Best Amp Head for Under $1500

[jackson111]

Re: Best Amp Head for Under $1500

the jvm 205 would be a great choice the other recommendation I could give you is the carvin v3, or a carvin x100b. I own the jvm205h and I also own a carvin x100b head. I actually like the carvin better for most of m playing. the carvin has an amazing clean channel and the gain in the x100b is similar to a hot rodded marshal. from what I have heard the v3 is very similar on the clean channel and the two gain channels are capable of more modern metal tones. on the other hand the jvm 205h has a good clean channel but still has a little bit of the marshal grit, but the great thing is that the marshal has three voices per channel so it almost like a 6 channel amp and is capable of extremely high gain for metal. really depends on what you are looking for

 

[JRSOLDJA]

Re: Best Amp Head for Under $1500

blackstar is a good option, i dont really know too many of their amps, but if you really just need exceptional high gain and clean a 5150 3 is always a good option, the jvm, although a little overprices in my opinion, is also a good option for high gain and cleans.

Comparing a blackstar to a 5150 III is like comparing a Bugera to a Marshall. I played through a blackstar ht 5rh...I think it was called and I was not impressed at all. Although maybe the blackstar HT Metal series is better....??? idk. But I do know I traded my Laney Ironheart in for a 5150 III and that thing is killer!!!!

 

[GilmourD]

Re: Best Amp Head for Under $1500

Comparing a blackstar to a 5150 III is like comparing a Bugera to a Marshall. I played through a blackstar ht 5rh...I think it was called and I was not impressed at all. Although maybe the blackstar HT Metal series is better....??? idk. But I do know I traded my Laney Ironheart in for a 5150 III and that thing is killer!!!!

Funny thing is that Blackstar was started and employs Marshall expatriots. Just like Marshall, they make products that run the gamut from the inexpensive to the practically boutique.

And are you really going to compare an HT-5RH, which uses a single dual-triode 12BH7 as its power section, to a 5150-III? You'd be better off comparing an HT Stage 100 or an HT Metal 100 to a 5150-III

https://www.blackstaramps.com/products/ht-stage100/

https://www.blackstaramps.com/products/ht-metal-100/

That said, what's the problem with Bugera? I gig with a 1960 Infinium. Loaded with a quad of JJ 6CA7s, dimed, and running through an attenuator, this thing is a beast. It's loud and it's sweet. The original version of the 1960 was a later '70s Marshall 1959 circuit and the Infinium is same circuit but modified in the ways that the Randy Rhodes signature Marshall 1959 was.

 

[Chazzy]

Re: Best Amp Head for Under $1500

in no way is comparing blackstar and a 5150 comparing bugera to marshall... personnaly i find blackstar makes better stuff than marshall. Meanwhile half of bugeras stuff seems to just fall apart after a few months.

 

[philthis]

Re: Best Amp Head for Under $1500

Comparing a blackstar to a 5150 III is like comparing a Bugera to a Marshall. I played through a blackstar ht 5rh...I think it was called and I was not impressed at all. Although maybe the blackstar HT Metal series is better....??? idk. But I do know I traded my Laney Ironheart in for a 5150 III and that thing is killer!!!!

loving my evh iii 2x12 combo right now. its brutal but gets almost any kind of tone by using the two channels and correct e.q. and the guitars volume knob. I really am gunna have the clean channels gain and volume knobs modded and I am thinking about having the presence and the depth modded if I can to have each channel have its own control using a 3 level knob for the depth and the presence. not sure if it can be done but I am gunna ask FJA mods if they can swing it. Thing is, I would never spend the wad to mod something so much but this amp is a classic, it really is good enough to keep and use for an extended period of time. All I want to do now is personalize it to my own taste.

 

[JRSOLDJA]

Re: Best Amp Head for Under $1500

Funny thing is that Blackstar was started and employs Marshall expatriots. Just like Marshall, they make products that run the gamut from the inexpensive to the practically boutique.

And are you really going to compare an HT-5RH, which uses a single dual-triode 12BH7 as its power section, to a 5150-III? You'd be better off comparing an HT Stage 100 or an HT Metal 100 to a 5150-III

https://www.blackstaramps.com/products/ht-stage100/

https://www.blackstaramps.com/products/ht-metal-100/

That said, what's the problem with Bugera? I gig with a 1960 Infinium. Loaded with a quad of JJ 6CA7s, dimed, and running through an attenuator, this thing is a beast. It's loud and it's sweet. The original version of the 1960 was a later '70s Marshall 1959 circuit and the Infinium is same circuit but modified in the ways that the Randy Rhodes signature Marshall 1959 was.

It's funny you you mention that, I really wanted to try try the HT metal series by blackstar. But that would've meant buying it from like MF or something and hoping I'd like it. And the HT-5RH that I tried out had a 12AX7, not the BH7. But you're right...I could've made a more valid comparison .

