Krank, Mesa, or Splawn???

[sublimerules9604]

Ive been staring at these 3 amp makers and trying to decide on which route to go, for a graduation present I will be buying myself one of these, but 2 out of the three I couldn't try before commitment so I want to see what everyone has to say.

They are:
Krank Revolution or Krankenstein havnt decided (sold online so 30ish day trial)
Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier or single ( no online retailers I can find so no trial )
Splawn Promod or Competition ( custom so nonreturnable )

The big up for the slpawn is it has the half power switch so it can be quieted down a bit. I know mesa has them on a couple other models, but I wasnt sure on these two. For the time being it wouldnt leave the house, so Im open to suggestions on lower power amps. It the last big guitar purchase for probably a long time, so Im trying to shoot for the top and make sure its exactly what I want if you know what I mean.

Thanks in advance for any Ideas

 

[krankguitarist]

Re: Krank, Mesa, or Splawn???

Get a Krank revolution 1...

Slap in a set of JJ/tesla tubes...

And try to wipe that freakin smile off your face. Just try it.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Krank, Mesa, or Splawn???

Out of those, I'd choose the Splawn Pro Mod.

Also, that new Hughes and Kettner Switchblade is getting good reviews, and it might cost less for a whole halfstack.

 

[JALIN]

Re: Krank, Mesa, or Splawn???

Most important factor you forgot is to list what kind of music you like playing? By your 3 selections it is more than likely metal but we need to know if you also like other styles.

 

[some_dude]

Re: Krank, Mesa, or Splawn???

Those three amps are miles apart from each other tonally. What kind of sound are you looking for/what bands have a similar sound to what you're after?

 

[XSSIVE]

Re: Krank, Mesa, or Splawn???

anything BUT a krank!

i own a dual recto and love it! i run it through a splawn 4x12 cab and i'm also a fan of splawn heads soooooo...flip a coin LOL.

-Mike

 

[SeraphimTN]

Re: Krank, Mesa, or Splawn???

Out of those, I'd choose the Splawn Pro Mod.

Also, that new Hughes and Kettner Switchblade is getting good reviews, and it might cost less for a whole halfstack.

AAAAMEN!! H&K all the way.

 

[krankguitarist]

Re: Krank, Mesa, or Splawn???

anything BUT a krank!

Whachosayn boy? U trippin dawg? Don't make me KRANK all over da place.

 

[Loserchief]

Re: Krank, Mesa, or Splawn???

Out of the three i'd go for the mesa recto.
Stay clear of the krank, the revolution1 and krankensteins i played so far sounded very solid state and plasticy. If that's what you like go for it, but imo it's not worth the price those amps cost.
But a little more info on what you wanna play with it would be great.

 

[DankStar]

Re: Krank, Mesa, or Splawn???

wow, what a dilemma! wish i had yer problem.

i'd say Splawn, but I'm not a high-price-amp owner, just drooler. i always feel there are cheaper alternatives that still get the job done (especially if an amp is on house arrest).

 

[H8Red442]

Re: Krank, Mesa, or Splawn???

Ive been staring at these 3 amp makers and trying to decide on which route to go, for a graduation present I will be buying myself one of these, but 2 out of the three I couldn't try before commitment so I want to see what everyone has to say.

They are:
Krank Revolution or Krankenstein havnt decided (sold online so 30ish day trial)
Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier or single ( no online retailers I can find so no trial )
Splawn Promod or Competition ( custom so nonreturnable )

The big up for the slpawn is it has the half power switch so it can be quieted down a bit. I know mesa has them on a couple other models, but I wasnt sure on these two. For the time being it wouldnt leave the house, so Im open to suggestions on lower power amps. It the last big guitar purchase for probably a long time, so Im trying to shoot for the top and make sure its exactly what I want if you know what I mean.

Thanks in advance for any Ideas

I say Mesa. For one buy it from Guitar Center. They'll give you 30 days as well to return it. Second the Dual Rectos have the half power feature as well. However it means pulling tubes. But still half power. At the same time you can get great tone out of a Dual at reasonable volumes at full power. Loud yes but not ear splitting. The Single is only 50 watts anyway so no real need to half power that.

 

[krankguitarist]

Re: Krank, Mesa, or Splawn???

*sigh*

A'ite, I'll make a serious post.

The Revolution 1, the Recto, and the splawn are very different beasts. The revolution is tight, agressive, and can have a tendancy to get a bit sharp in the upper registers if you don't lay off of the presence control a bit. But it crunches like no other. Rolling off the volume on your guitar cleans up the amp nicely as well, and makes for some very cool low-gain tones.

