# Which amp do I choose?! Ahhhhhh!



## thisissunshine (Aug 14, 2007)

Okay, so now that I'm a little more experienced at playing guitar, and have bought myself a very nice one (Gibson SG '61 reissue... ohhh yeah). So I've decided that I want to get a real amp, right now I have a practice berhinger amp which is good, but I want something better. I play heavy metal. But I have no clue what amp to get and I'm all confused with all of the amp lingo. I am willing to save up some money but I don't have thousands upon thousands to spend on an amp. So.. please help? Thank you!


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## jane (Apr 26, 2006)

Heavy metal? How about a Peavey 5150? Or a Mesa of some sort? 

Btw, an SG for metal?  J/K. I'd love an SG classic (for the P90s, of course).


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## GuitaristZ (Jan 26, 2007)

You need a Tech21 Trademark 30 or Trademark 60. Perhaps look at the new Vox Valvetronix Lineup...especially the new ones as they have a lot of heavier models that will work well for heavy genres, etc....anyway, you might want to check out the roland cube while you are at it, but I would stick to the first two perhaps. They sound great. They are also fairly cheap (all under 500$ new probably)


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## bcmatt (Aug 25, 2007)

Hey, what sort of Metal do you play? Like the really fast stuff? Or just heavy stuff? Actually, if you tell us some bands or guitarists that you really like the sound of, we could help make suggestions to what sort of amp you might want.


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## Guest (Dec 16, 2007)

bcmatt said:


> Hey, what sort of Metal do you play? Like the really fast stuff? Or just heavy stuff? Actually, if you tell us some bands or guitarists that you really like the sound of, we could help make suggestions to what sort of amp you might want.


+1. And your budget. There's a big difference between "thousands of dollars", a about thousand dollars and less than a thousand.


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## NB-SK (Jul 28, 2007)

jane said:


> Heavy metal? How about a Peavey 5150? Or a Mesa of some sort?
> 
> *Btw, an SG for metal?*  J/K. I'd love an SG classic (for the P90s, of course).


Ever heard of Tony Iommi? You know, the guy who practically invented heavy metal guitar. He uses an SG.  :tongue:


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

NB-SK said:


> Ever heard of Tony Iommi? You know, the guy who *practically invented heavy metal *guitar. He uses an SG.  :tongue:


I think he (Tony) is "standing on the shoulders of giants"

Just my opinion.

Dave


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

Iommi uses an SG, and he's heavy.

but Necrophagist is only in D and that's an ENGL SE you're hearing and that's a wee bit heavier then sabbath .

if you want a nice loud amp for metal, without breaking your budget, go play a peavey bandit or the trademark 60. you will not be disappointed. if you can find a peavey XXL combo, that's also a solid bet.


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## thisissunshine (Aug 14, 2007)

Bands that I like the sound of?? Lamb of God, Arch enemy, Slayer, and then stuff like Norma Jean and Bring Me The Horizon... just things along those lines. And my price range? mmmm I could save up $1500. Oh, and thank you to EVERYONEwho is replying to this and helping me out!


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

1. if you get a big ole halfstack, if you dont have anywhere to crank it up then you're not getting the most out of the amp. buy what's practical.

my suggestion? a mesa boogie stiletto ACE combo. Enough gain for the bands you've listed (arch enemy and LoG dont use a lot of gain, they have lot of mids to get their crunch), and it will do lower gain/less "intense" music as well. i highly suggest trying one out.


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## bcmatt (Aug 25, 2007)

Yup, I've always admired the sound that bands get out of the Stilleto (Mesa).
ALSO....
Both the guitarists in Slayer each use a Marshall JCM800! Yay!
Everyone needs a JCM800 if they really want to rock..well at least I do. I'm building my own from a kit. You can get your own Kit shipped right to your door from Ceriatone for less than $700.
I'll be finally getting around to building mine this week. I'll have to if I want it done by Christmas.
Anyways, lots of people make their own JCM800s or you could find them around for sale second hand. But, ya, I'd try out a JCM800 if I were you, and see if it has what you want.


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## sproul07 (Jun 23, 2007)

Ya I would say invest in a Marshall of some kind. For your price range and your style of music, I would say look into the Marshall DSL50 or 100 however loud you want it lol.


