I am considering purchasing a Yamaha Pacifica 112v as my first electric guitar. I already have an electro-acoustic guitar and may add an electro-ukulele in the future.
I am looking for a desktop type of amp to use with all three instruments. Something that will sound good at low volume and have no background hum. I do not need anything more powerful as I never intend to do any public performances.
I had considered the Blackstar ID Core Beam but understand that some people are experiencing hum with it so I am now considering a Yamaha THR10II.
Would a Yamaha THR10II be more suitable for low volume playing? Would it work well with electro acoustic guitars/ukuleles and would it be easy to link a pedal board to it? Would it also be easy to link it up to a computer? Is there anything else I should consider that would work with electric, acoustic and bass guitars?
I apologise if these are dumb questions. I have no knowledge of amps at all.
The THR would be a very good choice. But do consider to step up to the THR30
The THR amp has all the things you mention and then someā¦ but i do belive the 30 is a much better choise than the 10 and its not that much more expensive.
You agree @brianlarsen?
I can only find the wireless version of the THR30 and it is a bit above my budget. It is good to know I am on the right track with the THR10. Thank you for your help, tRONd.
Yeah. You are right. There is a price difference between the THR10 and the 30 wirelessā¦
Its the 10 wireless compared with 30 wireless that has a low price differenceā¦
Dont think you can go wrong with any of these as a desktop amp no matter witch one you chooseā¦
I have a headphone amp that I use when I want to play with effects on my electro acoustic.
One thing I have found is that unless I use my noise-cancelling headphones, the natural sound from the guitar sounds weird with the āeffectedā sound from the amp.
I am mainly looking for an amp for an electric guitar but with options to extend it if possible. I also think I may have a hankering to dabble with bass in the future and it would be good to already have the amp.
I think the main differences are the THR30II has more powerful speakers and some of the settings can be accessed directly whereas one needs to use an app for the THR10II to access them. There may be more that I donāt know about too.
Iāve discovered that some people have had problems with the app so I am now thinking of maybe getting a more basic amp and saving for the THR30IIW. I do love the size of them though.
I have the THR10ii Wireless. It works great for electric guitar, bass, and acoustic guitar. Is see no reason it would not be good for other instruments too
Itās also a decent Bluetooth speaker, and looks pretty good.
Personally, Iāve had no problems with the app when I have felt the need to use it, but I honestly donāt find I need to that much.
For me the THR10ii is about the perfect size and I donāt have any use for the line-out as I can record via USB straight into my laptop.
The THR series has a good reputation. Is cost, size or features the most important for you? I have a Fender GTX50 which is a lot larger than the THRs but where I live is cheaper. The Boss Katana series also have a great reputation, and similar price.
I have a Blackstar ID Core BEAM and havenāt really had any problems with noise, itās great at everything it was designed for. I also have not done any of the updates to the firmware on the grounds that āif it aināt broken donāt fix itā.
I also do like the THR10 but donāt have much experience with it, my previous experience was mainly tube amps that I no longer have the need for.
My BEAM is good for my Electro Acoustic Guitar and Ukulele, my Electric guitars and my Ukulele bass plus itās great at being used as a PA for music off my Computer, Phone or a live stream; itās just what I needed!
Another 10ii owner here and I think itās a terrific amp. Small footprint but a big sound if you want it. Aside from the wireless capability the other piece the 10ii does not have is an internal battery so it is mains powered only.
PC linkage is via included USB, hooking up pedals is absolutely no issues. Iāve used it for my electric guitar and my nieceās Ukulele and all sounds are great. Iāve not messed around too much with tones and settings but have downloaded 5 presets that are my go to, you can easily get lost with cabs etc. in the app.
In short, terrific range of amps regardless of which model you go for imo.
Is cost, size or features the most important for you?
jkann, that is a very good question. The more I research these amps, the more confused I am getting. It is good to touch base.
Here is my thinking;
Cost is important as I am also buying an electric guitar at the same time. I had budgeted about Ā£200-Ā£250 for an amp and hopefully, it will be something that will last several years without me growing out of it.
It should sound good at low volume with minimal hissing/humming. This is very important.
Space is limited so something small and pleasant looking was a consideration. Also just having the one amp for multiple instruments seemed ideal for the same reason.
Of lesser importance:
I liked the idea of Bluetooth and being able to play backing tracks. The THR also had separate volume controls which I liked.
It may be fun to link it up to a PC and play around with recording in the future.
Where I am now:
Iām thinking maybe just concentrating on an amp for the electric guitar is the way to go until I know a bit more.
Majik, the app has a rating of 2.4 for both the android and iOS but it seems that most of the poor ratings were from at least a year ago so perhaps the problem with it has been fixed now. I use the Yamaha app for digital piano and have had no problem with it when I have used it either.
DarrellW, Iām pleased you have had no problems with the BEAM. It looks very versatile too.
Iām also an owner of this amp (the THR10II, not wireless), been using it for my electric guitar for over a year, and for my bass for over two months, and Iām very happy with it. The only way Iāll grow out of it is if I ever join a band. But as a home amp, I donāt really need anything else.
Finally, I donāt use the app too often, but the only problem Iāve had with it is that changing the amp model resets the Master volume at 50, so what I do now is leaving it there in the middle, and always control the volume using the Guitar pot. So, just a minor annoyance.
If you mean the full-size Katana, I would say they are different types of amps for different uses. I have (or had, until I recently sold my Katana) both and used them for different things.
If I had a broad choice and no other constraints, I would get the Katana: itās a real amp that can be used for everything from quiet bedroom practice to band rehearsals to gigging.
In comparison, the THR10ii I have is really just a practice amp (although it can also be a Bluetooth speaker).
But with the constraints I currently have (travelling, living in rented apartments often with limited space and the need to be fairly quiet) the THR10ii is ideal, and something as physically big as the Katana is a non-starter.
For home practice use, if you have to be relatively quiet, lack the space for a full-sized combo amp, and if you have no plans to join a band (or, if you do, you will use another amp) the THR10ii is very hard to beat: itās compact,. portable, looks great in a typical home environment (because bit doesnāt look like a traditional amp) and sounds great.
If you have the space and think you might use it in situations where you can crank it a bit, the Katana may be a better fit.
