Guitar enthusiasts.

[Bobby Hundreds]

The plastic bit on the neck of my guitar has worn down so the string slips out of the groove when you tighten it. Been in its case for years but I redecorated the spare room and turned it into my den so put it on the wall. That smart amp interests me. I can play chords and lead but strumming patterns I just can't do properly, lack of practice and talent.

 

I bought a load of screws specifically to fit the guitar because the old ones where a bit rusty and none of them fit, cheeky bastards.

[Chris]

I finally got to play with the Spark amp today as my thumb is getting better (play is really sloppy so as it's still sore as hell so apologies for that). 

 

Looked up Enter Sandman and there was a pre-made tone to download and the app instantly syncs it with the amp. 

 

I'd say this is pretty authentic sounding (not so much my playing, but the tone).

 

Pretty psyched. 

[Carvalho Diablo]

Looks like a load of fun. I've had my eye on one since Darrell Braun reviewed it.

 

[Chris]

Here's how the app interface looks. Every knob (heh heh) and switch you see here can be adjusted, again all synced back to the amp. If you find something you really love after playing around you can save that to the amp as one of the 4 presets accessible via physical buttons. 

[stringvest]

17 hours ago, Chris said:

I finally got to play with the Spark amp today as my thumb is getting better (play is really sloppy so as it's still sore as hell so apologies for that). 

 

Looked up Enter Sandman and there was a pre-made tone to download and the app instantly syncs it with the amp. 

 

I'd say this is pretty authentic sounding (not so much my playing, but the tone).

 

Pretty psyched. 

Cool.  So I’m assuming you could store several on the app and switch from one to another easily if you’re gigging, for example?

[Chris]

29 minutes ago, stringvest said:

Cool.  So I’m assuming you could store several on the app and switch from one to another easily if you’re gigging, for example?

 

Yeah you could, but it's not really a gig amp. It's loud, but more of a practice amp. One of the reasons I got it is because it sounds great at lower volumes. Most amps don't. 

[stringvest]

29 minutes ago, Chris said:

 

Yeah you could, but it's not really a gig amp. It's loud, but more of a practice amp. One of the reasons I got it is because it sounds great at lower volumes. Most amps don't. 

that's a good point about sounding good at lower volumes.  Though for gigging I was thinking that you could take output from it into a bigger amp / PA.

[Chris]

23 minutes ago, stringvest said:

that's a good point about sounding good at lower volumes.  Though for gigging I was thinking that you could take output from it into a bigger amp / PA.

Yeah, I'm not sure about that. It's a bit above my expertise level. There's only one input, no output jacks.

[VladimirIlyich]

On 01/07/2019 at 11:41, VladimirIlyich said:

I'd just love to be able to play a guitar. Its a bucket list thing for me.

I am a couple of years into one of my bucket list items and I'm still shit but a lot less shit than I used to be. I also purchased another nice little Sigma acoustic recently.

 

PS Chris. Are you still plinking away?

[VladimirIlyich]

Anybody also a member on the guitar forum 'the fretboard?' It's a UK based guitar forum with loads of good advice and help for guitarists. Just don't mention Jimmy Saville.

[TheHowieLama]

On 09/08/2021 at 13:10, stringvest said:

that's a good point about sounding good at lower volumes.  Though for gigging I was thinking that you could take output from it into a bigger amp / PA.

 

On 09/08/2021 at 13:35, Chris said:

Yeah, I'm not sure about that. It's a bit above my expertise level. There's only one input, no output jacks.

Spark has a headphone output and stores 4 presets - it is not loud enough to cut it as a monitor on a small gig.

Great for around the house.

[Carvalho Diablo]

 

[Boss]

Line 6 just released a new amp range a few days back called the catalyst. It has the effects from the Helix floor unit in it and 5-6 amp models that sound very tube-like to my ears. I think it's the rival to the Boss Katana which is also a good practise amp. It's got a power attenuator to make sure the amp sounds good at low volumes and a direct out so you can plug it directly into a PA. it's also got a USB audio interface so you can record directly from it into the computer. 

 

 

[Carvalho Diablo]

I once bought a Line 6 Constrictor compression pedal. It sounded great but it died on me the very first time I stomped on it at a gig. Notorious battery eaters.

 

Ive never touched another Line 6 product since then.

