Great High Gain Amp For Under 1500$?

[LooseCannon]

I'm looking for a great marshally tone, in the lines of a hot rodded JCM800.

This is what I have in mind for now:

Soldano Hot Rod
VHT Deliverance
Splawn Competition
Mesa Boogie Stiletto Ace
Orange Rocker 30

Any other suggestions are welcomed. And if you recommend one from the list please write why you like it better than the other ones.

 

[aleclee]

Re: Great High Gain Amp For Under 1500$?

I've owned a Soldano Hot Rod and loved its overdrive. It didn't clean up well at all and the FX loop is mediocre at best.

You might want to consider the Peavey 5150/6505 as well.

 

[StratTom]

Re: Great High Gain Amp For Under 1500$?

You might want to consider the Peavey 5150/6505 as well.

+1

 

[ErikH]

Re: Great High Gain Amp For Under 1500$?

A hotrodded JCM800 itself or even a JCM900 MkIII Master Volume. After those two, the JCM900 SL-X (MkIV Master Volume). The last two can be had for well under $1000 easily.

 

[SeraphimTN]

Re: Great High Gain Amp For Under 1500$?

Hughes and Kettner....anything....Duotone, Triamp, anything.

 

[Young Angus]

Re: Great High Gain Amp For Under 1500$?

What about just getting a modded JCM800 or modding one...or look for a JCM Slash Signature head. If that's the sound you're after then go get one, don't stuff around with the other stuff because you'll just end up chasing your tail...talking from experience here :smack:

 

[LooseCannon]

Re: Great High Gain Amp For Under 1500$?

Hughes and Kettner....anything....Duotone, Triamp, anything.

I think those are above 1500$...

 

[SeraphimTN]

Re: Great High Gain Amp For Under 1500$?

I think those are above 1500$...

Buy used. I'm sure you could find something. They are AMAZING amps made with the best parts around.

 

[devastone]

Re: Great High Gain Amp For Under 1500$?

A Soldano Hot Rod + will get you a 2nd channel, it's basically a budget version of a SLO. Splawns are basically hot rodded Marshalls, so if that's what you're looking for.... Really, there's not a dog in your list. The Deliverance doesn't have an effects loop if that means anything to you though.

You might also want to look for a used Trace Elliot Speedtwin. They were Custom Shop guitar amps in the mid 90s. I have a 100W head and it's great! There aren't alot of them, but they pop up on ebay sometimes and can be had for a pretty good price.

 

[DankStar]

Re: Great High Gain Amp For Under 1500$?

I'm waiting for someone to chime in about the stiletto ace. I like the stiletto's, but I guess I lot of people don't. Which I always thought was surprising.

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Great High Gain Amp For Under 1500$?

I loved the Triamp I played, good cleans, nice Marshally crunch, and killer high gain.

 

[LooseCannon]

Re: Great High Gain Amp For Under 1500$?

A Soldano Hot Rod + will get you a 2nd channel, it's basically a budget version of a SLO. Splawns are basically hot rodded Marshalls, so if that's what you're looking for.... Really, there's not a dog in your list. The Deliverance doesn't have an effects loop if that means anything to you though.

You might also want to look for a used Trace Elliot Speedtwin. They were Custom Shop guitar amps in the mid 90s. I have a 100W head and it's great! There aren't alot of them, but they pop up on ebay sometimes and can be had for a pretty good price.

I've heared about the speedtwin it's on my "rare list"... What are they like?

 

[MikeS]

Re: Great High Gain Amp For Under 1500$?

Not that the final price will be anywhere near $1500, it's only at $1148 right now:

http://cgi.ebay.com/BOGNER-UBERSCHA...ryZ10171QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Edit: need to learn to read... skipped over the "marshall voiced tone." So, never mind.

 

[shreder75]

Re: Great High Gain Amp For Under 1500$?

if you don't need a clean, go with the splawn...end of story..a 5150/6505 is NOT a marshall voiced amp

 

[ErikH]

Re: Great High Gain Amp For Under 1500$?

a 5150/6505 is NOT a marshall voiced amp

True, they are Soldano voiced which is Marshall voiced. So you can look at them as second generation Marshall voiced...LOL.

 

[shreder75]

Re: Great High Gain Amp For Under 1500$?

True, they are Soldano voiced which is Marshall voiced. So you can look at them as second generation Marshall voiced...LOL.

well, whatever they're based off of, they don't have the marshall sound like some of the other amps mentioned....=)

 

[BG00]

Re: Great High Gain Amp For Under 1500$?

I think what you are looking for is a Laney head. The AOR series basically is a JCM 800 with more gain. The newer GH/VH series heads have even better cleans than the AOR's plus awesome overdrive/distortion and you can get them easily under 1000 on ebay. They can go from sparkling clean to blues to Tony Iommi (he has his own signature model laney head) to zakk wylde to death metal. Believe me, I've used it for every style, including death metal lol.

 

[devastone]

Re: Great High Gain Amp For Under 1500$?

Not that the final price will be anywhere near $1500, it's only at $1148 right now:

http://cgi.ebay.com/BOGNER-UBERSCHA...ryZ10171QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Edit: need to learn to read... skipped over the "marshall voiced tone." So, never mind.

You also missed the "Reserve Not Met" part of the auction, with a BIN at $2500, I would guess his reserve is over $2000.

I've heared about the speedtwin it's on my "rare list"... What are they like?

Clean channel is great, it's in between Fender and clean Marshall, a little dark but it has a bright switch. It can also be pushed just into breakup depending on your pickups.

The mid and high gain channels share EQ and gain knob (which is annoying, but usable). I run the gain about halfway on mine, more than half way is too much (IMHO) on the high gain channel, and I'm a child of the 80s... The mid gain setting is very JCM800-ish, the high gain is more Bogner/Soldano. You can footswitch between mid and high gain and the volume level is the same.

It also has 2 footswitchable master volumes and a footswitchable effects loop. The loop can be set to series or parallel with send and return levels. There is also an output dampening adjustment on the back, pentode/triode modes, and you can use 6L6s or EL34s, and I think 6550s too, I'm currently using EH 6CA7s. It is very feature-laden and has some SS circuitry inside, but no diode clipping. I really like the amp, although sometimes I thing about going back to a single channel or NMV JCM-800 style amp for simplicity, there is a certain beauty to those too.

Here is a link to the reviews on HC. I think the one about the guy having to use his Digitech RP to get those "screaming 80s sounds" is pretty funny, but the intelligent reviews are pretty much right on.

 

[MikeS]

Re: Great High Gain Amp For Under 1500$?

I didn't miss anything... I thought I covered that by saying it won't go for anywhere near $1500. You might guess the reserve is over $2000, but one could also guess that the guy is a moron and set the reserve to $1149.

 

[devastone]

Re: Great High Gain Amp For Under 1500$?

DOH, sorry, I guess I misunderstood what you were saying...