound. My dad has a Marshall Code 25 that's fine for rock, but I'm wondering about a lower end amp (>400) that I can use for jazz and funk. If I have to pick one, I guess something leaning closer to funk (as long as it can get a smooth tone), my perception of jazz is more bendy. Thanks all!
-
06-09-2025 11:26 PM
-
Since you're starting out, and sound unsure about what to get, but very wisely have set a budget target, have a look at the Boss Katana series. In particular, the Katana-50 Gen3 and Katana-50 EX Gen3 are available for $350 and $400 respectively, are 50-watt 1x12 combos. The speaker is said to be "better" in the EX.
There are many reviews of the Katana on YouTube. See particularly His demo is of the previous version, the Gen2, but it's still germane.
-
I think Boss Katana?
I quite like the Fender modelling amps (Champs is it) and there's one at a school I teach at? But I don't know how giggable they are.
The Katana seems like a better deal. I was quite impressed and they've only improved.
-
All you are gonna get for a brand new $400 amp is a piece of junk. It'd be worth saving your money until you had 600 or 700 bucks that way you can get something decent right out the gate.
-
+1 for the Boss Katana.
-
Originally Posted by dconeill
Thanks, I'll keep the Katana in mind! I'll also take a look at Fender. Originally Posted by Christian Miller
The budget is pretty limited since the amp is a gift from my parents and the guitar is pretty much all of my money, but what would you recommend if I could swing it somehow? Originally Posted by DawgBone
-
Does what you will spend on the guitar enter into the final equation ($$$) ? To say, get a good Epiphone 335 instead of a Gibson 335 for example, then spend more on a decent amp ?
-
Not a whole lot. There's about a $300 difference between my most expensive and cheapest choices, which will honestly be going towards a good case and a setup if I pick a cheaper guitar. I definitely don't have the cash for a Gibson, but this will probably be my only guitar until I graduate college, so I don't want to entirely cheap out either. Originally Posted by Jimmy Mack
-
I’m not familiar with a Marshall Code 25 so had to look it up. Seems like it would be fine as it’s an amp modeler. I think there’s a jazz preset which would be a good starting point.
I tend to not use the (useless to me) presets on most modelers. You can tweak any setting or start fresh… go with a clean time, eq to taste, add a bit of reverb, maybe the slightest delay, compression for that funk attack and enjoy.
I’d start with what is already at home.
-
You are basically in reach of a used blues jr and a few other workhorse amps now at 400. One of our members here uses a blues jr for professional jazz gigs. I know a lady of the blues that has toured all over with a tele and a blues jr. I guess I'm only suggesting that you also consider a used amp as a possibility. It can be a way to get more for less. There are a bunch of those amps for 400 on my local CL today. Originally Posted by Sunbursted
Once you hit that 600 or 700 dollar range a lot of good amps are within your reach. The Vox AC10 is a good little amp you could afford new at $500. Used Fender hot rods, devilles, even potentially a twin heh heh, Peavey classic or deltablues 1x15. I pretty much exist on used gear and since most people quit as soon as they realize guitar is a lot of work there is a lot of good condition used gear out there. Good luck!
-
Fender Champion 25II or 50II. I have the older version (called Champion 20). Either is very usable for jazz or funk. The 25 is loud enough for small groups in small spaces, but maybe not enough for a reasonably loud rock/funk band filling a big space. The 50 shuold be plenty loud for almost anything. Both are stupid cheap for the sound quality. Originally Posted by Sunbursted
If you're willing to consider used, I'd suggest looking at:
Fender Blues, jr
Peavey Classic 30
Quilter Aviator Cub (might have trouble finding one for less than $500)
My main caveat to all of the above is "loud enough" is a mix of subjective and dependent on your specific playing situations. A lot of folks here claim that they need very powerful amps. That's not my experience at all (I get a huge amount of use out of a Fender Champion 20, and my Quilter Aviator Cub has way more potential volume on tap than I can use), but I'm mostly playing in small venues. If you're just playing on your own at home, bascially anything will work (including what you have).
Regarding guitars, you don't need to split coils to play funk. An awful lot of funk records have been made with humbucker guitars on the middle switch position. I would not rule out guitars that lack coil splitting.Last edited by John A.; 06-10-2025 at 11:56 AM.
-
I have used a Blues Jr.. Tweed case..good amp..but get it with the Jensen speaker..works great with FXs.. Originally Posted by DawgBone
Do some shopping on amps..today there are some really nice ones with lots of built in FXs and not expensive..read reviews on them and play through a few if the
store has them in stock
-
I think the best bet for what you want is a Quilter. The Aviator Cub combo or the Superblock US head plus a decent small speaker would do exactly what you want. With careful juggling of the voice switch, gain, volume, and limiter, you can dial in a nice smooth almost Dumble-like O/D that's great for fusion. Back it off a bit and you have a chime that's just right for "bendy" jazz. There are usually at least a few decent examples of both for sale used, since they're above your price range new. But you wouldn't need external effects. These are in great demand, so you could always sell it at a minimal loss (or even a profit, the way prices are going right now).