 

Those Katanas sound great though.

[Boss]

25 minutes ago, Carvalho Diablo said:

I once bought a Line 6 Constrictor compression pedal. It sounded great but it died on me the very first time I stomped on it at a gig. Notorious battery eaters.

 

Ive never touched another Line 6 product since then.

 

Those Katanas sound great though.

That doesn't surprise me, Shep. I know the Line DL-4 pedals were notorious for conking out at gigs. I guess that's the risk of digital equipment. 

[General Dryness]

Having lived with a lifelong dislike of Fender products, I had a chance encounter with one that I liked. So I bought it. This is a picture of one exactly like it. 

 

 

[VladimirIlyich]

27 minutes ago, General Dryness said:

Having lived with a lifelong dislike of Fender products, I had a chance encounter with one that I liked. So I bought it. This is a picture of one exactly like it. 

 

 

Two more strings and you'd have a real guitar.

[General Dryness]

9 minutes ago, VladimirIlyich said:

Two more strings and you'd have a real guitar.

Two more strings and I still wouldn't be quite as tedious as you. Cheers.

[TheHowieLama]

I used a Helix for about a year - was great not to worry about carrying an amp but you need a good monitor mix or it kind of sucks. Switched to a Boss Nextone a few months back and I really like it - decent models, pretty good reverb and very light compared to my old Fender. It has a delay built in - I wish that was a multi effect.

The small combo I really want to try is the Quilter Cub.

[Carvalho Diablo]

1 hour ago, TheHowieLama said:

I used a Helix for about a year - was great not to worry about carrying an amp but you need a good monitor mix or it kind of sucks. Switched to a Boss Nextone a few months back and I really like it - decent models, pretty good reverb and very light compared to my old Fender. It has a delay built in - I wish that was a multi effect.

The small combo I really want to try is the Quilter Cub.

You make a great point there Howie about the size and weight of your rig.

 

For years I lugged around a 100w Marshall and a 1960B cab and it just weighed a ton. Almost impossible to lift and wriggle and twist and squeeze into the back of the car. Eventually and predictably ended up putting my back out.

 

Smaller, lighter, simpler is definitely the way to go.

[Mook]

The best sound I ever heard a guitarist get when I was on stage with them was a Les Paul through a Fender practice amp, which was cranked up to fuck.

 

People load these huge Marshall speakers into little pubs and I just shake my head at them.

[Chris]

Positive Grid sent me the wireless foot switch for the Spark amp. Means you don't have to faff in the app and interrupt your playing to change your preset channels.

[Boss]

1 hour ago, Mook said:

The best sound I ever heard a guitarist get when I was on stage with them was a Les Paul through a Fender practice amp, which was cranked up to fuck.

 

People load these huge Marshall speakers into little pubs and I just shake my head at them.

 

Wise words there Mook. Most of the studio guitar tones Clapton and Keith Richard's are famous for come from a tiny 5 watt Fender Champ. People think Jimmy Page's guitar sound on Led Zeppelin 1 is a 100 watt Marshall, it's a little Supro combo amp. 

[Boss]

 

2 hours ago, Carvalho Diablo said:

You make a great point there Howie about the size and weight of your rig.

 

For years I lugged around a 100w Marshall and a 1960B cab and it just weighed a ton. Almost impossible to lift and wriggle and twist and squeeze into the back of the car. Eventually and predictably ended up putting my back out.

 

Smaller, lighter, simpler is definitely the way to go.

 

Mook is spot on about smaller amps, but there's something about having all that power man. I cranked an Orange AD140 in the house once. That thing puts out 200 watts all tube. I had the next-door neighbour beating on my bedroom window with a wooden broom. When I hit an A chord the room physically shook. It felt like I was summoning a demon up from Hell. You can't beat that feeling.

[TheHowieLama]

6 hours ago, Carvalho Diablo said:

 

Smaller, lighter, simpler is definitely the way to go.

Heh, thinking about the old days. In the late 80's I was in a hotel band - a week in Charlotte, a week in Savannah, on and on.

 

For that I downsized to a Peavey Triumph 60 - that amp had to weigh 50 pounds but I was stoked as I didn't have to lug a Twin around anymore.

Our power amp rack was easily over 200 lbs.

Ridiculous.