Line 6 Lowdown LD300Pro 115 Combo

I have the LD150 and it has a lot of features like presets and amp modes and fx but really there is too much going on. I would only end up using one amp model and none of the fx.

The sound quality would be ok at lower levels for practicing by yourself. but with a band when it is turned up it gets boomy and farty... doesn't sound good at all.

It was reliable for a couple years (i wouldnt use it for gigs) but then it slowly started its demise. At first the lights would flicker and the signal would come in and out randomly. It did this for a few months then it died completely. I'm an EE so I took it apart and tried to fix it but it wasn't anything obvious. The main power section and other voltage references were ok. There is too much computer and digital crap going on here probably the system is shutting itself down for some reason.

I'd like to email them but they don't give you an email address. The forums are useless. If i did get a hold of them they'll just tell me to take it to a service center.. which i won't cuz its not worth it for a practice amp. i got a big ampeg rig now so screw it.

When it worked it was fine for a practice amp. No good for gigs. Since it died I wouldn't reccommend it to anyone... any amp by Line 6 for that matter. They over do it with the digital stuff to get all these silly features and that stuff evidently fails and it's hosed. Big waste of 400 bucks.

Made in China.
Buyed in Artist - Sarajevo 550???.
Versatile amp, with several usefull mods - Clean, R&B, Rock, Brit, Grind and Synt (Synt mod - I really cannot what to do with it).
One Channel passive/active input, (over)Drive pot, bass, lo-mid, hi-mid, treble EQ pots, Chan Vol pot, Optical Comp pot, Effect selector (anvelope, octaver, chorus) Master pot, four memory banks, tuner, post EQ DI out independent of the master vol, Ground lift switch, headphones out, CD/consumer player input 1/8 TSR, Mute Horn switch.
Efficient power for gigs (300W)

Playing Fender P-Lyte, pick or fingered style. P-pup is so hum free, but J-pup (single coil) often produce some hum.
The amp produces some irrelevant level of noise (like other semiconductor tech).
Sound is really fat, clean, without distortion. The horn gives enough of high freq. tones or can be switched off.
The Drive pot provides the controlled distortion.

For now without any problems, but the backup solution is allways there arround hehe

I asked some question at the official site forum, without any answer.
I asked what is Direct out impedance? - Without answer.
Line 6 stuff is:
1 - totally incompetent to answer any harder tech question, or
2 - they believe that Line 6 tech is "secret atomic fusion technology" and must keep top secret.


European stuff - answered me at one question.

Playing since 1987.
Usefull gear.
Good investition.

Not sure when it was made but guess 2006/2007

Five amp models, compressor, Digital FX

15 inch speaker plus horn

Built in tuner

Bloody heavy! (89LBS)

Check out the Line 6 website for the full specs

This has a fantastic sound and covers alot of different styles. I'm using this with my hohner Professional ST Lynx and it makes my bass souns great. Really like the Clean, Rock, Brit & Grind models. The synth model is fun but don't really see how it could be used.

Takes a while to dial in the tones but you can get some really good results.

the digital FX include Chorus, Envelope filter and octaver. The first 2 are great but the octaver is horrible. Doesn't track well at all.

The compressor is good.

The four channel memories are useful

Didn't get chance to use it in a band situation but its loud!

This is where the lowdown let me down.

The first one i had delivered didn't work properly out of the box. It wouldn't turn on easily. If you were lucky when you flicked the power switch a coupel of times it would turn on.

The second one was okay for a couple of weeks but tehn i turned it on to practice and it just went fizzle! Speaker distorts and amp models and fx change randomly.

Shame really as i really like the tone.

Sounds Live have been brilliant so i would recommend them

The support forums are great

Sounds live who i bought it off have been absolutely stellar and i would highly recommend them

played Bass for 5 -6 years then had a ten year gap and recently took it up again.

I dearly wanted it to work as it has got killer tone but after being let down twice i've now opted for an Ashdown MAG 300 2x10 Combo

I'm considering buying the bass floor pod as this is basically the lowdown ina pedal as i really liked the tones

Its a shame really, maybe i was unlucky but the quality control on these sucks the big one

This amp was made in 2006, and really only hit our local stores in the past 6 months or so. This little monster has 4 presets (36 with the optional FBV Shortboard) and a manual mode. It has a headphone jack, MP3/line in jack, floorboard in (FBV Express or FBV Shortboard only) and active/passive inputs.

