Video Question: Amp Shopping

Return to Video Question and Answer Listings
Date: September 15th, 2009 | Length: 3.37 | Instructor: DJ Phillips

I'm about ready to get an amp again. Never had a rockin' head and cabinet, funds just don't allow. Anyway, have you ever gotten to use the Line 6 combo amp and whats your take on them. I was looking at the Spider IV-75 watt combo. These new amps with all the presets with 16 different amp models and 300+ hand-crafted artist-created presets and 200 dialed in song-based presets sound nice if your jammin' covers with your friends. Seems to eliminate the need for a lot of effects and I'm guessing you can always create your own anyway. So does it eliminate the need for a effects processor also? Thanks. Another benefit of being a member of JamPlay is the video response section. Our expert staff fields questions from our members and provides video responses each week.

Other Video Responses:

Bluegrass and Chords - April 26th, 2007 (1 minutes, 30 seconds)

Jebo asks: "I was wondering how you can take a chord, just a regular sounding one, and give it a "bluegrassy" feel. I am trying to play tab from bluegrass songs but it doesn't sound like Bluegrass at all." View Response

Violin to guitar transition - November 5th, 2008 (4 minutes, 16 seconds)

Ricky54326 writes: "Hey again JamPlay, this is my 3rd Q&A. I have been playing the violin for 7 years, so I know all the scale theory. I just seem to have a hard time memorizing chords.. do you have any idea how i can use my knowledge of the violin and easily adapt to the guitar? Obviously I have time signature, key signature, etc all down i just have a hard time bringing this knowledge over to the guitar. Please help and keep up the good work." View Response

- September 24th, 2008 (3 minutes, 25 seconds)

Lucasholland asks, "Hey guys, I'm currently practising switching between the G Major and D7 chords. I've found that there seem to be two ways to do this: One involves sliding your third finger over from the third fret to the second fret. That way you only have to put 2 fingers down. The other one works by lifting off your third finger and placing it on the second fret. Which method would you recommend? I don't want to develop any bad habits now! Thanks, Lucas" View Response

Bends - October 31st, 2007 (2 minutes, 28 seconds)

Jzcode asks "Brad, Could you give me a better idea of the best finger position to have when doing a bend. When I have practiced doing these, my fingers tips are at a bit of an angle as I push the string up and sometimes the strings seems to ride up under finger nails. That usually results in a un pleasant sound. Should your fingers be straight down on the string? Thanks, JZcode" View Response

Guitar Action - April 28th, 2008 (2 minutes, 13 seconds)

Jdemail78 asks, "I hear a lot about guitar action but I'm not really sure what is good or bad. I had purchased an acoustic guitar that I believe had very low action (strings were very close to the neck of the guitar) and it was very easy to play but it ended up having some issues with fret buzz and other ringing sounds that I did not like and could not get corrected at the local guitar shop. I've since replaced it with a little bit better guitar and I no longer have any fret buzz nor do I have any ringing sounds but it seems like the action is higher (strings are much higher off the neck of the guitar) and therefore, for me as a beginner, it is harder to play. My question is when it comes to an experienced guitar player (which I am not...yet...) is it good to have a guitar with higher action or lower action? What would one typically prefer? Do really nice expensive guitars come with very low action making them easy to play but don't have any buzzing issues or is it a case where as you get better, higher action is ok because your better at fretting chords and notes? My curiosity with this comes from a hope that the guitar I have now, with it's strings higher off the fret board, will slowly become easier to play as I get better and I'll become ok with the higher action because it does sound better and cleaner than the one I had with the lower action. Also, please correct me if I have the "high action" "low action" descriptions backwards." View Response