Worst and best tube amps you've ever played?

[Joey Voltage]

Re: Worst and best tube amps you've ever played?

I haven't really played too many that I thought were unsalvageable, but that said the worst was a Voodoo modded Marshall I had in for modification because it sounded that bad. to make matters worse the whole board was covered in epoxy. After I managed to get off all the epoxy, the magic circuit wasn't even wired correctly, nor for the life of me could I determine what was so ground breaking that it required the whole board to be gooped. The second worse would probably be an epi valve junior, and last maybe a crate blue voodoo.

as far as good, there have been so many more in this category that its hard to list them all.

 

[IM4Tone]

Re: Worst and best tube amps you've ever played?

Lots of good ones....mostly Fender. I'm not a high gain user, so I stay away from them.
Worst: Only one and I hated it....the Bugera V22.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: Worst and best tube amps you've ever played?

One amp I didn't really care for was some Krank head I tried a couple years ago. I don't think it was the Krankenstein - possibly the Nineteen80, and I just thought it had this bright fizz to the top end that I just didn't like. Although I generally prefer older style amps, I don't particularly disfavor modern high gain amps - I really enjoy a 6505+ - but the Krank wasn't one of them.

Kranks are definitely love/hate amps. I love my Rev Jr., and the full-size Rev1 is probably ones of the best amps I've heard, but they've definitely got this thing going on in the high-end. Don't know if it is inherent to all Kranks, but the Krankenstein seems to have it as well. It's this chainsaw kinda grating voicing to the highs that makes them mean-sounding amps, especially for Swedish-inspired stuff, IMO.

 

[Van Noord]

Re: Worst and best tube amps you've ever played?

Kranks are definitely love/hate amps. I love my Rev Jr., and the full-size Rev1 is probably ones of the best amps I've heard, but they've definitely got this thing going on in the high-end. Don't know if it is inherent to all Kranks, but the Krankenstein seems to have it as well. It's this chainsaw kinda grating voicing to the highs that makes them mean-sounding amps, especially for Swedish-inspired stuff, IMO.

I actually really liked the only Rev1 that I ever played. It was a 2x12 combo, in banana yellow tolex. This was during their hayday.
I liked it's stiff, tight sounding gain. I remember backing off the gain a lot because the highs and buzz got hairy fast. I dialed it in rather dry and percussive and thought it would scream with a nice juicy sounding boost pedal and a preamp tube swap around.

 

[dxlxntxxlxr]

Re: Worst and best tube amps you've ever played?

It is my favorite Mesa amp.

so like a 1 channel dual rec?

 

[dxlxntxxlxr]

Re: Worst and best tube amps you've ever played?

Lots of good ones....mostly Fender. I'm not a high gain user, so I stay away from them.
Worst: Only one and I hated it....the Bugera V22.

Oh yeah, the v22 was absolutely ****

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: Worst and best tube amps you've ever played?

Best
Probably that mid nineties Prosonic
It was awesome
Of course it could have been that 4k McCarthy PRS I was playing
But then the American Standard sounded great too
Heck the Squire did as well
Everything sounded great through that thing

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Worst and best tube amps you've ever played?

Everything sounded great through that thing

My silverface Super is like that. The only thing it didn't like was a Distortion-loaded Epiphone Les Paul, so the LP got returned.

That said, that Super is my favorite amp. The only thing I really want in addition is a smaller, lighter, quieter version that sounds exactly the same.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: Worst and best tube amps you've ever played?

I actually really liked the only Rev1 that I ever played. It was a 2x12 combo, in banana yellow tolex. This was during their hayday.
I liked it's stiff, tight sounding gain. I remember backing off the gain a lot because the highs and buzz got hairy fast. I dialed it in rather dry and percussive and thought it would scream with a nice juicy sounding boost pedal and a preamp tube swap around.

Oh, yeah, the Rev is also kinda picky with gain levels. It's hard to find the right spot between undergained and overgained with them. They've got this dry-ish character to them. I think those Kranks sound better with heavy-handed picking.

 

[allbutromeo]

Re: Worst and best tube amps you've ever played?