I wish this amp had an effects loop and the USB/MIDI interface to benefit from the online sound community, but I see that they modeled it after the Spider series, which is really meant for simplified use.

Before I purchased this amp, I owned a Mesa Boogie M-Pulse 600 (tube) head and a 1x15 + 4x10 + horn cab, which gave me 600 watts RMS, 2000 watts peak -- more power than I would ever need! This little thing kicks out 300 watts RMS! I played the two amps side-by-side, and with the volume up half-way, it was rivaling the stack right next to it! WOW!

I am a cover band and studio bassist, so I play any style I'm given (rock, metal, blues, jazz, gospel, etc.) This amp may only have 6 amp models, but the tone controls are so effective, I quickly made over 20 patches in a single sitting with what I consider to be all usable sounds! The fact that this amp lacks a noise gate is a little disturbing, but with the right bass and pickups, this amp shines!

The Rock and Grunge models can go all the way from clean to "where did my tone go?" So, if you are not capable of making intelligent settings on an amp, you will get quickly frusterated with this amp. However, if you are patient, and make small corrections, you will find that this amp can cover just about any sound you could possibly want!

I think that the mids could be notched out a little further than the settings allow for, but because you can run direct out to a PA and EQ at the sound board, it actually HELPS cut through as a stage monitor! Line 6 seems to get it right in the end, even if evaluating this amp by itself seems "a little off the mark".

I've heard that this amp's wood construction can make it easily prone to damage. I have not gigged with this amp yet, but when I do, I plan to put it on a platform with casters for easy transport, and pad it to help. In other words, if you plan to leave this amp where it is, you will never have an issue, but if you transport it a lot, you may want to keep an eye on the wood construction. Again, this is something I heard, and have not experienced, so until I see otherwise, I cannot fault Line 6 for it.

I own many other Line 6 products. I have called their support on technical questions, repairs and even pre-sales questions and have always gotten satisfaction from the call. Line 6 prides themselves on their support, and with good reason. The only way you can top that, is to get the equipment protection plan from Guitar Center, which is like having a check in your back pocket for a brand new amp, should this one die (hypothetic statement, this amp does not make me nervous!)

As a bassist that is very sensitive to the sound he produces, I was very happy to downsize my equipment to the LD300Pro. It's enough of an amp to overpower any drummer, and never loses its tone at any volume! I've only owned the amp for 4 days, but I've played it for over 4 hours each day, and keep discovering more tones that I wind up storing for "rainy days".

If this amp were stolen, I'd get another one in a heartbeat.

For the price, this amp is everything it should be. I'd like to see Line 6 re-label this as the LD300, and have the LD300Pro (or LD600Pro, if they can make a 600 watt combo) that has an effects loop, noise gate, delays and reverb, to better match what comes on the Spider III line.

I think adding "pro" to the product name is somewhat misleading, as any previous Line 6 "pro" products have had MIDI implementation, effects loops and additional output routing options. Those options should be made on any LowDown with the "pro" label in my opinion.

Well featured combo that has a good range of tones/effects/tuner on board making it a one box solution for players. Capable power rating, plenty of volume and seems well built. New company to bass amps but this unit is well thought out and and should meet most requirements for the average 'gigging' player.

Does most sounds pretty well and compares very favourably with the competition in this price range......no complaints. Used with a MM Stingray 5 and a Tokai Jazz.

Other Line 6 product that I own ( Pod XT LIve) has been totally relable and I don't expect this amp to be any different. Solid construction with good quality circuitry and components.

Line 6 always get back to you eventually and their online support and website is excellent covering just about any need you may have.
Good user forums and help when necessary.

A good product for Line 6's first attempt at bass amps, meets my needs and I'm fairly fussy. I've owned much more expensive gear over the years (played since 1958!) , some of which was/is better than this combo but if you can conquer the power and draw of the 'name game' on your gear then this is definitely worth a look and represents exceptional value for money.

