Well $%$# PRS just released the new Archon V2 line!

[Bogner]

Whats your take on the Archon 100 vs the 50 heads since you have both? Have thought about selling the MT 15 to help fund a 100 head. That extra bottom and headroom would be appealing if it responds like the Marshalls do between the 100 and the 50.
What you are talking on the MT 100 and it being a US flagship amp does make sense. Just wish they would have done a SE Archon 50 like they the guitars with the Core and the SE Tremonti guitars.

The Archon 100 will give you the typical things that 100's always have over 50's. Both sound great IMO but if I had to pick one I would always take the higher wattage in the huge majority of any amp for that matter....but that is me. If you are doing it to have both the 50 and 100 I don't know if you will get the differences you get between a MT-15 and any Archon sonically. I guess it comes down to money and what you want to do. In the perfect world, if I was going to only have 2 of the 3 I would go Archon 100 and MT-15.

I love PRS and have been with them for a long time. In all honesty, Paul is the master of the marketing, take away, flip, spin, rebrand, re-introduce, (you get my point here) of whatever he is selling. All that being said, there is definitely something going on with the amp line. I think he is trying to find a way to expand it without taking too much risk and jumping all in. The SE line (and all it entails - now amps, guitars, etc) is solid and doing well. Private Stock is doing very well. the middle ground is ok but the area I feel is least successful though it is successful. Spinning things the way he "appears" to be doing may give him the juice to expand the USA amp line and not have to rebrand what is already being made (Archon) so his base market stays in tact. Think McCarty....MC-58, Modern Eagle, ME II, etc...all McCarty's with some fluff somewhere in some cases and not in other cases but it made people buy guitars because of the take away. The Archon has positive market familiarity, value and recognition. That becomes the "SE" line and Tremonti has the weight and familiarity and marketability to bring the USA line and expand on it. I could see "Artist amps being USA and their variants being the SE line......or something like that. Just my own idea and rant here. Based on Paul's methods in the past, it makes sense to me.

Additionally, Paul is in the guitar business, not the amp business. He makes a great guitar personally. I don't think he makes amps on the same level. Sewell has been involved and maybe they are looking to get paid so the lower price point/volume angle could be the way to go to help subsidize the future higher end line. Again, just my thoughts. It is interesting though. I do look forward to that MT-100.

[devastone]

Not sure that makes sense since the MT-15 is already an import, but I don't keep track of all things PRS. Not sure they change the MT-15 to a MIA with a higher price tag and do well. But, I'm not in marketing and no one asks my opinion.

[Bogner]

Not sure that makes sense since the MT-15 is already an import, but I don't keep track of all things PRS. Not sure they change the MT-15 to a MIA with a higher price tag and do well. But, I'm not in marketing and no one asks my opinion.

The MT-15 isn't going to be changed to made in America. It is a budget amp (like the SE line) of guitars. It just happens to kick all kinds of ass and for the money is probably the best high gain, clean channel quality sounding amp for the money that is made. The MT-100 is the Signature amp they are making for Tremonti. It is 100 watts and may not officially even be called the MT-100 once/if it ends up coming out. We have been waiting for a while for a proper Tremonti 100 watt head that he will tour with which doesn't mean beefing up the MT-15 to have more power. The MT-100 or new Tremonti amp or whatever it will be called has been long awaited and with great anticipation and I would never expect it to be an import amp. I really believe it will take over the position of the original Archon line but with a new name.

[Ascension]

Additionally, Paul is in the guitar business, not the amp business. He makes a great guitar personally. I don't think he makes amps on the same level. Sewell has been involved and maybe they are looking to get paid so the lower price point/volume angle could be the way to go to help subsidize the future higher end line. Again, just my thoughts. It is interesting though. I do look forward to that MT-100.

Kinda feel the opposite way. I prefer Carvin Kiesel guitars to PRS and own both. It's the PRS amps that I like better than the guitars. There is something about how a Sewell designed high gain amp responds to touch that just works for me. Own 6 amps right now, 2 PRS , 2 Mesa the old Carvin X amp and my little Zinky Blue Velvet. For me the amp I'm going to plug into just for the heck of playing is mostly the Archon if its something with some gain. My Boogie F 30 however is just breathtaking clean but sill the Archon and MT 15 are both no slouches at all. In fact I like the cleans on the MT 15 a little better with the boost pulled than I do the Archon.

[Bogner]

Kinda feel the opposite way. I prefer Carvin Kiesel guitars to PRS and own both. It's the PRS amps that I like better than the guitars. There is something about how a Sewell designed high gain amp responds to touch that just works for me. Own 6 amps right now, 2 PRS , 2 Mesa the old Carvin X amp and my little Zinky Blue Velvet. For me the amp I'm going to plug into just for the heck of playing is mostly the Archon if its something with some gain. My Boogie F 30 however is just breathtaking clean but sill the Archon and MT 15 are both no slouches at all. In fact I like the cleans on the MT 15 a little better with the boost pulled than I do the Archon.

My point was that PRS (Paul specifically) is known for being a guitar builder, not an amp builder. IMO, PRS will always be a guitar company that sells amps. I can' see the reverse of that being true.

If we are talking guitar brands I like, heck, I can list a ton.

[alex1fly]

It is hard for me to make a judgement listening to YouTube videos, which don't come close to replicating the sound of the amp in the room. Not many amps sound good to me that way.

+1

[Ascension]

It is hard for me to make a judgement listening to YouTube videos, which don't come close to replicating the sound of the amp in the room. Not many amps sound good to me that way.

Can agree with this to a point. However owning both a MT 15 and a Archon 50 there are some things I know to listen for. What I hear sounds much more like a MT 15 than my Archon. The MT 15 is a killer amp in it's own right so that's not a bad thing on it's own. The MT 15 is dryer more aggressive and compressed,.The Archon is much different in particular there is a unique thing about how the Archon responds to the note attack that I don't hear with any of the clips of the new version. Still will reserve final judgment until I hear and play one in person.
The price dropped $600 on the old to new head and there has to be a reason. The fact that the old version was built in the US and the new amp is an import still doesn't account for that much of a price drop.

[Rex_Rocker]

That sounded alright on the vid, IMO.

[Ascension]

That sounded alright on the vid, IMO.

The new one should be a good amp and should sell very well. It's just not the same amp as the real Archon and IMO should have ether been renamed or branded the ARCHON SE.
US PTP amp in the first gen vs a PCB import with a huge price drop its clear they are not the same amps.
The clips i hear are not bad and I will reserve final judgment on the new Gen II Archon until I get a chance to really sit down and play one.
I suspect you will see a new US built high end Mark Tremonti amp emerge as a flagship amp based off of the 100 watt Archon head in the $3000 range soon. The price point on the new 50 Archon is a good one it should sell well as the one I have retailed for $1699 the new one is at $999 which puts it in a direct competition with the 5150. With what I have seen in build quality with my MT 15 the Archon should kill the 5150 head to head.
All makes good business sense but the US Archon is a very unique amp and I just don't hear some of the same qualities in the clips of the new one.

[misterwhizzy]

I’m sorry this happened to you.