A used Toob Metro would be a perfect match for the SBUS if you could find one. But there are some inexpensive 8" cabinets loaded with good speakers for very little money. Before Covid, I used a Vox BC108 (currently $150 list) for some years for practice and restaurant gigs, and it was great. The cabinet is very well designed and built, with an opening in the back that serves as both the handle and a vent to fatten the bass a bit more than most cabinets can do in this price range.
The $240 Fender Champion 50 II would be a good choice too. It's in your price range and very popular. With 40W and a decent 12" speaker, it'll do what you want it to do. The built-in effects are OK, but I don't think you can get as nice a fusion tone from it as you can from even the $35 Rowin Dumbler pedal, the $60 Mojomojo, or the $60 Nux Steel Singer into the same amp. It's not as smooth and polished as the Quilters in sound or feel, but it's a workhorse that gets the job done. It won't keep up with a loud band, but it's powerful enough for lower volume gigs if you aspire to that. I dn't think a Champ 50 would hold its own in a fusion band, though. you'd probably need at least a Champ 100. Quilter Watts are bigger than Fender solid state Watts, so a cranked Aviator Cub or even a SBUS with an efficient speaker would be OK in a fusion band that's not too loud. You wouldn't have enough clean headroom with any of these for a higher volume gig.
You might also consider one of the tiny class D heads with a Vox BC108. The biggest bargain out there right now is the 200W BAM200 from TC Electronic. It's currently $119 from the usual online sources. It has very versatile EQ and the tone is fantastic. Despite the fact that it has both a gain control and a volume control, you can't dial in O/D by cranking the gain and cutting the volume - the gain control is there to match input sensitivity to the output level of your pickups. Throw in the BC108 and a decent little O/D pedal like the Rowen Dumbler or the TC Mojomojo and you're still a few dollars under $300. Like all of the tiny class D heads in this range, the BAM does not have reverb, so you'd have to add a pedal if you need it. Although it's efficient enough to put out a lot of sound on far less than 25W, the speaker in the little Vox cab is only rated to handle 25W. So you'd have to be careful not to get carried away on the volume. If you could find a used speaker cab loaded with a speaker rated for higher power, a BAM200 with one of the smooth, clean O/D pedals would keep up with all but the loudest bands.
We all hope you find what you need and take maximum advantage of it!
-
It is an amp modeler. I've tried playing with all the buttons, but it doesn't really sound good unless you're putting higher levels of gain or distortion. Of course, playing on a jag doesn't help, but that's my measure of the amp. Originally Posted by Steve Z
Thanks, I'll see if my Dad will buy used, those all look great. Originally Posted by DawgBone
Honestly the split coils is just for fun. I like to tinker with electronics and want more buttons. I'll add all of these to my used list, the Champions look pretty neat I'll give them a harder look. Originally Posted by John A.
Nice, hearing lots of Blues Jr, will see if I can try one in store. Originally Posted by wolflen
These all sound very interesting, I appreciate the detail. Originally Posted by nevershouldhavesoldit
Thanks all for taking the time to help!
-
You might consider a Monoprice tube amp with the single 12". It is pretty much identical to a blues jr. For about $250.
Peavey classic 30 and Peavey delta blues 2x10 also but more spendy.
Guitar-wise I had an Epiphone 339 that was a really nice playing and sounding semi with coil taps. Kind of a little 335.
-
How long have been playing?
-
I am surprised nobody's given the obvious answer, especially to a young guy: a Fender Twin Reverb!
I say that laughing, but there is actually a serious side to it. The TR sounds good in any situation, it just weighs 65 pounds. You will never find a gig situation where you won't have the volume to be heard, but it also sounds great at low volume. There is a reason that they are the standard backline amp for 6 decades in almost all genres of music.
The Fender Tone Master series of solid state amps is worth a look. They're not a perfect replica of the tube amp sound but they're really, really good. I play regularly through a friend's Tone Master Deluxe Reverb and it's a wonderful amp. There is also a Tone Master Twin Reverb version. One of the advantages is that they are light enough for even old guys like me to tote around without too much difficulty.
Again if you're willing to look at used, a Roland Cube 60 COSM amp is worth considering. I've owned one for almost 20 years. You can find them on the used market for $200-300 or so. They sound good, they're reliable and have a lot of tonal flexibility through the various amp model settings. Next to a Twin in my living room, I would say the Twin sounds better; sitting on stage next to the bass player and the drummer, who can tell? The nuances are overridden. One of those or its bigger brother the 80X would stand you in good stead through the rest of your college career.
