cakes wrote: Thu May 01, 2025 11:59 am

Kniferide wrote: Thu May 01, 2025 10:21 am

ChudFusk wrote: Thu May 01, 2025 5:08 am https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail ... -bass-head

Is there any reason why I can't use this as a guitar head to power a 100W 8 Ohm 2x12?

I had one of those on my pedal board for a while to power a 8 ohm single 15" cab. worked fine. Sounded fine. nothing great, just fine. you could literally just velcro it to the back of a cab. It's crazy little and light and cheap. kinda useful to have around just incase.

I've been looking for a clean class D head for bass, curious if this would be just fine with a modeler? I am used to a GK800 pumping my 1x15 cab... 200w class D just seems...a little underwhelming? Maybe I'm wrong.

I use mine with both a rusty box and a TC electronics Deluxe Reverb thing. It's fine but I don't play crazy loud. It's easily as loud as my Peavy 50 watt tube power amp, which has never not been loud enough. just turn off the speaker sim. It's a pretty neutral sounding little amp. the eq can be set to be doing pretty much nothing. It's great for taking over to dudes house for Jamz cause it fits in a gig bag. It probably even fits in the inside compartment of certain guitar cases. It's not going to be GK800 loud, but that is probably a good thing at the end of the day. People need to turn down... get off my lawn.

cakes wrote: Thu May 01, 2025 11:59 am

Kniferide wrote: Thu May 01, 2025 10:21 am

ChudFusk wrote: Thu May 01, 2025 5:08 am https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail ... -bass-head

Is there any reason why I can't use this as a guitar head to power a 100W 8 Ohm 2x12?

I had one of those on my pedal board for a while to power a 8 ohm single 15" cab. worked fine. Sounded fine. nothing great, just fine. you could literally just velcro it to the back of a cab. It's crazy little and light and cheap. kinda useful to have around just incase.

I've been looking for a clean class D head for bass, curious if this would be just fine with a modeler? I am used to a GK800 pumping my 1x15 cab... 200w class D just seems...a little underwhelming? Maybe I'm wrong.

Yeah I'd hate to rely on something that miniscule for bass, but then again I have a Hartke Kickback combo (the older version) which is supposedly just 120 W at 8 Ohms and it's super loud. I assume it's Class D because the current version is. I swear the older a solid state amp is, the more "real" the watts are, but that's probably just psychological.

Kniferide wrote:I use mine with both a rusty box and a TC electronics Deluxe Reverb thing. It's fine but I don't play crazy loud. It's easily as loud as my Peavy 50 watt tube power amp, which has never not been loud enough. just turn off the speaker sim. It's a pretty neutral sounding little amp. the eq can be set to be doing pretty much nothing. It's great for taking over to dudes house for Jamz cause it fits in a gig bag. It probably even fits in the inside compartment of certain guitar cases. It's not going to be GK800 loud, but that is probably a good thing at the end of the day. People need to turn down... get off my lawn.

Are you using it for guitar or bass?

ChudFusk wrote: Thu May 01, 2025 3:02 pm

cakes wrote: Thu May 01, 2025 11:59 am

Kniferide wrote: Thu May 01, 2025 10:21 am

I had one of those on my pedal board for a while to power a 8 ohm single 15" cab. worked fine. Sounded fine. nothing great, just fine. you could literally just velcro it to the back of a cab. It's crazy little and light and cheap. kinda useful to have around just incase.

I've been looking for a clean class D head for bass, curious if this would be just fine with a modeler? I am used to a GK800 pumping my 1x15 cab... 200w class D just seems...a little underwhelming? Maybe I'm wrong.

Yeah I'd hate to rely on something that miniscule for bass, but then again I have a Hartke Kickback combo (the older version) which is supposedly just 120 W at 8 Ohms and it's super loud. I assume it's Class D because the current version is. I swear the older a solid state amp is, the more "real" the watts are, but that's probably just psychological.

Kniferide wrote:I use mine with both a rusty box and a TC electronics Deluxe Reverb thing. It's fine but I don't play crazy loud. It's easily as loud as my Peavy 50 watt tube power amp, which has never not been loud enough. just turn off the speaker sim. It's a pretty neutral sounding little amp. the eq can be set to be doing pretty much nothing. It's great for taking over to dudes house for Jamz cause it fits in a gig bag. It probably even fits in the inside compartment of certain guitar cases. It's not going to be GK800 loud, but that is probably a good thing at the end of the day. People need to turn down... get off my lawn.

Are you using it for guitar or bass?

I've used it for both, but I don't ask a lot of my Bass volume since it almost never leaves my basement anymore, and I play pretty midrangey bass tone. For a stage show, you could get by but it wouldn't seem "big" sounding. Tonally they don't really sound like much. It's a basic EQ on a small D Amp. As far as D watts not being as impressive as Class A/B watts or whatever, yeah... I get that vibe too. I think this little 200 watt TC amp feels like a 50, maybe 100 watt solid state head from the 80's/90' era in power. You see it in PA poweramps too. Seems like you need amps rated twice what they say on the tin to get the guts of what old school amps were rated. I think it is because a lot of the marketing around amps these days are publishing the PEAK wattage as opposed to the RMS wattage. Like an amp called the BALLBUZTER 2800 might deliver 2800 watts peak power, but like realistically like 1200 watts RMS Bridged Mono. Big numbers are cool. Marketing is cool.

