Separate amps for clean and dirty?

[ebagjones]

Anyone do this? I‘ve been considering doing this. The reason why - I like very clean (some would say sterile, I know) high headroom cleans, and down and dirty non-metal high gain. The problem I’ve run into is that, seeking this in one amp, I’m going high wattage to get a clean enough clean, but missing out on getting the power amp cooking. One of my favorite amps is the Budda SuperDrive, and it’s a perfect example of this, because I can get amazing dirt of it but it has 0 clean on it. I could get the 80 watt model but it is insanely loud so I’d never reach the volumes needed to get the power amp cooking.

 

[jeremy]

i used to run a twin and a 50w marshall, it sounds great once you get it dialed in but its such a pita to haul around i only did it for one season of outdoor gigs

 

[Securb]

I considered making my 4x12 Marshal a 2x12/2x12 and running the JCM 2000 and the JC120 into two speakers each. But as Jeremy stated it would not be practical live. If I pulled it off how many people in the audience would even notice the difference in tone anyway.

 

[jeremy]

i know guys that have done that split 4x12 thing and it works well for them. can the audience tell the difference, who knows and who cares. if it works for you and makes you play better, the audience should notice the better performance. the hauling of the gear is the shit part though

 

[80's_Thrash_Metal]

You could buy a JSX. Arguably the best clean channel ever put into a big amp, and plenty of nuts to do all the dirty work as well. It's darn near perfect.

Otherwise yes, using different amps for different tones is an acceptable practice. But a pain to haul gear in a live setting.

 

[Securb]

I have often wondered how it would sound if I played a bunch of lead and heavy rhythm stuff with a fair amount of gain but recorded it clean on a parallel channel, then played it back. Would it suck?

I wondered about doing the same with one of my Fishman guitars. Playing high gain shred with the magnetic but recording the acoustic piezo in its own channel.

 

[JamesPaul]

You could buy a JSX. Arguably the best clean channel ever put into a big amp, and plenty of nuts to do all the dirty work as well. It's darn near perfect.

Otherwise yes, using different amps for different tones is an acceptable practice. But a pain to haul gear in a live setting.

My JSX 212 is my answer. Unfortunately, weighing in at 82 pounds, it is still a bit painful to haul in a live setting.

 

[Mincer]

I think more people would do this if they didn't have to carry such a rig around. Honestly, this is where a modeling rig is perfect.

 

[Ascension]

THIS is why I love my PRS amps so much! GREAT cleans and then a face melting responsive high gain in one box! Best at this by far that i have ever found!! Is why i sold my DC 5 and F 30 Boogies! My MT 15 and Archon heads made them instantly obsolete!

 

[Ascension]

I think more people would do this if they didn't have to carry such a rig around. Honestly, this is where a modeling rig is perfect.

Have done it in the past with a A/B box in fact.
Now I just bring one of the PRS heads and a small pedal board.
Have clips to back it up.
PRS MT 15 at my Church through a miced 1/12 off stage loaded with a WGS Retro 30 and playing the 2017 Kiesel DC 135 on all 3 clips.
Here Red Channel nothing but a little verb in the loop
https://youtu.be/_RZkqIsBJLY
Here running the verb blue channel Boss CS 3 in the front
https://youtu.be/ovwKkcrbD3w
Here the Blue Channel CS 3 in the front and the verb.
https://youtu.be/cVOT7dUyEFo
Now why would i need to run 2 amps when i have this from the MT 15 or Archon??

 

[80's_Thrash_Metal]

My JSX 212 is my answer. Unfortunately, weighing in at 82 pounds, it is still a bit painful to haul in a live setting.

Oh ya those are the heaviest frickin amps ever.... The 2 piece faceplate on the head version is like 12 lbs of steel by itself! Ha ha ha.

 

[Benjy_26]

I think more people would do this if they didn't have to carry such a rig around. Honestly, this is where a modeling rig is perfect.

I was about to say, I set up my modeler to do this on the reg.

 

[hamerfan]

I haven't come around to do this. In my book it's not so much the amp side but the speakers. On the amp side you can use pedals and preamps to cover everything from Fender to Marshall including Mesa, Vox or my fav Hiwatt.
My epiphany experience was when a friend got a used amp with a JBL. I helped him with the amp and he gave me the JBL. To be honest I am a Celestion guy (G12-65 for me all the way). I transplanted the JBL into a old Roland tube amp and had the clean sound of my life, but the JBL does not work on more than a slight distortion.

 

[GuitarStv]

i used to run a twin and a 50w marshall, it sounds great once you get it dialed in but its such a pita to haul around i only did it for one season of outdoor gigs

That must have sounded amazing when it was up and running!

 

[Bogner]

There are many amps that provide what the OP was hoping for in one amp. Two amps are fine, I did it for a long time. Heck, I have done three amps and been fine. This is also where a Kemper could do you very well.

Here are some amps that could handle your objective easily.

PRS Archon
PRS MT-15
Bogner XTC Classic
Diezel Herbert
ENGL SE
Mesa TC-100
Mezzabarba Skill 30
Bogner Helios Eclipse
CAA OD 100

 

[ErikH]

Way too much to haul around with what is out there today. It's simply not practical. In a studio, sure. Live, not so much.

The EVH 5150 III has excellent cleans and we all know how the dirty channels are. Get the 50 watt lunchbox version and a 2x12. Compact and simple with plenty of everything.

 

[jeremy]

That must have sounded amazing when it was up and running!

oh, it did. it was a no compromise rig. the clean sound i wanted and the dirty sound i wanted but fuck me, hauling that around was taxing and it was so damn loud when dialed where i wanted it.

 

[Mincer]

Someone had to have tried wiring both circuits into a single amp.

 

[ErikH]

Someone had to have tried wiring both circuits into a single amp.

That's probably how those modular Randall amps came to be (in the 90's?). You could have one Fender like module and another Marshall like. Pretty ingenious idea really.

 

[Mincer]

I know Mesa had done something similar, but their 'Fender' sounds always have a touch too many mids. I have their Blue Angel, which is sort of a 'Deluxe-a-like', but it has a lot more mids than my Deluxe.