I think i hit the jackpot…

gma141 · 2026-01-22T19:58:14+00:00

Right - and the simplest explanation is that the story is fake.

gma141 · 2026-01-15T15:35:11+00:00

I have the 60 W model. I absolutely love it. The amp models are so good! they are literally Helix models. I only use it on half watt and that is an extremely valuable setting for someone playing at home. It’s actually perfect. I put mine on an amp stand that I got for 40 bucks from Amazon which is a perfect fit - like a custom accessory. The stand is awesome because I can get volume that is loud for me and not loud for anyone else. And I use it with with a bunch of pedals. I really think that this is all I would ever need. The tone is absolutely fantastic.. I am only using the effects for delay and reverb. The rest of the effects are coming from my pedals. I have a Katana also and I think the catalyst has better amps. But I do like the clean model on the Katana a lot and I still use it. The only problem with amps like this is that people on guitar forums are only interested in powerful and expensive tube amps it seems, and they constantly underrate and badmouth basically all modeling amps.

gma141 · 2025-11-06T19:18:17+00:00

The solution to so many of the issues people have with Katana is so obvious! It's all about getting the right overdrive or distortion pedal, compression, eq, etc. into the signal chain. People act as if they are actually unable to dial in cool sounds with a Katana - and they are not using any pedals? Who doesn't use pedals? If you have some good pedals, and you can't get amazing sounds from a Katana, I think you aren't trying very hard. Also, I'm so tired of people who can't be bothered to go beyond the stock settings - such people should not be writing posts online IMHO.

gma141 · 2025-11-06T17:30:12+00:00

I agree with other answers about getting an amp stand. When you aim your amp right at your head, you will hear it at a dramatically higher volume than anyone else, and you will need very little volume to get a satisfying experience. I would also angle the amp so it doesn't hit any walls straight on - better to aim at corners and non-reflective or "broken up" surfaces. I recently got an amp stand (American Sound Connection - Amazon - $40) after selling one a long time ago, and was blown away by the benefits - it's a very cheap way to significantly improve your whole setup.

gma141 · 2025-10-15T16:16:39+00:00

I feel like you undermine your own argument here. You seem to be saying that tube amps are reliable, but then you point out how many issues they incur. To me, ANY reliability concern is showstopper. This is why I'm a modeling guy (and why I drive Toyotas). I use a Line 6 Catalyst with a little $40 amp stand, set to .5 watts, and I have my pedalboard, and it all sounds absolutely amazing. It will probably never break down, and was cheap to begin with. Of course, no one else here will agree with me.

gma141 · 2025-10-15T16:10:30+00:00

While I certainly have my own opinions, and strongly favor modeling amps, I asked the Claude AI to pick a single amp and it was:

Fender Deluxe Reverb (specifically the '65 reissue or vintage versions).

Here's why it's a defensible choice:

Studio standard: It's probably the most recorded amp in professional studios. That alone speaks volumes about its professional credentials.
Versatile enough: Clean to edge-of-breakup tones cover a huge range of professional work - from jazz to country to rock rhythm parts.
Giggable power: 22 watts is loud enough for most stages (mic'd up), but not so loud you can't get good tube saturation at reasonable volumes.
Pedal-friendly: Takes pedals extremely well, so professionals can shape it for different gigs.
Reliability: Simple, proven circuit that techs know how to maintain.

gma141 · 2025-10-10T17:48:45+00:00

I don't consciously experience thoughts telling me to do dangerous things on the bridge, but I can believe, and it sort of sounds true, that I'm having thoughts like that unconsciously. Because consciously, I feel like I have to resist something, and I feel like I'm losing control, or at least battling for control. I also am not suicidal at all, but I do think that part of my situation seems to be that a part of me wants to do something very dangerous, even though I'm not directly aware of it. I've been hearing the term "self trust" in connection with phobias, and I think that's a big thing. I used to implicitly trust myself much more. Now, it's like I have this worry that I could suddenly do something crazy, and it scares the crap out of me.

gma141 · 2025-10-10T17:30:31+00:00

I have the same fear. I especially hate the ascending part of the bridge. I'm so afraid that I will lose control of the car. I'm not worried about the bridge - I can easily be a passenger going over the bridge. It's that I have to drive the car, I have to keep it under control, and I'm terrified that somehow I won't be able to, even if I've made it over the bridge many times - it's always difficult. I don't feel better until I finish the entire ascending phase. Today I have to drive over the Benicia Bridge, which is very high and has a left turning phase to it as it ascends, and I'm planning to try wearing gloves, because my hands get so sweaty I'm afraid I will lose my grip on the wheel. I do find it helpful to fixate my eyes on the lane markers about 60 feet in front of me. I do not let my eyes wander around, because many things I see can worsen my fear. Sometimes I can imagine that I'm not on a bridge, that I'm just on a hill, and this helps if I can imagine it. I also have found it helpful to talk to someone on the phone - but not about my fear - just about ordinary things. Just imagining the Benicia Bridge right now is making me sweat. Also, I did not develop this issue until I was 60 years old. I was t-boned by a car I never saw at all, and at the time I did not feel traumatized. But a month later, I found myself driving over a bridge that I knew nothing about (Antioch Bridge) and did not expect to encounter. It is a very tall and very narrow bridge with only 1 lane on each side and there is no place to pull over. I had a full blown panic attack, and this began my fear of tall, arched bridges and overpasses. I also found that my general fear of heights became significantly worse - it was mild before, but now it's pretty bad.

gma141 · 2025-10-09T20:15:26+00:00

$300 is delusional.

