amp help

xOrdinary_Storyx

xOrdinary_Storyx

shredder
Jan 24, 2004
154
0
16
deviltown NJ!
hey everyone. when i play with my band, my peavey classic 50 with my pedal has always been enough. Now that were taking our music and sound more seriosuly, im looking for a well rounded metal amp. should i go with some midrange priced amp (5150, xxx, etc) or should i save more for a higher priced one (dual recitifer, mode four). im still in high school, so at the rate i make money, the difference in price of about a $1000 or so is a very hard to obtain amount, but i figure its worth it. any feedback will help.
-Alec
 
HEY, 5150 is an awsome amp..but i think its too pricey. you can alwasy get a used marshall head for half that price. ive been using the same marshall head for over 10 years with no problems. there are some really good solid state amps out there too. just go mess around at the store.
 
sixnutfury said:
HEY, 5150 is an awsome amp..but i think its too pricey. you can alwasy get a used marshall head for half that price. ive been using the same marshall head for over 10 years with no problems. there are some really good solid state amps out there too. just go mess around at the store.
Click to expand...

yeah. i like the 5150 for metal sounds, but from what ive heard, theres two bad things about them. 1) the clean channel, 2) running an effects loop thins the sound like hell. i like some of the solid state stuff thats out there, but when it comes down to it, im more of a tube player...just like the sound more. anything i buy will most likely be used, so i just need to look around i guess. thanks bro.
 
Look into Laney, like maybe a GH100L head, or, my personal favorite, a Crate Blue Voodoo. You can get lots of good tube heads on ebay for real cheap, just gotta shop around. But let me tell you now, dont buy a solid state amp, if you're going to spend that much money, buy a tube amp that will last you forever with great tone.
 
You didn't specify how much you had or were willing to spend. You say a difference of $1000 is a big deal (which it is), but you don't state how much you can afford.

For the 400-800 price range, I'd suggest getting a nice used unit. Look for 5150's (I've seen them sell for as little as $400 at the local consignment shop), but you can expect to pay $500-$600, or a Crate Blue Voodoo which sell for similar prices, but generally less than a 5150. If you can scrape up about a grand, you should be able to find a Mesa Dual Recto. Those generally sell for $900-$1100 used, but you might have to be patient.

I haven't played any of the Laney amps. I have played the 5150 and the Blue Voodoo, and think that those are two pretty nice amps. I have to say, I love the tone of my Dual Rectifier.

sixnutfury said:
HEY, 5150 is an awsome amp..but i think its too pricey. you can alwasy get a used marshall head for half that price. ive been using the same marshall head for over 10 years with no problems. there are some really good solid state amps out there too. just go mess around at the store.
Click to expand...
A 5150 is not going to be twice the price of a clean used Marshall, like a nice vintage JCM800 or one of the new JCM2000's ( :yuk: )...
 
 
ever tried ENGL? I want a new amp, too. and from everything I've tested so far, I liked ENGL best. I compared the 5150 to the ENGL Fireball and liked the ENGL a little better (even though its only a 60W amp) the fireball doesn't have a real clean-channel though.
everything ENGL makes is all-tube, no solid-state. all of there amps (at least the ones i know) can produce great clean an insane lead-sounds (and most that is between those two).

I can only speak of prices here in germany:

fireball:
new: some 900€, used: sorry, I dont know, some 600-700 i would guess

Savage60 (what I'm looking for at the moment):
new: they dont produce it anymore, used: about 600€

Powerball:
new: 1500€, used: i've seen some for about 1200€

Savage 120 (the flagship):
new: 1900€, used: probably about as much as a new powerball

Screamer 50:
new: ca 850€ (the combo-version a bit more) the Thunder 50 is a little cheaper, but the screamer is better

Sovereign100 (combo)
some 1200€ I think

Richie Blackmore Signature:
new: some 1200, used: some 700-800€ probably

there are also some older models you may find used (Screamer 100, Straight, Sovereign50, they aren't produced anymore) but I can't tell you much about the prices of those.
a dollar is worth a bit less than a euro, but ENGL is a german company, so over there in the US, the $-prices could be about equal to our €-prices (but I dont really know that)
for more info:
www.engl-amps.com (you can also find the manuals for all the amps there)

hope that helps, go test them, maybe you'll like one
 
Hexer said:
ever tried ENGL? I want a new amp, too. and from everything I've tested so far, I liked ENGL best. I compared the 5150 to the ENGL Fireball and liked the ENGL a little better (even though its only a 60W amp) the fireball doesn't have a real clean-channel though.
everything ENGL makes is all-tube, no solid-state. all of there amps (at least the ones i know) can produce great clean an insane lead-sounds (and most that is between those two).
Click to expand...

