Spider III HD75 Review

The only amps with insane rock star settings Spider III HD75 (head) delivers 4 remarkable amp channel models with clean, crunch, metal, and insane all dialed in by an amazing team of artists.

Features:	7
Sound:	8
Reliability:	9
Impression:	7
Overall rating:	7.8
Users rating:	5.1
Comments:	29

overall: 7.8

Reviewed by: purplestrat, on june 27, 2007

Purchased from: Guitar Center

Features: This amp does have some cool effects and features, like the Smart Control FX, but it lacks some features too. It only has one channel, and you can't really modify in detail the intensity of the distortion levels. Only four buttons to select clean, crunch, metal, or insane. A very light distortion isn't possible on this amp. Although it does have some cool effects that you would otherwise have to use a pedal board, like phaser, chorus/flanger, tremolo, sweep echo, tape echo, and reverb, you can only use two at a time. But what is annoying is you have to reset your effects once you change gain levels. // 7

Sound: I am currently using a Gibson Les Paul Vintage Mohogany through it, or a Squire Stratocaster, but they don't sound much different. It sort of robs the Gibson of it's full potential sound that it could get with a similar amp head. I'm playing it through a Marshall Cabinet. If you strictly play punk styles, then it will be fine. But it failed to stretch to my wide variety of rock, so I play it straight through the mixer for recording. // 8

Reliability & Durability: I probably could use it for a gig without backup, but I might not want to, due to the lack of variety. It has not had any problems due to abuse, because I leave it sitting most of the time, bit I could imagine someone Who would use it a lot over time start to wear down. It has been very reliable for me however, because I don't move it much. // 9

Impression: Once again if punk and some metal is all that you play, sure it's a good match, but the lack of a knob for a gain level doesn't allow fine tuning. I have been playing for several years, and have played on better amps heads than this, but for now I'm not completely satisfied, but it will work. This wasn't my first choice as a head, and I was looking at the Marshall head, but guitar center had just sold their last one, and I didn't want to wait (I now wish I had). I do wish this amp had more flexibility, but I can't complain about the effects, except the reset after changing gain levels. // 7

Comments

[carpe-diem]

Ahh, that's a real damn shame. I can't think why they got rid of the amp model knob for this one, or the gain knob. I have a Spider II 112, and with that there's four channels and twelve amp models to choose from. More importantly, there's a gain knob. Plus all the features of the III HD75, and the II 112 is only a combi. What were they thinking?

[teenrocker]

Seems to me that they've made it worse than the Spider II... wtf?

[acdcyou]

i have the Spider III 75 (not the head, the amp) and it has the twelve amp model, and a distotion knob, i find it has a huge variety of sounds, i play anything from heavy metal to clapton and meyer and the amp does it all extemey well, i wonder y they got rid of the amp models and gain knob for the head version, doesnt make sense

[metalguitar6]

I am currently using a Gibson Les Paul Vintage Mohogany through it, or a Squire Stratocaster, but they don't sound much different.

Its because its a solid state amp...get a tube amp and you'll be able to hear the difference.

[PainIsPower]

You seemed to rate the amp rather high for all the negatives you gave it. I have the Spider II 75 and I hate it. Line 6 is great if you have a cheep guitar and are on a low budget and want alot of stuff in one package. But that is it for Line 6. Low budget. The quality is not there. If you want good tone, get tube like metalguitar6 said. If some one stole my Spider II, I would hunt them down and thank them for relieveing me of it.

[djmay71]

is there a minimum wattage your amp has to be to use a header like this? or a pedal board for all i care. I am interested in getting his head for practise purposes, but the amp i am using is only 12 watt

[mike_of_sweden]

http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/forum/register.php?a=act&u=636973&i=4471
529

[mike_of_sweden]

sorry posted wrong message:P

[mike_of_sweden]

I don´t know anything about that model but I have a line6 spider2 combo and if you don´t want to lose your sound settings on that one you just have to push the button for the channel you´re using in 2 seconds and then you have saved the sound settings.

If you like to change channel just buy a fbv pedal.

and by the way if you dont get the sound you want it´s probably because you have singlecoils my friend has humbuckers and with those you get perfect sound.

[ozbozz123]

who has single coils in a les paul

[purplestrat]

djmay71 wrote:

is there a minimum wattage your amp has to be to use a header like this? or a pedal board for all i care. I am interested in getting his head for practise purposes, but the amp i am using is only 12 watt

yeah it only works with specific cabs, what kind do you have?

