# What’s your current favorite amp, and why?



## bulb (Feb 8, 2020)

Tube, solid state, digital, software doesn’t matter, which amp makes you feel feelings more than any other amp?


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## jaxadam (Feb 8, 2020)

Line 6 Spider 2


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## viifox (Feb 8, 2020)

Dual Rectifier. Makes me happier than ever when dialed in right, but pisses me off when it decides to fuck with my hearing...."I swear those were the same settings last night".


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## Bearitone (Feb 8, 2020)

Legit answer:
The Orange Dual Dark. Honestly blew me away when i tried one. Channel A, to me, sounds like Orange’s take on an American style tone (Recto, SLO 100, 6505) but, it still had that signature mid-range Orange amps have. I wish they hadn’t discontinued it. I’m surprised it wasn’t a huge hit but, then again the price tag probably kept most people from experimenting with it.

@bulb , if you have the resources to try one out, you should.


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## viifox (Feb 8, 2020)

Bearitone said:


> Legit answer:
> The Orange Dual Dark. Honestly blew me away when i tried one. Channel A, to me, sounds like Orange’s take on an American style tone (Recto, SLO 100, 6505) but, it still had that signature mid-range Orange amps have. I wish they hadn’t discontinued it. I’m surprised it wasn’t a huge hit but, then again the price tag probably kept most people from experimenting with it.
> 
> @bulb , if you have the resources to try one out, you should.


Was always curious about that amp, but yeah, the price tag scared me away on that one.


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## odibrom (Feb 8, 2020)

Mesa Boogie TriAxis V2 + 2:Fifty. With the right programming it takes me every where I want it to. From clean to mean and everything in between...


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## Necky379 (Feb 8, 2020)

#1 (unchanged for 15+ years) 5150
I’ve got some mods done too it but nothing major. I don’t know how to describe it but it feels familiar. Part of the reason I think it sounds so good to me is that I sound good playing through it. I’ve had it for so long I believe my playing style has evolved around it.


#2 (constantly changing, but currently) Framus Cobra
Absolute bulldozer of an amp. Had its faults for sure. The usual words used: brutal, heavy, evil, ballsy, etc etc; this amp is “the most” of these words that I’ve come across so far. On top of that the clean channel is unbelievably good.


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## KnightBrolaire (Feb 8, 2020)

gorilla gg25.


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## Kaura (Feb 8, 2020)

Roland Microcube


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## Shask (Feb 8, 2020)

I would probably say the Peavey XXX. It is an amp I passed over for years, and picked up one cheap last year. It is fun to play, has a wide EQ, sounds great at low volumes, and the loop is friendly with other gear. It is kind of like a 5150 that already has a boost up front and EQ in loop applied.

I have tons of other gear, but that amp has been the most fun lately.


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## Werecow (Feb 8, 2020)

Maxwatt/Hiwatt Super Hi 50. Because it's the growliest amp i've ever heard at the same time as being the least fizzy.


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## KailM (Feb 8, 2020)

My U.S. made 6505, with an MXR M77 boosting it, and a Boss EQ in the loop. Red channel, low gain input, and post gain up to at least 2. Through a 4 x 12. \m/

I probably play my 5153 50-watt more often, as it sounds really good for brootz and actually has beautiful cleans.

But I am still blown away by the 6505 whenever the wife is away and I get to really crank it. It has a truckload of tight(ish) bottom end thump, and a ferocious midrange grind that has to be experienced in person to fully appreciate it. In a word, it’s scary.


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## katsumura78 (Feb 8, 2020)

Bought an invective 120 when they came out and it’s one of my favorites. Before that I had a JP2C which sounds amazing but not at low volume. I miss my Mark IV (my first tube amp) at times but the Axe Fx III nails those tones close enough to where I don’t see the point in grabbing another. Still want to try a Morgan and Suhr Badger.


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## Jon Pearson (Feb 8, 2020)

I just bought a Randall V2 recently, that thing rips. I know someone else on here bought one as well, like a day after their thread I saw one for a good price and grabbed it.

Listening back to early Faceless and Veil of Maya, all those sounds are in there. Hella dope.

I want to know what @bulb gets the warm fuzzies for right now


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## cwhitey2 (Feb 8, 2020)

All Fryettes. Nothing sounds like them. Dry. Tight. Perfect.


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## TheWarAgainstTime (Feb 8, 2020)

My VHT Ultra Lead is my absolute favorite in my collection. Definitely my "desert island" amp


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## laxu (Feb 8, 2020)

I currently own a Bogner Goldfinger 45 Superlead tube amp. It's an awesome combination of a Fender clean channel paired with a Marshall overdrive channel spanning Plexi to JCM800. It has power scaling options, tube-driven boost and the best master volume I have ever had on a tube amp. My only mistake was buying the 1x12 combo which is just excessively heavy weight. Building a headshell for it at the moment.

However, my favorite is the BluGuitar Amp 1 Mercury Edition hybrid, because it's just an incredible value:

100W poweramp with a nanotube for response and Class D solid-state for volume. Yes it gets proper 120 dB @ 1m loud
Very powerful EQ
Excellent Marshall type tones and a good clean channel that goes from Fenderish to Voxish
Feels to me like a tube amp
Built-in powersoak if you want powertube distortion (needs MIDI adapter or Remote1 floorboard)
MIDI or footswitch controllable
Parallel/serial, line/instrument level fx loop
Acceptable recording out with analog cab sim - works alright if going to a PA for a loud gig, not for recording so much
Tiny, fits right into a pedalboard if you want
Weighs next to nothing
Comes with a carrying bag
Less than 700 euros
Hard to want much more from one amp.


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## ricky bobby (Feb 8, 2020)

Orange OR15. Thought of it as a novelty compared to the Super Lead and Dual Rectifier I had at the time I picked it up in a trade. Turned out to be all I ever played and influenced me to start hoarding Orange amps.

Runner up is my trusty ninetys Fender Pro Jr. Late nights I set it low with a Pharoah or other Big Muff boosting it and it's just thick sludgy goodness. Great fuzz platform.


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## ThePIGI King (Feb 8, 2020)

Can't believe I have to be that guy but the Helix, because many amps!

But for real, ENGL. Any really. Preferably Fireball 100. Favorite sound.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Feb 8, 2020)

Mesa Mark III and/or Marshall 8100.


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## BenjaminW (Feb 8, 2020)

JCM 800s have been my favorite for years.


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## c7spheres (Feb 8, 2020)

My Mesa V-Twin Rack and VHT 2-50-2 setup running EL-34's in Class-A mode and biased a little cold.


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## Shoeless_jose (Feb 8, 2020)

Not the Helix per say, but the PRS Archon model of the Helix is just like instantly my tone, takes me 20 seconds to dial it in to taste, throw a boost in the preset just in case I want to tighten it up, if money was no object I would just grab the archon head and a 2x12 cabinet but for now I stick to my Helix.

And for some reason I just cannot get over my Marshall SLX. its lacking a wee bit of bottom end on its own but its just got that Marshall growl with almost hifi like clarity too it. I may have my tonal adjective wrong, but I would say it feels/sounds very dry. With the right boost I would say it could hang with any other amp for hi gain just no cleans


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## Boofchuck (Feb 8, 2020)

Shask said:


> I would probably say the Peavey XXX. It is an amp I passed over for years, and picked up one cheap last year. It is fun to play, has a wide EQ, sounds great at low volumes, and the loop is friendly with other gear. It is kind of like a 5150 that already has a boost up front and EQ in loop applied.
> 
> I have tons of other gear, but that amp has been the most fun lately.


Today I re-tubed my 3120 (which is a xxx with el34 tubes) after having it out of commission for a few months and falling in love with the 5153. And man did I miss it! It's very dry and kind of a weirdo. But it's refreshing after playing just the 5153 for a while.


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## cwhitey2 (Feb 8, 2020)

@laxu im not here for value. Im here for tone


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## op1e (Feb 8, 2020)

My rack with Kartakou preamp, gsp1101, Carvin DCM301 power amp. 2nd is the good old teal strip Ultra 120.


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## MetalDaze (Feb 8, 2020)

Is it just me or has bulb been posting weird stuff lately?


