Thoughts on pedal power amps and other alternatives?

chrishill901

I have just started looking at a dirt cheap alternative rig because I hear so many horror stories about amps failing at the most inconvenient time.

I really like the AMT Legend series (the P2 and R2 in particular) and was pretty much sold on picking one of these up (as id use it for practice at home too) and an EHX Magnum .44 - however, the search function on this forum just points me to a million posts of people saying the magnum goes boom and is notoriously unreliable.

The only other alternative I can find that is pedal based (I want to keep the footprint tiny as its a backup) is the AMT TC-3 Tubecake, but I doubt it'll be loud enough through a 1x12. I want something that drives a guitar cab and dont want to go through a PA - the kind of gigs I play we don't even get mic'd up, so I don't want to go through the PA to A) keep the stage sound the same and Itll sound odd with one guitar coming from an amp and one through the PA.

Are there any other alternatives out there, preferably pedal based but not essential?? I want to keep this cheap too as its just a backup. I like the fact that the Magnum is only £100. Any more and I may as well just get a bloody JCA22H and bring it as a backup but I don't see the point. I'd rather have something that just lives on my board as an emergency!

Thanks,

Chris

digitalscream

I'm not aware of any pedal-format power amps that can do that better than the Magnum; you could always get one of the Matrix GM50 modules and make that into something useful, though.

To be honest, I'd be tempted to get the JCA22H purely because - as a backup - it's a direct replacement for your amp rather than recabling everything.

Danny1969

I just brought another HT5 for £120 ..... that's me sorted for a backup

John_A

I run an AMT S11A in to a magnum 44 as my main rig and it sounds great and hasn't failed me yet. I have a Thomann T-amp as a spare power amp but the EHX sounds loads better.

chrishill901

do you get plenty of volume from the EHX? I suppose if I buy new itll be covered by warranty... I was just hoping to buy a few quid.

danny - the HT5 surely wouldnt be loud enough unmic'd?

the matrix module looks good but is costly; and the JCA22H is also a good option but if looking at actual amps then you get into the 'if I just spend a few £ more...', not to mention the weight factor! It is still an option though...

John_A

The magnum is more than loud enough, and is a very musical amp compared to FRFR type amps so even sounds ok without a preamp

BigMonka

I read the thread title as meaning an amp which you powered by pedalling, like an exercise bike! Lol Anyway the Bluguitar Amp1 (I think that's it's name) is an option but it's really quite expensive.

chrishill901

I hated the Bluguitar Amp1 when I tried it, and hated it more when I heard someone perform with it. Apologies for the misleading thread title... Its how I lure people. (I never read it like that, but now I can only read it like that haha)

Hmm the Magnum just sounds so perfect. Anyone else had one or had a reliability issue with one? I love the idea of a backup rig in the form of 2 pedals

Rocker

They are not Flavour of the Month, but you can pickup an Orange Micro Terror for relatively small money. At a gig, any backup is better than no sound. The Orange unit is small and lightweight too...

not_the_dj

chrishill901 said:

Hmm the Magnum just sounds so perfect. Anyone else had one or had a reliability issue with one? I love the idea of a backup rig in the form of 2 pedals

@chrishill901 Mine went "pop, bang....mmm what's that smell?" one night at rehearsal. 

I hadn't used it that much, maybe 10 hours use in all I'd estimate, and it was still in warranty as I'd bought it new so it got sorted, but I lost faith in it as a back-up solution (which was what I had it for).

A shame as it sounded fine, but I do go off things once they break on me.

I now have an Orange Micro Terror as a back-up. You'll get some strong opinions about how those sound on here, but mine came to the rescue at a gig once and performed brilliantly.

chrishill901

@not_the_dj I had read you post about this which is what is concerning me! I am very much the same when it comes to going off things. I don't use line6 gear after the last thing I bought of their was faulty.. too many bad things from them!

How does the micro terror handle a line in? I like the idea of using a preamp pedal rather than the gain from the micro terror. I don't like the sound of daddy Orange amps, so I doubt i'll like the micro!

I appreciate the sentiment that any backup is better than nothing, but the solutions I am looking at are inexpensive AND potentially sound as awesome as my main rig!

not_the_dj

Do you mean the AUX in on the Micro Terror, or how well it behaves with other pedals upfront?

Cirrus

Here's a helpful little demo I made of the last .44 Magnum I had;

And it's still the best that Cornford cab ever sounded.

monquixote

Quilter tone block if you can find one. 

ISP Stealth Pro is also an option, but quite expensive. 

I had a BluGuitar Amp1 and I must say I didn't get on with it.

chrishill901

not_the_dj said:

Do you mean the AUX in on the Micro Terror, or how well it behaves with other pedals upfront?

Aux in

the Quilter looks pricey as a backup too!

Nice demo Cirrus... are you on commission!!?? :P

not_the_dj

I don't recall ever plugging anything into the Oranges AUX in to be honest. 

John_A

Never heard a demo of the quilter or the ISP that sounded any good, the 44 on the other hand sounds great, I use one as my main rig, and carry a joyo British sound to go straight in the desk as a backup which I've never needed to use. They are pretty cheap so a backup-backup for the 44 could be an idea if you are that worried?

simonk

I keep an EHX 22 Caliber (now discontinued) in my gig bag as a backup. It sounds pretty good and is loud as hell. I've never had to use it in anger and plug it in periodically to check it still works. There's a vague feeling of flimsiness to it that tells me not to trust it completely.

midlifecrisis

i use an orange micro terror as backup, i think my laney vc30    212 speakers sound good with it, very passable backup.IMHO.
as long as you're not after a useable clean sound.

chrishill901

I can't say I like the sound of the Micro Terror...

I have just seen this though, looks like a rip off of the Rocktron Velocity power amp for only £140

http://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_gpa_400.htm

No i'm getting silly ideas in my head of replacing my main rig with a rack one... oh dear

Clarky

an old Marshall 8008 valvestate is a great power amp 

don't know what they go for these days though