New Amp Time!

[Fall_of_Empyrean]

Hey guys, I am in the market for a new amplifier. I have it kinda sorta narrowed down, but I wanted to get some opinions. Right now, my choices are:

1) Peavey 5150
2) Peavey 5150 II
3) Peavey Triple XXX
4) Line 6 Flextone II HD

Now ... for those of you unfamiliar with Fall of Empyrean, we play heavy doom (tuned to C standard) with a large amount of clean guitar breaks. So, I need a head that will produce a great, heavy, and thick distortion, but can also produce a passable clean. Doesn't need to be pristine, but can't sound overdriven or break up too much at live volumes. I really rather not go solid state, as that is what I have now with my shitty Crate, so that's what keeps me wary of the Line 6, even though it's the cheapest head of the bunch. I hear really great things about the 5150's distortion, but I hear its clean is shity. The 5150 II apparently is a bit thinner and more processed sounding than the original, but has a better clean and EQ. The Triple XXX is apparently a more versatile amp, but has a rather thin distortion.

What should I get? It needs to be LOUD.

- Justin, Fall of Empyrean

 

[TheEvilJudsus]

Hey guys, I am in the market for a new amplifier. I have it kinda sorta narrowed down, but I wanted to get some opinions. Right now, my choices are:

1) Peavey 5150
2) Peavey 5150 II
3) Peavey Triple XXX
4) Line 6 Flextone II HD

Now ... for those of you unfamiliar with Fall of Empyrean, we play heavy doom (tuned to C standard) with a large amount of clean guitar breaks. So, I need a head that will produce a great, heavy, and thick distortion, but can also produce a passable clean. Doesn't need to be pristine, but can't sound overdriven or break up too much at live volumes. I really rather not go solid state, as that is what I have now with my shitty Crate, so that's what keeps me wary of the Line 6, even though it's the cheapest head of the bunch. I hear really great things about the 5150's distortion, but I hear its clean is shity. The 5150 II apparently is a bit thinner and more processed sounding than the original, but has a better clean and EQ. The Triple XXX is apparently a more versatile amp, but has a rather thin distortion.

What should I get? It needs to be LOUD.

- Justin, Fall of Empyrean

Well, there's always the option of saving up a bit more and getting something like a Diesel or Engl, but out of the bunch I'd pick the 5150. From your description, it sounds like you're almost set on it... Just that the cleans of it might bother you a bit. And really, if you swap out the tubes in it for some Electro Harmonix's, that'll give your tone that extra umph.

I have a Pod, and I can say that it certainly performs very different than most solid state, being an amp modeler and all. If you want to have an obscene amount of versatility, the Flextone is really nice. Note that they rape you for an extra $150 American or so for the floorboard, though! (For the big floorboard, that is.) It doesn't do distortion nearly as well as the 5150, but if you want more than a one trick pony... Then maybe you're looking into Line 6. It is really unfair to try and compare the two. The 5150 is for a heavy, thick, monstrous tone that's pure tube power. The Line 6 is an amp modeler... and gives you the versatility to get damn well close to just about any other sound out there. It won't sound as good as the real thing, but if you want to have a different tone for each song, the Line 6 might be more in your ballpark.

If you really do want both amazing clean and distorted... Engl powerball, Diesel or a Framus Cobra/Dragon. Those amps are a fair bit more expensive, but they do it all with pure tubes and it is a tone to jizz for.

...Yeah, I'm a bit of a gear nut.

Other options is you could keep your head and do it all with rack gear... If your current amp is /loud/ enough. A preamp by Mesa Boogie or even Soldano would kill, put into the FX loop... You'd have tube tone with Solid state amplification. Tube watts tend to be louder than SS watts, from what I hear, though. (I really don't notice the difference. It's all loud to me.)

So now that I've thrown you a curveball, hope it helps give you some more ideas or narrows down your choices.

 

[FuckYouIWantToDie]

all these amps are very loud, that would never be an issue. You will also need a good cabinet though...

Peavey 5150: great amp, good for studio use and recording. For your type of music though, I wouldn't recommend it though since you use plenty of cleans.

Peavey Triple XXX: another great amp, and who ever told you the distortion is thin is completely wrong. I was actually blown away the first time I played through this.

Line 6 Flextone: I have been using this amp now for about 3 years, and I have no complaints. It's loud, has all the basic effects you need, good distortion, cleans and everything inbetween. Great if you need versatility, and a wide variety of tones/sounds. You will definitely need the floorboard with it. The floorboard also has a built in tuner, wah, and volume pedal. All of which comes very handy. Can't compare this to a Crate solid state... Crate sucks!

Bottom line: Try them all out.. You narrowed it down to some great choices!

 

[Fall_of_Empyrean]

Does anyone have experience with ENGL? I hear Fireballs and Powerballs are pretty killer heads.

Also, I hear there are simple mods that can be done to the 5150 to clear up the clean, although I don't know of any local techs, and I don't really want to ship it away.

 

[Fall_of_Empyrean]

Oops, I'm a dummy, I didn't see that you had specified the "Powerball" ... I'm blind.

 

[christcrusher]

Hey good luck man...Hope you get something you truly love

 

[TheEvilJudsus]

And I told you how to clean up the cleans on the 5150 a bit... change out the tubes.


It's not that hard to do, and you'd have to learn how to do it anyways, since tubes die over time.

