Infamous late-80s metal amps
- Thread starter Sirion
- Start date
MkIII Renegade
New member
Re: Infamous late-80s metal amps
Alex Lifeson used them for a while in the '80s also. I've never played one, but they can't be that bad if such artists recorded and toured with them....
Alex Lifeson used them for a while in the '80s also. I've never played one, but they can't be that bad if such artists recorded and toured with them....
Falloffthebonetone
New member
Re: Infamous late-80s metal amps
LANEY AOR
LANEY AOR
moshpit817
New member
Re: Infamous late-80s metal amps
Metaltronix head by I believe its Lee Jackson..had a big gold front panel and just sounded freaking amazing!! Paul Gilbert was one of the main users of these,but there were more using them that I can't remember,because not many brain cells left after the 80's!!
Metaltronix head by I believe its Lee Jackson..had a big gold front panel and just sounded freaking amazing!! Paul Gilbert was one of the main users of these,but there were more using them that I can't remember,because not many brain cells left after the 80's!!
frankfalbo
In Fluence Y'all
Re: Infamous late-80s metal amps
Rocktron ProGap original version preamp (Not V2 and definitely not the ProGap Ultra)
Mesa Quad Preamp
Hughes & Kettner Attax Preamp
Crate TDP Preamp (the all-white one)
Hafler T2, not the T3
ADA MP-1
The irony of it all? I own every one of those listed above and do NOT use them for 80s shred tones. I use each one literally for like...the opposite...bluesy stuff, Rhythm channel stuff...hardly ever engage the lead channels. And the ADA is modded for less gain and more tube signal/less op amp clipping.
Rocktron ProGap original version preamp (Not V2 and definitely not the ProGap Ultra)
Mesa Quad Preamp
Hughes & Kettner Attax Preamp
Crate TDP Preamp (the all-white one)
Hafler T2, not the T3
ADA MP-1
The irony of it all? I own every one of those listed above and do NOT use them for 80s shred tones. I use each one literally for like...the opposite...bluesy stuff, Rhythm channel stuff...hardly ever engage the lead channels. And the ADA is modded for less gain and more tube signal/less op amp clipping.
Sirion
Well-known member
Re: Infamous late-80s metal amps
I own an MP-1 – two of them, actually. I find the crunch sound highly underrated. I know Angus Young used it around the The Razor's Edge era, and I think he sounded great with it.
Is that an ADA Depot mod? I remember there being one with less gain. To me that would make more sense than going for more gain, like the other mods all seem to be doing.
I own an MP-1 – two of them, actually. I find the crunch sound highly underrated. I know Angus Young used it around the The Razor's Edge era, and I think he sounded great with it.
Is that an ADA Depot mod? I remember there being one with less gain. To me that would make more sense than going for more gain, like the other mods all seem to be doing.
Boogie Bill
New member
Re: Infamous late-80s metal amps
The amps I remember during that period for that style were the Peavey Butcher, and then later the VTM 60 and VTM 120. Also SUNN Model Ts. Laneys. I don't remember a lot of Mesas...they were expensive. I do remember one guy who way an incredible shredder and he preferred a Randall SS amp because it responded quicker.
Wanting to more to more of a metal/shred tone, a friend of mine went through a lot of amps in a very short period: Fender Super Reverb, Peavey Heritage VTX Combo + cab, a Lee Jackson half stack, a JCM 800 stack (the 100-watt channel switcher) and finally a 5150. I was using a Fender 75 head and cab or a JCM 4010 combo and he would always start in on the volume wars. When I bought the Mark III Coliseum head and 412 in the early '90s, that kinda ended that...the Boogie just had this muscular yet sweet tone and he couldn't win that fight anymore. And then I bought the Mesa DC-3 for small gigs...and that amp with an extension cab would hang with the 5150. So he sold the 5150 for a Fender red knob Super (crap!) and spent a lot of time trying to get me to sell my half stack. My playing really improved once i got the Mesas, and no way was I giving them up. He got really pissy about it and that finally ended his participation in the band.
None of what we played would be called metal...more hard rock. He couldn't get enough gain from these amps to suit him, but he didn't want to use a pedal. I had more than enough gain for my use with the Mesas...I rarely ever needed to run the LEAD channel gain above 6 on either the Mark III or the DC-3.
Interesting to look back and realize how much the music...and the gear, have changed.
Bill
The amps I remember during that period for that style were the Peavey Butcher, and then later the VTM 60 and VTM 120. Also SUNN Model Ts. Laneys. I don't remember a lot of Mesas...they were expensive. I do remember one guy who way an incredible shredder and he preferred a Randall SS amp because it responded quicker.
Wanting to more to more of a metal/shred tone, a friend of mine went through a lot of amps in a very short period: Fender Super Reverb, Peavey Heritage VTX Combo + cab, a Lee Jackson half stack, a JCM 800 stack (the 100-watt channel switcher) and finally a 5150. I was using a Fender 75 head and cab or a JCM 4010 combo and he would always start in on the volume wars. When I bought the Mark III Coliseum head and 412 in the early '90s, that kinda ended that...the Boogie just had this muscular yet sweet tone and he couldn't win that fight anymore. And then I bought the Mesa DC-3 for small gigs...and that amp with an extension cab would hang with the 5150. So he sold the 5150 for a Fender red knob Super (crap!) and spent a lot of time trying to get me to sell my half stack. My playing really improved once i got the Mesas, and no way was I giving them up. He got really pissy about it and that finally ended his participation in the band.
