My (new) setup

empirex

Hello all! ?

So I'm fairly new to the guitar scene itself, but have always been an avid rock/metal fan growing up on a diet of Metallica, AC/DC, Megadeth, Pantera, etc. Actually bought a guitar once or twice but never got past a few basic chords :? probably because we were always too drunk to pick the darn thing up..
Well times have changed and about 6 months back I bought myself a decent start up set constisting of an Ibanez GAX 70, great little entry level guitar, a Digitech DF7 (perfect pedal if you're not quite sure what direction you're going to focus on), and a Laney LG12 bedroom amp.

So now I'm looking to upgrade to something a little more substantial with AC/DC, Megadeth type groove (think Holy Wars or Angry Again) and Metallica (Master, Justice) sounds in mind.

Guess I'm gonna aim for the amp first as my current 10 watt one really is nothing to brag about :-[ Any suggestions?
I guess you can't go wrong the the usual suspects like Marshall but seeing as it will only be used for playing at home and the odd garage session, what watt should I go for?
Right, guitars - here I'm gonna need some help :-\ Had an esp in mind but would really appreciate any feedback on this one.
I'm also in two minds as to what to do with the GAX70 - gear it towards an AC/DC hard rock feel or more metal orientated. Anyone have any experience with this guitar, and what pickups I could add.

TomCat

Amp wise my suggestion is to go between 5 and 15 tube watts for home use and the odd gig (mic'ed up).
Go with something with a 12" loudspeaker to give you some low end grunt.

Some suggestions:
Blackstar HT-5 Mini stack
Marshall Haze series (Mini Stack as well)
Laney VC-15 (there's one going for a good price on the forum)

All these amps take pedals well.

IMO go for a smaller wattage tube amp that will give good tone when driven hard at home levels, although each of these amp can annoy the neighbors quite effectively.

I have an 8 watter and it's plenty loud at home levels. Using a Celestion Greenback G12M loudspeaker and it has plenty grunt.

inflames

diet of Metallica, AC/DC, Megadeth, Pantera

That is a wonderful diet, I'm still on it! Beats Weigh Less ?

we were always too drunk to pick the darn thing up

Still there, get some friends that can rock out drunk, you will pickup some tricks!

Amp: So whats your budget? Valve or solid state? Nothing screams AC/DC and early Metal like Marshall and their JCM's
Guitar: So you like ESP, go for the ESP Eclipse! a member here is selling one for R10k, bargain + Killer metal axe!

singemonkey

inflames wrote Guitar: So you like ESP, go for the ESP Eclipse! a member here is selling one for R10k, bargain + Killer metal axe!

It's true. A fantastic price for such a kickass guitar. If you can afford it (and assuming it's in good nick) it'd be just about all the guitar you'll ever need for hard rock and metal.

empirex

inflames wroteThat is a wonderful diet, I'm still on it! Beats Weigh Less ?

Best I've tried yet ?

Amp: So whats your budget? Valve or solid state? Nothing screams AC/DC and early Metal like Marshall and their JCM's
Guitar: So you like ESP, go for the ESP Eclipse! a member here is selling one for R10k, bargain + Killer metal axe!

Oooh that's always a tricky one, but how far would R4000 get me for a decent Marshall?
No, you misunderstand, I'm (currently) a true weekend warrior but am looking to improve on that, hence the upgrade, but right now my knowledge is extremely limited in terms of the gear - the esp was a recommendation by someone ?

WantzChas

Most important first upgrade is an amp. By yourself something decent before looking at a guitar.

A bad guitar will sound decent through a decent amp, but a great guitar will sound crap through a bad amp.

empirex

Ok, my attempt to upgrade my entire setup was a step too far.. so right now I'm just going to concentrate on the amp ?

So, any thoughts on the Line 6 Spider IV 30 ?
From what I understand solid state amps have taken a huge leap in terms of quality over the last few years, and have a heard some good things about this particular amp. Got a quote for R2800.

aja

empirex wrote Ok, my attempt to upgrade my entire setup was a step too far.. so right now I'm just going to concentrate on the amp ?

So, any thoughts on the Line 6 Spider IV 30 ?
From what I understand solid state amps have taken a huge leap in terms of quality over the last few years, and have a heard some good things about this particular amp. Got a quote for R2800.

Good luck with that amp, coz I couldn't get good sounds out of it :-\

The laney VC-15 is a fantastic suggestion - great for home playing but loud enough for use with a drummer for the odd garage session you speak of 8)

The blackstar HT-5 (I owned one) will probably be a better choice for the sounds you want, but isn't loud enough for a full on jam. But for bedroom only, go try one out!

[rant] look, at the end of the day, most digital amps try emulate valve amps, in tone and dynamics - so why not get the real deal and experience a valve amp? once you use it for any length of time you will *shudder* when you hear anything digital...... IMHO... [/rant]

singemonkey

If you've got the cash, consider the Orange Tiny Terror. I've read only good things about it, and all the clips sound awesome. It switches between 7watts and 15watts - the former great for playing at home, the latter loud enough to level the front row at a gig. It comes either as an amp head or built into a 1x12 combo.

empirex

singemonkey wrote If you've got the cash, consider the Orange Tiny Terror. I've read only good things about it, and all the clips sound awesome. It switches between 7watts and 15watts - the former great for playing at home, the latter loud enough to level the front row at a gig. It comes either as an amp head or built into a 1x12 combo.

Thanks, gonna check out a few tomorrow maybe the Orange, Laney and Blackstar.

aja wrote [rant] look, at the end of the day, most digital amps try emulate valve amps, in tone and dynamics - so why not get the real deal and experience a valve amp? once you use it for any length of time you will *shudder* when you hear anything digital...... IMHO... [/rant]

Yeah, good advice I guess. The dialed-in tones feature caught my eye - wanna play Master, no problem, flip that switch ?