player opinions
Line 6 Spider II 212
Name: Tim O’Brien
Model Year: 2004
Price Paid: $400
Performance
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Very easy to use controls. Has 12 different amp models to choose from so there is a nice variety. Has 4 user banks that can save your personally created patches. Effects are just OK, not great but, they are usable. Made in China I believe and has a Celestion manufactured speaker which is not to muddy or trebly. I have seen reviews from users about the reliability issues (this is basically a computer with knobs) seems you have to be careful with hydro issues (spikes/black outs) same thing as a computer (I use a surge protector and unplug it when I’m not using it.)
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Performance Rating: 8
Sound Quality
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The tone from this amp is actually very good. I was surprised and am now very impressed with Line 6 and how far they have come in such a short time. You will not get “Tube warmth” here but what you will get is a great metal/crunch grind that has some real guts to it! It has a built in noise gate (non adjustable) but works very well and doesn’t KILL sustain. If your a high-gain player or a Mesa fan you’ll love this thing. Volume levels are very high and you can play over a drummer very easily! The only issue I encountered is vibration causing the controls to move (even with in 1/64th of an inch) so to rectify the problem I use a amp stand and set all the controls to zero (I use the presets I saved). The cleans are OK but not Fender spanky clean, they are well ahead of Marshall clean tones (you know what I mean!) The reverb is actually pretty impressive and gives the over all sound some 3 dimensional shape. My only complaint is no foot pedal! But you can purchase a basic model for around $70.
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Sound Quality Rating: 8
Construction
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The amp is solid and can stand up to a live show. The grill cloth can take a beating but looks like someone really didn’t take a lot of care when installing it. The knobs feel flimsy but again they are NOT potential meters, they are attached to a PC board. The guitar input is plastic and should have been metal for wear and tear. Weight is not to heavy and it looks “mean”, make no mistake this is not a “toy” it is a real amp with some great features for the price.
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Construction Rating: 8
stats
Average Ratings
- Performance: 8
- Sound Quality: 8
- Construction: 8
Ratings Key
- 10: Excellent
- 0: Useless
Company
- Line 6





