A Marriage of a Tube Amp Guru to a Bunch of Modelling Geeks
Written: Feb 16 '08 (Updated Feb 16 '08)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Tube amp complexity plus modeling versatility
Cons: Can't tweak effects parameters or play without a model
The Bottom Line: The Spider Valve is a step forward, combining tube amp complexity and modelling versatility. It's inexpensive, loud and worth a look for cover band players
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| buffoonery's Full Review: Line 6 Spider Valve 212 Modeling Tube Guitar Ampli... |
Line 6 is a California-based manufacturer of highly regarded guitar pedals and modeling amps. (I own a Vetta II combo amp and like it very much.) The rap, of course, on modeling amps is that, no matter how good your software engineers are, you’re still playing software. So while you’re getting a lot of versatility that a tube amp can’t necessarily deliver, you’re missing the complex overtones and harmonics of a tube amp, things that really matter to serious guitar players even if the fans don’t get it.
Until now, perhaps.
Line 6 recently joined forces with noted tube amp designer Reinhold Bogner to create its Spider Valve series of tube cum modeling amplifiers (the 2x12 Combo is under review here). The first part is a tube amp equipped with 12AX7s in the pre amp and two 6L6s in the power amp. The first 12AX7 is a cascading gain stage that feeds the master volume, which feeds another 12AX7 configured as a phase splitter, which in turn go into the two 6L6s (four in the head). In other words, you have real live Class AB tube amp to which is married is Line 6s superb modeling capabilities. Packaged with this are two Celestion 30 speakers. The result is a powerful, versatile amp that in some senses combines the best of both worlds.
Reinhold Bogner needs little introduction as one of the foremost designers of boutique tube amps. In working with Line 6 engineers, Bogner came to recognize modeling amps have a great advantage of versatility at low cost. Combined with his feelings that tube amp designed may have plateaued recently, he thought the Line 6 partnership was a natural one.
The front panel is a standard Line 6 design. You control your tone with the usual Presence, Drive, Bass, Mid and Treble knobs, along with master volume. Some of these are very attuned to individual amp models so you have to be careful with how you set your gain and EQ. The guts of the machine are the twelve-control amp model selector. There are six settings with a Blue and Amber variant for each. What you get is:
Clean: a crisp jazz amp or a 73 Hiwatt
Twang: two 60s Fenders with lots of twang and vintage glass
Blues: A Marshall and a Voxl
Crunch: A couple more Marshalls with heavy vintage 70s sound
Metal: A Boogie and a very aggressive high gain model
Insane: A Rectifier and a very, very angry high gain monster
Players familiar with Line 6 amps will recognize these models very quickly. What they won’t recognize is the radically different tone. These amp models just don’t sound “software-y”. They break up much better as you increase the volume. The overtones are much more complex. A high volume there really is no comparison between this amp and my Vetta; this amp just sounds a lot gutsier. Those players looking for that extra 2% of oomph that a modeling amp can’t provide may find what they’re looking for here.
The amp is plenty loud and there’s enough headroom for any decent sized club. Note that the EQ settings change when you change models.
There’s more. There are three effects controls: modulation (phaser, tremolo, chorus/flanger), delay (delay, tape echo, sweep echo), and reverb. As with Line 6, the effects models are well done but you can’t really tweak the individual parameters. There’s also a tap tempo, noise gate, and tuner, plus thirty-six user settings and over 300 artist presets, some of which are really killer.
The back panel is not nearly as complicated as some Line 6 offerings I’ve seen. You get preamp and power amp in/out and some speaker output jacks, plus a control for the optional footpedal, and that’s basically it.
In short, this is another terrific, affordable product from Line 6. At $ 830 retail, it’s not going to break anybody’s wallet. You can easily mate it with your POD for some really enormous range and the effects that the amp is missing. It’s loud and has the complexity that tube guys crave. I don’t understand why you can’t tweak the individual effect parameters, and I think that for another $50 Line 6 could have added some more effects. Also, I don’t like the fact that you can’t play this amp without an amp model.
Who Should Buy This Amp? Guys who need a wide palette of tones, aren’t fixated on a particular tube amp, but want tube amp complexity. Cover band players. Home recorders. Guys who don’t mind turning up the volume—that’s where this amp really shines. Note a couple of things: this amp is not nearly as versatile as a Vetta. Also, tube connoisseurs are going to complain that it’s not the real thing. But the models here are closer than the Vetta models, and this tube/software combination may be the future of amp modeling.