-
My Comins GCS-1 has a coil split feature. It works, and it sounds okay, but it does not sound like a Stratocaster for funk rhythm. Advice: make sure you can get the sound you want and buy with a return privilege, because gear sounds different in the store. I wouldn't suggest buying a guitar used unless you really know how to check it out. And, depending on the seller, you might not get a return privilege. Originally Posted by Sunbursted
As far as amps go, buying with a return privilege is as important. Others have recommended a number of quality amps, most of which I haven't used, except the Katana. But, generally speaking, I can get my sound, or pretty close, out of a lot of different amps. Factors include sound quality, loudness, weight and cost. I think you get to pick three of those four.
Now, for a stretch. If you're really interested in a funk sound (I don't know how to interpret "bendy"), you want a single coil pickup and maybe you want a Strat or Strat copy. The guitar doesn't have to be expensive and I would suggest looking at the Yamaha Pacifica line. You will still be able to get a jazzy sound out of it, but not Wes' sound. I've played semis (with internal blocks) for years, and continue to do so, but I'm not convinced they sound all that much better or even more versatile than a solid body guitar. Maybe a 330 type (no internal block) would be different - I've never played one.
With the single coil guitar you'll be most of the way to a funk sound. At that point any amp with a decent high end may work. So, I'd avoid the DV Mark Little Jazz, which has a darker natural voice. But the Champ, Quilter, Katana are all likely to work for you. The good news is that quality gear is available at prices I think of as pretty low. So, good luck and don't forget the return privilege.
-
The Roland JC-120 is the classic, but there are various models of the Roland Jazz Chorus amp combos out there. I haven't done the research, but a used Roland JC combo of some sort strikes me as a robust, inexpensive and good amp for jazz and funk playing.
-
You know I wasn't gonna let anyone beat me to the punch on that one. I posted that suggestion this morning, lol Originally Posted by Cunamara
I am surprised nobody's given the obvious answer, especially to a young guy: a Fender Twin Reverb!
I say that laughing, but there is actually a serious side to it. The TR sounds good in any situation, it just weighs 65 pounds. You will never find a gig situation where you won't have the volume to be heard, but it also sounds great at low volume. There is a reason that they are the standard backline amp for 6 decades in almost all genres of music.
.
A TRRI might be a decent choice but not sure it'd be the best idea for a new/newer player to buy a used SF Twin of unknown condition since that person probably won't have access to a good tech or funds for routine maintenance, and that IMO can be a necessity when buying an old amp. But yeah if you are a go big or go home sort of guy there is an amp that will basically last a lifetime with proper maintenance. A 70's SF Twin and Twin Reissue can be had on average around my area for about $750-900. If a SF needs maintenance that will probably set you back another $400-500 for tubes, caps, and labor. At that stage you're about as close to good to go as you would with a brand new amp but are looking at having over a grand into it initially which is over twice his budget. Granted I bought a Twin in 18 for $500 and put a couple hundred gigs on it before it needed anything so deals can be had for the savvy shopper.
-
That's a great suggestion. But I just looked at prices out of curiosity and almost fell out of my chair when I saw what sellers are asking. 40+ year old JC60s are $600 - $800. A new JC22 is over $500, and they go up from there to $1400 for a JC100. Things are getting a little out of hand in the marketplace! I'm glad I have enough amps so that I'll never actually need another one. Of course, if my newfangled class D thingies prove not to be durable, I'll be back to dragging a Princeton or a Twin around again. Originally Posted by Hammertone
-
Classic JGO - just get more money!!!!
lol
But if you can buy a used Fender Hot Rod that would be a very sound choice if you want a great clean sound.
Just be aware that those things are hard to control at low volumes.
But they are solid gigging choice and when I see one in the backline at a festival or club, I’m a happy bunny.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
-
Tonemaster Twin is great amp Cunamara but you are breaking north of a grand
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
-
I could never find a soap powerful enough to scrub the digital out of my ears after a gig using that kind of gear. A good 6L6 earnema is the only thing that seemed to help. Originally Posted by Christian Miller
-
There are many, many good choices of semi-hollow guitars available under or around US$1K, including some in the lines of Epiphone, Ibanez, Sire, D'Angelico, and others. Amps similarly. Since you're going to college, get a decent but not too expensive guitar and a decent but not too expensive amp. At some point they'll get beer baths. You'll also want to be able to horse the thing around - lots of carrying - so you don't want anything too heavy or big. If it were me, I'd get a sub-$1k semihollow from the list and a Katana 50 with a headphone jack, a robust gig bag with backpack straps, a cover for the amp, a couple of cables, four or five sets of strings, and a string winder. Maybe a tuner, or maybe not - a pitchfork would serve. Originally Posted by Sunbursted
Reply With Quote
Guitar Amps built into case?
Yesterday, 05:03 PM in Guitar, Amps & Gizmos