# Legendary disappointments



## holyman (Dec 22, 2009)

Anybody ever purchase a "holy grail" type amp, get it home, and then after playing it for a bit wonder what all the hype was about? 

I live in Newfoundland which makes it difficult to demo amps (unless the local [email protected] has one in stock) before I buy. Over the past couple of years I have purchased a few high-end (and very well regarded amps) only to be let down once I actually had a chance to put them through their paces. 

Sometimes of course they have been amazing amps but just not my taste or style (like my ol' SLO) but other times they have been real dogs. One in particular stands out as a huge disappointment - my old Diezel VH4.

Of course there is the other side, I recently bought a Bogner Shiva (without having heard one in person) and the hype turned out to be true - it is as amazing as people say. 

Anybody else have this experience? If so with what amp?


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

I had a Fender Cyber Twin for a while that did not live up to the hype. Probably not in the Holy Grail category but it was hyped pretty good.


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## 4345567 (Jun 26, 2008)

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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

Never really happened to me with amps, but I was kind of underwhelmed by the Timmy after I finally got my hands on one. It didn't instantly knock my socks off and in all honesty, I didn't spend too much time with it trying to dial it in. Just didn't bond with it, so I passed it along.


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## zurn (Oct 21, 2009)

I bought Dr.Z Maz 18 2x10 combo, I really didn't like the tone of that amp at all. I sold it at loss to get rid of it.


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## CDWaterloo (Jul 18, 2008)

Mesa Transatlantic.. I did not buy it but tried in L&M for more than 1 hour. big disappointment.


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## Gazoo (May 3, 2010)

Good idea for a thread!

I once tried a $2000 ENGL Classic 50W 2x12 Combo. The gain channel is really noisy, and I mean a fuzzy hissing disaster. It gave a crazy loud hiss the whole time I played on it with the gain anywhere above 2. The louder the volume the louder the hiss, and you can hear it through what you are playing. It is also not as thick as I was hoping for. With ENGLs reputation I thought that this amp would at least be somewhat ballsy. But it was actually better at clean tone, once you start to drive it the distortion especially the preamp distortion is in a word.....awful. Now maybe it was just bad tubes or something wrong with the tone circuitry but it was brand new and for $2000 bucks the quality was terrible.


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## mrmatt1972 (Apr 3, 2008)

The perils of online buying, eh? I've had more bad pedal experiences than disappointing amp experiences. The Garnet Rebel I bought here was not at all what I expected - i was thinking Deluxeish - so I ended up selling it at a small profit over on the Garnet forum. Not exactly boutique, but certainly a hyped amp.


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## 4345567 (Jun 26, 2008)

__________


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

Someone's holy grail can be someone's dissapointment. for exemple...all my pals dream of getting a used Dieszel amp...yet you did'nt like it. C'est la vie...


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## starjag (Jan 30, 2008)

CDWaterloo said:


> Mesa Transatlantic.. I did not buy it but tried in L&M for more than 1 hour. big disappointment.


Really? Care to explain why? I have not tried it, but I am certainly curious.


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## Rugburn (Jan 14, 2009)

*Epiphone Valve Jr.* I didn't expect much from it to begin with, but considering all the talk on the web I had to try one out. It sucked big time, even for the low $$. There have been others, but it may have been more a case of them not suiting my tastes as oposed to being "bad" amps.

Shawn.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

It wasn't so much a disappointment as a suprise, but when I tried Metal J's VHT CLX's, and then tried my peavey JSX, the way I dialed in both amps they sounded identical. One's hyped up and one's "average joe" - the VHT was a tiny bit tighter, but I was getting pretty much the same tone from each amp. I posted this result on sevenstring.org and had the resident VHT nut tell me that's just not possible *L*.


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## holyman (Dec 22, 2009)

al3d said:


> Someone's holy grail can be someone's dissapointment. for exemple...all my pals dream of getting a used Dieszel amp...yet you did'nt like it. C'est la vie...


