SeriesLine 6 Spider Valve

This is a hybrid of tube power and digital preamp... Features 100W Class AB tube amp through (2) 12AX7 preamp tubes and (4) 6L6 power tubes 12 dialed in amp models (channel voices) that deliver a complete tonal range from shimmering clean to insane grind 7 Smart Control FX (up to 3 simultaneous) including Tape Echo, Sweep Echo, Standard Delay (all with Tap Tempo) Chorus/Flanger, Phaser, Tremolo, and Reverb Built-in front panel tuner 36 user programmable channels 300+ artist created presets covering the greatest guitar tones of all time POD® XLR direct out for studio direct tone Compatible with FBV2, FBV Express and FBV Shortboard foot controllers Single and dual 1/4" speaker output jacks for connection to auxiliary cabinets (4, 8 or 16 ohms) 1/4" power amp input jack for POD® amp and effect modelers This amp is built tough and sounds pretty ok... UTILIZATION A good sound? Not really...I'm a tube purist and this amp is only half way there...The digital preamps are buzzy, non-dynamic , and quite sterile...I don't like them at all nor do I find them to be faithful replicas of the amps they're modeling....Just a gimmick... It's loud and simple to use...The presets blow but the sounds are the reason, not the presets...The FX are wet and cheap sounding....Sorry Line 6, I love most of your stuff but this one was a letdown....It just sounded like a POD through a tube power amp...Not good...Gotta get that POD out! It's not even a good practice amp as it's loud and tubes like to be pushed...This whole amp is pretty much a great idea but junk product... SOUNDS WIth every guitar the results were the same...Crap.... Single coils were so ice-picky that it couldn't be dialed out without removing the entire top end...The lows are good and deep but not "strong" sounding...They're more resonant than punchy.... The presets can't save the bad tone from the preamps...They are all bad...It can be tolerable in a few settings but never good... The EQ is ok as there is no saving the tone...The whole amp needs a makeover- the EQ can't fix it... OVERALL OPINION I thought it was cool that Bogner was tied to this one...But his section is ruined by Line 6's proprietary crap tone...The Marshall and Mesa tones were passable if you are tone deaf...The cleans are about the only worthwhile feature and they are not great themselves... I tried many many amps....I own many many amps...I really wanted this to replace the fleet...But... Not even close....I flipped it within a week....

(Originally written by Nico66/translated from Audiofanzine FR) - Amplification technology (tube, solid state, ...)? Everything has been already said... - Output power? It rated at 40 watts but it seems to be more because it's really loud. I miss a 20 watt operation switch. - What about controls, effects etc.? I won't say anything about effects... The finish quality is very good. It's a high-end product. That's not what disappointed me. Considering the features, this amp is very interesting... But it disappointed me when I played it... UTILIZATION - What about settings? Very easy configuration. Just turn a few controls and you get a good sound. - Is it easy to get the right sound? It' all a matter of taste... Personally, the sound and effects of this amp disappointed me a lot... The clean sound is very good. Warm, perfect... The crunch sound isn't bad but you start hearing the amp's personality. The distortion disappointed me. This amp sound totally California!!! They ignored Marshall fans!! It's surprising coming from Mr Bogner because he used to tune Marshall amps in the beginning... But he only conceived the preamp stage of this amp, not the modelings... It supposed to include some British models but I'm still looking for them! - Is the user's manual clear and comprehensive? I took a look at it. I like Line 6 user's manuals, they are very easy to read.. It seems that people at Line 6 have lots of fun writing manuals... SOUNDS - Does it fit your music style? The amp is quite versatile... but I'm very disappointed because all modelings have the typical US sound. - Which guitar, bass or effects do you use? I tested it with a Gibson Les Paul Standard, a Strato Custom Shop, a Tele USA Standard and a PRS 513. - What kind of sounds do you get and which settings do you use ("crystal-clear", "fat", ...)? The clean sound is very warm and nice. The crunch sound isn't bad... but I miss a Marshall-like crunch... and even a typical Bogner sound... (the simulation is not comparable with a real Bogner amp). - Which sounds do you prefer / hate? I don't like the distortion... But guitarists who like the Mesa sound will love this amp. I also hate the chorus/flanger effect... It's really lousy and uninteresting... I'd rather have an amp without effects... OVERALL OPINION - How long have you been using it? I kept it three days (two days at home plus a live gig) and I brought it back to the store where I bought it. - Which features do you like the most / the least? I like the compact size, the finish quality and the warm tube sound. I'm very disappointed by the simulations (limited to typical US sounds). The effects are the worse!!! I'd rather have no effects! It's really silly to combine a chorus and a flanger and have independent tremolo and phaser effects... Can someone explain this to me??? It's impossible to get a good sound with this combination! And you cannot edit any parameter of the effects except for the volume... And its the same regarding delays... No editable parameters... - Did you try any other models before buying it? Of course. I've had many different amps. But this one's the first I've kept such a short time... It's much worse than a Vetta II!! - How would you rate its value for money? If you buy it knowing how it sounds, it's ok... And the manufacturing quality is very good... But avoid it if you are looking for something else rather than only US sounds or effects. - Based on your experience, would you buy this product again? Never!! I know some people will totally disagree with what I wrote. This amp is great for people who like US sounds and don't use any effects. If you like Bogner, Marshall and Soldano sounds, as well as a deep U2 or Malmsteen delay with a light chorus effect, etc... forget this amp and buy another one...

