I Want a new amp. Marshall guys help please.

[Demanic]

Re: I Want a new amp. Marshall guys help please.

Possibly just the particular amps I tried? I was ina band with the guy that had the DSL100 and his tone was just thin and didn’t have any “character” to it (for lack of a better word). I even have him a NOS RCA preamp tube. It helped but ....
The combo otoh sounded great.

Could have been a bias or tube ageing issue.

Sent from my Alcatel_5044C using Tapatalk

 

[Gtrjunior]

Re: I Want a new amp. Marshall guys help please.

Could have been a bias or tube ageing issue.

Sent from my Alcatel_5044C using Tapatalk

True....I didn’t think of that.

 

[80's_Metal]

Re: I Want a new amp. Marshall guys help please.

I just HATE the chickenhead knobs though... is that a thing??? hating chicken head knobs??? because if it is. I suffer from that ha ha ha ha.

looked it up....

Fear of Chickens Phobia – Alektorophobia. ... As the name indicates, this phobia causes an irrational fear of chickens (or other feathered creatures as well as their eggs) in the sufferer.
Wonder how much that plays into my chicken head knob disdain????

 

[Joey Voltage]

Re: I Want a new amp. Marshall guys help please.

For a modern high gain Marshall, I would have suggested the JVM as well. For a good older super high gain Marshall sound on the cheap I would have suggested the Laney GH100L. Well built lots of gain and can be had in the 400 range.

 

[Van Noord]

Re: I Want a new amp. Marshall guys help please.

I've grown to like chicken head knobs! I can make small, quick adjustments by just tapping them with one finger. Plus the color options! Oh the color options! Lol

 

[Gtrjunior]

Re: I Want a new amp. Marshall guys help please.

I've grown to like chicken head knobs! I can make small, quick adjustments by just tapping them with one finger. Plus the color options! Oh the color options! Lol

I agree...on a dark stage they are much easier to see than the gold Marshall knobs.

 

[Cynical]

Re: I Want a new amp. Marshall guys help please.

I would avoid medium gain amps like the 800 and the Stiletto where you are going to have to boost them with a pedal to get closer to the tone you're after.
Again, look into an amp that doesn't need any help up front.
I think your original thought of a XXX is a great idea. Also look for a 3120 or JSX or maybe a 5153 50w.

Even most amps with "enough gain" are going to require a boost if playing metal because you need that touch of compression and mid-humping on input. Trying to go "boostless" and doing metal either requires buying an amp with a built-in boost like an Ironheart or a Diablo, and I have yet to hear the built-in boost that performs as well as a TS-9 or OD-1, or spending upwards of $2,000 on something like a KSR, Herbert, Uberschall, or Mesa Mark (and even a lot of those, you might want a boost to make things a bit more "liquid" without adding distortion...).

 

[Gtrjunior]

Re: I Want a new amp. Marshall guys help please.

Even most amps with "enough gain" are going to require a boost if playing metal because you need that touch of compression and mid-humping on input. Trying to go "boostless" and doing metal either requires buying an amp with a built-in boost like an Ironheart or a Diablo, and I have yet to hear the built-in boost that performs as well as a TS-9 or OD-1, or spending upwards of $2,000 on something like a KSR, Herbert, Uberschall, or Mesa Mark (and even a lot of those, you might want a boost to make things a bit more "liquid" without adding distortion...).

Agreed...I’ve got a Quickrod and I use a boost with that and that amp is pure gain ridiculousness.

 

[Van Noord]

Re: I Want a new amp. Marshall guys help please.

Even most amps with "enough gain" are going to require a boost if playing metal because you need that touch of compression and mid-humping on input. Trying to go "boostless" and doing metal either requires buying an amp with a built-in boost like an Ironheart or a Diablo, and I have yet to hear the built-in boost that performs as well as a TS-9 or OD-1, or spending upwards of $2,000 on something like a KSR, Herbert, Uberschall, or Mesa Mark (and even a lot of those, you might want a boost to make things a bit more "liquid" without adding distortion...).