The amp mods sound very good and actually the
different settings (Amp models) are ALL useable IMHO, just like
changing the colour a little bit. the distortion channel is great ,

if your a fan of bass fuzz and grindy stuff, you will like this amp

the reason im giving it a 4 because the OCTAVER is completley un-useable and has -horrible- tracking. The filter and chorus are sufficient and get the job done...but WHY NO FX LOOP? thats why i give it a 4 for features

it would be a 9.5 if it had a better octaver and an effects loop

I agree with the guy below.....
If your are a purist with your stacks of Ampegs and Mesa-Boogie
stuff. You might hate this amp.
He was right when he said it "emulates its own acoustics" rather than relying on the stage acoustics.
Purists will not be used to this...

I use a Music Man Sterling through it. I dunno why but my bass and this amp go together perfectly. IMO 80% of your tone is coming from the bass and your fingers...the other 20% is the amp.
If you have a good bass and skilled fingers this thing will sound great.

Ive been playing for 14 years.
If it had an effects loop and a better octaver it would be perfect. I use it for direct and live. Works great in both situations...
versatile amp

The models and fx's seem to be a similar concept as the Spyder series.
I mean a well designed piece of the Line6 pie. It's not as vast as the Live.
But it is very practical and still very versatile.

But here is the best feature, in my opinion.
Let's say you are into a variety of styles of music. It's nice to have an appropriate tone for that style. Most bass amps just don't have the tonal flexability to play jazz or R&B and then also Metal.

For my 16 yr son who is just starting out, this becomes a great education in what is the best sound for a musical style.
Same goes for the fx's.

You just can't truly do that with a one trick pony amp.

I myself own the Line6 Podxt Live. This machine is capable of truly satisfying tones --- and it can yield totally terible sounds as well.
It all depends on how you can dial it in. This is a very sensitive, or should I say , vast sea of tweekables. You really have to have a good ear for tone.

The Lowdown 300, like the spyder series gives you less opertunities
to screw up your tone. Line6 planned it that way.
Pick an amp model and pretty much you get the same adjustment perameters as the true amp, gain and Eq.'s have been modeled to work the same.

When recording direct, I would challenge you to hear a difference from the real amp.

Using the Lowdown live is a different story and here's why.
Say you sculpt the perfect tone in your frontroom, a nice clean tone, you save it, go to the gig and turn up loud and the tone is mostly the same as your front room.
A typical amps tone does not sound the same in those two situations.
This can make the Line6 sound unnatural to an ear that's used to the old ways amps behave.
Is this a problem. Not for me, not in the least.
But it is a big problem for tube snobs and purists. They have a big problem accepting that frontroom sound on stage.

It's only a problem for them. The truth is that frontroom tone sounds great on stage - If you allow it. Or, you can have raging metal tone in your neighbor friendly garage band. You don't have to crank the amp to get that 'tone'.

So because of these modeling atributes, it's not easy to rate this in comparison to standard amps. It's like it's in a class of its own.

As my sons first amp, this is a great choice. It's like going to school on tone.

For under $600 we couldn't find anything that sounded flexable, we checked out GK, Peavey, Ampeg and Fender, those were the big contenders.
But the Lowdown could pretty much cop all those sounds and more.
My son fell in love with the Mesa amps and I did as well, but you can't grt into that for $600 no way.
My son made the choice and it wasn't a hard one.
I agreed.

In a recent battle of the bands I had the chance to hear the Lowdown
against Ampeg. It was like David and Golieth because the Lowdown was smaller.
But the Lowdown sounded just as big and good. Three different bands ask to use the Lowdown.
Line6 picked up new customers that night.

300W power
15" speaker
High-frequency tweeter with horn
6 bass amp models: Clean, R&B, Rock, Brit, Grind, and Synth
Vintage studio compressor model
Bass-specific octave, envelope filter, and chorus effects
Built-in tuner
Oversized, high-speed power amp
4 programmable channel memories (36 with a FBV Shortboard)
Headphone jack
1/8" CD, MP3 in jack
Studio-quality XLR direct out with POD-based cab modeling
21"W x 26-3/4"H x 14-1/2"D
74-1/2 lbs.

Very well appointed with features, all of them useful. Easily accessed and fairly well laid out controls, so that you can start experimenting right away. Had every feature I wanted in one package.
Injected resin enclosure (like JBL EON speakers) is novel, and probably saves weight, but gave me the perception of it being chintzy.

