It might be time to get a 3+ channel amp.

ksmith63

ksmith63

New member
The Budda Superdrive 80 is amazing, however I am finding the 2 channels limiting as my projects simultaneously go into heavier and softer territory. So lets discuss some 3 (or 4) channel amps!

What 3+ channel amps have you owned or can recommend?

Lets keep the discussion to the higher end boo-tique amps. I am a snob.
 
Re: It might be time to get a 3+ channel amp.

Well it would be a shame to waste the Buddha... Why not just get another amp to do what you need and use a amp switcher? I think when you get into more then 2 channels you end up compromising on all fronts.
 
Re: It might be time to get a 3+ channel amp.

Mesa Boogie Road King

channel 1 for fender cleans
channel 2 for marshall OD
channel 3 for 80's gain
channel 4 for modern recto gain

get two seperate, yet different, cabs and add to the tonal diversity of the channels
 
Re: It might be time to get a 3+ channel amp.

GuitarStv said:
You don't like pedals?
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No, not really. Is that strange? I don't even like boost pedals all that much. There is something special about plugging direct into the amp and opening it up. I want to say "more focus/clarity" but I can't really describe it.
 
Re: It might be time to get a 3+ channel amp.

Ive owned a number of amps that have 3 or more channels. My Mesa MkIV my Egnater TOL100. Used to own a VHT Pitbull UL. But you said you were a snob. Wouldnt the purest tone come from a single channel amp? and if your into the whole boutique thing wouldnt adding another cork sniffer amp be the way to go?
 
Re: It might be time to get a 3+ channel amp.

Mattr4president said:
Well it would be a shame to waste the Buddha... Why not just get another amp to do what you need and use a amp switcher? I think when you get into more then 2 channels you end up compromising on all fronts.
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There is a 99.999% chance I will keep the Budda. It punches you in the chest like no other amp I have played/heard. Also Peavey recently bought the brand:lame:, driving into the ground. I don't even think they are made anymore.

If I do buy another amp it will most likely be an addition, not a replacement.
 
Re: It might be time to get a 3+ channel amp.

Edgecrusher said:
Ive owned a number of amps that have 3 or more channels. My Mesa MkIV my Egnater TOL100. Used to own a VHT Pitbull UL. But you said you were a snob. Wouldnt the purest tone come from a single channel amp? and if your into the whole boutique thing wouldnt adding another cork sniffer amp be the way to go?
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I am not a PTP single channel purest snob. I am more of a "made in america with top quality components" snob. I also used the word "boutique" more liberally than I should....

This is really to keep someone from recommending I buy a bugera or peavey ect. I will bet that someone will see the title, skip reading the thread and recommend something like this anyway.

How would you compare the MkIV and the Pitbull UL?
 
Re: It might be time to get a 3+ channel amp.

ksmith63 said:
There is a 99.999% chance I will keep the Budda. It punches you in the chest like no other amp I have played/heard. Also Peavey recently bought the brand:lame:, driving into the ground. I don't even think they are made anymore.

If I do buy another amp it will most likely be an addition, not a replacement.
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I understand what you mean. I'd love to get my hands on one. Well without running two setups I'd say the mesa roadking would my recommendation.
 
Re: It might be time to get a 3+ channel amp.

Right off the bat I would recommend the Mesa Mark IV (or V). It's very versatile and can cover the whole range from soft and clean to loud and heavy. It responds very well to your playing nuances, volume knob adjustments etc. If you've never tried one you should; I think it would be a viable option for you.
 
Re: It might be time to get a 3+ channel amp.

Mattr4president said:
Well it would be a shame to waste the Buddha... Why not just get another amp to do what you need and use a amp switcher? I think when you get into more then 2 channels you end up compromising on all fronts.
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+1 . . . if you're happy with the current tones don't mess with them. Get another two channel amp and you'll have a very wide palette of sounds to pick from.
 
Re: It might be time to get a 3+ channel amp.

ksmith63 said:
How would you compare the MkIV and the Pitbull UL?
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On the cleans channel I think the MKIV is a bit warmer and rounder. The pitbull is more chimey both are good I preferred the MKIV but wasnt as much that it was "better" than the pitbull just it fit what I wanted better.

The 2nd channel I have a really hard time with the 2nd channel on the MKIV. Its very picky about what guitars it likes. Some guitars it loves and produces great tones other guitars it hates and you get donkey ass. Even when I did get good tones out of it it took some tweaking to do.

channel 2 on the pitbull was a different story though. It has more of a marshall vibe to it. Nice raw overdriven sounds. Much more plug and play than the mesas 2nd channel.

