Embarrassing gear dilemma... can you help???

[Apopholis]

we totally need a new facebook thread.

What was the old one about? 

[Mushroony]

About facebook. Duuh...

[Vintage MR]

Hi there, welcome to the forum. Nothing to be said that hasn't been already really, but yeah, hi. 

[Zencat]

  Don't worry about it. There are two types of gear. Pro gear and student gear and a whole lot of vanity gear for everyone else.

 Mesa Boogies are pro gear. (Although some of their amps could be considered working class pro)  Marshall makes the whole gamut from toys to pro gear. Soldano is pro gear. Crate is mostly student gear, but has some pro gear. PV is mostly student and semi-pro/working class pro gear, but recently have been making more pro gear. 
Gibsons tend to be pro gear, but they make some budget stuff for people who want the name, however, the similarly priced Epiphone products tend to be a better deal. Fender is mostly student and working class pro gear, but they have pro gear and custom shop.

Bogner is pro. Engl is like PV.  Hughes and Kettner makes both pro and student gear.  Two Rock is boutique pro gear that's typically played by rich hobbyists.  Behrringer is semi-pro. 

  Avoid the boutique stuff, since it's very expensive, and stick with the pro or workingclass gear if you want something to gig with. The higher priced student gear can suffice, but over time you'll feel the want for something better.

Working class gear is professional grade but not the top of the line. Examples are the Mesa Subway Rocket, some Carvin guitars and amps, Hartke, G&K. Sovtek amps, etc. Boutique gear is very pricey and often of fine quality professional grade. Most of it is designed to be a copy of some working class gear from the past that people have fond memories of. Like an old Marshall SLP, or Fender Reverb or Bassman amp.

You can use anything you want, really, as long as you can get a good sound out of it. 

  The player is responsible for at least 85% of the sound quality, meaning a good player can easily make a cheap amp sound better ,than a poor player can make an expensive amp sound. Some really cheap gear is beyond redemption, though, player be damned.

[eittol31]

Thanks for the breakdown of amp brands... I actually just got a new amp, a Marshall JCM 2000, and it's the first and last amp I'm going to be getting for a while. That said, I don't actually see myself wanting or needing another- this thing is awesome, and the sound is such a huge step up from my old practice amp. I completely know what you mean about the amp quality/ guitarist's skill thing. Same goes for my amp- Before I got the new one, I actually had a guy come up to me and say, "At the level you're playing at, you really should have a better amp, because this thing is holding you back." That was majorly cool and flattering to hear, though! Right now I'm just kind of on a quest to understand more of the inner workings of the amps and such- that stuff escapes me completely despite the lessons I've taken.

[GPW]

Quote: "Right now I'm just kind of on a quest to understand more of the inner workings of the amps and such-"   www.wattkins.com   

[LasPlagas]

Hi there, welcome to the forum. Nothing to be said that hasn't been already really, but yeah, hi. 

Feeling friendly today MR? 

[breakfastime]

  Don't worry about it. There are two types of gear. Pro gear and student gear and a whole lot of vanity gear for everyone else.

Okay Zen...that makes three kinds of gear!  But I'd say that's a very acccurate breakdown of the market:

Pro gear
Beginner gear
Hobbyist-with-deep-pockets gear

And the rest or your post was spot on, as usual.

[Vintage MR]

Hi there, welcome to the forum. Nothing to be said that hasn't been already really, but yeah, hi. 

Feeling friendly today MR? 

Oops, I clicked on the wrong one...oh well, I like it.

[Vintage MR]

I might have to start doing all my posts this way.

[rdsstudio]

this is why Guitar Forum is an great place. hundereds of artist that has had experiance with about every product available on the market. its not just a written document on the products out there. rather an actual personal experiance with the products from trust worthy people (for the most part) . if more than one person on Guitar Forum tells you a product sucks. chances are...... the product sucks. with that being said, you may also get a referance to another product on guitar forum they found to be better.
instead of having your search for "whatever" ending with no leads to something else.
Welcome to Guitar Forum.

[Mud Shrimp Moe]

Since you have a JCM 2000, I'd say you're set for a long while.  That's a great amp.  Just enjoy it and don't worry much about your knowledge of other amps.  Of course, you can still read about them and check out gear on the web or at guitar stores, jams, or whatever.  But you have a great amp.  If you have a great guitar too, and maybe a couple of pedals, then relax and enjoy what you already have.