Amp to switch from metal (clean channel + pedal) to classic rock (overdrive channel)?

IMENATOR

IMENATOR

Well-known member
I have a HSH guitar: JB bridge, single coil middle and Jazz Neck.
I have a boss Metal Core to play metal. JB for riffs and Jazz for solos.
When I play clean I switch the pedal off and use both the single coil and the jazz neck.

I already have a Peavey Transtube (15 watts) and I am always in the clean channel. I have used a boss super overdrive for classic rock but I would like to upgrade to a better amp that can give me a cool clean channel that can handle my distortion pedal but then switching to a better overdrive kind of sound.

Any suggestion???

Thanks!!!!
 
Re: Amp to switch from metal (clean channel + pedal) to classic rock (overdrive chann

I'd recommend a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe with a decent speaker in it (or put a decent one in it if it does not come with one).
In my opinion you can get a pretty nice clean sound out of it, it takes pedals well and is more then loud enough if you ask me.
I am very happy with the limited edition "Bluesman" Fender Hot Rod Deluxe I got (came stock with a Celestion Vintage 30), with the right pedals, this is a pretty versatile amp that does sound good imho, and still does not break the bank too much compared to the expensive tube amps out there.

I am sure there are more amps out there, that are recommendable, but the Fender HRDX is one of them in my opinion! ;)
 
Re: Amp to switch from metal (clean channel + pedal) to classic rock (overdrive chann

The second channel that sounds good makes it rougher. I do not think the "second" channel lf the HRD is very pleasant. If you are using pedals for most everything but clean there are a lot of options (no second channel). The clean channel of the HRD does a nice Fender clean - as already noted. A similar amp is the Peavey Classic 30. There is also the Tweaker. An AC15 is an option.
 
Re: Amp to switch from metal (clean channel + pedal) to classic rock (overdrive chann

I may not referenced it clearly in my former post, but drpietrzak is right, the Hot Rod's second channel is not good enough to give it any use, I was more advicing to use the Hot Rod the way I do, relying totaly on pedals for your drive/distortion sounds, and only using the HRD's clean channel for all tones basically. ;)
 
Re: Amp to switch from metal (clean channel + pedal) to classic rock (overdrive chann

Maybe my explanation was not good enough, I apologize.

Clean channel should be good to play clean guitar and also to preserve the metal distortion pedal tone too (I love that MetalCore pedal so far). I am rather thinking of getting rid of my boss "super overdrive pedal" and use a true amp overdriven sound (the "second" or "overdrive" or "crunch" channel or whatever it is called) for classic rock (David Gilmour on the On an Island for example).

I still feel fine using my old '98 Peavey Transtube clean channel but I don't feel the "Lead" channel can give me that classic tone. At the beginning I was thinking on buying a Seymour Duncan TwinTube Classic but because there is some stupid voltage norm here in Mexico that the TwinTube family does not comply and I can't buy it here so now I am thinking on getting a new amp with a more decent overdrive channel for classic rock with a good clean channel.

Metal is my priority so I think clean channel is the most important for me in order to preserve that distortion pedal tone.

Are solid state good enough for clean only? For metal only? Bad for the classic rock overdrive tone?


I hope this is a better explanation than my first one.
 
Re: Amp to switch from metal (clean channel + pedal) to classic rock (overdrive chann

Sometimes solid state amps don't do the pedal bit well either.....or you have to tweak the clean so much to make it work that the clean is no longer usable. Personally I'd go a small tube amp to make the pedal feel 'bigger' - ie the tubes warm the pedal up a bit.

You've also not told us the size of amp you want to get.

I'm also about to upgrade to a small tube amp (from a vox valvetronix) and the Blackstar range is what has caught my eye. Pretty nice clean tones (especially from the 40W combo upward as you get the choice of 2 voices) plus a nice drive channel that can be mids toned with the sweep of the ISP knob
 
Re: Amp to switch from metal (clean channel + pedal) to classic rock (overdrive chann

You might be able to just roll back your volume knob on your guitar and get less gain without any volume loss.

You could also do this with a volume pedal or just a box with a volume pot on it if you want to be "set" thing.
 
