Tom Godwin haha, me too 😂 and what do you think of those tones ? I have a small Vox Night Train 2watts into 1 great cabinet, and my dream amp VOX AC15HW1, both giving my prefered tones. For curiosity I should try that Boss Katana to make my mind, TH-cam vids show great tone from it, but here with a mic' in the room I don't like it. My 1st amp was a Mustang 20, no great tones until I changed the speaker, nevertheless does not compare to my Vox tones.
@@DrewKane I agree and disagree the Katana can change wattage and you can hook it up to the computer and have access to a lot of pedals. If you want simple that sounds good the Champion 50XL is not a bad choice either. Both are good but I think the Katana was for me because you can change the wattage and I got a friend that knows a lot about computers and helped me dial in all the tones I like.
I bought the Fender Champion after giving it a go at a local guitar shop. It sounds great and is a lot of bang for your buck. I use it as a living room/practice amp. Gets loud enough for a jam with another guitarist and bassist and could even be used on a coffee shop gig. The amp models sound really good, and the effects get the point across well enough.
@@bardock11 thats the thing, I hate fifa ive lost many relationships with fifa, when i play the game i am more annoyed at it than anything else, yet i buy it every year, its like crack....
One problem with amps that have an overload of FX, options etc. is that young players can spend too much time fiddling and messing - just like with keyboards that have a zillion rhythm and keyboard types as standard. The Blackstar sounds excellent, but for me it's the Fender 20 that wins out. It's less complex, has a good but not overblown range of options and FX and sounds good. Justin was also right about the bass response of the Fender having more fullness. I have had the Fender for some time now and love it. Purely as a personal preference, I prefer amps where all the controls face forwards rather than being on top.
Justin always just amazes me with his playing. I know this is about amps but I love his lessons and listening to him play. I will receive a 20 watt Marshall tomorrow so excited to watch this. For home practice/play only. My first tube amp!!!
Most of those who play guitar don't have much money and that was my case for many years so my advice would be to all those young (or not so young) who start playing guitar to start modeling on computer You will always have a lot of snobs to tell you that you have to buy a tube amp etc. but the reality is that computer simulators work very well nowadays, it's not like when I started playing guitar more than 10 years ago I take for example Bias FX from Positiv Grid that I use regularly For the equivalent of 200 $ (depending on the software you take it varies) you have access to all pedals you may need and all amps including the same guitar simulator which allows you to play even with a cheap guitar It's even suitable for beginners because even if you don't know how to use this kind of software most of them offer ready-made presets according to the music you are interested in playing And don't listen to the snobes in music, the important thing is that your audience connects to what you do and that you have fun, the rest is irrelevant
I have the Blackstar ID:Core 20 in my office and two Katana 50s in my music room. I also have a Yamaha THR10 in the livingroom (wife approved) and a Vox Mini 5 Rhythm. The most important piece is my Chocolate Labrador dog 🐾. She sings along to the tunes she likes. 😀
That Blackstar ID core sounds so much better than the Fender for similar money it is amazing. Well worth the extra £20 on the cost. Yes, the Fender had more bass but it was also very muddy for the treble side of things. Of course the Katana sounds better than the others but you would expect that for it having a 12 inch speaker.
@@tarunkumaar625 I prefer the Blackstar vs. Fender in this 8" speaker size...but I prefer the Fender Champ 40 to the mid sized Blackstar; though I use my own pedals and preamps so that probably has a lot to do with it. I have noticed the Power Amp section of the Blackstar's have a much more vibrant volume response at lower wattages.
I'm in an apartment and only play for myself right now so I actually picked up the Katana Mini. Not something you could ever play out with, but it does great for what it is! Also it's nice to be able to practice in another room without having to unplug, lug, and replug.
I feel like if you are going to go out and buy a budget amp, I think it'd be worth saving up a little extra and getting the Boss Katana. Sounds great for the price!
One thing they didn't mention is Zoom G3n also has headphone socket, so when you are learning looping you can mess up privately without having to plug into an amp. If you use its looper and drum then you loose a couple of effects, but can still record clean backing (or whatever amp setting you like) and then feed effects prior to looper, all with one unit. Also, built in tuner. Can turn off drum once loop established, plenty on TH-cam on how to set this up.
BOSS Katana 50 is the best non-tube amp value by a long shot. If you spend the money for this amp, whether for beginners or just a practice amp, you won't regret it.
Craig M The Katana is an amp that can take you from learning to play on to your first gig and becoming a regularly gigging guitarist. Back in 1997 I bought my first practice amp, then a couple of bigger amps that still didn’t work for gigging until finally getting a Marshall half stack. The Katana is the one amp you’ll ever need. Sure you may graduate to a tube amp one day, but the Katana works great live.
