I need help buying a metal amp. What are the best ones

fry8

New Metal Member
Jun 22, 2007
21
0
1
Well, of course there may not be a best metal tube amp, but surely there are metal tube amps that really really stand out. The engl powerball has really caught my attention because it is in my price range, it sounds amazing, it has loads and loads of gain, it is very very responsive, and it can articulate each note very clearly, even when the guitar is tuned down (im tuned to C) and the amp has lots of gain. I played the "famous" dual rect and it was good, but it had a very plain sound to it. The engl had a different sound which I liked. I haven't tried any of the VHTs yet, but I hear they are pretty good, so I think I should try them out. Here is a video of me playing guitar http://youtube.com/watch?v=_PCmmbtnIf8 it is a good representation of what type of music/style I play. I play very technical stuff (like necrophagist) and I do lots of sweeps and arpeggios, so I need an amp that excels in areas like that. As you can tell the my line 6 spider can't articulate the lower notes very well (it is probably also from the mic on the camera too).

Are there any other amazing metal amps besides Engl, Mesa, and VHT (I am assuming VHTs are pretty good)? Which metal amps do you guys recommend? Guitarists from the absence, what do you recommend and what do you guys play?
 
I like 5150/6505s I think the guys in the Absence use Madison sometimes... But it sounds to me like Engl would be great for you.
 
You can't go wrong with a Diezel Herbert...

I have a VH-4s (which is an amazing amp in its own right), but if you need a balls to the wall metal amp, NOTHING (I've heard) beats the Herbert.
 
I always thought the diezels were good for all genres, but metal (death metal).
 
My amplifier.

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Not exactly a Metal amp but has a great clean sound then it is up to my effects (Zoom 9050) settings to give me a good sound.

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I prefer Laney, Fantastic amps especially for the money. The GH/VH series are oustanding for a range of styles, from classic rock to brutal heavy metal. The cleans sparkle brilliantly ;) Laney are well underated (I myself play a lot of tech stuff).