This article was contributed by Guitar Jam Trax - www.guitarjamtrax.com

Need a guitar amp for under $400? Here is a suggestion

Someone recently wrote in saying that they needed a new amp for playhing rock and had only $400 to spend. $400 is a little tough for an amp that can handle high-gain or rock music. But, I'm sure you know that already, and you've only got what you've got! so, with that in mind:

Most amps that sell new for under $400 are not very well-made. What you will save on the front end, you will spend more than twice over on repairs once you really use the amp alot on gigs, etc.. If you do not play to rely on this amp for gigs and plan to only use it in your room, then something like the "RockTron Rampage R50C Combo" might suit your budget, and you probably can get a good warranty depending on where you buy it.

But, if you really need to rely on this amp (i.e. for gigs, etc..) then reliability is a real factor. Believe it or not, for the budget you have, I would highly recommend a used Music Man 2X12 combo. Here is why:

I have used Music Man amps for nearly 30 years now, and I have never (ever) had one break down on me, not even close. They are true work horses. Really well made, and they can handle being tossed around in the back of the band van (within reason). I will say, these amps tend to be pretty heavy, but if you have a car, it should be ok.

The great thing about them is that they tend to go for between $350 and $400 on eBay most of the time. Of course you have to add in shipping, and I can't gurantee that one is there waiting for you right now. But, I spend alot of time on eBay, and I have noticed that there are always a few out there in that price range.

I can tell you from experience that the Music Man 2X12 60watt and 130Watt amps are extremely loud, you will never need more volume.

Now, on to the sound of the amps. Music Man amps tend to sound like Fenders. They do have a master volume, but their "Drive" channel is (in my opinion) not so amazing. The clean channel is great. Tons of headroom. So, if you were to use the right pedal, you could get the tone / sound you are looking for. I'm very sure you could find a reasonably -priced drive pedal out there to get the sound you want. BOSS makes very reliable pedals. If you really want some serious tone, check out the "ToneBone Hot British" or the "Tri-Mode" by a company called "Radial" These pedals sound un-believably good, and they are very versatile.

Overall, for your budget, the Music Man amp can really give you some serious volume and reliability. Coupled with the right pedal, you could have a great sound for not too much $$.

 This article was contributed by Guitar Jam Trax - www.guitarjamtrax.com