Help me pick an amp

[Neeradj]

Hey guys,

Instead of saving up for a new axe, I decided to save up for a new amp instead. I've been dying for some real tube-action at home, I just don't know which one would suit me best.

I've listed out some affordable amps I can buy off Ebay or from locals:

Peavey 5150 60W combo
Peavey 5150 head w/ Marshall Box 4 cab
Marshall JCM2000 DSL100 head only (I'll have to save some more for a cab)
Sovtek Mig-60 head (this one is cheap so I'm pretty sure I'll have enough money left for a cab)
Marshall JCM800 2003 or 1959 100W head (one channel version)
Marshall JCM800 2205 50W head (again the cab problem)
Marshall JCM900 100W High Gain Dual Reverb (thirth cheapest on the list, so it won't take me that much time to save up for a cab)

I'm a lead player, and often play fast rhythm parts (Speed Metal). The amp doesn't have to be loud, since I can't really crank it up without having problems with the neighbours anyway :smack:

THE AMP TOTALLY HAS TO BE HIGH GAIN, sure a good clean up would be nice, but I've got my 30W transistor bedroom amp too which totally cleans up nicely. Yes I also play Pop and Rock, but my main influences are Megadeth, Dokken, George Lynch, Marty Friedman, Reb Beach, Zakk Wylde, Al DiMeola, Chris Poland etc. So it totally has to do shred.

I mostly use Mahogany guitars loaded with balanced or bright pups (check below), I like a little bit of brightness to stick out above all. Not overly, but enough.

Thanks a lot!

 

[McLaughysSN]

Re: Help me pick an amp

I own a sovtek mig 60 and i love her. the one thing about it is that it is the bare esentials of an amp, you can't switch between the high and low gain channels. not to mention the high gain not sounding that great

BUT it does take pedals well. I run a keeley modded DS-1 in fron of it and it sounds killer. I've actually gotten compliments such as "damn dude, your getting mesa tone tonight". not bad consider the $400 price tag off ebay.

Since im not a metal player i cant give you a fair assesment of what its going to do for you but what i can say is that you'll deffinitly love it more than solid state any day. and once again with the right pedal distortion this amp can KILL.

as far as a cab, i went avatar, and am extremely satisfied. for $300 or so i got a custom 2X12 cab (black tolex and wheat grill) with a vintage 30 and g12h-30. and the company was a pleasure to work with (they also do 4X12 if your going that route)

so this rig so far has cost me from $700-$800 (just the amp set up) and im very happy with the tone im getting from this amp.

 

[NecroPolo]

Re: Help me pick an amp

Let's see:

Peavey 5150 60W combo - It has that sound you're looking for plus you don't have to worry about a cab and it is compact and easy to carry... Anyway, all combos have a slightly different tone than a head+cab pair, there is a difference even between the same amp in a 2x12" combo or on a 2x12" cab. For the tone you described I would say a head+cab combination sounds better.

Peavey 5150 head w/ Marshall Box 4 cab - No comment, an another killer rig with much modern tonal colours. It has the biggest low response of all the listed ones. Anyway, a 5150 head sounds best with a 5150 cab. They were designed together so there is some kind of unique resonance if used together. Paired with an another cab you can still get good tones but that kind of resonance is worth it.

Marshall JCM2000 DSL100 head - If you don't crank the gain all the way up you can get nice JCM800-like tones and a lot more. It is fast, thick-sounding and evil. Slightly less balls than the 5150 but it is still brewtal enough for anything. It is a new amp and you don't have to worry about reliability issues. Anyway, if tone what matters you can do the same with older Marshalls that has the exact tone, approximartely for half the price...

Sovtek Mig-60 head - Although it is a superb amp, I wouldn't recommend it. It has less balls out of the bunch you listed. If you crank it well it does pretty authentic AC/DC but for metal-stuff you will need some extension gadgets. Alone it is somehow a "slow" responding amp, fitting better the traditional rock chord-work than quick power chord riffing. It is a solid and reliable workhorse anyway. Besides, you can own a real MIG jet part

Marshall JCM800 2003 or 2205 head - The JCM 800 is a perfect solution for the tone wanted because it doesn't just sound like them amps used that time, it IS that amp. It is rumoured to be built like a tank. The 2203 is the exact amp that was used for many of them '80s metal tones, with a footnote here: that time no one used'em without some serious modification...

