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Line 6 Catalyst, Black, 60-Watt, 1x12
First, the Line 6 Catalyst 60-Watt 1x12 Combo Amplifier for $299.99 is a solid pick. It offers versatile tones and is built to handle anything from clean jazz to heavy rock.
MOOER SD30i Practice Guitar Amp Portable Smart Amplifier
For those who enjoy practicing on the go, the MOOER Practice Portable Intelligent Bluetooth Guitar Amplifier at $109.99 offers Bluetooth connectivity, so you can jam wherever you are.
Pyle Multi-Guitar Stand 7 Slot Display Rack
A reliable stand is a must, and the Pyle Guitar Stand at just $30.99 is both sturdy and foldable.
Positive Grid Spark MINI 10W Portable Smart Guitar Amp & Bluetooth Speaker
If you need a portable speaker, the Positive Grid Portable Bluetooth Speaker for $183 packs a punch despite its compact size, making it great for practice sessions and small gigs.
AeroBand Guitar Smart Guitar
For beginners or those looking to try something different, the Stringless Removable Fretboard Guitar for Beginners and Teenagers is a unique, user-friendly option. Designed for learning the basics without the intimidation of traditional strings.
D'addario Nickel Wound Electric Guitar Strings
Beyond Amazon, there are some fantastic deals from other retailers. Sweetwater has the DāAddario EXL110 Regular Light Nickel Wound Electric Strings 10-Pack for $38.49.
PRS Sonzera 20 20-watt 1 x 12-inch Tube Combo Amp
The PRS Sonzera 20 20-Watt 1x12-Inch Tube Combo at $1,099.00 offers those rich, warm tube tones. For a limited time, you can buy any PRS amplifier, and get a free PRS pedal of your choice, a $349.00 value.
Fender American Ultra Stratocaster Maple Fingerboard Electric Guitar Cobra Blue
The Fender American Ultra Stratocaster with a Maple Fingerboard in Cobra Blue at $1,979.99 is a bit pricier but worth every penny for its playability and tone.
Squier Classic Vibe '70s Jaguar Limited-Edition Electric Guitar Daphne Blue
At Guitar Center, the Squier Classic Vibe ā70s Jaguar Limited Edition Electric Guitar in Daphne Blue for $349.99 is a steal.
Boss DM-101 Delay Machine Pedal
Finally, for pedal enthusiasts, the Boss DM-101 Delay Machine Pedal at $449.99 from ProAudioStar is a must-have. It's a versatile pedal that can add a whole new dimension to your sound
So, whether youāre looking to upgrade your rig or just starting out, these deals are too good to pass up. Happy playing!
A modeling amp in vintage disguise.
Pros: Great balance between digital power and simplicity. Lightweight and super affordable. Nice app for editing.
Cons: Footswitch not included. Some functions are not intuitive and require a look at the manual. No digital readout.
$399.99
Line 6 Catalyst 100
line6.com
Line 6ās Catalyst series is the latest in a generation of amplifiers bridging the gap between digital modelingās enormous possibilities and many playersā desires for old-school simplicity. These amps offer detailed, convincing amp modelsābut not too many of themāin a compact, vintage-style design that makes avoidance of option fatigue a priority. The very accessible prices also make the series a direct competitor to Bossā ultra-successful Katana amps. The Catalyst is offered in three models: Catalyst 60 and Catalyst 100 (both of which have one 12" speaker), and the Catalyst 200, which has two 12" speakers. For this review I tested the Catalyst 100, which sells for a very modest $399.
Simple Complexity
The Catalyst has plenty of bells and whistles. On the surface, though, it looks a lot like a simple, conventional 2-channel amp. There are knobs for boost, gain, bass, mid, treble, presence, channel volume, effect, reverb, and master volume. Thereās also a knob that lets you choose from six original amp models: clean, boutique, chime, crunch, dynamic, and hi gain. Mini buttons let you save and choose between two channel presets or engage manual mode, where what you see is what you get. Other mini buttons allow you to engage boost, tap tempo, and select effects and a tuner. On the back panel is an output power knob that lets you choose from mute, Ā½ watt, 50 watts, and 100 watts. Thereās also a USB jack, a DI out, and an effects loop.
