Help me find a high gain amp.

[alashredder]

Re: Help me find a high gain amp.

i've been playing my MArshall JVM410H head through my 5150 cabinet. Tons of gain, and sounds fantastic, but still not the sound I've been looking for. However, my buddy MrHeavyMetal from the forum came over today. He brought me his Marshall cabinet (which is loaded with Celestion Vintage 30's in it) to borrow and listen to for a few days. All I can say is....Daddy's home!! I got more gain than you can shake a stick at man. I thought I loved this head before...I'm totally in love now man!!

I got sooo much gain to spare man on this head. I'm amazed even more everytime I listen to it day by day. Now with the V30's. I'm at home. And I love gain man!!

edit: not to say the head sounded bad through the 5150 cab....it just got better sounding today. I guess that's what I meant.

Thanks Jolly, I know cabinets do make a difference in sound..but didn't realize this much!

 

[JOLLY]

Re: Help me find a high gain amp.

you're very welcome....anytime brother. I'll try and get off my lazy ass this week and do some recording man.

 

[Iron Horse]

Re: Help me find a high gain amp.

Cabs do make a huge difference in the sound, the speakers have their eq curve that shapes the tone, and the constuction affects the tone too, especially bass and lower mids, a big sturdy cab (an oversized Mesa 4 X 12", for example) delivers WAY more bottom end than a smaller one, or a cab with smaller speakers.
Just try to test all amps with as many cabs as possible. The one that didn't sound right for you, could be the best with a right cab.

 

[alashredder]

Re: Help me find a high gain amp.

I favor the scooped sound as it gives more of a stereo like tone...but not too scooped as it would end up sounding thin and I still need the mids for riffing.

 

[suislidE03]

Re: Help me find a high gain amp.

You may want to go with Mesa or Peavey, they can do a good scooped sound easily. The Peaveys will probably cut more live though.

 

[daemon barbeque]

Re: Help me find a high gain amp.

Engl Fireball with Engl XL cab is what you need!No other amp in your price range give you those tight lows ,extreme headroom (with the xl cab) ,and a full orgasmic punch!
I don't have one since i need an amp with midi (i am saving for a diezel herbert now)..

 

[Binnerscot]

Re: Help me find a high gain amp.

The two amps on the list that I don't think you can go wrong with are the Dual Rec and the Marshall JVM. I have played both, the Marshall was good, the Rec is more my taste though. Both are excellent and more than high enough gain, but they are different flavors. I will say the the Dual Rec is the better made amp (construction), but the JVM isn't a peice of junk either.

Bogner is stellar, but so is the price tag and I don't think it gets a better quality tone than Mesa, but it is different and much like a Mesa, if you want that tone - you have to get that amp.

 

[alashredder]

Re: Help me find a high gain amp.

I might as well call it a day and get a Peavey Valveking and a Marshall 1960 cab. If not enough gain, I'll get an OD pedal.

 

[Lucid_Lunatic]

Re: Help me find a high gain amp.

I'm also looking into the Marshall JCM 2000 Dual Super Lead.

Alot of people diss the 2000's, but I really like mine. It gives you alot more choices tonewise, than the 800 series.

I have played alot of 800's and I have to say that the tone is pretty unconsistent from amp to amp,. but the 2000's I have played are all pretty much the same. I ended up buying one of the Silver limited editions and I absolutely love it!

 

[Gamera]

Re: Help me find a high gain amp.

I did some research with the Genz Benz El Diablo and they weren't recieved quite well..been hearing the "not enough gain" deal with it.

Someone's been reading HC reviews, eh?

Whomever thinks the El Diablo doesn't have enough gain on tap is absolutely, unequivocally smoking crack. Seriously. The amp is far from perfect and has some idiosyncrasies but not having enough gain is not one of it's problems. For shredding and liquid leads there are better amps. For a high gain crunch that melts faces off of anyone within a 50-mile radius and leaves a giant smile on your face, the El Diablo is your amp.

 

[ModestCargo]

Re: Help me find a high gain amp.

The clip tone of the Bogner Uberschall by George Lynch is close to the tone I want, but I believe he wasn't turning the gain high enough, but it still sounds great.

http://bogneramplification.com/GeorgeLynch1c.mp3

Yeah, some day he'll be able to recognize that he doesn't have enough gain

:grumble:

Dude you need to focus on using LESS gain, not MORE.

 

[AmirH]

Re: Help me find a high gain amp.

Since you are suggesting a dual rec and engl, save yourself $1000 and get an el diablo. the dual rec is much more loose in bottom end whereas the diablo and engl a much tighter

Nah, with a boost and the right settings you can dial a rec in to be just as tight as any other hi-gain amp. The boost is pretty much necessary though, cuz without it you are right.

 

[suislidE03]

Re: Help me find a high gain amp.

I might as well call it a day and get a Peavey Valveking and a Marshall 1960 cab. If not enough gain, I'll get an OD pedal.

