[7 Strings of Hate]

Originally Posted by Karl Hungus

These are the kind of questions you should be asking to get proper advice, instead of giving a rant about "Buotique" amps being fads.

i feel what he says has some merrit and i dont really think that hes ranting much. I think i know where hes comming from. I played for a decade before i got a high end amp. When i first started shopping i was overwelmed because it seems that you have to spend crazy amounts of money to get a good sound. But after a while, you go to the stores and play alot of these amps, and you realize that its not comparing apples to oranges. For the MOST part you can make due with any of the basics, 5150, Recto's, JCM's. But most people feel they are an indivudual and prefer to shop around and perhapse not have the most common amp(therefore giving them a common sound). In the end you need to realize that alot of people(even some around here ) get caught up in the image of the amps more than the actual sound. There are many amps to be had out there for a decent price that will give you phenominal sounds, and you gotta research them. Dont get frusterated, just keep trying amps, figure out your budget, and go from there. I think its safe to say that you could put a noob on a diezel ($4000ish amp) and you could put steve vai on a peavey rage and there would be no comparison. Personally, if you have a triple recto and a jcm800, i'd say your set!

[Metal Ken]

I kinda skimmed, so sorry if this has been posted previous--
I guess i see what the initial argument the OP is trying to get across:
Why buy a McLaren if a regular car You're never going to be able to drive a Mclaren at 200 mph anyway. At least thats the anology i get. Does a 300,000 Bentley really drive that much better than a 50,000$ benz? When does the $$ start get diminishing returns?

If people want to drop 4 grand on a head, fine. More power to them. And those companies do develop a name for sounding good, hence, why they're in business in the first place. But, I'm able to find a tone i'm currently enthralled with from a 600$ (1k~ new) mesa combo. Does the boutique amp sound better? probably. 3400$ Better? Dunno about that.I think its a case of diminishing returns. How much better is a PRS than a KXK? One costs 1900(base), whereas a PRS Custom shop starts where? And which is really better? Personally, i'd rather order a KxK or something similar.

[Karl Hungus]

Originally Posted by 7 Strings of Hate

i feel what he says has some merrit and i dont really think that hes ranting much. I think i know where hes comming from.

Well, I don't mean to come across as saying it's got no merit, but just that as a way of asking advice on a new amp, it's a bit unclear and a roundabout way of approaching the topic.

Originally Posted by 7 Strings of Hate

But most people feel they are an indivudual and prefer to shop around and perhapse not have the most common amp(therefore giving them a common sound). In the end you need to realize that alot of people(even some around here ) get caught up in the image of the amps more than the actual sound.

I don't really know how many people would go for Engl of VHT for an "image", I'd see people drawn to the bigger brands for that.

Personally, I got into Engl because I tried one, and felt it fitted my sound a lot better than Mesa. This was a while before they became so well known, and it took me a year before I eventually bought one. But the sound is the reason I like 'em so much, even if I do think the SE is the sexiest amp on the planet.

[Jason]

Originally Posted by WarriorOfMetal

you know what's funny? my first tube amp was totally non-boutique, but was hand-made (in Russia). it was ok, but after about a year and a half with it i wasn't into it anymore.

I seen one of those in a small music shop in florida

[Metal Ken]

Does it have a Vodka Rectifier?

[loktide]

Originally Posted by Metal Ken

I kinda skimmed, so sorry if this has been posted previous--
I guess i see what the initial argument the OP is trying to get across:
Why buy a McLaren if a regular car You're never going to be able to drive a Mclaren at 200 mph anyway. At least thats the anology i get. Does a 300,000 Bentley really drive that much better than a 50,000$ benz? When does the $$ start get diminishing returns?

If people want to drop 4 grand on a head, fine. More power to them. And those companies do develop a name for sounding good, hence, why they're in business in the first place. But, I'm able to find a tone i'm currently enthralled with from a 600$ (1k~ new) mesa combo. Does the boutique amp sound better? probably. 3400$ Better? Dunno about that.I think its a case of diminishing returns. How much better is a PRS than a KXK? One costs 1900(base), whereas a PRS Custom shop starts where? And which is really better? Personally, i'd rather order a KxK or something similar.

[7 Strings of Hate]

i hear ya karl, but you cant deny that alot of these amps have an image attached to them and alot of people are influanced by them. a good example is that (i dont know about anywhere else in the states) there isnt a store anywhere around here, and i'm not in the middle of nowhere mind you, that has a diezel/engl/vht... ect. but would i and most people buy one would out ever playing it? probably, because of what ya hear about them.

But yea, if hes asking which amp to buy, its a ass backwards way to do it. Do i feel his pain that all of these killer amps cost a ton? sure, but damn it , i want all of them still

i want a triple vodka recto!

[neroceasar]

Hmm, i don't think so. I have a triple rec. and the tone really just seams generic and lifeless. I like a lot, I mean a lot, of gain and i can't turn my triple pass 2 o'clock or the note become very mushy and undefined. another thing to keep in mind is that a lot of the recordings you hear of major guitarist that have a marshal/mesa/whatever endorsement are from modded mesa/marshal amps. when you talk about kramer and things like that i think a better comparison would be esp(though I do love their guitars). If your not looking for that extra little(tone freak), than I'm sure a mesa or marshal would do fine.

[WarriorOfMetal]

haha....the Red Bear i had was basically a 120W, 6L6-powered JCM800 with WAY more bass than anyone could ever use (and i was running it through a G-Flex )

[tonyhell]

Originally Posted by blackrobedone

On the other hand, I play a JCM 800 for other stuff and I hate having to compensate for its lack of low end. (Treble on 3 Presence on 2 and Bass on 10 and still ear-piercing!) However, I don't know if it's worth it to pay $2000 for one of these other amps used, when I could just use an eq on the Marshall (or get another Mesa).

If you like the JCM 800, try a JCM 2000 DSL 100. It's got lotsa low end.

I remember feeling the same way you do when I first got online and started reading boards. Seeing middle class people spending thousands and thousands of dollars on high end amps. You can't buy skill, knowledge, and talent, but you can (sorta) buy tone.

For some people, money is no object. For me, the less money I have in my gear the better I feel about it. I've heard people say that if you get a good (high end) amp, you won't need to use a BBE with it, but I'd rather do what I need to do to my Marshall to get it to sound how I want than just buy "the best".

If you like the Marshall tone, I'd seriously recommend trying a DSL 100 especially if low end is your complaint about the 800.