The drawback with the Revolution 1 is the stock sovtek 5881 power tubes. These are HORRIBLE tubes for this amp. With these, everything gets jagged, bass response gets flubby, and distortion gets a bit more grainy. I'm assuming that this is what most people mean when they refer to KRANK's as being "solid-state" sounding. I put some JJ/tesla 6l6GC's in there, and never looked back. Deeper bass, smoother distortion, its a night-and-day difference.

I've never played a krankenstien, but I've heard a few at shows and was less than impressed by them. Then again, I was less than impressed by my revolution before I swapped the tubes.

I have less experience with the rectifier and none with the splawn...so the following is all I got on those .

The dual rectifier is a great amp as well. Its a more capable amp than the KRANK in the lower-gain areas. However, I've heard many rectifiers that got a bit too "mushy" when people started really cranking the gain, but if you know what you're doing most of that can be dialed out to suit your tastes. I'm planning on picking up a Dual Rectifier pretty soon myself: they're great recording amps, and can really help to fatten up a track.

The splawn is likely to be a bit more in the marshall range of things. On paper, it inspires bucketloads of drool. It is the most expensive out of all the amps on your list though...which could be a drawback. Still, great features, I'd love to try out one someday.

All three are great amps, and any of the three would make an excellent choice. It all depends on what you're going for.

 

[philthis]

Re: Krank, Mesa, or Splawn???

if your getting a Mesa get a rectoverb. its got a great clean channel and I do mean it sounds great. It also has the mid treble rock tone and can be switched to the deep recto grind tone. out of all the recto's its by far my favorite model. These days I realy like the Stiletto Ace but it is a el34 tube based amp and therefore more like a hotrodded marshal tone. its cleans are good but not as good as the rectoverb's cleans in my oppinion. the head is 50watts and 1500 bucks. not sure how much the rectoverb is.
:beerchug:

 

[sublimerules9604]

Re: Krank, Mesa, or Splawn???

It will definately be a metal amp. There are bands that play all three that I love their tone, if they could all just pick one it would be a way easy decision. But to limit it down by band tones I like,

As I lay dying, Haste the day, War of Ages - Krank
Disciple(quickmod), Inhale Exhale(promod) - Splawn
As I lay dying, Lamb of God(mark IV), Thrice, Kutless - Mesa

At the same time I should ask if there are any prefered power soaks that dont seem to suck as much tone.

 

[Mephis]

Re: Krank, Mesa, or Splawn???

I'd go with the mesa given your tastes.

 

[sublimerules9604]

Re: Krank, Mesa, or Splawn???

Would you recommend the roadster over the standard, I saw that it has the power switches built right into it? Also Is there any tonal difference between the solo and the dual rectifier?

 

[JALIN]

Re: Krank, Mesa, or Splawn???

Mesa all da way. In fact I would say a 2 channel Dual Rectifier to be exact. You might want to consider the Mark IV, it is an excellent amp:smokin:

 

[H8Red442]

Re: Krank, Mesa, or Splawn???

Would you recommend the roadster over the standard, I saw that it has the power switches built right into it? Also Is there any tonal difference between the solo and the dual rectifier?

I'd to Roadster. You really couldn't ask for me. Solo and Dual have a different sound definitely. My Dual's 3rd channel sounds a lot like the standard single tone. Channel two is a bit more middy and a little muffled. Sort of a Ain't Talkin' Bout Love kinda sound.

 

[Metalman_666]

Re: Krank, Mesa, or Splawn???

I don't have any personal experience with Kranks or Splawns, so my comments might not be of use but I'll put in my two cents anyway.

The Kranks that I've heard on record (Arch Enemy - Doomsday Machine is a good example) and live (Dime with Damageplan, Arch Enemy again on their DVD), have sounded pretty good... not to mention all the bands that suddenly started using them. However...

Mesa is always a winner for metal, and of course a benchmark for *that* tone. In my experience while the Dual and Single Rectifiers do have slightly different tones (diode rectifier in the Single, choice of diode or tube in the Dual), they are mostly the same beast and a great sound for sure.

Personally though, I think you should check out Peavey, even though they aren't on your list. Not only are they far cheaper than any of the brands you mentioned, but they are amazing and (except for some of the guys on this forum) the Triple X is somewhat underrated. I love my Triple X head to death... I can cop an As I Lay Dying tone (think 94 Hours) with my Ear Candy cab, and there are other great tones found within. It also has pretty good cleans to my ears.

Also, when I hooked up my head to my friend's Mesa Recto Traditional 4x12, I honestly thought it sounded even better than his Dual Recto itself with the cab. Totally subjective, but that's something to think about.

 

[MikeF]

Re: Krank, Mesa, or Splawn???

I own a Splawn and love it. Having said that, pound for pound a 5150 head for $500 is the way to go for metal. In other words the Splawn (if you want to spend) or 5150 instead of the Krank or Mesa.