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## odibrom (Feb 8, 2020)

MetalDaze said:


> Is it just me or has bulb been posting weird stuff lately?



Yes, he has... but this thread kind of works...


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## Nicki (Feb 8, 2020)

I'm still in love with my EVH 5150III EL34 50w. It's all I could ask for from a high gain head. Though I'm getting into lower and lower wattage amps and have been GASing for a Fender Bassbreaker 15.


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## MASS DEFECT (Feb 8, 2020)

Mesa JP2C. Can do anything but plexi tones. Absolutely crystal cleans. The two lead channels and 2 eqs are freakin genius. Tight and huuuge sounding but has that Mark snarling high mids and aggressive treble. I dont even need pedals for it. It is just pick up, plug and go. The smallish head shell is just icing on the cake. Its almost a mini amp, but it is a 100W monster. And then, it has Midi!!!

Sounds absolutely useable in super low volumes too. Worth every cent and missed lunches.


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## Roadsterjosh (Feb 8, 2020)

Peavey Ultra Plus -
Huge, aggressive, flexible, and has a fantastic master volume taper. The crunch and ultra channels sound awesome and have enough variation to give different vibes. Clean channel leaves a little to be desired, good but a little lifeless. It is a little clinically clean. 

Mesa .50 Caliber Plus -
Really underrated but incredible amp. I stumbled upon it, and am so glad I did. The lead channel is clear, very dynamic, and aggressive. The EQ really gives this amp an insane amount of range. 
The clean is warm, and very fender-esque. I love the sounds I get with this amp when using split coil sounds. 
I do wish the channel volumes were a little easier to match, and that it had a level control for the loop that was independent of the gain control. If the gain is set above 5 it has a tendency to overdrive digital delays, weird chirping sounds follow (Line 6 M9)


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## narad (Feb 8, 2020)

MetalDaze said:


> Is it just me or has bulb been posting weird stuff lately?



Which recent thread of his is your favorite though, and why?


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## Shask (Feb 8, 2020)

Boofchuck said:


> Today I re-tubed my 3120 (which is a xxx with el34 tubes) after having it out of commission for a few months and falling in love with the 5153. And man did I miss it! It's very dry and kind of a weirdo. But it's refreshing after playing just the 5153 for a while.


The 5150 III 50W is about the only amp I have been wanting lately.


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## Wolfhorsky (Feb 8, 2020)

After my very short adventures with 5150, 5153, Mesa Single/Dual Rec, Engl Steve Morse sig, Ironball and Orange Dark Terror and TH30 i must say that my fav is my current PRS MT15. Loud, smallish and dirty cheap FWII. It has the gain structure is like: attack, compression, saturation, sag/tightness ratio. Without boost. Period. I just tailor my tone with eq pedal in the loop. I don’t like to use the amps that need to be boosted in live/gig situation. It is almost 4CM fuss for me with some FX in the loop. Funny thing is that my fav setting in my HX Stomp is mimicking my normal setup: PRS Archon with Mesa Eq in loop. 
My friend’s Orange TH30 is no slouch either.


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## Wolfhorsky (Feb 8, 2020)

Double post. Sorry.


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## Spaced Out Ace (Feb 8, 2020)

Tech 21 British -> Headrush FRFR 112 or -> Powerstage 170 -> Lynch Box 412 w/ T75s.


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## Soya (Feb 8, 2020)

Kemper is all I need, it's not perfect but very good sound, portable, and consistent from a whisper to deafening.


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## Boofchuck (Feb 8, 2020)

Shask said:


> The 5150 III 50W is about the only amp I have been wanting lately.


It's the only impulse purchase I've made in years. Totally worth it too haha.


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## Shask (Feb 8, 2020)

Boofchuck said:


> It's the only impulse purchase I've made in years. Totally worth it too haha.


I have got to play on the EL34 version a few times, and it is pretty much perfect. Sounds, feel, volume, size, price, etc.... I plan on getting the 6L6 version eventually. I have several tube amps (Peavey XXX, Mesa Triple Recto, JCA100HDM, JCM800 clone), but I think the 5150 III 50W would be a great little addition that is more.... reasonable, lol, for most situations. I almost always use the 5153 model on my Axe-FX II.


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## stevexc (Feb 8, 2020)

It's ugly, it's old, and it's cheap but I love my Peavey Mark III Bass head. Hell, I play guitar through it at jam.


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## Deadpool_25 (Feb 8, 2020)

I have 4 amps that would be in the running:

Super Kraken 
Dual Rectifier 
Invective 
California Tweed
For a single amp, I’d probably take the invective (with the Iridium in 4cm using a loop switcher). 

Dual amp rig—Super Kraken and Dual Rectifier is fucking amazing. 

Cleans and pedal platform is California Tweed all day. 

Horses for courses.


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## Mike_R (Feb 8, 2020)

My EVH 5150 III Stealth 100w is my current favorite. The blue channel with a boost is murder, and the red channel does its own thing even without a boost. I've shot it out with the EL34 variants plus the regular 100w, and then I currently have a 50w 5153 and an OG 5150. I prefer the Stealth. The old 5150 is a little bit more raw and aggressive, but I feel like it needs an EQ in the loop where I can get what I need from the Stealth either straight in or with just a mild boost. The blue channel unboosted does a great job for thrashy tones too.

I've slaved the 5153 50w into the Stealth power amp and love that too. I bought my Stealth used and I need to check the bias on it to see where its at. I think the power amp is giving me a bit more of something I don't get from the 50w, even at relatively low volumes. The independent resonance/presence controls for each channel make it really easy to dial for me from living room volume on up. The 50 watt is impressive too considering it was less than half of the money.

I have a Dual Rec I won't get rid of, and I still want to get something Marshall-ish (and maybe a Mesa Mark series) but I'm going to let the other 5150s go because the Stealth does what I want to hear. The one downside on the Stealth is the "clean" is pretty crunchy unless you have the gain at a touch above nothing. I suppose I could swap to some lower gain preamp tubes but I don't want to lose anything from the blue or red channels.


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## Deadpool_25 (Feb 9, 2020)

Oh and @bulb is likely just posting randomness while on tour with Plini and Arch Echo. Saw them in Phoenix. Incredible show.


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## Boofchuck (Feb 9, 2020)

Shask said:


> I have got to play on the EL34 version a few times, and it is pretty much perfect. Sounds, feel, volume, size, price, etc.... I plan on getting the 6L6 version eventually. I have several tube amps (Peavey XXX, Mesa Triple Recto, JCA100HDM, JCM800 clone), but I think the 5150 III 50W would be a great little addition that is more.... reasonable, lol, for most situations. I almost always use the 5153 model on my Axe-FX II.


They've got a 50W stealth coming out too. But I doubt it could do much better than the existing 6l6 version. I love my el34 one but the blue channel is definitely a little weak. Still usable though.


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## Frostbite (Feb 9, 2020)

5150. I've tried other amps and it's just the tone man.


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## USMarine75 (Feb 9, 2020)

Nice try, asshat... Like I'm gonna tell you the secrets to my toanz.


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## efiltsohg (Feb 9, 2020)

I love my Triple XXX. Ultra series peaveys are so unique and awesome


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## bulb (Feb 9, 2020)

Someone sell me their rev f dual


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## Wolfhorsky (Feb 9, 2020)

^ 
Don’t do the drugs, kids.


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## USMarine75 (Feb 9, 2020)

I had an Invective, but it gave me coronavirus.


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## cardinal (Feb 9, 2020)

So these so far are my favs of what I've owned
'76 Marshall 2204
Factory Mesa IIC+ DRG
Recto Rev F






C+ is probably my least favorite. Dunno why, it sounds great but I rarely want to turn it on. The Mesa Marks are the only amps that I can plug an 8-string straight in and be happy with the low F# response.

Recto, especially with a high-pass filter in front, is killer. Just a growling, spitting, uncivilized metal monster. A high-pass clears the rumble and blur, keeping it sounding great even down to low F# IMHO.

But the 2204 with a stupid SD-1 in front probably still is my favorite of all. Doesn't have nearly the low end or the saturation of the others, but it just sounds great for my typical hard rock/borderline metal stuff.