I was using a brand new Tobias Growler in the store, as it is pretty much the same tonally as my own Growler.
After mucking about with the presets, and dialing in settings on my own for about 15 minutes, I concluded that I couldn't find a single sound that was musical, pleasing, distinct or useable. The sound was always very artificial, and at no time did I ever get the sense that I was getting a simple amplified version of the instrument's characteristic tone. No wood whatsoever in any setting.
I found the "vintage" amp simulations too muddy, and the "modern" amp simulations too strident. None of the factory defaults were pleasing. The effects simply made bad tone worse.
In short, this is probably the worst bass amp I have ever played through.
I will grant that the combo has plenty of power, but so what? Loud crap is still crap.

Don't know and don't care.

Don't know and don't care.

I've been playing music for about 35 years, bass for about 10. I play blues, rock, reggae, and fusion.
I use a Tubeworks combo at home and a Tubeworks RT-3300 head with a Carvin R1015 cabinet for live gigs. My bass is an older Tobias Growler. I've auditioned Genz-Benz, Hartke, Ashdown, Acoustic, SWR, Eden, G-K, Euphonic, Behringer, Fender, etc. so when I say that this is the worst amp I've ever heard, it's going up against both gems and suckers.
Sure it's got tons of features and plenty of power, but none of this matters if the amp's fundamental sound is simply unbearable.

2006 model, first model year. This amp was made to be versatile and it delivers. I play in a cover band that does mostly rock, but also some funk and pop.
This amp gives you 5 amp models plus a set of Synth Bass controls. It has four EQ knobs (Bass, Low-Mid, High-Mid, Treble), plus a "Deep" button that adds more fatness and subsonics. You also have a "Drive" knob to control overdrive and add distortion. Next, there is a built-in compressor. There are also three additional effects (envelope filter, chorus, and octaver) that are modelled after well-known pedals.
There are 4 "channel memories" on the amp that store presets. You can set the amp to "manual mode", tweak the knobs, and store all that into a preset at the touch of a button.
The amp also has a built-in tuner which works really well.
It has a balanced direct out (with a ground life switch) which sends the same tone you get from your amp to the PA.
The 1X15" ported cabinet has a horn, and also a horn defeat switch.
I use this amp at rehearsal and for gigging at local bars and clubs. This replaced an SWR 350w 2X15 rig, and I was expecting a major loss of power. I was pleased to discover that once I set the Channel Volume correctly for my presets, the power was more than enough for my needs. At practice or gigging, I haven't needed to turn the master volume past 12 o'clock.
I bought a combo for better portability - I was tired of having to ask others for help lugging my big rig around. This amp certainly delivers. It would be nice to have a recessed handle on the top for carrying.

I'm using this amp with a Musicman Stingray 5 bass.
The 5 amp models are fairly diverse. The "Clean" model (based on an Eden Traveler) is great for funk and jazz sounds. The "R&B" model (based on a B-15 flip-top) was designed for old Motown, haven't used it much. The "Rock" is based on an Ampeg SVT and is good for basic rock. I use the "Brit" model the most, it's based on a Marshall SuperBass. It gives me that warm tube sound, but is also very punchy. The "Grind" model is based on a distorted SansAmp going into an Ampeg SVT and is a very good starting point for grunge and metal tunes. There is also a "Synth Bass" model. When selected, all of the EQ controls become waveform and filter controls for the synth. You can get some very cool sounds here. As if the modelling wasn't enough you also get compression, octaver, chorus, and envelope filtering you can add in. These controls were also modelled after popular bass effects pedals. The envelope filter, octaver, and chorus are applied with one knob. You can control how much effect is applied by turning the knob more. At first I though this was extremely limiting, but then I realized that the effects were "dialed-in" from the start to very tasteful sounds. It's actually a lot more convenient not to have as many knowbs to twiddle.
The amp models "dial in" appropriate EQ, but as with all effects, to get what you hear in your head, you will want to tweak it. I was very impressed at the wide range of tones I could get. You can store 4 presets with the amp. If you buy an optional footboard you can store up to 36 presets. I found 4 was enough for me.

This amp is very solid. I like how all the controls, inputs, and outputs are in the front, no more flashlights. The knobs and buttons are solid and easy to deal with in a dark club. Another nice little touch is the recessed area in the back with a built-in Velcro strap to hold the power cord.

Line6 has a nice web site, but since the LowDown is so new, they haven't updated their support knowledgebase or forums yet. I'm sure this will happen as more people buy the amp.
The owners manual was quite thorough and full of helpful tips.