Best: my Fender Hot Rod Deluxe clean channel cranked to breakup
Worst: my Fender Hot Rod Deluxe on the dirty channel

This is kind of a joke, my MkV is the best amp I've ever ownd/played, the HRDX dirty channel IS still the worst though. I've played through a lot of "great" amps, just not long enough or loud enough for them to have a chance at the top spot.

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: Worst and best tube amps you've ever played?

Best:

Any Mesa Boogie, though not fond of Single/Dual/Triple Rectos and the Roadster.

Any Blackface mid-'60s Fender. Any Paul Rivera-designed "II" Fender.

Any Music Man, especially the 65-watt models.

Marshall JCM 800, 25TH and 30TH Anniversary models, JTM 45. In the right situation, they rock.



Least fav:

Most Peaveys, due to very noisy gain channels.

Dean Markley Signature.

Later SUNN tube amps.

Acoustic Control combos...Mesa wannabes...without the tone.

Red Knob Fenders. Most Fender amps with gain channels...can't compare to the Mesa.

Many Rivera amps; well-built, good tone...but very stiff feeling.

ENGL. Wizard. AIMS. H-K.

And many more.

Bill

 

[risingforce]

Re: Worst and best tube amps you've ever played?

Best:

EVH III
Blackstar Series One
Blackstar Vintage Pro 40
Engl Fireball

Worst:

All Fender models
All Jet City models
Mesa Boogie Rectoverb Dual Rectifier

 

[Mincer]

Re: Worst and best tube amps you've ever played?

so like a 1 channel dual rec?

Well, it only shares the name with the dual rect- it uses both rectifiers at the same time. It is more like a Deluxe married to a Vox AC30, with no master volume, glorious reverb, and 2 sets of power tubes used alone or together.

 

[dxlxntxxlxr]

Re: Worst and best tube amps you've ever played?

Well, it only shares the name with the dual rect- it uses both rectifiers at the same time. It is more like a Deluxe married to a Vox AC30, with no master volume, glorious reverb, and 2 sets of power tubes used alone or together.

Oh cool!

 

[Kruspe]

Re: Worst and best tube amps you've ever played?

Best : Friedman, doesnt matter what type.. all of them, Mesa J2C.
Worst : crate blue voodoo the cheap model not the 150W model, sounded like a total ****.

 

[dxlxntxxlxr]

Re: Worst and best tube amps you've ever played?

Best : Friedman, doesnt matter what type.. all of them, Mesa J2C.
Worst : crate blue voodoo the cheap model not the 150W model, sounded like a total ****.

Whered u try a jp2c?

 

[mantis]

Re: Worst and best tube amps you've ever played?

Best Tube amps I've owned/ Played through
Fender Twin Reverb
Fender Bassman 10
Marshall JCM800
Krank Revolution 1
Mesa Boogie TC-50
Bogner Ubershall

Worst Amps I've owned/ Played
Vox Valvetronix( Hybrid) 120
EVH III 50 watt

 

[dxlxntxxlxr]

Re: Worst and best tube amps you've ever played?

Best Tube amps I've owned/ Played through
Fender Twin Reverb
Fender Bassman 10
Marshall JCM800
Krank Revolution 1
Mesa Boogie TC-50
Bogner Ubershall

Worst Amps I've owned/ Played
Vox Valvetronix( Hybrid) 120
EVH III 50 watt

1 more 5153 hater! Welcome!

 

[Diego]

Re: Worst and best tube amps you've ever played?

I saw Marty Friedman play a Crate Blue Voodoo with a Duncan-loaded Jackson Les Paul from 30 feet away in a guitar clinic (I think this was 2002) and not even he could make it sound great, just OK.

 

[dxlxntxxlxr]

Re: Worst and best tube amps you've ever played?

I saw Marty Friedman play a Crate Blue Voodoo with a Duncan-loaded Jackson Les Paul from 30 feet away in a guitar clinic (I think this was 2002) and not even he could make it sound great, just OK.

lol the blue voodoo is actually listed on his wikipedia page