I bought an Engl Screamer 50w head with a Behringer H412 Quad 2 months ago...


Wow... I has everything, awesome screaming distortion and some really smooth clean sounds.


The Special Edition / Powerball / Savage are all better (they have 120w, more chanels and EQ options, gernerally more versatile) but when I got my screamer, they were having a clearance sale on Engl, and it was all they had left.

I have no volume problems with the Screamer 50 though.


I can honestly say that I own the nicest sounding amp I have ever heard :)
 
xOrdinary_Storyx said:
im not sure about the other two, but isnt the powerball expensive as hell. im going to look into ENGL, because ive only heard good things about them
Click to expand...


Yes, it sure is... it was selling for $3600AUS and I got the screamer 50 for $1750AUS. The Special Edition (just as good as the powerball in my opinion, but different tone, probably better for metal) was going for $2500AUS.


2nd hand Engl's are really hard to find (I tried for months) because people buy them and then never sell them :)
 
Hexer said:
a dollar is worth a bit less than a euro, but ENGL is a german company, so over there in the US, the $-prices could be about equal to our €-prices (but I dont really know that)

yeah. if worst comes to worst, and i like one and cant find it here or something, i have family in europe, so i could have them buy it to avoid changing currency and then send them the money or whatever.
Click to expand...
 
sorry, I think (after reading it again) I wrote a bit of rubbish about US$-prices compared to €-prices here in germany.......

of course the powerball is pretty expensive, but it still is a great amp that seems to be designed especially for metal and the like.

I myself try to find a used Savage 60 head, seems to be a great amp, too, and should be far less expensive than a Powerball, Savage120, Savage SE.
The sovereign seems to be a great amp, too. I tested a used Sovereign50 in a music store. It sounded just great (clean, lead, ......) it would probably be mine by now, but unfortunatly it produces some strange, unwanted sounds that can be really anoying. the guys at the shop say they don't know why it does that...... :(
 
Hey man, if your looking for something cheap, and an upgrade you really should check into b-52. I've used they're LG100A solid state head for 2 years, which runs about $350 new at Guitar center or Musicians Friend.
And just recently upgraded to the ST100A all tube stereo head, which runs about $600, and is twice the amp of the LG100a. But for the quality of this company's eqpt, and the price you can pick it up for, you really can't go wrong. I've dragged my shit through gig's and it holds up well, and hasn't left me stranded. B-52 is not as well known a name as say Peavy or Marshall, but they're shit is designed just as well if not better. Check it out.
 
dude b52 is HORRID, unless of course your not using the cabinets, then its eh. ive played just about every amp that guitar center and sam ash carries haha, guitar center is like disney land to me i can go there and be happy for hours. and i used to do that too haha.

anyway, the mesas are definately some of the nicest amps ive played, as far as cabs go, my vote goes to behringer. they are cheap too so GET ONE NOW. i like the design of their amps a lot, and the sound they produce is just amazing. i have both a behringer 400watt and a marshall 1960, and the behringer beats the hell outta the 1960.

b52s tho id stay away from. maybe you have it set up nice but i couldnt find a setting i liked on the b52. i have yet to play the tube one tho so i do not have an opinion yet.

i would try to get one of those peaveys with the solid state preamp, the clean sounds a lot fuller and overall is a good amp.
 
Sex Machine: I tested one of those Behringer-cabs last weekend, and I only can agree with you:
for THAT price, they're just GREAT!!!!!
I will buy one of those as soon as I have found a good (used) head to go with it
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

MightyDrynwhyl
Amp Heads
Replies
10
Views
534
Musicians Discussion
MightyDrynwhyl
M
disschord
6505 pre amp tube help please
Replies
3
Views
446
Musicians Discussion
disschord
D
A
help with amp
Replies
4
Views
405
Musicians Discussion
guitarguru777
G
H
destroy my feedback!!
Replies
1
Views
215
Musicians Discussion
Macabre_Transmigrant
M
ForrestC
Good Tube Amp Tone
Replies
0
Views
641
Musicians Discussion
ForrestC
F
Top Bottom
Back