Hybrid hotness! Rediscovering my Randall T2HL

[Phantasmagoria]

Oh man..if I could have any Marshal it would be an 800. I love the way they sound. 80's as ****! There used to be a time back when I first started gigging that they were super common backline amps at venue around here...2203's that is. Now all you see are MG's and if you're lucky 900's sometimes. Yeah they need to be boosted but then you're (I'm ) in high gain heaven. Having said that, for my playing personally I'd take a T2/V2 over one too I guess because I'm all about thick meaty grindy high gain tones with fat juicy lower mids. The closest tubes amp equivalents would be Recto's or Engl's of some sort...or Bogner's maybe (never played one though).

[Rex_Rocker]

I'd grab an 800 if I had other amp needs covered. First up, I'd get a Rev F Recto and an OG Krank Rev 1 with the 5881's. Then a Block Letter 5150. Then an SLO. Then another Peavey XXX.

Honestly, for the Marshall tone, I'd rather grab an JVM or a Splawn.

The thing about the 800 is it became so iconic that everyone and their grandma made (and makes) an 800-inspired amp which "fixes" the shortcommings of the 800. Yeah, it doesn't sound the same, but I can't really think of a recorded tone that I look up to that is just a plain old un-modded 800 that would make me want to go "yeah, I want that exact sound, and I'll accept no substitutions." I mean, I like Zakk Wylde and Slayer, but neither of their tones are my favorites.

But that's just me.

[Phantasmagoria]

Yeah, my first choice would be a Recto as well. I've always gassed for one. One of the new 3 ch Multi-watts will do just fine.. A SLO would be my absolute first choice but only if I could magically get it at Recto prices

Other amps I would'nt mind: A big 400W Randall T2/V2 Ninja, An Engl (Smolski, Inferno or Fireball preferably...or a Retro-Tube 100 ) and though I was'nt crazy about the Krankenstein I tried (way too dry sounding) I really like the Nineteen 80 (?) I think it was called & the Rev1 (one I tried had El34's)...Oooh and I love a Laney TI/Tony Iommi. Though Imy Ironheart 120 kicks a whole lot of ass anyway & could nail most of the tones, if not all of them..


The funny thing is every time I think of getting a Marshall (pretty often) I always end up w/ something else instead. I like how they sound but when I play them ..they are'nt my thing..or least other amp's are more my thing. Though I'm guessing I would'nt mind a JVM either. Again I like the tones of a regular JVM when I hear other people play them, but I think if it came to actually playing them myself I'd like a JS more....just for the kind of compression, lows and mids it has

[Rex_Rocker]

FWIW, I think the blue channel on the 5150III stuff gets pretty 800-ish. Just tighter and overall better. JMO, of course.

[Phantasmagoria]

Yeah the whole 5150/6505 familyof amp's are pretty nice sounding/versatile too. I just don't want one 'cuz of how stale that sound has become. I could actually pick one up pretty cheap used here...just not interested.

The guy at the studio we often recorded at has a bunch of Krank's....now those amp's do interest me . I could maybe get him to part w/ one I'm pretty partial to the Rev1 (w/ EL34's) especially....never tried the 5881 version.

Heard the Amott's used them on Doomsday Machine which had a pretty sweet production

[El Dunco]

Yeah, my first choice would be a Recto as well. I've always gassed for one. One of the new 3 ch Multi-watts will do just fine.. A SLO would be my absolute first choice but only if I could magically get it at Recto prices

Other amps I would'nt mind: A big 400W Randall T2/V2 Ninja, An Engl (Smolski, Inferno or Fireball preferably...or a Retro-Tube 100 ) and though I was'nt crazy about the Krankenstein I tried (way too dry sounding) I really like the Nineteen 80 (?) I think it was called & the Rev1 (one I tried had El34's)...Oooh and I love a Laney TI/Tony Iommi. Though Imy Ironheart 120 kicks a whole lot of ass anyway & could nail most of the tones, if not all of them..


The funny thing is every time I think of getting a Marshall (pretty often) I always end up w/ something else instead. I like how they sound but when I play them ..they are'nt my thing..or least other amp's are more my thing. Though I'm guessing I would'nt mind a JVM either. Again I like the tones of a regular JVM when I hear other people play them, but I think if it came to actually playing them myself I'd like a JS more....just for the kind of compression, lows and mids it has

The JVM ia my favourite amp. With some minor mods, pushed the with my Cornhole overdrive (though it’s not always necessary with EMTYs or EMGs) and through my favourite speakers, it’s the sound I’ve been wanting my whole life. Modern, cutting yet smooth, chug heaven yet amazing clarity string to string.

The power amp with the resonance control up so you can keep the bass low on the tone stack is worth the price of admission alone. I’m a real blend freak so blending it in the studio about 50:50 with the Rev F dual rec is a sound to behold.