The 1959 has rather a nice rock tone and you have to crank it really bad if for that tone thaqt means ear-shattering volume (or use a power brake). Slightly more balls than the MIG but it is "slow" as well and there is still not enough gain alone for the edgy fast rhythm parts. Nice amp anyway.

Marshall JCM900 100W High Gain Dual Reverb - It is a typical "decent solution" amplifier. You can get good or excellent metal tones out of it because it was primarily designed for that. Anyway, it is pretty nice to keep in mind that it is EXTREMELY easy to get a crappy tone with it. It uses some diode-clipping circuit for a bigger distortion that (without careful settings) tends to be really harsh in a way that can turn the sound into a white noise-like mess. I've heard guys sounding really good and really bad thru this amp. There are so many around because it is the most underrated Marshall head ever. With a good setting it is quick and aggressive, with a bad setting it is a fuzzy nightmare.

If I can make an another cost-effective suggestion, there is the SL-X version of JCM-900 amps that uses an extra tube for better overdrive instead of diodes. The sound is pretty different from all the other JCM 900 amps, that kind of harsh fuzz is completely missing. The SL-X has more balls than the JCM 800 and inherited its singing character (solos) with insane amount of gain that doesn't mess the sound. It's like an all-tube, factory modded JCM800 that links JCM2000 DSL tone and JCM800 tone - for the price of a JCM900. It is not that versatile (at least the ones I've met, it's a strictly one-channel bastard) but that one thing is done excellent. It will work even after a car accident and major ground crashs. Tested

Cheers,

Miki

 

[moog1000]

Re: Help me pick an amp

Let's see:

Peavey 5150 60W combo - It has that sound you're looking for plus you don't have to worry about a cab and it is compact and easy to carry...

Are you crazy?!!!? :eek5: :32: :smack:

Compact? About as compact as a Rhino's a$$ to a midget.

Easy to carry? I think the moon would be easier to pick up.

Only kidding, it is a great amp, and from what I've heard some people find it tonally superior to the head. But you may find a head and a 2x12 cab more portable......

 

[NecroPolo]

Re: Help me pick an amp

Man you've completely decoded the joke! :bigthumb:

That's why the "..." rests at the end of the sentence.

 

[Neeradj]

Re: Help me pick an amp

Thanks a lot guys,

Yeah NecroPolo that JCM900 SL-X sounds soo good, and I've looked at some dutch sites but wasn't able to find any of them

I guess out of my list I'll pass on the 5150 head and Marshall box 4 cab, since the 5150 combo is like 80% of that price and is likely to sound better. The Sovtek is totally out of the question since I really want a high gain amp for it's gain, I don't like messing around with some pedals too. I think I'll pass on the JCM900 too since it's quite a risky amp, and I really want the amp's tone to be good by itself and not with that setting kinda making the amp less versatile for my playing, I hope that sentence is understandable at all :-D. Yeah I know that JCM800 is awesome, I actually was a week late or I could've gotten the 2210 100W top, it's sold now. I've been into the construction of the guitar more than the amp, so I'm not capable of doing any mods myself. I actually only know the basic amp stuff

That leaves the DSL100 which is 25% more expensive than the 5150 combo, with the cab still needed to be bought. The amp's all about tone, so maybe you've got some ideas about amps that could cost me less and still get that wonderful tone (responding to Necro's comment on the DSL).

Other than these two amps that SL-X really got my attention. I could buy one from the USA, but then I'd have to buy a power-converter which I've heard often causes buzzing and annoying noises, so I'm not sure that'd be a good idea.

 

[moog1000]

Re: Help me pick an amp

Man you've completely decoded the joke! :bigthumb:

That's why the "..." rests at the end of the sentence.

:smack:

Doh! You just can't pick up sarcasm from text.....

 

[Mr Wolf]

Re: Help me pick an amp

There are some good amps there, but for good hi-gain tight sounding stuf, 5150 should serve you well Has tonnes of gain, more than id want! A DSL50 would also do what you want aswell, and JCM 800s should too. As i said there are good amps there.

 

[Nightburst]

Re: Help me pick an amp

Hey Neeradj I saw a Rivera Knucklehead on Marktplaats.nl for 1250. That's a good price.
I was going to get it untill I ran into the Bogner.

 

[theodie]

Re: Help me pick an amp

It is not a tube amp but, you cant go wrong with a peavey xxl. For the price and the sound you cant beat it.