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## laxu (Feb 9, 2020)

cwhitey2 said:


> @laxu im not here for value. Im here for tone



But it's both!


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## lurè (Feb 9, 2020)

Mark IV is one of my favorite amps ever but I need a JP2C so I can have 2 favorite amps.


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## cardinal (Feb 9, 2020)

MASS DEFECT said:


> Mesa JP2C. Can do anything but plexi tones. Absolutely crystal cleans. The two lead channels and 2 eqs are freakin genius. Tight and huuuge sounding but has that Mark snarling high mids and aggressive treble. I dont even need pedals for it. It is just pick up, plug and go. The smallish head shell is just icing on the cake. Its almost a mini amp, but it is a 100W monster. And then, it has Midi!!!
> 
> Sounds absolutely useable in super low volumes too. Worth every cent and missed lunches.



Really want to try the JP2C. I wish it had the old school controls over input volume, pull shifts, etc., but from the manual it seems like they planned it out pretty well. 



c7spheres said:


> My Mesa V-Twin Rack and VHT 2-50-2 setup running EL-34's in Class-A mode and biased a little cold.



I've always been curious about the V-Twin. Do you know if it sounds like any of the other Mesa amps?


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## wakjob (Feb 9, 2020)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Mesa Mark III and/or Marshall 8100.



I swear we must've been separated at birth! 

Now I have to be that guy...
I've totally spoiled myself on Bi-amping.

I need an ABY box, 
One amp mid-gain/dry with a CLEAR pick attack.
The other amp would be set to high gain saturation.
Get the volume balance correct, and I will play for HOURS.

I love Ola Englund, but I could never use as much fuzzed out gain as he does.


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## oniduder (Feb 9, 2020)

idk, so many, possibly the mark iv, 
or maybe the vht/fryette pitbull, 
but THEN i'm like oh yeah peavey 5150/6505, 
and then i'm whoa there forgot about that engl savage i really like, and the e530 pre and others
then i'm kind of uhhh duh gimme dat peavey xxx,
then i trail off and forget the original question

but i think saying kemper or bias amp or any other amp capture IR whatever stuff is kind of a cheat code

i might as well say my favorite amp is the powerful computer that can perfectly emulate every thing that ever existed

yeah everything that has existed or possibly could

good answer,


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Feb 9, 2020)

wakjob said:


> I swear we must've been separated at birth!
> 
> Now I have to be that guy...
> I've totally spoiled myself on Bi-amping.
> ...



This... is me too. 

Ive been trying to set up a rig with a super tight sound (KSR Ceres or 8100) and a looser saturated sound (R&R SL/LD, recto-esque sound).


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## Nicki (Feb 9, 2020)

Shask said:


> I have got to play on the EL34 version a few times, and it is pretty much perfect. Sounds, feel, volume, size, price, etc.... I plan on getting the 6L6 version eventually. I have several tube amps (Peavey XXX, Mesa Triple Recto, JCA100HDM, JCM800 clone), but I think the 5150 III 50W would be a great little addition that is more.... reasonable, lol, for most situations. I almost always use the 5153 model on my Axe-FX II.


I played both and bought the EL34 version. It's my main amp and I couldn't be happier with it. I preferred it over 6L6 version only because of the boomy-ness of 6L6s. My only *_minor* _complaint about it is that the blue channel needs a tube screamer in front of it when playing live, but the blue channel + TS when recording sounds like fizzy garbage, so I record the blue channel without a TS and it sounds stellar.

Although it's worth noting that they showed off a 50w stealth version at NAMM. Haven't heard any sound samples yet, but that could be a killer amp.


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## Necky379 (Feb 9, 2020)

wakjob said:


> Now I have to be that guy...
> I've totally spoiled myself on Bi-amping.
> 
> I need an ABY box,
> ...



I’ve got the same problem, bi-amping is where it’s at.


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## PuriPuriPrisoner (Feb 9, 2020)

The rhodes colossus I just got is the best amp I've ever played. Only amp that I've played that comes close is my Ares. Kyle makes my dream tone.


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## SSK0909 (Feb 9, 2020)

Ive owned a 5150, JCM800, Dual rec, MarkIIC+, a Diezel VH4 and honestly my Splawn Nitro is my favourite. 

It's like Scott Splawn fused a JCM800 and a Dual rec, Frankenstein style, in some secret lab. It's not the most versatile thing out there with only two channels. But by god/satan/korean jesus that high gain channel has both bass, cut and grind like no other


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## WarMachine (Feb 9, 2020)

5150

....because....






5150.


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## thrashinbatman (Feb 9, 2020)

Mine has been the Engl Savage for years now. It's got a bit of that Mesa Mark thickness but with the bite of a modded Marshall. It's just vicious (I refuse to describe the tone as savage), and one of the best amps for metal ever. That being said, I've been on a bit of a honeymoon with my JP2C, and I'm starting to really, really like it a lot. I've finally unlocked the GRAIL TOAN from it, I think, and given it's features and overall quality, it's making a serious showing for my favorite amp. The Savage is great for rhythm but can be outclassed in cleans and leads. My 800 is GREAT for leads and can hang in rhythms but I prefer the Engl and Mesa. The JP2C makes a fantastic showing in all three categories. The feature set is also really great, but given it never leaves my house it's mostly unnecessary for me.


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## Sdrizis89 (Feb 9, 2020)

For a while it's been my ENGL Savage 120. Absolutely crushing tone and the cleans are great as well.


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## oneblackened (Feb 9, 2020)

At the moment, my KSR Juno 100. It does everything I want it to and it's actively difficult to make it sound bad.


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## bostjan (Feb 9, 2020)

Been a Mesa guy since the moment I first plugged into one.


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## Edika (Feb 9, 2020)

From the current amps I own it varies from day to day honestly. One day it'll be all about the Peavey 5150II, the other day the Egnater Vengeance or the Randall Diavlo. But the Egnater wins over the three for being tighter than the Diavlo and having a great clean channel over the 5150II. Plus every time I play the Egnater and the Peavey I can suddenly hear the annoying fizz on the Peavey.


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## NorCal_Val (Feb 9, 2020)

Music style dependent.
For rock/hard rock-type tones, my Suhr PT100se is the winner.
For modern metal tones, the Randall Satan.


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## c7spheres (Feb 9, 2020)

USMarine75 said:


> I had an Invective, but it gave me coronavirus.



I heard putting a little lime disease on it helps a lot.


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## DudeManBrother (Feb 9, 2020)

It’s always a toss up between the one I just bought and the one I’m thinking about buying next.


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## c7spheres (Feb 9, 2020)

cardinal said:


> ....
> I've always been curious about the V-Twin. Do you know if it sounds like any of the other Mesa amps?



It doesn't really sound like other Mesa amps but it is from the Recto family. It is not fully a Recto or Mark type sound but can get similar vibes to each. Certainly more Recto like than Mark though. The Pedal and Rack versions are really different sounding. The pedal is much looser and, though it can hold it's own, I see it more of a compliment to an existing amp. The rack version can really do just about anything, even quasi-Marshall and Fender type tones. It's even quasi-Boogie in a way : ). I prefer it over the actual Recto I owned in the mid 90's (not sure which version it was). I've had the Formula, Quad, TriAxis, Rockmaster, and bunch of other stuff and I prefer this setup to all them for what I like. The demos of it on YouTube are really not well representative of it. They all sound like a bad IR was put on them. This preamp can really do anything clean to scooped heavy and in between you're looking for though. It also takes to different tube characters really well and is super dynamic and touch sensitive to breakup etc. I've tried it with a bunch of different power amps and the VHT is by far my favorite.


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## maggotspawn (Feb 9, 2020)

Right now it's a tie between my Kartakou Collossus and Rocktron Plexi preamp rigs.
Running them with SS power amps, which keeps them nice and tight. Really loving the tones I'm getting out of them.
I have a Rocktron Blackface preamp coming.
Expecting good things from it.


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## Flick (Feb 9, 2020)

Rev F dual rectifier.


