Best amplifiers & effects according to redditors

I have one of these.

Fender/Hello Kitty Standard Headphone Amp https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000S6RBIU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_QJhQBbF489XAT

This will sound crazy, but I would actually recommend that you get a guitar practice amp with a tube. Maybe something like one of these:

https://smile.amazon.com/CALIFORNIA-TONE-RESEARCH-SET5-Amplifier/dp/B00M96RW0Y/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1479347224&sr=8-2&keywords=tube+practice+amp

Or better yet, something used. Kustom used to make a great 12-watt combo with a celestion driver and a tube preamp. An old Fender Champ is ideal.

My reasoning is, a good low-watt guitar combo is actually a really useful piece of kit. It's great for recording (guitar or bass, sometimes), your guitar-player can use it for practice or even small gigs, you can use it to amp harmonica, electric piano, organ, or other instruments, and it has resale value.

OTOH, bedroom-volume bass amps tend to do everything poorly. Unless it's a B-15, a low-wattage bass combo is usually not going to sound very good (the guitar amp might actually sound better for bass, at these wattages). It won't have much resale value, there is low demand for them, and they just aren't usually very good.

So even as a bass player, I prefer to keep a little all-tube guitar combo in my living room, and leave the 1,000-watt bass rig in the rehearsal studio.

You can probably find a used Peavey 6505mh under your budget, then just pair it with a cheap 1x12 and you're good to go. Probably be close to $600.

https://reverb.com/item/2206468-peavey-6505-mini-head-2015-black

http://www.amazon.com/Laney-Amps-IRT112-Amplifier-Cabinet/dp/B00DAMV6X0

VHT Special 6 or CTR Set 5 (both combos, if that is what you are looking for)

Bugera G5. Great budget head. Based on the Blackstar HT5. I have one. Clean channel is great with pedals.

This sounds way better and has more features for 10 pounds less

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Blackstar-ID-Core-Stereo-Combo/dp/B00IMXBIBM/

I brought one home last night. Solves all my practice amp problems.

This Behringer ain't bad, for a decent price too.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000KIPUQG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Rather than worry about damaging the output transformer, if the OP is looking for a small tube amp for not much money, pick up the Kustom Defender. It's $99, and has awesome reviews online. I haven't used one, but am seriously considering it as a practice amp.

Honestly, my best advice would be to invest in a good compressor. I lot of people feel like their tone is dead and not going anywhere of any particular interest until they purchase a compressor. It's the pedal you never know you needed. It will change your life, just like it changed mine.

That said: Keeley Compressor Deep Six and the Diamond are all amazing options. The Diamond is probably a little too bulky for what you want.

But that's what I'd do, if I were you.

That's why I love the Deep Six Compressor so much. Blend knob is easily the best feature to retain dynamics.

Oh wow, working out and being more powerful plus healthier is tough :O Requires extreme discipline :O I hope you keep being motivated to continue even if it's probably one of the toughest things to do in life :D Weight lifting also helps a lot :D If you're feeling better then you're doing very well :D

As for myself, I am improving myself by adding another musical instrument to master to my skills, the guitar :D I'm currently on the third week of learning the guitar (self-learning only though via videos and books, human teachers are expensive lol!) and so far so good :) Still a super beginner, I still haven't even learned all the scales yet, but I can now play melodies on any string :D

The mentality from being a pianist to a guitarist can lead to weirdness :O Sure, the music theory is the same, but the approach and application is what the true challenge is :O For example, I have no problem playing any scale and forming chords on the piano. I even play the piano in the dark or with my eyes closed :D BUT on the guitar, since I'm a super beginner, I don't know how to form those chords, how to play those scales. The theory is there, but the practical application is what I am trying to experience in order to learn :D

My main goal when it comes to the guitar is to master it just like how the piano already feels like an extension of myself. I want to be able to express my soul into the guitar just like how I can make my emotions and intentions be heard on the piano :D I want to be able to play the guitar instinctively as if it's actually a part of me :D I want to be as good as Paul Gilbert, Steve Vai, and Wes Montogomery :D They are the guitarists I look up to (for now because my research has led me to them, maybe I'll discover more) :D

As for an item that will definitely help me on my way to guitar mastery someday, it's the Blackstar Footswitch on my list :D I discovered recently that a normal footswitch only has limited capabilities with my Blackstar amplifier, so I need to get the real Blackstar Footswitch to get full functionality X_X But with this, it would allow me to be able to switch to different effects on the guitar with just the press (or stomp) of a button :D I love jazz as much as I love heavy metal and hard rock, all of them need emotion and soul to play :D With the ability to switch to different effects, such as reverb and even tone, I'll be able to release my musical thoughts and ideas more effectively :D True mastery of an instrument means to be able to speak your feelings and emotions through it, this is my goal :D

Oh and /u/Morthy is a sexy awesome mod, with or without the census <:D

Thanks again hehe :D

(Oh yeah, I've been watching Paul Gilbert's lessons, he's a great teacher on video!)

Sorry to keep bugging you. So hypothetically, if I got either of these power supplies and daisy chain with 8 plugs, I should be able to run 8 x 100ma pedals on the 800ma output?

https://reverb.com/p/cioks-ac10-100-800ma-10-outlet-9-16v-power-supply

https://www.amazon.com/Cioks-Rider-Link-Power-Supply/dp/B00K3E7AJW/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1527002149&sr=8-4&keywords=ciok+power+supply&dpID=41Z%252BzpvjHVL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

BTW if you can afford it, I'd get a relatively cheap modeling amp. Solid state amps sound good at conversation level and up. They don't need to be cranked like a tube amp to get a good tone.