 

[JRSOLDJA]

Re: Best Amp Head for Under $1500

in no way is comparing blackstar and a 5150 comparing bugera to marshall... personnaly i find blackstar makes better stuff than marshall. Meanwhile half of bugeras stuff seems to just fall apart after a few months.

I agree about the Bugeras. But my point was that I dont know anyone who would want a Blackstar instead of a EVH...same as me not knowing anyone who would want a Bugera instead of a Marshall. and of course I'm speaking of the high gain Marshalls (JCM/JVM, etc...) Although...I really do want to try the Blackstar HT metal 100...

 

[philthis]

Re: Best Amp Head for Under $1500

i just jamed with some other songwriters last night. They showed up with there little neeto amps and looked at my evh 2x12 menacingly and asked "how loud is that thing?" I explained the attenuater on the volume and they just kinda looked at me like ...meh ok we'll see....so we hooked up the mikes and proceded to work on stuff-each man playing some music wile the others jumped in and helped or played along and listened. The attenuater feature seems to almost compress signal and produce good tones at very low volume, we could play and talk over the chords. when it came time to turn it up and sing through the mikes i could adjust my volume to whatever their levels were. I also had 3 channels to use and reverb. I noticed the clean tones sound better and better the louder the amp is played. finally the guys asked me " hey what does that thing sound like without the attenuater on?" so I rolled the level to full on 50 watts and proceeded to start cranking the volume at which point the signal really started to drive the greenbacks in the 2x12 combo. "Wow" was there first response " damn that sounds good!" I was extremely pleased with the amp combo. I was also able to use the resinance knob on the back and dial in more bass at low volume or roll off the bass depending on the songs and the sounds we were going for. I took one stratocaster -American Floyd Rose classic strat-with hum hum -a Jb bridge and full shred neck in the neck. 5 way selector switch to split and between all the channels I could play all the jangle stuff and jump to channel 3 for the leads or play fat raspy blues in channel one and jump to channel two for the power chords and solo's. its a very versatile amp especially when you use the guitars volume to control the gain or clean up signal. They were all liking my amp and looking back at there little boutique amps kinda wistfully when we had finished. the EVH is not the best amp out there. It also doesn't cost as much as the best amp out there. Its a real bang for the buck amp. is it heavy-hell yes- but I simply wheeled it in with the casters it came with and I bought a dolly from Costco that turns into a cart for $100 bucks in case I would ever need to haul it long distances. Its a great beater amp for the money with some great features. I'm kissing myself for buying it now.:clap:

 

[El Dunco]

Re: Best Amp Head for Under $1500

Why get the 205 when you can at least get the Satch 410 for $1500? Look.

https://starvingmusician.com/cart/i...257459&zenid=10696d016abc83601a5d3eed7eb0aed9

 

[sosomething]

Re: Best Amp Head for Under $1500

You can get your hands on almost any amp you want for $1500 used. My point is that if you've got 15 c-notes to drop on an amp and you come home with any Blackstar or Peavey or Egnater, you done effed up.

I just snagged a Jeff Bober-era Budda Superdrive 80 for under a grand. Craigslist.

You can find Splawns, Mesa Roadsters, Rectos, and Tremoverbs, Engls, Soldano Hot Rods, Orange Rockerverbs, etc. all day long with one hand if you even start to look. 15 hundred will buy you a LOT of amp head.

Anybody reading this thread, just do this:

Get on Ebay or Reverb, search for guitar amp > head > tube > used > min $800 / max $1500 and marvel at the tonnage of toneage that hits your eyes. Then go think about that brand new Peavey again and see how you feel about it.

 

[JOLLY]

Re: Best Amp Head for Under $1500

I don't understand all the Blackstar bashing in this thread. I'll put my Series One 104EL34 up against any amp on this forum.

 

[Stratman]

Re: Best Amp Head for Under $1500

mesa boogie mark V 25

Yep, it does sound nice!

 

[Chazzy]

Re: Best Amp Head for Under $1500

mesa recto if you want a dark mid scooped tone... sorry but id pick a blackstar or peavey over a mesa....but id also pick a jvm over all those...

 

[El Dunco]

Re: Best Amp Head for Under $1500

mesa recto if you want a dark mid scooped tone... sorry but id pick a blackstar or peavey over a mesa....but id also pick a jvm over all those...

Recto aggression and chunk comes from the mids.

 

[IcedEarth112]

Re: Best Amp Head for Under $1500

I love them EVH 5150's! or maybe a Laney VH100r? Not sure what they go for these days.

 

[Edgecrusher]

Re: Best Amp Head for Under $1500

Not sure why people are still arguing about this the OP bought an amp already. It's a done deal

 

[Scott_F]

Re: Best Amp Head for Under $1500

Used is a great way to figure out what you really want. Buy and flip. You might lost 50 bucks or make 50 bucks but consider that a "rental fee".


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