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Post subject: Which amp should i buy?
Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2012 8:54 pm
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Hey guys, how's it going. Ive been playing guitar for just over 2 years now and i got a nice squier affinity series strat that i like fairly well, but my amp is a fender frontman 15 watt. im ready to uprgrade to something better. ive been looking over a couple amps and ive set my mind on either the fender mustang 2, the line 6 spider 4 30 watt, the marshall mg30dfx and the orange crush pix 35ldx. i dont have one genre of music i want to play, it ranges from led zeppelin to nirvana, green day to guns n roses, metallica to red hot chili peppers, so i just need an amp that can handle anything. i dont wanna play gigs on it, just for home, and please do not suggest an amp other than the ones i have already listed. also, i noticed the mustang 2 doesnt have a mid knob, but i really like the mid. i know its just a ratio of bass and treble, but i like cranking it up sometimes. the amp should also have high distortion (and i mean high distortion) and a reverb setting. thx for listening and hope u can help


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Post subject: Re: Which amp should i buy?
Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2012 9:47 pm
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Welcome to the forum.....To answer your question.......Mustang first choice due to software i'm presuming your young.....Marshall and Orange next...Not in that order though....

To answer the one you asked not to... :roll: ....... start thinking about if you play in bands and want real sound...... a Blues Jnr....its really what you should be buying instead of the Mustang..... But if your young go the mustang....you'll get instant gratification out of all the sounds......Then you'll get older and revert back to the start of this paragraph..... :wink:

Have fun with your playing!!!

Cheers....

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Post subject: Re: Which amp should i buy?
Posted: Tue Oct 16, 2012 12:31 am
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First, the Mustang 2 does have a mid knob - but it's hidden: Make sure you have the latest firmware, then I think you press and hold the EXIT button while turning the TREBLE knob. I'm sure someone with an M-II will confirm. Plus of course you can access the MID setting, and a lot of other settings, if you connect the amp to a PC and use 'FUSE' - Fender's software for controlling the Mustang amps.

Second, watch these videos for a good comparison of the Mustang 2 against other amps, including the Line 6 (but not the other two on your list):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erKaCn2wgLw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcXSmBXylWQ

The only way to tell which amp is right for you is to go and audition them all. I can only give you my opinion on which is best for me: I chose a Mustang because it has the best overall effects / sounds, is the easiest to configure (ok, I have the M-IV with the LCD screen; I wouldn't have chosen the M-II), and was the best value for price vs features. The Marshall MG series in particular seem overpriced and under-featured. The Line 6 Spider-IV amps were great when they came out, but their modelling and effects don't seem to be as good as newer amps.

Everyone's view on "high distortion" is different; I think the Mustang has higher distortion than any sane person could ever want; there are plenty of other equally-sane people who've posted on this forum that they can't get high enough gain from it!

One other point to consider: the Mustang 2 has a very directional speaker (although it wouldn't surprise me if the others on your shortlist do as well). If you're off-axis you lose a lot of the higher frequencies, which people have mistakenly thought was an amp fault. It's just the nature of the amp/speaker/cabinet design.


Last edited by scott-uk on Wed Oct 17, 2012 12:00 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: Which amp should i buy?
Posted: Tue Oct 16, 2012 5:45 am
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I've got the Marshall MG15 R (springline reverb) which I should think is very like the MG30
Cleans are nice but overdrive is very fizzy - maybe ok for metal.
It has a pushbutton for tube sim (forgot what they call it) so if you have that on and turn volume and treble down on the guitar and have overdrive at '1', it's usable and nicely responsive, but overdrive beyond '1.1' and its hideous.

The Mustang gives you a vast range of sounds - no competition
(maybe you want a valve amp, now that's a different discussion)


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Post subject: Re: Which amp should i buy?
Posted: Tue Oct 16, 2012 7:33 am
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I have the III, which has very similar sounds and features to the II, I don't think you'll be disappointed with the upgrade to the Mustang form the Frontman.

As you move forward with your playing, it should be able to to offer you what you'd need until you get to a point where you'll need to get something to handle shouting out over a bass and drum, and that's when you should come back and ask about tube combos, but I don't think that will be for a while.


