New amp suggestions.

[Nabune]

Okay, so to get started my maximum price range is $1,000 ( Willing to go a little more but not too much.) ( That's US dollars btw.)

I play a lot of drop B slipknot/Killswitch engage metalcore and heavy metal style stuff. ( I also play in standard or drop D sometimes.)

So, I'm looking for a combo or stack. ( Doesn't really matter much combo or stack.) Has to have a tight bottom end. Can't have a muddy bass when in low tunings.

It also needs to sound good at lower volumes. I practice a lot at home. It's in my basement so I can turn it up a little bit. But, I still can't get terribly loud.

So far I've looked at the 6505+ combo. But it only has 1 speaker. And the speaker doesn't seem that good. And the 6505+ head would be way too loud.

That's all I've been able to find that matches my standards so far. ( Did I mention I would prefer if it's a tube amp?)

(Note: I'm using a schecter c-1 hellraiser. Stock with emg 81 89. Pretty decent guitar.)

 

[Melb_shredder]

Mesa mark iv. Not as saturated as a 5150. But ! Tight bottom end like a mofo, great at low volumes. Epic tight percussive tone

 

[colonel kurtz]

So far I've looked at the 6505+ combo. But it only has 1 speaker. And the speaker doesn't seem that good. And the 6505+ head would be way too loud.

there's also the 6505/5150 2x12 combo, but those can get loud as fuck as well

krank rev jr. is a good one, too, if you wanna go smaller...the sweep knob on there is really useful in changing the voicing of the amp in order to get rid of muddy low end

 

[PhilTheBeard]

I second the mark 4 it sounds more along the lines of what you want tone wise.

 

[AboutBlank]

Mesa mark iv. Not as saturated as a 5150. But ! Tight bottom end like a mofo, great at low volumes. Epic tight percussive tone

Budget is 1000$


You need a cab too, right?

I would go for a Harley Benton 2x12 ish style cab, but your in the US, so you could get a cheap Mesa + 6505, both used.
In the last week several people have posted that they've paid ~450$ for a 6505.

Mesa + 6505 is a bank...

 

[guitarguru777]

You may be interested in this thread:
http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/equipment/619318-5150-krank-rev-jr-valve-king-shootout.html

VK goes for about $500 and the Krank Rev Jr is about $600 leaving you a few hundred for a nice Benton or Avatar 2x12

 

[colonel kurtz]

this could be a winner if you buy today...

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/stupid

i know a lot of people love the JSX tone, especially for that slick/modern sort of tone that it seems you're looking for

 

[PhilTheBeard]

I LOVE THE JSX!!!!

 

[drdan]

Dude, get the JSX. You can tailor all sorts of tones with that. I would also suggest looking into the 6505 2x12 combo. You can generally find the used in great condition, at least around Chicago.

 

[drew_drummer]

The JSX is great!

 

[Nabune]

Budget is 1000$


You need a cab too, right?

I would go for a Harley Benton 2x12 ish style cab, but your in the US, so you could get a cheap Mesa + 6505, both used.
In the last week several people have posted that they've paid ~450$ for a 6505.

Mesa + 6505 is a bank...

I've found an original 5150 for only 500. But that still doesn't address my " It's 120 watts and way too loud." It's great advice. But not for my situation.

 

[TheWinterSnow]

I've found an original 5150 for only 500. But that still doesn't address my " It's 120 watts and way too loud." It's great advice. But not for my situation.

hate to break it to you, but the 6505/5150 is just as loud as any other 120 watt amp or any 60 watt head if you are using the combo. The 6505 combo is 60 watts, there is a 212 version that is made in the Peavey factory in Mississippi not like the Chinese made 112. In terms of volume, not other 60 watt amp is going to be any quieter, and for high gain metal amps below 60 watts just don't exist. However, I play my 5150 Head at bedroom volumes all the time, so I can say I never understand when people say they have to downsize from a 5150 because its too loud, it can get very quiet, in fact quiet enough that I can play it 4 in the morning in a house with people sleeping

 

[Trevoire520]

Krank Rev Jr maybe?

 

[Nabune]

I am considering the Krank Rev jr. But from what little I've heard of it. Palm mutes sound a little dry.

I could be wrong.