I've gone back and forth on this over the years and still have a lot of boost pedals. I haven't been using them recently though.
I've been finding that with the right string gauge & tension for the right tuning, the right pickups and amplifier I've been eliminating the need for a boost pedal.
My JVM, JSX, 5153 don't require any added compression, mid-range or tightening. Sure the blue channel sounds good boosted, and the JVM orange as well, but I'm not of the opinion that it sounds better. There is low volume playing and high-volume playing and I adjust my settings appropriately for each. Some amps I boost, some amps I don't. I don't just default to a boost immediately thinking it's needed to get the best high gain sound and feel.
I will say that most amps require a boost to even get in the front door of the territory we're talking about, but lots dont, and a boost can actually detract an amp in some aspects.

 

[Cynical]

Re: I Want a new amp. Marshall guys help please.

The only one of those I've played is a 5153 (albeit the 100 watt version, not the 50 watt version), but it definitely benefits from a boost. For more "80s thrash/early death metal/1st wave black metal" kind of stuff, boosted blue is more appropriate than anything you can do with red, and red unboosted is just not together enough for most more modern stuff.

 

[dave74]

Re: I Want a new amp. Marshall guys help please.

All good points on the last few posts!

I like it both ways as far as sound.
For the pic-sensitivity I usually would opt for a boost of any sort up front(compressor,boost,overdrive, eq), but it's probably because of using EMGs for so long I got used to not having to work as hard with the pick and being able to reduce the motion while still sounding like your attacking hard.

Now I have several guitars with passives (all high-output) and using a boost removes some of the pic-dynamics that I don't like for the fast alt-picking "death-metally" stuff.
For the more "Hetfield" style riffs I could easily roll with no boost if it's one of the metal amps like listed above.

 

[evan47]

Re: I Want a new amp. Marshall guys help please.

After owning 4 valve marshalls and one valvestate and having trouble with all but one (which was little used ), I just would not consider another no matter how good it sounded!
All were bought new and I never gigged any of them, just could trust them!

 

[Van Noord]

Re: I Want a new amp. Marshall guys help please.

The only one of those I've played is a 5153 (albeit the 100 watt version, not the 50 watt version), but it definitely benefits from a boost. For more "80s thrash/early death metal/1st wave black metal" kind of stuff, boosted blue is more appropriate than anything you can do with red, and red unboosted is just not together enough for most more modern stuff.

That might be, but I've tailored my 5153 to have more gain and compression on the blue channel and less and clearer gain on the red. The amp feels great under the fingers. The attack is so organic feeling.
That's something that boost pedals tend to change for me. They add a certain attack that is much different feeling and sounding than plugging straight in. You have to want that semi synthetic effect in your tone.

 

[Aceman]

Re: I Want a new amp. Marshall guys help please.

My Mesa Stiletto is built like a tank....

 

[LLL]

Re: I Want a new amp. Marshall guys help please.

I don't know why anyone would want a Marshall... that's so 80's.

:13:

 

[Gtrjunior]

Re: I Want a new amp. Marshall guys help please.

I don't know why anyone would want a Marshall... that's so 80's.

:13:

For a split second I thought you were serious!
I was thinking...” of ALL the people on this forum, LLL is saying THAT!!”

 

[LLL]

Re: I Want a new amp. Marshall guys help please.

For a split second I thought you were serious!
I was thinking...” of ALL the people on this forum, LLL is saying THAT!!”

I am serious. And don't call me Shirley.

 

[Gtrjunior]

Re: I Want a new amp. Marshall guys help please.

I am serious. And don't call me Shirley.

If you’re truly serious, Shirley then send me your crappy Plexi because is a no-good awful Marshall....I’ll PM you the shipping address.
[emoji846][emoji846][emoji846]

 

[dave74]

Re: I Want a new amp. Marshall guys help please.

That might be, but I've tailored my 5153 to have more gain and compression on the blue channel and less and clearer gain on the red. The amp feels great under the fingers. The attack is so organic feeling.
That's something that boost pedals tend to change for me. They add a certain attack that is much different feeling and sounding than plugging straight in. You have to want that semi synthetic effect in your tone.

Some of the pedals without a clipping stage can do better at holding the same feel while charging-up the gain just a bit, although I'll never say 100% "transparent".
The VFE Focus makes a good boost when you don't want additional compression but still a little more jolt, plus the shelving controls.

 

[dave74]

Re: I Want a new amp. Marshall guys help please.

My Mesa Stiletto is built like a tank....

For that reason alone I would go Mesa.