Line 6 Spider V is the last iteration of the Spider amp series and it didn’t receive good reviews when it came.
In the past, the Spider series was one of the best modeling amplifiers for guitars and it was very popular.
But many guitar players didn’t like the new version and some said it was the worst amp.
So, I wanted to test it myself and here I’m offering my honest review of Line 6 Spider V 30.
Design
First of all, let’s talk about the overall design and the layout of this combo, which is minimalistic.
On the back panel, there is nothing special except some inputs and outputs such as FBV pedal, USB connectivity, aux-in, and power input.
The front of the combo looks pretty good, minimalistic, and modern with grey grill cloth.
All the controls are at the front panel of the amp with a slight tilt which is great because you can easily see and tweak controls.
The control panel is very minimalistic and easy to navigate with a preamp section, buttons, and LED screen.
Amp Models & Effects
Now let’s talk about more important stuff which is amp models and collection of effects Line 6 Spider V 30 offers.
In this department, Line 6 modeling amps always were one of the best because they offer almost any type of amp and effects you can imagine.
Line 6 Spider V 30 offers an impressive range of amp models, mimicking the sound of classic and modern amps. From clean to crunch to high gain, this combo has everything you will ever need.
In total, this Line 6 modeling combo offers 78 amplifiers, 24 different guitar cabs, and four microphones.
The same goes for the effects and you have a huge collection of various effects to choose from.
It offers more than a hundred effects which is a lot. And a great thing is that it has a separate control for digital reverb. Some of the effects you can use are chorus, delay, flanger, octave, and so on.
And because it offers so many options for amp tones and effects, it’s one of the best guitar amps for practice.
How Does Line 6 Spider V 30 Sound?
So, this is all good but what about the most important thing in amps – the sound? Because many players have problems with the sound of this combo.
And if you want to know my personal opinion, I’m not a fan of the sound either.
For me, it sounds too digital and I prefer the older versions of the Spider amp series.
Of course, it’s not the worst but there are many great-sounding modeling amps such as Boss Katana which would be a better choice.
In general, Line 6 Spider V 30 sounds OK. The clean and crunchy tones are good and all the effects have a cool sound.
But when it comes to hi-gain tones, that’s where I have the issue. It’s too digital and not that organic.
It can work if you are a beginner but the price tag is too expensive in my opinion.
Yeah, you get almost unlimited amp voicings and effects, but if the sound is not good, then the number of tone options doesn’t matter.
So, if you mainly play clean and crunch tones and want to have all the effects in one box, you can get it. But as a metal amp, I think it would be a waste of money.
Features
Regarding features, it’s a good modeling combo that offers different options which can be useful.
First of all, it’s a 30-watt combo with an 8″ speaker and 1″ tweeter. Has a 3-band EQ, lots of amps, and effects.
Also, it comes with a built-in tuner, metronome, and drum loops feature which is perfect for beginners and practice.
USB and Bluetooth connectivity allow you to connect it to a different device and use it as a speaker or for recording, but I don’t recommend this combo for recording purposes.
Additionally, Line 6 offers an app and you can connect it to Spider V amps and make more in-depth tweaking of the sound.
Final Thoughts
All in all, Line 6 Spider V 30 is a decent modeling combo with a huge collection of amps and effects, good features, and cool-sounding clean and crunchy tones. But it’s not a good metal amp. I recommend getting other modeling amps in this price range, but for beginners, it could work.