Line 6 Spider II 112 Combo

Bought new this month (01/04)- 2003 model I think. Make no mistake..this is a solid state amp. 4 programmable channels, 12 models, 7 effects (chorus/flanger, phase, tremolo, delay, tape echo, sweep echo and reverb. Like previous posters have stated ..the Insane Red model sucks, I have no idea why Line 6 went that way. All other remaining models (11) sound just fine for a $300 amp. This is what you must keep in mind...its $300 bucks, not bad for that price at all. Headphone jack, FBV2 foot switch...no effects loop. It has plenty of power for my needs as I play strickly for the fun of it. I give it a 9 due to the missing effects loop.

I play an Ibanez RZ520 with stock V7 neck and DiMarzio Tone Zone bridge. This combo really fits my music style perfectly - metal, hard rock. The amp can be noisy on some model settings (Metal, Insane) but you can switch on the noise gate and it calms it down. Although I do not play in a band (an old fart that has been toying with guitars all my life), I feel this little amp would do just fine in a small night club setting. The Clean models sound like..well clean. They provide decent models of various amps, one is based on a 1973 Hiwatt Custom 100. The Twang models are based on various Fender amps and a Gibson Explorer. The Blues model are based on Fender and Vox amps. The Crunch models are based on Marshall amps. The Metal models are based on Mesa Dual Rectifier and various other Class A amps, if you are a metal head...these models will probably suit your needs. I think you get the picture...most amp producers are moving to modelling. Its a new frontier and not a bad implementation for the price. Again when I review this things...I keep it all in perspective...includung the cost of this thing. In this case...the amp is a steal.

The amp is solid, looks like it could take a beating. To date zero problems. I will give it an 9 here...because I really do not have experience with it, however having said that my gut tells me it will be just fine over the long haul.

This thing is brand new...only had it a couple of weeks. Have not dealt with Line 6 before. It comes with a 1 year warranty.

Been playing since the 70's. If it was stolen? Yes I would not hesitate to buy it again. I think its one of the best amp values out there. I compared this amp to the Crates and low end Marshalls...I think its a better value. Therefore overall I give it a 9 for excellent value and sound.

a lot of features

amps are great and realistic..........anyone who thinks they suck i cant agree with them............what it is missing, and i big enough for me to want to go out and buy something like a mesa tube preamp.........warmth, non-existant....it has good distortion but it is not warm.....or warm enough for me........but i want to make it clear, the spider is still damn good

it seems very solid and well built, i feel confident hauling this baby around....big baby

havent had to deal with them thats good enough for me

it great.......buy it and try it

Brand new amp. 12 Channels and like 6 Effects you can mess around with. It goes with green and red channels. The only bad one is Red Insane. Stupidest thing ive ever heard. Phaser and the Tape Echo along with Sweep Echo aren't really worth anything to me. The chorus is with the flanger but you can ajust it which is good. I'm a metal head with a Bc Rich Warlock with Duncan Invader pickups, its a good combo.

My warlock has pickups that pickup the volume intensely with this amp. From stock it shreaded up the volume. Great for metal to whimpy light music haha i dont like that stuff. So much variety to it, and good tone. Sorta depends what kinda guitar, just don't think a crappy guitar is going to sound great on it, it truly has to be around 300 guitar to sound good with the 300 amp. VERY LOUD you don't need a bigger amp than this, ive one done is half way and its still loud as hell.

Not gonna break down, its tough i got a free warranty anyway. Nice people out there.

1 Year free warranty that won't be going anywhere or breaking apart.

It was only 225.00 cuz i have bargaining skills. I might experiment for another one and come back to this amp. Which is crappy is u gotta buy the extra 75.00 footswitch to play and switch channels easily which is annoying.

