saving up for new amp....Again!!

[SOLO GUITAR STEWIE]

GAS has really gotten the best of me, and with my recent fortune with my Peavey so cal combo and Behringer amps I really am looking for a new amp and I keep coming back to a couple, So please vote and let me know what ya'll think!

My main problems with my amps:

Behringer - Good little amp, decent clean tone but absolutely crap with pedals and any type of gain tone.

Peavey - Good clean tone but not enough clean headroom - (read volume)
gains are great with a box infront of the clean channel
overdrive channel very excessive on the high-mids and treble

amps im looking at:

Bogner Alchemist or Shiva - Awesome clean tone and volume, good with pedals lots of routing options.

Mesa Boogie Lonestar or Stilletto - same as above but with better gain options.

option three - your choice

Chris

 

[caucajun]

Re: saving up for new amp....Again!!

if i had to start all over.........i'd prolly get a used silverface fender (40-65 watts) , set it loud, use thin picks and a lite touch, and have a few good pedals.

laterutahere:

 

[Farkus]

Re: saving up for new amp....Again!!

What about a Fender Hot Rod Dlx? Takes pedals well, has a good clean tone. You can probably snag one used for a really reasonable price.

 

[paytojt]

Re: saving up for new amp....Again!!

The Shiva is supposed to be better than the Stiletto, which is like a Marshall on steroids. I heard the Shiva can't take pedals well, and I know the Stiletto does. The Lonestar is one of the best clean amps around, and has a great solo sound (just check out Andy Timmons video on Mesa's website here:
http://www.mesaboogie.com/gallery_artist/video/AndyTimmons-hi.html

Not too keen on the Lonestar for rhythm while I had it, but great for soloing. It would be great for rhythm with the right pedal, since it takes those so well. I'm more of a high gain player, so I went to Stiletto to Roadster and now back to Stiletto because I needed a little cash... Hot Rod Deluxe suggestion was good if you don't want to play super high gain.

 

[Hot _Grits]

Re: saving up for new amp....Again!!

The shiva takes pedals very well, and would be my pick of those listed for using with pedals. In my opinion the EL34 version is superior to the Stiletto and the 6l6 version is superior to the lonestar. Nothing wrong with the Mesas, but the Shiva is a step up.

Personally, I'd go for an EL34 Shiva and run it with greenbacks or G12H30s. My only crticism of that amp is that the mids can get a bit too thick on the overdrive side with V30s.

Haven't heard the Alchemist, but initial reports are encouraging.

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: saving up for new amp....Again!!

Never tried Bogner's offerings, but you did mention that a good, loud clean is a must, so I'd recommend a Rivera. Twin killing cleans and OD that makes Marshall freaks do a double take all in one box.

BTW, I like the cleans from my R100 way better than most Mesa cleans (save for the Mk IV and Heartbreaker).

 

[paytojt]

Re: saving up for new amp....Again!!

I've been a Mesa fan for a long time. I wish their was a Bogner dealer close so I could see what all the fuss is about! Either way, I think one would be happy. I think many people's impressions of Mesa's would be better if they shipped them out with better tubes. I really don't like the stock ones, and have been able to make vast improvements in tone, at least on the Mesas I've owned, by swapping and experimenting with pre and power tubes.

 

[B2D]

Re: saving up for new amp....Again!!

I think you'd be very happy with a Shiva or an Alchemist.

 

[\m/(00)\m/]

Re: saving up for new amp....Again!!

I'm partial to the lonestar

 

[SOLO GUITAR STEWIE]

Re: saving up for new amp....Again!!

I think you'd be very happy with a Shiva or an Alchemist.

Ya, well I remember drooling and oogling your extacy at the last jam....I could have played that amp all night!! (and somehow It seemed like I was playing better and with more confidence)

Chris

 

[Dr.Mavashi]

Re: saving up for new amp....Again!!

Why are such high-gainers, I would think you are not gonna need that much saturation.

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: saving up for new amp....Again!!

I voted Stiletto because I have the Ace head. Here's the review:

https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?t=137514

It has excellent clean, but if you lean more towards the Fendery clean side of things, and don't need a lot of gain, the Lonestar would be a great choice as well. Those are the two best amps in Mesa's line right now IMO.