FWIW the size/price, I think the little Class D things are stupid impressive in a boring way.

I'm in the market for a guitar. Anyone have any first hand experience with the new Fender Vintera II models? Been eyeing that Tele Deluxe, looks very promising for a MIM. I played a few and was impressed. Also, I tried an Inspired By Gibson Epiphone Les Paul Custom Special: double cutaway with P90s. Sounded and played fantastic for the money. Can't decide which one I liked better. I also played American Vintage series and a boutique Les Paul with P90s just to compare. I really don't think the extra $1500-$2000 is worth the premium (though that boutique Les Paul did feel crazy good).

I dunno, I've always wanted a Tele Deluxe, but the last time I owned a MIM it was the late 90s and it was a jazz bass that sounded like dog shit. It seems like these current vintera models are pretty good and consistent compared to the last iteration...

cakes wrote: the last time I owned a MIM it was the late 90s

No first-hand experience with those new models, but about MIM vs USA: as you've seen with this series, many of the standard Fender stuff is made in Mexico now. General consensus seems to be that it's as good as anything made in the US, but just cheaper. Even the guitars made in Indonesia or China now are far better than what was being made in the 90s. I've seen it called the golden age of cheap gear.

Main difference between US & MIM are some of the electronics, if my early morning memory is right. The question is if it sounds and plays well, how much does its heritage matter?

jirbling rake wrote: Mon May 05, 2025 6:44 am

cakes wrote: the last time I owned a MIM it was the late 90s

No first-hand experience with those new models, but about MIM vs USA: as you've seen with this series, many of the standard Fender stuff is made in Mexico now. General consensus seems to be that it's as good as anything made in the US, but just cheaper. Even the guitars made in Indonesia or China now are far better than what was being made in the 90s. I've seen it called the golden age of cheap gear.

Main difference between US & MIM are some of the electronics, if my early morning memory is right. The question is if it sounds and plays well, how much does its heritage matter?

I hear what you're saying and I agree. I'm thinking what it's like after you get away from the charm of the store and start living with the beast. Also, that Epiphone, though not what I was searching for, hits all the right buttons for me and it's hard to decide.

jirbling rake wrote: Mon May 05, 2025 6:44 am

cakes wrote: the last time I owned a MIM it was the late 90s

No first-hand experience with those new models, but about MIM vs USA: as you've seen with this series, many of the standard Fender stuff is made in Mexico now. General consensus seems to be that it's as good as anything made in the US, but just cheaper. Even the guitars made in Indonesia or China now are far better than what was being made in the 90s. I've seen it called the golden age of cheap gear.

Main difference between US & MIM are some of the electronics, if my early morning memory is right. The question is if it sounds and plays well, how much does its heritage matter?

Myself and coworkers have bought between us >10 squiers in the past year, and all but one have been great. The finish itself feels cheap and you can see where corners have been cut (or in the case of my pickguard, NOT cut), but as far as playability and sound, totally worth it

I've also been drooling over a custom shop build that is not that dissimilar to a Warmoth build and about the same price, but still twice as expensive.

cakes wrote: Mon May 05, 2025 9:53 am

jirbling rake wrote: Mon May 05, 2025 6:44 am

cakes wrote: the last time I owned a MIM it was the late 90s

No first-hand experience with those new models, but about MIM vs USA: as you've seen with this series, many of the standard Fender stuff is made in Mexico now. General consensus seems to be that it's as good as anything made in the US, but just cheaper. Even the guitars made in Indonesia or China now are far better than what was being made in the 90s. I've seen it called the golden age of cheap gear.

Main difference between US & MIM are some of the electronics, if my early morning memory is right. The question is if it sounds and plays well, how much does its heritage matter?

I hear what you're saying and I agree. I'm thinking what it's like after you get away from the charm of the store and start living with the beast. Also, that Epiphone, though not what I was searching for, hits all the right buttons for me and it's hard to decide.

I have an Epi Les Paul Custom that I got for not a lot of dough, and I pick it up all the time. It needed the tiniest of fret work, a little notch on the 2nd fret was bothersome, but I love it, and it sounds great.

Now, I've never played an honest to goodness vintage LP or anything, but I cannot imagine it's a 3x-4x improvement as the price would indicate. It's solid, straight as can be, stays in tune, the coil tapping works fine....I have 0 complaints.

I have a an Epi SG that I have the same feelings about - it's just lighter and sounds a little springier. But the build quality on both seems really great.

Same with my crafted in indonesia Squire tinline tele. I think there is something to the idea that this is a great time for inexpensive guitars.

I hate every fake spring reverb pedal in the world. best one I've used is maybe the Boss 63' custom thing and it kinda sucks. They all sound like a sample of a boing with a short digital reverb in the decay. Surfy Bears sound pretty rad but they are hella expensive. Still might get one. anyone have an alternate or have a surfy bear? is it good?