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## Bentaycanada (Feb 9, 2020)

ricky bobby said:


> Orange OR15. Thought of it as a novelty compared to the Super Lead and Dual Rectifier I had at the time I picked it up in a trade. Turned out to be all I ever played and influenced me to start hoarding Orange amps.



Ditto! Incredibly versatile, and stunning for a 15w amp. From light Plexi to some of the heaviest tones I’ve ever heard. It’s my favourite low watt amp.


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## Nik/ (Feb 9, 2020)

Dual Rectifier Tremoverb, still has that massive wall of sound but the high end is darker and smoother than any other Rectifier I've tried. Cleans are great and the blues channel is truly amazing, it's definitely a much more vintage gain structure than the other modes with tons of thick mid-range that make leads super fat and extremely touch sensitive.


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## protest (Feb 9, 2020)

KSR Juno. Does so many things so well.


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## Walter W. (Feb 10, 2020)

EVH 5150iii 6L6 good cleans and killer distortion


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## AndiKravljaca (Feb 10, 2020)

I want an SLO30. I've never owned a Soldano but I've always used Soldano amp models, for, must be like, 15 years now. I think I know how to dial one in by now, and it would be awesome to have a proper Soldano amp. 100 watts is simply too much, so a 30 watt version with all the same features ticks every box I have. I want that amp!


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## sleewell (Feb 10, 2020)

Quilter tone block. Love it so much I bought another.


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## Choop (Feb 10, 2020)

I go back and forth between my 2 channel Dual Rec and my Mark III--The Dual Rec just rules for huge crushing saturated tone, but I really like the way the Mark III reacts to playing--it's an incredibly dynamic amp.


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## MASS DEFECT (Feb 10, 2020)

cardinal said:


> Really want to try the JP2C. I wish it had the old school controls over input volume, pull shifts, etc., but from the manual it seems like they planned it out pretty well.



If you have a DRG IIC+ it would be a bit redundant, I guess. You can probably get better 2C tones compared to my JP2C. With the JP, the classic switches are already locked to petrucci's settings. You wont have the bright, pull shift, pull deep stuff. Although the pull/push on the presence in Ch 2 and 3 is really handy. Push gives you classic Mark presence, and Pull gives you a more modern sound. And the shred switch really does help tightening up 7 and 8 strings. However, the lack of those pull shifts are really cool for me, since the myriad of switches is what scared me from owning a IV or a V before. 

I went with the JP instead of a IV or III is because of the very practical feature set (midi, 3 channels, 2 EQs).


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## cardinal (Feb 10, 2020)

MASS DEFECT said:


> If you have a DRG IIC+ it would be a bit redundant, I guess. You can probably get better 2C tones compared to my JP2C. With the JP, the classic switches are already locked to petrucci's settings. You wont have the bright, pull shift, pull deep stuff. Although the pull/push on the presence in Ch 2 and 3 is really handy. Push gives you classic Mark presence, and Pull gives you a more modern sound. And the shred switch really does help tightening up 7 and 8 strings. However, the lack of those pull shifts are really cool for me, since the myriad of switches is what scared me from owning a IV or a V before.
> 
> I went with the JP instead of a IV or III is because of the very practical feature set (midi, 3 channels, 2 EQs).



Redundancy is kinda what I'm after. I don't always want to fire up the C+, but I do like the way it sounds. I have a III that sounds great and probably should just stick with it since I don't need all the features of the JP2C. But it's an intriguing amp.


----------



## wakjob (Feb 10, 2020)

c7spheres said:


> It doesn't really sound like other Mesa amps but it is from the Recto family. It is not fully a Recto or Mark type sound but can get similar vibes to each. Certainly more Recto like than Mark though. The Pedal and Rack versions are really different sounding. The pedal is much looser and, though it can hold it's own, I see it more of a compliment to an existing amp. The rack version can really do just about anything, even quasi-Marshall and Fender type tones. It's even quasi-Boogie in a way : ). I prefer it over the actual Recto I owned in the mid 90's (not sure which version it was). I've had the Formula, Quad, TriAxis, Rockmaster, and bunch of other stuff and I prefer this setup to all them for what I like. The demos of it on YouTube are really not well representative of it. They all sound like a bad IR was put on them. This preamp can really do anything clean to scooped heavy and in between you're looking for though. It also takes to different tube characters really well and is super dynamic and touch sensitive to breakup etc. I've tried it with a bunch of different power amps and the VHT is by far my favorite.



It was that 'Mix' control that made the hair on my arms stand on end when I played one with the 50/50 power amp...damn I need one.


----------



## c7spheres (Feb 10, 2020)

wakjob said:


> It was that 'Mix' control that made the hair on my arms stand on end when I played one with the 50/50 power amp...damn I need one.


 It's pretty cool to mess with but honestly I don't use it much. I can see where it would be nice for a lot of people depending what you want.


----------



## loganflynn294 (Feb 10, 2020)

Tie between my Bogner 20th Anniversary Shiva and modded Fish/Mesa 2:90 setup. I'm more of a hotrodded Marshall kinda guy and I love the Bogner sound. The Shiva has amazing cleans, awesome high gain sounds, and everything in between. The Fish picks up where the Shiva leaves off and gets pretty brutal. The Shark channel with the Cantrell mod has more gain than anyone could ever need. Brown channel is super fat and punchy, Strato is good for leads. Paired up with the Mesa 2:90 it sounds better than any other high gain amp I've ever had. As much as I love buying amps, I can't think of any other sound/tone I'd want that these won't cover.


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## narad (Feb 10, 2020)

loganflynn294 said:


> Tie between my Bogner 20th Anniversary Shiva and modded Fish/Mesa 2:90 setup. I'm more of a hotrodded Marshall kinda guy and I love the Bogner sound. The Shiva has amazing cleans, awesome high gain sounds, and everything in between. The Fish picks up where the Shiva leaves off and gets pretty brutal. The Shark channel with the Cantrell mod has more gain than anyone could ever need. Brown channel is super fat and punchy, Strato is good for leads. Paired up with the Mesa 2:90 it sounds better than any other high gain amp I've ever had. As much as I love buying amps, I can't think of any other sound/tone I'd want that these won't cover.



Sounds like a cool rig. I have a 20th XTC, but have heard some clips where the Shiva sounds heavier.


----------



## Gmork (Feb 10, 2020)

Engl fireball100.
Super thick and brutal with an awesome aggressive mid grind but SOOO articulate, tight and smooth and has perfect footswitch controls ie dual master volume switchable on footswitch.
Sounds like its been mixed and mastered straight from the cab.
Imo its honestly like a perfected modernized tube VH140


----------



## viifox (Feb 10, 2020)

Shask said:


> I would probably say the Peavey XXX. It is an amp I passed over for years, and picked up one cheap last year. It is fun to play, has a wide EQ, sounds great at low volumes, and the loop is friendly with other gear. It is kind of like a 5150 that already has a boost up front and EQ in loop applied.
> 
> I have tons of other gear, but that amp has been the most fun lately.


The xxx is a really fun amp and can be had for dirt cheap. I've owned a couple over the years, but i ended up settling on the 5150 for it's extra thickness and grind.


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## StevenC (Feb 10, 2020)

narad said:


> Sounds like a cool rig. I have a 20th XTC, but have heard some clips where the Shiva sounds heavier.


Yeah, but your XTC sounds like my JVM.


----------



## Shask (Feb 10, 2020)

viifox said:


> The xxx is a really fun amp and can be had for dirt cheap. I've owned a couple over the years, but i ended up settling on the 5150 for it's extra thickness and grind.


I am backwards, lol. I had some block logo 5150s for years. Great amps, but kinda been there, done that, ya know?


----------



## Emperoff (Feb 11, 2020)

ENGL Sovereign 212

100W 2x british V30s, 4 channels, two masters, noise gate, midi and reverb. It's an ENGL Savage SE in a combo version. There's absolutely nothing you can't play with that amp. And it sounds huge!


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## narad (Feb 11, 2020)

StevenC said:


> Yeah, but your XTC sounds like my JVM.



You must be using it wrong.


