Guitar Gear Forum

So a VTM or two if I run stereo, two 4x12s and my pedalboard is my main rig. No doubt about it. It does everything I want and sounds/feels great to me. Then I have my B rig. Same two 4x12's. Same pedalboard with the exception of using one of a few preamp pedals I have( AMT M1, VOX Copperhead and a Ceres clone) and going into my Mosvalve power amp. Usually in stereo. Sounds really damn good. Only problem is it's really only for home use.

I bring this up because I just got back from San Diego and jammed at a rental rehearsal space. I asked him what kind of amps the room had and he said two Marshall halfstacks. Well we get there and there are indeed two Marshall halfstacks. One being some silver MG head and the other being an AVT50 head that was busted. Each had one of the smaller Marshall 412 cabs. Don't know which model, just the smaller cheap ones. So I hooked both cabs up to the MG and did the best I could. Not the best time when you're not digging your tone.

So I'm thinking I want my at home B rig to actually be a travel amp type deal. The Bluguitar Iridium is a top choice, but also kinda pricey. I've been watching a good amount of videos on the new Blackstar amped 3. I like the form factor much more than the Bluguitar. The videos sound really good. Particularly the super crunch mode. It's also $600.

The Laney Ironheart Loudpedal seems really cool and simple. Only 60 watts though. Not sure if that would hang with a loud drummer. I think they are $299.

I could just get a SD Powerstage 200 to use with my existing preamp pedals, but I'm kinda liking the idea of a all in one unit. Maybe I'd bring a mini delay pedal.

Any thoughts?

The BluGuitar seems expensive when you think "pedalboard amp" but that amp can hang with a full size 100w tube head without any issues. It's not just a portable amp, its a seriously great sounding rig.

So in that sense, it's a bargain, really. It's probably the cheapest amp I'd consider using as a main rig.


I don't know about the Amped. The clips sound decent though.

You could also consider the Katana head. It's pretty light and small. Not pedalboard small but it would fit in a duffel bag. And every effect you'd need is there. It even has a little built-in speaker to jam without connecting to a cab. I'd gig with it if I had to. Actually I've done it a few times.

That said, the BluGuitar is on a different level. Closer to the DSL than the Katana.

You don't necessarily need to Iridium either. The OG (Silver Edition) can be found for around $400 used and it's also pretty damn good amp regardless of size.
The BluGuitar amps really need to be heard in person to be fully appreciated.

id probably just grab one of those carvin or whoever else's 100w pedal power amp, throw a couple other pedals in a plastic bag and roll in to the gig but thats just how i roll lol

Check out Quilter's options too. I love my Tone Block and my Superblock UK. They're perfect grab and gos, or can be a tidy backup to have in a case with your A-Rig

Tonex pedal, $399?

you could capture your actual VTM's, or there are captures made by others you could download.
never played through a VTM, but i did see Soundgarden back in the day, and the tone was CRUSHING

VTM starts at 10:12 if video doesn't ...



i give up trying to get this video to show

MOD EDIT: time stamps don’t work with the embed tag.

My C rig is a SansAmp FlyRig. It is dependant upon having access to a PA/monitors, but I've run it into the FX return of heads so that I can use a proper cab before.

I think I might start with the Powerstage power amp and use it with one of my preamp pedals. I literally want something that will fit in my backpack with enough power to easily keep up with a loud drummer. I'll be able to compare it side by side with my VTM's to see if it's close enough.
I already keep a spare guitar down in San Diego. I'm not opposed to even getting a 412 to keep down there. But I want to be able to take and play the amp with me.

The Powerstage should be fine, but you could just run your preamp pedal in the fx return of whatever amp they have. The power section of the MG for example, works fine and its probably not that different than the Powerstage

i know those low line cabs are terrible, but are the MG's and AVT's really that bad??

The MGs and AVTs are ok. They’re not great by any means but you can get serviceable Marshall tones out of them as long as you dial them for thst. If you try to make them something they’re not, they sound like dog shit. And tossing a Metal Zone in front of one is not a good idea.

RaceU4her wrote:i know those low line cabs are terrible, but are the MG's and AVT's really that bad??

Well I was hoping the AVT was working. I played one years ago and thought it sounded pretty good. Although it was at Guitar Center volume and not keep up with a drum gorilla volume. Haha! The MG just fell apart when the volume went up loud. I was on the crunch channel with the gain about noon. No pedals. I play heavyish music with generally a heavy crunch tone. And I find since I'm tuning to drop B with 10-52 strings and low output PAFish pickups, I don't need a whole lot of gain from the amp and I still get plenty of clarity. Or a least when I play through a decent amp and cab.

I'm definitely gonna keep an eye on the San Diego CL for a decent 4x12 cab just to keep down there for the one, maybe two time a year I go down there.

greatmutah wrote:The MGs and AVTs are ok. They’re not great by any means but you can get serviceable Marshall tones out of them as long as you dial them for thst. If you try to make them something they’re not, they sound like dog shit. And tossing a Metal Zone in front of one is not a good idea.

There is this MG head through a 4x12 cab at rehearsal studios in one of the rooms that ive had to use from time to time and although id try and make it work best i can for practice there is just something in the high end treble i can't strand and throughout keep dialing treble down more and more and the low end is very boomy in a very bad way but keeping the low eq way down helps. A few times i've brought katana head and played it through same cab and it sounds worlds better.

Yeah the cab is actually OK. I use one for rehearsals sometimes and it's alright. Not a great sounding cab but passable.

The MG heads used to be passable for a practice amp but I haven't tried the latest silver version. I'm not sure if it's any different tbh