[Lastlarf]

who has single coils in a les paul

Apparently, the Swedes do.

Actually, early LPs were produced with P90s, which are single coil.

[letsgetrockin82]

I have a line 6 and i can never seem to get the sound that i want out of it

[E V H 5150]

The single coils in his Strat. Did none of you see the part about the strat?

I was thinking about getting the Spider III, but in a combo. I'm probrably going to get a Peavey, though. I don't need raging distortion, and I hate punk, so apparently, this amp is not for me.

[strangeibanez17]

you can get any sound you desire out of a line 6 amp. you just have to know how to use it.

[star_playa619]

mine blew up in a gig. and the distorion is more of a fuzz.....aagh..

[wakekid2001]

I have the spider 2 head and 4x4 cab (12 in. speakers). I like it because it is really all in one, i have found that you really have to work with it in order to get the sound that you want. The only thing that i do not like is that at extremely high levels(such as 8 or 9 on the volume master) the tone is almost completly gone, either bottomed out or way to high pitch that cannot be fixed by messing with the knobs. Dont get me wrong, i love it, from volume 1 to 7 which is pretty damn loud for any house or even for a live performance. For a live performance, i would recommend getting a mic set up, the tones would be better at higher levels.

Another concern of mine is the difference between guitar to guitar since it is all digital, i have not really played more than 2 guitars out of it although i am thinking of getting a fender strat soon to accompany my gibson sg. I guess the one thing that keeps me un bored with it is that i have a fender princeton chorus that i occasionally hook up to the spider head to play out of the cabinet, i love it because you cn get a little spider and a little fender at the same time, sweet for all of your 60's rock, 70's blues and modern prog rock(Opeth tunes are excellent played through this amp) I bought mine about 4 years ago, and have been relatively pleased with it, although as anyone would, everyone looks for a different sound as they get into different things.
I would say if you want a universal amp that can do almost anything within reason, is good for any style and experienced player, and if you have a couple hundred bucks, go for it!

[TheUnforgiven1]

the gain knob is the Drive knob right next to the model knob

[TheUnforgiven1]

actually there is no model knob on the III but the drive knob is the first knob on the left

[degraw14]

I have a combo 75w Spider III. I bought it like 6 months ago, its played at a couple shows and its loud enough by far. Its quite an amazing amp and i never will sell it. like this review says, no matter what guitar you play through it sounds the same. no need to buy a $2000 gibson, buy a $300 epiphone with this amp and you will rock. I own a Jackson Randy Rhoads guitar and it sounds perfect. 5 Star rating.

[mike_of_sweden]

Didn`t read what gituar you had. Just guessed that you hade one with single coils cus it sounds bad if you use them on spider2/spider3 but it should sound good with humbuckers.

[djmay71]

purplestrat :
djmay71 wrote:

is there a minimum wattage your amp has to be to use a header like this? or a pedal board for all i care. I am interested in getting his head for practise purposes, but the amp i am using is only 12 watt


yeah it only works with specific cabs, what kind do you have?

afterwards, i went and checked, it's a 26 watt Peavey Backstage, but if that doesn't work, i have a backup 26 watt Silvertone Smart III

[Nerdo-sez-bo]

So it took away twang and blues?

I liked twang on my spider II, nice... well, twangy sound.

[purplestrat]

you can sort of get blues, but it isn't great

[ROCKAHOBO]

if i get this do i HAVE to buy a cab aswell? cos i only wanna spend 160quid or less for my second amp?

[fluff191]

Dude is this reviewer an idiot or is there really no GAIN knob? Im thinking the first one. Why would an amp have no gain knob?

[purplestrat]

fluff191 wrote:

Dude is this reviewer an idiot or is there really no GAIN knob? Im thinking the first one. Why would an amp have no gain knob?

there is a gain knob, but you have to push the button to change the gain level...to get the full circle of live play from this amp, you need a pedal, because it it doesnt give you much control

[Guitarmanmatt]

my friend if u are annoyed but not having a gain knob do what i do, use a boss ds-1 i no it defeats the objext of having a capable amp but it works. and lol i cant imagine a les paul widout humbuckers!!

[purplestrat]

i solved the crappy sound problem by etting a boss gt-8...can get any sound AND CANT TELL ITS A LINE-6...i just leave it on clean