Help me pick my next amp please. (forgive the long read)

[allbutromeo]

Re: Help me pick my next amp please. (forgive the long read)

I recommend a tube amp, mainly because you already have the Randall. In the price range your looking there are some really good amps that are cheap mainly because they don't say Marshall or Mesa on the front, or aren't the new popular trend in amps like the 6505. As I mentioned earlier the Peavy Windsor is a good amp, single channel, sounds like a hotrod 800, built like a tank. The peavey valve king, in my experience the clean is typical peavey clean and the lead channel is abut the same as the rhythm od channel on the xxx, which will cover a lot of ground from classic rock to modern metal. Crate Blue Voodoo, pretty comparable to a JCM 900, not as durable as a peavey. Carvin x100b, very high quality as mentioned great clean, plexi to hotrod 800 overdrive. Carvin MTS 3200, another solid amp, this is the amp used for the guitars on the first two System oof a Down albums. There are also Bugera amps that are copies of some good amps like the XXX (333xl), the 6505 (6260), 6505+ ( 6262), and JCM 900 (1990), I've heard mixed things about these, it seems like the earlier ones had QC issues but the new ones are decent. All of these amps can be had for $300 or less used.

 

[LatsMcGee]

Re: Help me pick my next amp please. (forgive the long read)

Both are over his stated 300 dollar limit so I'm still scratching my head over this suggestion....

Really, I've seen the combos going for 250 to 300 all over the place, just have to know where to look my friend!

 

[Spranger]

Re: Help me pick my next amp please. (forgive the long read)

You sound a lot like me man, screw the clean channel lol. I love all kinds of music, older thrash, and some new stuff and just about everything really. One of the coolest amps I ever had was a 5150 212 combo, that's a little more than your budget I believe. If you're talking bare bones rock, metal (not modern metal) amps, I recently bought a used Orange tiny terror head (an earlier made in Korea variant). I hooked it up to a little 10 inch Marshall closed cab, put a G10 Greenback in it, and replaced the tubes with Mullard tubes and it sounds like early Black Sabbath, Metallica and many things in between. Nice chunk with sizzle. Granted the amp, which I did buy used was $400, but we are talking amazing quality organic tube amp tone. I would imagine that little orange would sound insane through the cab you already have. Its a 7/15 watt amp, no effects loop, no reverb. I kinda fought against that because I love effects and dynamic, but this actually improves my playing a bit. Also Blackstar HT series amps give you a nice tube tone that fit within your budget. Check out the Randall Diavlo amps too. If you can swing it, tube amp all the way.

 

[Hank-]

Re: Help me pick my next amp please. (forgive the long read)

Can the laney AOR stuff be had for around this price used? If they can then those are also a good option.

 

[Gone_Shootin]

Re: Help me pick my next amp please. (forgive the long read)

I know I'll probably get flamed for this, but I tried out an old Crate Blue Voodoo yesterday at my local GC. They are an amp that hasn't really been on my radar since I was a teenager, but it was only a couple hundred bucks, so I figured, screw it, I'll try it to out.

The clean channel sounded really nice, and the distortion channel proved to be fairly versatile. I was able to find some old school '70s rock tones all the way to some fairly aggressive modernish tones in it too. And this was through a cheap ass Acoustic 4x12.

Granted, it didn't have the extra little something or the clarity like a Splawn or Bogner would have, but for $200, I was impressed enough to nail it down on layaway so I can pick it up next paycheck. I figure I'll throw some fresh tubes in it, have a look at the caps to make sure none are bulging or leaking, and just use it for something to drag to jam sessions with friends. Because if it gets knocked around, I won't be as worried as if it were my Splawn, Mesa, or Marshall.

You could do a lot worse for $200.

Ok, nevermind what I said here. Got it home the other day and played it through some decent speakers and guitars with decent pickups and the Blue Voodoo lived up to it's nick name, Blue DooDoo. Lol.

But when I put it on layaway, I figured on modding it anyway. So no big loss for me, just a cheap guinea pig I can experiment with. But if you're not into modding amps, I would avoid it.

 

[Myaccount876]

Re: Help me pick my next amp please. (forgive the long read)

I'd say look for a Peavey Windsor if you're open to modifying the amp. There are some GREAT mods documented on the web that bring it very close to the JCM800 circuit (minus the OT and PT, although the stock transformers should be fine).

 

[LatsMcGee]

Re: Help me pick my next amp please. (forgive the long read)

There was a laney IRT 60 for sale on the GC site used for 350, someone finally snatched her up...

 

[Mad-Max]

Re: Help me pick my next amp please. (forgive the long read)

I'd say you go for an XXX. If you've ever heard a modern day Exodus album, that's pretty much what amp is being used. Exhibit B is the only album Gary didn't use an XXX on. Other than that, he's used it on every album since Tempo Of The Damned. You already got a killer cab to play through too, so you'd be covered.

 

[soulforger]

Re: Help me pick my next amp please. (forgive the long read)

It's Xmas so maybe the decision has been made but if I'm buying an amp head for $300 I am going for a Peavey XXX (there are at least two on GC used for $269-$279) OR a Laney AOR Pro Tube 50 or 100 (also a couple on GC used, including a 50w for $200! But be quick as these usually disappear pretty quickly, if you miss them just keep watching, they also appear pretty regularly) The Peavey can run 6L6 or EL34 as an added bonus.

 

[kramersteen]

Re: Help me pick my next amp please. (forgive the long read)

Peavey jsx.