Not bought an amp in a while and need advice

iamjethro

iamjethro

a good kind of terrible
I am looking for a small amp that will be mainly used as a stage monitor. Volume won't require a lot. Either need a speaker that plugs into the amp that can be unplugged so I can put a direct box in the line or a direct out built in to the amp to send to the mixing board that still allows the amp to be used as my stage monitor. Hope this is making sense.

Years ago I unplugged the speaker from a Peavey combo. I ran the cable from the amp to the d/o box then it split the signal to the board and the speaker from the replugged in speaker.

What is a good inexpensive way to do this these days? Prefer a combo amp so less carrying and strain on my 50 year old back.
 
at this point prob just electric. Playing live for first time in a long time. If I was doing the solo acoustic thing I think there are some out there. If I am getting most of my sound from My Tonelab on the floor I guess an acoustic amp would be ok just to monitor through. Hadn't thought that way.
 
Sounds like a job for a nice clean solid state combo. So many to choose from.

Me personally, I'd look for a used Roland JC 77 or JC 90.

But, there are a ton of other options out there.
 
Tech21 Trademark 30...

30 watts, solid state, 10" speaker, direct out for recording or mixing...small, light, loud enough, decent amp models available without needing a degree in programming...perfect for your needs...
 
iamjethro said:
at this point prob just electric. Playing live for first time in a long time. If I was doing the solo acoustic thing I think there are some out there. If I am getting most of my sound from My Tonelab on the floor I guess an acoustic amp would be ok just to monitor through. Hadn't thought that way.
Click to expand...

For whatever it's worth, when I was using a SansAmp for my "amp" sound, I used a portable keyboard amplifier as a monitor. They are designed exactly for that and most have a direct out for the PA.

It was compact and, with different preamps, I could use it for electric guitar, bass, or acoustic. The soundguy only had to worry about the "guitar" feed rather than remembering to pot up the acoustic and pull out the electric when I changed.

For clean electric tones and acoustic, it worked really well. For bass, it was good enough. I was never really happy with the distorted electric sound and I blame the SansAmp for that. I really, really wanted to try it with a Tonelab but I never got around to it. Instead, I ended up micing an Epiphone Valve Junior and sending that signal to the keyboard amp. That's when it kind of stopped being a simple rig.

The only thing I didn't like was it gave the guitar-hating soundguy too much control over my level. People were telling me, "Looked like you were working hard but I couldn't hear you." The drummer sometimes complained he had a hard time hearing me, too. He was only happy if I was blasting a Peavey Classic 50 in his face.
 
Well, I messed around a little tonight with a Fender Frontman 25 I have tonight with the guys I am playing with. I ran the guitar into the Effects/simulator, then into the DI box, then the DI split a low line out to the board and 1/4 inch into he amp. I only used the clean side of the amp. Any distortion or effect was strictly through the Floor pedal.

I think it worked ok, but not sure if it is the best way to do it. I could turn up if I needed to hear me more than strictly out of the monitors, but I do see where my sound out front is going to depend completely on the board guy.

But, I didn't spend any new money.
 
A used Fender Super Champ XD or the newer X2.

fender-super-champ-x2.jpg
 
Last edited:
Forgive me Weiners, for I am stupid.

Why would one use a guitar amp as a monitor?
I would think that the size of the speaker alone would dictate that the sound you are hearing would be different than what is actually being heard off stage.

Or am I just stupid?
 
el diablo said:
Forgive me Weiners, for I am stupid.

Why would one use a guitar amp as a monitor?
I would think that the size of the speaker alone would dictate that the sound you are hearing would be different than what is actually being heard off stage.

Or am I just stupid?
Click to expand...
If the front of house sound (as amplified by the PA) is being sourced through a direct box rather than a microphone the on stage amplifier is just there to provide monitoring for the band...so the size of amp needed is only dictated by the stage volume...

The Trademark 30 I recommended is a good option for this kind of setup as it has a goos Sansamp emulator and a balanced direct output to the PA, so no mic is needed, eliminating all the problems inherent to micing and amp...

Stupid is as stupid does...:shrug:
 
I am stupid.

Has on stage monitoring changed this much?
Back in the caveman music days, one would either mic an amp or run it direct ( if you could afford such a thing) and add after effects. But these were always outputted onstage by the way of neutral monitors. Amps are what they are named for. Amplifying sound, which always colors the original signal.

Not understanding this ( it's been aloooong week).

I just checked to make sure I was getting the OP, and I think I am. :confused:
 
el diablo said:
I am stupid.

Has on stage monitoring changed this much?
Back in the caveman music days, one would either mic an amp or run it direct ( if you could afford such a thing) and add after effects. But these were always outputted onstage by the way of neutral monitors. Amps are what they are named for. Amplifying sound, which always colors the original signal.

Not understanding this ( it's been aloooong week).

I just checked to make sure I was getting the OP, and I think I am. :confused:
Click to expand...
DI boxes, or amps with built in DI, are now taking a balanced signal tapped off the power stage just before it goes to the speaker, and they are adjusted to emulate the sound of the speaker, eliminating the need to process the signal any further...so the signal going to the board sounds just like a mic'd speaker...for smaller gigs, or for gigs where stage monitors are not available or questionable the only thing you need the actual amplifier for is so you can hear yourself...

The progress they've made in this stuff has really simplified stage setups...it's quite elegant now...
 
el diablo said:
Forgive me Weiners, for I am stupid.

Why would one use a guitar amp as a monitor?
I would think that the size of the speaker alone would dictate that the sound you are hearing would be different than what is actually being heard off stage.

Or am I just stupid?
Click to expand...

I haven't played with a group in a while but, when I did, the band mostly expected to see and hear the electric guitar coming from an electric guitar amp. The drummers mostly liked hearing it on stage from the amp. The monitors were more for hearing vocals.

At first I didn't like it because I thought the stage volume would screw up the mix for the audience. In practice, it doesn't seem to be a problem. I confess I really like hearing the sound of the amp, too. The downside is the audience might be hearing something very different.
 
Yeah, the amp is just for me. The monitors I always ask for them to be set exactly as the mains in my monitor. I want to see what it is like out front. But if I am standing to close to drums or something and especially when I have to hear lead lines I am playing, I like the little amp there too.

Decided I can limp thru with the Frontman for now. would love to streamline to a direct line out from the amp and lessen a little bit of stuff to take maybe, but not a big deal. And I do not anticipate ever making a dime off this group so Money may not be invested.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top