I haven't given up on Diezel yet. There my be a 50w Einstein in my future. 

But you are right, to each their own. Sometimes it seems like almost EVERYBODY loves an amp but me, it makes me wonder what other people hear that I don't... 

CDWaterloo mentioned the Mesa Transatlantic - I had one on loan for the weekend and tried it through my Rectifier 2X12. It did not float my boat either. Guess I will have to keep waiting for that Darkhorse to arrive.


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## jimihendrix (Jun 27, 2009)

the jimi hendrix sig marshall stack...i was expecting tons of gain and hard rock sounds...it was about the cleanest amp i'd ever played...to get any amount of crunch out of it required distortion pedals...

fully cranked...i was expecting ballsy plexi sounds...instead i just got a very loud clean tone...


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

jimihendrix said:


> the jimi hendrix sig marshall stack...i was expecting tons of gain and hard rock sounds...it was about the cleanest amp i'd ever played...to get any amount of crunch out of it required distortion pedals...
> 
> fully cranked...i was expecting ballsy plexi sounds...instead i just got a very loud clean tone...


aha....that's because Jimi had his modded*to be CLEAN and not distort at high volume. it's not a plexi in anyway once modded like he did.


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## CDWaterloo (Jul 18, 2008)

starjag said:


> Really? Care to explain why? I have not tried it, but I am certainly curious.


I tried it with 1x12 orange, 4x12 mesa cabs and tele, prs and LP guitars. 5 watts is dull, totally useless. 15 and 25 watts little better but not good enough. I dont think this amp is better than a Traynor DH (never tried) or a dual terror. These are of course only my personal opinions. I like mesa amps but am still in the market for a lunchbox amp over 20 watts. One more point; I am sure mesa engineers know their job and mesa amps come with 5 year warranty, but the one I tried heated up a lot. I doubt about its reliability issues. 

Cheers,

Cd


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## Zeegler (Jan 2, 2006)

Laney Pro Tube 50. I'd heard many people rave about how they were like a hot rodded JCM800. When mine arrived, I thought there was something wrong with it. In actual fact, it turned out there was something wrong with the effects loop, which I had repaired by Glen Morris, and he checked out the entire amp, ultimately giving it a clean bill of health. That was very disappointing to me, because I have to say, it was one of the worst (if not THE worst) sounding amp I've ever played. It was complete and utter garbage. I got rid of that piece of shit as fast as possible. The guy I sold it to apparently liked it, so I guess it just didn't suit me.


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## Powdered Toast Man (Apr 6, 2006)

Not really amazing amps to begin with, but the Fender Vibro Champ XD and Super Champ XD. The way you hear some of these guys on forums rave about them you'd think they were the greatest thing since sliced bread. I've tried out both - even sat with one for about an hour - and they did not impress me at all. They're cheap amps, and sound cheap. I guess if you're just starting out they'd be great.


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## vds5000 (Apr 14, 2008)

Matchless DC30. Just didn't do it for me. It was gone in a month. I took a hit, but oh well, that's the life of a gear junky.


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## parkhead (Aug 14, 2009)

Rugburn said:


> *Epiphone Valve Jr.* I didn't expect much from it to begin with, but considering all the talk on the web I had to try one out. It sucked big time, even for the low $$. There have been others, but it may have been more a case of them not suiting my tastes as oposed to being "bad" amps.
> 
> Shawn.


the hype is from people who MOD them 
the stock amp is very tame ... the mods to make it a good sounding champ type amp are obvious if you can read a schematic 

the BEST cure for hype is to go to the store play something that sucks really bad then go read H/C internet reviews of the product
you'll get a good laugh too as folks claim its the best ever and I'd replace it in a second if it were lost or stolen 


p


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## Rugburn (Jan 14, 2009)

parkhead said:


> the hype is from people who MOD them
> the stock amp is very tame ... the mods to make it a good sounding champ type amp are obvious if you can read a schematic
> 
> the BEST cure for hype is to go to the store play something that sucks really bad then go read H/C internet reviews of the product
> ...