----------



## fps (Feb 11, 2020)

Diezel VH4 love affair continues. Unfortunately I got it just as the band was going into cold storage. But I still use it at low volumes at home, and in fact with a strat and Orange cab I'm getting really clear clean tones which sound great in a mix. I doubt most people plug strats into them, but that's where I'm at! For heavy stuff it bangs, obviously.


----------



## Jacksonluvr636 (Feb 11, 2020)

Peavey 6505+ currently. Got a half stack for $600 and it sounds great.

Really want an MI Megalith though but yeah.


----------



## Ribboz (Feb 11, 2020)

Soldano SLO 100.
I grew up watching my father play them. The Soldano sound is ingrained in my soul. They cut through anything you throw at them. They are very touch sensitive and put out exactly what you put in. It can either show your mistake or you pull out the glory. It's a pure lead machine.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace (Feb 11, 2020)

Ribboz said:


> Soldano SLO 100.
> I grew up watching my father play them. The Soldano sound is ingrained in my soul. They cut through anything you throw at them. They are very touch sensitive and put out exactly what you put in. It can either show your mistake or you pull out the glory. It's a pure lead machine.


From what I know, Wicked Sensation by Lynch Mob and For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge by Van Halen both used the Soldano SLO. I've kind of always wanted one, but the price is pretty big. And now that BAD (I think it is them anyways; they make most of the pedals now like JHS, Wampler, etc and promote this top jack nonsense) makes Soldano, I'm sure the real Soldanos (ie, those made by Mike) are going to skyrocket.


----------



## oracles (Feb 11, 2020)

Spaced Out Ace said:


> promote this top jack nonsense



Top mount is the way, the truth and the light. Wasting real estate on side mount is like willingly installing a Kahler.


----------



## Ribboz (Feb 11, 2020)

Spaced Out Ace said:


> From what I know, Wicked Sensation by Lynch Mob and For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge by Van Halen both used the Soldano SLO. I've kind of always wanted one, but the price is pretty big. And now that BAD (I think it is them anyways; they make most of the pedals now like JHS, Wampler, etc and promote this top jack nonsense) makes Soldano, I'm sure the real Soldanos (ie, those made by Mike) are going to skyrocket.



They definitely cost a lot. But there is a magic in that sound and feel.

I'd wait for it to come on Sweetwater with their monthly payments. Or go used. I'm betting the SLO 30 will also sound amazing. I think the SLO 30 is around $2500.


----------



## StevenC (Feb 11, 2020)

Spaced Out Ace said:


> From what I know, Wicked Sensation by Lynch Mob and For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge by Van Halen both used the Soldano SLO. I've kind of always wanted one, but the price is pretty big. And now that BAD (I think it is them anyways; they make most of the pedals now like JHS, Wampler, etc and promote this top jack nonsense) makes Soldano, I'm sure the real Soldanos (ie, those made by Mike) are going to skyrocket.


BAD doesn't make JHS pedals. They make Wampler, Abasi, Bogner, Diezel and Morgan pedals.


----------



## Thaeon (Feb 11, 2020)

I'm in love with my MkII Herbert. I get complements on my tone every time I gig it. The note separation is just crazy under gain and it has an incredible clean channel.

Amps that currently have me GASing:

Some of Friedman's new things. Particularly the BE Delux, and the new SS100.
Powered by Omega, I keep hearing clips of the Obsidian that sound great, and everyone that's played on one is blown away by it. I have one of their cabs too. Love it.
Finally, the Dover amps that debuted at NAMM this year sound unreal. Unsure how a 50 watt would keep up with my Herbert, but would be willing to try it.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace (Feb 11, 2020)

oracles said:


> Top mount is the way, the truth and the light. Wasting real estate on side mount is like willingly installing a Kahler.


Top mount is a complete pain in the ass. Aside from the Rat or some dual pedals, I despise it and will look for a clone with side jacks. Top jacks were terrible in the 60s and they are terrible now. They are such a pain to intermingle with standard patch cables and side jack pedals without twisting and straining patch cables. Also, I'd rather not accidentally turn on two pedals when I only mean to turn on one. The added space between pedals is a good thing. Too many options on one board is not healthy.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace (Feb 11, 2020)

StevenC said:


> BAD doesn't make JHS pedals. They make Wampler, Abasi, Bogner, Diezel and Morgan pedals.


Thanks for the clarification. I figured they made all of the brands that switched to SMD.


----------



## Andromalia (Feb 11, 2020)

I'm an axe fx user, but it holds true for both digital and analog: the mesa mark series. I appreciate them for being able to handle a variety of guitars/tunings without needing to redial them every time. I have owned a III, IV and V, would like to test the JP2C but I have no reason to have a tube amp in my apartment nowadays.


----------



## Deadpool_25 (Feb 11, 2020)

top jacks > side jacks


----------



## Spaced Out Ace (Feb 11, 2020)

Fuck. Top. Jacks.

This is coming from someone who loves the Rat circuit to death, but I find side jacks to be superior. I don't need everything side by side, as it makes it difficult as hell sometimes to hit what I want and not an additional pedal. Plus two top jack pedals result in a patch cable sticking up in the air. So unless I want a messy, horrendous looking pedal setup, I either have to custom make patch cables (which will need to change probably as often as I change my pedals around) or twist and strain the ones I use.

I'll stick to side jacks, thanks. I've had numerous companies almost surprised that I preferred side jacks and wouldn't by their pedals because of their "market research that lead us to believe an out of date 60/70s jack placement" wasn't ideal. Thankfully, most of my Rat type circuits have side jacks.


----------



## youngthrasher9 (Feb 12, 2020)

I’ve come to discover that I’m not horribly picky so long as an amp can get tight and bright with some saturation.


----------



## oracles (Feb 12, 2020)

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Fuck. Top. Jacks.
> 
> This is coming from someone who loves the Rat circuit to death, but I find side jacks to be superior. I don't need everything side by side, as it makes it difficult as hell sometimes to hit what I want and not an additional pedal. Plus two top jack pedals result in a patch cable sticking up in the air. So unless I want a messy, horrendous looking pedal setup, I either have to custom make patch cables (which will need to change probably as often as I change my pedals around) or twist and strain the ones I use.
> 
> I'll stick to side jacks, thanks. I've had numerous companies almost surprised that I preferred side jacks and wouldn't by their pedals because of their "market research that lead us to believe an out of date 60/70s jack placement" wasn't ideal. Thankfully, most of my Rat type circuits have side jacks.



How wide are your shoes that you're hitting multiple pedals? Theres easy solutions for this stuff like the barefoot buttons to stop accidental missteps. Why are your cables running up into the air and not down between the rails of your board? As far as cabling goes, most cable manufacturers make S cables now that are specifically designed to go between top to side mount jack placements. 

If you're finding that most manufacturers are making their pedals top mount, it's for a reason. I use a fairly expansive pedal setup, so I need all the real estate I can get. Using side mount jacks means I cant fit all my pedals onto a pedaltrain PT-3, but with top mounts, I can fit them all comfortably and I still have room to fit another 125B size enclosure if I want to. Side mount simply isnt space efficient. Top mount isnt "out of date", it's the most logical, space conscious solution.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace (Feb 12, 2020)

Not all boards have rails, some are just flat pieces of wood. I'd rather have a couple less pedals on the board. Less knobs to get moved, less power/cable issues to diagnose if something isn't working, etc. I prefer to keep it to my preamp (either a Tech 21 British, or Joyo American Sound), and 1-2 gain (overdrive, distortion) pedals. Wah, phase 90, chorus, flanger, and Mooer Ocean Machine round out the rest of my pedal board (unless I'm going into my 412, then add a Powerstage 170) and I have all I need. But, since I tend to swap stuff out somewhat often, if I had more top jack pedals (I mainly just have my Fat Rat and Turbo Rat), I'd need more patch cables to serve that purpose, and if the pedals next to the top jack pedals are different, I might need a long/shorter patch cable. I think going back to top jacks has been a 40 year step back just so fit 2-3 more pedals on a board when people could be just fine with 9 pedals instead of 11-12. 

For sake of full disclosure I have a few mini pedals (TS Mini, Mooer Hustle Drive, which is an OCD clone), and I space the pedals apart so I don't hit other pedals.

