A Good Sounding Cheap Guitar Amp

[Frank67]

Given the situation that you describe it sounds to me that the Roland Cube is a fine choice. I know that people have mixed opinions. My own take is that the clean channel sounds really really good and i always smile after hitting the first few notes.

The modeling and the effects are still good enough for practice and enjoy playing. If you can go one step up from the 20 maybe then you have more headroom such that it becomes also possible to gig with the amp.

[aniss1001]

Hi again, I have a few more questions about the Peavey Envoy. You said:

I never tried that specific Peavey but I assume it does sound quite better than the Cube...

OK?! You think it sounds better than the cube. Besides it is cheaper (well it's used) and it's actually large enough to carry a gig. So I'm not quite sure why you suddenly went back to recommending th cube20?

And earlier you said:

Peavey is still USA made and pre-transtube so it should be good. I have heard other people complementing on Peavey SS amps so you might be lucky about getting some insight.

Just wondering what you meant by PRE-transtube? So the older Envoys are different / better than the newer ones? And the newer ones aren't made in USA?

[jorgemg1984]

Man assuming that Envoy sounds close to my Bandit 65 - it does sound much better than the current cube. This is my opinion, I bet a lot of people here would say the opposite. If it's something to gig I would prefer the Peavey without any doubt. It it's to practice (which is new data to me) I wouldn't care so much and I would find the cube acceptable - which I do not for gig purposes.

Just that...

Yes - Peaveys made in the 80s and early 90s in Meridian USA are usually considered to be vastly superior to current Transtube China production. Some people even say Red Stripe Meridian sound better than Blue Stripe Meridian but I can't say about that.

[Billnc]

Hmm... Which rage amp are we talking? And would you say it is worth buying?

It's very entry level Peavey, I wouldn't recommend it for your purposes, in the living room it did sound quite good. By the way the Peavey I really dislike is a redstripe model. I'm checking out a very ole Peavey stereo chorus 400 for the hell of it. Haven't plugged it in yet.

[aniss1001]

OK! Been trying different amps today. Including the Vox Vt20+ and several Peaveys (all transtube). Didn't like any of those.

But... I also had a longer session with a cube 20. DEFINATELY the best option in this price class/watt size so far. Otherwise I have to go more expensive and/or get less power it seems. For instance I also tried a Fender Vibro Champ (15w I think) which was quite good but more expensive off course.

So right now it's either the Roland Cube20 (or perhaps Cube15.. Tommorrow I'll try that one against the Cube20) OR a used Peavey Envoy 35w (from the 90's.. pre-transtube and made in USA), which can be had quite cheap via Mercadolibre (the local Ebay).

But yes I must say the Cube really impressed me

[Frank67]

So right now it's either the Roland Cube20 (or perhaps Cube15.. Tommorrow I'll try that one against the Cube20) OR a used Peavey Envoy 35w (from the 90's.. pre-transtube and made in USA), which can be had quite cheap via Mercadolibre (the local Ebay).

But yes I must say the Cube really impressed me

Glad you liked the cube (me too!). I think you should probably also try a small Fender Mustang (I or II). They are very cheap and one can get very nice tones of them. (not starting another "fizz thread" - its's only present in some but not all of the higher models)

Good luck with your gear hunt!

[oldane]

An alternative way to go could be to get a cheap second hand powered PA speaker (with a built in output amp) and pair it with a preamp pedal with some amp/speaker modelling and EQ. Put the preamp pedal on top of the speaker with Velcro, connect them with a short XLR or ordinary jack cable (whatever applies), and you are ready to go. I like the Sansamp preamp pedals and at present use a Sansamp ParaDriver DI, which is really versatile, but their "character" pedals are also great (the "Blonde" - mimicking Fender amps - may be the best for jazz). When/if you some day get a "real" guitar amp, the preamp pedal will still come in handy for more tone shaping options than an amp with a traditional tone stack offers. However, more than a few guitarists use those preamp pedals and feed them directly into a PA or recording system, so it might eventually be a more than temporary solution for you. A cheap multieffect unit can also work as a preamp, and it will have more options like reverb, delay etc., but will likely have a more "digital" sound than the analog Sansamp units which to my ears sound great. The "made in China" Behringer V-amp multieffect unit sounds quite OK, but they are made of plastic, so they are not terribly roadworthy. It sells new for 500-600 DKr (I figure you are familiar with Danish currency) in Europe. Behringer also have some very reasonably priced powered speakers. The smallest of them, the EUROLIVE B205D rated at 150Watt, costs new around 1000,- DKr. and it sounds better than might be expected, though of course it can never be a Twin Reverb. But for home practice it might fill the bill if you are on a tight budget. It CAN be used without a preamp/multieffect unit, but then the sound is underwhelming and not very artistic stimulating (a magnetic pickup into a Hi-Fi like PA speaker sounds very sterile and dry).

[Dennis D]

For what Peaveys can be bought for - -often cheap - and for what you can get, this explanation would help. Thx Dennis

[Peter C]

Oldane has a great idea. I use an "old" Yamaha DG Stomp this way and it works for me! But if you need something to haul around the Cube 20 seems the way to go.