NO!!! Nononononononon!! dont get a valve king! Believe me, my best friend and band mate has one and Ive played through it several times. It is NOT a high gain amp! Its pretty mediocre in terms of tone also. If you are willing to give up that easy on an amp search, at least get the 6505 instead of the VK. You will be better off, and it wont cost you much more.

 

[TheAbomb12]

Re: Help me find a high gain amp.

I might as well call it a day and get a Peavey Valveking and a Marshall 1960 cab. If not enough gain, I'll get an OD pedal.

I would not recommend the Valve king...

I would recommend the following amps (in order from Greatest to Least favored)

Engl Powerball (I have this)
Marshall JVM
Engl Blackmore
VHT Delieverance
Peavey 5150 I or II (aka 6505 and 6505+)
Engl Fireball

 

[alashredder]

Re: Help me find a high gain amp.

Yeah, some day he'll be able to recognize that he doesn't have enough gain

:grumble:

Dude you need to focus on using LESS gain, not MORE.

Less gain? Never. I play brutal metal and using less gain is not an option for the tone I want hence the subject is "find me a high gain amp". Lynch is awesome and I love his tone, but I don't play his style of music.

 

[alashredder]

Re: Help me find a high gain amp.

NO!!! Nononononononon!! dont get a valve king! Believe me, my best friend and band mate has one and Ive played through it several times. It is NOT a high gain amp! Its pretty mediocre in terms of tone also. If you are willing to give up that easy on an amp search, at least get the 6505 instead of the VK. You will be better off, and it wont cost you much more.

LOL, thanks a bunch. I didn't know what I was thinking. It is so off my list. I just talked to someone that has used it on rehearsals and he said the same thing.

 

[alashredder]

Re: Help me find a high gain amp.

Someone's been reading HC reviews, eh?

Whomever thinks the El Diablo doesn't have enough gain on tap is absolutely, unequivocally smoking crack. Seriously. The amp is far from perfect and has some idiosyncrasies but not having enough gain is not one of it's problems. For shredding and liquid leads there are better amps. For a high gain crunch that melts faces off of anyone within a 50-mile radius and leaves a giant smile on your face, the El Diablo is your amp.

haha you got me there. Also the reviews on Musician's friend were the same thing..perhaps the same users also comment on there as well. I also was listening to clips of the El Diablo on the Genz Benz website, and it sounded okay..the guy that was testing it out had it set at a lower gain level so he didn't use the amp to it's full metal potential I am assuming.

 

[suislidE03]

Re: Help me find a high gain amp.

Well from what I am seeing, I too am thinking you need a true high gain amp in terms of what ENGL and VHT have to offer. I know for a fact ENGL will fit your needs. Never played or heard much VHT stuff, so I dont know that for sure. What amps are you leaning towards right now? You listed a few off the bat, but what about now? Also if you dont mind, tell me what you did and didnt like about the peavey you had. I had one, so maybe I can help more than I am right now.

 

[alashredder]

Re: Help me find a high gain amp.

The Peavey had excellent gain, it just got a bit fizzy when I turn it past 5-6. I usually leave it at around 5 or 5.5, but wasn't satisfied with the sound. I would do a light scoop with it, which still gave me decent mids, but the sound was not "hifi" enough. It gave me this monotone like sound with a bit of fizz. I know people have used BBE with it and got great results..its like a blanket has been lifted off. I sold the amp before I could try using a BBE with it, but it was for the better anyways.

I've been hearing great things about the Engl Fireball and I've heard several clips from different guitar players, but I felt it needs to sound thicker. It seems I prefer the Engl Powerball, Blackmore, and the Bogner Uberschall..and they are all above 1500 bucks. I'll wait to save up for it for now. That's the amps I have narrowed down to.

 

[millsart]

Re: Help me find a high gain amp.

Less gain? Never. I play brutal metal and using less gain is not an option for the tone I want hence the subject is "find me a high gain amp". Lynch is awesome and I love his tone, but I don't play his style of music.

Don't know how long term of investment your looking to make this purchase, but I can say as someone who once spent a ton of hard earned cash going for similar tones, you will outgrow the brutal, more gain, more gain, more gain mindset.

Just like with women, its not all about looks you come to realize though in my early 20's you couldn't of convinced me lol.

I'm not saying you shouldn't enjoy whatever music you like to play, dont get me wrong, but don't make a buying decision based JUST on how much gain something has.

Look for something that has a good amount of gain on hand but that also has a good solid tone because thats an amp that you'll enjoy for a longtime to come regardless of how your taste change and grow.


Also I'll add that having been in a ton of bands, knowing a ton of musicians, working at a music store, and still working in the music industry as a journalist today, I have never come across any players who use more gain now than then did in the past, provided they still play similar styles.

The longer you play, the less gain you need and the better you sound.



For what its worth too, Engl is hard to beat for the tight modern stuff for the money in my opinion. Its what I'd be playing if I was still into that stuff