When I first heard this amp I was a bit skeptical but to my surprise it sounded pretty good. The 1x12 sounds terrible and the 2x12 sounds a bit better and this was was a hit. Finally Line 6 got the idea...they cannot make a decent distortion tone. So they went out an found probably the best man who could create one. Reinhold Bogner has been building amps for over 20+ years now and creating some the best amplifiers in the world. Professionals around the world turn to Bogner to get their tonal needs. Line 6 has done a great job building effects processors but really couldn't figure out how o get the overdrive down. Now that they have Reinhold and his world renown taste for high gain tone the have achieved something until now has never been done before. Line 6 Spider Valve MkII HD100 100-watt Tube Modeling Guitar Amplifier Head Features: 100-watt tube modeling guitar amplifier head Packed with models of 16 legendary American, British and European amplifiers More than 20 tweakable built-in effects Designed in collaboration with renowned amp designer Reinhold Bogner Features two 12AX7 preamp tubes, four 6L6 power tubes Built-in front-panel tuner UTILIZATION Line 6 Spider Valve MkII HD100 100-watt Tube Modeling Guitar Amplifier Head Specifications: 100-watts Class AB tube amp with two 12AX7 preamp tubes and four 6L6 power tubes 1/4" speaker outputs (single: 16-ohm; dual: 4-ohm and 8-ohm) 1/4" power amp input and preamp output jacks 16 of the most advanced Line 6 amp models to date 20 Smart FX (up to 4 at once) Quick Loop: 14-second sound-on-sound looper Noise Gate, Boost (up to +8dB pre, post or both), Volume routing Advanced routing and full adjustability up to 7 effect parameters Oversized two-line LCD MIDI input and output/thru for seamless integration into MIDI switching setups Line 6 foot controller compatibility 128 user presets Bass, Mid, Treble and Drive knobs Channel volume Manual mode for a traditional front-panel amplifier experience XLR Output supports two output modes: Performance Mode and Studio Mode Oversized LCD is easy to use and easy to read Built-in front-panel tuner Weight: 35 lbs. Dimensions: 25.75" L x 10.75" H x 9.5" D SOUNDS I was at an amp festival when I first heard this amp and Reinhold Bogner was there telling us to listen to this amp and everyone thought he was joking because we know how Line 6 amps sound. They fired it up and it was a big surprise to hear how good this thing did sound. We tested it with a Gibson Les Paul and a Fender Telecatser and each guitar having its own personalty sounded very god through the Bogner cabinet. OVERALL OPINION If you are someone who needs solid sounding high gain amplifier with the ability to have multiple effects to go with it this is the amp for you. Having tubes coupled with the digital processors makes this thing a beast of a guitar tool. At new these amps come in at around $900, not a bad price for something that was designed by Reinhold and mixed with the processing power of Line 6.

Finally Line 6 got the idea...they cannot make a decent distortion tone. So they went out an found probably the best man who could create one. Reinhold Bogner has been building amps for over 20+ years now and creating some the best amplifiers in the world. Professionals around the world turn to Bogner to get their tonal needs. Line 6 has done a great job building effects processors but really couldn't figure out how o get the overdrive down. Now that they have Reinhold and his world renown taste for high gain tone the have achieved something until now has never been done before. Line 6 Spider Valve MkII 212 40-watt, 2 x 12" Tube Modeling Guitar Amplifier Features: * 40-watt, 1 x 12" tube modeling guitar amplifier * Packed with models of 16 legendary American, British and European amplifiers * More than 20 tweakable built-in effects * Designed in collaboration with renowned amp designer Reinhold Bogner * Features two 12AX7 preamp tubes, two 6L6 power tubes, and a Celestion Vintage 30 speaker * Built-in front-panel tuner UTILIZATION Line 6 Spider Valve MkII 212 40-watt, 2 x 12" Tube Modeling Guitar Amplifier Specifications: * Class AB tube amp with two 12AX7 preamp tubes and two 6L6 power tubes * 16 of the most advanced Line 6 amp models to date * 20 Smart FX (up to 4 at once) * Quick Loop: 14-second sound-on-sound looper * Noise Gate, Boost (up to +8dB pre, post or both), Volume routing * Advanced routing and full adjustability up to 7 effect parameters * Oversized two-line LCD * MIDI input and output/thru for seamless integration into MIDI switching setups * Line 6 foot controller compatibility * 128 user presets * Bass, Mid, Treble and Drive knobs * Channel volume * Manual mode for a traditional front-panel amplifier experience * XLR Output supports two output modes: Performance Mode and Studio Mode * Oversized LCD is easy to use and easy to read * Tuned three-quarter closed-back cabinet * Built-in front-panel tuner * 1/4" speaker outputs (single and dual) * 1/4" power amp input and preamp output jacks * Weight: 60 lbs. * Dimensions: 26.75" L x 21.75" H x 11.25" D SOUNDS I have used every single POD Line 6 has and several of their amplifiers. This is by far the best outing they have done so far with the accompaniment of effects. The have a new amp that doesn't have effects that is just fantastic. I like this amp with a Gibson Les Paul or another humbucking style guitar. This amp gets really dirty and chewy in the high gain territory. This amp just lives on the rich thick distorted tone. With the ability to have 128 presets much like a midi foot controller would have...you are virtually owing a whole effects rig and processors with one simple amp. OVERALL OPINION If you are someone who needs solid sounding high gain amplifier with the ability to have multiple effects to go with it this is the amp for you. Having tubes coupled with the digital processors makes this thing a beast of a guitar tool. At new these amps come in at around $900, not a bad price for something that was designed by Reinhold and mixed with the processing power of Line 6.