 

[mrid]

Re: Help me pick an amp

THE AMP TOTALLY HAS TO BE HIGH GAIN

Forget the Sovtek 60, then, and check out the Sovtek MIG 50H master volume.

 

[Neeradj]

Re: Help me pick an amp

Hey Neeradj I saw a Rivera Knucklehead on Marktplaats.nl for 1250. That's a good price.
I was going to get it untill I ran into the Bogner.

Woah dude, that's way too expensive! I could get a TSL100 for that price and maybe have enough money for a cab too! I checked it out it was at muziek.2dehands.nl

@theodie: Thanks, but I really need some real tube-power, besides I think it'll be harder to find here in Holland

@mrid: Thanks, looked for it but couldn't find it :smack:

How about the Sovtek MIG100 top? It's the same price as the MIG60, but is it any better?

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: Help me pick an amp

Get a JCM 800 2205 head or the 4212 combo. Same amp, but the 4212 is the 2x12 combo. You can still pick them up for about $600 give or take. It will be very decent stock, but if you save up annother $350-400 for mods (see Jeff Seal), you will have the most amazing amp money can buy for $1000.

Mine will do everything your asking in spades, and not even need a pedal.

 

[mrid]

Re: Help me pick an amp

How about the Sovtek MIG100 top? It's the same price as the MIG60, but is it any better?

Yes, I believe the MIG 100 uses the same preamp as the 50's, so it has plenty of gain.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Help me pick an amp

Based on your influences, you prefer a highgain Marshall sound. Most of those guys play Marshall, Bogner, or Soldano

Marshall DSL 50...100 is overkill for most people.
Soldano Hot Rod 50
Mesa Single Rectifier 50W
Crate Blue Voodoo
Marshall Jubilee 2555, 2550, or black tolex version
Peavey 5150
Line 6 Vetta.
Vox AD120 head. I know you said tube, but these 2 heads sound good.

Or, you could consider a rack setup with a Mesa, Marshall, or Rocktron pre and
Mesa, Marshall, VHT, or Peavey power amp.

 

[Neeradj]

Re: Help me pick an amp

Yes, I believe the MIG 100 uses the same preamp as the 50's, so it has plenty of gain.

OMG just read the Harmony Central Reviews, very positive, and though you can't trust those reviews most of the time, they all seem to comment on the high volume. And since this thing is going in my bedroom with the neighbours living downstairs I don't think it's such a wise idea to take this amp :smack: .

@Jeff_H: That sounds like a great idea, though I think it'll make the other amps cheaper compared to the JCM800 with the mods.

@Gearjoneser: I think the DSL might just be what I'm looking for, since I'm looking for a little Marshall-brewtality. I can't seem to find real Soldano amps here in Holland. I'm not too siked about mid-rangey amps, since most of my guitars and pick ups already have a lot of midrange, that's why deliberately didn't look into Boogies. Crate amps are very expensive here in Holland, though I really like the Blue Voodoo. The Marshall Jubilee is really too expensive and very rare here in Holland. Opposed to the DSL, the Peavey 5150 is cheaper, it has a good sound but I don't know if it's my sound. I'll look into the other two none-tube amps. Thanks!

You guys really made clear, I'm looking for a Marshall-type of high-gain, so I'm really gonna do some research on 'em. Thanks, and I'm still open to other ideas

 

[NecroPolo]

Re: Help me pick an amp

:smack:

Doh! You just can't pick up sarcasm from text.....

Yes I do :laugh2:

 

[Neeradj]

Re: Help me pick an amp

Good news guys, I found two JCM900 SL-X heads!!! One's a new 50W head, 2 x 5881 output valves, 4 x ECC 83 preamp valves. The other's an ocassion so all I know is it's available and cheap! Man I can't believe how cheap these amps are, and if I can trust Necropolo on this one (which I'm sure I can), this thing would be perfect!

Now on the new one, I'll most likely change the 5881 tubes for EL34, so which one would you guys recommend me to use? What would be a nice cabinet for this head? Can this thing really do shred, Speed Metal, and modern high gain sounds? I read it could turn quite fuzzy and I totally hate that, so is that true? Please take a look at my influences (first post in this topic) again if you want to know my influences

Thanks

 

[Neeradj]

Re: Help me pick an amp

Should I open a new topic for this one?