I'm slowly coming around to focus on a 50 watt channel switching head as my next amp. I play basic roots rock on the Chuck to Iggy continuum. Something with a nice clean channel (like the Bassman RI) and a nice lead channel (like the JCM-800 combo), in a more handy separate head configuration.
The JVM 205H seems like a really obvious choice, given my love of the JCM 800. From what I've heard I like both of the "clean channels". The "High Gain" side sounds OK, I'm not really looking for the super black-metal-burnt-crispy-death level of gain, it might be too much of a good thing. I'm a bit worried that the two sounds I like are both on Channel 1. $1600. new.
The Mesa Triple Crown TC-50 has one more channel, and that means I would probably get at least two useful ones, with the super-gain channel again possibly being more than I'm looking for. I went to demo one of these and unfortunately the place I went the sales guy just showed me all the sounds he could get out of it without letting me so much as touch a string. $1900.
Another one I've looked at is the EVH 5150 III w/ EL-34s. This is another three channel, and seems to be an improved version of the original with more channel control separation (which seems really good). It's the cheapest of the three at only $1100, which is nice. How is the "made in Vietnam" build quality?
What do you think of these three amps? What else should I be looking at in this genre?
The JVM 205H seems like a really obvious choice, given my love of the JCM 800. From what I've heard I like both of the "clean channels". The "High Gain" side sounds OK, I'm not really looking for the super black-metal-burnt-crispy-death level of gain, it might be too much of a good thing. I'm a bit worried that the two sounds I like are both on Channel 1. $1600. new.
The Mesa Triple Crown TC-50 has one more channel, and that means I would probably get at least two useful ones, with the super-gain channel again possibly being more than I'm looking for. I went to demo one of these and unfortunately the place I went the sales guy just showed me all the sounds he could get out of it without letting me so much as touch a string. $1900.
Another one I've looked at is the EVH 5150 III w/ EL-34s. This is another three channel, and seems to be an improved version of the original with more channel control separation (which seems really good). It's the cheapest of the three at only $1100, which is nice. How is the "made in Vietnam" build quality?
What do you think of these three amps? What else should I be looking at in this genre?
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