I have a conundrum...

My level of playing right now is at home and occassionally jamming with friends. I have a fantastic tube amp that I am happy with, but it's just too loud for practice late at night while my wife is sleeping, however during the day or evening she is fine with it.

My amp does not have a headphone jack. I tried a Vox DA5 practice amp with a headphone jack but I just didn't dig the sound of it all. I have been thinking a POD type of system that would give me a multitude of affects, would allow recording, and headphone play. I have played a Line 6 practice amp though and was not that excited by it so I am not really sure that I would want a POD which I have been lead to believe contains essentially the same sounds. That would also eliminate the tone of my amp though.

I also have been looking at a Marshall Class 5. It's a great sounding amp, but with limited tone possiblities. It does have a headphone jack though. That being said I would also need to get a reverb pedal and overdrive since it is a one channel amp, so it could get to be an expensive practice rig.

Can anyone help me with a solution to be able to get great the great tone I am used to into a pair of headphones?

_________________
CREDO ELVEM IPSUM ETAIM VIVERE

i use at home the boss micro br: guitar sounds from clean till metal with editing functions, drum sounds, recording, mp3. i put my fave songs i want to play to as mp3 on it, head phone (3,5mm jack), 9V AC adapter, guitar in and play. fit in every pocket so also good for traveling.

cheers

_________________
It's the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting - paulo coelho

I have the same problem, I have a Hot Rod Deluxe... pretty loud! For late night (headphones) I use a Gdec All though not quite the Hot Rod, I can get a good tone out for practice. Check out the Mustangs Both models have phones, and are reasonably priced

Bill

_________________
Hey, Boy Blue is back!

I've used a Line 6 interface and POD Farm amp modeling on a laptop.

Output can be to headphones, guitar amp or home stereo system (headphones or speakers, even simulated surround / sub woofer).

Lots of folk don't like the sound of amp modeling software but if it is headphones you want it works.

Have you tried the Vox Amplug?They come in various amp types from AC30 to a Lead model that emulates a cranked Marshall or the new Satriani model that comes with a built in chorus/delay.You and also get a little mini cab for it with a 3" speaker.Also the Marshall MS-4 micro stack comes with 2X3" speakers and can play clean or raunchy with the headphones plugged in.The Amplug is around $40 and the MS-4 about $55.

_________________
'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

I have the same problem but when I want to use headphones I plug into my Roland Micro Cube. It has enough effects in it and I can play without annoying anyone.

_________________

Hi nicholsoni: I have a Marshall Class5 as a practice amp and to my utterly personal taste it's the best I've come across for that purpose. I don't think I'd bother using it through headphones though - that kinda defies the point of the thing.

I like Triskele's suggestion of a Boss Micro BR. I love that little gizmo and use it not only for silent practice, and for sketchpad recording, and for playing along to tracks I've preloaded it with - but also for taking to stores to demo guitars against sounds I've come to know, and without having to put on a show for all the geeks listening in the shop. An excellent device - just time to put one in your Christmas stocking...?

Another way to go: I also have my old Boss GT-3 multi-effects floor unit and frankly that thing sounds its best through headphones. I've never seen the point of putting amp sims through a real amp, but in the cans they come into their own. Actually, these sorts of units are probably designed to be used mostly in this way by the bedroom hero crowd. The factory settings always sound way overcooked through an amp, but make good sense in the intimacy of headphones.

And if a sims+FX unit strikes you as a good way to go then may I also suggest the Vox Tonelab? We gave my brother-in-law a Tonelab LE for his [cough-cough]-th birthday and naturally I've messed with it a bit. To my (and other) ears the Vox units differ from most in covering the clean sounds particularly well, whereas most such as Boss and Line6 tend to do better at the overdriven tones.

And as well as endless hours of headphone practice these toys also have a lot to offer for recording, if that is something that interests you.

Some options.

Cheers - C

_________________

I have had two months Fender G-DEC 30, I have been playing lately lot with headphones with it at home. I am very pleased with it.
Mustang is also good amp; G-DEC has more opportunities.

I've got one of these...



A Line 6 POD X3. Big fan of the Line 6 stuff. It gets the Big Hairy Seal of Approval! Great with headphones and and awesome tool for home recording.

Andy

_________________
Pending Greatness

i use a tascam cd-gt1. i use it almost every day.

Right now I am leaning in the direction of a Boss ME-25. Tried one out today because it was on special for the hollidays. I was playing it through a Blues Jr and it had some really nice preset tones, although a bunch of presets I likely wouldn't use, but I might get into death metal you never know I guess.

I think I'll sleep on it but it was the first multi effects processor I have ever liked. It could also replace some of my pedals that I never really use and sell them off to buy some other new gear.

_________________
CREDO ELVEM IPSUM ETAIM VIVERE

I use one of these and can't find much wrong with Headphone or to Amp to my ears anyhow
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZA0Hepzp54

I use a VOX AC30 headphone amp I got a few years ago, but more or less strictly for just hooking a line cable to it so that I may record any ideas through Audacity. I don't usually prefer it all the time because of the lack of reverb, but it does make a nice reliable travel amplifier to just stow in your case.

Or there's the Amplitube app for iPhones if you have one. It can take a while to load, but it is a neat gimmick to play with as far as "silent playing" goes.

I have to practise through headphones a lot of the time too, I have a Line 6 Pod 2.0, which is plugged into a Line 6 Spider amp, and since the amp has a headphones socket I use that. I like Line 6 gear and have been able to get some good sounds from this set up, but I don't think it is to everyones tastes.

I would say try a multi fx processor but also I'm pretty new to guitar in general and there are a lot of guys on here WAY more experienced in that kind of thing!

Hope you get it sorted out!

Drew

I perfer to use a effect box for headphones. It's very portable with effects and amps and you can use it on a bed, recliner, laying down standing up, etc. This Digitech RP150 is very inexpensive and has volume level adjustments. With headphone no amp required.



Only disadvantage is it requires a wall wart.