Line 6 Flextone II Plus

Other people have covered this topic admirably. I will say that by comparison to the original Flextone XL I owned, the direct out feeds, the ability to directly import tones from the Net, and the extra amps are a godsend.

I was originally a Line 6 customer in 1999. I had the Flextone XL, the two 12" speaker model, and thought it was great but also, as other reviewers noted, a little diffuse, absolutely hungry for presence.

I am now the owner of the Flextone II +, and I am pleased to say that in this amp Line 6 has really lived up to its hype. They don't advertise any improvement in their noise gate and presence controls, but I'd swear it's there -- either that, or the fact that the single speaker yields less bottom-heavy a tone, I suppose.

The additional amps are great. I am particularly fond of the Dumble Clean, which is remarkably good for a digital model -- crisp, translucent highs with considerable tone dynamics that are particularly noticeable in a trill. Apply more left-hand force and the amp not only gets noticeably louder; apply more right-hand force and the tone becomes more distorted. This is the sort of responsiveness Dumble's known for, and that Line6 could have provided it in (for me, due to a trade-in) a $432 amp is astounding.

The Bassman tone I had previously fallen in love with is untouched, and so is the excellent Trem-O-Verb, but I'd swear the Soldano is better than it used to be, much more classically representative of the original Soldano preamp as it's been recorded over the years (example: Van Halen, For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge). Ripped, compressed, heavily sustained, endlessly smooth and basically just a taste sensation. This tone is simply Jennifer Aniston in a chocolate bath.

I can't say the Marshall Plexi tones are improved -- to my ear, playing through an Ernie Ball guitar, they're still much muddier and bassier than the artists the Plexi is associated with (example: Eric Johnson) -- but the Brit High Gain makes up for it. And I will admit that I haven't tried a Strat or single-coils at all through this model and it might make all the difference.

I don't want or need any other amp and I am dubious that as long as it continues to perform at this level, I ever will.

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It's unclear to me that it could be stolen since I pull it under the sheets with me when I sleep.

With out a doubt this is the most versitlile guitar I have ever played. As a working musician, salesman, and teacher I have had the oportunity to play a ton of amplifiers, and this is the only one I have played that truely does everything I needed it to.

I heard Brent Mason had started to play Line 6 amps, (Mason is one of the top session players in Nashville) so I thought I would take a look. The clean sounds are amazing, the catch is you have to tweak them a little, at first they may sound a bit bright but once you get the right cabinet amp setting, it's all over. My personnal favorite is the modern class A. I own a matchless, and it is really really hard to tell the difference between the two. I am playing a Gibson ES135, a Nashville Tele bender, and a strat standard. I regularly play country, jazz and top 40.

I beat the hell out of my gear through no fault of my own, so far it has held up with flying colors after two years.

Warrenty needs to be longer, but very few people have had serious problems as I understand.

I looked a long time for an amp that I could really use. I played the J-station, more recently the yamaha DG, and the Fender Cybertwin- (what a waste that thing is, talk about solid state) None of these compared to the quality of sound, the ease of use, and the vibe of the Line 6. Speaking of solid state, The Line 6 is NOT solid state, nor is it tube, it is software based, the computer controls everything, chew on that traditionalists.

this amp is so versatile. when used with the floorboard, you get 36 presets with tuner, wah, volume pedal, tap tempo for delay/tremolo/chorus, and effect on-off control for any effects+boost and a distortion kicker. after using this amp for a few months (i had the original flextone for almost two years) i have found that almost all of the amp settings are usuable, especially with the different speaker cabinet choices. some of the amp choices need to have the tone controls tweaked, but eventually, they can all be useful.

i know it is politically incorrect to like non-tube amps right now, but i am sold. this amp can really do it all. i have seen some people posting negative remarks about the line 6 stuff, but most people that try it remark about how cool it really is. i can see a lot of tube amp users getting really defensive, and deservedly so. the clean sounds are sweet and adjustable and the distortion sounds range from mild to wild (insane). i have found that this amp really shines at higher volumes. whenever i am playing with the volume over "5" it really sings. the clean sounds re very bell-like and the rougher sounds really sustain. this amp is the perfect one-amp-guy amp.

i have used line 6 flextones for over 2.5 years now and have never had a problem. when i owned the original flextone, they frequently sent me software upgrade chips (easy to install yourself) and they were always available to answer questions by email or phone. i had one of the floorboard switches changed out by my dealer and it took about a half an hour.

as mentioned above, they have always done great by me. from software upgrades to replacement switches. i have had fender, boogie and musicman tube amps that have seen many a repair bench

i have played lead guitar for about 18 years and besides my hamer guitars, i have never had a piece of musical equipment that i was this pleased with or found to be as useful. i would have to replace this amp if it were stolen. it would take 3-4 amps to take its place on stage.

