High Gain Liquid Amp Recommendations - Progressive And Fusion No Metal

[ebagjones]

Have some spare cash - one hole in my amp lineup is something with a smooth liquid lead tone. I have a list narrowed down. Like to keep it at or under 50 watts. Like to pick the minds of the forum for some real world experience and recommendations.
Here’s the list
ENGL Artist Edition E653
ENGL Screamer 50
EVH 5150III w/6L6’s
Koch Twintone III
Mesa Mark V:35
Mesa Triple Crown

Got about $1500-2000 to work with. Not interest in downtuned chugging or riffing this will be used more for progressive rock and fusion.

Thanks!

[arayadis]

Re: High Gain Liquid Amp Recommendations - Progressive And Fusion No Metal

I played every amp in the list and I bought Engle Screamer and Mesa Mark V I have been using Engl Screamer 50 more than 10 years and 5 years for Mesa Mark V. Both of them versatile amps you can play fusion to metal with this amps. If you gonna play this babies in your home with low volumes I advice you Engl. Other than this just give a try and trust your ears.
Cheers

[Ascension]

Re: High Gain Liquid Amp Recommendations - Progressive And Fusion No Metal

Like the little PRS MT-15 a lot for the type tones your talking. Pair of 6L6's with a big transformer and do not let the 15 watt rating fool you that amp is a beast!
Very responsive touch sensitive and fluid crunch side which for me is a must. Played my 1st one in a local shop a few weeks ago head to head with a couple 5150's the Boogies and the little 20 watt Marshalls. Those little 20 watt Marshalls like the little PRS also run big bottle EL 34 tubes and big iron on the transformer at low grid voltage for 20 watts BTW. Thought the Marshalls and the PRS were the best of the bunch I ran that day. The PRS has an absolutely fantastic clean and is much more liquid and modern sounding of those 2. Marshall JCM 800 was the one I liked the most in that line and it was at $1300 or so the PRS was $650.
Also if you need the extra power and have the $ also look hard at the PRS Archon. It's around $1300 and those are just fantastic well built big articulate liquid sounding amps. Many just won't think about the PRS amps but I own 2 Boogies now like them have owned a BUNCH of really good high gain amps over the years. Those 2 PRS rigs in particular have flat impressed me every time I have heard one or played one.