Great preamp for metal?

[Mgdth502]

I'm thinking of trying out a preamp/power amp setup for a change...
I'm going to be buying a Fryette 2-90-2 power amp, and can't find a pre amp I'm happy with really, any suggestions?

I'm not an effects guy, so pedals are for sure out, as are effects processors such as the Fractal Audio or the Prophesy II, any Digitech effects thing or Boss gt pro...
I don't want solid state or digital, or a combination of tube or SS or digital.

So far, the ones I'm considering are -
Soldano sp77 (even though the pink kind of sucks..)
Marshall 9001 or JMP1(?)
Tech 21 Sansamp 1.1.

I don't want effects processors or amp modelers because I know it just isn't the real thing no matter how close the sound gets.. I do like the sounds of the Fractal Audio, but I just want a straight forward tube preamp that will sound killer with the Fryette.
Not really a fan of anything Peavey.. I've also looked at the Engl ones and don't care for those.. Roland gp-100 is kind of dumb and the ADA Nuno used to use looks too confusing. Bogner fish I thought would be cool, but I can't find one and the Lee Jacksons I can't find either.

Thanks for any suggestions guys!

 

[Inazone]

Well, what type of tones are you going for?

If you don't want solid state or digital, that eliminates all Tech 21 preamps that I can think of, and you'll find that a lot of people consider the JMP1 to be a SS/tube hybrid where the tubes just color the tone a bit. I get that you're not a Peavey fan, but the Rockmaster tube preamp is one of the best for metal. My band just used one (with a Carvin T100 power amp) to record all the rhythm guitar tracks on our upcoming album, and I fully intend to use it on the next one too. No programming, no MIDI, just three channels ranging from clean to mild overdrive to extreme distortion. The ADA MP1 and MP2 are both good (especially the modded versions) but you'll need a MIDI controller for live use, which can be a pain.

I can post some samples (well, full songs really) of the Rockmaster, but if you're not into death/black metal, the clips may not be of much use to you.

 

[Wohma]

ADA is great, also consider ENGL preamps, all of them rock - they are derived from their successful models.

 

[dissident]

ENGL E530, best for the bucks, imho

 

[viewerfromnihil]

Hafler T3, cheap and sounds fantastic. Every note in a chord rings through clearly even with full gain. The Hafler Hellrazor is another good one. Also, check out the Peavey Rockmaster, I believe the 5150 was derived from it.

edit: I did notice that you said that you did not like Peavey. However, I found that ignorant in the fact that it's not the brand that really decides how it sounds. It comes down to individual models and production years. The Rockmaster, essentially, has the hot rodded Marshall sound.

 

[guitarrero]

depends on the money you want to spend i guess. If you have some bucks piled up, go for a

Mesa Triaxis
Mesa Rectifier Recording Preamp
Engl e570
Engl e580

if your budget is a bit smaller, get a (used)
Engl 530
Mesa Studio Preamp
Mesa Quad Preamp

all of them are quite awesome and give you plenty of sound options for Metal and many other style, too.

 

[gravien]

i always use SansAmp Tech 21 or Behringer GDI21 both has same feature but GDI21 will get more Noise (coz it lots cheaper).. but i Like that...

 

[Mortal_Dezire]

The Marshall 9000 isn't too bad if you don't plan on using it for really heavy tones. I've got 2 of them that I may be willing to part with if you're interested.