Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

Sign In with Google

Become a Subscriber!

Subscribe to our Patreon, and get image uploads with no ads on the site!

Read more...

Amps / Live

What's Hot
1356712

Comments

  • If you're a slash fan, he doesn't use the afd head ;)

    He uses old Marshall amps. I'd pretty much rule them out, though a jcm800 combo could be in budget.

    The Laney gh50 would ballpark a slashy tone, and have tons of gain to spare if you want to get really heavy. It's sort of based on a jcm800.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • thomasross20thomasross20 Frets: 4423
    edited October 2014
    You're obviously a Laney fan :D

    Why stay clear of Marshalls? I only ever had a small one (MG15FX or something) but for some reason it stopped working.

    Mesa Boogie is out. Too much money.
    Laney looks like a good contender (in general - not talking about specific models).
    Blackstar good value for money but not 100% on the sounds ?
    Jet City good value for money.
    Vox keep popping up and looks like good value for money. AC30 and Nightrain pops up everywhere.
    Roland - love my Cube 30 but don't know if I want valve or solid state.

    Has to be able to fit in my car, whatever it is. So head + cab sounds ok but as long as not too big. Combo probably better. And again, I'd want to play it at home, ideally through headphones if that's even an option (not common with what we're talking about). Has to achieve the Guns style distortion - creamy leads a must!

    I just feel overwhelmed with the choice....


    I keep thinking single channel is the way to go for what I want.. (+ attenuator for home practice?)?

    If I go for a single channel amp using only my OD pedal for dirt... does it really matter if it's valve or solid-state??

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • Anybody tried a Mesa Stilleto Ace?
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • mike_lmike_l Frets: 5700

    Laney's don't really sound like anything but Laney's. Nice but quite a specific sound.

    Not tried the Stilleto Ace, but the other Mesa's I've tried have been good, sound wise.

    Have you considered something like a Blackstar HT-dual pedal, into a clean, neutrally set amp?

    The amp is then effectively the power-amp and the HT dual is effectively the pre-amp.

    Ringleader of the Cambridge cartel, pedal champ and king of the dirt boxes (down to 21) 

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • thomasross20thomasross20 Frets: 4423
    edited October 2014
    There's an Ace at guitarguitar going for £1k. 
    Blackstar is a possible on the list!
    FOr the right amp, considering the cost of my recent guitars, I'd pay...
    At rehearsal I got into a nice Fender and use my Riot distortion pedal and it all sounds great! 
    I only ever use the clean channel on it!

    Anybody tried PRS SE Combos?
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • ThePrettyDamnedThePrettyDamned Frets: 7472
    edited October 2014
    Not a Laney fanboy, but the gh50 is a jcm800 style amp, but more modern sounding. Not perfect for slash tone. Damn sight closer than a lot of other amps you've mentioned though.

    Stay away from modern Marshall unless you can afford a nice, top end model. They are known for poor reliability, though the dsl does sound pretty good to me.

    If you want to sound a bit like slash, but don't want to break the bank, I'd look into the Laney kit. Another EXCELLENT suggestion would be an 18 watt amp from mjw. If you need giggable cleans, maybe a higher powered one, but they're mostly Marshally sounding circuits, and for reasonable price. Hand wired means repairable easily, and parts are easier to source.

    I would steer away from mesa unless you know they offer you something you want. Rather than browsing a list of used amps, and seeing what you can afford, you need to know what you want to sound like, then work out what circuits and speakers provide that sound.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • mike_lmike_l Frets: 5700

    A mate has a HT-20 combo. That's a nice little amp, and quite gigable for small-ish (IE pub size) gigs.

    I use a MArshall DSL 401 Combo, which again is a nice amp, and, again, suitable for pub size gigs. Mine's competed with a 100 Stack, and the guy using the stack had to ask me to turn down (master on 5..........)

    Ringleader of the Cambridge cartel, pedal champ and king of the dirt boxes (down to 21) 

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • monquixotemonquixote Frets: 17485
    tFB Trader
    mike_l said:

    A mate has a HT-20 combo. That's a nice little amp, and quite gigable for small-ish (IE pub size) gigs.