I've been playing bass for about 20 years now. I've always been somewhat of a purist (little or no effects). I like to plug in and go. But this amp is turning me into a tone junkie!
I wanted a combo because I was tired of lugging around a huge rig, always having to ask for help. I thought that buying a combo amp would mean sacrificing my tone and my volume. I'm very pleased to say that's not the case. The LowDown gives me the volume I need and more tonal options that I'll ever use. It has so many nice little touches like the ground lift, power cord strap, and the built-in tuner. I can plug in and go, or I can twiddle knobs until I go nuts. Now I have the choice.

Brand new for 2006. It has active and passive inputs, XLR direct out with Line 6's proprietary A.I.R. Cab & Mic Modeling. A "deep switch", 5 amp models, 4 channel memories, Line6 FBV footswitch capabitlity, (NO EFFECTS LOOP -- a big downer for me. Read below.), built in tuner, gnd lift switch, 3 built in effects, built in Opto Comp, CD/iPod 1/8" input, and 1/4" headphone out. I'm giving it a 6 for the lack of an effects loop or preamp input. A glaring oversight in my opinion.

Tried it with a Squier Jazz Bass, because I wanted to see what it would do with a run-of-the mill bass. It 6 amp models with effects. Each of the models sounded very true to form, as Line 6's reputation would indicate. I thought they sounded great.
The amp models are:

CLEAN (Eden Traveler)
R&B (1968 B-15 Flip Top)
ROCK (?74 Ampeg? SVT)
BRIT (?68 Marshall? Super Bass)
GRIND - (distorted SansAmp PSA-1 into an Ampeg SVT)
SYNTH (?70s classic bass synth)

The effects models are:

Envelope filter (Q-Tron)
Octaver (EBS? OctaBass?)
Chorus (TC Electronics Chorus)
Post Opto Comp

The only thing I was disappointed in was the power of this combo. It's lauded by Line 6's marketing dept. as being able to "annihilate most drummers". I was less than convinced. I am in the market for a new bass amp, as my once trusty GK 400RB is growing tired and starting to sputter. I thought that the Lowdown would be the perfect power section for my PODxt with the brand new Bass Amp model pack. I was looking for something with a lot of good clean power, and this aint it. My first disappointment came in finding out that there's no effects loop at all. So you have to guess at a "flat" setting for running external modelers in. Seems very short-sighted for Line6 considering that there are a lot of BassPODxt owners out there that have been waiting for a Line6 combo amp for Bass. For comparison, I set a Fender Rumble 100 right beside it. Keep in mind the Lowdown LD300 is rated at 300 watts, and the Fender is rated at 100 watts. Both amps have a 15" spaeaker w/horn.

I set both amps at the exact halfway point in volume with the EQ Flat. Then I played each one, (the Line 6 was on the default CLEAN setting).

As I played the LD300, I thought, "wow great tone for sure". But the volume failed to blow me away. Remember, this is the one that Line 6 says will "annihilate most drummers."...I don't think so. I then plugged into the Fender.

Holy hell! The Fender was louder, had way more solid and tight bottom end, and (supposedly) one third of the power. It also has an EFFECTS LOOP (are you listening, Line 6??!), XLR Direct Out (*with* Level Knob! -- cool!), ground lift, and active and passive inputs. I don't know how Line 6 can rate their amp at 300 watts and have a 100-watt Fender eat its lunch. Maybe the Line 6 is 300 watts at 16 ohms. In my opinion, you would need every one of Line 6's "300 watts" to do a normal gig where you're not plugging through a full range PA.

As for price tags? Line 6: $599, Fender: $329. Yes, I know the Lowdown has modeling, and I suppose that with the effects justifies the price tag for some.

It looks as though it would be very reliable. Appears to be solidly built.

Line 6 has always been good with me in terms of support. Although their FAQTRAQ could use some improvement.

I'm a guitarist first, but I've been playing bass for about 20 years. Because of the lack of an preamp input or effects return for my PODxt, and the lack of power, I have to give it a lower rating than I'd like to. It's a shame, because the sounds are great, and the idea of a modeling bass combo is fantastic. But for someone like me who already has a modeler with Bass models in it and who just needs the option of a clean flat power section, the Lowdown misses the mark -- both in power and what I feel are necessary features. The Fender is the one I'll be buying.