5150 or ENGL? (or Blackstar HT-5, Egnater Tweaker, or Orange Tiny Terror?)

[BenoA]

Can't comment on the value of those Mesa but there is a single recto at the place where we rehearse. Not a bad amp but to my taste, my 6505 eats it alive. YMMV

As for checking the amp. Make sure all the knobs/pots work and that they are not scratchy sounding. The 5150/6505 are well built. Check for heavy/deep bumps on the chassis. This could give you a good idea if the amp has been dropped. Any cosmetics issues too.

 

[Wohma]

Thunder is a poor man's ENGL, but you may still like it (seems like you do). There isn't really that much difference between 50W and 100W amps, but on a 50W-er it's definitely easier to dial a bedroom volume.

By the way, 6505 112 is made in China and the circuit does differ a bit. However, you can still get some nice sounds out of it. Our second guitarist had an old 5150 combo remade into a head and when played through my ENGL cabinet, it sounded really great.

 

[Skyweaver]

I've both 5150 and Ht5 and happy - the next buy will be a larger Blackstar, if I had to get rid of one it would be the 5150 because the HT5 is more versatile

 

[rispsira]

As I suggested above, and in the mean time, you could try this:

I got the E1 (ENGL version) and it's a fun pedal. Sounds even good a band level.

Sorry for the OT but you mind me asking you how u use this pedal? are you using its cab sim straight into PA with band rehearsal or how do you have it hooked up exactly? I have plenty of amps yet a guy i know just became the dealer of AMT and im wondering if i need one more toy haha!

 

[Virgil.]

^^^I was just looking at these pedals and wondering the same thing!

 

[Trevoire520]

I've played the Engl Thunder and to be honest it's actually quite a similar sound to the 6505. A bit darker but not a million miles away by any means. Certainly does cleans better than the 6505 as it actually has a dedicated clean channel!

 

[BenoA]

Sorry for the OT but you mind me asking you how u use this pedal? are you using its cab sim straight into PA with band rehearsal or how do you have it hooked up exactly? I have plenty of amps yet a guy i know just became the dealer of AMT and im wondering if i need one more toy haha!

Cab sim is decent.

Judge it for yourself:

When I use it, I play my AMT into the poweramp (power in or fx return) of the amp that is available at the rehearsal space we rent by the hour every week.

Hope it helps.

 

[rispsira]

thanks for the answer man ill check it out now!

 

[Virgil.]

I think those pedals are pretty similar to what the Blackstar HT-5 is... a pedal designed to sound like an amp. I know the HT-5 is pretty much nothing more than one of their tube pedals housed in an amp head casing/enclosure and technically is a "tube amp" but not in the sense that it has multiple tubes or anything in a preamp section. That's how they're able to keep it the price of a pedal pretty much. So these AMT pedals seem pretty similar in the sense that it's emulating an amp head, but it's still just a pedal that you would need a power section to run. I know I'm not making a lot of sense... it's early where I'm at.

 

[Virgil.]

What do you guys think of the Krank Rev Jr. Pro 20w? It's within my budget... low wattage... sounds great for recording... 2 channel (at least I'll have a clean channel for some of the post-rock stuff I like to do)... more gain than an Orange TT or the Blackstar HT-5... worth it?

And with a coupon I have, I could get it for approx. $540. Suggestions?

 

[Virgil.]

Or any experience with the Bogner Alchemist 112 combo? I'm not a fan of combos, but for the price, this thing seems to sound pretty good.

 

[Brandon E.]

Get the rev jr pro. For real. Clean channel sounds really good however you don't have great control over its EQ, but the gain channel is just crazy awesome as good or better than a 5150

 

[Virgil.]

Get the rev jr pro. For real. Clean channel sounds really good however you don't have great control over its EQ, but the gain channel is just crazy awesome as good or better than a 5150

Did you use the 20w in your amp shootout thread?

Edit: nevermind, just checked the thread again and saw it's the 50w AND the 20w you used. They sound great!

