So I have had a bit of a revelation this week...

[coldbrightsunlight]

I'm never sure where I stand on this. I'd say that I think a good amp is more important than guitar, but a) what's the point of having a nice amp if your guitar isn't that nice to play? and b) I spent more on my guitar than my bass and guitar amps combined.

[Bassus Sanguinis]

I got tired of my old Steinberger licence Cort and Squier basses.
The local luthier made custom bass parts alone were around 500-700.00€. Without work. - But we decided on callling it a sort of promo deal.
My cheap ass Gretsch-baritone-wannabe-bass vi cost 470.00€ - plays and sounds pretty good, though NOT on par with the above mentioned 4-stringer.

The Hughes & Kettner amp price tag was 1400.00€
and the cab price tag was about the same1400.00€. Again, I got a good deal, from the local importer.
BUT Laney Klipp 100w tube head+ cab I got for next to nothing back then in the early 90's when tube amps were not hip. Every bit as amazing as the H&K, plus the unicorn and Black Sabbath scoring bonus.

my point: There is a Finnish saying The poor can't afford the cheap ones. If You intend to play twenty years or more with the same amp or instrument, and it should sound great on its own, You can't expect to get it for the same price as Moral of the story: quality has a price tag. But SOMETIMES You get lucky and run into a wrongly priced unit, or an exceptionally good unit in mid-low price range. That's something though You can't count on.

[rfurtkamp]

I'm at the point where a "good" amp is enough. Loud, clean, Fender or Roland. I know what I'm getting in either case, SS or tube. If I have a choice, just give me a 12" speaker and Fender and tube, but I'll take 12" and solid state without whining.

Having had amazing effects I can't settle for bad ones any more, there's just no point. It's like being condemned to having a pedal car after driving the Indy 500 - but I'm way far out in virtual and synth guitar and custom pedal wierd these days. Instead of chasing the "I wish I could do that" with a hodgepodge of $80 units I'm there and doing it instead after buying a few 600+ ones. I used to dream of something that could actually track for pitch shifting, and that dream is done. Never leaving that behind if I can help it.

Guitar, give me a 24" scale Fender, don't care where it's made. Prefer no skunk stripe , but it's not a dealbreaker. Same with no binding or block inlays. I went without and used a Strat for most of a decade and forgot what I was missing. Now it's 24" or bust, with proper trem - Mustang or JM/Jaguar. Thankfully this is cheaper than ever to accomplish in the post-grunge era (oh, $100 L plate Mustangs I miss you so).

So realistically I'm effects > guitar > amp these days and don't see it changing.

[Schlatte]

Gah... I'm really on the fence about my next purchase right now... I either buy two or three pedals I want or save up for a kustom defender v15 head.... TUBES, Y U SO TEMPTING!?

[DarkAxel]

Dude, just buy the amp...

i'd say you kinda need it, i've seen what you play - no offense, we've all been there

you can thank me later

[Schlatte]

Where have you seen what I play?
Anyways... yeah. I kinda want a decent amp... and the kustom looks promising to me. The price isn't too bad either.

[DarkAxel]

Your site

the Kustom ain't bad for the money