# High Gain Amp



## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

Let's hear it boy's. The best high gain amps out there today. I am talking heavy metal here. Minus the pedals for the most part


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## Moosehead (Jan 6, 2011)

I picked up a carpet covered Randall rg100es 150watt solid state monster of an amp. Awesome metal amp, Dimebag thought so too. 
I traded an old pod 2.0 and footboard for it. Its got surprisingly good clean tones and you can blend the 2 channels for many more flavours.

Not tube, but does high gain to a T.


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

This is from what I've heard, since I haven't tried any of them, other than a Tiny Terror.
Randall, Engl, Deizel, Rivera, Orange, Mesa Boogie, that's all that I know of.


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

You know who has a pretty big piece of the metal amp market? Peavey, of all people. 6505 6534 JSX XXX 3120.


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## Shark (Jun 10, 2010)

Cornford, believe it or not. They're a British boutique amp builder than makes incredible EL84 amps and low wattage amps for bedroom use, but their website also has audio clips from people like Yngwie, Guthrie and more. I have a Cornford and it's the best-sounding amp I've owned. It's amazingly versatile, too, sound-wise. Mine is just a little single channel 5-watter, but using the volume and master volume I can go from very chimey cleans to quite heavy stuff. I can get as much drive just out of that amp as I can by placing my Suhr Riot in front of it.


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## ne1roc (Mar 4, 2006)

I have a Mesa Mark V and a Roadster. Both great high gain amps that have everything else in between.
The EVH 5150III is pretty damn awesome!


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## soldierscry (Jan 20, 2008)

I'll second the EVH 5150III.


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## Jaybo (Jun 3, 2010)

I'll third the little EVH. Also, Laney Ironheart. Haven't tried it in person, but clips I've heard sound great. KSE uses them too I think. Splawn. Mesa. H&K Triamp.


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## TFridgen (Nov 10, 2009)

My favourites so far... in order... Mesa Roadster, Badcat Hotcat 30(serious, for sale though casue no loop  ), Mesa Mark V, VHT Classic.


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## soldierscry (Jan 20, 2008)

TFridgen said:


> My favourites so far... in order... Mesa Roadster, Badcat Hotcat 30(serious, for sale though casue no loop  ), Mesa Mark V, VHT Classic.


I'll second the hotcat 30..your for sale thread has been giving me serious GAS..lol


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## dcole (Oct 8, 2008)

I worked on a guys Blackheart BH100H recently that had wicked metal tones and doesn't break the bank.


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## Ti-Ron (Mar 21, 2007)

For me, metals is all about Mesa, Orange and Marshall!!!

I would like to see an Orange version of a Mark V...


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## Moosehead (Jan 6, 2011)

Thunderverb is pretty badass. I dont think anybody makes an amp with as many Knobs/switches as Mesa.


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## TFridgen (Nov 10, 2009)

My God, I forgot about Engl, Had a Fireball 100 that smoked!


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

I'm dying to try a Diezel, but probably won't in this lifetime ($$).

Another great on a budget solution is the Jet City, I'm 3 band practices in with my JCA22 and it is my favourite tone by FAR since I joined this band a year ago. Mike Soldano designed, apparently reasonably well built (I found 1 instance of transformer failure on the internet, on a 50 watter, and a couple of minor issues) and easy to mod for more clean or a more accurate Soldano drive channel. I'm perfectly happy with it as-is.

Heresy, but to me it KILLS the 5150 III I had....just a sound I prefer. The JCA is bright, but the 5150III was downright fizzy and I could never dial it out, on Ch3. The JCA is much crisper up top.


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## mrmatt1972 (Apr 3, 2008)

I'm not a metal player, but I am a Laney user and can see they have a number of very well respected metal amps used by a bunch of top names. The Ironheart series is designed from the start as a "modern metal amp" and the VH100R is capable of doing pretty much anything. There's a new Toni Iommi amp with 2 channels too.


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## Destropiate (Jan 17, 2007)

For really high gain I've always been a big fan of the Mesa Mark series. The Mark III is my personal favourite, I can still get that really heavy sound but I don't feel like I'm controlling a spaceship like I did when I tried the Mark V


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## JeremyP (Jan 10, 2012)

Peavey has some of the heaviest. The old 5150's and new 6505's are shred monsters. I have tried a few different hi-gainers and the 6505 has blown most of them out of the water in the METAL category. ...But I think these days the AXEFX is the weapon of choice for a ton of guys too.


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## Midlife_Crisis (Jan 1, 2011)

If a guy is looking for pure high gain then the mesa triple rec, 6505's/5150 (any of them) and soldano SLO have about as much gain on tap as I have ever heard. And every one of them can be dialed in to an absolute bone crushing sound without too much trouble.


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## High/Deaf (Aug 19, 2009)

Moosehead said:


> Thunderverb is pretty badass. I dont think anybody makes an amp with as many Knobs/switches as Mesa.


I hear that often and find it funny. As an ex-owner of a Dual Rec Roadster, yeah it had a lot of knobs. But they all did the same thing over and over again, like a mixing console. 

Many amps have a gain, volume, bass, mid, treble, presence and reverb per channel. Multiply all of those by 4 and add two master volumes (one for boost) and that's why it looks so daunting. But if you concentrate on one channel at a time, it doesn't seem that different.

Of course there's also lots and lots of switches for voicing, rectifier, power, fx loops, bypassing the loop/master, etc. 

But personally, I think a Line 6 or Roland cube has more controls, factoring the effects section.

I think the real issue with Mesa's is that the controls work so differently from many amps. I see guys using my LSS go up and tweak the treble or mid from 9 oclock to noon. Well, they've just gone through what I would do in about 6 adjustments. And they've changed things downstream as well. They ain't easy to use (especially for someone used to passive controls), but when you get it, they do provide a ton of tonal options within their voicing range. And some people like their voicings and some don't. But the two many knobs thing just makes me think they've never dealt with a 24 i/p mixing console. That would blow their mind!


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## rwe333 (Feb 18, 2006)

Fryette's Deliverance, Sig:X, CL, CLX & UltraLead.


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## Brennan (Apr 9, 2008)

I'm surprised James Peters hasn't been mentioned yet, absolutely fantastic Canadian made high gain amps.


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## TFridgen (Nov 10, 2009)

Brennan said:


> I'm surprised James Peters hasn't been mentioned yet, absolutely fantastic Canadian made high gain amps.


Funny I came back to this thread right now to mention Peters amps. I just picked up a Halo/Gryphon Dual Channel and it is BY FAR the best amp I have had the pleasure to play through. The Halo channel can be warm and ringing but it runs the gamut through AC/DC crunch to maxed out jcm800. Gain channel is unbelievable, crunchy, growling rhythm and sweet singing leads with the same settings. This amp literally plays itself!


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## sorbz62 (Nov 15, 2011)

I have a fantastic Mesa Mk V which will cover all bases from beautiful cleans to mega-metal. I personally do not find it hard to dial in - turn the knobs until it sounds good.

But I also got hold of a Marshall KK2203 - the Kerry King signature model - and, without doubt, it is the best sounding Marshall head I have got. It can sound like the nicest JMP/ JCM or as brootal as it comes! An awesome amp.


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