I bought my Katana 100 not too long ago. It wasn't that much more than the 50, plus it has a larger magnet on the speaker that really separates it tonally from the 50. Plus, it allows you to use the looper switch pedal. And you can always switch to the 5W channel and keep the Gain down for your neighbors' sake... or not. ;-) ROFL
@@anders2772 I cant think of the name of the mesa boogie amp that I played today at the store but it sounded so good. It was $1850 white and you can change the wattage and it sounds so good with out pedals. I have to stay in my lane I guess if I start saving now they will no longer make them and they will have a new one for $2800
But is it really that much better than a Katana? I think the Katana sounds almost as good while being louder and more versatile. You can gig with he Katana, try a bunch of pedals, record... The THR10 has it's place but it's more geared towards experienced musicions who wan't great sounds in an inoffensive design.
Big fan of the Katana, and ahve recommended it to a few people, though I tend to suggest the 100 is a much better choice than the 50 for not a whole lot more money
Been at it since about seventy six. Got about fifteen K of guitars alone, but still really enjoyed this. Stick at it, save yer money, trade wisely and you’ll soon get some great gear.
I own a Boss Katana Mk II and from my point of view it might be a bit overwealming with all the Options and Settings on this Amp for a complete Beginner. I see myself as a intermediate beginner and i only scratched the edges of options of it.
For me with my budget it has to be the fender, I thought I would have chosen the black star but I like the simplicity of the fender mixed with the sweet tone and it's just for home use really. Thanx guys I'm looking for an amp this helped.
Bought my son his first rig for Xmas. Revelation LP junior doublecut guitar with Entwistle P90, Epiphone 50W valve head and a 2x12 cab with vintage Fanes in it, all scrounged off ebay and elsewhere. Sounds and plays lovely. Give them something they can be interested in and inspired by and it won't end up sitting in a corner gathering dust.
How to buy a beginner guitar amp. Step 1. Buy a Boss Katana or a Yamaha THR10. Hell, even a used DigiTech GSP1101 or an Eleven Rack can be found for about $200.
After years and years of trying different gear for home use i have come to the conclusion that the best setup for home is a multi FX processor through an active full range speaker. I get better results from that than a "real" guitar practice amp.
I bought the fender champ 20 as my first amp. Make no mistakes it is a loud little amp I rarely cranked her over 3. Dirty channel just didn’t give me the sound I wanted. Clean channels has great classic fender sound.
absolutely brilliant content! as someone coming back to playing guitar after many years, this got back up to speed quickly with the essential information. cheers!
DVMark Jazz amp, 400 euros, best amp of my life. Solid state but very warm. Super efficient EQ, great reverb, and light as a feather. I've stopped looking for amps since I got it. Of course it has no distortion, but takes any pedal like a king. Might buy a second one to get the good stereo sound.
Happy with my new Blackstar Silverline G10...might not be everybodys thing but I just have a thing for the way Blackstar amps sound and I LOVE it! I have a Blackstar acoustic amp too, and again, it's just great!
Sometimes it's more than budget it's about circumstance. I downgraded from a Fender Bassman Reissue (70 watts tube) to Fender Champion 20 which is perfect for at home playing. I don't gig or play with anyone else and have young kids and need lower Volume. I stayed away from the Mustangs and the Boss Katana because obselence. It's only 5 years and those amps won't work with your PC or Cell Phone. The Champion wont have that problem. Boss had better effects but Fender has the better clean sound. I keep it on the Blackpanel Green (Deluxe voice) and use slapback delay, spring reverb, or Tremolo based on the song. Sounds great with my Gretsch hollowbody.
Im a beginner and i just went ahead and got the Boss Katana 2 50 watt. ($229) All the things on it are a bit overwhelming but i figured i really wont have to buy another amp as i advance so its worth it.
I think it comes down to preference... I personally liked the sounds of the blackstar. I mean you probably can mimic them with the eq settings in katana but still would i really want to pay double the price rn to get that when i can have what i like personally. In the end right now all that matters is getting something that you want to hear not the world. Coz you're the one who has to practice everyday and having something you like to hear goes a long way in keeping you motivated.
The funny thing with these small practice amplifiers, in my opinion, is that they tend combine too much power with too small speakers, which still puzzles me. Basically 1W is more than enough for home use, maybe even too much if you combine it with a reasonably big speaker cabinet like a 2x12. Meaning why not reduce the power to 1W/0.5W/0.1W and scale up the cabinet to at least a 1x12? But I suppose the simple answer, as usual, is the manufacturing price of the speakers and the bigger cabinet.
Two answers . The real small amps ( oversimplified) are using full range speakers such as in boom boxes , with the electronics programed to emulate traditional guitar voiced speakers . If they're being used as actual portable amps , size does matter .
Thanks for this Captain, Pete, and Justin. I have been looking at amps for a while now and I thinks this just convinced me more about the Fender. I think simple, no PC involved kind of thing is what I need!
I loved this and would enjoy seeing a "your first tube amp" one. I have a few and am still exploring to find where I want to go. Having the room sound was a good reference point!
Very useful guys -- this series with Justin for beginner kit is hugely exciting, useful and suprising ... especially the EastCoast stuff! - what a bargain!!