I just got this amp last week and at first i when i plugged into it, i was like what the hell i cant get any of my old sounds from my pedal board(which i must say were murdering. I got to tweaking the different amp models and saw that the amp will give u a great base to work from. As with a any great tone, there are other things going into the amp other than the guitar so u gotta set up new sounds for this amp. I personally run a digitech gnx 1(another amp modelling processor) through the various amp simulations and it sounds great so the amp modelling feature is really useful and they dont sound cold. the built in effcts are kinda crappy but that's not the main function of the amp. I use them in conjunction with other modulations and get some interesting effects. The amp is very loud and and can smite most other amps in the price range. But i'll have to give it an 8 because line 6 has produced much better external effects processors and it didnt integrate much of that technology into this amp.

The amp models are all very good quality and do sound like the amps they are based on, not exactly, but they are very close. I use it in jazz and rock/metal contexts and i use many of the channels and just use different distortion flavors from my pedal board. Many approach all amps w/ expecting the same warmth a tube amp generates, but this is a digital amp and it funtions accordingly, if u want it to sound exactly like a marshall, then buy a damn marshall. The amp can get kinda noisy, but i has a built in noise gate that solves much of that. Most of the amp models have really high treble levels, but so do Fender strats and we all know how great they can sound(a la Jimi, Clapton, and Beck). With 12 different amp models the sound possibilities are endless. The Insane channel, though i play lots of metal isnt as functional as i thought, i control high gain settings very well, but this one doesnt pack the punch that the green metal channel with the right pedals going into it. The clean channels are great, they offer very good jaxx tones if u tweak them the right way for the guitar u are using. I'll definitely give this amp a 10 in versatility because it's versatility depends on how well u can get used to using it. if u just want an amp to plug in and go from, then it's not for u. But if u're interested in developing some different tones and not shell out excessive wads of cash, then u'll love this thing.

I haven had a problem out of this amp yet, but i know it could be in bad shape if u ever drop it.

I love this amp, it serves its purpose very well, i'm not gonna over hype it, but it's definitely something worth having if u're still searching for a great tone because it's a quantum leap in that direction. For $299, u cant beat it. The sounds alot of guitar players want and covet come from gear generally out of the general financial reach. But with the right gear this amp can get u damn close to it.

If you're readin this you should know the features.
The "Smart FX" button is a very bad implementation. Modulation effect speed is coupled with the intensity. You cannot dial a subtle fast chorus or tremolo - it's either slow and subtle or fast and extreme.
The rest of the controls are very well designed.

I play a Ibanez RG - all stock.
I am a huge fan of modeling technology (being a technocrat), but this amp is a let down. So far I have spent two days trying to tweak sounds.
In general the amp has very scratcy tops that I cannot get rid of. The old spider had a "presence" control, but this one doesn't. If I roll off the hights, I get dull sound but the scratcy shriek is always there.
Amps:
- clean R is a little too bright for my taste. If you want bright, we've already have the Clean G and the Twang. Give me neutral clean to run my F/X box with !!!
- Crunch G can get very distorted and compressed, but no sustain - sound crumby and weak.
- Metal R is the most usable sound. Very good overall, but again scratchy hights.
- Innsane is ok, but what the f*** were Line6 thinking with Insane G ?! A complete waste!
Effects: As I said earlier one know doesn't do a good job because the effect ranges are not well selected. I've played a Peavey and a Crate with similar layout (single knob) and the effect ranges are chosen more carefully.
- Chorus and Flange are one effect now - big mistake! Can't get a subtle lush chorus - it's either in the flange theretory with lots of flange feedback (like an ambulance siren) or very yo-yo sounding in the chorus range.
- Phaser - it has some usable settings.
- Tremolo - bad. I wanted a James Bond-like tremolo which is fast and subtly, but if you dial in fast, you get extreme clamping. Once again bad range choice for one know control.
- Delays are ok.
- Reverb is more like an "early reflection" than ambient room reverb, but still does the job.

Overall I am dissatisfied with the new spider. I will be tweaking it a few more days, but the idea of getting it back to the store is already growing on me.
On the bright side, it gets really loud, so if you can find your sound you can grow it it.