That said, I really dislike are companies putting the power input jack sound of the input/output jacks on the side, or in between on the top. Why the hell are they always right next to the input or output jack? I use a 1 Spot for most of my pedals, and the daisy chain has the right angle plugs, so perhaps that is the issue more so than the placement of the power jack. Either way though, not sure why JHS and Boss, off the top of my head, are the only ones with side input jacks and power jacks on the top. (I am sure there are others, but you get the idea). I would prefer, even if they are still on the side near the jack, for them to be up higher, rather than below the side input/output jack. MXR and others put the power jack just past the input jack, whereas my Joyo American Sound has it towards the north end of the right side of the pedal. I like the Joyo's placement on this particular pedal, because I can put the patch cable up and over it, and the power cable doesn't have to snake around it.

Picture for a visual representation of what I mean:


----------



## Flick (Feb 12, 2020)

I’ve owned a few amps, Marshall Valvestate, Line 6 Vetta, Engl Poweball, EVH 5153, Mesa JP2C. My most recent purchase was a Kemper. I wanted it for the convenience and to temper gas for every amp I watched a YouTube video of. I’m using either a Rev F Dual Rec profile or a Driftwood Purple Nightmare Profile. If I ever stop playing out and hauling gear around, I might buy a real Dual Rec, hopefully a Rev F.


----------



## fps (Feb 12, 2020)

youngthrasher9 said:


> I’ve come to discover that I’m not horribly picky so long as an amp can get tight and bright with some saturation.



I'm surprised by how similarly I come across playing through a variety of amps. Other things come into play of course, how you *feel* your sound is being translated, response speed etc, but (not to open the boring debate) a lot of that is about my playing rather than the end product. I know my own pick attack by this point, haha.


----------



## StevenC (Feb 12, 2020)

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Fuck. Top. Jacks.
> 
> This is coming from someone who loves the Rat circuit to death, but I find side jacks to be superior. I don't need everything side by side, as it makes it difficult as hell sometimes to hit what I want and not an additional pedal. Plus two top jack pedals result in a patch cable sticking up in the air. So unless I want a messy, horrendous looking pedal setup, I either have to custom make patch cables (which will need to change probably as often as I change my pedals around) or twist and strain the ones I use.
> 
> I'll stick to side jacks, thanks. I've had numerous companies almost surprised that I preferred side jacks and wouldn't by their pedals because of their "market research that lead us to believe an out of date 60/70s jack placement" wasn't ideal. Thankfully, most of my Rat type circuits have side jacks.






What shape are your feet?


----------



## Thaeon (Feb 12, 2020)

fps said:


> I'm surprised by how similarly I come across playing through a variety of amps. Other things come into play of course, how you *feel* your sound is being translated, response speed etc, but (not to open the boring debate) a lot of that is about my playing rather than the end product. I know my own pick attack by this point, haha.



John Suhr has said on several occasions that most tone issues can be solved with practice.


----------



## Thaeon (Feb 12, 2020)

StevenC said:


> View attachment 77453
> View attachment 77454
> 
> What shape are your feet?



I'm guessing his feed are sideways.


----------



## Mprinsje (Feb 12, 2020)

A JCM 800 2203.


----------



## gnoll (Feb 12, 2020)

I don't have a favorite amp. As long as I have my eq pedal it just doesn't matter all that much.

And it feels pretty good to say that, because in the past I've definitely spent a little bit too much time obsessing over amps.


----------



## Emperoff (Feb 13, 2020)

StevenC said:


> View attachment 77453
> View attachment 77454
> 
> What shape are your feet?


This post is stupid. At equal distance the top jacks cable would go upwards when not using rails (which is what the dude is saying).

And yes, people with big feet don't benefit from crowded pedalboards. I understand that is what current market wants (for that very reason), but as far as I'm concerned I can get them close enough with pancake plugs without the downsides of top jacks.


----------



## USMarine75 (Feb 13, 2020)

My next one.


----------



## StevenC (Feb 13, 2020)

Emperoff said:


> This post is stupid. At equal distance the top jacks cable would go upwards when not using rails (which is what the dude is saying).
> 
> And yes, people with big feet don't benefit from crowded pedalboards. I understand that is what current market wants (for that very reason), but as far as I'm concerned I can get them close enough with pancake plugs without the downsides of top jacks.


He's complaining that top jacks make the pedals too close, when in reality for the same length of cable side jacks force pedals closer. Top jacks may allow the pedals to be closer, but also _allow_ them to be further for the same length of cable. I really didn't count on having to explain this picture. It's two side mount pedals closer together than two top mount pedals with the same cable.


----------



## Seabeast2000 (Feb 13, 2020)

alright guys, NAMM 2021, The One and Only Pedalboard Boot. Just need a sourcer and a web presence.


----------



## prlgmnr (Feb 13, 2020)

Glad we could have a few more go-rounds of that classic internet argument:

"I don't really like <thing> as it doesn't suit my preferences"

"Stop being stupid, <thing> suits _my _preferences perfectly well!"


----------



## EdgeCrusher (Feb 13, 2020)

Out of the amps that I've owned, the Mesa Mark III red stripe long head was my favorite. I totally regret selling it 

I also had a Mesa Studio Preamp into a Recto 2:100 poweramp which was sweet, but not as tight and aggressive as the Mark III was. Neither was the Mesa DC-5 head I had. The 5150 block letter head I had was killer and a classic, but just too much for my needs nowadays. Too bulky, and more watts than I need.

I now own a 5150 III 50 watt, and am very happy with it. Nice and compact for easy transportation, plenty loud, nails the modern metal tone, and is very tight, even without a boost. The cleans are not as nice as the Mesa Mark III's were, nor are the leads as silky smooth, but it gets close enough.

*By the way Misha, I can't wait to see y'all in Atlanta tonight!


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands (Feb 13, 2020)

Every clip I've heard of the Studio never sounded as good as the Mark series. The Quad is supposed to sound much closer.


----------



## Shask (Feb 13, 2020)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Every clip I've heard of the Studio never sounded as good as the Mark series. The Quad is supposed to sound much closer.


What is funny is that people/Mesa say the Studio Pre is the closest thing to a IIC+ you can get, especially if you use the FX Send as the output.

I have owned a few of them through the years. I always thought they sounded best with a SD-1 in front for that extra saturation. They are very smooth and fat by themselves.


----------



## c7spheres (Feb 13, 2020)

Shask said:


> What is funny is that people/Mesa say the Studio Pre is the closest thing to a IIC+ you can get, especially if you use the FX Send as the output.
> 
> I have owned a few of them through the years. I always thought they sounded best with a SD-1 in front for that extra saturation. They are very smooth and fat by themselves.


 I use to have a Quad into a Mesa 2:50. I don't know how close it is to an actual IIC+ but it definitly gets that old Metallica tone easily. I got rid of it because it felt crappy to play on. I didn't like the tone in the room either, but it did sound like the old Metallica sound.


----------



## protest (Feb 13, 2020)

I have a IIC+ modded Studio..it's nice. Way more gain and way tighter than the regular Studio. It actually might be a ++ mod because the gain level is absurd. I keep Vol 1 on like 5 and lead drive around 6 with the lead bright off.


----------



## wedge_destroyer (Feb 13, 2020)

Still just rolling with my Rockmaster pre, many other thing ive tried were nice, but the quick feel, and aggressive tone just sits right for me.


----------



## Paul McAleer (Feb 15, 2020)

Still using the Axe-fx Ultra since 2011, haven’t felt the need to upgrade especially with custom IRS and blending Amp/Cab blocks


----------



## bracky (Feb 15, 2020)

I currently own a Classic 30, 50 watt rectoverb combo and a Invective. Obviously the Invective is my one amp to rule them all. 

Cya tonight Bulb.