 

[Nabune]

hate to break it to you, but the 6505/5150 is just as loud as any other 120 watt amp or any 60 watt head if you are using the combo. The 6505 combo is 60 watts, there is a 212 version that is made in the Peavey factory in Mississippi not like the Chinese made 112. In terms of volume, not other 60 watt amp is going to be any quieter, and for high gain metal amps below 60 watts just don't exist. However, I play my 5150 Head at bedroom volumes all the time, so I can say I never understand when people say they have to downsize from a 5150 because its too loud, it can get very quiet, in fact quiet enough that I can play it 4 in the morning in a house with people sleeping

I know that a peavey 6505/5150 won't be quieter than any amp of the same wattage. I never said it was. I said the 120 watts was too loud.

Also, any amp can get super quiet. But that doesn't mean it sounds good at that volume. High watt amp + Low volumes = No power tube distortion at all.

No power tube distortion is thin distortion.

On a lower wattage amp, that same volume will cause more power tube distortion and will sound better.

Some people will go as far to say that you might as well get a 15 watt Marshall MG. It would sound just about the same as a high wattage amp at super low volumes. Without the body that power tube distortion adds. ( I don't necessarily agree with these people. But that's how much of a tone difference it makes. To the point that some people will say this. )

 

[Nabune]

Not saying that all good distortion comes from power amp tubes either. Pre-amp tubes play a huge role too. BUT. When you get a good combination of both sections distorting. Is usually when a good distortion is achieved.

 

[TheWinterSnow]

you are borderline to a lost cause. But I will give you the benefit of the doubt because it seems like you are completely new to tube amps period and have read too much about tube amps from vintage wannabe "high class" tone snobs.

For starters, a 60 watt power amp will distort 3db quieter than a 120 watt amp. The reason you would want a 120 watt amp is because the slight more clean volume you would get is enough of a boost to allow you to be hear in a rehearsal environment and still keep your tone tight. The more you distort the power tubes, the more tightness you will loose. For metal you want as much clean power as possible because that is responsible for a tight tone. In reality if you HAD to have power tube saturation just to jam to yourself, the difference of a 60 and 120 watt amp wouldn't make a difference, both would still have to be ridiculously loud, so loud, that I HIGHLY doubt that the neighbors would really care that your 60 watt amp is a whole 3db quieter.

The majority of all Metal tones come from purely preamp distortion, and in studio work, slight breakup on the power amp, we are talking about volumes that are you keeping up with an acoustic metal drummer. When you go and see a band live, they are playing even quieter than that. Back in the day when all we had for amps were vintage fenders and Marshalls where they hardly achieved any preamp distortion, if you wanted more you had to crank the amp to ridiculous levels, but not today. All of the thickness of an amp comes from the harmonic saturation of the preamp, and how clean and powerful the power amp is. Just realize that all metal production guitars at most only have mild breakup on the power amp which means even for a 60 watt amp can overpower a drummer, so unless you want to jam at rehearsal volumes just to get poweramp distortion which isn't even necessary for just jamming, even a 60 watt amp will be too much. You are better off looking at a digital amp, particularly the peavey vyper which is the only tube modeler that I know that can simulate power amp distortion. Still you don't need it, so just erase the belief that you have to get poweramp distortion to get a good tone, because it is not true.

To add, the tone that you would want out of a rehearsing/live/recording amp is not the same as the tone that you would want for a bedroom practicing amp, even if that practice amp is a tube amp.

 

[AHChris]

Every tube amp will be "too loud" for practicing at home... I´ve got a 5 W Blackstar head with a 2x12 at home and it could blow my windows out. It´s even loud enough for jamming with our drummer. If I were you, I´d buy a 5150 or Mesa Mark series and turn the volume down when at home.

 

[Jarkko Mattheiszen]

Forget the idea of getting a great sounding all-tube hi-gain beast that sounds great even at your basement levels. Get a POD for home practice, and a real amp for gigging, rehearsing and tracking. It's a lot more convenient and, forgive if I'm wrong, you probably don't need that holy grail tube tone when you're playing by yourself in the basement.

 

[drew_drummer]

I can only echo the sentiments given.

I used to have an Orange Dual Terror. But for me... the EL84 power section just distorted way too quickly, and became kind of squelchy... wasn't my thing. I'm going to echo WinterSnow and say that I think preamp distortion is much more important in a good metal tone than poweramp distortion.

In your situation; I'd get a Pod X3, and some stupidly good headphones - Beyer Dynamic DT660's or something like that.