Line 6 Flextone Plus

06' model flextone 3 plus combo, If you are checking this amp out you probablly already know the general setup but if not just read some of the reviews below. I don't need to list all that again.

The ability to add not just one but two external cabs is nice. (If you add the second the internal speaker is disabled)

Got lucky too- it was on sale for $500 at guitar center and the last one they had for that price. at least $50,000 worth of gear if you bought all the stuff this thing models probablly a lot more.

This amp is very versatile, I mainly use a Don Grosh retro classic with fralin blues special single coils and it sounds great(essentially a fancy strat) . My les paul sounds good on it too.

It sounds good at performance volume as well as practice volume. I play quite a bit of pink floyd+ zeppelin and it suits that music well. however you could do most anything with it.

Do expect to have to tweak and resave most of the amp model settings to get your best possible tone. but once you get it right and save it the hard part is done. you can always fine tune and resave settings. plus download tones from line 6 site with midi interface.

I have played for over 12 years now and never thought much of solid state amps I own and have owned quite a few tube amps including fender, mesa, dr.z, swart, and kendrick. That is untill I tried this one. I think the flextone is about 95% of the way there if you set it up right. And that is impressive considering how many amps it models.

The effects seem to be fairly good quality too.

I find the amp to be smooth and fluid feeling to play, not harsh at all. very fun amp to play on. and oh so much easier to use than a conventional setup. enough said.

Well I have not owned the amp very long so I should not say I know it is dependable but it seems like it will last a while.

I would like to have a backup but now this is the only amp I have big enough to gig with-at least when playing with a drummer. maybe they will figure to make a nice head version soon (why the hell have they not yet anyway?). If we as a band got big enough I would buy another for backup though. Or maybe the xl.

Only issues I have had so far are, 1.the thing did have a small rattle when I got it home- call me crazy (and I know you will) but I removed the head from the cab and tightened all the screws on the chassis, reassembled and that solved the problem. I have quite a bit of experience fixing rattles and buzzes and do not reccomend anyone who does not know what they are doing to do what I did- I should'nt have done it but screw driving all the way back and they did not have another anyway. No biggie I have had amps costing much more rattle much worse and be harder to fix. I would have sent it to line 6 if I could not fix the buzz.

Hey it saved three more hours on the road and took like 15 min to do and I still have the amp here to play.

2. the power cord and power switch don't exactly fit tightly into the chassis of the head- this could be a set up a little bit better but it works ok for now. just annoying.

Have not had to deal with them. I believe the warranty is for one year.

In 12 years of playing many amps and guitars of all quality levels I must say this amp is just fun to sit down jam out on- fully customizeable. I play it all evening quite often. Good fun to gig on too. sounds the same every time too. tube performance can vary sometimes.

I own a few boutique tube amps also and must say this line 6 comes very, very close to the quality of tone I expect from a tube amp. I never thought I'd buy or enjoy another solid state amp but line 6 has earned some respect from this player.

Definitley gets you the tone without all the pedals. you can get so many good tones so easily.

Wish it was available as a head to make it more portable as it is kinda big and a little heavy in combo form. At least it has speaker jacks so you can use it as a head.

If it was stolen-(you don't lose an amp, especially one this big) I would be very, extremely pissed off but would buy it again.

I find it a joy to play on, easy to use, and very toneful and has power to spare.

I agree with what the guy somewhere below me said- If you can't get a good tone you like out of this you are probablly never going to be happy with any amp. And I agree about tone being in the fingers, and in the wood of a good guitar not just in any amp or pedal. don't expect a cheap ass guitar to sound like a good high end or vintage one.

The amp has soul+ vibe and plenty of it, honestly if you can't find it try another guitar or maybe some lessons for real. A super pro- which hardly anyone of us is- lets be honest now, could and probablly does need more from an amp but this thing should more than take care of most anyone else.

Figure up what all the amps, effects,and cabs this thing models cost (if you can even find them for sale). Add it all up and then ask yourself is it worth all that money for about a 5-10% better sound and feel. If you play with only one type of sound well this may not be for you but if you have to play whatever the people want to hear or anything you want to hear give it a try. I have had many compliments on the tones I get out of the amp. plus try to haul all that gear to a gig!!

