I need help buying an amp

[emilio]

OK guys here's the thing, i do not want Mesas or Peaveys. I need a tube amp with at least 100W of power with a nice clean channel and lots of gain, not over saturated like death metal type bands. I need something more like Testament, Metallica (And Justice for All-Black Album), and Black Label Society. Can you guys/girls help out a noob?

 

[3'scompany]

Re: I need help buying an amp

What's your budget first and foremost?

I'd say Bogner, but be prepared to spend all the wood. Played one again today and that's what I'm trying to get myself into.

If the idea of a Mesa triple rec or a Marshall JCM 2000 tsl sound good to you let me know... I'll sell you one :laugh2:

 

[34029324079]

Re: I need help buying an amp

OK guys here's the thing, i do not want Mesas or Peaveys. I need a tube amp with at least 100W of power with a nice clean channel and lots of gain, not over saturated like death metal type bands. I need something more like Testament, Metallica (And Justice for All-Black Album), and Black Label Society. Can you guys/girls help out a noob?

Do they make those? lol

you have to compromise "nice clean channel" if you want blakc album black label society. my recommendations regardless narrow in to:

dual rectifier :dance:

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: I need help buying an amp

First off, like 3'scompany said, how much are you wiling to spend?

Also, what size of room/crowd are you addressing? What I mean to say is: Do you really NEED 100W?

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: I need help buying an amp

That's a good point . . . a fender twin is 80 watts through a 2X12 and I've yet to have seen anyone running a twin above 3 at a jam session. . .

 

[Bludave]

Re: I need help buying an amp

What's your budget first and foremost?

I'd say Bogner, but be prepared to spend all the wood. Played one again today and that's what I'm trying to get myself into.

If the idea of a Mesa triple rec or a Marshall JCM 2000 tsl sound good to you let me know... I'll sell you one :laugh2:

Which one are you looking at?

 

[Bludave]

Re: I need help buying an amp

50W will be more than enogh for most jams and GIGS. The difference between a 50W and 100W in volume is less than 10 Decibals. The 100 W will give you more headroom, but 50's usually sound a little sweeter to my ears.

 

[metallicaxlxl]

Re: I need help buying an amp

check out the carvin v3

if youre willing to wait for it to come out, the traynor custom special http://www.yorkville.com/products.asp?cat=60&id=357&type=32 is gonna be awsome (i hope)

 

[zero element]

Re: I need help buying an amp

I found a nice Peavy. I know you said you don't want one but for the money the one I got is great. Its a Peavey ultra 60, 60 watts all tube. I got this one used for 200 bucks havn't really turned it up too much yet but Im sure it'd be fine for gigging. If you shop around you could prolly find one for just about as cheap. The best advice though I think is head to a guitar store plug in a guitar(our bring your own, even better) to an amp you think might be good and go to town testing them all out.

 

[devastone]

Re: I need help buying an amp

Look for a used Trace Elliot SpeedTwin H100 (or H50 if 50W will do), preferably pre-Gibson but Gibson era is fine too. Great sounding clean channel, nice JCM medium gain, and the high gain is over the top, I have the pre on mine set at about 11:00 and it's plenty. Tone wise, the high gain is Soldano/Bogner territory, definitely more Marshall than Mesa. You can swap the EL34s for 6L6s if that's your thing though.

I keep toying with selling mine and getting a 50W JCM or JMP head, MV or non-MV, and going back to the simpler life, (anyone want to tempt me on this) but this head really sounds killer. They can be had for very reasonable prices if you can find them, not bad for an amp that originally sold for over $2K.

50W will be more than enogh for most jams and GIGS. The difference between a 50W and 100W in volume is less than 10 Decibals.

50W is plenty, the difference is only 3dB which falls into the "barely perceptible to the human ear" range. But 100W'rs do have more headroom, which can be a good or bad thing, it's good for clean sounds, but the overdrive sounds can be a little sweeter on a 50W because it's working harder.

 

[Robert Delahunt]

Re: I need help buying an amp

OK guys here's the thing, i do not want Mesas or Peaveys. I need a tube amp with at least 100W of power with a nice clean channel and lots of gain, not over saturated like death metal type bands. I need something more like Testament, Metallica (And Justice for All-Black Album), and Black Label Society. Can you guys/girls help out a noob?

Doesn't Black Label Society have their own signature amps?

I won't tell you what to do, but I would try not to limit myself to a specific style. Some of those bands are playing amps that only sound good for metal.

But anyways, I had a hard time on Google trying to figure out what amps Testament uses. James Hetfield's Equipment History on Encyclopedia Metallica and it looks like Black Label Society uses Marshall amps.

 

[zero element]

Re: I need help buying an amp

You want metallica and testament sound but don't want to buy a mesa. well both of those bands play mesa boogies and BLS uses marshalls.

 

[3'scompany]

Re: I need help buying an amp

Which one are you looking at?

I'm kinda undecided right now. I've played the XTC 101B and am pretty much thinking that's the one. I've yet to try the Uber and am interested because I don't really need more than two channels and I do play primarily pretty heavy distorted tones. But I'm a little worried because I hear that it doesn't have a clean and distorted channel per say, but rather a moderate distortion and heavy distortion channel. I'm really leaning towards XTC right now cause it can get heavy and is more versatile. Plus a shop near me has a really sweet red tolex covered XTC and cab :fingersx: But I don't like the price..... Hahahaha. Hope they still have the red one after I get all my stuff sold :fingersx:


And still wondering on a budget... Cause I highly recommend playing a Diezel, Bogner, or VHT if you've got cash (amps listed highest to lowest in $$) and are dead set against a peavey or mesa. But I wouldn't count anything out that you haven't given a proper run through.

 

[Guest]

Re: I need help buying an amp

If I remember right... (I'll remove this if I'm wrong )

To step down half the volume from 100w you'll need a 10watts tube amp.

In other words a "tiny" 10watt tube amp produces half the balls of it's 10 times bigger brother, the 100watter. Generally speaking

Kinda crazy!

 

[emilio]

Re: I need help buying an amp

sorry guys i made a mistake it was not mesa i was talking about i meant vox. anyways my bugdet is 1.5k and if what you (eresseraca) say about the 100W 10W thing is true (don't get me wrong i believe you) then how much wattage do you guys think i need for jam sessions.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: I need help buying an amp

Get a Marshall DSL50 and 1960AV (4 vin 30's). Then, get a good OD pedal, like an OCD or Maxon OD-820. If you're looking for a great British highgain sound, that's the easiest way for $1500.

 

[muttonchopsrule]

Re: I need help buying an amp

a mesa single rectifier is worth looking into and it will give you exceptionally good cleans for a high gain amp, and of course it will deliver an awesome lead channel.

50 watts is a good power rating to cover 99% of any playing situation you'll ever be in. i find 100 watts to be too much. i think the difference in percieved volume is actually as little as 3-6 dB, which isn't much, but the main difference is in the headroom. i like the earlier breakup of my amp running at 50 watts as opposed to 100. this way i can get my tone without drowning out the rest of the band.

 

[emilio]

Re: I need help buying an amp

So far im liking VHT, Mesa rec, and the Marshall DSL2000 DSL50. 3's Company I havent been able to look into Bogner or Diezel, can't find them.

 

[emilio]

Re: I need help buying an amp

i looked into diezel but i seem to like bogner a lot more

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: I need help buying an amp

If you're dropping $1500 on an amp, make sure you know the difference between Vox and Mesa

BTW, AC30s are SWEEEEEET!