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Post by Seldom Seen on Dec 19, 2020 18:35:37 GMT -5
I have to admit I play through my Spark 40 often because it’s convenient and flexible but I still prefer the tone of my Trademark 10.
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Post by walshb 🦒 on Dec 31, 2020 10:07:24 GMT -5
I wish I hadn't opened this thread. I really don't need another amp! I really don't need another amp! I really don't!
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Post by Leftee on Dec 31, 2020 10:35:37 GMT -5
But... this is a FUN amp!
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Ayns
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Posts: 767
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Post by Ayns on Dec 31, 2020 11:43:30 GMT -5
I came "this close" to ordering one of these over Christmas.
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Post by Stinger22 on Dec 31, 2020 19:00:06 GMT -5
But... this is a FUN amp! Yep, just got through playing mine for about an hour sitting in the living room with a Chickentail (um the censor software apparently doesn't like the name of those mixed beverages we like to drink HA!) I had a chance to A-B it against my Blues Junior last week when a grandson was over and we were jamming. At that living room volume the Spark sound MUCH better. And I'm a tube guy.
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moose0130
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Post by moose0130 on Dec 31, 2020 19:48:53 GMT -5
Mine just turned up today. Was wondering how long it would take (with all the backlog issues they had earlier). Answer: non at all. Can't recall exactly what day I ordered it after Christmas but was here is less than 7 days on way or another. Only had 30 minutes to play it but was able to punch up half a dozen setups from the cloud and try them out - pretty stunning. I'm no tone fiend and have a very small fraction of the talent and skill of the average player on this forum but to me this thing sounded exceptional.
Considering the cost/effort needed to get an unbelievably wide range of tones.... wow. As a strictly a bedroom player I am having a hard time imagining I'll end up holding on to my SuperChamp XD (which, I love the sound of on the clean channel running through my strat). I will spend a bunch more time with it before I toss the XD to the curb but wow what a first impression!
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Post by Stinger22 on Jan 1, 2021 20:31:23 GMT -5
Mine just turned up today. Was wondering how long it would take (with all the backlog issues they had earlier). Answer: non at all. Can't recall exactly what day I ordered it after Christmas but was here is less than 7 days on way or another. Only had 30 minutes to play it but was able to punch up half a dozen setups from the cloud and try them out - pretty stunning. I'm no tone fiend and have a very small fraction of the talent and skill of the average player on this forum but to me this thing sounded exceptional. Considering the cost/effort needed to get an unbelievably wide range of tones.... wow. As a strictly a bedroom player I am having a hard time imagining I'll end up holding on to my SuperChamp XD (which, I love the sound of on the clean channel running through my strat). I will spend a bunch more time with it before I toss the XD to the curb but wow what a first impression! I've played for almost 50 years including years of gigging but now retired. I was floored when I first played mine. It is a living room amp, I have a inhouse studio, and I now do most of my playing in the living room it is so easy to just turn it on and play. As I noted above I had a grandson over for the holidays. He's a real prodigy coming along so I had him through a Blues Junior and me through the Spark. And afterwards with it set up I did some A-B comparison in in that environment and levels the Spark blew the BJ out of the water. Don't know why some are talking about changing speakers and such, out of the box and setup right in your room the thing sounds great and big and bold.
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Post by walshb 🦒 on Jan 3, 2021 7:53:13 GMT -5
I have finally read some bad reviews on this amp. And of course, everything is perspective. But several people said that it sounds great through headphones, but not good at all through the speaker. I admit I don't even know what type of speaker is in it. (And I don't own one.)
Just wondering if anyone here has had this reaction when playing through the speaker?
I also have a question, why is it just considered a bedroom/living room amp, at 40W? I've had plenty of 20W (tube) amps that I've easily gigged with. If it sounds that great, couldn't it be miked in a band setting and used live?
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Post by Leftee on Jan 3, 2021 8:38:36 GMT -5
I’ve not tried mine through headphones. I think the speakers sound great.
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Ayns
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Posts: 767
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Post by Ayns on Jan 3, 2021 9:07:45 GMT -5
If I thought I could get by with gigging it, I would probably order one today. :-)
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Post by Leftee on Jan 3, 2021 9:26:14 GMT -5
With 2 - 4” speakers I suspect it would easily be overwhelmed on a stage.
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Post by Peegoo 🏁 on Jan 3, 2021 10:20:07 GMT -5
These appear to be what the Helix was a few years ago: the Hot Item every guitar player goes for.
A pal of mine got a Helix and was gaga over it for about six months. He's back to an amp and a few pedals again.
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Post by Leftee on Jan 3, 2021 11:33:07 GMT -5
Fender G-Dec
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Ayns
Wholenote
Posts: 767
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Post by Ayns on Jan 3, 2021 11:36:51 GMT -5
Yeah, but a Helix is about $2,000 and a Spark is about $200.
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Post by Leftee on Jan 3, 2021 11:56:16 GMT -5
I will add... the Spark sounds way better than the Gdec.
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Post by walshb 🦒 on Jan 3, 2021 13:41:55 GMT -5
With 2 - 4” speakers I suspect it would easily be overwhelmed on a stage. That explains it! Lol Like I said earlier, I didn't know what speakers were in it. The amp must be smaller than it looks in the pics....?
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Post by Leftee on Jan 3, 2021 16:59:22 GMT -5
Indeed it is.