Here are my thoughts: 1. The speakers should be 10" or 12" speakers rated 95Db or higher. 2. Speaker placement relative to a listener or microphone changes the sound. The speakers and speaker placement is by far the most important part of your sound. 3. If you like the sound of a cranked tube amp, get a low watt tube amp and crank it up. The higher wattage on a tube amp was meant to get a cleaner sound on a higher volume. 4. If you want a clean sound, use a solid state amp because they will stay clean at any volume. 5. If you want a distorted sound and a solid state/computer amp, do not use the distorted sound of the amp unless it mimics a distortion pedal. Generally solid state amp owners don't like the sound of the distortion that has come with their amps. Use a distortion pedal or fuzz pedal instead. This might be changing as new models are constantly being made. 6. Don't try to copy somebody's sound because the sound chain is far to complicated for that. Learn to play because Jimmy Page played led Zeppelin songs using a Telecaster through a sound board and a Gibson through a Marshall and fans still can't tell the difference. 7. You can plug a guitar into a bass amp, but not a bass into a guitar amp because it will eventually destroy the speakers.
Nobody: Me: My advice for buying any guitar amp, first or not, is to understand the amp is as much an instrument as the guitar. Know the different types and how they sound like (start with the basic "families", Fender, Marshall and Vox, and understand how and why they are different). Spend as much, if not more, money/attention/effort in your amp as you do on your guitar.
Im curious why the Fender Champion 50XL wasnt included in this lineup. Happened to have just watched the shootout from last year where Pete and Rabea both said that bang for buck tone they would take the XL over the Katana. Have opinions changed since then?
I have a Fender Champ 20 that I use to practice thru.No problems with it always works great. Just a perfect practice amp. Can't go wrong for 100 bucks.
I got a Boss Katana II 50w. Nice because it has a 0.5W, 25W, and 50W selector. Have access to all the boss effects through USB. Looking for a second amp for my daughter. That fender champion 20 might be the ticket. Who knows.
Back then in 2019 , the 10W "starter pack " amps sold used for next to nothing , not uncommon for friends to give them away . Nowadays , GC has them listed at +/- $100 .
Where can I buy one of those stools that you are all sitting on? I'm looking for a solid stool with a back (I've got back issues) and the stools you are sitting on look like good, quality stools. I see them in all of your videos...
I agree that small amps has come along way since I guess 1993. The state of art was for Marshall the valvestate and my choice was the 8100 100 watt top with a 1960 cab. The idea was not change to much and with a 1960 well the only thing would be the upgrade in amp heads besides transport. Sadly I thought that I am not into lots of different effects so got a Digitech rp 1 multi effect board which I forever tried to dial in the tones I liked. A bit awakening was youtube my first setup to see that the tone really was in the 8100.
Anders Jørgensen the 8100 was my first serious amp and it worked really well. Tried the Boss GT3 multi effects back then but they just weren’t good sounding and user friendly the way they are today. The 8100 with a Blues Driver as a solo boost got me through hundreds of gigs.
I know what they were trying to imply regarding the amp being the predominant source of tone but the prs sounded miles better and made every amp sound much better. Kind of the opposite that they were trying to illustrate.
I bought a vox pathfinder 3 years ago and I can confidently say I’m not a beginner but I sold it a while back. Now I want a new amp and I heard a blues junior at GC and got that’s a dream
Ibanez GRX20...hands down one of the best guitars for beginners. It's got great action, a good board, dual humbuckers that sound good, and only cost 120 pounds.
So people always talk about 8” speakers in small amps and 12” speakers in the nicer amps. Seems like no one uses 10” speakers really. I have a Vox Cambridge 30 with 2 10” Celestion speakers in it, and it’s awesome
"Conclusion: There is no right and there is no wrong. Just do what you wanna do. If you wanna spend all your money on the best guitar you can get, then get a cheap amplifier, you can make great noises. If you wanna spend all your money on an expensive amplifier and a cheap guitar, you can make great noises." - Lee Anderton, 2016 th-cam.com/video/Xu_plv2CTEM/w-d-xo.html
Comparing the Boss Katana 50 with these other amps is not too fair. To be in the same tier of the Katana, the choice from fender should be the Champion 40 (at least) instead of the 20.
I just picked up an 'As New' Vox Pathfinder 10 for £25, after using a Blackstar Fly 3 for the last two years. The Vox, even at full price (around £70), is probably all the practice amp I will ever need. Great tones. Still have a desire for a Yamaha THR10ii though. . .
Thank you for the insight, very useful! I have a beginner's question. I'm a bit confused about how much power (watts) one actually needs if they want to use their amps not just at home but also at smaller gigs (like in a bar, small stage, etc.) It would be logical to think that the bigger the hall you perform in, the more watts you need. However, to my recollection, the amplified sound the audience hears almost never actually comes from the speakers of your amp. Instead, the stage will have their own power amplifier system with speakers and the musician's amp is just micophoned up or connected to the mixing console with an equivalent method. Since the microphone is placed directly in front of the guitar amp's speaker, does it even matter if it is a 5 or a 50 watt amplifier? What am I missing here? Thanks in advance.
