engl, rivera, vht?

[man-in-moon]

i plan on getting a new head. so far those are the 3 i like best. from the sound clips i have heard. the only problem is i cant just go play any of them. no dealers for any of the brands around here. i am looking for an amp that will do everything from classic rock to c.o.c and pantera type distortion. i play c.o.c. and sabbath type stuff the most. i don't really care about the cleans i use combos for that. so far these are the main ones i am looking at.
1 vht pittbull 50cl (i like what i have read but i cant find any soundclips that my slow dial up will download)
2 rivera knucklehead in 50 watt
3. engl powerball
any info that anyone can give me on these will help out alot. also any other companies i should be looking at. i am trying to stay under $2000.

[ModestCargo]

Re: engl, rivera, vht?

You have okay taste in amps, man


I like ENGL amps a lot, personally.

[man-in-moon]

Re: engl, rivera, vht?

i like the sound of the ENGL i just wonder if the pittbull 50 cl gets anywhere close to it gain wise.

[iekobrid]

Re: engl, rivera, vht?

Here's my VHT advice: Get one, but only a model with the High/Normal gain switches on both channels.


It's my understanding that the Normal position just reduces the number of preamp tubes your signal passes through, so I don't know that the models with the switches are necessarily capable of more saturation than the switchless versions, but it does seem to make a difference when trying to dial in the tone you hear in your head. With the switchless models, you've got a gain knob that goes from 1-10 and everything the amp is capable of has to fall in that range. With the switch-bearing models, it's like having a knob that goes from 1-10 but with 20 stops in between. It's hard to explain, I just know I've been able to dial in 5-6 highly usable tones in the space of a minute or two on VHTs with the High/Normal switch, but spent a lot of unsatisfying time fiddling with knobs on switchless VHTs. YMMV.

[OlinMusic]

Re: engl, rivera, vht?

Frankly I like the VHT's, but I find some of them difficult to work with. The best tone I have ever gotten from one was the Deliverance which I LOVED!

As far as harder sounds like you described - ENGL POWERBALL ALL THE WAY. It s well built, great original tone, warm beautiful saturation and lots of channels to work with. VERY TONEFUL!

[man-in-moon]

Re: engl, rivera, vht?

the powerball is a good sounding amp and is alittle cheaper than the vht.

[Rocker35]

Re: engl, rivera, vht?

I'm biased slightly, but Powerball all the way, or if you don't really have use for a clean channel, try a Fireball - cheaper again!!

[DesertRose]

Re: engl, rivera, vht?

looks like the majority goes to ENGL.
I dunno why, but i vote for Rivera

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: engl, rivera, vht?

Of the 3 amps listed, I say Rivera, but you should play it in comparison to the others. Of the 3, the VHT is the least versatile. The Rivera is probably much louder than the other 2, simply because they make the LOUDEST heads on earth!

[OlinMusic]

Re: engl, rivera, vht?

Ask Gearjoneser

[man-in-moon]

Re: engl, rivera, vht?

yeah it seems like ENGL is getting the most votes on here. i would like to be able to try all of them out but no one within a 3 hour drive from me deals in either brand. i have liked the real hi gain clips i have heard from all 3. but i have yet to find a C.O.C. type of sound. the slower driving sound. with the gain backed off alittle. i'm not big on speed type stuff. every once in awhile i may play a pantera type riff and want more gain. my buddy doesnt like any of those choices. he is trying to get me to go with a randall rm head or the hughes and kettner switchblade. too many choices and so little money.

[Justice4all]

Re: engl, rivera, vht?

My 2cents.
All of the above amps you have listed a cool amps, but.... if you primary like C.O.C's guitar sound those amps really aint gonna make you happy.
They are all TIGHT as hell sounding amps, as ive said b4 my Knuckleheads bottom end is tighter than a bus full of Nuns! Peppers sound is almost sludgey and loose, with alot of grit.

I would suggest picking up a used Mesa, and they can still pull off the gainier tighter sound when eq'd right as well.

[man-in-moon]

Re: engl, rivera, vht?

i have owned a few mesas and played most of the other models they make. the only one i liked was a 50 caliber+ head i played at a music store a year or so back. but i never could get it to get the higher gain stuff i like as well. i thought about looking more into the F series and the mark IV heads but no one around here carries the mark IV at all and only gets a few f series combos in here and there. they stock recto's mostly. i had a triple recto and hated it.

[That90'sGuy]

Re: engl, rivera, vht?

If you're into higher gain, there are only a few big choices: Diezel, Bogner, Framus, ENGL, Hughes & Kettner, VHT, Mesa, Soldano.

VHT's Deliverance sounds like an amp you'd like (the Pittbull Ultralead is supposed to be crushing and brutal as well). It's a single channel overdrive amplifier that is supposed to have a wide variety of outstanding tones. ENGL has a great reputation for high gain as well and the Fireball may be all you need (like Rocker35 suggested). If you don't need a great clean channel, you may very well be able to pick up a great amplifier for overdrive without paying an arm and a leg.