Thoughts on a SS modeler type amp for practice/recording?

[rauchman]

Greetings,

I have a Peavey Classic 50 half stack, which I really like, but am on the hunt for something sub $400 that is very flexible in tone, comes with "stuff" (FX, possibly a looper, tuner, amp modeling, etc.).  I may have the terminology wrong, but I believe this would be a Solid State amp, not sure if it qualifies as a true modeler.

Considerations....
Katana 50
Katana 100
Marshall Code 50
Blackstar ID Core 100
Blackstar ID TVP 60
Other?

I've read that the speaker in the Katanas hold it back a bit.  The Marshall needs some serious tweeking for it's presets.  Not much info out there for the Blackstars.  Open to other suggestions.  I want something that can be played at lower volumes to jam levels, and is very flexible.

Thoughts on these options, or others would be appreciated. 

 

[Rick]

What's your weight limit?

 

[rauchman]

What's your weight limit?

Less is better.  30-40 lbs?

 

[Rick]

Yamaha has a line of nice modelers that are great for home use, tech 21, makes a good combo and the katana is good. I have soft spot for the fender champ.

Edit:
Just noticed that there aren't any new tech 21 combos for sale at musician's friend, so they might not be making them anymore.

For me anything over 25Lbs is heavy.

 

[stultzies9]

The Katana 50 is a pretty nice little practice amp. I bought one for practice and to take to blues jams, and it works great for that. Takes a little tweaking, but it sounds surprisingly good.

I've also heard great things about the Yamaha modelers, but I've never messed with one personally.

Interestingly, the Peavey Vypers are startlingly good for what they are. I bought one of those several years back and was incredibly impressed with the quality of sounds that came out of it. It might be worth looking at, especially for the price range you're asking about.

 

[bagman67]

I played the new Boss Nextone 40W and 60W combos recently at my local Sam Ash, and was extremely impressed with how well they perform.  They emulate four different power tube types (6L6, 6V6, EL34, and EL84) and the character of each emulation is quite distinct from the others, and each sounds quite good.  It's not jammed with lots of effects emulation, having only reverb, delay, and tremolo, but they are equipped with effects loops.  They are more expensive than the more feature-rich Katana line but they really sound good, and surprisingly quiet.  I have found that the lower-priced emulating combo amps can be quite noisy.


Worth a look, in short.

 

[barber76]

Had Vypyr for quite a while. Now have a Katana. Both are good feature-packed budget amps. Still miss my Vypyr. Its WYSIWYG interface is amazing. Katana feels more solidly built. Vypyr has a built-in tuner and a looper, Katana doesn't. Both have aux in, headphones out and bunch of built-in effects.

 

[rauchman]

Thanks all.  The wife got a me a Katana 100 combo for my b-day last month.  The speaker has now broken in and I'm really digging it.  I've futzed a little with building sounds in Boss's Tone Studio, but not full tilt boogey.  Will be getting the footswitch and will probably then get more into crafting some sounds.

The new amp, combined with the ShoreCaster that I put together has been a really nice combo for me.  Love how the guitar plays, sounds and looks, and like how flexible the amp is.  Happy Camper!

 

[barber76]

Grats on the new amp. I highly recommend reading this post - very helpful in setting up a clean channel on Katana.

 

[rauchman]

Grats on the new amp. I highly recommend reading this post - very helpful in setting up a clean channel on Katana.

I luv you man!