I'm looking for an amp, I know the idea of what I want, but I don't know which amp can give me what I'm looking for.
I've got a '85ish stratocaster, s-s-s. Not willing to change guitars, because compared to the les pauls, sgs, mockingbirds, and so on that I've played, this is by far the most physically comfortable guitar I've ever held. Also not willing to replace the pickups, because this was a gift from a friend, something she played growing up, and it has a certain sentimental value, so I don't really want to mod it.
I play alt-rock/pop-punk, A Day to Remember/Paramore/Rise Against/Yellowcard style. Heavy, but obviously not metal. I do both rhythm and lead.
I need at least two channels footswitchable for clean and gain.
Prefer combo, due to living space, but open to separate head and cab (cab would have to be 2 speakers, not enough space for 4).
Enough volume for mid-size venues (at least 50-watt for tube or 100-watt for solid state should do it? That's what i've heard, but i'm no expert, so you tell me.)
Soundwise, clean channel needs the potential to be acoustic-sounding. Like almost if you could mic the strings and just put that through speakers? That kind of "blank" clean.
Gain channel--here's the tricky part i guess--I want a sound that can again hit that rock heaviness, but i want to minimize (or completely eliminate if i can) any gritiness, raspiness, chunkiness, fuzziness etc. I want power with none of that stuff extra. Plus also, I prefer a lot of brightness and clarity, something that can cut through the mix.
$2000 range, i'd go up to 2500, but would like to cap it at 2000 if possible.
Does anyone have suggestions? Thanks.
I've got a '85ish stratocaster, s-s-s. Not willing to change guitars, because compared to the les pauls, sgs, mockingbirds, and so on that I've played, this is by far the most physically comfortable guitar I've ever held. Also not willing to replace the pickups, because this was a gift from a friend, something she played growing up, and it has a certain sentimental value, so I don't really want to mod it.
I play alt-rock/pop-punk, A Day to Remember/Paramore/Rise Against/Yellowcard style. Heavy, but obviously not metal. I do both rhythm and lead.
I need at least two channels footswitchable for clean and gain.
Prefer combo, due to living space, but open to separate head and cab (cab would have to be 2 speakers, not enough space for 4).
Enough volume for mid-size venues (at least 50-watt for tube or 100-watt for solid state should do it? That's what i've heard, but i'm no expert, so you tell me.)
Soundwise, clean channel needs the potential to be acoustic-sounding. Like almost if you could mic the strings and just put that through speakers? That kind of "blank" clean.
Gain channel--here's the tricky part i guess--I want a sound that can again hit that rock heaviness, but i want to minimize (or completely eliminate if i can) any gritiness, raspiness, chunkiness, fuzziness etc. I want power with none of that stuff extra. Plus also, I prefer a lot of brightness and clarity, something that can cut through the mix.
$2000 range, i'd go up to 2500, but would like to cap it at 2000 if possible.
Does anyone have suggestions? Thanks.