 

[Yngwiestein]

Re: saving up for new amp....Again!!

Two amps come to mind right now. A Budda Superdrive 45 and Soldano Decatone. Both have stunningly good clean and overdriven sounds. It's not only that they sound good it's also that it's a real playing experience. Nothing out there sounds like them. You can find your own sound with either one.

I love my Decatone like crazy. I use it every day for practicing clean. The clean channel is like no other. Both of them can also get pretty brutal if that's what you want.

 

[Bludave]

Re: saving up for new amp....Again!!

Well I haven't played through most listed, but I do own a Shiva and I love it. I particularity like the clean channel and the reverb on the Shiva. The drive channel is a little strong in the midrange, but I've been able to dial in a pretty good tone with it. I've heard a lot of great things about the Alchemist but have not played through one yet. The others listed just don't really appeal to me.

 

[B2D]

Re: saving up for new amp....Again!!

Ya, well I remember drooling and oogling your extacy at the last jam....I could have played that amp all night!! (and somehow It seemed like I was playing better and with more confidence)

Chris

Yeah, when you play an amp that seems like it makes you sound better and play better, that's usually the one you wanna go after. That liquid Bogner feel makes playing really fun too.

 

[B2D]

Re: saving up for new amp....Again!!

Well I haven't played through most listed, but I do own a Shiva and I love it. I particularity like the clean channel and the reverb on the Shiva. The drive channel is a little strong in the midrange, but I've been able to dial in a pretty good tone with it. I've heard a lot of great things about the Alchemist but have not played through one yet. The others listed just don't really appeal to me.

Do you have the EL34 version or the 6L6 version?

 

[SOLO GUITAR STEWIE]

Re: saving up for new amp....Again!!

well yesterday (monday) I went to guitar center and was able to play the alchemist and the Egnater 4100. Of the two I really enjoyed the alchemist but was having trouble with the overall volume of the amp (no master volume...), the clean channel was great and I was able to get a great lead tone from the overdrive, with a couple of pedals I believe I could get almost any tone I want from that amp. The Egnater on the other hand was mediocre at best, clean channel was good but not great, and I was having a really hard time getting any good crunch or lead tones from channels 2-4 on the amp, although to be fair I only had about 10-15 min with each amp. I really want to try the Egnater rebel and see what it sounds like but unfortunately the cerritos GC didnt have one!

Chris

 

[SOLO GUITAR STEWIE]

Re: saving up for new amp....Again!!

Yeah, when you play an amp that seems like it makes you sound better and play better, that's usually the one you wanna go after. That liquid Bogner feel makes playing really fun too.

No kidding that amp is just rediculous, with a little delay I was in drool land.

Chris

 

[Hoss]

Re: saving up for new amp....Again!!

have you ever tried any of the Traynor YCV 40s or 50s!?

they would both be a major improvement over the amps you've had so far and not nearly as $$$$ as the others on your list! (used of course!)

 

[B2D]

Re: saving up for new amp....Again!!

well yesterday (monday) I went to guitar center and was able to play the alchemist and the Egnater 4100. Of the two I really enjoyed the alchemist but was having trouble with the overall volume of the amp (no master volume...), the clean channel was great and I was able to get a great lead tone from the overdrive, with a couple of pedals I believe I could get almost any tone I want from that amp. The Egnater on the other hand was mediocre at best, clean channel was good but not great, and I was having a really hard time getting any good crunch or lead tones from channels 2-4 on the amp, although to be fair I only had about 10-15 min with each amp. I really want to try the Egnater rebel and see what it sounds like but unfortunately the cerritos GC didnt have one!

Chris

I tried the Egnater through it's 4x12 cab and loved it, but I haven't been able to play it since as the Egnaters in GC all have broken/burned/missing tubes. Honestly I can't trust tube amp demos in GC because they're so horribly treated and may not be sounding up to 100% unless they're fresh from the box.

What kind of trouble were you having with the Bogner's volume? I played the Beta version that Institute of Noise brought to a gig and it was quite controllable.