If you are a perfectionist or a vintage buff to the level of obsessive compulsivness you probablly won't be satisfied with this amp but then when are you satisfied? - probablly almost never! the vetta may be better for you. maybe not.

If you are a creative guitarist wishing for many options as to express your individuality and personal taste you will like it. This amp opens many creative doors as advertised.

See other reviews above.

A lot of sounds, delivered with about 75% of the depth and punch of the real thing. The biggest problem with this amp is lack of treble. I have the treble control on 10 at all times and it still doesn't bite like a "real" amp, even with a Tele.

Had it three years, mostly used for recording, no real problems. However, the on-off switch has a tendency to pop off and disappear. Replaced it once, now I have to just plug it in to use it. A pain.

Been playing a long time and I'm pretty demanding. I just bought an old Traynor and almost sold the Flextone, but, using the Traynor I remembered how versatile, if limited, the Flextone is.

all thats been covered

great stuff for a while but hell i'm 48 years old, i bought a tone bone hot british pedal, and the lazy bastard i am, i can play that little pedal thru whatever amp i want, mines up for sale, it was a great amp for 4 years, most people bitch about line 6, i'm tired of hearing of all the rectofuckapeaveyfenderdeville shit!! wake up boys! you'll never find your sound!! i have a 1964 gibson skylark, i'm fuckin deaf---- i am a pro musician---- my ears ring like a bitch---- make sure youget at least 2 marshalls- btw i've owned 4 heads and tons of cabs-- i want all of you to buy a mode fuckin 4 marshall, between all the shit i hear in your cars, about 2012 you fuckers will be so deaf you'll cry--------- get that big amp fool!!! other than that- i'm the fastest baddest dude you wanna mess with----- try me!!

the amp never--- and i mean---never let me down!

n/a

i have many guitars and amps--- it took me many years to figure out how to do things---- it's all in your fingers boys, pedals ain't gonna make ya sound good, learn rhythm guitar first, and when ya get good -- punch the lead---i have faith in all of you young guys and gals!! keep rockin-----!!!!!!!!!!! i love ya all!!!

Nothing to add here. It's got alot! Although I wish the Leslie Rotating Speaker effect was more adjustable.

You NEED the foot board for this amp... PERIOD!

Hmm... sounds GREAT loud, sounds crap when played quietly. Perhaps this is everything to do with the speaker, as it sounds great at low volume plugged into my computer's line in. Excellent for recording.

You MUST have single coil pickups, as this amp is made for vintage sounds. I cannot get a decent sound on my LP humbuckers - sounds like butt! On a Fender, well it sounds superb. Wonderful!

However, two things majorly grate me about the sound:
1). Most tube tones have that same nasal sound as if they are all just variations of each other - no matter how you tweak the settings.
2). It lacks a decent "presence" control. You can up the treble levels by 6db if you figure out the foot controls, but with humbuckers, you cannot get that bite even on the heavy amp models. The bass notes fart with humbuckers. Sounds great with single coils.

The buttons on the top are tetchy. Buttons on the floorboard ALWAYS go bad - and common advice from Line6 is to remove the springs and stretch them.

No idea. They have seemed to drop most info from their site about this amp now that new models are available.

For the blues player with single coils = 10/10.
For the hard rocker/metaller = 4/10

Bought this amp used off of ebay for $600 with the floorboard. When you consider the realatively low cost of these amps and the features that they have they are a true bargain. It has a wealth of great models and effects.

I think that anyone can get the sound they are looking for if they take the time to tweek and really listen. Small changes in the tone and drive controls can make a big difference. I have had this amp for several years and I am still learning more about this amp. One thing I did change was the speaker. The comments that you hear that may be negative in regards to tone stem, I think from the stock factory speaker. I mean its an ok speaker and it can handle the power but to my ears sounded a bit raspy and harsh at times. I changed the speaker to a Electrovoice SRO rated at 200 watts. This made a huge difference in the quality of the sound. To add to this even more I got an old Mesa Boogie shadow speaker rated 150; I think these maybe made by Electrocoice for them, and put that in a sealed cabinet for the extention speaker.The result, clean detailed sound that lets you really hear the differences in the amp models with an amazing amount of volumn if you need it. I have used this amp with a 92 Paul Reed Smith Ce 24, various strats and a tele, a '78 Ibanez 335 type atrist, and a custom archtop guitar. This amp can deliver great sounds with any type of music that you are interested in playing. Take the time to dial it in and it will be there. I have had classic Fender amps and still have a Mesa Boogie Mark IV. This amp is far more versitile and alot of fun. Jump from classic Fender tone to giant Marshall stack, to mellow jazz flavors with just a few clicks of the floorboard. This is a must have option in my opinion. Are The sounds exact replicas, Maybe and maybe not but great tone is definately there and with a wide variety that just can not be had with yout typical one trick pony amps. Dial it in, its happening.

