Grab'n'go amps: on-board effects or mini pedal board?

[eddy b.]

forme my new grab n go amo is a ZT Lunchbox. I have had Cube and Polytone both.the cubes effects were tooobvious and tinny. With the ZT I use it primarily for straight ahead jazz or R&B rhythm guitar so effects are un neccesary except for a clean boost (mxr) for my solo. I have a rig for rock/fusion/LOUD gigs which is a Rivera Clubster and my pedal board with tube screamer, route66, boss OC2, digitech Chorus factory, tc hall of fame, mxr,vox wah eq. So for my grab n go no effects.

[mangotango]

Did my last two gigs with the Fender Super Champ XD. Used the built in reverb for the big band gig, and added chorus or delay or both for the Q'tet gig. Since you can use a couple of FX in tandem, I used a delay/chorus combo on a couple of tunes. Really didn't need too much of anything and I was happy to go with one guitar, one amp, two leads and a TC Polytune pedal.

Nope, never wanted any more volume at any point - in fact didn't go above halfway on either gig.

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

i thought the volto was vaporware. maybe it warrants a looking at. i ended up with a fuel tank jr, chameleon and a one spot. once i finish messing with pedals, i'll rig something with some footies and velcro and secure them under the boards. pretty common mod, and i can power more pedals and a few 18v pedals if i feel the need.

but an all battery rig would be kinda neat.

I'm happy using a One-spot now. It's bad enough now, constantly recharging phones and laptops!

I don't think Volto can deliver 18v.

[pkirk]

i thought the volto was vaporware.

I had to look up that word!

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

i thought the volto was vaporware.

Staring at that web page again, it says "coming soon" and September 2013. Today is October 1! Either they're back sliding or the web page hasn't been updated.

[ooglybong]

No, I'm interested in what effects people would want on the amp. The thing is, a decent reverb means four to five knobs (Reverb type, FX level, Decay, Tone, maybe pre-delay) plus an output to a footswitch and a footswitch. Now the amp is twice as complicated.

Right. All those parameters would typically require a stomp box with lotsa knobs, along with patch cables, etc. Therefore, not quite grab'n'go, IMO. However, all those parameters—if you really ever need them—are already on board the Mustang III ('hidden' via the easy-to-use LCD interface), so I'll mention that one again as a candidate for your needs.

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

Right. All those parameters would typically require a stomp box with lotsa knobs, along with patch cables, etc. Therefore, not quite grab'n'go, IMO. However, all those parameters—if you really ever need them—are already on board the Mustang III ('hidden' via the easy-to-use LCD interface), so I'll mention that one again as a candidate for your needs.

I've got nothing against the Mustang (or other modeling amps). It's just that I'm curious about the new Phil Jones 1x8" and 1x12" amps. They just have a minimal front panel: input level, bass, middle, treble and volume. Some people said the lack of reverb (or other effects) were a dealbreaker, so I started this thread to see what people thought, in general. It seems jazz guys, for the most part, want reverb in a grab-n-go amp. I say leave a small reverb pedal in your gig bag, with your cables and stuff.

[ooglybong]

...It seems jazz guys, for the most part, want reverb in a grab-n-go amp. I say leave a small reverb pedal in your gig bag, with your cables and stuff.

Sure, that still certainly qualifies as a minimal "grab'n'go" setup for a lot of guys.

If you use enough reverb to want a lot of control over it, then you're probably going to want a dedicated stomp anyway, but all I usually need is enough 'verb to give the sound some "air" and, for that, whatever's onboard will usually work for me. That being said, I like the Cube and Mustang reverbs in general, but I also have a perfectly wonderful (although somewhat over-qualified!) Line 6 ToneCore Verbzilla that I can bring along whenever I want something a little bit better.

Never-ending fun with FX, eh?

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

Never-ending fun with FX, eh?

They're addictive. Buying another guitar is a big proposition, but one more pedal? Too easy. I use cash and my wife doesn't seem to notice what's on the floor.

[ooglybong]

They're addictive. Buying another guitar is a big proposition, but one more pedal? Too easy. I use cash and my wife doesn't seem to notice what's on the floor.

Heheh. Man, that is so true...

[mangotango]

If you really want "grab-and-go", try this. I bought one for an outdoor gig where there was no mains electricity, because you can power it with 10 x AA batteries:

http://www.thomann.de/gb/artec_cubix_g2r.htm

Pretty much a Cube clone, but not bad for all that. 20 watts or so. Modelled voices, some maybe a bit bright and not picking up all of the subtleties and nuances of my Vestax D'Angelico, but I've played/owned worse. Reasonable clean channel. Reverb.

£55, guys. £55!! Ridiculous value for money.