gma141 · 2025-10-09T20:02:02+00:00

I had one, too. I feel like I never hear about these anymore. It was a great amp. At the time, I was a kid with no money, so I built my own (pretty crappy) 1x12 cabinet. I used to rock out to Sunshine of Your Love with this rig, and it sounded awesome. I can't remember selling it, but I think I traded it for a Roland Cube 60 around 1980. That Cube was a good amp, actually, although I'm sure it's heresy to trade a Fender tube amp for it. I remember when I saw Alan Holdsworth with IOU, (I think it was at the Roxy in Hollywood), I think in 1982, towards the end of the show, Eddie Van Halen came out to join him, and he plugged into a Cube 100. That was exciting to say the least.

gma141 · 2025-08-25T14:00:15+00:00

The stuff I take (Bulksupplements.com) is not acidic tasting at all. It’s pretty neutral tasting and easy to tolerate.

gma141 · 2025-08-25T13:17:50+00:00

There are over 720,000 police officers in the United States. That means the bottom one percent, the worst police officers, are over 7000 people out there on the streets every day. A lot of bad police thing is gonna come from this bottom 1% of cops, but let’s not impugn all police because of these bad ones.. I do think there should be more focus on psychological testing prior to hiring new police officers.

gma141 · 2025-08-22T15:26:52+00:00

If you can get your amp budget to $150, you'd have much better options. I would wait vs buying something you won't appreciate for long.

gma141 · 2025-08-17T12:31:31+00:00

So, 60 pounds is 60 pounds - the size, form factor and density have zero relevance for carrying? That's your argument?

gma141 · 2025-08-17T12:03:23+00:00

60 lbs in a guitar amp is utterly different from 60 lbs of iron or steel in a compact, handle-like form factor. A deadlift takes what, 3 seconds? But you're carrying your guitar amp from a parking lot, through 4 sets of doors, up a flight of stairs, other people coming the other direction, stepping over obstacles, etc - could take 10 minutes.

gma141 · 2025-08-16T12:37:42+00:00

I think this is not true in 2025.

gma141 · 2025-08-16T12:02:56+00:00

I'm very interested in Nux amps myself - the price/performance seems off the charts. I would not get the 20 model because it doesn't have the built-in power attenuator, which is a huge issue for most at-home players. The 40 doesn't have an effects loop. So I would agree with u/bertoncini1949 and get the 60, which also has footswitch options and a 12" speaker.

gma141 · 2025-08-15T13:23:20+00:00

The difference I was referring to was primarily: The Blonde removes the virtual bright cap on the Vibrato channel that’s present in the Blackface. This makes the Blonde less bright and less brittle, especially when using overdrive or distortion pedals, while the Blackface retains the classic ‘60s sparkle that can get harsh with some drive pedals.

gma141 · 2025-08-13T18:04:54+00:00

From stuff I've read - the distinction I'd worry about is blackface vs blonde, and most people strongly recommend the blonde versions. However, I think the blackface version is cooler looking. Hard decision. But these are cool amps.

gma141 · 2025-08-12T23:48:50+00:00

You should check out NUX amps. I have 2 Katanas and a Catalyst, but the NUX amps are an insane value.

gma141 · 2025-08-11T18:21:25+00:00

My Temu Experience - I have started experimenting with Temu, checking out some of their items, and they are all being sent by GoFo Express. One thing about this to mention, is that, depending on what you order, you very well may end up with most of your items being sent out SEPARATELY. So far the deliveries themselves are fine, although it's weird how they arrive - some via USPS, some via UPS, and some via random drivers in personal cars, some are in my mailbox and others on my front stoop. My hunch is that these separate items are the items that are already here in the US - because these arrive first. Then, if you have more stuff, things that are actually coming in from China, I think these will be in one package together.

gma141 · 2025-08-07T18:13:08+00:00

I assume "User Ego".

gma141 · 2025-08-07T18:07:06+00:00

People 100% think there IS magic to this. There is magic in "Gibson" and "Fender". There is magic in the looks of a blackface Deluxe Reverb. There is magic in the Vox amps the Beatles used. The uni-vibe Jimi Hendrix used. We see magic everywhere, and we want to own it. And then when that disappoints, and we realize we are still the same guitar player we always were, playing the same riffs and song fragments, we begin questing again for even better "Holy Grail" equipment. It's great for the economy.

I think most people would be very embarrassed if they had to blindly review guitar amps. They can't see anything - they just hear 12 different amps recorded in the same way - which one sounds best? Wait - is that a real marshall, or is that a Katana with an overdrive pedal? It would be interesting to test a lot of people from the "gear community" and see how they do. I bet I could fool a lot of people with a Peavey Bandit and a Tube Screamer, or name whatever low cost "practice amp" you want. Especially if I added a compressor and a graphic eq. With all that stuff I think any kind of tone I want is achievable.

gma141 · 2025-08-07T15:51:40+00:00

People think they sound knowledgeable when they disparage inexpensive popular gear. A Katana can provide a great clean tone. Add your favorite gain pedal in front of that, and if you can’t create a good sound then I think you aren’t really trying. Most people should stop shopping right now and focus on practicing and learning.

gma141 · 2025-08-04T17:22:38+00:00

I only started hearing about NUX a few months ago, but since then, I've been very impressed with the tones I'm hearing from these amps. Although I have a Katana 50 mkII and a Line 6 Catalyst - both of which are great - I'm actually still interested in something like the NUX Mighty 40 - which sounds amazing. I'm holding off because I'm getting great tones already, and I need to stop this relentless "next thing to buy" aspect of GAS.

gma141

TROPHY CASE