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Post by modbus on Jan 4, 2021 11:45:01 GMT -5
I have finally read some bad reviews on this amp. And of course, everything is perspective. But several people said that it sounds great through headphones, but not good at all through the speaker. I admit I don't even know what type of speaker is in it. (And I don't own one.) Just wondering if anyone here has had this reaction when playing through the speaker? I also have a question, why is it just considered a bedroom/living room amp, at 40W? I've had plenty of 20W (tube) amps that I've easily gigged with. If it sounds that great, couldn't it be miked in a band setting and used live?
I don't have one, but I have read where some people have said they didn't like the speaker tone, as it was too muffled and "bass-y" no matter what the tone settings. They fixed it by pulling off the cover and plugging the bass port with foam or whatnot. It was mostly metal players who were complaining, for what it's worth.
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Post by modbus on Jan 4, 2021 11:46:03 GMT -5
Sp I'm guessing it's roughly twice the size of a Roland MicroCube?
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Ayns
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Posts: 767
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Post by Ayns on Jan 4, 2021 12:02:46 GMT -5
Its approximately 14" x 7" x 7" so id say maybe not quite twice the size of a Microcube. Not far off though.
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Post by langford on Jan 4, 2021 13:25:00 GMT -5
FWIW... I think the Spark benefits from the likelihood that Positive Grid has already made its investment back on developing good amp modelling software for the studio market. The Spark creates a new marketing channel for the software and, I suspect, is doing very well at generating incremental revenue for the company. I'm only guessing, of course. But imagine how much this amp would cost if PG had to write all the software amp models from scratch...
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Post by Stinger22 on Jan 4, 2021 20:49:25 GMT -5
If I thought I could get by with gigging it, I would probably order one today. :-) A two piece or even a three piece with percussion, no drum kit, in a small cafe or bar setting you could. Especially if you are playing an acoustic through it.
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Post by Stinger22 on Jan 4, 2021 20:54:11 GMT -5
I have finally read some bad reviews on this amp. And of course, everything is perspective. But several people said that it sounds great through headphones, but not good at all through the speaker. I admit I don't even know what type of speaker is in it. (And I don't own one.) Just wondering if anyone here has had this reaction when playing through the speaker? I also have a question, why is it just considered a bedroom/living room amp, at 40W? I've had plenty of 20W (tube) amps that I've easily gigged with. If it sounds that great, couldn't it be miked in a band setting and used live?
I don't have one, but I have read where some people have said they didn't like the speaker tone, as it was too muffled and "bass-y" no matter what the tone settings. They fixed it by pulling off the cover and plugging the bass port with foam or whatnot. It was mostly metal players who were complaining, for what it's worth.
I'm playing cleans to a little blues crunch through mine and it is not muddy or muffled. Some of that can be attributed to putting on the floor or against the wall it needs to be about a foot out. But then I'm not a fan of metal tones.
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Ayns
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Posts: 767
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Post by Ayns on Jan 5, 2021 6:07:48 GMT -5
If I thought I could get by with gigging it, I would probably order one today. :-) A two piece or even a three piece with percussion, no drum kit, in a small cafe or bar setting you could. Especially if you are playing an acoustic through it. Thanks Stinger, We were thinking about going out as an "acoustic" 4 piece, but that has been shelved as *all* gig venues here have been closed since October, and a new national lockdown until at least February was announced yesterday. We've always mic'ed our guitar amps anyway, but I'm not sure it would cut it, even as a monitor. I fancy one for home playing anyway, so if it could double up as a stage amp it would be a no-brainer. 😀
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Post by Stinger22 on Jan 5, 2021 22:46:33 GMT -5
A two piece or even a three piece with percussion, no drum kit, in a small cafe or bar setting you could. Especially if you are playing an acoustic through it. Thanks Stinger, We were thinking about going out as an "acoustic" 4 piece, but that has been shelved as *all* gig venues here have been closed since October, and a new national lockdown until at least February was announced yesterday. We've always mic'ed our guitar amps anyway, but I'm not sure it would cut it, even as a monitor. I fancy one for home playing anyway, so if it could double up as a stage amp it would be a no-brainer. 😀 It's not going to move a lot of air but a small acoustic yeah I love my Taylor through it. In the living room I have it set so I actually hear a little more out of the acoustic but live I would turn it up.
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Post by walshb 🦒 on Jan 6, 2021 22:40:36 GMT -5
At 40W, why doesn't it have a speaker out? (I don't really expect anyone to answer that.) I have a Mahaffay 33W amp that will easily drive a Marshall 4x12 cabinet, I know because I've done it. That thing will blow you away with Marshall goodness! Mahaffay
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Post by Leftee on Jan 7, 2021 9:07:21 GMT -5
I suspect “cost” is your answer. They made the amp all they intended it to be.
You can buy other products further up their line for performance.
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Post by Stinger22 on Jan 7, 2021 17:45:41 GMT -5
At 40W, why doesn't it have a speaker out? (I don't really expect anyone to answer that.) I have a Mahaffay 33W amp that will easily drive a Marshall 4x12 cabinet, I know because I've done it. That thing will blow you away with Marshall goodness! MahaffayIt is made to be a desktop practice amp. Something to use at home. And it does a GREAT job at that at an affordable cost. Now for under $10 you could modify by drilling a hole and putting a stereo out and wire it to the speakers internally using a 1/4" switched stereo jack if you really wanted to run it through a cab. Mine's in my living room not my studio, it is perfect as is for that. But I am curious and simple enough to plug the aux out into my board and play it through my 15" EV speakers or studio monitors Something like this but you'd have to check on the power handling, it doesn't list it but one of the comments was a guy using it for a 60W application. www.parts-express.com/neutrik-nmj6hc-s-1-4-stereo-phone-jack-switched--090-976#lblReviews
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Post by justin on Jan 7, 2021 17:57:07 GMT -5
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