[oldane]

A smaller PA speaker and a pedal is not that heavy to haul around. The small Behringer speaker I mentioned weighs around 3.2kg. Its bigger cousin with a 10" driver weighs around 8kg. Both has a grip moulded in the cabinet on top so it's easy to carry. The pedal weighs not over 500 grammes (and it can be carried in a coat pocket).

[aniss1001]

I did consider something like that actually (the preamp/PA speaker-solution) but in the end I decided to go for a combo amp, even if I can only afford a small one.

The thing is I'm afraid to buy something I'll regret later and it's kinda difficult to try out this setup before having actually bought it.

Anyway thanks for the input

[aniss1001]

Hehe... I mentioned earlier that the used market here really sucks because people charge almost the same for a used item as a new one.

New Cube40: 1.970 pesos = us$ 456
New Cube30: us$ 440
USED Cube30: 1800 pesos = us$ 417

Haha ... Nothing less than ABSURD!! Don't think I'll ever grasp the mentality of this country

[aniss1001]

Just a small update: I found a shop that imports Roland. According to the guy I talked to there they are THE representant of Roland in Argentina. That is everyone else buys from them. Anyway he did offer a lower price (after some bargaining) on the Cube40: 1550 pesos = $359. Quite a bit less than the cheapest I've found it so far. Hmmm... I want it :P

Still think it's kinda sad/funny/irritating (for starters):

Used Cube30: 1800 pesos = us$ 417
New Cube40: 1550 pesos = us$ 359

WTF?!

[oldane]

That's a fair price. With a Cube amp, you'll get a lot for your money, and you certainly won't go wrong with it.

[jorgemg1984]

If you liked the Cube so much and got a good price on it go for it! (my Peavey preference is very personal, most people here love the Cubes) Tell us how it all went.

[aniss1001]

OK! Just bought a Cube40XL. Unpacking it as we speak. Definately blew my budget on this one... so sue me haha

[jonahguitar]

Hello

Im looking for a really low cost jazz amp to bring to school with me. I am leaving the classical guitar world and transferring into a college jazz program, and I am trying to scrape up a jazz rig before the fall (getting an epiphone 335 in a trade!). I am on a serious budget and would really not like to spend more than $200. I just need something to play through until I have enough money (and skill) to buy a nicer set up. Any recommendations for a low cost amp that will give me in the ball park to a classic jazz tone? I like to buy used gear, but I am open to any suggestions. Cheaper is better, but I would like to be able to sound ok at the gig. Thanks for your help!

[John A.]

- Fender Champion 40 ($199) or Champion 20 ($99). I use the Champion 20 for some jam sessions and practicing (very portable, surprisingly loud, but the 40 is louder and likely to be a bit more suitable for playing with groups).
- Used Roland Cube 40
- Used Peavey Bandit

Any of these will do the trick for under $200.

John

[Skip Ellis]

Used Katana 50 would do nicely...

[arielcee]

Yamaha G50 (ii) 112. Perfect pairing for a Semi-hollow. Check CL, fb marketplace, offerup, etc. they're around for cheap. I got mine for 200 and it sounds absolutely stellar with my semis.

Make sure, however, it is version II. I have the first one as well and it is a much brighter amp.

[RobbieAG]

I recently saw a Peavey Studio Pro 60 in a local used music gear store for $79! Solid state, 60 watts, 1 12" speaker - would be plenty for playing jazz. Too bad it was gone by the time I was able to get there. I have a mint Roland Cube 60 I picked up used years ago for around $250. You could get one of those for around $200.

[rpjazzguitar]

Dirt cheap and sounds great: Crate GFX15. These sell, used, for about $35. They are very light, meaning something like 12 or 15 lbs. It's not very loud but, get it off the floor and it will hold it's own for combo rehearsal and maybe quiet gigs. Tip: wiggle the speaker wires -- these amps didn't include strain relief where they enter the chassis, so it's a weak point. If they're noisy, I'd suggest not buying it.

There's a sale on the DV Mark Little Jazz at GC. Under $300. That's above your budget, but close. This is an excellent amp which will probably do anything you're likely to need in jazz and weighs only 15lbs. The exception would be a loud band in a big room - then you'd hope for a PA or a different amp. If you have to move your amp around campus much, you'll love the weight.

[rolijen]

Here’s another vote for the Roland cube. X, XL or GX. Killer amps that are super reliable. I’ve used the 80GX for years. Before that, I used a Roland Jazz Chorus. It sounded great on gigs but was just too big and too heavy to schlep around.

The later model cubes sound good at all but the highest volumes, they have fantastic reverb, built in tuner and are built like tanks.

[Zhahn]

+1 for old Yammy G-50.
Or for 2/3 of the weight, an old Gibson G-20.
SuperChamp x2 is great, too.
Vox Pathfinder 15R, if you can track down a used one.

[entresz]

Peavey Bandit 65 from the early-mid 1980s is a winner ... can be had for cheap. Solid made in USA amp, great loud cleans and really nice spring reverb.