Hi,
This is my second post here. I joined, and made my first post, regarding someone's questions regarding a 40+ year old Sears 125XL amp, which happened to be the first serious amp I ever owned. It's ironic how we can end up coming full circle. After decades of playing almost nothing but tube amps, I'm looking, within a tight budget, at acquiring an amp more suitable for gigging, than the Peavey Valve King 50-watt 1X12 tube combo I've been playing for the last couple of years.
I figure I can get enough for the Peavey, to move into a SS amp in the 100-120 watt class, with 2X12 speakers. For value/price, my top candidates are all priced new, between $250 to $350, and some are generally available used, in the vicinity of $150-$250. So my question is really two-fold.
I should mention that outside of very infrequent efforts at soldering guitar pickups, switches, etc. I am functionally illiterate in terms of electronics. So, I'm dependent on amp techs, or the retailer when something goes wrong.
When it comes to entry-level SS 100+ watt amps, therefore, should I stick to buying brand-new, from a retailer with a strong return/replacement policy, such as Guitar Center? Or, am I on reasonably solid ground, buying a 2-4 year old used amp, if, during a 10-15 minute road-test, with my guitar, it behaves itself, doesn't crap out, and tends to hold a reasonably pleasing tone, without undue buzzing, humming, etc.?
Second, since these SS amps are all generically similar in terms of power and speaker configuration, based on others' experience, I am wondering if some of these are more prone to breakdown, or other problems, and therefore should be avoided, while some other model might have a far better record and be therefore, a more desirable alternative to the others. I really have very little background knowledge of any of these current-day SS amps, and would like to be as sure as possible of not choosing a lemon.
The leading amps I'm considering, include the Fender Frontman 212R, the Fender Mustang IV, The Acoustic G120 DSP, and the Behringer V-Tone GMX212 2X60watt Stereo amp. Members' input would be very sincerely appreciated. Thanks.
This is my second post here. I joined, and made my first post, regarding someone's questions regarding a 40+ year old Sears 125XL amp, which happened to be the first serious amp I ever owned. It's ironic how we can end up coming full circle. After decades of playing almost nothing but tube amps, I'm looking, within a tight budget, at acquiring an amp more suitable for gigging, than the Peavey Valve King 50-watt 1X12 tube combo I've been playing for the last couple of years.
I figure I can get enough for the Peavey, to move into a SS amp in the 100-120 watt class, with 2X12 speakers. For value/price, my top candidates are all priced new, between $250 to $350, and some are generally available used, in the vicinity of $150-$250. So my question is really two-fold.
I should mention that outside of very infrequent efforts at soldering guitar pickups, switches, etc. I am functionally illiterate in terms of electronics. So, I'm dependent on amp techs, or the retailer when something goes wrong.
When it comes to entry-level SS 100+ watt amps, therefore, should I stick to buying brand-new, from a retailer with a strong return/replacement policy, such as Guitar Center? Or, am I on reasonably solid ground, buying a 2-4 year old used amp, if, during a 10-15 minute road-test, with my guitar, it behaves itself, doesn't crap out, and tends to hold a reasonably pleasing tone, without undue buzzing, humming, etc.?
Second, since these SS amps are all generically similar in terms of power and speaker configuration, based on others' experience, I am wondering if some of these are more prone to breakdown, or other problems, and therefore should be avoided, while some other model might have a far better record and be therefore, a more desirable alternative to the others. I really have very little background knowledge of any of these current-day SS amps, and would like to be as sure as possible of not choosing a lemon.
The leading amps I'm considering, include the Fender Frontman 212R, the Fender Mustang IV, The Acoustic G120 DSP, and the Behringer V-Tone GMX212 2X60watt Stereo amp. Members' input would be very sincerely appreciated. Thanks.