This is a 60 watt solid state amp with the capability of 100 watts of stereo sound by adding an extra 1x12 cabinet. It has 32 classic tube amp modulations, and 5 cabinet types from a 1x8 to 4x12's that you can combine with any amp model. It has several onboard effects; comression, chorus, delay, flanger, rotary speaker, tremolo. The only one that can be combined with other effects is the compressor. It also has a noise gate and reverb that can be turned on or off.

I play 2 American Std. Telecasters with Seymour Duncan Vintage style pickups. One has Antiquities, and the other has Vintage 54's. I also have an American Std. Strat with Seymour Duncan Vintage Staggered Pickups. I've been using a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe (6L6 tubes) for a while, and these guitars sound great through that amp. I also played them through a friends 65 Deluxe Reverb Reissue and they sounded great, but the Flextone II Plus solid state amp just doesn't truly copy real tube amp sounds in my opinion. It is much noisier even on clean settings, and doesn't have the feel and sound of a tube amp at all. Actually I bought this amp a second time thinking maybe I didn't work with it enough before I returned it the first time. Since so many professionals claim to be recording with it now, I tried it again, but still got the same results. To me it is just overall noisey, trebley and brittle. The notes don't have much sustain and die off early. It just doesn't have that warm spongy sound you get from a real tube amp. I guess I'm spoiled. I'm mainly into Dwight Yoakam style Rockabilly Country, Brooks and Dunn, but also like Rock stuff like John Fogerty, Clapton, ZZ Top, Skynyrd etc.

I didn't keep it that long, but to me the buttons seem like cheap plastic that wouldn't last that long as compared to metal toggle swithes like on the Fender amps.

I didn't have it long enough to have any dealings with the customer support. It only has a 1 year warranty which I thought was very poor for an amp that costs $730.00 when it's on sale as compared to a 5 year warranty on Fenders.

I've been playing 18 years. I've owned a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe for the past 2 years and I love it. The Flextone II Plus doesn't compare with it, whether I'm playing clean Country stuff or "Smoke On The Water". If the Flextone II Plus was stolen I wouldn't have to replace it , because they would bring it back after they tried it out. I liked the idea and features, but the sound quality of tubes just isn't there. I tried to tell myself it sounded ok, but when I went out and played it with other musicians a couple different times at different places, I realized I was lying to myself. It sounded so trebley and brittle, and no amount of tweaking seemed to help. From now on I'm sticking with Fender tube amps.

The usual features 32 amp models a bunch of effects. Reverb is always available, but you can only combine delay with one other effect. You have to go outboard if you want a compressed chorus sound because you can only combine compression or chorus with delay. It's simply a function of not having enough processing power to power more effects. The AX2 doesn't have that problem because it has twice the processing power. The amp models are incredibly versatile. I need to have access to everything from a EVH tone, to tweed clean for Aretha Franklin stuff. I would have given the amp a ten, except for the aforementioned effects problem.

My main guitar is an American Standard Strat with DiMarzio Virtual Vintage pick ups. I also use a Charvel 375? Fushion, and a Kramer one pickup special. I need total versatility and get it from this setup, especially with the strat. The amp is pretty quiet except for the really high gain amp models. The noise gate does mitigate the problem to a certain extent, but it's a gate. Sooner or later it shuts the sound off, and in my opinion it'll be either too soon and it cuts of the ringing note, or too late and you hear extrainious noise.

I love the sound of the Fender Blackface Deluxe, the Mesa Boogie Tremoverb, the Marshall JCM 800, the 88XR Soldano, and the Vox AC-30Top Boost. The Soldano SLO is virtually unusable, but every other amp model has something to offer. Close your eyes, spin the amp model dial, and chances are you'll have an amp model that you can work with.