I've mentioned this here several times, but by the time you've swapped the speaker, tubes, components and time put into it, you could by a hand-wired vintage "Champ" type knock-off from Valco or whoever for the same money. The modded EVjrs I've heard on YouTube have more gain, but still sound like ass IMO.


[video=youtube;IjkM1YVU8UQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjkM1YVU8UQ&feature=related[/video]
Shawn.


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## starjag (Jan 30, 2008)

Rugburn said:


> The modded EVjrs I've heard on YouTube have more gain, but still sound like ass IMO.


_Ass_ is in the hands! I bet Eric Johnson could make this amp sound fully _assless_.


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## Rugburn (Jan 14, 2009)

starjag said:


> _Ass_ is in the hands! I bet Eric Johnson could make this amp sound fully _assless_.


That's really funny. The playing in the video is a little sloppy, but that amp sounds like wailing mud to my ears. I own a Champ clone that needs some serious TLC, but when it's running properly it's perfectly* "assless"* LOL 


Cheers, Shawn.


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## bagpipe (Sep 19, 2006)

starjag said:


> _Ass_ is in the hands! I bet Eric Johnson could make this amp sound fully _assless_.





Rugburn said:


> That's really funny. The playing in the video is a little sloppy, but that amp sounds like wailing mud to my ears. I own a Champ clone that needs some serious TLC, but when it's running properly it's perfectly* "assless"* LOL


Okay, thats enough of the *assless, chaps*!









































Ha Ha - get it! Assless chaps ? ... No? ... nuthin ?


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## EchoWD40 (Mar 16, 2007)

bagpipe said:


> Okay, thats enough of the *assless, chaps[/B
> IMAGE REMOVED
> Ha Ha - get it! Assless chaps ? ... No? ... nuthin ?*


*

That's nasty dawg. lol*


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## High/Deaf (Aug 19, 2009)

I tried a new Fender Princeton and thought it was just awful.


Now, just to hold fend off some posts, it was a Princeton Recording. No reason for Fender to ever put a Princeton name on that thing. Just awful. I've got a solid-state Princeton 112 (should've never put the name on that thing either), but I think it sounds better than the Recording. At least the clean channel does.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

Assless Chaps :O jeeeez lol


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## Steve Adams (Dec 31, 2009)

I love my EPI VJ, 

that just had the MM OT mod in it, not really a mod other than replaceing 2 parts. Did it still have the stock tubes? if so, then it would sound dark and muddy!....I have amperex bugle boy tubes in mine, and it sounds 1000 percent better than stock. 

I have a bunch of other mods, the fender mod, tweed tone stack, 3 way voicing switch, boost switch, reverb and master volume on it, much improved over stock...and not alot of money (other than the tubes).


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## GUInessTARS (Dec 28, 2007)

VHT deliverance 212 combo. Weighed about 80 lbs, was almost as large as a 412 cabinet. I had to move the spare tire in my full size Chev Caprice to close the trunk ! One trick pony. One LOUD fuzzy trick. If you didn't like that trick, it could do it much louder.


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## psychotik (Aug 29, 2006)

I'm not even going to bother addressing your question completely. I mean, previously I logged a significant number of hours on many rig/guitar boards and they always fueled "the next big thing". Ultimately, I chalk a lot of it to hype. I will attest that EVERYTHING affects tonality. Additionally, your style is a factor of everything you've experienced, played, and listened to. These all contribute to the relationship you have with your gear.

Your guitar is for playing. Good luck. Use your ears.

edit: answer: klon centaur, to start...


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## WCGill (Mar 27, 2009)

Fender Vibro-King.


