I might have the opportunity to buy a 100w krankenstein for 500$ and I was wondering what you guys think of the amp. It's never been gigged and has new tubes
How do you guys feel about the krankenstein....
- Thread starter AntonioPetrole
- Start date
Lasse Lammert
HCAF Blitzkrieg
fucking steal!
I love my stein+, I doubt the older version will sound much worse.
500$ dammit, and you're thinking twice? wow.
It's got a rather unique sound, you'll hate it first and love it later, the attack FEELS and sounds like a good 2203 but the overall sound is more modern.
the Stein has got a very unique midrange that's easily recognizable...
ear it here for example:
http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/...-wait-show-you-bogner-krank-mesa-content.html
I love my stein+, I doubt the older version will sound much worse.
500$ dammit, and you're thinking twice? wow.
It's got a rather unique sound, you'll hate it first and love it later, the attack FEELS and sounds like a good 2203 but the overall sound is more modern.
the Stein has got a very unique midrange that's easily recognizable...
ear it here for example:
http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/...-wait-show-you-bogner-krank-mesa-content.html
Lasse you were the first person I wanted to answer. Thanks and hopefully I will have one in 5 hours
Lasse Lammert
HCAF Blitzkrieg
don't put everything on 12:00 right away, make sure to have the master WAY above the channel vol (I'm having the master between 3:00 and maxed, then channelvol between 9:00 and 10:00
if the master isn't high enough the tone will be thin.
the sweep knob is a key element, start between 10:00 and 10:30, this knob can make or break your sound....when I tried the stein for the first time and had everything at noon it sounded like a broken telephone.
so, try the sweep around 10:00 or just above that, bass around 1:00-2:00, mid around 10:00 (11:00 sounds good, too), treble around 11:30-12:00, presence between 9:00 and 11:30 (start low), Gain 12:00-1:00, hit it with a TS and you'll love it
if the master isn't high enough the tone will be thin.
the sweep knob is a key element, start between 10:00 and 10:30, this knob can make or break your sound....when I tried the stein for the first time and had everything at noon it sounded like a broken telephone.
so, try the sweep around 10:00 or just above that, bass around 1:00-2:00, mid around 10:00 (11:00 sounds good, too), treble around 11:30-12:00, presence between 9:00 and 11:30 (start low), Gain 12:00-1:00, hit it with a TS and you'll love it
I had one for a bit, I paid 799 for mine. I bought the cab as well. I had the set up in my studio for about 2 weeks, and ended up taking it back. Not sure exactly why. I probably should have just taken the cabinet back because next to my Mesa 4x12 it wasn't cutting it for recording. The head, I don't know... I liked my 5150 and Cobra a lot more. I will say it sounded great by itself, but for recording I wasn't wowed. But hey, it's just another flavor. 500 bucks however, I'd buy it again for that. I believe the Suicide Silence records were done with Krankensteins.
I've got the old one. Apparently the 1st one ever sold in Australia. Woo hoo!
The last time checked (about 18 months ago in a street press) the Aus retail was $5799.
$500 in any country is crazy. Granted I haven't seen a store charging more than $4699 but still, that is madness! (I got mine wholesale for $2400 Aus)
Buy it, if you don't like it sell it for more money than you paid! I know a few older bands that are absolute kings of that, buying anything up that is a good deal and selling/trading it for more expensive and suitable equipment.
As has already been said you need that master knob at least at 12:00, that's when the bottom end starts to come in to the tone. I like my sweep around 10:00 to 12:00 and I don't like the treble very much, sometimes I almost have it as low as it goes. It needs to be very loud to sound right, that is the biggest draw back if you want to record with it in a home studio. It has a really good clean channel which doesn't get much praise but that's probably because most Krank uses don't use the cleans that often, but I love it's clean channel.
Also remember that it was a signature for Dimebag, and Dimebag was know for his unsual/unique tone. Don't expect this amp to sound like all the other amps, it is quite unique sounding
The last time checked (about 18 months ago in a street press) the Aus retail was $5799.
$500 in any country is crazy. Granted I haven't seen a store charging more than $4699 but still, that is madness! (I got mine wholesale for $2400 Aus)
Buy it, if you don't like it sell it for more money than you paid! I know a few older bands that are absolute kings of that, buying anything up that is a good deal and selling/trading it for more expensive and suitable equipment.
As has already been said you need that master knob at least at 12:00, that's when the bottom end starts to come in to the tone. I like my sweep around 10:00 to 12:00 and I don't like the treble very much, sometimes I almost have it as low as it goes. It needs to be very loud to sound right, that is the biggest draw back if you want to record with it in a home studio. It has a really good clean channel which doesn't get much praise but that's probably because most Krank uses don't use the cleans that often, but I love it's clean channel.
