Anyone else got one of these little Yamaha THR amps?

[chip]

Hi Andy. First off, very nice playing, that first track really rocks man. Now back to the THR. It does sound very good, quite organic and yes it sounds like a tube/valve amp. The cub though sounded like a real valve amp, I noticed it straight away, just something about that sound.

 Anyway, I went out and bought the first THR5, I figure I don't need the bells and whistles, ie saving presets and messing with computers, also I didn't want to risk the expense, add on the fact that the THR 5 has rave reviews and in some cases folk prefer it, I thought, go for it. The THR 5 was the one I heard in the shop and it sounded very good to my ears. I just hope it lives up to the hype.

Perhaps you could do a mini track with the cub one side and the THR the other, but don't tell us which is which for a while.Rock on.

[chip]

Just an update on the THR. I like it, it sounds great, it records great, it looks great, it's the best modeller I have heard yet, it's very responsive, it sounds remarkably like a valve amp. I am very impressed, if they make a big one for stage I reckon they will clean up.

[AndyR]

Just an update on the THR. I like it, it sounds great, it records great, it looks great, it's the best modeller I have heard yet, it's very responsive, it sounds remarkably like a valve amp. I am very impressed, if they make a big one for stage I reckon they will clean up.

Nice one

I wondered how you'd get on. I "accepted" modelling years ago now. For a rocking pub gig volume, with drums, I'd still want a valve amp (I think). But, even though I have a nice small valve amp, playing valves in a domestic environment doesn't quite have the "feel" that I know a valve does when playing in a band. For just playing in the living room, or on a recording, I found that modellor tones (flawed as they can be) can get me a lot closer to the vibe I felt playing a nice valve combo at a decent volume.

Once it's recorded, or to a non-guitar-playing listener, there's not a lot of difference... but if you've "got the vibe" when you're playing, you play better.

So I bought into the modellor idea once they got close. POD 2.0 for me first, then POD XT, then Vox Tonelab. The Vox gave me much more of the vibe I like than the Line6 ones did, but I still use all three.

But I hear you when you're talking about gear and amps, modelling just ain't quite the same...

And then this THR thing came along...

It does it for me! The little valve amp's packed away again

It is very remarkable how responsive it is. And the thing that really impresses me is when you turn down the guitar controls. My PODs and the Tonelab can cope, but it gets kinda fizzy/brittle, not warm like a valve amp. The THR, woww... very valve-like.

And if you turn it up (making sure it's on the right sort of surface for what you're after), even better!

[chip]

They have gone and done it  https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=51&v=ina3d3jPaos

[AndyR]

They have gone and done it  https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=51&v=ina3d3jPaos

There seems to be a certain amount of debate online about these!

I actually found this vid more informative for me (no hyperbolic talking or flashy playing!):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_zJCXFvyzk

Cool sounds, but I'm not sure who's gonna buy one. They are VERY expensive - up in the realms of decent valve amp (and some folks are saying Kemper, but I don't know what those go for). The original THRs - a "third amp" for playing in the living room etc - really hit a hole in the market at a very reasonable price.

These new ones are fighting some stiff competition, and with the price, I'm not sure how well they'll sell. Not being a gigging musician myself, I can't see me shelling out for one just because I might need an amp for jams sometimes - I have a £200 valve combo that will do very well for that (Laney Cub 12, you can still get them new for £250 ish +/- £20). Also, I've already proved to myself that the THR10C, my little thing, can be linked up to monitors or keyboard amp, for example, and produce gig volumes very easily (sounds and feels loads better than my POD and Vox Tonelab options, and is more predictable than my Laney!)

This new thing in the vids (without speaker cab) is £629!!! The single channel head is £470. Yeah, they'll come down... but WOW!

Perhaps, the sound and feel will be SO good as far as guitarists are concerned that, yes, what you're getting is a Fender, Vox, Marshall, Mesa, wotever, all in the same box, for the price of a clone of one of them...

It'll all be down to how many guitarists think it sounds and feels as good as a real valve amp, shout about it, and the reputation it gets because of that.

My gut feeling is that folks prepared to go hybrid/modelling/wotever already have cheaper options that are "good enough" for them. And the guys that want heavyweight "oh wow it's just like valves" at gig volume are going to, at this price, buy valves...

Or maybe Yamaha have hit the holy grail, the thing that finally gets guitarists off using glass vacuum tubes!

[AndyR]

Cool sounds, but I'm not sure who's gonna buy one.

Err... me!

(Actually, it was the missus for my birthday, and she got a good deal)

I'll be posting a "New Amp" thread sometime over the weekend. All spare time (ie "not at work time") has been spent either cooking, eating, or playing this thing