Seems well-built.

I haven't dealt with them; hope I don't have to.
Only 1 year warranty, others give 5, so think twice.

I've pleen playing for few years, mostly old metal (iron maiden, dio, wasp, etc), blues and some funk for fun.
I can see how nu-metal kids will like this amp with its Insane setting and extreme toyish effects, but it s let down for other sounds.
Annoying scratchy hights that cannot be compensated. The old spider had a "presence" control to address that - what's with the new one!
Some people get good sound with expensive guitars, but Line6 should have tweaked it better for the guitars of the target customer - $300 amp goes with a $300 guitar. Don't tell me how well it sounds with a $2k guitar!
I auditioned the amp throught the speaker and with headphones (sound very alike, which is good). Compared it to my V-Amp and the V-Amp smokes it. I even plugged an old Zoom GFX707 f/x box into the clean channel and got better distortions with the Zoom.

The good side - it gets loud and the preset switching is very fast. It is also the cheaper 60+watt combo.

If you had good luck with settings, please e-mail me to exchange info. Thanks.

2003 Spider 112, 75 Watts, 12 Amp Models, 7 effects, built in tuner, headphone/direct out. Overall the features on this amp are great especially for the price. I just wish the chorus and flange effects weren't grouped together. I like flange sometimes, but would prefer to keep my chorus seperate for a nice clean channel. The amp is just the right size and power for jamming and is still easy on the back. Channel programming is easy and the old problem of no sound when channel switching seems to be fixed. Using the FBV4 footswitch with it, works well. Almost forgot this amp has a custom built 80 watt Celestion in it. For all the features and the price you really can't beat this amp. Would have gave it a 10 if I had my chorus seperate.

I play rock, classic rock, heavy metal type music. I have a Epiphone quilt top Les Paul (Can't see spending the extra $$$ just for the Gibson name) They sound well together, a good variation of tones. You really have to take the time to dial in the controls to get the right sound. Don't forget the secret controls for noise gate and distortion boost.(see manual) I have to disagree with the other reviewer I think the amp sounds better at higher volumes than it does at lowers ones. The clean channel is super clean and bright. Just add a little chorus and delay and it's a whole new amp. The distortion channels are varied. Some have very little drive to them at all, while the insane has a great distortion sound. Almost like a triple rectifier with better note definition. I give it a 9 because you can never get that perfect sound on any amp. It's a lifelong quest.

Too soon to judge reliability, but it seems to be built stronger than the previous models. It's equipped with a Celestion speaker so hopefully they didn't cut any corners when making this amp. So far I'm satisfied.

I've owned a POD 2.0 before and never had to deal with them for any repairs or help. From what I've heard they take care of their customers, but I have no first hand experience.

I have been playing for about 15 years and have bought and sold tons of gear in those years. I am happy to see the quality of some of the newer modeling amps getting better and better. And now to have this kind of quality and versatility at such a low price is even better. The people that complain about the modeling amps are starting to lose their battle. Tubes are great, but are way over priced and don't offer the same versatility as the modelers. If this amp were ever stolen I would definitly buy it again or maybe I'd buy the 212 or the head. Either way you can't go wrong. Thank You Line 6 for improving on a great product.

12 amps models, 7 effects, 75 w,12" speaker, built in tuner, the basics out of Line 6

I play a single coil american strat, and am primarily a blues player, but I also enjoy the occasional Metallica/Sabbath riff. To be totaaly honest, I see nothing wrong with this amp soundwise. Though I'd like to point out that even though the models are good, and sound great, do NOT expect to get the perfect vintage sound. It's not it, but I loved each model, and the group of friends that accompanied my to the music store couldnt even tell the differance between the Spider 2 and the real amps,but I did. And it gets VERY loud. Loud enough for gigs, will definitely carry over my overzealous drummer.

This amp looks really solid, I don't tink I will ever have a problem with this baby, though I will still take my peavey 112 efx just in case.

never dealt with them yet.