The Marshall MG FX amps are pretty nice for starter amps I think... similar to what Captain said about the Fender, more straight forward , with knobs that are more like akin to analog controls of older tech....but allows you to save a preset for each "channel".... to recall that sound later on.... Another I looked into and really thought sounded great, was the Blackstar ID:30TVP... I ended up with the Marshall MG30CFX to start out, as the Blackstar was a good bit more expensive at that time/place. I didn't like the sound of Fender Champion amps for some reason... My thoughts would be to get something fairly small and inexpensive, like what comes in a starter package, or similar.... and then if interest develops into a genuine passion, then save for a nice second amp like a Katana, or something similar with 10-12" speaker... I'm really still enjoying the Marshall, especially with the addition of the footswitch, and now looking into what will be the next steps of our journey....
My grandson used an old Peavey Blazer 158 that I bought years ago as a steel guitar practice amp. His guitar is a PRS SE I found used for $350 in excellent condition. Solid state, 15 watts, 8 inch speaker. Very clean. Pretty quiet. For his birthday this year after 2 years of consistent practice I bought him a Boss Katana. Now he can play with friends at his place or theirs. And they are not in my music room thrashing thousands of dollars of instruments.
I’d go for an inexpensive Vox mini 5 or 3, Bugera V5 or a Blackstar HT1. But that’s gonna be almost $200. The Vox mini 3 is $149. Those are new prices. Cool video, below $200 is a tough price point for amps. But I’ve been playing for a bit now if I was just starting that IDcore would have been sweet!
Great to see Justin here, the man is a national treasure.
I’ve played guitar for 20 years and own lots of expensive equipment but I’m still sitting here watching and enjoying this video 😂
Tom Godwin haha, me too 😂 and what do you think of those tones ? I have a small Vox Night Train 2watts into 1 great cabinet, and my dream amp VOX AC15HW1, both giving my prefered tones. For curiosity I should try that Boss Katana to make my mind, TH-cam vids show great tone from it, but here with a mic' in the room I don't like it. My 1st amp was a Mustang 20, no great tones until I changed the speaker, nevertheless does not compare to my Vox tones.
If any beginners are reading this. Buy the Boss Katana.
Where's Seamus? Yamaha THR10
Yes, there are a lot of used ones available!!! ???
Or a Fender Champion 50XL. Same price as a Boss Katana. Better cleans, meaning a better pedal platform for most people.
100% agree. Even our favorite TH-cam guitarists (Rob/Rab/etc) will jam on those bad boys. I also own one and can confirm they’re great
@@DrewKane I agree and disagree the Katana can change wattage and you can hook it up to the computer and have access to a lot of pedals. If you want simple that sounds good the Champion 50XL is not a bad choice either. Both are good but I think the Katana was for me because you can change the wattage and I got a friend that knows a lot about computers and helped me dial in all the tones I like.
I bought the Fender Champion after giving it a go at a local guitar shop. It sounds great and is a lot of bang for your buck. I use it as a living room/practice amp. Gets loud enough for a jam with another guitarist and bassist and could even be used on a coffee shop gig. The amp models sound really good, and the effects get the point across well enough.
still have my Frontman 25R and after throwing a Jensen MOD speaker in it its pretty solid. I am a computer guy but I like my amps simple :)
4:40 - "and it is 50 quid. That's the same price as the FIFA on Playstation."
And it has no -surprise mechanics- gambling in it, unlike FIFA!
mmm yes "surprise mechanics"
It'll also keep it's value much better and nobody, except maybe your neighbours, will hate you for buying it.
@@woutervanr I hate myself for buying FIFA
@@Deankau If you're enjoying it, it doesn't make sense feeling bad. school for the future, I guess :P
@@bardock11 thats the thing, I hate fifa ive lost many relationships with fifa, when i play the game i am more annoyed at it than anything else, yet i buy it every year, its like crack....
I think the dog is the best purchase of all these equipment. He makes sounds on its own. Plus it doesn't run on electricity. Best buy right there!
Really loving these beginner friendly vids, guys. It's nice to get back to the fundamentals for a refresher course.
One problem with amps that have an overload of FX, options etc. is that young players can spend too much time fiddling and messing - just like with keyboards that have a zillion rhythm and keyboard types as standard. The Blackstar sounds excellent, but for me it's the Fender 20 that wins out. It's less complex, has a good but not overblown range of options and FX and sounds good. Justin was also right about the bass response of the Fender having more fullness. I have had the Fender for some time now and love it. Purely as a personal preference, I prefer amps where all the controls face forwards rather than being on top.
I like it not being mic,ed up ,gives you an idea of what they really sound like when you get them home!
Justin always just amazes me with his playing. I know this is about amps but I love his lessons and listening to him play. I will receive a 20 watt Marshall tomorrow so excited to watch this. For home practice/play only. My first tube amp!!!