----------



## karjim (Feb 15, 2020)

Give me high gain I dont give a damn. My mixes sounds the same. AT the end of the day, this sound is my hands and my IRs. I tried Engl Savage Mesa Mark series Orange Laboga all 5150. A different feel yes but same sound between 100Hz and 9kHz. My favorite one, I dont know, I like all amps except the InFamous Hughes Warp7


----------



## Krucifixtion (Feb 15, 2020)

I actually haven't owned that many amps over the course of my playing and haven't played enough new stuff to really know what my favorite is. 
-Still love the original 5150 stuff and wish I didn't sell mine
-ENGL Invader 150 has been current amp for last 10 years and still works for my needs
-Would love to actually try a Fryette Pitbull or VH-4
-Fortin Evil Pumpkin is right up my alley, but so is the KSR stuff from the sounds.
Very tempted to just buy a KSR Ceres to mess with
Will one day own a Mesa Dual Rect. I never jived with them when they first gained popularity, but that's because I didn't understand them well or use boost back then.


----------



## bmth4111 (Feb 16, 2020)

Neural dsp nameless: ballsy punchy brutal tones with great note separation. Also doesn't take much tweaking to get a killer tone and is very affordable!

Abasi archetype: for very detailed cleans with alot of texture which react amazing to effects! 

My axe fx might have to go soon!


----------



## c7spheres (Feb 16, 2020)

wakjob said:


> It was that 'Mix' control that made the hair on my arms stand on end when I played one with the 50/50 power amp...damn I need one.





c7spheres said:


> It's pretty cool to mess with but honestly I don't use it much. I can see where it would be nice for a lot of people depending what you want.



- You got me wondering about my V-Twin rack mix mode again so I tried it out and there's actually a lot of good useable tones going on in there. It's easy to turn it so there's to much clean or distortiion, and the sweet spot is limited. it's like any Mesa that every millimeter on the knob matters. 
- I like when it's set to where it's almost all clean and the distortion is just barely in there. It makes for a dynamically controlled type clean with breakup going on. Almost like a lo-fi clean when playing really soft. It add's a ton of sustain to it as well. It's like a sustaining furry lo-fi clean tone! Thanks for re-sparking my interest in the mix-mode. I didn't give it enough of a chance before.


----------



## wakjob (Feb 17, 2020)

^
I need to find a schematic for that rackmount and learn how to design a mix control.


----------



## c7spheres (Feb 17, 2020)

wakjob said:


> ^
> I need to find a schematic for that rackmount and learn how to design a mix control.



Here you go. Don't ask how I got it, or I'll have to kill you : )


----------



## MetalDaze (Feb 17, 2020)

narad said:


> Which recent thread of his is your favorite though, and why?



I suppose the tone woods one. Seemed like trolling 101 

I figured his account was hacked.


----------



## philkilla (Feb 17, 2020)

My 2-channel triple rec with KT88's.


----------



## narad (Feb 17, 2020)

MetalDaze said:


> I figured his account was hacked.



Since 2016?


----------



## Wolfhorsky (Feb 18, 2020)

narad said:


> Since 2016?


----------



## wakjob (Feb 18, 2020)

c7spheres said:


> Here you go. Don't ask how I got it, or I'll have to kill you : )
> 
> View attachment 77630



OMG you rock...thanks!!!


----------



## JoeChugs (Feb 18, 2020)

currently my 100P. Its just so tight and clear.


----------



## sonofabias (Feb 23, 2020)

I’m currently employing my Revv Generator 120 MKII for almost everything..clarity , depth, dynamics, grind and a most usable gain with a unique voice. I also have the Engl Invader 150 ( which is for sale) which I’ve used for more than a decade. The two heads cover most of the tones I need. I prefer the 3D characteristics of the Invaders clean channel to the Revv although both amps have clean channels which are very pedal friendly, although I have no pedals at this time lol . I’m looking at a Mezzabarba Trinity or MZero OD in the near future, as I’m now a Mezzabarba “ artist “ as well as Revv .


----------



## BigViolin (Feb 23, 2020)

The next one.


----------



## Aumann (Feb 24, 2020)

I never thought i'd say this but: the PRS mt-15.

I've been playing my Helix through a poweramp and a Victory super kraken mainly for the past year. Absolutely love the super kraken. Beautiful amp, but its channel 2 is a very tight channel and i was looking for something a bit more nasty with more body and "push" to it. So i went to Musicstore, wanted to try an invective 120 actually but they didn't have one in the shop. 

Our producer suggested i try the MT-15 and everyone just instantly pulled the stank-face. That little 15 watt amp sounds so HUGE and mean. It chuggs, it screams, It was pretty incredible and the cleans are nice and shimy as well. My entire band pretty much instantly said: buy that thing.

So then our producer asked me for how much i'd take it home, and i thought i remembered it cost about as much as my super kraken and said i'd probably take it home for 700-800 bucks after which he revealed it was only 500, which blew me away. Needles to say i instantly took it home.

As a bonus the Super kraken and the MT-15 sit very well in the mix and sound monstrous together.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands (Feb 24, 2020)

Aumann said:


> I never thought i'd say this but: the PRS mt-15.
> 
> I've been playing my Helix through a poweramp and a Victory super kraken mainly for the past year. Absolutely love the super kraken. Beautiful amp, but its channel 2 is a very tight channel and i was looking for something a bit more nasty with more body and "push" to it. So i went to Musicstore, wanted to try an invective 120 actually but they didn't have one in the shop.
> 
> ...



Given Tremonti is known for using a dual amp rig for his rhythm sounds, I'm not surprised it blends well with other amps.


----------



## Aumann (Feb 24, 2020)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Given Tremonti is known for using a dual amp rig for his rhythm sounds, I'm not surprised it blends well with other amps.


Never been a Tremonti fan, i didn't know this. Cool to know!

Same goes for the super kraken. Rabea used to use a JVM + 5150 blend, and now he uses 2 super krakens. One on the looser, more hairy channel 1 and one on the tight and modern channel 2. Which kind of does the same as th ecombo i mentioned above and it works wonders! 

I'll be using this mix on my band's upcoming EP, we're diving into the studio starting next weekend for the single.


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## prlgmnr (Feb 24, 2020)

Aumann said:


> I never thought i'd say this but: the PRS mt-15.
> 
> I've been playing my Helix through a poweramp and a Victory super kraken mainly for the past year. Absolutely love the super kraken. Beautiful amp, but its channel 2 is a very tight channel and i was looking for something a bit more nasty with more body and "push" to it. So i went to Musicstore, wanted to try an invective 120 actually but they didn't have one in the shop.
> 
> ...


What cab were you testing it through?


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## Aumann (Feb 24, 2020)

prlgmnr said:


> What cab were you testing it through?


At the store: a Orange 4x12 with V30's. At home: A Zilla super fatboy with a V30 + G12H-75 creamback and a custom Ygon cab with the same speaker setup.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Feb 24, 2020)

Aumann said:


> Never been a Tremonti fan, i didn't know this. Cool to know!.



Yeah, he used to blend two Rectos together, then a Recto and Uberschall, and now a Recto and Archon. I imagine when the MT100 released it'll replace the Archon. 

But yeah, it seems like the MT would blend well with the looser channel of a Kraken, or another looser 5150/Recto sound.


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## Aumann (Feb 24, 2020)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Yeah, he used to blend two Rectos together, then a Recto and Uberschall, and now a Recto and Archon. I imagine when the MT100 released it'll replace the Archon.
> 
> But yeah, it seems like the MT would blend well with the looser channel of a Kraken, or another looser 5150/Recto sound.



I actually blend it with channel 2 of the Kraken, so the kraken is the tight amp in the setup. The MT-15's low and low mids are looser and more boomy than the kraken's. The kraken's channel 2 overall is more dry and tight sounding than the mt-15.

Also, they plan on releasing a 100 watt version?


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## KnightBrolaire (Feb 24, 2020)

Aumann said:


> I actually blend it with channel 2 of the Kraken, so the kraken is the tight amp in the setup. The MT-15's low and low mids are looser and more boomy than the kraken's. The kraken's channel 2 overall is more dry and tight sounding than the mt-15.
> 
> Also, they plan on releasing a 100 watt version?


yup 100w confirmed. prob easier/cheaper to just grab an archon 100 though


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## lurè (Feb 24, 2020)

I wonder how will differ from the archon despite having his name.