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## dwagar (Mar 6, 2006)

Budda said:


> 1. if you get a big ole halfstack, if you dont have anywhere to crank it up then you're not getting the most out of the amp.* buy what's practical.*


that's serious advice. Better to buy a lower powered amp that you can crank than a high powered amp you have to run on 2 or 3.

Although I'm a JCM800 lover myself, sounds like you might be happier in the higher gain zone of the Mesa family.


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## thisissunshine (Aug 14, 2007)

so I looked at the mesa that was suggested and I really like it. But I'm thinking about getting the head, any ideas on what I could get for a cab??


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## bcmatt (Aug 25, 2007)

Cool! You're getting the Stiletto head? Ya, I admire that one.
Maybe you want the Roadster cab from Mesa as well (a couple of 12" Celestion Vintage 30s) Closed back cab deeper cab. But much more portable and not as impossible to move as a halfstack.
This is something you should really try to try out for sound with your amp though. Then you can know the sound you want. The kind of speaker cab and speakers you choose do affect the sound quite a bit. Maybe you even want to keep it even more portable and just get a 1x12 cab. I think it is worth comparing the difference in sound. I would at least compare the difference in sound between 2x12 and 4x12 before you get tempted to buy a halfstack.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

thisissunshine said:


> so I looked at the mesa that was suggested and I really like it. But I'm thinking about getting the head, any ideas on what I could get for a cab??


used avatar 212 oversize cab


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## thisissunshine (Aug 14, 2007)

oh thank you all so much! I've found a mesa dealer fairly close to me, but I also want to make sure that if I'm spending this much money that I'm getting what I want, I was looking at some Marshall and Randall amps, should I be looking at those too? Or what? I really don't play too much other than metal, but I still want to make sure that I can get as many sounds out of my amp as I can. I'm sorry, I'm really not very... amp inclined. You all are helping out so much and I think I probably will get the mesa head.


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## acdc54_caddy62 (Mar 12, 2007)

Well first you have to asses the situation you are gonna be using the amp for. There is no reson to buy a 100 watt head if your playing at home/studio. Since you said you want a heavier sound like Lamp Of God, you probley would wanna go with a Mesa/Marshall or Randall. 

I dont know if you wanna buy used or new, so Ill be suggesting a few of both

Mesa: Nomad 45/50/100 combo, Rect-o-verb combo , or the new Dual Rectifier Roadster combo.
Randall: The one amp I can really suggest from Randall is the MTS Combo. Other than that everything that have is solid state or 100 watt tube heads.

As for Marshall...Only thing I could suggest would maybe be a JCM800 combo.


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## Guest (Dec 17, 2007)

acdc54_caddy62 said:


> Rect-o-verb combo


That's a great, versatile amp. An overlooked sleeper in the Rectifier lineup for sure. That or a Trem-o-Verb 2x12 combo and you'll be able to cover a ton of territory. For heavier stuff I'd lean towards the dual rectumfrier Trem-o-Verb.


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## thisissunshine (Aug 14, 2007)

wow, this is amazing... but now that I've looked at it long enough I think I'll probably go for a mesa. But I'll be sure to try out some of the amps you all have listed.


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## acdc54_caddy62 (Mar 12, 2007)

This Genz Benz will kick anyones ass in a shred-off! Take a look see at it on www.musiciansfriend.com


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

acdc54_caddy62 said:


> This Genz Benz will kick anyones ass in a shred-off! Take a look see at it on www.musiciansfriend.com
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## acdc54_caddy62 (Mar 12, 2007)

Hmm...well looks pretty shredtacular to me mwahahaha! Dont really know what else to suggest except maybe Krank Revolution or a Laney AOR Tube Head


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## acdc54_caddy62 (Mar 12, 2007)

Or a Valveking 2x12 combo!


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## thisissunshine (Aug 14, 2007)

I'm still mesmerized by the mesa's


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## TimH (Feb 4, 2006)

I dont' agree with the people here who've been suggesting you shouldn't get a hundred watt amp. The kind of bottom end you want to push needs headroom. It has NOTHING to do with needing to be louder but everything to do with wanting that feel and sound. A small amp sounds small(er) than a big amp. Period. 

The Stiletto is a great amp and so are all of the rectifiers. If I were you I'd also look into the New Fender 5150III.

Tim


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

mesa:
stiletto ACA
tremoverb
rectoverb
heartbreaker
F-30
F-50 combo
mark series

ta daaah lol


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## thisissunshine (Aug 14, 2007)

see the more and more I check out that Stiletto the more I like it. Hehehe, my knees are starting to quiver


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

just get a stiletto ace, go home happy 

if you must get a head (and a 212 cab lol), get the 2nd revision model.


