I have about $400 to spend on an amp...

**happa95** · 04-25-2012, 10:42 PM

Okay guys,

I'm looking to spend $400 on an amp to be used for jazz. I currently have a small Vox practice amp that I hardly ever plug into; I mostly just play my archtop acoustically. The amp needs to be portable because I constantly gig with a small combo. However, it also has to be loud enough to cut through the sound of a 20-person big band. Any ideas? FWIW, I live in Los Angeles. Thanks!

**RonD** · 04-25-2012, 10:53 PM

Hi happa95,
The Roland Cube 80XL gets lots of love here on the forum.
I'm in Canada and they sell for $400, new.
Used, I've seen them for $250.

**ah.clem** · 04-25-2012, 11:13 PM

If you get a chance to audition an Ibanez Wholetone I think you should give it a go. Clean, hi-fi sound, good power without distortion, works well for me for my archtop. I've even been using it for my double bass as it's 85 pounds lighter than my Ampeg B15 Portaflex and provides a nice acoustic sound. Try one out.

**Kalebima** · 04-25-2012, 11:25 PM

How about the Super Champ X2? The direct recording feature is neat and I've heard great things about it jazz - I actually may be picking up one for myself soon.

**docbop** · 04-25-2012, 11:34 PM

The Roland mentioned already is good choice and if you look you can find good deals on used Peavey Classic 30 or and old Peavey Bandit.

**happa95** · 04-26-2012, 12:12 AM

I can get the Roland for ~$300, but I also see an Acoustic Image Clarus 1 on craigslist for $400. How much would a decent cab cost?

**kris** · 04-26-2012, 02:28 AM

Originally Posted by happa95

I can get the Roland for ~$300, but I also see an Acoustic Image Clarus 1 on craigslist for $400. How much would a decent cab cost?

Good speaker cabinet/used/ about $ 350-400.

**mambosun** · 04-26-2012, 03:57 AM

Originally Posted by Kalebima

How about the Super Champ X2? The direct recording feature is neat and I've heard great things about it jazz - I actually may be picking up one for myself soon.

+1 for the Superchamp X2 or the previous model XD: exquisite tone (clean channel), versatile (modelizations), rather loud (15w ), very light and cheap (bellow your budget target)...

**oldane** · 04-26-2012, 04:24 AM

Originally Posted by happa95

However, it also has to be loud enough to cut through the sound of a 20-person big band. Any ideas?

Like others have asid, a Roland Cube 80 XL is the safe recommendation. There are other alternatives, but you'll get a lot for your money and a good sound with the Cube amps, so I don't think you can go much wrong with one of those. The AI head is also good, and I use one it with a Redstone speaker, but I also use a Sansamp Paradriver DI preamp pedal in front of it to get more presence to the sound. The AI amp was developed for amplifying acoustic instruments (they are popular with double bass players). Used alone, the AI head is a very neutral PA like amp. Many like that, but if you want a more classic electric guitar tone from a magnetic PU, it's IMHO not the best choice without some kind of tone shaping in front of it. With a separate tone shapingunit it's a great and very versatile set up for many applications, but you will exceed you budget.

With your remark about "loud enogh to cut through a 20-person big band" you touch one of my pet subjects. When comping, you don't need to "cut through", you are supposed to "blend in". I once was into a similar thread with a guitarist who wanted to make sure that he would be "heard loud and clear above the band at all times". I told him, that if he did that, he would likely be asked to turn down the volume during the first tune at the first rehersal. When soloing, you will of course need to be heard, but you don't need to be as loud as the whole band is in a forceful tutti. If your amp isn't powerful enough, you can have it miked to the PA system - just like the piano and the wind instruments are miked. And some amps nowadays has XLR outputs from the amps preamp section meant for plugging directly into a PA system (or a recording mixer) if needed/wanted.

If you are asked to play 4-to-the-bar rhythm guitar in the style of Freddie Green, you may even consider using your archtop acoustically and mike it instead of using it's magnetic PU (which can be switched on and off for soloes with a pedal). It worked very well for Freddie Green in the Count Basie orchestra for more than 40 years - and for other guitarists in countless (pun unintended) other swing bands. The sound of an acoustic guitar is much more transparent than an electric guitar, which can tend to sound a bit massive and compact on comparison.

In a classic big band with a rhythm guitar, the role of the guiatrist is to be felt more than heard. Again, think of Freddie Green. When Basie had hired new musicians he had a talk with them. He told them that they had only few formal rules, but there was one strict rule and that was to was to listen to and follow Freddie Green because he was the "anchor" of the band. Sometimes a musician would say: "What if I cant hear him?", to which Basie always answered: "Then you play too loud." There's a lot of self discipline needed when playing in a big band.

**jorgemg1984** · 04-26-2012, 05:20 AM

Just to give a different opinion I like old Roland Cubes or 80s Fender solid state amps better than new cubes. I bet Yamaha G series are also excellent and I loved the only old Polytone I played (don't like the new ones). I think you can find them used for 400$ or even less and spend the spare money on a speaker improvement.

But old amps can need maintenance or give you problems. A cube or a wholetone will (supposedly) work well for some years but I don't find them very inspiring. But my opinion is different from most here, the Cube gets a love of love around here.

**Frank67** · 04-26-2012, 06:43 AM

To me, the Cubes are fine (on the clean channel); but also check the Fender SuperChamp X2 (if it is loud enough for you). I used to own the older SuperChamp XD and thought that it has a very nice voice on the clean channel and some pretty convincing modeling on the modeling channel.

**Sphereacidburn** · 04-26-2012, 07:09 AM

A Roland 80x is my suggestion. THEY'RE GREAT AMPS!

**hans halmackenreuter** · 04-26-2012, 07:22 AM

cube's are fine and you can never do something wrong with them. May I suggest you, that in this price range , you can try an ibanez tsa 15 for example. nearly clean all the way up.

just to give another input