Well, I've narrowed down my choices between (in order of preference I'm considering):
- Blackstar HT-5H (The ONLY thing I dislike about this amp is that it only has 1 preamp tube and 1 power tube. Like I said earlier, it's essentially one of their tube pedals in an amp-head casing. But it's a badass little amp for the price and has a thick crunchy gain with lots of low end, but still crisp)

- Krank Rev Jr. Pro 20w (Guitar Center is a dealer, but they don't carry any... wtf?!? I've heard horrible reviews about Krank's build quality, and I really hate buying an amp without testing it first. So idk...)

- Egnater Rebel 20w (I really like the fact that this is a nice boutique'ish tube amp, but I hate the fact that I have to share the clean and gain on a one channel amp. This is where the Blackstar won me over while testing both at Guitar Center)

 

[Wohma]

Do not go for Rebel 20W for brootz or any serious high-gain application - it can do a high-gain, but the character of the distortion is somehow strange. You tried and liked its dist channel?

 

[Virgil.]

Do not go for Rebel 20W for brootz or any serious high-gain application - it can do a high-gain, but the character of the distortion is somehow strange. You tried and liked its dist channel?

I've heard a lot of people really like it when boosted through a bigger 2x12 (like an Orange or Mesa cab).... but when I tried it out, I didn't like it at all, not even the clean channel. I think it was due to the fact though I was testing out a used version of it (all they had in stock in the store) and the tubes were probably dead; and thus probably the reason it sounded muddy and dull.

I think I may just say screw it all and, despite it being torture fighting GAS, just save up for a Dual Recto (what I really want)

 

[ols]

*puts helmet on and full body armour*

...bugera 6262? bloody good amps for the money and they can do comparable tones to 5150/6505 heads. Ive never seen one break personally, and somebody who i know who works at a local music store outlet has told me that he gets more 6505s in for repair than any bugeras.

worth a shot.

 

[ols]

..plus (dont know why i forgot to mention this..) but i owned a 5150 mk1 while my band mate at the time had a 6262, both sat wired into cabs in my dining room. I spent a lot of time A/Bing both heads and i was actually pretty annoyed at how good the bugera was (and how cheap it was in comparison to my 5150).

Its always gonna be a taboo subject, but its DEFINATELY worth looking at one of those. I would have picked one up myself, but i went for a laney GH50L when i inevitably sold my 5150.

 

[Virgil.]

..plus (dont know why i forgot to mention this..) but i owned a 5150 mk1 while my band mate at the time had a 6262, both sat wired into cabs in my dining room. I spent a lot of time A/Bing both heads and i was actually pretty annoyed at how good the bugera was (and how cheap it was in comparison to my 5150).

Its always gonna be a taboo subject, but its DEFINATELY worth looking at one of those. I would have picked one up myself, but i went for a laney GH50L when i inevitably sold my 5150.

I was actually considering a Bugera 6262 or 6260... but at that price point I was told to just find a used 5150 or 6505. Haha! There are absolutely no shops around here (that I know of anyway!) that carry any of these heads, so the only thing I could do is order it first... but it kinda sucks not being able to try it out first. I would also need an attenuator for sure!

 

[kvoid]

I'd get a Bugera too.

If not that, the Rev Jr. is a very decent amp for smaller gigs too. And this is coming from someone who thought the v1 Rev. to be a total loss.

The HT-5H is chock full of opamps. Far from an all tube amp. I bet that single 12AX7 is doing nothing but filtering, Wolfe is the man to ask on that subject though.

I'd also consider the Jet City JCA20H. Stick a tubescreamer infront of it. Should be killer.

 

[Virgil.]

Well guys, I actually ended up getting the Blackstar HT-5H for now. I'm low on funds and that was the best thing that fit my budget that sounded the best to my ears... at the end of the day, I don't really care if it has opamps; afterall, doesn't a single rectifier have that too? And don't most people throw tube screamers and other pedals in front of their tube amps, thus rendering their tubes as nothing but "filters" anyway? I really like the sound of it, and just needed a good practice amp and something that sounded good for bedroom recording levels. In a few months I will have saved up for a Dual Recto so this small $300 purchase will be a moot point. Thanks for everyone's advice and input. This thing sounds great through my Mesa 212