Good amp(s) for the Nazgul Sentient set?

Magic

Magic

New member
I just got a new guitar - a Schecter Blackjack Avenger 6 - which came with the Nazgul and Sentient set, which are the first SDs I've ever owned.

I primarily use the Nazgul pickup which has a very interesting sound to it. It's very brutal and ballsy yet it is tight and focused as well. It is a bit dry and compressed-sounding also and since I've never had pickups that sound quite like this, can anyone recommend a good amp in the $500 range? I primarily play heavy stuff, mostly metal. I've looked at a few already, I'm looking for one that can bring more high end sound, since more low end on this pickup might cause it to lose clarity.
 
Re: Good amp(s) for the Nazgul Sentient set?

Do you prefer tube, solid state, modeling? And are you gigging out with it or playing along with drums in a practice space, or just bedroom level?
 
Re: Good amp(s) for the Nazgul Sentient set?

Demanic said:
Do you prefer tube, solid state, modeling? And are you gigging out with it or playing along with drums in a practice space, or just bedroom level?
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Bedroom, primarily. Any type is ok.
 
Re: Good amp(s) for the Nazgul Sentient set?

For way less than $500 you can get a Roland Cube. Get the 60 or 80 watt and you can play with a drummer at some point, no problem, and I think that they still have headphone jacks. Or one of the lower watt (1-20) tube amps. From what I've heard, Fender also makes some decent modeling combos, as does Peavey.
 
Re: Good amp(s) for the Nazgul Sentient set?

I don't have personal experience with the Nazgul, but in general if you're looking for brighter sounding amps, Fender and Vox are the first names that come up. Fenders aren't known for metal, though the Machete line from a few years back was evidently gnarly high gain. The new Bassbreaker series is very Marshall-y and does a great crunch; the high output Nazgul might push it into metal territory. The Bassbreakers are common in GC's now, so you may want to try those out.

The current version of the Vox Night Train series has a surprisingly gnarly 2nd channel - modern high gain, I'd say. If you don't mind your amp not looking like a typical metal amp, the Night Trains are a lot of bang for the buck.

The Randall Diavlos are well-liked for your price range. I briefly had the 5W 10" combo, and it seemed really bright (though sounded good) to me, though currently I play mostly brighter low output pickups. I bet the Diavlos were designed/tested with darker high output pickups like yours, so that's another option for you. I like how stripped down and simple the Diavlos are (and metal look will likely work for you).

Hughes & Kettner Tubemeister series sounds awesome - slightly smoother sounding, but very musical. Again, your high output pickups may push it into full-on metal territory. In the store, I actually played a stock Strat through a cranked 5 watt Tubemeister (albeit through an Orange 4x12) and got very decent Judas Priest tones.

Finally, Marshall DSL series is often complained about as harsh/shrill, so that may actually scratch your itch for more high end.
 
Re: Good amp(s) for the Nazgul Sentient set?

+1 to Randall and the Marshall DSL's.

Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk
 
Re: Good amp(s) for the Nazgul Sentient set?

Thanks guys. I'll check out your recommendations. I really like the sound of the Randall Satan but it's way out of my price range so I'll definitely check out the Diavlo. I've heard some examples of the Roland cube models also and they sound really good. Does anyone have experience with the Peavey 6505+ tube combo? It's a little more then $500 but I'd be willing to cough up the extra few bucks if it's a good amp. Sounds pretty good in videos.
 
Re: Good amp(s) for the Nazgul Sentient set?

6505+ is killer. Some really great high gain tones. In combo form, at least, I actually prefer the Bugera 6260. At $499.99 street price, it's right at your budget, 120 watts all tube, and 2 12" speakers. It's their take on the 5150 Van Halen sound that the 6505 is.

Also check out the Blackstar HT Club 40, really killer amp, and definitely more than gig worthy.

But if you want something bedroom level, my vote by far goes for the Marshall DSL15C or DSL5C
 
Re: Good amp(s) for the Nazgul Sentient set?

I would suggest something from the Peavey Vypyr series (great for recording on a budget) or even better, a 6505MH or 6505+ 112. It depends on the exact sounds your looking for. The 6505 series has excellent EQ controls with the resonance and presence knob. It's like having a 5 band EQ for tone shaping.

I do admit I'm biased towards peavey, I've always used them and they have served me well for heavy music.
 
Re: Good amp(s) for the Nazgul Sentient set?

If that's your budget, get an audio interface and Amplitube 3 (maybe TSE X50, too). That's what I use currently. You won't get better amp tones for a lower price from a real amp.
 
Re: Good amp(s) for the Nazgul Sentient set?

bloughlin16 said:
If that's your budget, get an audio interface and Amplitube 3 (maybe TSE X50, too). That's what I use currently. You won't get better amp tones for a lower price from a real amp.
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I have Amplitube 3 as well as Guitar Rig, and BIAS FX, along with cab sims in Reaper, but I can't seem to get a quality tone. I go right from the guitar into the line-in port. Do you think an audio interface would help? I see other guitarists' videos using the amp/cab sims and they have a good tone, but mine sounds very low Q. Not sure what is causing it though, that's why I finally threw the towel and started looking for a real amp.
 
Re: Good amp(s) for the Nazgul Sentient set?

Jet City JCA 22H. Good clean channel, phenomenal dirty channel. I got mine from musicans friend for $299 as a stupid deal of the day. It is very similar to a soldano SLO 100. (I also own one of those, but its a bit loud at home.)

Phaez makes some cool high gain tube amps. I am just going to throw this out there, hand built, custom amps are not much more than the big names. My phaez asheville/railgun combines 2 of the highest gain preamps you could ever hear, and was not too much more than your budget. I would go for an amp that is top of the line at that price point because you can get a world class amp at that price point. Baron snott watt is another potential choice.
 
Re: Good amp(s) for the Nazgul Sentient set?

The Jet City sounds interesting. I've always liked the sound of the Soldano amps. However, today I took my guitar to the guitar center by my house and played it through a handful of high gain amps, including an EVH 5150, and I have decided that the Nazgul pickup will be coming out before I invest in a new amp. Just have to find its replacement now. I did try a Jackson KV2 that was hanging there and it sounded amazing. I looked it up and it says it has a JB in the bridge, so I'm looking into that pickup right now.
 
Re: Good amp(s) for the Nazgul Sentient set?

Magic said:
I have Amplitube 3 as well as Guitar Rig, and BIAS FX, along with cab sims in Reaper, but I can't seem to get a quality tone. I go right from the guitar into the line-in port. Do you think an audio interface would help? I see other guitarists' videos using the amp/cab sims and they have a good tone, but mine sounds very low Q. Not sure what is causing it though, that's why I finally threw the towel and started looking for a real amp.
Click to expand...

Yes. I have a Focusrite Clarett that I use with a custom made preset that sounds pretty damn good on its own (I just use a little high shelf EQ and Slate's Virtual Tape Machines on it when I'm recording). If you get an interface and have the ENGL Powerball amp in Amplitube, I have posted the preset right here: http://www.ikmultimedia.com/userare...=1&searchSoundCharacter=1&selectAllSearches=1
 
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