Re: Amp to switch from metal (clean channel + pedal) to classic rock (overdrive chann

I had to buy 2 amps and an A/B/Y pedal to do that. It's hard to get all that in 1 amp, that's affordable.
 
Re: Amp to switch from metal (clean channel + pedal) to classic rock (overdrive chann

karpathion said:
I had to buy 2 amps and an A/B/Y pedal to do that. It's hard to get all that in 1 amp, that's affordable.
Click to expand...
Depends on your tastes in tones and outboard gear. But if modellers are off the menu, there are a lot of advantages to multiple amps.

For one thing, you can pick amps based on their strengths, rather than trying to find one that sorta does everything you want, but maybe doesn't quite do cleans right, or the overdrive channel is too congested, or the lead channel too strident (or maybe go for a trifecta of frustration)...

And with multiple separate amps, you have more room to tweak each, different speakers and speaker configurations...

A lot of my favorite tones are from multi-amp setups. Only a few of my favorite cleans come out of speakers whose high gain tones I love.

Oh, and I wouldn't ditch the overdrive pedal, you might be surprised how many classic (and new) recordings feature tube amps being pushed by a pedal. Pedals aren't an either/or thing on distortion. There are people who boost high gain amps (on their hot channels) with a pedal, because it gives a different feel. Boost into a lower gain channel gives another different sound.
 
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Re: Amp to switch from metal (clean channel + pedal) to classic rock (overdrive chann

You know, you MIGHT be able to get away with something mid-gain that does your rock & clean tones and then boost it with something like the zakk wylde pedal or a DOD 250


Yep, that's what I'd do
 
Re: Amp to switch from metal (clean channel + pedal) to classic rock (overdrive chann

Certainly that Wylde pedal is a very versatile pedal. Can be used for slight overdrive to heavy distortion. It has a tone control that can take you from warm blues tones to very tight crunchy tones to bright piercing distorted tones (it is, of course, Zakk's pedal).

For an amp that will do what you want, if you got bucks go for a Mesa Mark V.

On a limited budget, the Egnater Rebel is very versatile:

http://www.music123.com/Guitars/Gui...-Tube-Guitar-Amp-Head.site7prod423014.product

For amazingly gorgeous cleans and fantastic crunch tones at a reasonable price, it's hard to beat the Bogner Alchemist:

http://www.music123.com/Guitars/Gui...-Tube-Guitar-Amp-Head.site7prod483409.product

On a very tight budget, the Tweaker is really hard to beat:

http://www.music123.com/Guitars/Gui...-Tube-Guitar-Amp-Head.site7prod423553.product
 
Re: Amp to switch from metal (clean channel + pedal) to classic rock (overdrive chann

My vote is for the 2 amp - A/B/Y box option.
 
Re: Amp to switch from metal (clean channel + pedal) to classic rock (overdrive chann

I use my JSX 212 combo exactly like this. Clean channel for cleans and pedals, crunch channel for the natural overdrive and scoop the ultra channel for heavy metal.
 
Re: Amp to switch from metal (clean channel + pedal) to classic rock (overdrive chann

I like a two amp setup. I used to A/B a Musicman 112 with a Roland Space Echo and a Boss Chorus for clean and a Fender 75 with another Roland Space Echo fronted by a DOD 250/EQ/Compressor/Octave Divider/MXR Phase 180 for crunch/lead. It was a nasty load in, but I loved the compression that I got out of that setup. But we did Ozzy, Poison, most of that 80's metal stuff. Things really haven't changed that much. Well, maybe the haircuts....LOL
 
Re: Amp to switch from metal (clean channel + pedal) to classic rock (overdrive chann

I'm gonna throw two options out there:

a) Marshall DSL401 - fantastic clean channel
b) Marshall 2000 Valvestate 50 watt
c) Hard to argue with a Hot Rod Fender of your choice on clean.

Remember - if it sounds good, it is good: Ignore the whole tubes/solid state/digital thing.



God my Peavey Transtube Studio Pro was an awesome amp - until the kids escaped hamster ate it....
 
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