My Flex was bulletproof. It never failed me, but I always had the feeling in the back of my mind, that if it ever died it would be in a big way. I guess that goes with the territory with digital amps. I can't base my opinion on a feeling that never had any basis in fact. The amp was rock solid, but I felt better when using a surge protector, just in case a voltage spike killed all my presets.

I've never had a problem, thus no rating.

I've played plenty of amps over my 25+ year music career. This amp is by far the most veratile, and it got most of the sounds I was looking for. I did trade it in recently, but that's only because I had a POD Pro, which has all the same features plus a few more. I couldn't justify owning two units that were virtually identical as far sounds and features go.

!!UK REVIEW!!

I wanted the Plus version becuase of it's additional outputs for live work. These give me a stereo feed to the desk while still having the amp on stage to monitor. All other usual Flextone goodies as expected!

I've got a Standard USA Strat - 40th anniversary model - plugging direct in to this amp. I traded my Fender Hot Rod Deluxe (plus bits)in for this amp after sampling the POD for a while. You need the floor board if you're going to use it live (like me!). I'm using two main models, the Twin and Messa for clean and dirven sounds (if you've heard Walter Trout then the Strat+Messa is him!). On stage I've got the volume on about half max, the clean is crisp and the messa is excellent. No problems with hearing over the drummer or pickup squeal, bugger all hiss as well (not like the old tube + disto pedal). The sound out front is also excellent and I no longer have to mess around with miking the cab up.....great! I still want to mess with other amp models to hit a good AC30 sound for some Rory Gallagher sounds and maybe a more subtle messa tone that's less driven but dirtier than clean....you can with this amp....that's the beauty of it....Also the floor board adds more pathces plus a Wah without degrading my guitar signal....another great point about this amp. The effects are excellent for me although I'd've liked a phaser in there instead of one of the flangers.

It's well built. No tubes. One power cord. No wall warts or batteries. My only question mark is over the on/off switch which sticks out at the back of the amp and looks a bit prone. The amp is stacked in a trailer for transit and so is "wedged" between other gear. I've ordered a cover for the amp to afford some protection and always leave the button pressed in. Still, if this has not been revised from Flextone I, maybe there wasn't any trouble.

Looked at their web site, read the manual (before and after buying) and used other Line 6 stuff before. I am impressed first hand and also by other people's feed back. Line 6 seem interested in their gear, appear to listen to customer feedback and really do try and cover all the bases. There's loads of great, forward thinking ideas built in to the Flextone that other makers just don't offer.

I've been playing lots of years and been consistantly gigging for the last 8 years. Have had amps from "The Twin", to JCM 800 to Hot Rods. Allways been valves, lots of wires and stomp boxes and batteries and hiss and.....The Flextone II Plus gets rid of all this and offers an excellent, neat package. For gigging, it's loud enough, for recording it acts just like a POD. It offers a brace of effects that cover most angles (no phaser though). There is a little effort involved at first in setting up your patches and matching channel levels etc but once you're happy then that's it and if you're not, select a different amp model!! It's a sinch to set up at gigs, it's compact and light.

I would definately go out and get another if this one got stolen.

You must try one now........!

I'm glad I did.

The usual 32 amp models, cab models, reverb, banks, etc.

I play a platinum series B.C. Rich Warlock and can makes some pretty good heavy metal when i tune way down. FIIPlus does a good job of imitating real amps in the fact that they sound better cranked, although i record when the amp is only about 1/4 of the way up because i like the (heavy) sound better.

Perfect reliability. The only problem i've had is that i accidentally let it tip over, hit the on/off button and it broke off. I superglued it back on and never had a problem since.

Never had to.

I've been playing for 3 years, and although i'm still learning about equipment, i love it. I do plan on selling it and buying the pod pro, a randall head and marshall cab.

