Line 6 Spider IV 15 Watt Amp

Overview

The Line 6 Spider IV 15 watt combo is a rock’n’ little practice amp. If you are into hard rock and metal, and you want a practice amp, you will probably dig this little guy. If you are into jazz or blues you might find this one a bit too aggressive. There are four different amp models to choose from including Clean, Crunch, Metal and Insane. There are even quite a few effects that you can play with as well as a built in chromatic tuner.

Price - 7.5/10

I really think that $100 is a fair price for this little amp. There are certainly a lot of amps out there for the same price that don’t have nearly as many features

Sound Quality - 6.8/10

As I mentioned earlier there are four different amp models that you can choose from on this amp. It seems that the tones on this amp are really geared toward players who like heavier music. The tones seem to be a bit harsh or sharp. That can be great if you are playing hard rock or metal, but not so great if you are into jazz or blues.

The effects on this amp include chorus/flange, phaser, tremolo, tape echo, sweep echo and reverb. The tap tempo button is very nice for matching up your delay time to any song with which you might be playing. You don’t get a lot of control over the parameters of the effects, but what you do get is nice for a package this small.

Build Quality - 6.5/10

The build quality of this amp is pretty average. There are two trouble areas that I have discovered through a lot of experience. The plastic nuts on the input and headphone jacks tend to get loose pretty quickly on this amp. If you have one, or get one, just make sure to keep those tight.

The multi-effects knobs are not of the highest qualit. In my experience, if you are too rough with these knobs there is a much greater chance that they will not work properly in the future. Of course this all depends on how you treat your gear.

Features - 8/10

• 15 Watts

• 1×8” Speaker

• Four Amp Models

• Create, Save And Recall Four Amp Settings

• Direct Output

• ¼” Headphone Output

• Built In Chromatic Tuner

• Effects: Chorus/Flange, Phaser, Tremolo, Tape Echo, Sweep Echo, Reverb

• Bass, Mid and Treble EQ Knobs

Ease of Use - 8/10

The Spider series is very easy to use. Simply select which amp model you want, dial in your tone and add in effects to taste. You can even hold down one of the amp model radio buttons to save the tone you have created. Hold down the tap button to get instant access to a built in chromatic tuner.

Pros

• 4 amp models

• 6 effects

• Auxiliary in

• Headphone out

• Great for metal and hard rock

Cons

• Sounds a bit small

• Not a lot of control over the effects

• Not great for jazz and blues

Overall Rating - 7.36/10

If you need a small practice amp under $100, and like more aggressive music, the Line 6 Spider IV 15 watt amp might be a really good choice for you. If you are looking for a practice amp with a warmer or smoother tone you might want to check out something else.

It is very nice to have four different amp models and six different effects to choose from in one small package. This amp doesn’t have a very big sound, but it is only $100. Keep in mind that it is meant to be a practice amp not a stack. I particularly loved the auxiliary in and headphone jacks. They made it very easy to hook up an mp3 player and some headphones to practice as loud as you want without disturbing anyone. Check one of these guys out the next time you are at your local music store.