Pretty much anyone who has attempted to learn the guitar over the last 20+ years will be familiar with the Line 6 Spider. Since the launch of the first Spider in 1999, these compact, inexpensive modeling amps have become the byword in do-it-all practice machines, thanks largely to the sheer number of sounds you can get from a relatively small unit. Sure, seasoned players might look down on the kitchen sink approach to sound selection, but for the beginner, these things unlocked the ability to easily create approximations of pretty much any sound you could think of. Happy days!
Today, however, the beginners' amp market is flooded with budget modeling amps. You can credit Line 6 and the Spider range with modeling's popularity, yet it does mean that it's not the only show in town anymore. Boss, Yamaha, and Positive Grid now all offer products which give players the same box of toys, so the modern-day Spider needs to have something special to keep its place at the top table.