Most of those who play guitar don't have much money and that was my case for many years so my advice would be to all those young (or not so young) who start playing guitar to start modeling on computer
You will always have a lot of snobs to tell you that you have to buy a tube amp etc. but the reality is that computer simulators work very well nowadays, it's not like when I started playing guitar more than 10 years ago
I take for example Bias FX from Positiv Grid that I use regularly
For the equivalent of 200 $ (depending on the software you take it varies) you have access to all pedals you may need and all amps including the same guitar simulator which allows you to play even with a cheap guitar
It's even suitable for beginners because even if you don't know how to use this kind of software most of them offer ready-made presets according to the music you are interested in playing
And don't listen to the snobes in music, the important thing is that your audience connects to what you do and that you have fun, the rest is irrelevant
I have the Blackstar ID:Core 20 in my office and two Katana 50s in my music room.
I also have a Yamaha THR10 in the livingroom (wife approved) and a Vox Mini 5 Rhythm.
The most important piece is my Chocolate Labrador dog 🐾. She sings along to the tunes she likes. 😀
Angus Black The Vox mini is sweet! I sing, run drum tracks (iPad) and guitar with it! Great for busking!
That Blackstar ID core sounds so much better than the Fender for similar money it is amazing. Well worth the extra £20 on the cost. Yes, the Fender had more bass but it was also very muddy for the treble side of things. Of course the Katana sounds better than the others but you would expect that for it having a 12 inch speaker.
James Lewis agree 100% I like the blackstar sound better then katana but the katana is louder and can play with drummer
@@tarunkumaar625 I prefer the Blackstar vs. Fender in this 8" speaker size...but I prefer the Fender Champ 40 to the mid sized Blackstar; though I use my own pedals and preamps so that probably has a lot to do with it. I have noticed the Power Amp section of the Blackstar's have a much more vibrant volume response at lower wattages.
Yamaha THR 5, 10 is a personal favourite for the price of them.
14:47 Justin rocking out! 🤘🤘🤘
I want the dog......sod the guitars n amps ...
I'm in an apartment and only play for myself right now so I actually picked up the Katana Mini. Not something you could ever play out with, but it does great for what it is! Also it's nice to be able to practice in another room without having to unplug, lug, and replug.
I feel like if you are going to go out and buy a budget amp, I think it'd be worth saving up a little extra and getting the Boss Katana. Sounds great for the price!
100% Agree. Got for my second amp, never disappointed
Best Combo Amp I´ve ever played! Get the foot-control and you have one of the most versatile rigs on the market!
The Katana amps are great. I've got the head and run it through an old Marshall valvestate 4x12 and it is a killer setup.
@@LucyWithoutDiamonds
Which foot control can be used with the 50?
@@profd65 Only the small one. If you would ask me, I would suggest the 100 version all the way!
I actually like the mic setup you're using in these videos! It shows how the amps actually sound in a room
That dog is adorable.
One thing they didn't mention is Zoom G3n also has headphone socket, so when you are learning looping you can mess up privately without having to plug into an amp. If you use its looper and drum then you loose a couple of effects, but can still record clean backing (or whatever amp setting you like) and then feed effects prior to looper, all with one unit. Also, built in tuner. Can turn off drum once loop established, plenty on TH-cam on how to set this up.
BOSS Katana 50 is the best non-tube amp value by a long shot. If you spend the money for this amp, whether for beginners or just a practice amp, you won't regret it.
Craig M The Katana is an amp that can take you from learning to play on to your first gig and becoming a regularly gigging guitarist. Back in 1997 I bought my first practice amp, then a couple of bigger amps that still didn’t work for gigging until finally getting a Marshall half stack. The Katana is the one amp you’ll ever need. Sure you may graduate to a tube amp one day, but the Katana works great live.
Craig better than vox VT20X?
I love Justin, did the beginner course then paid for the rest. Best teacher out there!!
When they became available I got the Boss Katana 100w. My neighbours hate me :p
I did the same, I feel that it pretty much does everything I'll need for a long time.
I play a Mesa Boogie Quad preamp and 295 poweramp. My next door neigbors like it as long as its not to late at night
Got the 50W version which can already be really loud. The neighbours are “OK” with it 😅. But damn it’s such a loud small amp.
I bought my Katana 100 not too long ago. It wasn't that much more than the 50, plus it has a larger magnet on the speaker that really separates it tonally from the 50. Plus, it allows you to use the looper switch pedal. And you can always switch to the 5W channel and keep the Gain down for your neighbors' sake... or not. ;-) ROFL
@@anders2772 I cant think of the name of the mesa boogie amp that I played today at the store but it sounded so good. It was $1850 white and you can change the wattage and it sounds so good with out pedals. I have to stay in my lane I guess if I start saving now they will no longer make them and they will have a new one for $2800
Loved loved loved the audio in these videos. More raw & better comparison to me...just my opinion
Yamaha THR10X, that green monster has all the guitar tones from van halen to van halen. also it has a clean channel for grandpa anderson.
But is it really that much better than a Katana? I think the Katana sounds almost as good while being louder and more versatile. You can gig with he Katana, try a bunch of pedals, record...