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

...the ultimate, hands-down winner in this category would have to be the original line six flextone amp.

in second place, i nominate the fender blues jr.

third place would have to go to every mesa boogie amp i've ever tried.

-dh


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## allthumbs56 (Jul 24, 2006)

Biggest disappointment would have been my Mesa DC-5. Not a bad amp, and had some great features and quality construction but after all the searching and the hype .... well, it would kinda be like selling your soul for one night with Catharine Zeta Jones and finding out she can't kiss.

On the other hand, I had no expectations at all for the Marshall DSL401 I picked up a couple of years ago but (after a speaker change) I'm happy to say that it floats my boat just fine. Pure Marshall tone and a very versatile package - a real suprise (I did do a bit of work to better disipate the heat though - but that had nothing to do with the tone).


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## bagpipe (Sep 19, 2006)

allthumbs56 said:


> well, it would kinda be like selling your soul for one night with Catharine Zeta Jones and finding out she can't kiss.


Hmmm. I don't see any downside ? ?


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## allthumbs56 (Jul 24, 2006)

bagpipe said:


> Hmmm. I don't see any downside ? ?


You do have a point, sir......................... It's not really much of a soul after all ................. and who really needs a lot of kissing getting in the way .......................


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

david henman said:


> ...the ultimate, hands-down winner in this category would have to be the original line six flextone amp.
> 
> in second place, i nominate the fender blues jr.
> 
> ...


Yeah, I never bonded with my Blues Jr. either. Everyone talks about how great it is, and it wasn't bad per se, it just sounded sort of bland when driven. The cleans were ok.


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## stringer (Jun 17, 2009)

Rugburn said:


> *Epiphone Valve Jr.* I didn't expect much from it to begin with, but considering all the talk on the web I had to try one out. It sucked big time, even for the low $$. There have been others, but it may have been more a case of them not suiting my tastes as oposed to being "bad" amps.
> 
> Shawn.


I picked one up when our local mom and pop shop went out of business. I had tested it out in store and thought what the heck. Sounded kinda boxy but I hooked it up to my zoom pedal and I love it now. Whatever the setting is I don't remember but for me it has a rich round bottom end that I enjoy.


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## 4345567 (Jun 26, 2008)

__________


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## stringer (Jun 17, 2009)

Steve Adams said:


> I love my EPI VJ,
> 
> that just had the MM OT mod in it, not really a mod other than replaceing 2 parts. Did it still have the stock tubes? if so, then it would sound dark and muddy!....I have amperex bugle boy tubes in mine, and it sounds 1000 percent better than stock.
> 
> I have a bunch of other mods, the fender mod, tweed tone stack, 3 way voicing switch, boost switch, reverb and master volume on it, much improved over stock...and not alot of money (other than the tubes).


I too love my little Epi. I was considering some mods, but I'm a bit of a pedal guy and chose use those instead. Are mods better than adding pedals? I use it strictly in the bedroom and don't do any recording.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

nkjanssen said:


> And the award for reviving the oldest dead thread goes to...


I just commented on the number of old threads getting resurrected the other day. But this one does likely take the cake. It's almost 5 years old!


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## TA462 (Oct 30, 2012)

Who cares, it's still a interesting topic. If it wasn't resurrected I would never have read it. I wasn't here 5 years ago.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

TA462 said:


> Who cares, it's still a interesting topic. If it wasn't resurrected I would never have read it. I wasn't here 5 years ago.


We're not picking on you; well, yes we are, sort of but we're doing it in humour and it's not meant in a hurtful way. Just poking good-natured fun, so please don't take it as personal. Sometimes it's good to have these old threads resurrected. They can sometimes be good reminders and as you point out, a good thread for new members. Carry on and resurrect as many as you like.


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## TA462 (Oct 30, 2012)

It wasn't me that resurrected it but for a 5 year old thread I found it entertaining. If people were afraid to bring up old threads or old topics this forum and every forum out there would die because of the people that has seen it all or done it all. :sSig_Idontgetit:


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## lovetoplay (Nov 8, 2013)

Mesa Boogie Mark V. Too many knobs and switches, too few decent sounds.