I've been playin for about 2 years now, and becoming a decent guitarist. With this I own a crappy 15w Peavey, a Peavey 112 Efx, a 70's twin, and various strats and LP's. If this were stolen or lost, I would totally buy another own, if I couldn't afford a nicer amp, like a Vetta. I love the sound, looks, versatility. But thissucker is HEAVY! It may even weigh as much as my twin! Oh, and get the shortboard if you can, or at least the 4 button footswitch, it make the world of difference.

I just bought this amp, I tried it in Guitar Center the day it arrived and couldn't resist taking it home.
It features 12 amp models (channels) with everything from clean to blues to a very hi gain distortion tone. They aren't the best tones in the world, but they are damn good.
7 Smart Control effects (up to 3 simultaneous) including Tape Echo, standard Delay, Sweep Echo, Chorus/Flanger, Phaser, Tremolo and Reverb. All effects are fully programmable and sound good. As good or better than any pedal I've ever heard.
4 User-programmable channels (36 with the optional floorboard)
Built-in Tuner (works great)
Headphone/Direct Out for practice or recording
Celestion 12" speaker

I use a modified Jackson Fusion with a DiMarzio X2N bridge pickup, and a stock Strat. This amp really shows off your guitars tone. My Jackson screams through the hi gain and crunch/distortion channels with a great full on sound without the need for an additional preamp. My Strat sounds excellent in the clean and blues settings. Creating everything from a crystal clean tone to a slighty dirty blues tone.

Can't say, I've only had it a little over a week, tho I did buy the extended 1 year warrantee for an extra $24.95, just to be safe.

Again, can't say.

A great amp for low volume playing, it offers some truly great tones for a budget price. My only complaint (if you can call it that) is the tone of the amp really falls apart when the master is pushed past 4 or 5. If your looking for great tones at a low volume, you should definitly try one of these, but if you need more than "bedroom" volume, check out either the 120W 2X10 or the 150W 2X12 model.

Just released by Line 6, the Spider II line of small budget practice amps has now become something of a serious amplifier line.
Many of the features are similar to the previous Spider line (4 presets, Smart FX, etc) although more models are now available and the sounds are actually quite good.
The previous Spider amps were just bad and should be considered for nothing more than low volume beginner practice amps.
That said, the Spider II is NOTHING like the prior line.

The Spider II is a real grown-up amplifier. This version has the 12" speaker and the wattage has been bumped from 50 to 75.
It shows. The amp now puts out some serious volume (for a 1x12 combo) and the quality far surpasses the previous Spider and many of the previous Flextone amps.
The clean and twang channels are good and variable, from Fender clean to Peavey or Vox clean. Also the clean channel remains very clean even when driven with a Les Paul guitar, just a hint of overdrive is present and no poor quality distortion and break up that was associated with the old Spider line.
Good cleans.
There are several levels of distortion, from blues to metal (and insane) and THIS is where this amp really shines. The distortion/overdrive models on this amp have been so improved over prior Line 6 amps (save the Flex III and Vetta) that I forget I'm playing a solid state modeling combo.
Line 6 has really done well with the models on this amp and it will work well in the setting that I'm going to use it; church/worship from clean contemporary to gospel to pop/hard rock.

The amp is 2 days old. So far, so good...

I've met several of the Line 6 employees and they've always been gracious. I don't expect to have a problem IF I need to call them.

I've been playing for 24 years, both professional and semi-pro, and primarilly used all-tube amps. Solid state amps haven't ever impressed me (except for their light weight) and the last few years of modeling amps have impressed me even less.
The Spider II has renewed my faith in that there might be something good to consider in this modeling technology...and my experience with the Flex III and Vetta has been similar.

The only features I wish this amp had were ext. speaker out and maybe line out (besides the headphone/direct out). But for the price and for my application both of those features aren't really needed.

My advice to anyone who has, like me, written off these amps in the past is to give the Spider II a try. You should be surprised.