    I use a MArshall DSL 401 Combo, which again is a nice amp, and, again, suitable for pub size gigs. Mine's competed with a 100 Stack, and the guy using the stack had to ask me to turn down (master on 5..........)

    I think that depends on the band. 

    I had an HT-20 and it was completely unusable with the band I was in at the time even for rehearsal. It's not the loudest 20 watter.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • MAIN QUESTION:

    If I'm only using clean and a distortion pedal for dirt.... does it matter if it's solid state or valve?
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • monquixotemonquixote Frets: 17485
    tFB Trader
    MAIN QUESTION:

    If I'm only using clean and a distortion pedal for dirt.... does it matter if it's solid state or valve?
    Yes. 

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • monquixote;376347" said:
    thomasross20 said:

    MAIN QUESTION:

    If I'm only using clean and a distortion pedal for dirt.... does it matter if it's solid state or valve?





    Yes. 
    +1.

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • mike_lmike_l Frets: 5700
    MAIN QUESTION:

    If I'm only using clean and a distortion pedal for dirt.... does it matter if it's solid state or valve?
    Depends on whether it sounds good or not. And whether the amp plays nicely with pedals.

    Ringleader of the Cambridge cartel, pedal champ and king of the dirt boxes (down to 21) 

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • OK, good to know!
    I'm not completely against head vs cab... as long as the cab isn't ridiculously big. 
    Going to be up all night checking amps out. 

    Just looking at the PRS ones (naturally lol) now.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • monquixotemonquixote Frets: 17485
    edited October 2014 tFB Trader
    The PRS SE amps were stupidly expensive when they first came out, but they seem to be a much more sensible price now though there was some talk of them being discontinued due to not being very popular.

    Edit they aren't listed on the site anymore so I guess they are dead. I haven't heard especially good things about them.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • Hmm.. there's an SE custom 50 new going for £470. 
    God, at least with guitars I knew what I was getting. Amps is another thing completely..
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • mike_lmike_l Frets: 5700

    I have a little Marshall Valvestate, for home use only, which, for the size/power/SS wiring sounds pretty good (OK it'll never have the trouser flapping noise of 100w and a couple of 4x12's), but in it's own way it's good. Also it takes pedals nicely.

    I used to have a Squire SS amp, which sucked floppy donkey cock (sound wise), and didn't play nicely with pedals.

     

    FWIW Dimebag Darrell used SS Randall amps...........

    Ringleader of the Cambridge cartel, pedal champ and king of the dirt boxes (down to 21) 

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • monquixotemonquixote Frets: 17485
    tFB Trader
    mike_l said:

    FWIW Dimebag Darrell used SS Randall amps...........

    He did have a really horrible super aggressive guitar tone though. 
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • Randall prob too hot for me. 

    The Fender I use at practice sounds great clean and great distorted when I click my pedal. Makes me wonder if I really notice the difference between a good and crap amp. In another practice room years ago I went through a Marshall head + cab and it was heavenly
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • mike_lmike_l Frets: 5700
    edited October 2014

    Yep, but in context his sound worked really well.

    The closest I've got to his sound is using a high-gain SS pedal (actually a Boss Mega Distortion)

     

    Ringleader of the Cambridge cartel, pedal champ and king of the dirt boxes (down to 21) 

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • monquixotemonquixote Frets: 17485
    tFB Trader
    Randall prob too hot for me. 

    The Fender I use at practice sounds great clean and great distorted when I click my pedal. Makes me wonder if I really notice the difference between a good and crap amp. In another practice room years ago I went through a Marshall head + cab and it was heavenly
    I'm pretty sure you will. Given the choice I (and I suspect most people) would be much happier playing a squier through a really quality valve amp than a PRS through an entry level solidstate amp. Amps are generally speaking more important for tone than guitars.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 1reaction image Wisdom
Sign In or Register to comment.