No problems.

Seem to be on top of things when I have asked questions

I have been playing 25 years. If you just were going to have one amp I think the technology is to a point that these new modeling amps are the way to go. I just have this one but have heard and played others. Tubes are great sounding but you do have the maintance issue and the lack of versatility that thes modeling amps afford you.

just an update on the older flextone plus , i have found a pretty decent patch that i formerly kept passing over , the modern class A If you tweak it just the way you want it it sounds pretty cool! try it and see what ya think! to all the people who cant get the right sound out of this amp , clean the friggin wax out of your ears , sit down , relax grab a cocktail,stroll through sounds ,read the manual ,know what the controls can do and create something of your own!! dont start cryin cause ya fiddled with a few knobs and it dont sound like a marshall!! go out and buy a marshall! YES I KNOW THIS AMP IS NOT 100% tube sounding , i got a whole room full of mesas,laneys,etc! ,nothin blisters your balls like a good old tube amp,however,imho, the flextone gets close enough,for most gigs,i stand by it as a good alternative to carryin a marshall half stack, and a twin reverb,im young at heart but to old to cart!! thanks for your time pickers and TOIN IT UP!!!!

This is the pre Flextone II series and has 16 amp models with no cab modeling. Good range of amps from jazz clean to Fuzzed out mush. I have the floorboard giving me 16 preset channels and 16 user definable channels. Much more than anyone will need. Effects send and return and headpnone jack with a output for the extension cab to make this a 100Watt stereo from its original 60Watt Mono. I use this amp at home and at practice with my band. This amp has LOTS of volume and does well with distortion at low volumes, too. I give it an 8 because it has no Line out, at least I can't find it.

I use an American Strat and Epi Les Paul with SD '59 and SD Custom Custom. I really liked the tone on this amp until I put it with my band. I have tried for hours to adjust my settings for a fuller base response and deeper, not harsher, distortion to drive chords. I can't seem to get past this crisp "processed" sound. Cleans are pretty good, but still I have a hard time getting a decent bass response. I play everything from old school blues, SRV, 80's rock to new metal. You can get a decent growl by setting the amp as tweed and the drive to 3'oclock, and the High Gain settings are good for lead, its the rythym parts that suffer.

This has been a very dependable amp. I have had it for 3 years and had no problems. I have recently developed a buzz in the power supply, so I may have a problem coming, hence the 9 instead of 10.

This is the best Customer Support in the world. No.. Really. I didn't buy my amp new, but these guys treat me like I have the Platinum Warranty on every call. They always answer the call immediately or call very shortly after getting a message. They always answer my questions without referring me to a local service center. They even shipped me the latest upgrade (Via IC Chip) free of charge and helped me install it. Kudo's to this Company's commitment to their customers.Most companies, even outside the music industry, could take a lesson from these guys.

I have been playing for 10 years. I have played so many amps I can't even list them . I would not replace this amp if stolen . I would give Line 6 a listen on the Flextone II series because they have been so good to work with, but would probably pay a little extra and get the real deal, Mesa Boogie With tubes. Don't get me wrong, at home this is a lot of fun and sounds good, but If you play next to guys that have tube amps, good ones, they'll eat you alive.

Power really affects this amp, if you are dont have steady electricity you may have trouble. Other than electrical concerns, it is perfectly reliable to me. A power regulator is all u need to take away the worry.

Took 3 minutes to get a replacement input jack on its way to me for free...the guy on the phone was totally friendly and nice.

I've been playing seriously for 10 years or so. I play jazz, blues, classic rock covers, and current stlyle rock.