 

[TheEvilJudsus]

Oh, and I, personally, haven't had a good experience with the XXX. It is really a "low budget" solution to the Mesa dual rectofier. Some people rave about it, others say "crap"

If you're looking at Engl, don't even bother with the XXX. Soldano is another boutique type amp that just kills...

 

[Caparison Guitarist]

DO NOT GET THE BIAS MOD ON A 5150! Change the tubes, get a matched set of JJ's. You will not be sorry. Engl's are awesome heads. The XXX is a better bet than the 5150, for what you are doing.

 

[Fall_of_Empyrean]

Either way, I am putting this mother on a credit card. Just contemplating how long I want to be paying it off. That's the only thing keeping me from getting an ENGL head. That, and I need to afford a cab, too.

But, I did play on a 5150II today and it was pretty impressive and the clean wasn't too bad at all, just bright. I also played on a Genz Benz El Diablo 100 that was killer, but for its price, I'd go for the Powerball, since the clips I heard of that were absolutely ripping.

 

[Obscurity]

Hey guys, I am in the market for a new amplifier. I have it kinda sorta narrowed down, but I wanted to get some opinions. Right now, my choices are:

1) Peavey 5150
2) Peavey 5150 II
3) Peavey Triple XXX
4) Line 6 Flextone II HD

Now ... for those of you unfamiliar with Fall of Empyrean, we play heavy doom (tuned to C standard) with a large amount of clean guitar breaks. So, I need a head that will produce a great, heavy, and thick distortion, but can also produce a passable clean. Doesn't need to be pristine, but can't sound overdriven or break up too much at live volumes. I really rather not go solid state, as that is what I have now with my shitty Crate, so that's what keeps me wary of the Line 6, even though it's the cheapest head of the bunch. I hear really great things about the 5150's distortion, but I hear its clean is shity. The 5150 II apparently is a bit thinner and more processed sounding than the original, but has a better clean and EQ. The Triple XXX is apparently a more versatile amp, but has a rather thin distortion.

What should I get? It needs to be LOUD.

- Justin, Fall of Empyrean

The peavey 5150 will NOT get a good clean, but it will get an awesome Crunch. This is the same with 5150 II, they're both completely worthless if your going for a clean sound. Now in my opinion, if you're looking for both a clean and a crunch, go with the Crate - Blue Voodoo, its full Tube, and has some good clean and great crunch.

 

[TheEvilJudsus]

The peavey 5150 will NOT get a good clean, but it will get an awesome Crunch. This is the same with 5150 II, they're both completely worthless if your going for a clean sound. Now in my opinion, if you're looking for both a clean and a crunch, go with the Crate - Blue Voodoo, its full Tube, and has some good clean and great crunch.

Again, if you're considering Engl... There's really no comparison.

Swapping out the tubes in the 5150/5150 II will give you a slightly less-bad clean, but still will leave something to be desired. I've heard the Electro Harmonix's are even better than the JJ's... But really, it ends up coming down to personal preference, right?

I've never used the Blue Voodoo, but I have heard some people swear by it. I have no idea what it sounds like. I think I heard it is a modern gain amp? Most of these people say they'd rather have a Mesa Boogie though, and if they're saying that, then the Engl would probably crush it.

Cabs I'm not too picky on. Most high quality cabs even use the same speakers... But some people will bitch and moan about how one cab is better than another. Personally, I think as long as you get a cab from a reputable company, you're all good.

 

[Fall_of_Empyrean]

Another thing keeping me from the ENGL is the fact that in the United States, there seems to be very few retailers, and very little tech support.

 

[FuckYouIWantToDie]

Justin-

cabs make a huge difference in sound quality. What kind of cab are you using now?

And I wouldn't recommend you change tubes on your own, unless you really know what you are doing.

Obscurity- I used to own Blue Voodoo, and I personally think it sucks. I am not a big Crate fan, there are much better amps out there. You are much better off with the Peavey or Mesa.

What ever you do, don't rely on a effect pedal for your tone (i.e. Metal Zone, or distortion pedals). You need an amp that just kicks ass without adding pedals to it.

 

[Fall_of_Empyrean]

I am using a Crate 4x12 ... not sure what speakers.

If I got the 5150, I'd probably get the matching cab.

If I get an ENGL Powerball or a Mesa/Boogie Mark IV (like I'm debating with), I'll get an Avatar 4x12 with two Vintage 30s and two G12H30s.

 

[sycronized decapitations]

Have you thought about a rack setup? You can pick what power amp, and preamp you use that way, and completely change you sound without having to buy a new head. I'm using a Peavey Classic 50/50 poweramp with a Line 6 Pod Pro. I can get just about any sound short of mod pitch stuff.

 

[TheEvilJudsus]

Have you thought about a rack setup? You can pick what power amp, and preamp you use that way, and completely change you sound without having to buy a new head. I'm using a Peavey Classic 50/50 poweramp with a Line 6 Pod Pro. I can get just about any sound short of mod pitch stuff.

Yeah, I recommended some rack gear above. If you get the POD and a power amp, you might as well get the Flextone II or Vetta heads, since it is essentially the same thing and essentially the same price.

 

[Fall_of_Empyrean]

Anyone know any ENGL retailers in the USA?

 

[TheEvilJudsus]

Anyone know any ENGL retailers in the USA?

E-mail the sales staff at Engl-amps.com and they'll give you a list of local retailers.

 

[Fall_of_Empyrean]

Anyone ever played on or heard a Framus Cobra?