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## LaRSin (Nov 27, 2006)

the only that i bought that was a big disappointment was a Mesa Tremoverb 100 watt head.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

TA462 said:


> It wasn't me that resurrected it but for a 5 year old thread I found it entertaining. If people were afraid to bring up old threads or old topics this forum and every forum out there would die because of the people that has seen it all or done it all. :sSig_Idontgetit:


You are right.


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## bolero (Oct 11, 2006)

LaRSin said:


> the only that i bought that was a big disappointment was a Mesa Tremoverb 100 watt head.


I almost sold my plexi to get one of these. due solely to the Mesa marketing hype. very glad I didn't


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## Scotty (Jan 30, 2013)

stringer said:


> I too love my little Epi. I was considering some mods, but I'm a bit of a pedal guy and chose use those instead. Are mods better than adding pedals? I use it strictly in the bedroom and don't do any recording.


I had one with the bitmo mods. I didn't like the reverb or how any of it was installed, though I didn't install the kits, so no idea if it was done right. I'd pick up an un-modded one if the price was right and try it again.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Luckily I've never bought a legendary amp and been disappointed, though I've test played a few and failed to get the hype. The rare time I am impressed, I still go home and plug into the Traynor YCV50 and think I've already got what I want. Maybe I'm past caring.

Peace, Mooh.


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

I've never had the money to buy something big enough to be disappointed in. But this this has been a interesting read.


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## Rick31797 (Apr 20, 2007)

I had the mesa transatlantic for a few years,my experience was not so much tone as it had some nice tone, it was more with all the switches this thing had..i really spent more time playing with the switches then playing guitar...so i sold it..


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## Rick31797 (Apr 20, 2007)

I had a Crate GX-100 with 2 -10s , many years ago, i can still hear it in my sleep, horrific sounding thing...


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## Tone Chaser (Mar 2, 2014)

I can honestly say that I have never been disappointed with any guitar, amp, or pedal. I would still have them all if I could. Persistence and perseverance in knowing your music equipment is often never fully achieved. Some never turn the tonestack any different from amp to amp. Some never use the knobs on their guitars to full potential. Was that guitar ever set up to your liking? Did you ever learn how to set your own guitar?

They are all just flavors that have their time and place. They also have their limitations; or most importantly, I had my limitations of time, understanding, financial pressure, storage space, family needs and priorities. etc. After all, I am not a pro.

If you spend enough time with any set of quality amps, guitars, pedals, etc., you can and will find common ground that can be used to make music.

Now add the magic of a recording studio, and the genius of those who honestly know that craft; anything is possible. It is just easier when you understand the limitations you and your choice of equipment have.

A truly great musician can sound great on just about any quality piece of equipment. I have seen some make what most consider junk sound astonishingly awesome.

The disappointment is only legendary, if you let it be.


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

I was shocked at how poor the mesa 5:25 did against my /13 tweed variant in both the high gain and clean comparison. 

The mesa sounded amazing in the shop, but got blown away in my basement. I was expecting much more.


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## Diablo (Dec 20, 2007)

al3d said:


> Someone's holy grail can be someone's dissapointment. for exemple...all my pals dream of getting a used Dieszel amp...yet you did'nt like it. C'est la vie...


Yup, I'd be happy to find a good deal on a Diezel Herbert. They're a great amp in the right hands. They're often thought of as a metal amp, but the guy from Saga uses one, lol, so they're obviously much more than that.

- - - Updated - - -

I generally have fairly realistic expectations of amps, so am rarely disappointed.
but 2 come to mind: Randall Lynch Box....tried various modules, best sound I could get was "just ok". Looked cool though.

and frankly most Marshalls....big on crunch, but lacking soul...or some other intangible I don't know what to call it.


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