Channel 3 was a toss up. I love both. Both can get very nasty and are very focused. The VHT was a bit tighter but the MKIV was warmer and more natural sounding. The VHT was all business on channel 3 gain and dynamics out the eyeballs.

Ive had the MKIV since 95 and I dont think I will ever sell it.
The only reason I sold the VHT was I got a great offer on it and mine was an earlier one that didnt have the graphic EQ. I told myself I would just get another one but with the EQ but years later that hasnt happen. Which is oh well being I probably own too many amps anyways.
 
Re: It might be time to get a 3+ channel amp.

Edgecrusher said:
On the cleans channel I think the MKIV is a bit warmer and rounder. The pitbull is more chimey both are good I preferred the MKIV but wasnt as much that it was "better" than the pitbull just it fit what I wanted better.

The 2nd channel I have a really hard time with the 2nd channel on the MKIV. Its very picky about what guitars it likes. Some guitars it loves and produces great tones other guitars it hates and you get donkey ass. Even when I did get good tones out of it it took some tweaking to do.

channel 2 on the pitbull was a different story though. It has more of a marshall vibe to it. Nice raw overdriven sounds. Much more plug and play than the mesas 2nd channel.

Channel 3 was a toss up. I love both. Both can get very nasty and are very focused. The VHT was a bit tighter but the MKIV was warmer and more natural sounding. The VHT was all business on channel 3 gain and dynamics out the eyeballs.

Ive had the MKIV since 95 and I dont think I will ever sell it.
The only reason I sold the VHT was I got a great offer on it and mine was an earlier one that didnt have the graphic EQ. I told myself I would just get another one but with the EQ but years later that hasnt happen. Which is oh well being I probably own too many amps anyways.
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Excellent info. Both seem capable of my needs and are on the list.
Which one would you say has a bigger sonic footprint?

Is one more articulate than the other?

The Budda has a massive sound that seems to fill out an entire room without being overly loud. Some amps seem to struggle with this, especially the lower wattage ones. I also want an amp that blatantly shows my mistakes/shortcomings.
 
Re: It might be time to get a 3+ channel amp.

mwalluk said:
Fryette Sig X
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Fantastic amp. I played one of these for a little over half an hour at the store, got to crank it up pretty good. The range of tones is gigantic, and I couldn't get a bad tone out of it.

Although this may be blasphemy, I liked the Sig:X better than the Pittbull.
 
Re: It might be time to get a 3+ channel amp.

I've had my Framus Cobra for a couple years. It sounds great, though I wish the 2nd and 3rd channels were a bit more similar. I use the clean and 2nd a lot as it has more than enough grit for leads and it's super crisp and clear. I absolutely LOVE having a 2nd master to boost ch 2 for a lead when I don't feel I need all the saturation of ch 3. I consider selling it, now and then, for something a little smaller, but it's always been good to me through practices and gigs and I know with the REAL pots and flying leads instead of micro pcb crap, it's less likely to leave me stranded. Also, if I ever end up with something like a TC G System, the midi switching will make everything easier to get up and running.

It's too bad that they exploded onto the scene and then just kinda...disappeared. The only problems I ever heard were related to the switching on the earlier versions, though I've never had a problem.
 
Re: It might be time to get a 3+ channel amp.

ksmith63 said:
Excellent info. Both seem capable of my needs and are on the list.
Which one would you say has a bigger sonic footprint?

Is one more articulate than the other?

The Budda has a massive sound that seems to fill out an entire room without being overly loud. Some amps seem to struggle with this, especially the lower wattage ones. I also want an amp that blatantly shows my mistakes/shortcomings.
Click to expand...

Footprint wise I think would really be a toss up. To my ears the VHT is a bit less compressed but not as warm. But that may have been the difference between the KT88 vs 6L6 tubes. Though the VHT can run the 6L6's while I owned the amp I never tried it. One thing I did find is that I can get a wider range of subtly different tones from the MKIV than I could from the VHT. Using the different options like running a pair of EL34's and a pair of 6L6's or using the class A/ Simul Class switch and the tweed or bold power you can tweek it more. I will never say the VHT lacked anything but sometimes having the option subtly color the sound like that was nice to have.

I think the MKIV filled out its sound better at lower volumes than the VHT did but the VHT didnt need to be overly loud to sound good. Again im suspecting the KT88 tubes. 6L6's might help it fill out its sound sooner.

Neither amp you can hide behind though I think I would give the slight edge to the VHT in that department.

Really both are definately worth a look to see which ones voicing you like better.
 
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