What would be the best brand or model? I know I have seen some in pawn shops and I cant tell if they are good ones. This would be for a teenage son who busted his beginner amp out that I bought his first electric. He is playing guitar and bass now. Musicians I need your help.
If you are looking for the best tone for the buck, I would recommend the Vox Valvestate amps. If you prefer all tube, some of the best values are the Crate Palomino series which are class A amps and have a lot of warmth, or the Peavey Valve King which is a good all-around amp. Fender is good for clean and vintage type sounds. I would think the Vox Amps would be a good choice though. I work at Guitar Center, so my recommendations are based on amps that we carry.
Yeah, we do, I work at the Guitar Center on Westheimer, but I'm not sure if we have anything used right now that is a necessarily a better amp or deal than you could get in a new one. Also, I generally don't recommend using the same amp for guitar and bass. I especially wouldn't play bass through a guitar amp, as the speakers are generally not designed to handle the lower frequencies.
all good advice. I would first ask what kind of music he is interested in playing (or plays). also how much you are willing to spend.
come on now... most of the kids these days aren't interested in the blues and all music has its good and its bad. even the blues...
He plays RadioHead, Pink Floyd, Porcupine Tree and some kiddy pop stuff like Greenday, Lincoln Park and he can play some Blues type stuff (bladeage). I didnt know he may need two different amps though!!!!!!!!!
might go the crate route... lots of gain and lots of power for the buck. He'll probably dig it (not that great for blues though... ;~)
^ I would second the Crate recommendation. They are very reasonably priced have a really good distortion and some nice built in effects. For your son's level and what he's looking to play I think one of those would be a good choice.
Hurray for Vox! I haven't played their bass amps before, but with my Ric, the AC30 is godlike. Valvestates are nice, versatile amps for the $ as well... probably the best thing for a teenager that's into lots of different kinds of music. Fenders tube amps are great if you want lots of clean headroom, but that's not always what kids are looking for.
Considering its for someone younger this is a very accurate assessment. He would probably have lots of fun with a Crate. They last a long time to boot.
He has a small Fender Amp now, which he has had for 3 years now. This is the one that is shot now. Im looking into a headset also. I drive up to my house and can hear him upstairs before I turn off my car. Thank you for all the info, you guys are great. If its too loud, am I too old?
How much money do you want to spend? How serious is your son about guitar? Does he play with a band? Given your son has played for 3 years, he's probably serious enough about it to deserve a decent amp. I would focus on getting an amp with a very good clean sound. Don't worry about how much distortion, EQ or effects it offers - there are multiple pedals out there than can do this (and for much cheaper than replacing an amp). So avoid solid state Crates, Fenders and Peaveys - few of these sound very good (most are god-awful, actually) and they have terrible resale value. You might find a good deal in a pawn shop, but the internet has killed the days when you can find a real steal. I would highly suggest checking out ebay and craigslist for used deals. If you are unsure of the quality of what you come across, then go to www.harmony-central.com and check out their product review databases (or just post it here and ask our opinions). You can get all the information you need on that website - I've found invaluable (not so much for what I bought but for what it convinced me not to buy). The main thing I'd emphasize is don't rush. I've always gotten the best deals and been the happiest with what I bought when I've spent some time checking out a bunch of things. {EDIT} I meant to second cagey's recommendation to use separate amps (or at least separate speakers) for guitar and bass. Not only are bass frequencies bad for guitar speakers, but bass requires more power to sound OK.