I've done mostly fender amps, delux, deville and twins. I always play stratocasters, particularly my 1980 '57 reissue...best strat ever (to me).

Stolen or lost...To be honest I would probably get a carr amp and a full tone pedal and leave it at that. If I didn't have $1500 to throw down and was stuck in the under a thousand range I would deffinately get another Flextone Plus.

At first it was hard to get the sound I was looking for, but after a couple of months I knew exacly how to get the tone I wanted.

Getting good bass response with a "fender" sound was hard, but not impossible. Marshall sounds were made possible by the satelite(spelling error on satelite?) cab because there just wasn't enough thickness comming from the 1x12. 2x12s stacked on top of each other seemed to do the trick. Also, the Soldano model is very close, but you can definately tell that it doesn't have all the power of a real soldano...same with the mesa models.

After a year or so of giging with it I finally bought a midi dongle and the cables to hook it up to my computer...THIS MAKES THE DIFFERENCE! Being able to save a set of sounds that had a good reaction to one club, or outdoors, or whatever the gig may be is very nice. It will be HARD TO PART with these capabilities...very.

Also, I found the abundance of patches (tone settings) available for free on the internet to be an amazing resource. Some of the settings I have found online for this product are simply amazing...near exact replicas of cherished amps and tones...amazing.

Hate...hrmmm. I hate the "Quick Start Guide" at the begining of the manual. If I had read past this I would have had the sounds I was looking for way, way sooner. The Line 6 website is very lame, the links are the most usefull content...i hate that.

I wish I had a carr amp and a fulltone pedal. *chuckling* I saw a Fender rep buy a carr amp at a local store...everyone in there was laughing at him.

I will close by saying this: I highly recommend the Flextone Plus as long as you get the satelite cab and a floor board. Without the floor board u will have 1/100th of the controll and features. It is very important to read the manual...dont be ignorant like I was...It was a huge help. Please Ignore the "Quick Start Guide" at the beginning of the book.

This is a follow up to the previous review I submitted on 12-08-2001. Yes this amp has great versatility and the effects are pretty good?I said they were O.K. before. The built in tuner is very good and I have heard other players say their tuner was finicky but mine is great! You can also change from standard tuning (440) to other settings (445, 435, etc). But when I am finished with the tuner and I switch back to my preset settings, there is always a loud buzzing, scratching sound?very annoying, especially when you are on stage. The floorboard has a mystery function that the dealer and Line 6 couldn?t answer. The word ?Compare? is on the floorboard (next to the LED display) that serves no purpose. I thoroughly read the operators manual and I couldn?t find anything to explain why it was there or what its purpose was?maybe the layout of this board was originally for the AXS? Line 6 possibly overlooked this snafu, like they did with the sounds.
This amp is 60 watts mono and 50 watts a side stereo. With a 1x12 open back extension speaker, the overall sound does improve?with my JBL in a sealed cabinet, the sound is even more brutal?but with my 4x12 Mesa Boogie Cabinet, the sound is massive?this thing will give you Cancer!!!

Like I have said before, the sounds are something to be desired. The EQ is weak and I have tired of tweaking the EQ?it has been 3 long frustrating years and I have scratched every bit of hair off of my head tweaking this thing. Although many have said they were pleased with the sound of their Flextones, I truly cannot get mine to respond. This amp has a naturally sounding buzzy, mushy, un-tube like tone to it. I really thought this was going to be the answer to all of my dreams but it only turned out to be a nightmare. Granted if I wanted a Boogie, Marshall, or Fender, I should have bought one, but when I decided to buy this amp, I was looking for an all in one package. I didn?t have the option of plugging into this thing and demoing it, as I live 700 miles from the nearest dealer. I decided to buy this amp based on reviews in Guitar Player magazines and others. The dealer I spoke with said it was amazing and unbelievably accurate?ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! Too bad I didn?t know about Harmony Central back in 1999. I don?t mean to sound like I?m crying in my beer, but I am really disappointed in the tones of this amp. I feel misled by dealers and the media. I wanted to simplify my set up and I thought this amp was going to do that. I ended up purchasing an ADA MP-1 preamp to get tube tone and an ADA MicroCab II to give the amp some character and life. These ADA products did miraculous things for this amp?I run it thru the effects loop and it sounds unbelievable!!! I am presently designing my own amp using these components?just don?t know if I will go with a combo or head/cabinet version. What ever it will be, it will have a closed-back cabinet and not an Eminence Speaker! I wonder if the folks at Line 6 would ever consider marketing a device that would utilize the effects loop such as I do. Something that would interface with the power/preamp section and improve the tone, feel and life of these amps. Maybe something like an ADA MicroCab or something similar!
If they did, I hope they don?t screw that up!!!