Ive got the 2000 model without the cab sims, but i use the amp modeling knobbies much. I play funk, jazz, and jam rock through both an es and a strat, and the settings more than accomodate these styles and instruments. In fact they give me more than enough tonal options within each style. The british hi gain set on clean gives plenty of sparkle sparkle as well as low end for funk. The flextone clean setting is versatile enough for different permutations of jazz, however the jazz clean (roland jc) is flat and muddy. The fuzz setting is a nice touch and gives a warmer and smoother tone than ive gottenout of a like pedal. In all the amps settings are versatile and quite useful. The effects are uneven however, as the one "effect tweak" knob doesnt provide nearly as much control as a boutique pedal. The leslie effect is great - makes my epi sound just like an organ, and the delay is long enough to be used as a looper. Swell is a nice touch though not as practical as a volume pedal. The flanger, though, sounds like garbage, way too robotic. When treated as extras, the effects are a great touch, and they provide for hours of messed up experimentation. Also, there are several features not apparent. for example, there is a hidden presence control, noisegate, etc.

people think this amp sounds flat and in fact that was my first impression, but there is a hidden presence control which you can fool with, as well as many amps, each with flexible eqs. Cleans sound a little fuzzy at high (Reeeeaal high) volumes. I also have a fender deville, which i like a lot better for funk tones, but ive decided to get rid of it because it has nowhere near the headroom, volume output, or versatility of the line6.

Mine was broken when i bought it (both the cab and amp), but i got a replacement that hasnt broken yet, and is in fact very reliable at gigs, while providing tube tone.

great insruction manual, little corny, very informative. The tone transfer web library thing is stupid though, and a waste of time.

If it was stolen, id consider buying a polytone or a fender reverb, but i would prolly end up buying the line 6, if not just because im used to it. Also I have no stomp boxes, so im completely dependent on the effects. When buying this amp, all i cared about was something loud and clean, but ive really started experimenting with the effects, esp. the fuzz, delay, leslie, and the different amps.

I've been waiting for this amp for a long time! With 32 different amp models, effects, tuner, floorboard, etc. it's a great investment! This amp is digital (DIGITAL, not solid state) and it has enough features and tweaking capability to keep you busy for hours! For the price it should come with the floorboard and MIDI cables, but nonetheless it's still packed with features!

I use the amp with an Ibanez RG loaded with EMG 81's, a Behringer Parametric EQ and an Enhancer/Exciter! This amp smokes! I have been looking for THE sound for the longest time, and this amp has come the closest. I traded in my Marshall JCM900 stack for it and had no regrets. Most of the amp models are very good and sound excellent. My favorites being the MESA Rectifiers (Trem and Dual), Marshall JCM800 and the Fender Blackface Twin! Not only can I switch between heavy metal and country tones, but everything in between!!! The cabinet simulations sound great and can be combined with any amp (comes in very handy). Almost all of the amps are very real sounding and provide great flexibility for the most imaginative player/engineer. The effects are not so good, plan on buying a good reverb unit (Lexicon), delay unit (TC Electronics) and a modulator unit!

I had problems with the floorboard jack on my first one, the second had a problem with cutting out at high volumes, hopefully the third will last a bit longer. My dealer replaced them all without hassel!

My dealer has handled all repairs and replacements!!!

This amp can produce professional results if used properly. Plan on getting a Parametric EQ and some effects processors and this will be the last setup you'll ever need or want!!! For the recording musician that NEEDS 32 amps (for creative freedom) this amp is the one and only! It smokes the Johnson's, BOSS's, Zoom's, Korg's... the list goes on and on and on and on and......................

Flexibility and features are why I bought this amp (and the floorboard.) There is a lot of good thinking in the design (computer standard cables for power and the floorboard), and the manual is one of the best I've read, period.

I've owned a number of the original amps (Fender Twin, Revereb, Mesa Boogie MkI, etc.), and it does an incredible job of emulating the original sounds. I did find that with high gain settings, the single-coils on my Strat were noisy -- the cure was to replace them with Fender's Noiseless.

No problems here, although I recommend a slipcover of some kind (I have one on order) because the aluminum faceplate (behind the controls) is easily scratched.

I managed to scratch the top the first day, so I called to see if I could buy a replacement. Their first answer was probably not -- two days later I had the part FEDEXed to me (free!) Incredible support. This is the only amp company that I know of that has offered upgrades to their products (e.g., the AXSys-AX212 and now the POD 2). The Line 6 Web site includes tons of sound patches for those who want the perfect sound.

This amp is not for those who want to plug and play: it takes a bit of work and experimentation, but it is well worth the effort!