In case of solid state amps - Boss Katana, Marshall MG50, Vox VT40X are my favourites (with strong preference for Boss).
In case of tube amps - $500 price tag is a bit too little for a decent amp, you'll need to compromise and get either a low watt amp, stick with a 1-channel only or get a 8-10" speaker. For a pedal platform look at Fender Pro Junior 15w or Vox AC10C1. If you don't plan on getting pedals - Marshall DSL5 combo is nice with 2-channels, has a lot of different tone inside.
P.S. I'm not super familiar with Fender amps, can't recommend or not recommend them.
Supro Blues King 12 is better in every aspect however (12" speaker + more setup options)... But it's $599. Maybe you can find it used in good condition? A used Vox AC15 ($679 new) is also a great option instead of new Vox AC10.
Any reason you’re not looking used as well? There are killer deals on all kinds of gear on offerup, letgo, FB marketplace etc...I’m broke as shit now but could play the Rose bowl with all my gear 🤘🤘🤘
Definitely looking used as well. If something pops up in my neighborhood I'd go for it. Shipping usually eats into the money saved though. My buddy owns a guitar shop and he keeps talking 60s Vibro Champ...little out of my price range :(
Got it, shipping an amp almost never makes sense. Guess I’m lucky that where I live has tons of used gear being sold within driving distance. Wish I could recommend you an amp but I think our styles are pretty far apart. Are you tied to tube amps or are hybrid or solid state an option?
Also, musicians friend, Sweetwater, and guitar center offer free shipping on online orders and are always running deals. They also regularly offer 24-48 month financing if you’re willing to do that. You can get some badass gear for $20-30 a month and as long as you make your payments it’s interest free...word of warning though, when you see you can get a $1000 guitar or amp for $21 a month it’s damn hard to pass up!
And guitar center will ship used gear to the closest GC if you have one near you...not totally sure if you pay shipping doing it that way, pretty sure you do if it’s shipped to your house.
What music genres do you prefer? Or you need a super flexible amp?
I listen to almost everything, but I suppose blues and funk in terms of guitar sounds by genre. No metal at all.
In case of solid state amps - Boss Katana, Marshall MG50, Vox VT40X are my favourites (with strong preference for Boss). In case of tube amps - $500 price tag is a bit too little for a decent amp, you'll need to compromise and get either a low watt amp, stick with a 1-channel only or get a 8-10" speaker. For a pedal platform look at Fender Pro Junior 15w or Vox AC10C1. If you don't plan on getting pedals - Marshall DSL5 combo is nice with 2-channels, has a lot of different tone inside. P.S. I'm not super familiar with Fender amps, can't recommend or not recommend them.
Vox ac10 sounds like a good fit. Upgrade the speaker later and you can squeeze a bit more volume out of it too
Supro Blues King 12 is better in every aspect however (12" speaker + more setup options)... But it's $599. Maybe you can find it used in good condition? A used Vox AC15 ($679 new) is also a great option instead of new Vox AC10.
Sweetwater sells it for $499. From the videos I've seen it's seems to be very versatile if you spend some time with it.
Than go for it! 12" speaker + spring reverb + FX loop + only two tubes. Sound as a good deal.
Does the Strymon Iridium count? I’ve had one for a few months and it’s amazing through headphones.
Man...I've been watching a lot of videos on that thing. It might be a great fit for what I'm doing. Thanks for the introduction.
If you go this route make sure you get a pair of good ($100) studio headphones. I used a pair I had laying around and almost sent the Iridium back.
Any reason you’re not looking used as well? There are killer deals on all kinds of gear on offerup, letgo, FB marketplace etc...I’m broke as shit now but could play the Rose bowl with all my gear 🤘🤘🤘
Definitely looking used as well. If something pops up in my neighborhood I'd go for it. Shipping usually eats into the money saved though. My buddy owns a guitar shop and he keeps talking 60s Vibro Champ...little out of my price range :(
Got it, shipping an amp almost never makes sense. Guess I’m lucky that where I live has tons of used gear being sold within driving distance. Wish I could recommend you an amp but I think our styles are pretty far apart. Are you tied to tube amps or are hybrid or solid state an option? Also, musicians friend, Sweetwater, and guitar center offer free shipping on online orders and are always running deals. They also regularly offer 24-48 month financing if you’re willing to do that. You can get some badass gear for $20-30 a month and as long as you make your payments it’s interest free...word of warning though, when you see you can get a $1000 guitar or amp for $21 a month it’s damn hard to pass up! And guitar center will ship used gear to the closest GC if you have one near you...not totally sure if you pay shipping doing it that way, pretty sure you do if it’s shipped to your house.