went to a local music store..played through lots of expensive amps

[shreder75]

haven't been to this particular store in a LONG time...it shall remain nameless to protect the innocent..but at the time, they didn't have much of a selection and the people that worked there were never much of a help..this was before I discovered guitar center of course =)

anywho, they had a TON of amps there....nice amps...expensive amps....this is what I played through:

Genz Benz El Diablo...I originally went there to try out a gflex 2x12 cab...of course, they didn't have it, but they had the GB head through the 4x12...what did I think of the cab? couldn't tell..cause I really didn't like the head..at all...

played through some Orange amps...wasn't very impressed...

played through a THD amp..once again, wasn't very impressed...where's that $1600 going to? who knows =)

Played through a badcat...wasn't impressed...

played through a Diezel Herbert....by far the best sounding distortion in the whole place...then again, for $4100 it had better sound good =) sounded great...did it sound like four grand though? not to me it didn't...

they had a H&K triamp there but it wasn't hooked into a cab and it was on top of the 4x12 diezel half stack so I couldn't reach it...lol...I hate being short =)

they had some Framus amps there too, but same problem...and I didn't have all thatmuch time..

what was the most surprising were the little Groove Tube combos and practice amps....best sounding clean I've heard in a LONG time..and the gain channels were pretty neat too..not a bad little practice amp =)

anyway, this is for anyone who cares..lol

 

[JeffB]

Re: went to a local music store..played through lots of expensive amps

did you get these things up in volume?

I've become very dissillusioned with these "boutique" manufacturers...$4K for a diezel...pffft.....

People complain for example about Gibson pricing...IMO most of these "boutique" amp companies are reaming musicians more than Gibson ever has. I've played a couple $3000 amps that didn't sound any better (and some worse) than my $1100 MESA F-50 or $1300 Rivera. Tone is subjective and all that...but that's just my experience with boutiques..

I'd rather buy from Splawn, or Voodoo or some small "clone" company...tone/quality as good or better than the big name boutiques and pricing is very reasonable.

 

[tone4days]

Re: went to a local music store..played through lots of expensive amps

thanks for the review ... good to know that high $$$ dont always equal a slma dunk on tone quaity ...

may i ask what kind of sound you were hoping for and what kind of guitar / pickups you used to test the amps?

cheers
t4d

 

[shreder75]

Re: went to a local music store..played through lots of expensive amps

I didn't get too too loud with them..I don't like being annoying..especially when there are customers in there...a couple of older women getting a violin serviced...lol....wouldn't wanna blow their ear drums out with some metal related mayhem..heheh...

I have a feeling that some of them had to be cranked..like the THD and the Orange..

I totally agree with you though...as you can see from my signature, I have a b-52 amp..not expensive by any stretch of the imagination..got it for $700....but I'd take it in a heartbeat over just about any of the more expensive amps I've played...

I played it in a guitar center the other day..a PRS into the same amp I have which was running through the at100 4x12 cabinet..and it sounded every bit as good as the wayyy overpriced diezel...(as an aside, the b-52 cab sounds alot better than the 2x12 vetta extension open backed cab I'm playing through at home..which is why I'm looking into a g-flex..but I digress)...does it have as many bells and whistles? no..but it's got what I need..a nice useable clean tone, good reverb, true bypass fx loop, two gain channels, three recto settings, great sturdy foot pedal...

if I had the cash, I would love a splawn quickrod, but as it stands (cabinet woes aside) I couldn't be any happier than I am with my amp...

so I know exactly what you're saying =)

 

[shreder75]

Re: went to a local music store..played through lots of expensive amps

thanks for the review ... good to know that high $$$ dont always equal a slma dunk on tone quaity ...

may i ask what kind of sound you were hoping for and what kind of guitar / pickups you used to test the amps?

cheers
t4d

i'm a high gain kinda guy...lol..so I'm always going for nice tight crunch with good palm muting and great harmonics..I guess the best way to describe it would be a brown sound? hard to say....maybe a lynch type of tone would be more accurate..so hard to explain these things...lol....when I play I do alotta muted stacatto licks and harmonics...

anywho, I played through a few guitars...the one that I ended up trying through all these amps was a yamaha..but it was loaded with a Duncan...a true duncan..not sure which one though..

