Here at Stayfree we have a wide range of amps to choose from because every band is different. But how do you know which amp is right for you? Sometimes this comes down to the types of amps available. The most commonly known is the valve amp. So called because it uses vacuum tubes to increase the amplitude or power of the signal.
Fans of valve amps say they tend to give a warmer more natural guitar tone, they are more ‘analogue’ and quite possibly more personal. You can try out our various valve amps, for example the Fender HotRod Delux in the Orange Room, The Marshall JCM 900s in the White Room and Black Room. The Laney Ironheart in the White Room. The Epiphone SoCAL is the Purple Room or Blackstar Stage VT in the Target Room and Peavey in the Blue Room. We have plenty to choose from.
Another type of amp to choose from is a transistor amp, here transistors increase the amplitude. You could say they are better than valve amps in the sense that they are more consistent, alter the sound less, have a greater dynamic range, and are longer lasting (as valves have to be replaced when they wear out) but saying all that the sound can loose a bit of the magic you might be looking for. If you are planning on gigging a lot, a transistor amp doesn’t have glass in it so might cope better on the road. Examples of transistor amps we have at Stayfree; the Fender Champions in the Target Room and Purple Room, Orange Crush in the Orange Room, Laney LX120RT in Pink Room HiWatt in the Blue Room and Peavey Bandit in the Green Room, .
Recently ‘amp modelling‘ guitar amps have become popular. They have an additional digital processors that can recreate the sounds of a variety of different amplifiers and effects. For example the Marshall Code has a huge bank of Marshall amps to choose from, Line 6 Spider IV can recreate sounds from different songs or even the ‘Heavy Metal’ setting. Love them or hate them, its a great start point when getting into a band and working out your sound because of their versatility. We have hired out Line 6’s to folk bands and screamo metal bands for this reason. Examples of these amps Line 6 Spider IV in the Purple Room, Marshall Code in the Blue Room, Blackstar VX260 in the Pink Room.
Most of our rehearsal rooms have a variety of different types of amps so feel free to make some comparisons yourself so see what kind suit your style the most.