Re: Need help choosing an amp!
I play things like zeppelin acdc Evh ozzy and metallica. From what you guys are saying and based on what I play I think it would be better to just forget the whole clean thing because from what you guys are telling me it wont sound as good. Tell me if im wrong there. But anyway Ive looked at the dsl a while ago and I really like it but i think it would be too loud. Is there anything out there comparable to it just lower watts? If not just reccomend me some other amps.
Zep=marshall
ACDC=marshall
EVH=marshall
Ozzy=marshall
Metallica=marshall
all these bands and players at one time or another have defined their sound with marshalls. Sure eddie had a signature peavey model and ozzy has had various guitarists using various gear...but the basic tonal recipie for all these acts you mentioned is the sound of a marshall.
From that info id say look no further than a DSL....perfect for heavy rock styles and a really great crunchy distortion sound. You can get it in a 40watt 1x12 combo if you want small(ish).
Such an amp really is not too loud if you are standing next to a drummer and bassist. The big difference between a 40w amp to a 5w amp is not so much volume, but a bigger bottom end - which is always a good thing. Wattage is not the real indicator of an amps volume....its really more an idicator of headroom (especially bass frequencies). The big difference in volume comes from the efficiency of a given speaker and also it eq curve because our ears are more sensetive to certain frequencies. Speaker size follows a similar vibe....so some 8 inch speakers can sound like its cutting your head off and a 12 can sound soft and warm. Bear in mind that a 4x12 will not necassarily seem loderr than a 1x12 due to the the fact that the 4 speakers are sharing the load rather than multiplying it. As a result you get more speaker headroom. The other thing to take into account is the fact that most 4x12s are closed back whereas most 1x12 combos are open back. Closed back cabs give a nominal 6db increase in bass frequency response.
So you can practice and gig with a 1x12 easily and a 40w amp will be powerful enough to drive bigger cabinets in the future if the need arises.
Modern amps like the dsl etc can get plenty dirty just by using the preamp section whereas amps of old needed to be cranked to get the power tubes saturating. Now a dsl still has the same power section of the old vintage jcms and plexis so it will sound better and fatter the more you wind up the master volume....but with the extra versatility of the modern preamps you can get a pretty good sound at more manageable levels also.
Re; dirt pedals....the dsl doesnt really need any per se....but if you want an even dirtier sound at lower volumes for practice then theres heaps of great ones for cheap (boss sd1 comes to mind or even the ds1). Even the cheapest analog stomp box will most likely eat your digital distortion for breakfast when paired with a nice amp. The other advantage of a pedal like an sd1 is that it will blend with your amps natural tube sound and take you to another level in terms of gain. this is also due to the fact that you can boost the level enough that you are making your preamp tubes distort further. Of course as you turn up the master volume on your amp...the extra gain cascades down thru to the power tubes also. Digital pedals are designed to create all their own dirt on their own and really dont go particularly well with a tube guitar amp in most cases.
So...a dsl with perhaps a nice (optional) od pedal and you have plenty of wicked, rich, responsive and organic sounds at your fingertips...