Also remember that it was a signature for Dimebag, and Dimebag was know for his unsual/unique tone. Don't expect this amp to sound like all the other amps, it is quite unique sounding
That is exactly what I thought when I read the mag. It was 'In the Mix'
My reasoning was that Billy Hydes were the only Krank dealers (they also own the biggest wholesaler for music retail too how convenient) and they had $4699 stickers on them and they are the same people who set the retail price (that is the wholesalers responsibility in Australia) they benefit from putting a huge retail on them in a street press. People read it, go into billy hydes and see a $1000 drop from retail and think they are getting a great deal. It is all the same company.
And who has a hand in "In the Mix"? Billy Hydes guys. Australia is fucked for music retail, I was working at Allans Music and staff price was about $700 for an sm7b, I bought mine from ebay brand new delivered for less than half that!
And now it's Allans and Billy Hydes, we are screwed !
....but back to the topic it is quite possible it was a typo
DeclanWhite
Senior Member
ive always bought more expensive gear from usa. fuck buying here. i got my krank rev jr for 590 aus . you'd be amazingly lucky to get one for anywhere near that here
Genius Gone Insane
http://www.¯\(°_o)/¯.com
steal!
this puppy is sensitive...take all presets with a grain of salt. if you are playing at low levels your settings will differ greatly from when you play at high levels.
this puppy is sensitive...take all presets with a grain of salt. if you are playing at low levels your settings will differ greatly from when you play at high levels.
How are you setting it to make it sound useable at low levels? I never track my amp because of housemates and neighbours and end up using a vox ac50 which sounds decent with the master down low. I wanna use my Krankenstein but it needs to be painfully loud before it starts to sound great for me, I love it live and overdubs for my band's album in a proper tracking room and control room setup, but at home I can't get anything good without letting the whole block know about it
Lasse Lammert
HCAF Blitzkrieg
if you have to play it at quiet volumes try engaging the boost in the loop, brings some more meat/grit to the tone
DeclanWhite
Senior Member
Genius Gone Insane
http://www.¯\(°_o)/¯.com
Not sure what you mean by 'useable' but I meant practice levels, not recording levels. I wouldn't bother recording the krank at low levels. For quiet playing, I have the sweep nearly all the way left but I think I get the presence pretty high, maybe noon. Makes no sense to me but this sounds good enough.
egan.
daylightdies.com
If you can leave the settings it can absolutely sound awesome.
We used one for a while on tour and the sensitivity became a bit of an annoyance b/c if you needed to change your stage volume you ended up having to touch every single knob to keep the tone remotely similar. As a studio piece I'm sure it's awesome, but since half of what I (we) liked about it was the distortion from the poweramp section it was somewhat impractical.
The other thing to know is that it runs hot and will burn through tubes relatively quickly IME.
Still, it's a great head.
We used one for a while on tour and the sensitivity became a bit of an annoyance b/c if you needed to change your stage volume you ended up having to touch every single knob to keep the tone remotely similar. As a studio piece I'm sure it's awesome, but since half of what I (we) liked about it was the distortion from the poweramp section it was somewhat impractical.
The other thing to know is that it runs hot and will burn through tubes relatively quickly IME.
Still, it's a great head.
Genius Gone Insane
http://www.¯\(°_o)/¯.com
Kazrog
Kazrog, Inc.
Krank amps are kind of like being on a boat. Move the Sweep knob around rapidly and you will feel seasick. 
by useable I meant something I would use in a mix, ep/album quality, not a demo or practice. I practice on a practice amp (a roland cube 30 which does a 5150 and a mesa tone really well), and sometimes get the Krank cranked if nobody else is home and I feel like having fun.
I will be having a go with the boost in a couple of days, I have only messed with it when the amp was already very loud and I had the setting I liked so it changed the tone and made it way to boomy, but hopefully I can get the volume down to a more suitable level if I tinker with it a bit. As it is I already have my 4x12 in stereo mode so only 2 of the speaker are being used and it is still way too loud for home use, but if I can get good tones at half volume I might be able to get away with that.
reneisgod
Rene
Dude I got a Krankenstien from ebay about 3 weeks ago for £550!
Best amp ive ever owned, takes alot of tweaking but sounds killer!
Haven’t touched my 6505 since I got it.
Quick tip, keep the master atleast 3/4 or maxed out or it will sound shit lol
The Krank demands to be played LOUD, if you don't intend on cranking this amp you won’t get the benefits from it atall, not only does the tone change dramatically via the master but the actual sound doesn’t even out until u start boosting the channel vol aswell.
Fantastic amp though, its unreal the amount of shit you read about them online.
Best amp ive ever owned, takes alot of tweaking but sounds killer!
Haven’t touched my 6505 since I got it.
Quick tip, keep the master atleast 3/4 or maxed out or it will sound shit lol
The Krank demands to be played LOUD, if you don't intend on cranking this amp you won’t get the benefits from it atall, not only does the tone change dramatically via the master but the actual sound doesn’t even out until u start boosting the channel vol aswell.
Fantastic amp though, its unreal the amount of shit you read about them online.
Genius Gone Insane
http://www.¯\(°_o)/¯.com
For "ep/album quality" you'll need to turn it up. I don't think you can get great metal tones at low volume with the Krankenstein.
Edit: At least I cannot get great tones from it at low volume.