Six Amps in One
Thereās not enough space in this review to cover all the amp models in depth. And I suspect that for many players even just a few used through the full range of their clean and dirty variations will be everything they ever need. Still, the Catalystās abilities and potentialāespecially relative to its priceāwill excite any potential user.
I started my own experiments with the boutique voicing at the Ā½-watt output setting. Predictably, thereās not a lot of output in this mode, though itās a lot of fun as a practice amp. At the 50-watt output setting, though, I could hear and feel the amp in a more complete way. There was headroom to spare and itās impressively dynamic and responsive to picking nuance. And it was surprisingly easy to get SRV-style bite out of otherwise clean, blues-tinged phrasesāagain, very impressive. The useful boost knob lets you dial in extra kick, and, thoughtfully, each amp model has a specifically tailored boost voicing. In boutique mode higher boost settings added a lot more gain to the amp modelās cleanish sound, and the saturation sounded and felt organic.
The chime model, loosely inspired by a Vox amp, is warmer and thicker than the boutique model in cleaner settings. But when I engaged the boost (with the knob at noon) and set the gain knob around 11 oāclock, the amp positively screamedāgenerating an aggressive and at times piercing sound that would reward a player with a commanding approach like Eric Gales or a 1960s-influenced guitarist who loves the potency of single-note lines.
The high-gain model, meanwhile, is a fire-breathing beast. With the gain at 11 oāclock, there is plenty of bottom end, and the sensation of the amp moving air becomes more apparent. Engaging the boost softened the attack slightly, which made soloing more liquid. But there wasnāt much of a difference through the range of the boost knob from noon to max. The amp model is pretty saturated to begin with.
There was headroom to spare and itās impressively dynamic and responsive to picking nuances.
No Jumping Through Hoops Running Loops
Using the clean model, I ran my Yamaha UD Stomp delay through the effects loop. The results were dimensional and often sublime. The power-amp-in feature lets you plug in a pedalboard and play it directly into the Catalyst 100ās power amp. I used another setup, with a Mesa/Boogie V-Twin preamp pedal, directly through the Catalystās power amp and it sounded phenomenal. And even though the preamp is bypassed in this mode, the boost function is still active. Set at 10 oāclock, it added a nice final touch to the Mesa/Boogie preampās clean channel, making it sound discernibly richer. In my humble opinion, just the power amp and speaker cabinet alone are worth the $399 price.
Though Line 6ās acclaimed HX technology is embedded in the Catalyst, the company did a good job of keeping options easy to manage and navigate. There isnāt an endless buffet of effects, as you might expect. Thereās a standalone reverb, and apart from that you can only use one additional effect simultaneously, unless you bring your pedalboard to the party.
In total there are 18 effects, grouped into three categories: delay, modulation, and pitch/filterāeach with a corresponding LED in green, blue, or purple, respectively. If youāve used Line 6 products before, many of these excellent effects (and the color coding) will be familiar. Thereās the fabulous dynamic āduckingā delay, some modulation models based on iconic pedals like the MXR Phase 90 and others, and some classic Line 6 pitch/filter effects like growler synth and synth strings. If you do want to use more effects simultaneously, the effects loop is an excellent way to patch in external effects.
The USB hookup, by the way, enables connection to a computer so you can use Line 6ās editing software, which allows you to dive deep into tone editing or just fine tune a few things. I imagine that, in reality, most users will just figure out how to get a couple of core sounds directly from the amp, save them, and just go with that. But itās always great to have options, and if youāre someone that actually maximizes the capabilities of modelers and editors, youāll have a field day with the app.
The Verdict
For any guitarist looking for an all-in-one, plug-and-play setup for practice sessions, live shows, and recording (you can record directly using both USB and the built-in DI with cab simulation), the Catalyst, at $399, is pretty tough to beat. Itās got more features than many players will need, but what will count for most of the target audience is how much you can accomplish without diving too deep. And though the price might suggest otherwise, Catalyst isnāt just for beginners or intermediate players. Any professional guitarist thatās tired of dealing with tube related maintenance and expenses will be happy with many of the sounds here.