ATTN: Guitar Players
 

So I've been playing guitar for almost 7 years now and I've been using the same shitty 30 watt marshall in my basement. I was never in a band so I didnt need a louder one, but I will be starting a band in the fall when I get back to school.

I recently bought my friend's Fender FM 212R off of him for $200 and its a pretty solid amp. I like the way it sounds and its pretty loud.

But a friend of mine down in Virginia is selling his Marshall Valvestate 8100 & 8412 halfstack for only $375. I've been wanting a halfstack for a while, just for its sheer power and volume. It seems like a pretty good deal and I am fairly positive it is in good condition. It has a tube it in, and tubes alone are a couple hundred. Every review I have read on this halfstack is pretty good, saying its very versatile with different sounds and packs a good punch.

So what do you guys think? Stick with the 2 speaker Fender or get the halfstack and sell the fender?

Well, I am no expert on guitar amps, but ANY tube amp in the Car audio or Home Audio realm = pure audiophile loving.

If you do go for it, just remember tubes get pissy in the cold :).

For me, there would be absolutely no question: Get that Marshall. For $375 that's a steal as long as it's in good shape.

I've never been a fan of Fender amps. I find them tinny and way too reverb-y. For crunch, power and tone you simply cannot beat a Marshall. Just plug in and stomp the dirty channel. It's usually all you need.

The only downside is that it weighs a ton and takes up a lot of room.

i agree, but there a few things im concerned about:

1. i dont know this guy personally.
2. i have never seen this amp, so i dont know the condition
3. im concerned because apparently there is a tube in this amp and he is only selling it for $375, so there might be a catch.
4. he isnt the original owner, so im wondering why it is being sold twice.
5. i have never played on this before so i dont know if i like the sound.

Just go scope that shit out bro. I was in a situation a couple years back where i had to sell my Pearl Masters Custom Maple drum set w/ all hardware and cymbals included for 800 bucks. Everything was only about 5 months old and in perfect shape. The dude got a hell of a deal. So definately go check that marshall out, could be the steal of a lifetime

Yeah, don't buy it sight unseen. You gotta play through it beforehand for sure.

alright, well i made my decision.

im going to stick with the fender for now. i've only had it for about a month, its very loud and good enough to practice/play shows with, and it has great distortion as it is. having a halfstack would be impractical at college right now, and i would rather just save my money. i will eventually save up for a better halfstack.

thanks for the advice, guys.

Cinco makes a good guitar, check them out.

Ya for sure. When i was in a band in highschool we played a couple of shows, and my guitarist played with his 2x12 vox amp. mic'd up through the pa it sounded greattt. the fender sounds like the way to goo.

Uuugh if you can get a mint marshall tube half stack for 375$ you're in real luck. If it's working right for that price is it's own question.

yea, i know its a good deal, but its just a real hassel to get it. he lives about 20 minutes from my college, and i was going to take a trip down to my college anyway to do work at the radio station i work at, but i didnt feel like making this long trip with the amp and everything...i know its a good deal, but just doesnt make sense financially as a college student trying to save over the summer.

I had the same dilemma when I was shopping for bass amps. I could have gotten a full Peavy stack (4x10 cab, 1x15 cab, 300W head) for $666 (I shoulda bought it for the price alone), but it was too big and bulky for me to cart around.