what would be a good amp in this price range?

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alright, im hoping that i'll be able to play bass for my friends band this summer and i've calculated that by the summers end i should have about $2400 and if i keep playing with them, i'll be getting more. so, by the summers end what do you think would be a good amp for rock/blues/metal(sometimes)?
i was thinking of going the safe route and getting a marshall, preferably a jcm900 head and a cab of some sort. or maybe a getting a mesa boogie mark4 combo, or something.
what would your choice be? i dont want to go the digital route, i know i want a tube amp but i dont knwow which one to get. if i can get even more money, i may think of getting a bogner ecstacy head and a marshall cab. this will be pretty far in the future so i have plenty of time to play different amps and all.
whats your opinions?

[Big Mike Blues]

Re: what would be a good amp in this price range?

Ah, Guitar rig?

Bogner, Rivera, I'm a Dr Z Guy, but you'd need pedals to go to metal territory. Skip the Marshall. 900 are lousy. Get a moded 800 better way to go.

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: what would be a good amp in this price range?

It really depends on what kind of sound you're going for. Big Mike, I have no problem getting my Rivera Knucklehead to do the face-melting thing. All 3 of my rigs are all tube, and I really think that should be the way you go. The brands you absolutely cannot go wrong with are:

> JCM800, preferably one from the 80's, but TRY BEFORE YOU BUY!! 800's can have a host of problems, esp if they're older: caps leak, boards warp, etc.

> Rivera Knucklehead, 50W or 100W will both do what you want

> VHT Pitbull, on the top end of the scale. Great crunch tone, terrible clean sound, much like the 800. You DO get what you pay for. I've seen occasional Pitbull heads in the $1200-1400 range used, if you jump on them right away.

> Anything from Engl. This is really the amp you want if you wanna do anything approaching Eurometal or power metal. I use an Engl preamp with a Marshall EL34 100/100, and it smokes!!!

You will also want to put a high-quality overdrive in front of the amp. I use Fulltone, but there are many comparable models available, if your budget doesn't allow it.

[dystrust]

Re: what would be a good amp in this price range?

Be sure to play plenty of different amps, because as great as a Bogner or other high-end amp sounds, they aren't for everyone. I would try to avoid newer Marshalls as their quality hasn't been to great since 1990.

Be sure to play any high-end amp you can find, Bogners, Soldanos, Mesas, Riveras, VHTs; etc are all excellent amps and each has its own sound. If you try enough of them you're sure to find what you're looking for.

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: what would be a good amp in this price range?

Be sure to play plenty of different amps, because as great as a Bogner or other high-end amp sounds, they aren't for everyone. I would try to avoid newer Marshalls as their quality hasn't been to great since 1990.

Be sure to play any high-end amp you can find, Bogners, Soldanos, Mesas, Riveras, VHTs; etc are all excellent amps and each has its own sound. If you try enough of them you're sure to find what you're looking for.

I totally agree. Keep playing until you find the sound that's in your head!!

[Dime59hum]

Re: what would be a good amp in this price range?

> VHT Pitbull, on the top end of the scale. Great crunch tone, terrible clean sound, much like the 800. You DO get what you pay for. I've seen occasional Pitbull heads in the $1200-1400 range used, if you jump on them right away.

> Anything from Engl. This is really the amp you want if you wanna do anything approaching Eurometal or power metal. I use an Engl preamp with a Marshall EL34 100/100, and it smokes!!!

ENGL and VHT are the way to go. www.rocksolidamps.com thats were you can try out ENGL, Framus, and much much more. There close to both you and me man, so you can drop by to try them out. I disagree with them having a "Terrible" clean tone though, and I understnd that its a high gain amp but for 3000 I dont think you'll be getting a clean to for "what you pay for", especially at that price. Test one out man, thats all I can say, you might fall in love \m/(00)\m/. PS, give us a freaking name we can adress you by.

