Line 6 Spider II 212 Combo

This amp is somewhat versatile, and definitely powerfull. I bought it on craiglist, only slightly used, for about $225 which is a pretty damn good deal. I liked that idea that it had preset effects, and filters built in. It offers a wide randge of these filters, but not necessarily of good quality. The built in tuner comes in VERY handy as does the tap tempo echo and delay and chorus.

My setup: Gibson SG Special, Jeckyl and Hyde Overdrive/Distortion pedal, Line 6 Spider II 212. I really bought this amp because I needed more power (than my 112 Crate amp- which by the way has a better sounding distortion than this amp) and I didn't have enought money for a tube amp. Although POWER it provides in ample quantity. This thing is the equivalent to a half stack, it is FRIGGGIN LOUD!
Overall what you need to know is, this amp gets a 10 in these areas, Reliability, Loudness, Tuner, Chorus, Delay. There are blues and crunch setting on this thing, but they're very limited in what they can do and don't sound authentic. I ended up buying the Jeckyl and Hyde distortion pedal (3 in 1 pedal) for my rocking needs and it works great with this amp- it actually makes it sound just like Tube distortion.

Very reliable amp, however don't sit on it and play because the knobs stick out so much that the back of your legs will start randomly picking crazy effects. Also- if you buy this thing, you HAVE to get the FBV pedal that goes with it. It just allows you to pick from the 4 preset effect setting with your foot, instead of your hand, which totally sucks. I actually can't believe this thing didn't come with the pedal.
Overall this thing is pretty sturdy, I haven't had any problems and i've owned it for over a year and I gig regularly.

Haven't needed it.

I've been playing for about 10 years, but only in a band for about 5 off and on. If this were stolen I would probably seek out another solid state (I don't want to have to deal with tubes burning out and crap like that) that I could find at a great price- like this one. Overall I'm fortunate to have found this. I love the power and the effect features, but the filters and emulators and not satisfactory.

Get a JC120 and a plexi in the same box, will do country twang too. too gritty for blues no real liquid lead settings and some silly kids nonsense in the presets.

What it does well (see above) it does very vey well, what it wont do, it wont do.

Very reliable. very well made

Exceptional. support from line 6 in the uk is absolutely exemplary.

Ended up using this as a very cheap 150 watt 2x12 stereo powered cab with a stereo processor in the front. you can use it for the light & dark type sounds (think BOTH classic metallica sounds, excellent chorused clean and shattering crunch) but it wont do blues (not to my ears) and i cant get a nice liquid santana or satriani lead sound either, all the emulations are too gritty. loads of amp for no money.

I bought this amp two year ago, since I was looking for something that was possible for me to buy and had some effects on it. This amp had everything I needed back then, 4 channels, every sound I longed for and some basic effects.
This amp is really loud, never had any problems on a gig. It's also really heavy, realize that before you buy the biggest amp of the spiders, you probably won't need the 120 watt...
first I hated it that the amp 'only' had 4 channels, cause there were so much sounds that were useful, but later I realised that 4 channels are just enough.

-1 cause the headphones out sucks (and he doesn't have an effectloop, but for a beginning guitarist that's not really necesarry)

I liked the amp 'cause he had a lot of different sounds, I play in a pop/rock band, so the metal sounds are not really useful, but they're the best sounds of the amp. The distortion channels are way better than the clean ones, cause the cleans sound just to sterile, to clean and polished. They can get really sharp and sound terrible with a band.
delay is to digital, I have a 70' analog delay and that's just how a delay should sound.

I use a gibson nighthawk tru some pedals and it's true about what they say: a crappy amp makes a crappy sound.

although, it's a beginners amp and therefor it makes the sounds you pay for. You can have this one long enough to play with the effects so you learn how to deal with them before you buy another amp.
The soundfreaks don't have to buy this one, it's for the ones who want to experiment with al types of sounds and fx'.

This amp is build like a rock. One of my handicaps is that I mistreat all of my stuff, never clean them, after two year my amp is full of scratches, cause it fell in the car or something, but it never let me down. I gig regulary and there's more than one pint spilled over it, but it still works.

never had to deal with the company and that's just fine by me

I've been playing for four years I think and my first amp was a hughes and kettner metroverb, really nice clean, but crappy distortion, that's maybe why I irritate myself about the clean but like the distortion.

It's just a nice amp to start discovering al kinds of fx' and distortions, but now I'm seriously searching for another amp, cause thisone's just not good enough.

