Upon first hearing about the new Spider Valve, I chuckled to myself as I cynically believed Line 6 had shot themselves straight through the foot. As a fan of the company, I've believed all their press about how close their modelling technology can get to the 'real thing' as have so many others. Admittedly, the POD and all other offerings were never replacements for valves, but did a damn good job at mimicry. So when Line 6 releases a valve amp, it seems they've given in: there is no substitute for valves. Upon listening to the Spider Valve, what could have been a faux pas of a major scale actually worked out OK. The reason being, the Spider Valve is truly astonishing. It IS a valve amp; it responds just the way a real amp should. I went through every possible setting: went through some jazz progressions on the clean and was in love with the warmth and responsiveness on offer. The Vox-a-like tones have that lovely top boost that just pushes for a little extra the more you dig in. The plexi style mid gain sounds are so Marshall-esque it's untrue and sat well when treated with some wha and delay for a 70's style solo-fest. The shining light has to be metal. With a (little) bit of mid scoop, I had to actually double-take myself to stop thinking I wasn't playing a Boogie. I compared against a Single and Dual Rec, and while the Dual had more overall balls (and it should at triple the price!) I preferred the Spider's roar over the Single Rec's. Finally, the Insane channels are just that, and a great place to let loose with some truly indulgant and pompous shred passages!
What's truly astounding here is the fact that Line 6 are offering a Bogner designed Valve amplifier with essentially 12 separate voices. The feeling here is that they are yet again shaping the future, the product is that good.

Why is it not a perfect ten? For this price, it's in a league of it's own, but if you have the extra cash, it's probably worth stumping up for a 'genuine' head. You'll be limited to a certain sound, but once you find it, the Spider can seem a little behind in terms of sound quality (as I noticed when compared to the Dual Rectifier). That aside, a truly, truly superb product, test it at least, and you'll definitely get the bug. (Apologies for the pun!)