None of what we played would be called metal...more hard rock. He couldn't get enough gain from these amps to suit him, but he didn't want to use a pedal. I had more than enough gain for my use with the Mesas...I rarely ever needed to run the LEAD channel gain above 6 on either the Mark III or the DC-3.
Interesting to look back and realize how much the music...and the gear, have changed.
Bill
Last edited:
frankfalbo
In Fluence Y'all
Re: Infamous late-80s metal amps
It's a hybrid. On the main board it's pretty much stock values, but a lot of high voltage mustard caps in the signal path, and Burr Brown op amps so instead of the op amp clipping, more headroom/transient makes it to the tubes, including if you use an overdrive pedal in front. Internal gain trim is not set high. On the tube board a lot more mustard caps and resistor upgrades, but many of the ADA Depot part values. Internal trimpots on the treble and midrange frequency points.
Edgecrusher
Well-known member
Re: Infamous late-80s metal amps
SLX came out in 94, Have you ever played one? They get fuzzy and mushy really quick, Their underlying tone is still the toppy honky 900 tone not the girthier 800 tone that hair metal is associated with.
The rest of your list came out in the 90's I think the triple wreck came out in 93? blue voodoo was about the same.
The big 80's amp thats missing from the suggestions is the SLO it defined the tone of many a grape smuggler clad in leopard spandex.
SLX came out in 94, Have you ever played one? They get fuzzy and mushy really quick, Their underlying tone is still the toppy honky 900 tone not the girthier 800 tone that hair metal is associated with.
The rest of your list came out in the 90's I think the triple wreck came out in 93? blue voodoo was about the same.
The big 80's amp thats missing from the suggestions is the SLO it defined the tone of many a grape smuggler clad in leopard spandex.
Lake Placid Blues
New member
Re: Infamous late-80s metal amps
The SLO was/is a landmark design. It influenced everything that came after it. The Peavy 5151 amps and the 5153 amps are based heavily on the SLO design. To a lesser extent are the Rectos also SLO based.
The SLO is mentioned in the first post. And it is awesome! I suspect it is missing from most posts because few people could/can afford one
The SLO was/is a landmark design. It influenced everything that came after it. The Peavy 5151 amps and the 5153 amps are based heavily on the SLO design. To a lesser extent are the Rectos also SLO based.
Sirion
Well-known member
Re: Infamous late-80s metal amps
Really cool! Depending on how my rig develops I might have to ask you about this at some point.
Really cool! Depending on how my rig develops I might have to ask you about this at some point.
MkIII Renegade
New member
Re: Infamous late-80s metal amps
The best tones I've heard on record using Metaltronix amps would be those of Akira with Loudness. Soldier of Fortune was their brand new album when I first starting playing, and it influenced me heavily. I think it has some of the most killer playing and tones of his career, and they had an excellent American singer at the time (Mike Vescera).
The best tones I've heard on record using Metaltronix amps would be those of Akira with Loudness. Soldier of Fortune was their brand new album when I first starting playing, and it influenced me heavily. I think it has some of the most killer playing and tones of his career, and they had an excellent American singer at the time (Mike Vescera).
MkIII Renegade
New member
MetalManiac
Li'l Junior Member
Re: Infamous late-80s metal amps
I don't think anyone has mentioned Jackson. ;
( no, not *Lee Jackson)
I don't think anyone has mentioned Jackson. ;
( no, not *Lee Jackson)
Sirion
Well-known member
Re: Infamous late-80s metal amps
Getting the right spandex is the easy part: between www.spandexhouseinc.com and www.spandexworld.com there isn't much one can't get. Amps, that is harder!
Getting the right spandex is the easy part: between www.spandexhouseinc.com and www.spandexworld.com there isn't much one can't get. Amps, that is harder!
Aceman
I am your doctor of love!
Re: Infamous late-80s metal amps
I like them! In the bedroom...no. But in a band situation - awesome!!! Honky/toppy = cuts through like a razor. Fizzy = careful on the gain, there is more than enough!
Well then, color me a fan of 90's amps for 80'smetal!
I like them! In the bedroom...no. But in a band situation - awesome!!! Honky/toppy = cuts through like a razor. Fizzy = careful on the gain, there is more than enough!
Well then, color me a fan of 90's amps for 80'smetal!
Re: Infamous late-80s metal amps
this is what I was thinking thru the whole thread and was going to add it, but you beat me to it. Local shop had a used on for $450 I was seriously considering..
thanks for the Spandex links!! Funny, I have a pair of snake skin spandex pants from back in the day... my legs are now as big as my waist was then
this is what I was thinking thru the whole thread and was going to add it, but you beat me to it. Local shop had a used on for $450 I was seriously considering..
thanks for the Spandex links!! Funny, I have a pair of snake skin spandex pants from back in the day... my legs are now as big as my waist was then