[Rex_Rocker]

Heard the Amott's used them on Doomsday Machine which had a pretty sweet production

Yeah, Krank and Recto blended through a Krank cab with V30's (cause the V12's that those used to come with kinda suck, LOL).

I like the production on that record, but as far as guitar tones, my favorite from them is either Khaos Legions (JVM through Peavey XXX cab) or Anthems (Peavey XXX through Marshall 1960V cab).

[Phantasmagoria]

The JVM ia my favourite amp. With some minor mods, pushed the with my Cornhole overdrive (though it’s not always necessary with EMTYs or EMGs) and through my favourite speakers, it’s the sound I’ve been wanting my whole life. Modern, cutting yet smooth, chug heaven yet amazing clarity string to string.

The power amp with the resonance control up so you can keep the bass low on the tone stack is worth the price of admission alone. I’m a real blend freak so blending it in the studio about 50:50 with the Rev F dual rec is a sound to behold.

I like JVM's....

They are'nt cheap new here though (and never seen a used one for sale) . I could almost pick up a new Recto for what they cost (and I like Recto's more )

[Phantasmagoria]

Yeah, Krank and Recto blended through a Krank cab with V30's (cause the V12's that those used to come with kinda suck, LOL).

I like the production on that record, but as far as guitar tones, my favorite from them is either Khaos Legions (JVM through Peavey XXX cab) or Anthems (Peavey XXX through Marshall 1960V cab).

I probably like Burning Bridges best for production/tones.. Any idea what they used on that one?

Though they actually have pretty similar productions on all their albums...so it must all boil down to Andy Sneap

[Rex_Rocker]

I probably like Burning Bridges best for production/tones.. Any idea what they used on that one?

Though they actually have pretty similar productions on all their albums...so it must all boil down to Andy Sneap

5150, more than likely. That one was mixed by Fredrik Nordstrom, though. Not Sneap.

They do have a theme going on all the Sneap albums, but I don't think all the albums sound the same. Nor do they sound like many other Sneap productions. Arch Enemy always kinda sounds like Arch Enemy to me.

Then again, I'm the guy that dissects the tiny differences between a TS808 and an OD808, LOL.

[Phantasmagoria]

Damn.....I did'nt even know Nordstrom had done anything with them. Makes sense though , between him and Andy Sneap they were producing every second album that came out at that time.. Nordstrom tends to push the mids way more than Sneap does though, with guitar's (& his production's in general.)

Tbh I mostly gravitae towards the lead tones when I'm listening to an album. For me the Amott brother's had their best tones on BB. Though as I said. I've found that most good players sound like themselves and have really similar tones no matter who's producing or what they're plugged into...

[El Dunco]

I like JVM's....

They are'nt cheap new here though (and never seen a used one for sale) . I could almost pick up a new Recto for what they cost (and I like Recto's more )

I got mine new half price, even the cab was because it’s white and everyone wants a black cab, but I love how the white stands out on stage. My favourite mode is actually the much maligned OD2 voicing. It’s basically instant Fear Factory Demanufacture/Obsolete (when Dino was still using a modded Marshall before it got stolen)

The recto was only $2000AUD. Some poor guy’s wife made him sell it and he didn’t seem to know what he had. Has literally none of the issues rectifier haters complain about. It isn’t fizzy or muddy at all and with the 18v EMG81 straight in, no pedals, it gets that awesome Rammstein snarl from Reise Reise, then with a few twists of the knobs, The Black Album rhythm tone straight out the box.

The right boost will easily have it compete with the newer amps built to “djent” or do modern death metal from the ground up. They definitely gave the clean channel some attention on this revision, has almost Fendery cleans and can cover a lot of ground pairing the clean or vintage modes with the modern (no nfb) power mode or setting it to spongy with the rectifier tubes. There’s not much it can’t do when you know how to dial it in and what it can do. I can’t believe people don’t think it can do decent lead tones. Are they forgetting it’s based on the SLO circuit and what the L stands for?

There’s a good reason it’s still one of the most ubiquitous amps in hard rock and metal and the interactive nature of the tone stack means each rectifier user seldom sounds the same. The 6L6s are finally starting to die though so I’m looking into the best possible power tubes to replace them with.

[Inflames626]

Randall's old RM100M MTS 3 channel modular tube preamp series was an interesting idea from the 00s. Kind of did with hardware what we now do with software.

https://reverb.com/p/randall-rm100m-mts-series-3-channel-100-watt-modular-tube-guitar-amp-head

[Phantasmagoria]

Yeah those were cool. Kind of what Synergy is doing now....

[El Dunco]

Yeah those were cool. Kind of what Synergy is doing now....

I have an idea for a modular amp I’d love to try and build in my lifetime. It would house analog effects as well as the real tube preamp modules. You would be able to choose the order, run in stereo and blend multiple preamp types in parallel either in mono or panned. All you would need out front is a foot controller and everything would be set, all knobs secure in a compact, vertical rack, styled like loading magazines into a machine gun.

”Weapons Grade Amplification!”