In the features dept. this amp is pretty good. You can get a good range of tones from this amp, and the onboard fx are pretty nice sounding. I play mostly ska/punk, but we sometimes border on metal, and this amp can satisfy my needs for jazzy cleans and scooped or crunchy dists. The footswitch could have been included with the amp, and was actually quite expensive. It also needs an fx loop pretty badly. The four channels are a nice feature, but computers are retarded, and that makes the 4 channels very unreliable. The 'Red Insane' mode is just retarded. that should definately be chucked. This amp is normally loud enough. It easily powers a practice, and can normally fill a small club (100-300ppl). The noise gate is also really nice.

This amp makes almost any sound you could want. For a low priced/solid state amp it sounds pretty good. Very varied, cleans never distort, distortion can be as soft or harsh as you should want it. I'm running a PRS Santana SE thru it and it sounds great, for a solid state. It is very suited to all styles of music, and, on a budget, sounds quite good. The reason I give this a low mark in this catagory is because it, obviously, is not a Marshall or a Mesa Boogie. For the price it sounds quite good, but relative to some other amps out there, it could be a lot better.

You can never depend on this amp. It has broken down on me at about 3 concerts and several practices. I do use it to gig, but am in the process of trying to replace it. I keep this amp in perect condition, and work to keep it working, but still, after 3 years, it has kinda 'died' on me. The first year and half that I had it, I was not gigging very much, so it was not much of a problem, but after that it has become very unreliable. DO NOT DEPEND ON THIS AMP.

Ummm... they could have ignored me and I'd be in the same boat that i'm in right now. Slow, bad fone service.

Playing 5 years, gigging solidly for about 2. Running a PRS Santana SE, and a sick homemade guitar I found in someone's garbage. Would never buy this amp, ever again. Right now I am saving the cash upgrade, but until then this will have to do. I love the versatility, I hate the unreliability.

Finally: If you want something to jam with in your basement, this is a great sounding amp. If you play professionally or anywhere where reliablility becomes #1, then forget this option, you'll end up spending more money down the road.

2006 Spider II model 150W
If you're reading this you'll know what it has on offer re channels, amp models etc

I like all the sounds I get from this amp from clean through to heavily distorted; I use a JS1000, RG2550E, Jackson Soloist and an ESP Mirage Deluxe. They all sound great with this amp. I've also used a Strat and Les Paul and the results were far from disappointing!
This has replaced my Laney Valve head and 4x12s for gigging. Connect a 4x12 to the Spider and enjoy: Its a great amp and does everything I want it to. I used a Flextone 3 for a while and although it was versatile it was a bit disappointing compared to the Spider.

I've had no problems for a the year that I've been using and abusing it. Been more reliable than any Marshall I've ever owned and far easier to cart about!

Not had to contact them so no comment.

I work as a guitar teacher; I'm registered with the RGT in the UK, been playing and teaching for a long time now and this little combo is superb; even better with an extra 4x12.
I'd get another if this was stolen.
Why pay out shedloads of cash for a Mesa/Marshall/Engl or similar when you can get great tones out of an amp as inexpensive as this Line 6. Enough said.
I'm amazed at the bad reviews I've read about the Spider here- maybe I'm just too inexperienced (lol) and should go buy a "PROPER" amp eh?
Yawn...

2006 model-solid state amp.
Plenty of features which are supposed to make this amp distinct, none of which are very high quality, or have a decent sound. There is effects such as flange, chorus, and tremolo built into the amp but none of them can be e.q. or adjusted, its just chorus on, chorus off. None of them really sound great. You will be better off buying your own stompboxes to get the effect you want.

This amp is the definition of "you get what you pay for"- only paid about $600 total for the amp and footboard. I've tried numerous guitars through it, such as my powerhouse strat, my prs singlecut, and my friends schecter c-1 artist series, all of them sound basically the same. No matter how loud this amp is cranked, and it can get pretty loud, it will never cut through the mix of a whole band. You seriously have to crank it up to at least 1 oclock to be able to hear yourself and by then the noise is just ear piercing and aggrivating. The metal channel on here is decent, just has to be equalized properly, the cleans are lifeless, and the other channels really aren't that high quality no matter how long you tweak it.