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## Azarea (Feb 24, 2020)

KnightBrolaire said:


> yup 100w confirmed. prob easier/cheaper to just grab an archon 100 though


The MT-15 is MIC, and I think the Archon is MIA. I think that's the main difference between the two, I hope a future MT-100 would be about 1200-1500 dollars considering the price they managed to get the 15 out at. Most of the price difference should come from swapping transformers for way bigger ones. Adding a couple more tubes, maybe a third channel/real crunch on the clean shouldn't be that expensive.


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## KnightBrolaire (Feb 24, 2020)

Azarea said:


> The MT-15 is MIC, and I think the Archon is MIA. I think that's the main difference between the two, I hope a future MT-100 would be about 1200-1500 dollars considering the price they managed to get the 15 out at. Most of the price difference should come from swapping transformers for way bigger ones. Adding a couple more tubes, maybe a third channel/real crunch on the clean shouldn't be that expensive.


You can buy a used archon 100 for under 1k USD pretty regularly ime. I got mine for like 800$.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Feb 24, 2020)

And when the MT100s hit the used market you can get those even cheaper


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## Aumann (Feb 24, 2020)

KnightBrolaire said:


> You can buy a used archon 100 for under 1k USD pretty regularly ime. I got mine for like 800$.


I have the impression Archons aren't easy to come by here in Europe. I briefly saw them available in shops at launch, then they just vanished and i've never seen any since, not used and not in any store. 

Which sucks cause i wanted one at the time and i've never been able to try one.


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## sleewell (Feb 24, 2020)

this is going to sound like complete and total tomfoolery but i recently took my 5153 home from our bands jam spot. wasn't using it for the last few weeks. don't really even need it as a backup. 

i got another quilter tone block and together into 2 cabs they were getting me much better results in a band mix. 

there is something about the helix and quilter combo. i love it. my buddy still uses his DSL 100h so the blend is great. i have a cab on each side of drums each with its own amp. really sweet setup. one amp fits in my helix backpack and the other fits in my double guitar gig bag.


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## KnightBrolaire (Feb 24, 2020)

Aumann said:


> I have the impression Archons aren't easy to come by here in Europe. I briefly saw them available in shops at launch, then they just vanished and i've never seen any since, not used and not in any store.
> 
> Which sucks cause i wanted one at the time and i've never been able to try one.


yeah It's a different story for europe. Here in the US they're very common on the used gear market. At least you guys can get engls and diezels cheaper than we can though


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## Aumann (Feb 24, 2020)

sleewell said:


> this is going to sound like complete and total tomfoolery but i recently took my 5153 home from our bands jam spot. wasn't using it for the last few weeks. don't really even need it as a backup.
> 
> i got another quilter tone block and together into 2 cabs they were getting me much better results in a band mix.
> 
> there is something about the helix and quilter combo. i love it. my buddy still uses his DSL 100h so the blend is great. i have a cab on each side of drums each with its own amp. really sweet setup. one amp fits in my helix backpack and the other fits in my double guitar gig bag.


I don't know if its due to my power amp, but i was never fully satisfied with my Helix. I just keep teweaking and tweaking and it'll sound good but never feel right to me. When i plug in my tube amps i can just dial in a tone in 5 seconds and be blown away. So my Helix is now a midi switcher and fx unit only 




KnightBrolaire said:


> yeah It's a different story for europe. Here in the US they're very common on the used gear market. At least you guys can get engls and diezels cheaper than we can though



Oh yeah we can find Engl's very very easily. Diezels are still not super common though, probably due to their prices.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Feb 24, 2020)

I have noticed some Helix high gain models can feel... Weird. Particularly the 5150 and the Mark IV. They have the tonal footprint, but they don't feel like they get as tight.


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## viifox (Feb 24, 2020)

KnightBrolaire said:


> You can buy a used archon 100 for under 1k USD pretty regularly ime. I got mine for like 800$.


Please point me in the right direction.


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## KnightBrolaire (Feb 24, 2020)

viifox said:


> Please point me in the right direction.


keep cruising guitar center's used section of their site and set alerts on reverb for the archon


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## viifox (Feb 24, 2020)

KnightBrolaire said:


> keep cruising guitar center's used section of their site and set alerts on reverb for the archon


I'll have to do that. Thanks for the tip.

I almost pulled the trigger on a used but newer Archon for $1300 on Reverb, but when i saw the extra $100 in taxes i had to pay, i quickly passed. 

I'll have to keep my eyes peeled.


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## sleewell (Feb 24, 2020)

$800 is a great price. i have seen around $1k and thought that was a decent deal.


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## LeftOurEyes (Feb 24, 2020)

Yeah I never see them under $1k. Usually I see them for like 1100-1300. If I found one for 1k or less in great shape I'd get it.


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## KnightBrolaire (Feb 24, 2020)

sleewell said:


> $800 is a great price. i have seen around $1k and thought that was a decent deal.


I had to haggle a bit with the owner to get that price


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## Musiscience (Feb 24, 2020)

At the moment, an Archon 25 Combo. I love it because it's portable and a simple 2 channel amp: a great clean, and a really great lead.

Also very easy to dial in, sounds good with everything at 12.

It's surprisingly versatile too, it's easy to get a classic rock tone with a Strat.

Edit: just realized I posted without reading the thread and the Archon was already brought up. Got mine on the cheap too for 800$ on Ebay in mint condition.


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## runbirdman (Feb 24, 2020)

If I had to choose a “desert island” amp it would be a 5150III (100w/6L6). With the exception of having too much gain on tap on the red channel, every parameter is fully usable. If I want a Marshall vibe, I run an OCD into the clean channel.

My Mesa Mark V:90 is also a beast but it takes time and effort to dial in the sound in your head. My Dual Rectifier (3 channel, non-MW) will always stick around as well. Between it and the 5150III, along with an assortment of boosts and ODs, there isn’t a high gain sound I’ve wanted but haven’t been to dial in.

Now I need to get my hands on a Revv and a KSR. I haven’t heard any samples that I consider “better” than my current stable but both seem interestingly “different.”


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## Meeotch (Feb 24, 2020)

I think it would be cool to see PRS release the MT100 as a MIA, more boutique amp like the Archon. I'm not scared or even deterred from import amps, but I imagine there would be a higher sense of pride with it MIA which could translate to higher quality. I also think it's important for PRS as a brand to keep a strong presence as "high end" and if they start cranking out 100w tube amps made in China, it's a bummer IMO. 

Either way, definitely stoked for the MT100. I hope it has MIDI, resonance, and presence controls. Even better would include 3 channels without shared EQ!


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## LeftOurEyes (Feb 24, 2020)

Meeotch said:


> I think it would be cool to see PRS release the MT100 as a MIA, more boutique amp like the Archon.



I don't necessarily disagree but if they are both made in America then the price points would probably be very close, and the Archon is very similar to the MT 15 as far as voicing goes. There wouldn't be a whole lot differentiating these 2 at that point I would think for most people unless they added features like midi or another channel maybe.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Feb 24, 2020)

The MT15 already seems like a high-quality amp. 

Mark's intent seems to be releasing a budget-friendly amp. I doubt he's gonna make it MiA. It would be cool if he added a feature to make the voicing more loose and scooped like his Rectos, or tighter and middier like his Uber/Archon tone.


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## Aumann (Feb 25, 2020)

I tell you. The MT-15 is mindblowing for the price. It punches above its weight class no problem. Been nothing but blown away by this thing. The only thing i need is a resonance control and a midgainy channel

Really want to try the revv generator and peavey invective. But sadly the only way to test them for me is to call musicstore a week in advance and then drive all the way to germany.


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## USMarine75 (Feb 25, 2020)

I have 999 favorite amps...


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## USMarine75 (Feb 25, 2020)

Emperoff said:


> This post is stupid. At equal distance the top jacks cable would go upwards when not using rails (which is what the dude is saying).
> 
> And yes, people with big feet don't benefit from crowded pedalboards. I understand that is what current market wants (for that very reason), but as far as I'm concerned I can get them close enough with pancake plugs without the downsides of top jacks.



You know what they say about guitarists with big feet?

They have even bigger...
































Pedalboards.


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