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: what would be a good amp in this price range?

PS, give us a freaking name we can adress you by.

I say KEEP THE MYSTERY ALIVE!!

To quote Dream Theater, 'Better to save the mystery than surrender to the secret'

[Scott_F]

Re: what would be a good amp in this price range?

I was going to say Rivera Knucklehead 50 or 100. Depends on how loud you need to be. I'd say go with the 50.

Well I was going to say that, then I saw Twilight's post so I think I won't say that now.

[jpage]

Re: what would be a good amp in this price range?

Get a DSL and a Marshall 1960 AX cab. Good clean, good crunch, and good balls. If you can't sound good out of this amp, you can't play. I agree that VHT, Bogner, Engl, etc. all have great tone (don't like Riveras actually but I know many that do...) but, there is no need to blow over $1000 on your first good tube amp head. No audience in the world is going to be able to tell the difference between your $2400 Bogner and your $800 Marshall--just us geeks.

And chicks dig Marshalls

[Empty Pockets]

Re: what would be a good amp in this price range?

Jpage is right, it's actually very, very easy to find decent tone without spending a ton of money. I get great rock/blues/metal sounds from my Bassman and 2x12 cab, and I only payed $500 for 'em. You don't always have to go the conventional route and get these boutique amps that rock stars use and cost ungodly amounts... I mean, most of the guys whose tone WE'RE trying to get, just used whatever amps they could get...

-X

[brinton]

Re: what would be a good amp in this price range?

I'd stick to the idea of play then pay, there's plenty here (including me) that wish they would've saved for something cheaper, better, different, or even just not have ever spent. But as for my input I say it's hard to beat a good marshall All-tube stack, btw it's a real bonus when you can actually overdrive your power tubes without playing @ madison square garden (in other words don't go overboard with wattage).

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: what would be a good amp in this price range?

Get a DSL and a Marshall 1960 AX cab. Good clean, good crunch, and good balls. If you can't sound good out of this amp, you can't play. I agree that VHT, Bogner, Engl, etc. all have great tone (don't like Riveras actually but I know many that do...) but, there is no need to blow over $1000 on your first good tube amp head. No audience in the world is going to be able to tell the difference between your $2400 Bogner and your $800 Marshall--just us geeks.

And chicks dig Marshalls

True on all counts, 'cept the Rivera ...

[chcjunior]

Re: what would be a good amp in this price range?

FWIW I'm real happy with my Soldano.

[\m/(00)\m/]

Re: what would be a good amp in this price range?

hmmmm...... mixed decisions..

i'll probably do the "try out" thing but there aren't many places that carry these amps im looking for except MAE(whihc i love), they have bogner, soldano, dr z, bad cat, diezel(sometimes) mesa boogie, marshall, etc. so i'll be there all the time this summer, i may check these Rivera amps out, never even heard one before but i've heard good things. the thing is, i dont wnat to go to overboard with the gain situation. to give you an example of the sound i usually use on the distorted channel on my avt150 combo.... i have the gain at 5, bass at 6.5, mids at 6.5, treble at 6.5 and presence at 10. very balanced out combo actually, but i want something different.
how is the mark 4 for doing 80's metal(ala white snake, skidrow, etc.)
i like a punchy distortion that cuts through, which is why i was thinking of marshall. i dont like the over saturated tone that some like. i like the idea of the mesa boogie amps with the solo boost switch on the pedal. sam ash had an old jcm 900 a couple of weeks ago and i loved it, but they probably dont have it anymore as it sounded "that" good
i'll just have to try out a bunch of stuff this summer, BTW cant wait till thrusday..... LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!!!!
also, you all can call me Jim
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THE GUITAR GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[\m/(00)\m/]

Re: what would be a good amp in this price range?

how is the mesa boogie mark 4 for rock stuff? like dream theater type stuff.
im gonna try to test one out at guitar center sometime soon.
what ar your other opinions?