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Post subject: Re: Which amp should i buy?
Posted: Tue Oct 16, 2012 9:32 am
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Quote:
a Blues Jnr....its really what you should be buying instead of the Mustang

Hmm, I tried the Blues Junior and Mustang side-by-side and (sacrilege!) preferred the sound of the Mustang. Even though the B-J is a valve/tube amp, and is plenty loud enough, it had a "small box" sound to it; the Mustang has a much fuller sound.

Quote:
that's when you should come back and ask about tube combo

Or upgrade to a bigger Mustang :D


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Post subject: Re: Which amp should i buy?
Posted: Tue Oct 16, 2012 5:39 pm
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Ok, thanks to all for replying. Since basically all of you said the mustang is the better choice, ill probably go with that, but i will still go to the store and try them all out. but could anyone also explain to me the mid effect on the mustang that one of you was talking about. they said
"First, the Mustang 2 does have a mid knob - but it's hidden: Make sure you have the latest firmware, then I think you press and hold the EXIT button while turning the TREBLE knob. I'm sure someone with an M-II will confirm. Plus of course you can access the MID setting, and a lot of other settings, if you connect the amp to a PC and use 'FUSE' - Fender's software for controlling the Mustang amps."
Ino about the fender fuse software, but i dont quite understand the exit button treble knob thing


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Post subject: Re: Which amp should i buy?
Posted: Tue Oct 16, 2012 6:46 pm
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ShaneMdn wrote:
could anyone also explain to me the mid effect on the mustang that one of you was talking about. they said
"First, the Mustang 2 does have a mid knob - but it's hidden: Make sure you have the latest firmware, then I think you press and hold the EXIT button while turning the TREBLE knob. I'm sure someone with an M-II will confirm. Plus of course you can access the MID setting, and a lot of other settings, if you connect the amp to a PC and use 'FUSE' - Fender's software for controlling the Mustang amps."
Ino about the fender fuse software, but i dont quite understand the exit button treble knob thing


So, you know that FUSE permits access to all the same controls/adjustments across the entire Mustang line.

However, the physical amps (or modeler, in the case of the Floor), have different layouts and numbers of switches and buttons.

It turns out that the MIII-IV and Floor have dedicated, physical "Mid" knobs, while the MII does not. But, there is still a way to adjust Mids on-amp on the MII (and MI and probably Mini) by pressing another button while turning the (otherwise dedicated) Treble knob. (Sorry, I don't know what the button is either; you can try searching past threads in this forum if Exit is not the one.)

HTH,

PITA


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Post subject: Re: Which amp should i buy?
Posted: Tue Oct 16, 2012 7:52 pm
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ok, thanks to everyone for their help. ill research the mustang 2 a bit more. thank you


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Post subject: Re: Which amp should i buy?
Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2012 3:28 am
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the M-III is more robust in regards to the user interface (has an LCD) wattage and compatibility with the other 4 button foot switch (I think there are some other diffs too)

When I ordered the M-III I did so from musicians friend... I asked if they could do better on the price, and they did...I paid about $250 for it, (it was going for $299. If my memory serves me, the M-II is $199, see where I'm going?

I guess I'm saying that this is something to consider...


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Post subject: Re: Which amp should i buy?
Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2012 6:34 pm
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Maybe off topic, has anyone tried the Vox modeling amp with a tube in it?

This looked enticing, and I'd be super interesting in trying it. Seems to be the best of both worlds, but I keep CONSISTANTLY hearing that the Fender modelers are just the superior choice all around.

Any plans for a Fender Tube modeling amp? I'd buy that in a second!


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Post subject: Re: Which amp should i buy?
Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2012 8:46 am
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Quote:
Any plans for a Fender Tube modeling amp? I'd buy that in a second!


I'm pretty sure that's what the Vibro Champ and Super Champ do!
(hybrid valve plus modelling and fx)


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Post subject: Re: Which amp should i buy?
Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2012 1:10 pm
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Oh haha, I had no idea those existed. I'm gonna check them out.


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Post subject: Re: Which amp should i buy?
Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2012 3:43 pm
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Itneveris said:Maybe off topic, has anyone tried the Vox modeling amp with a tube in it?

I would stay away from VOX for now because the new VT+ series have noisy A/D converters and also a noise gate problem, i have the VOX VT20+ and the self noise level is very high compared to my mustang I & V and also the other modeling amps that i have.

These VOX amps are a mixed bag,the clean and overdrive tones are pretty good but i do not like the high gain metal tones that much because they are thin and fizzy sounding. The mustang III-V is much better then the VOX VT+ modeling amps in my opinion.


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