Hi everyone, so I'm looking for a quality tube amp for higher-gain stuff. Something that can cover the range from overdriven classic rock (Zeppelin, AC/DC), hard rock (Guns 'n Roses), 80's metal, as well as stuff like Steve Vai and Metallica. I won't be playing ultra-high-gain metal stuff, but of course it's not a problem if the amp can go there.
I've already tried and was dissatisfied with a number of modeling amps, high-gain pedals through clean amps (e.g. the Triple Wreck, which was the closest I got to the tone I want...), and guitar modeling software like the Eleven Rack and Amplitube. Nothing quite nailed that saturated tone though, and so I've been saving up for the real deal. Something that's both good for thick chunky rhythms and searing shreddy leads hopefully...
First off, this is going to be mainly for bedroom level practicing and playing, though I may play smaller gigs at some point. As a result, I'm looking for something with lower wattage (15-20-ish watts) or at least a built-in attenuator. And I imagine I'll be playing through a 1x12 cab (or an analogous combo), since a 100-watt head and two 4x12's is a bit overkill! Some potential candidates I've narrowed the search include the following; I'm looking at a budget of around $1,500-2,000 total for both amp and cab.
- Engl Ironball (had a chance to test it, fantastic-sounding amp, and the power soak attenuator is great)
- Engl Gigmaster (is this high-gain enough? Or should I stick with the Ironball?)
- Mesa Boogie Mini Rectifier
- Orange Dark Terror (sounds a little thinner in general than the previous options...)
- EVH 5150 III combo (50 watts, but is tunable down to 1 watt)
Which of these would you recommend? Any other amps I'm missing? I plan on pairing this rig with a a Les Paul Studio, as well as a yet-to-be-determined high-gain, fixed-bridge, fast-playing guitar (I have an entirely other thread on that if you have suggestions!), to give you a sense of the stuff I like.
Thanks so much for the help!
I've already tried and was dissatisfied with a number of modeling amps, high-gain pedals through clean amps (e.g. the Triple Wreck, which was the closest I got to the tone I want...), and guitar modeling software like the Eleven Rack and Amplitube. Nothing quite nailed that saturated tone though, and so I've been saving up for the real deal. Something that's both good for thick chunky rhythms and searing shreddy leads hopefully...
First off, this is going to be mainly for bedroom level practicing and playing, though I may play smaller gigs at some point. As a result, I'm looking for something with lower wattage (15-20-ish watts) or at least a built-in attenuator. And I imagine I'll be playing through a 1x12 cab (or an analogous combo), since a 100-watt head and two 4x12's is a bit overkill! Some potential candidates I've narrowed the search include the following; I'm looking at a budget of around $1,500-2,000 total for both amp and cab.
- Engl Ironball (had a chance to test it, fantastic-sounding amp, and the power soak attenuator is great)
- Engl Gigmaster (is this high-gain enough? Or should I stick with the Ironball?)
- Mesa Boogie Mini Rectifier
- Orange Dark Terror (sounds a little thinner in general than the previous options...)
- EVH 5150 III combo (50 watts, but is tunable down to 1 watt)
Which of these would you recommend? Any other amps I'm missing? I plan on pairing this rig with a a Les Paul Studio, as well as a yet-to-be-determined high-gain, fixed-bridge, fast-playing guitar (I have an entirely other thread on that if you have suggestions!), to give you a sense of the stuff I like.
Thanks so much for the help!
.