In sum, this is a really nice, warm product from Line 6. I would not be surprised, if it takes off, to see a bigger more expensive model in the future that brings in wider range of models and effects, but in the meantime, this the Spider Valve may be a marriage made in heaven.
Technical specs:
40W Class AB tube amp through (2) 12AX7 preamp tubes and (2) 6L6 power tubes
2X12" configuration featuring a pair of Premium Celestion® Vintage 30 speakers
12 dialed in amp models (channel voices) that deliver a complete tonal range from shimmering clean to insane grind
7 Smart Control FX (up to 3 simultaneous) including Tape Echo, Sweep Echo, Standard Delay (all with Tap Tempo) Chorus/Flanger, Phaser, Tremolo, and Reverb
Built-in front panel tuner
36 user programmable channels
300+ artist created presets covering the greatest guitar tones of all time
POD® XLR direct out for studio direct tone
Compatible with FBV2, FBV Express and FBV Shortboard foot controllers
Single and dual 1/4" speaker output jacks for connection to auxiliary cabinets
1/4" power amp input jack for POD® amp and effect modelers
Weight: 60 lbs
Dimensions: 30" L x 25" H x 15" D
You may find some of my other guitar reviews interesting:
Epiphone Zakk Wylde Les Paul Custom
Epiphone Les Paul Standard
Epiphone G-400 SG
Fender Classic 50s Esquire
Fender Cyclone
Fender VG Stratocaster
Fender American HSS Stratocaster
Fender John Mayer Stratocaster
Fender Eric Johnson Stratocaster
Fender Stevie Ray Vaughan Stratocaster
Fender 57 Stratocaster Reissue
Fender 50s Telecaster
G&L Legacy Strat
Gibson ES-5
Gibson ES-5 Switchmaster
Gibson ES-165 Herb Ellis
Gibson ES-175
Gibson ES-333 Memphis Style Hollow Body
Gibson ES-335
Gibson ES-335 1959 Reissue
Gibson ES-350T
Gibson ES-350T
Gibson Les Paul Classic Custom
Gibson Les Paul GT
Gibson Les Paul 1957 Goldtop
Gibson Les Paul Studio
Gibson Les Paul Classic Ebony
Gibson SG 61 Reissue
Gibson Super 400
Gretsch Electromatic G5120 Hollow Body
Gretsch White Falcon II
Ibanez Artcore AS73 Semi-Hollow Body
Ibanez Steve Vai Jem7
Martin D-28 Acoustic
Ovation VXT Acoustic Electric
PRS McCarty
PRS Single Cut
PRS Santana SE
Schechter Diamond C 1
Variax 700 Acoustic
Other amp reviews from buffoonery:
Crate Acoustic CA30
Crate Power Block
Fender Cyber Twin
Fender DSP 65
Fender 64 Vibroverb Custom Blackface
Fender Super Sonic 1x12 Combo
Fender MH 500 Metalhead
Hughes and Kettner Switchblade 50 Combo
Line 6 Spider II Head
Line 6 Flextone III Plus
Line 6 Vetta II Combo
Line 6 Spider III 75
Line 6 Spider Valve 2x12 Combo
Marshall Super 100 JH
Mesa 5:25 Express
Mesa Stiletto Ace
Mesa 5:50 Express
Mesa Dual Rectifier Roadster
Mesa Stiletto Deuce
Mesa Triple Rectifier Head
Mesa Lone Star Combo
Peavey JSX Joe Satriani Signature Head
Peavey Classic 30 Combo
Peavey Triple XXX Head
Peavey Penta Head
Roland Micro Cube
Vox Valvetronix AD60VT
Vox AD50VT-XL 50 2x12 combo
My effects and stomp box reviews:
Line 6 POD X3 Guitar Multi-Effects Board
Boss ME-20 Guitar Multiple Effects Processor
Boss GT-8 Multi-Effects Processor
Boss ME-50 Multi-Effects Processor
Digitech RP50 Guitar Effects Processor
Digitech RP80 Guitar Effects Processor
Digitech Brian May Red Special Overdrive Pedal
And you may also be interested in a few books such as:
Hugo Pinksterboer – Tipbook Amplifiers and Effects
Ritchie Fliegler – Amps: The Other Half of Rock and Roll
Michael Ross – Getting Great Guitar Sounds: A Non-Technical Approach to Shaping Your Personal Sound
Nick Freeth – Classic Guitars: Identification and Price Guide
Recommended:
Yes
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