It is literally like a box of chocolates, you never no what your gonna get!--Sometimes you can turn it on and it will be clear and quiet, other times, especially at high volumes, a terrible hum will occur on every channel, which should not happen being that it is a solid state amp. The amp is overall accountable though, and it has never just flat out not worked for a gig. The footboard however, is a joke. It has a feature where the tuner is built into it and can be activated by pressing both the "A" and "B" channels simultaneously, the only problem is that the channels aren't spaced apart nearly enough, and it can easily be turned on midway through a song without you wanting it too, therefore muting your whole amp. This has happened to me nearly every show.

Never dealt with Line 6.

I've been playing for 11-12 years and I am slowly but surely learning that when it comes to music, you must spend the money in order to acheive the tone you want. I own a prs, a strat with all duncan rail p.u.'s, now a MESA dual rec, crybaby wah, and boss and digitech stompboxes.

If you want to just have an amp to jam on in your bedroom, this amp is all you need, even though you could get a much higher quality amp for around the same price, but if you want to be in a band scene and actually play shows, stay away from this. Save your cash and by a MESA, Marshall, Bogner, Fender or Orange. I don't want to sound like a tube snob, but tubes are by far superior to solid state amps.

THERE IS A REASON FOR THESE HIGHER PRICED AMP COMPANIES TO HAVE SUCH A GOOD REPUTATION!

Well after talking to some guy who had one of these telling me how great it was I have just got to write another review of this shitty toy with speakers.
Now Im not a pro but I can play and got a good ear. Ive been spanking the plank (oo'er!) for 20 years. Had over 300 gigs too. I would like to think that I know what sounds good and what doesnt.
I can honestly say that this 'amp' is only suitable for a beginner or for quiet practice-or if you are tone deaf!
This is not -I REPEAT NOT- a proper amp for someone who wants nice tone or wants to gig.
This is the WORSE 'amp' I have ever had the misfortune to play through.

This is really rubbish. You will get a better sound from a basic tranny amp.
The cleans on this are sterile and lifeless. As for the overdrives.....Dont make me laugh! RUBBISH RUBBISH RUBBISH!!!!

Cant depend on this as it cuts out sometimes. Turn the guitar volume down and youll be rewarded with the shitty sound sounding somehow even worse! and then it may cut out and then suddenly come back at a volume that will deafen you! This is ridiculous and highly embarassing as I actually played this at a gig!

Dont know.

Reasons to buy it are:- 1. you get it at a silly low price.
2. you are a beginner.
3. you are tone deaf.
4. you never go over 2 on the volume.

Reasons not to buy:-
1.Crap clean sounds.
2 Laughable effects.
3. Laughable overdrive
4. Unreliable

This is the worse amp you will ever get. Please dont make the same mistake as I did. Dont believe the hype. This is 1st rate pile of crap. Absolutely rubbish. Let me say again.....RUBBISH! RUBBISH RUBBISH. You have been warned!!!

A while back I was looking to scale down my live rig and decided to check out some 2X12 combos. I play extreme metal so I wanted a high gain, loud amp. I played Crate, Marshall, Fender, Peavey, other Line 6 amps, etc. My approach to amp testing is to plug in a guitar very similar to mine (or use mine) and see how the amp sounds without tweaking. I turned the knob to the 2nd metal channel and that clinched it for me. I didn't need to turn a knob, it sounded good already. With four channels it has more than enough settings for me and with a large Line 6 floorboard you can get more channels. It has amp models, a noise gate, a tuner, DSP, reverb, delay, e.q. and a gain boost. The only problems I have with the amp are the limited effects tweaking and channels with big volume differences. All you can do is turn the knob for effects, you get no speed or depth control and that forces me not to use them :( Other than that it's a solid amp with lots of volume (150 watts) and Celestion 75's.

The amp has 12 models to choose from ranging from super clean to ridiculously high gain. There are twang, blues and crunch varieties in between. The cleanest clean cuts through nicely and I haven't ever heard it distort at high volumes. The distortion I use is very tight, good low end (not muddy or boomy sounding), scooped mids but with a good presence and not too many highs (not harsh or shrieking sounding). It didn't take much tweaking for me to get my favorite sound out of it. I play a white Gibson explorer with Zakk Wylde EMG's and a Charvel with an EMG 81. The EMG's go great with this amp and help it to get even more punch. It works great for metal and it is very quiet with the noise gate on. I used to use a BOSS noise gate with it but I forgot it one night and I didn't even need it.

