Advice for my Eminence Modeling 12

twsimmons

I currently have an Eminence Modeling 12 (Thanks LuredMaul!) and I am looking for a NEW amp for it to use with my GNX4. I usually play live in a church setting with occasional needs for crowds of about 500. My choice in music ranges from Christian pop to VH, Rush, Korn, Metallica and everything in between.

I currently have a 50W SS but am leaning towards a 112 or 212 Tube amp mainly because:
1. The inherent qualitites of tubes vs. SS.
2. I have never owned one.

I and am looking at the Peavey ValveKing 112 and Fender Hot Rod Deluxe.
I did see in the archive forum that Guitar3456 really liked the Fender FM212 after replacing the speakers so that is a SS consideration.

I would like to keep the $$ around $500


Thanks in advance for your comments!

mfergel

The ValveKing and Deluxe don't really suit those styles of music. The do a better job of classic rock. It's going to be hard to find a 'new' tube combo for $500. A Marshall AVT50 might be a decent choice. I used one of those for quite awhile. Solid State power amp with a tube preamp section. That would bet you a really nice clean to distorted Metallica tone. Not really heavy enough for Korn but that could be solved by running a pedal. You might be able to find a Peavey XXL, but I don't know if that comes in a 1x12. May only be available as a 2x12. Again, solid state, but that would get you the tones you are looking for.

Other options would be Kustom, B-52 and Crate, but I'm not a big fan of those.

Like I initially said, for $500, it's going to be tough to find a tube combo. Most of them are going to start at around $700+.

guitar3456

Look for a rack mount amp as another option.

Carvin TS100 $529?? NEW
Mesa 50/50 used only.. 300-450 (start bids- end bids avg)
Marshall 50/50 used only 300-450
Peavey 50/50 Classic used only 300-375

Behringer EP1500-$259-279

You can also get real cheap and use a GEMSOUND $99 rack type PA amp.
Invest in a decent 2x12 cab. You can buy empty enclosures and install your own speakers too.

last option- Crate Powerblock. $199 and it's a tiny thing but sounds good.

thehootman

If you're reasonable at woodwork you can build your own cab. I did and it stands up to the best of them - at a fraction of the cost.
Which is the cheapest of the amps that g3456 stated?

zap

\twsimmons\ wrote:

I usually play live in a church setting with occasional needs for crowds of about 500. My choice in music ranges from Christian pop to VH, Rush, Korn, Metallica and everything in between.

At the moment of this posting, someone hacked the Whitecross forum showing Rex Carroll's main gear - a Marshall head with an ADA MP-1 preamp to give what one calls a \"squealing pigs\" tone. They played churches, warehouses, festivals, etc. if his rig appeals to your picture.
http://www.whitecrossmusic.com/history.html

That brief bio history shows the combination groups with Stryper members who are known for their Mesa tone among others if that fits your picture.

Tube amps' INCONSISTANCY is a reason Tom Scholz of Boston invented the analog Rockman to sound like tubes but have a CONSISTANT tweek the next time you turn them on. Money cannot fix a tube amp's variations as one interview for AC/DC said they powered up a wall of Marshalls during warm up and then used whichever stacks sounded MOST CONSISTANT with the tweeking from practice. Also, tubes require more maintanence than Solid State.

So others have given excellent advice here only to add in worship and praise music, the annointing takes tone to another level. Some secular music seems bent on stripping off clothes to expose body parts. Annointing isn't like seduction in that it clothes a musician in humility and leaves sex to be used according to the Owner's Manual.

Happy shopping.

guitar3456

I added prices to my post-

Secular, Religious venue, or not, most of these amps are the 50 w range but can be biamped to 100W mono. Well suited for most environments. They add less color than complete guitar amp heads and combos alike which all vary.

Tube amps are also well known for their dynamic headroom. SS vs Tube is and will always be debated. Coke vs Pepsi

mfergel

Well, only once in all my time of gigging had I ever played a venue where the power was so bad that I couldn't get my Marshall to power up properly. The power was so weak that at max distortion, it was like playing a clean 10 watt amp. One of the worst gigs of my life. That was some dinky town in the middle of nowhere (although it was a school gym).

LuredMaul

Save yourself alot of money and hassle by getting a crate PowerBlock & a 112 crate cab take the celestion out and put the Mod12 in.........then save yer money for another 112 and mod 12.


Another way to go is get a Crate GT212 which is 120 SS and run the Gnx4 straight into the FX return

ponq

Or....

-get a Behringer KX1200 PA/Keyboard amp (~$ 200)
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Keyboards/Midi/Amps/Accessories?sku=701761

-and run a Presonus BlueTube tube preamp in front of it. (2 channels, ~$200)
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Live/Sound/Signal/Processors?sku=184132

Lotsa power (120 watts), 4 channels, and (some) tubewarmth + if you need to amplify a keyboard/mic/other insturment, no prob, the kx1200 can handle it. (ran gnx4+elec guitar, mic and acoustic guitar through it this morning).


(it's my setup, which is pretty nice with the gnx4 and Supermodels imho)

twsimmons

Thanks for all the feedback.

I was really close to buying the Fender HRD, but finally decided on the Crate Powerblock w/ 112 cabinet and my Eminence Modeling 12.

That being said, any recommendations on the best way to connect it up...FX loop or straight into the front. I know there is a Y-cable for send/return, but is that really necessary?

Thanks again for all the input.

LuredMaul

Nopeplug it straight into the front, every thing at 12 o'[clock