Remembering my Spider Valve Half Stack - This amp was great!!!!

[TRENDKILLCFH333]

I remember having one of these - the half stack as my first tube amp.  I loaned it to a band member who was gonna buy it after I got a Carvin V3, but ended up not paying me for it and stole it.  Lesson learned the hard way - sometimes the ones you trust the most, like your band mates, will screw you over!  

 

Anyway, I loved the sounds, effects and headroom on this amp.  I was really hoping that Line 6 would've taken this product a little further, like adding a full blown effects processor a la' Helix - where you can program which effects went in the loop and which were in front of the amp (virtual 4CM).  Essentially a tube and effects processor all in one.  No more pedals, pedalboard (except to control the amp) or racks.  Just a real tube amp head, built in FX processor and a floorboard for control.  

 

Anyone else have the same thoughts? 

[jws1982]

I still have my mk1 112 and 212.  I’ve owned both the mk1 and mk2 versions.  I always felt like they had the cab sims turned off on the mk1’s, but left them in on the Mk2’s.  I loved the extra features on the 2, but I never could get as good of a straight amp tone out of the XT-based models of the 2 versus the pod2.0-based models of the 1.  The 2 has a similar sound as to when I run a cab model into an actual guitar cabinet. The metal blue, metal amber, and insane amber models on the 1 are fantastic. 

 

Now, the amps are my on-stage guitar cabs when I need to have some guitar sound on stage with my helix.  They work great for that too.  

 

...I think I’m going to go test this theory with my Pod XT Live.    

[TRENDKILLCFH333]

I've never played the MKII version - how do they differ from the the MKI version?  I never knew about the cab sims in this amp!  

[jws1982]

20 hours ago, TRENDKILLCFH333 said:

I've never played the MKII version - how do they differ from the the MKI version?  I never knew about the cab sims in this amp!  

I’m not positive they had the cabs sims built into the amp models on the mkii’s.  I just believe they did based on the sound.   The mkii had much better capabilities and options for effects and routing.  It was more like a pod xt live built into an amp. 

[TRENDKILLCFH333]

Ok cool.  I'm hoping they do something in the future with this - perhaps a Helix integrated into a tube power amp, with an optional tube preamp section.  :)  One can dream!  

[roscoe5]

Fellas, Helix into the Power Amp In of these SV's are the best sounds I've gotten from Helix.  Better than DT50, Powercab, L2m, or solid state power amp into guitar cab.

 

I have an HD100 MKii and 112 MKii. 

 

Powecab may be more versatile with my JTV Variax, but SV's sound and feel WAY better.  Long live SV ;)

[TRENDKILLCFH333]

Oh yeah, Helix into a tube power amp sound great!!  I use my Mesa TC-100.  The Archon preamp is almost better than the TC-100.  Almost....... :)  

[jimjamz]

The spider Valve HD100 MK II KICKS BUTT! For outdoor Festivals the power and flexibility can't be beat! Just done a Festival last night with the SV + 412  cab and shortboard MII and got nothing but praises from people in the audience about my sound. I do my home work and set my patches with my computer & Spider Valve edit tweek it to my liking name it and it's there. Playing in a variety Band  no time to do the pedalboard dance, one tap and rock on. Line 6 and Bogner was a great marriage for the guitarist  on a budget that want great tones and plenty of power. I wish they could have taken it a step further with more advanced modeling of the fire hawk, but that's alright. It still sounds better and has more flexibility than many amps out there at two and three times the price. I just found a used SV MKII 212 on line for smaller indoor gigs and may get a fire hawk fx going power in on the amp and I'm done. Most tube amps are noisy as hell and pedalboards add to that, with my set I can set it on an insane patch and turn the guitar full on and no noise till I touch the strings I love that. There are a lot of Line 6 haters out there ,stop the bitchin , take care of your gear spend time on your own presets and keep more money in your pocket. Quality control has slip-ups in China as well as USA, still for the price your still getting way more than you paid with Line 6 gear. There is a compromise with everything you can buy, but the most of your tone is in your hands!!! Practice!

[tearitupbaby]

On 4/20/2018 at 2:56 PM, TRENDKILLCFH333 said:

I remember having one of these - the half stack as my first tube amp.  I loaned it to a band member who was gonna buy it after I got a Carvin V3, but ended up not paying me for it and stole it.  Lesson learned the hard way - sometimes the ones you trust the most, like your band mates, will screw you over!  

 

Anyway, I loved the sounds, effects and headroom on this amp.  I was really hoping that Line 6 would've taken this product a little further, like adding a full blown effects processor a la' Helix - where you can program which effects went in the loop and which were in front of the amp (virtual 4CM).  Essentially a tube and effects processor all in one.  No more pedals, pedalboard (except to control the amp) or racks.  Just a real tube amp head, built in FX processor and a floorboard for control.  

 

Anyone else have the same thoughts? 

well i still have my sv mk2 2-12 combo and love it.  I too was bummed when they abandoned the valve line because its killer to me.That tube section really sealed the deal with the modeling.I too was hoping for a helix brain in a real tube 2-12 stereo combo amp to show up but to line 6 its just not cost effective. Too bad. Also i bet they had a falling out with bogner.

[tearitupbaby]

that head looks sweet. I only wish the head and 2-12 combos were stereo- can you imagine!!! like the old vettas were.