options for apartment dwelling metallers?

on the march

on the march

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I've had to move into a small apt, will probably be for a few years, and I had to put my Splawn Quick Rod half-stack in climate-controlled storage for the time being. I actually tried to use it lol :smack: the Splawn is a loud midrange-pumpin metal crunchin' mofo! wishful thinking, I guess.

so is digital modeling my best option? I was thinking one of these and a pair of active studio monitors?

any particular brand/model I should check out? I use a Strat and play metal and rock like Ozzy, Uli Roth, Deep Purple, Yngwie, Joe Stump, Candlemass, Judas Priest, Mercyful Fate.

I'm still in mourning and suffering from tube-withdrawal...but will try to drag my ass to some guitar shops this weekend and check out some possible solutions.

thanks!
 
Re: options for apartment dwelling metallers?

Mesa Dual Recto

One amp i have discovered lately that I love is the Peavey XXL. It's 100 watts butnot tube. I've only played it at high volume for band practice but I LOVE this amp. Given it's solid state and modeling it shouldnt be too bad. Also it has 3 or 4 power settings. 25 50 and 100w
 
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Re: options for apartment dwelling metallers?

Here's the best solution for a low volume version of your Quickrod. Buy the Vox Valvetronix AD60VTH head. I know it's blue and looks retro, but it's a metal machine, in addition to all the classic cleans. Even producer Bob Rock uses it for major albums, usually as a secondary stereo track with whatever tube amp he's micing.

By buying the 60W head, you can continue to enjoy the sound of your cabinet, which your ears are already used to. The Vox has a variable wattage selector, so you can bring the overall level down to barely audible levels, with no loss of tone or gain. That's the beauty of modelers....they don't rely on being cranked. On the Vox modelers, you should always keep one of the 3 overdrive models on at all times, using it to further shape the tone. You can pinpoint the sound of most amps, including the Quickrod by choosing the amp model that resembles it closest. Then, use the OD gain, the amp gain, and the 2 amp volumes to dial in the exact gain style you want.
Plus, the amp has headphone out and Line Out, with their own volume control.

You could get by with the less expensive chrome front AD100 head, but the blue Valvetronix amps have more amps, FX, and features. Unlike other amps, the Valvetronix has a variable noise gate, so you can use super highgain without all the hiss.

If you could hear the AD60 head and your cab, compared to a practice combo, you wouldn't even consider a little combo.
 
Re: options for apartment dwelling metallers?

as long as you've still got your amp for when you're not playin' in the appt. I say check out a Fender G-dec 30 watt.

Rock on ~ kac
 
Re: options for apartment dwelling metallers?

Gearjoneser said:
Here's the best solution for a low volume version of your Quickrod. Buy the Vox Valvetronix AD60VTH head. ......If you could hear the AD60 head and your cab, compared to a practice combo, you wouldn't even consider a little combo.
Click to expand...

I'm gonna second Joe's comment. I do something similar with my Line6 Flextone II (2x12 combo). I use the Brit Hi-Gain channel with a tubescreamer in front, dialed for low drive and high level - and to my ears I get in the ballpark to my Competition 2nd Gear at full tilt.

However, I haven't played the Vox, but I trust Joe's judgement. My point being that with some tweaking a good modeler can sound close (at bedroom volumes) to a cranked up Toob (to my untrained ears anyway).
 
Re: options for apartment dwelling metallers?

That's the whole reason I even like modelers, is because of their ability to clone the sound of a tube amp, but run at levels that are appropriate for using in an apartment. When the speaker cab is the same one you use with your tube head, the modeler can be like the low volume substitute for your regular sound.
 
Re: options for apartment dwelling metallers?

I will third jonesers option, I have experience with those vox amps and they are machines!
 
Re: options for apartment dwelling metallers?

Screw that, dude.

Pissing off your neighbors is metal.

Crank that Quickrod.
 
Re: options for apartment dwelling metallers?

The higher-end vox modelling amps have built-in overdrive pedal models, how sweet is that, lol.
 
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