The THR10 has it's place but it's more geared towards experienced musicions who wan't great sounds in an inoffensive design.
Big fan of the Katana, and ahve recommended it to a few people, though I tend to suggest the 100 is a much better choice than the 50 for not a whole lot more money
id core for the bedroom person, katana for the garage person. Love my little id core
Tim Fletcher me too man it’s great.. with drummer go with katana without I like the core id better
Been at it since about seventy six. Got about fifteen K of guitars alone, but still really enjoyed this. Stick at it, save yer money, trade wisely and you’ll soon get some great gear.
Again the room mics are sooo great. Pls more 😁
I own a Boss Katana Mk II and from my point of view it might be a bit overwealming with all the Options and Settings on this Amp for a complete Beginner. I see myself as a intermediate beginner and i only scratched the edges of options of it.
For me with my budget it has to be the fender, I thought I would have chosen the black star but I like the simplicity of the fender mixed with the sweet tone and it's just for home use really. Thanx guys I'm looking for an amp this helped.
Champion 20 is special I have owned both the 20 and the 40, if you are in a small unit or flat the 8 inch speaker delivers in spades
It's my favorite thing in the world with the second thing I love the most, meaning dogs and guitars, respectively
I am getting a gently used katana 50w today and I am SO excited.
I love my Katana. Seriously, I can’t believe the sounds. Crazy value.
Bought my son his first rig for Xmas. Revelation LP junior doublecut guitar with Entwistle P90, Epiphone 50W valve head and a 2x12 cab with vintage Fanes in it, all scrounged off ebay and elsewhere. Sounds and plays lovely. Give them something they can be interested in and inspired by and it won't end up sitting in a corner gathering dust.
surprised the yamaha THR didnt make an appearances. best sounding amp for bedroom volumes imo
How to buy a beginner guitar amp. Step 1. Buy a Boss Katana or a Yamaha THR10. Hell, even a used DigiTech GSP1101 or an Eleven Rack can be found for about $200.
TheSpineSplitter1990 I am a beginner and I absolutely love my Katana 50.
Unless you only have half that money
Stageright 15w tube amp or a Blackstar HT5R on sale for $250 US
I have the THR10X and my god is it the best beginner amp for all your metal needs. I can get an insane death metal sound on that small thing
MI first amp is a Fender Champion 40. Amazing value.
After years and years of trying different gear for home use i have come to the conclusion that the best setup for home is a multi FX processor through an active full range speaker. I get better results from that than a "real" guitar practice amp.
I bought the fender champ 20 as my first amp. Make no mistakes it is a loud little amp I rarely cranked her over 3. Dirty channel just didn’t give me the sound I wanted. Clean channels has great classic fender sound.
absolutely brilliant content! as someone coming back to playing guitar after many years, this got back up to speed quickly with the essential information. cheers!
The Katana range is phenomenal. I'd highly recommend it to anyone who's interested in likely the most versatile amp in the 150.00-200.00 price point
DVMark Jazz amp, 400 euros, best amp of my life. Solid state but very warm. Super efficient EQ, great reverb, and light as a feather. I've stopped looking for amps since I got it. Of course it has no distortion, but takes any pedal like a king. Might buy a second one to get the good stereo sound.
Jean, does it work well with a tele single coil guitar or it only works well with humbuckers. Only interested in clean jazzy sound. Thanks.
Great series of videos guys! Loved the cheap guitar vs expensive comparison. Really highlighted what you were trying to say 👍🏻
Happy with my new Blackstar Silverline G10...might not be everybodys thing but I just have a thing for the way Blackstar amps sound and I LOVE it! I have a Blackstar acoustic amp too, and again, it's just great!
Sometimes it's more than budget it's about circumstance. I downgraded from a Fender Bassman Reissue (70 watts tube) to Fender Champion 20 which is perfect for at home playing. I don't gig or play with anyone else and have young kids and need lower Volume. I stayed away from the Mustangs and the Boss Katana because obselence. It's only 5 years and those amps won't work with your PC or Cell Phone. The Champion wont have that problem. Boss had better effects but Fender has the better clean sound. I keep it on the Blackpanel Green (Deluxe voice) and use slapback delay, spring reverb, or Tremolo based on the song. Sounds great with my Gretsch hollowbody.
Im a beginner and i just went ahead and got the Boss Katana 2 50 watt. ($229) All the things on it are a bit overwhelming but i figured i really wont have to buy another amp as i advance so its worth it.
I think it comes down to preference... I personally liked the sounds of the blackstar. I mean you probably can mimic them with the eq settings in katana but still would i really want to pay double the price rn to get that when i can have what i like personally.
In the end right now all that matters is getting something that you want to hear not the world. Coz you're the one who has to practice everyday and having something you like to hear goes a long way in keeping you motivated.
The funny thing with these small practice amplifiers, in my opinion, is that they tend combine too much power with too small speakers, which still puzzles me.
Basically 1W is more than enough for home use, maybe even too much if you combine it with a reasonably big speaker cabinet like a 2x12.