The best one at under $100 is probably The Blackstar Core ID10 https://www.amazon.com/Blackstar-IDCORE10-Stereo-Combo-Amplifier/dp/B00IMXBIBM

But something older like a Mustang can be found really cheap used. I see the Fender Mustang 1 v2 all the time on craigslist for about $50 or the Mustang II for $70 - $90.

My thoughts also... I would feel selling a car to get a bicycle in return.

I checked the micro-terror... sounds loud for an appartment...?

Would studio monitor sound nice? Just play through POD XT through the monitor (will I have delay issue?)

If not, this nano amp looks tempting: http://www.amazon.com/BIYANG-VT-1H-MICRO-COMPACT-POWERFUL/dp/B00RLH5ZGO

A [DigiTech Trio](Digitech TRIO Electric Guitar Multi Effect, Band Creator Pedal, Power Supply Included https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SXBPMYC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_sTytybV65N3R2) or [EHX Holy Grail Nano](Electro Harmonix Holy Grail Nano Effects Pedal w/EHX Power Supply! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OSAM9UM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_sUytybY8C6WHZ) would both be great options.

The Trio is a looper pedal with lots of options for customizable backing tracks. It adds bass and/or drums. Pick your genre, change the tempo, choose what kind of groove you like. Check out this demo by Andy at PGS, these things are really really cool.

The Holy Grail Nano is a standard-stompbox size version of the original Holy Grail. One knob to control your wet mix, one switch to choose spring, plate, or flerb (flanged reverb). I love this pedal. Very natural sounding and doesn't alter my tone at all. Can't beat it for your first reverb pedal.

you might like a VOX MV50 AC with a portable 12" cabinet better (especially if playing with a drummer), based on my limited understanding of these two option.

i have a Marshal Code 50 modeling amp (there is both a head and a combo version) that was much cheaper and does a great job of emulating famous Marshall tube amps (as well as more generically Fender and VOX tube amps) and is LOUD AF. depending on what you are looking for it might be worth checking out.

you could get a class d amp like the mooer baby bomb

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or this one with a bunch of settings and stuff


class d amps are neutral, so you kinda need to have your pedals sculpt the sound, but you could plug them right into the pa, afaik

It’s an NUX Frontline 15

https://www.amazon.com/NUX-Frontline-Electric-Amplifier-Distortion/dp/B00JH9T2GS

I think it’s been discontinued at this point.

Myself I find the BEHRINGER V-TONE BASS DRIVER DI BDI21 more useful and a lot less...

https://www.amazon.com/BEHRINGER-V-TONE-BASS-DRIVER-BDI21/dp/B000KIPUQG/ref=sr_1_2

Aside from getting a new ABY... not really. A lot of ABY boxes do have issues like this on certain boards. Really no rhyme or reason, unfortunately. I think that you may wanna check out MOEN's AB Bar. At that price, it seems completely worth it for your particular board. Even has a tuner out for your Pitchblack. Perfect. I used to use one of these for smaller gigs where i only needed a few effects, but also wanted the simplicity of everything up front. I can vouch for it working just as it should. It also has the buffer switch on each loop which is killer for your RAT. I've always thought running a rat into a buffered input was the key to getting them to sound like a Rat should. I think this is the case for most ''distortion'' style effects actually (fuzz boxes not withstanding). Some might disagree with me on that, but at least the option is nice.

Which amp would be the best for me? A Fender Rumble 500 v3, a Gallien-Krueger MB115-ii, or an Orange Crush Pix CR100BXT? I play in a funky, psychadelic-ish, folk-ish, indie trio (I just need a versatile amp). I plan on getting a MIM Fender Standard Jazz Bass. I know these amps are not tube amps, but I can't afford a substantial tube amp, so one of these solid-states will have to do. Which one would be best for me?

prior to making a recommendation I'll first say this: if you're even vaguely happy with your tone, then leave the pedals out.

my top 3:

• compression: telecasters sometimes need a controlled attack. a decent cheap compressor pedal would be an mxr dynacomp. the one i use most frequently is the bicomp. The most popular (and another I really like): the jhs pulp n peel. I've heard nice things about keeley but never tried them myself.
  
  
• overdrive: i'm not huge on distorted guitar sounds. many times, particularly in recording applications i feel a little goes a long way. I bought this (zvex sho) some yrs ago and haven't needed much else. there are so many options available, some are more than likely better than this zvex pedal, so try a few different ones out.
  
  
• delays/verbs: lots of different opinions here. ppl love the strymon big sky, myself included. nice inifinites and blooms. i more frequently use whatever spring tank is on the amp in question. delays are tricky for me. i've payed a lot for an assortment but my go to is still the 1st I ever bought: the boss dd3, much to my own surprise I love this pedal. even after trying different boutique options, the dd20/dd7, and the moog analog delay, I still prefer my dd3. you may disagree tho.
  
  hope that wasn't too much and hope you get dope tones!

Get a modeling pedal ala https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000KIPUQG

This pedal by Behringer is a knock off SansAmp Bass Driver DI. Probably just about all you'll get that sounds good under $100 in the preamp/DI department.