You heard it before in my previous submission about the preset loss?all is fine now since I repaired it myself?no thanks to Line 6 Support!

Well you read it all above!!!

I have been playing for 27 years. I have had Yamaha, Fender, Peavey, Boogie and now a Line 6 Plus. If it were stolen or lost I would
NEVER, EVER BUY ANOTHER LINE 6 PRODUCT...NEVER!!! I do like the channel switching capabilities and the effects but I am not fond of the useless direct out and the buzzy, mushy, harsh sounds of the amp models. After I bought this thing, I had a chance to A/B it with a Dual Rectifier, Yamaha DG80 and Crates Digital Amp. The Crate, although loaded with tons of effects, sounded to me just like the Flextone. The Yamaha had the best, most tube like sound than any digital amp I have ever heard...I would have bought a Yamaha before the Line 6. The Boogie ate the Line 6 Plus alive and spit out a transistor radio!!!
I wish Line 6 took more time in researching the Digital Domain before they released this thing. With a little more effort, they would have had a winner. If this amp had anything, I wish it came with a built in MicroCab...it made all the difference! Listen Up Line 6!!! Wouldn't it be great if you (or someone) designed an outboard device like the MicroCab. It could interface with the power/preamp via the effects loop! TRY IT...WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO LOSE!!!

I bought this amp new and have had it for a couple of years (2000 model?) I play 3 different Christian rock bands: adult contemporary, classic rock, and modern worship/alternative. In other words, every style except classical. I needed one amp to cover all the bases - and this one does. One word of advice: do NOT bother getting this amp unless you get the big floor board. Otherwise, you aren't even scratching the surface. If I play 6 songs in a service, I will typically use 6 entirely different settings, and may add a touch of the swell pedal and wah pedal. I use the satellite cabinet when I can, but it's too loud for older audiences so I usually reserve that for the high school crowds. Then I mic both cabs and pan them out so it comes out of the mains in stereo - very cool - IF your sound guy has a clue. I wish there was more user control on the delay. All you can do is set the speed and amount. I really wish you could set the attack and feedback. In any event, all the effects you REALLY need are on board. Your audience won't be as picky as you.

I use an American Standard Strat with stock single coils. My guitar is very bright and edgy so it's hard for me to get the richer low-end sound I crave from this amp. A friend of mine played his guitar with more tame single coils through it and I thought his sounded better. The distorted and slightly overdriven sounds are good, but I can't find that special clean, rich, Fender tube sound with a lot of low end. In order to get the bass response I want in any of the models I have to crank the drive until it's a little edgy. This is the only thing I really don't like about this amp. Otherwise, it's great.

My classic rock band plays in some harsh environments - outside in the Texas heat or cold, in prisons, and on the back of more flatbed trucks than I care to admit. I have had no problems with this amp. However, I had to go through 4 floorboards until I got one that worked with 100% reliability. The one I have now hasn't given me a problem and I've had it about a year. I wish they didn't use that red light for the display. You can't read it when you are in the direct sunlight (flatbed truck).

I emailed Line 6 one time with a wierd question about rewiring the extension cab so the whole rig would play in mono. They replied within 2 days with a detailed answer.

I have a music degree (not in guitar) and have been playing off and on for 25+ years. For the price you pay to get the amp, the ext cab, and the floor board, there are probably a lot of other good options out there. However, I really think this is a great choice for players in modern praise bands or cover bands. I can get close enough to EVERY tone/effect I hear on the radio. Sometimes I can tell it's not a "real" amp (just a model), but my audience can't. And that's really the point, isn't it? If you want to be a Johnie One-Style that plays in club only your friends have heard of, then you should probably go ahead and spend way too much on a "real" tube amp. But if you want to go to a gig and feel confident you can handle whatever is expected after you get there, then take THIS amp.