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## thisissunshine (Aug 14, 2007)

Yeah? Alrighty. Hahaha for a second there I thought you called me honey. It was quite shocking. Merry Christmas and thanks once again.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

lol ease off on the eggnog w/ rum eh? 

merry christmas everyone


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## Adicted to Tubes (Mar 5, 2006)

All those amps are not high on the list of reliability.I have seen too many Mesa's go up in smoke on stage lately.Not cheap to fix either.
Get a JCM800 and put a pedal in front of it.It will give better metal tones than the Mesa and cover all the other tones you will be playing once you get tired of metal.
And you will get tired of it.When your ears don't hear like they used to and your chest gets fatigued from getting blasted by all those low-mids.
Get a good set of ear plugs so you don't kill your ears.
One thing about mesa's and some of the newer amps is the guitar won't shine through.Even a strat sounds like a Les Paul at that level of gain.You buy a 2500.00 Les Paul and your buddy's squire sounds the same.Not so with the JCM800.


www.claramps.com


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

Adicted to Tubes said:


> All those amps are not high on the list of reliability.I have seen too many Mesa's go up in smoke on stage lately.Not cheap to fix either.
> Get a JCM800 and put a pedal in front of it.It will give better metal tones than the Mesa and cover all the other tones you will be playing once you get tired of metal.
> And you will get tired of it.When your ears don't hear like they used to and your chest gets fatigued from getting blasted by all those low-mids.
> Get a good set of ear plugs so you don't kill your ears.
> ...


I've heard many more horror stories of marshalls breaking down then mesa's. I've seen a soldano go down, and 2 mesa's stay up. marshalls will never ever get mesa boogie tones - they're not the same amp. a mesa stiletto is appaerntly a hot-rodded marshall - so you can kinda go the other direction. mesa's get great tones for stuff other then metal as well - santana, for one...

I was playing a dual rec today with a MIA fat strat and a PRS singlecut SE. the strat still had strat tone on the bridge bucker, any channel. the singlecut sounded like an LP, any channel.


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## thisissunshine (Aug 14, 2007)

Budda said:


> lol ease off on the eggnog w/ rum eh?


But I thought that's what Christmas was for...

I guess the only way to settle this marshall vs. mesa dispute isssss to try both! Fun!


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

you know it! they're different amps - one will be what you're after, the other will be silghtly less of what you're after.

I need a job asap so i can fund the dual rec i'm going to get.


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## thisissunshine (Aug 14, 2007)

you don't have a job? well that makes things a bit harder. Don't do it! Don't succumb to the establishment... win the lotto!


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

i have never bought a lottery ticket lol. i got most of my previous gear by selling what i owned plus using money i made as a guitar teacher at home. since moving out for school, i haven't picked up a job. and of course 2nd semester will be harder then the first, and now a job is top priority (outside of school) lol. ah, to be "young"... 

maybe i will buy a lottery ticket.


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## thisissunshine (Aug 14, 2007)

well in comparison to me I'm sure a lot of people are.... matured.


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## marcd (Mar 3, 2007)

I'm going to have to suggest Mesa Mark series stuff. They're so tight and clear, they're perfect for metal. They also sound incredible at lower volumes, so they're practical for any situation.

I'd look at either the Mark III or Mark IV - the Mark IV if you need versatility.

I didn't catch whether you were looking at new or used, but you can find used Mark IIIs for $800-900 and used Mark IVs for $1200-1500.

Check them out. :smile:

I don't think any version of the rectifier is going to be articulate enough for Lamb of God or Arch Enemy. Some of the newer Marshalls would be good alternatives too.


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## thisissunshine (Aug 14, 2007)

new or used, as long as it's a good amp in good condition I'll buy it. Well and I like the sound too of course. But I should start looking into the Mark stuff. Thanks.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

marcd said:


> I'm going to have to suggest Mesa Mark series stuff. They're so tight and clear, they're perfect for metal. They also sound incredible at lower volumes, so they're practical for any situation.
> 
> I'd look at either the Mark III or Mark IV - the Mark IV if you need versatility.
> 
> ...


i was recommended a mark III at the mesa forum over a dual rec - could you point me in the direction of one in the price range you mentioned?