Meaning why not reduce the power to 1W/0.5W/0.1W and scale up the cabinet to at least a 1x12?
But I suppose the simple answer, as usual, is the manufacturing price of the speakers and the bigger cabinet.
Two answers .
The real small amps ( oversimplified) are using full range speakers such as in boom boxes , with the electronics programed to emulate traditional guitar voiced speakers .
If they're being used as actual portable amps , size does matter .
Thanks for this Captain, Pete, and Justin. I have been looking at amps for a while now and I thinks this just convinced me more about the Fender. I think simple, no PC involved kind of thing is what I need!
I loved this and would enjoy seeing a "your first tube amp" one. I have a few and am still exploring to find where I want to go. Having the room sound was a good reference point!
I choose the doggy amp, might not sound the greatest but it will always love you.
My first amp was Marshall MG15 GFX, really nice. Then the Marshall code 50. Nothing suits a Les Paul guitar better.
Very useful guys --
this series with Justin for beginner kit is hugely exciting, useful and suprising ... especially the EastCoast stuff! - what a bargain!!
I had a Gorilla too. Wasp in a jam jar is right on! But where is the Orange 20RT?? GREAT practice amp!
Here are my thoughts:
1. The speakers should be 10" or 12" speakers rated 95Db or higher.
2. Speaker placement relative to a listener or microphone changes the sound. The speakers and speaker placement is by far the most important part of your sound.
3. If you like the sound of a cranked tube amp, get a low watt tube amp and crank it up. The higher wattage on a tube amp was meant to get a cleaner sound on a higher volume.
4. If you want a clean sound, use a solid state amp because they will stay clean at any volume.
5. If you want a distorted sound and a solid state/computer amp, do not use the distorted sound of the amp unless it mimics a distortion pedal. Generally solid state amp owners don't like the sound of the distortion that has come with their amps. Use a distortion pedal or fuzz pedal instead. This might be changing as new models are constantly being made.
6. Don't try to copy somebody's sound because the sound chain is far to complicated for that. Learn to play because Jimmy Page played led Zeppelin songs using a Telecaster through a sound board and a Gibson through a Marshall and fans still can't tell the difference.
7. You can plug a guitar into a bass amp, but not a bass into a guitar amp because it will eventually destroy the speakers.
Nobody:
Me: My advice for buying any guitar amp, first or not, is to understand the amp is as much an instrument as the guitar. Know the different types and how they sound like (start with the basic "families", Fender, Marshall and Vox, and understand how and why they are different). Spend as much, if not more, money/attention/effort in your amp as you do on your guitar.
Im curious why the Fender Champion 50XL wasnt included in this lineup. Happened to have just watched the shootout from last year where Pete and Rabea both said that bang for buck tone they would take the XL over the Katana. Have opinions changed since then?
What about Vox pathfinder 10?
Love this series! Stepping up from an acoustic so great info! Thanks
Boss katana mk 2 is crazy value. With connecting to computer it goes up to 55 different tones... Worth the money
I have a Fender Champ 20 that I use to practice thru.No problems with it always works great. Just a perfect practice amp. Can't go wrong for 100 bucks.
I got a Boss Katana II 50w. Nice because it has a 0.5W, 25W, and 50W selector. Have access to all the boss effects through USB.
Looking for a second amp for my daughter. That fender champion 20 might be the ticket. Who knows.
Crazy how much the price has gone up on the Katana
Back then in 2019 , the 10W "starter pack " amps sold used for next to nothing , not uncommon for friends to give them away .
Nowadays , GC has them listed at +/- $100 .
Good banter with these 3 dudes 👌
Where can I buy one of those stools that you are all sitting on? I'm looking for a solid stool with a back (I've got back issues) and the stools you are sitting on look like good, quality stools. I see them in all of your videos...
Just buy the Marshall DSL 100...ya know ya need it..or a orange crush 12 with a speaker out added....
Clinton N got one from 97, I’ve played through it every single day for years and years
If you are a complete beginner any old amp will do as long as you can make some noise with it. My first 'amp' was a radiogram(ask your dad/grandad.)
I agree that small amps has come along way since I guess 1993. The state of art was for Marshall the valvestate and my choice was the 8100 100 watt top with a 1960 cab.
The idea was not change to much and with a 1960 well the only thing would be the upgrade in amp heads besides transport.
Sadly I thought that I am not into lots of different effects so got a Digitech rp 1 multi effect board which I forever tried to dial in the tones I liked.
A bit awakening was youtube my first setup to see that the tone really was in the 8100.
Anders Jørgensen the 8100 was my first serious amp and it worked really well. Tried the Boss GT3 multi effects back then but they just weren’t good sounding and user friendly the way they are today. The 8100 with a Blues Driver as a solo boost got me through hundreds of gigs.
Beautiful dog, thank you for posting.
HT Blackstar
I know what they were trying to imply regarding the amp being the predominant source of tone but the prs sounded miles better and made every amp sound much better. Kind of the opposite that they were trying to illustrate.