I couldn't get ANY gain outta the orange or the THD..and the badcat was just muddy..

the genz benz was also very muddy and non focussed (and I highly doubt that was because of the gflex cab..I always hear they're punchy and have tight bottom end...which is why I'm so interested in them)

 

[shreder75]

Re: went to a local music store..played through lots of expensive amps

just thought of a way to describe the tone I was getting at guitar center using the PRS into the at-100 through the at 4x12 cab...

if you've heard it, it sounded very similar to Steve Steven's tone on the vince neil exposed album

 

[JeffB]

Re: went to a local music store..played through lots of expensive amps

Any time you can cop Steve Steven's tone...you better keep/buy whatever the hell it is you are using...Steve is a tone monster...

I believe you put up clips of your B52 head when you first got it, no? If so I remember liking that amp..kinda like a Soldano/Marshall hybrid...

Neither my MESA F50 or my Rivera amp cost an arm and a leg. I'm amazed at the Rivera in particular...cos I did not have good experiences with them years ago, and basically dismissed them. While I was on vacay I saw the current issue of GP, and they reviewed the Chubster 55, and basically said the same thing....incredible amp for the $.

Traynor is another great value for the $ amp.

 

[shreder75]

Re: went to a local music store..played through lots of expensive amps

Any time you can cop Steve Steven's tone...you better keep/buy whatever the hell it is you are using...Steve is a tone monster...

I believe you put up clips of your B52 head when you first got it, no? If so I remember liking that amp..kinda like a Soldano/Marshall hybrid...

Neither my MESA F50 or my Rivera amp cost an arm and a leg. I'm amazed at the Rivera in particular...cos I did not have good experiences with them years ago, and basically dismissed them. While I was on vacay I saw the current issue of GP, and they reviewed the Chubster 55, and basically said the same thing....incredible amp for the $.

Traynor is another great value for the $ amp.

I totally agree about steve's tone, man....the sound he got on that album is UNGODLY!! it just friggin' rips! doesn't hurt that he himself is an animal as well...lol...

yeah, I put them up awhile ago...they weren't the best quality cause they were just recorded with a crummy little pc mic..I have a mic, but no pre so I can't record at home yet =(

I hear pretty good things about Rivera....I've also been hearing alotta buzz about those Traynor amps on this board as well...

 

[twoheadedboy]

Re: went to a local music store..played through lots of expensive amps

"boutique" is something that i don't do. i think the high price tag is usually unjustified, and yeah, there are a ton of small builders out there who can do it just as well for cheaper, and will be more readily available to service your amp.

 

[shreder75]

Re: went to a local music store..played through lots of expensive amps

"boutique" is something that i don't do. i think the high price tag is usually unjustified, and yeah, there are a ton of small builders out there who can do it just as well for cheaper, and will be more readily available to service your amp.

there was a time when I thought that boutique was the way to go..or I would just buy something for the name and try to convince myself that I liked it or that if it's pricey it's 'gotta be good!'...bought a 5150 head and lots of mesa gear for those reasons....was never really happy with any of them..lol...

they say you get what you pay for...most times that's true..but I'm finding that it doesn't always mean that astronomical is better either =)

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: went to a local music store..played through lots of expensive amps

The majority of boutique amps aren't made for high gain, but rather a big fat clean that breaks into natural tube OD. If you play metal, you'll never like those amps, no matter how expensive they are.

I agree that Diezel is way overpriced. Bogner also costs a lot, but is a little more reasonable. Those are still the reigning kings of multi channel tube amps. However, you don't have to pay big money to get great tone. You just need to direct yourself towards the right style of amps, and make sure your style, hands, pickups, guitar, and amp, are all dialed in to get you exactly what you want.

I've gotten great tones w/Boss pedals into Marshalls and Fenders, and I've gotten great tones plugging straight into a $4000 Bogner halfstack. I could play or record with either setup, and still sound perfectly fine.

 

[Lava Man]

Re: went to a local music store..played through lots of expensive amps

I had a similiar experience although there were some great sounding amps brought by two stores and some other musicians to ToneFest event recently in NC. Here are the amps that were there:

Germino - Owner Greg demo'd them - whew! what a great sounding amp
Top Hat - The Emplexador - wow! (Owner Brian was there)
65 Amps - The standout
/13 - Another great Sounding amp
Bogner - The king of three channel
Two Rock - I could not get a bad sund out these amps
Fuchs - the new7 watt - a lot punch for that wattage
Guytron - Great Marshalesque sound
Splawn - another great sounding amp
Tone King- Just OK
Dr.Z. - Holy Cow! Never heard puch like that before
Bad Cat - OK sounding

It was boutique amp heaven....

 

[ankalar]

Re: went to a local music store..played through lots of expensive amps

Well you see, this is your problem. You played a Bad Cat, an Orange, and a THD, but not the Triamp or Framus. You won't see a Bad Cat, Orange, or THD in metal.