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## thisissunshine (Aug 14, 2007)

ohhhh! I live in such a smal area I doubt I could find a mark series amp! I've been checking them out hehehe.


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## Steve P (May 9, 2007)

The Stiletto is an amazing amp -- great first choice. 

If you are looking to save some cash, you could consider looking for a used Mesa F-30. They are also great, versatile high-gain amps. 

I bought the Mesa Express 5:25 last summer and love it. Some metal heads claim it doesn't have enough gain on tap, but will do old school metal (Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, etc.) just fine. And it has an amazing clean channel and spring reverb, if you are into some versatility.


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## Bevo (Nov 24, 2006)

Check out Krank especialy the Rev JR.

Youtube has a couple of good demos of it. The full stack is two cabs with single 12's with the head on top. You can also get the 20W head on its own, the full mini stack is $800 or so out here.

Some guys are using the head with a 4-12 cab and it is brutaly loud. I have heard and tried out the head with one 12 at LA music out here and was very impressed with the amp and level of gain.

This head is well worth a look.
Bev


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

Bevo said:


> Check out Krank especialy the Rev JR.
> 
> Youtube has a couple of good demos of it. The full stack is two cabs with single 12's with the head on top. You can also get the 20W head on its own, the full mini stack is $800 or so out here.
> 
> ...


youtube clips are not a good thing to judge any sound equipment by. brutally loud doesnt mean brutally good - krank doesnt have much rep in the metal world, its usually the butt of most jokes lol.

wanna know why you dont see many Krank users? people bought something else. food for thought..


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## Bevo (Nov 24, 2006)

Hmm I respectfully disagree.

You may be right and it is not the best amp (100 W REV Head) for what I would call "Light Metal" but in the Heavy as in Death, Black, Thrash Metal it is a huge name.

Its always good to look at the non mainstream gear especilay if you don't have the bucks for a Mesa or Marshall....Keep an open mind you never know whats out there..e.g. REV JR

In the last year I have seen some big bands come through T.O. running Krank 100W heads. They are loud heads but its more about the gain than the volume from what I see. Most guys are just running the guitar straight into the head, no need for a clean channel or foot switch.

For chugging away palm muted notes on the "B" that pound your chest or 200MPH solo's they just can't be beat. Playing AC/DC, GNR, Sabbath you have way better choices.

Youtube I agree is not the best for the demo but when you have no access to the amp what can you do. For me if the demo is good the person will go through all the settings allowing me to see if they actualy do something I like or want. If the basic sound and features are enough I will then find it, play it and decide for myself.
e.g. there is a switch on the back of the amp sort of a power setting, with it on low you have a tame AC/DC amp with gain at 10, flip the switch..to get that same level of gain you need to readjust back to below 1..Take her back up to 10 and your guitar will talk to you from its stand across the room. 
Its all about the home work for me, half the time I go to the guitar shop I know more about the gear than the guy working there.

Bev


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## thisissunshine (Aug 14, 2007)

okay so ummm I kind of did a bad thing and got myself hooked on a stiletto deuce head, so... cab for this??


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

avatar 212 with celestion classic lead 80's.

as for the kranks.. i've only heard 1 band with them, and i like the tone but it sounds a little thin. a 5150 head used is about $750, and also a metal staple across most of the genres.

used ENGL's, mesa's, and framus are cheaper then new kranks. If i wanted to play death or black, i'd play ENGL. necrophagist and dimmu borgir get awesome tone on ENGL SE's, framus dragon - killswitch engage. framus cobra - first album by the absence. mesa dual recs - as i lay dying is a decent example of what you can do with the gain a touch too high lol. peavey 5150's - at the gates, the haunted, early arch enemy, early opeth, in flames, dark tranquility.

engl, framus, madison (through the eyes of the dead used to use madison divinity's and something else i believe) - not very mainstream, at least not in north america. from what i can see, ENGL is pretty much taking over in death metal.

I havent played a krank, but from talking to people on forums who are into metal, they're not doing the greatest. krank has gotten some big names over to their side, but those same people have left. for probably less then a brand new krank rev 1, you could get a mako Mak2. handmade USA 2 channel high gain beast (www.makoamplification.com - check out the dorado clips, its a dorado w/ a clean channel)

and im pretty sure a wilhelm scream didnt use a krank on their last CD, them being the band i've heard using a krank (1 guitarist w/ a rev 1? the other with a bogner XTC)


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