You should use the fender 40. It has a 12” speaker
I bought a vox pathfinder 3 years ago and I can confidently say I’m not a beginner but I sold it a while back. Now I want a new amp and I heard a blues junior at GC and got that’s a dream
Thank you all.
Ibanez GRX20...hands down one of the best guitars for beginners. It's got great action, a good board, dual humbuckers that sound good, and only cost 120 pounds.
Justin is so good at teaching guitar that his dog is better than me at guitar.
So people always talk about 8” speakers in small amps and 12” speakers in the nicer amps. Seems like no one uses 10” speakers really. I have a Vox Cambridge 30 with 2 10” Celestion speakers in it, and it’s awesome
I have a black star id core 100wat amp
I bought it after my 1st practice amp because of that practice amp I was completely ready to get rid of
Plugged into the same amp right now... love it, a bit much for home use but who cares :)
"Conclusion: There is no right and there is no wrong. Just do what you wanna do. If you wanna spend all your money on the best guitar you can get, then get a cheap amplifier, you can make great noises. If you wanna spend all your money on an expensive amplifier and a cheap guitar, you can make great noises." - Lee Anderton, 2016
th-cam.com/video/Xu_plv2CTEM/w-d-xo.html
I've been playing for about 1 year and a half. I have a VOX VT20X and I just love it!!!
Michel Burelle how ?? Maybe you can give m sme tips on dialing the amp. It’s been 2 weeks and sucks everything
Great Series!!!
The Music Man Guitar amp is a brilliant amp which is solid state except for the 2x EL34 output tubes.
Comparing the Boss Katana 50 with these other amps is not too fair. To be in the same tier of the Katana, the choice from fender should be the Champion 40 (at least) instead of the 20.
I just picked up an 'As New' Vox Pathfinder 10 for £25, after using a Blackstar Fly 3 for the last two years. The Vox, even at full price (around £70), is probably all the practice amp I will ever need. Great tones. Still have a desire for a Yamaha THR10ii though. . .
Thank you for the insight, very useful! I have a beginner's question. I'm a bit confused about how much power (watts) one actually needs if they want to use their amps not just at home but also at smaller gigs (like in a bar, small stage, etc.) It would be logical to think that the bigger the hall you perform in, the more watts you need. However, to my recollection, the amplified sound the audience hears almost never actually comes from the speakers of your amp. Instead, the stage will have their own power amplifier system with speakers and the musician's amp is just micophoned up or connected to the mixing console with an equivalent method. Since the microphone is placed directly in front of the guitar amp's speaker, does it even matter if it is a 5 or a 50 watt amplifier? What am I missing here? Thanks in advance.
9:34 can someone tell me the name of that tune?
1968 Superlead Plexi is be all, end all beginner amp👍
Yeah maybe, but it's 2019.
i sat add a tad and get yamaha thr10.. or even thr5... though.. gottansay.. that blackstar is the winner.. as usually happens 🤘
the blackstar was a decent jump up in sound quality from the fender but the katana...flipperty flops "winning!"
my first amp was fender champion 20, now im rocking fender blues junior and vox ac15
6:00 - thank you. I certainly don't have the ear of these professionals, but I did not notice a difference at all.
The Marshall MG FX amps are pretty nice for starter amps I think... similar to what Captain said about the Fender, more straight forward , with knobs that are more like akin to analog controls of older tech....but allows you to save a preset for each "channel".... to recall that sound later on....
Another I looked into and really thought sounded great, was the Blackstar ID:30TVP... I ended up with the Marshall MG30CFX to start out, as the Blackstar was a good bit more expensive at that time/place.
I didn't like the sound of Fender Champion amps for some reason...
My thoughts would be to get something fairly small and inexpensive, like what comes in a starter package, or similar.... and then if interest develops into a genuine passion, then save for a nice second amp like a Katana, or something similar with 10-12" speaker...
I'm really still enjoying the Marshall, especially with the addition of the footswitch, and now looking into what will be the next steps of our journey....
thanks Fellas thanks Andertons!
15:00 ALRIGHT VERNON REID!!!!!!!!!!!!
My grandson used an old Peavey Blazer 158 that I bought years ago as a steel guitar practice amp. His guitar is a PRS SE I found used for $350 in excellent condition. Solid state, 15 watts, 8 inch speaker. Very clean. Pretty quiet. For his birthday this year after 2 years of consistent practice I bought him a Boss Katana. Now he can play with friends at his place or theirs. And they are not in my music room thrashing thousands of dollars of instruments.
I just got the Boss Katana 50 Watt II for $229, $5/month/48 months, Free shipping, at Sweetwater-Awesome 😊-p
I’d go for an inexpensive Vox mini 5 or 3, Bugera V5 or a Blackstar HT1. But that’s gonna be almost $200. The Vox mini 3 is $149. Those are new prices. Cool video, below $200 is a tough price point for amps. But I’ve been playing for a bit now if I was just starting that IDcore would have been sweet!
That eastcoast actually sounds quite good.