I've never had any technical problems with the amp and I've had it for over a year now but the design itself tends to cause major problems. The knobs are very sensitive and the location of the input jack causes the guitar cable to brush along the knobs sometimes. I've had this problem live before and it sucks, especially if you hit the effects knob. This is a serious design flaw but it's the only thing that I've had trouble with. I have the four button footswitch and it works fine. I've played this amp a lot and in lots of venues and it has held up very well.

I've never had to call them so I can't say anything here.

I've been playing for about 10 years and I've had various amps and guitars over the years. I used to use two half stacks, a Marschall and a Crate but that was too much. I play through a friends Mesa Dual Rec Trem-O-Verb with a Marshall 1960VB cab with Celestion Vintage 30's in one of my bands and that thing has great tone with a lot of balls but I wouldn't have bought it ($2,550 setup). I might get another one if I lost it. I love the metal tone and the portability (I put casters on it). I hate the knobs getting turned by my cable though. It has a million more features, power and better tone than any other amp in it's price range. That's what makes this amp great. If it cost more I wouldn't have touched it. It be nice for them to add a depth knob for the effects and delay and they should definitely move the input jack. If you want a good solid state combo and don't mind 12 amp models then look no further. I've had so many people tell me how good the tone was after gigs and that they were suprised it was a Line 6. I agree, most Line 6 stuff sounds horrid, including the original Spider amps but this one stands out.

A listed below. A good range of features for the price. The effects are a nice touch. It also has a tuner, noise gate, and a good range of factory and user presets.

The stock sounds on this are not really very useful, but you do get 4 user preset channels so you can make up your own. There are sounds to suit many styles of music although most need tweaking to sound good. Again for the price its great but don't be expecting miracles.

I've never had any problems here. It's not really been out of my house much though. It seems strong and rugged though so I wouldn't be worried about it if I was gigging with it a lot.

I've never dealt with them as I've never had any problems.

For the price this is a very good value piece of kit. I?ve been playing for 6 or 7 years now and since I play at church I get to play lots of very yummy guitars. I usually gig through a Mesa Boogie head on a Marshall stack with a nice array of effects pedals. Obviously this amp is horrible compared to that but for playing late at night with headphones and experimenting in my bedroom it has done the job. This is not meant to be a top of the line modeler amp. If you want that get the Vetta or something. It is however perfect for the young player who is on a small budget but would like an amp that they can play around with. Its very versatile and has a few built in effects so it?s lots of fun to mess around with. If it were stolen I?d probably spend a bit more and get a nice small Marshall combo with a Podxt or something small like that. However if I was sticking to the same budget I probably would get it again.

It's got alot on-board. You can play around and find all kinds of sounds and what-not. I think everything on here's been listed plenty of times. Basically I feel it's a good solution for beginners and people on a tighter budget. A lot of people on here whine about it being artificial and crappy and some give it their best opinion. Make no mistake, this is not going to, by any means, replace any of the amps it simulates. But it does give you a pretty good bargain for the buck.

Right now I'm playing with a ESP explorer (lawsuit style), an ESP Devil Girl, and a Jackson Kelly. I bought this amp because I really have no room for and couldn't afford a 5150 II half stack.I play some really heavy metal along with whatever I feel that day...maybe some occasional Skynnyrd or AC/DC or Black Sabbath. Once again, keep in mind, a digital amp is by no means a replacement for what it's copying. Overall the cleans sound decent, throw in some reverb and some delay and you can get some pretty great sounds. The crunch and the metal channels were really dissappointing, I think they were pretty weak on the gain knob with those. The first Insane channel is pretty much useless, but I use the second one frequently. It has that high octane 'rip-your-face-off' feel to it. Real bottomy, but that can be adjusted with some knob turning. Pretty much, you can get any sound you really want outta this but ya just gotta put some time in and twist a few knobs. Apparently, some people out there just lack the conviction to do that.

Had it for a year....no problems yet.

Luckily I haven't had to deal with them yet.

I've been playing for 7 years now. I've been through several other amps, allthough I wish I didn't have to get rid of my 5150. If it were stolen, you're damn straight I'd be pissed...I put hard earned cash into this thing. Like I said earlier, great for beginners and people on a budget. I personally like it's feel and what you get for your dollar. If you're expecting this to be the miracle wonder that replaces a Fender Tweed and a JCM800 and a Dual Recto, etc. . . . you're just a dummy. But if you can't afford all that and are looking for a pretty flexible alternative, this is a good option. And as always, I suggest hearing it before you buy it.