What is it about single channel amps?

ThePrettyDamned

I've recently been playing a few new amps in store, working out what I like and don't like (because I'm the kinda person that finds most sounds useful, so narrowing it down is hard!).

I've worked out that, almost always, single channel amps sound better.

Jcm800, Laney gh50l, fender bassman reissue, Marshall jtm45 reissue... They just sounded better than multi channel amps.

They seemed to clean up better, and all of them were great with even stupid pedals (you wouldn't believe how decent a bassman 2x12 sounds with a metal pedal, though the speakers seemed to break up a lot at volume).

Is there a reason for this? They tended to have a bit less noise, too.

My favourites were the gh50, bassman and jtm45 btw. I think high gain my favourite was the Laney, just pure saturation. But it wasn't so good for cleans, the jtm45 was ace at cleans and crunch and with a pedal, saturated up quite nicely too.

guitarfishbay

You might like the latest Tony Iommi amp - I think it is the same channel twice and I think his old amp was based on the GH.  Never seen one or head one in person though.

Drew_TNBD

I'm not sure I really agree with the premise.

vasselmeyer

I agree with you. I've almost always used amps with more than one channel but have ended up sticking exclusively to the clean and then using effects to get what I need out of them. For me it's more like the fact that I like a biggish jump in volume for a solo sound and if the amp is crunchy already, I can't get that volume jump because I just end up with more saturation and not the volume I want. Also I like all my pedals in one place and having an amp switched kicking around near the pedalboard irritates me somehow.

ESBlonde

@ThePrettyDamned what took you so long. I'm a firm believer in having the base/foundation sound and then selecting pedal/FX modifiers to build a sound generating system, that way you just get the best of all worlds (apart from portability if you use digital etc.).

guitarfishbay

I would honestly have put my old Mesa Roadster setup against any single channel amp.  Fat mode and Tweed mode on Ch1 are both incredible and you could run it like that and get fantastic tones.  If you ever get the chance to try a Roadster through a Rectifier 2x12 or 4x12 give those channels a go, they're pretty much lifted from a Lonestar IIRC.  Honestly they sound great, not 'good for a high gain amp', actually good.  And you still have the Recto drive channels on channels 3 and 4.

p90fool

I think it's partly in your head tbh, but it's partly in mine too, I never buy anything with more than one channel.
The chances of any amp having two channels I love are pretty well zero, so I'm buggered if I'm paying for the other one.

Drew_TNBD

Take some of the single channel Orange stuff, for instance. They sound great, in a certain context. Try and do anything with them outside that context, they sound crap.

I tend to prefer amp distortion over pedals. Pedals always sound thin and weedy at a band volume and in the mix. Amp distortion really kicks and cuts through. for the breadth of sounds I need, a single channel amp would not do it for me.

RaymondLin

Well then I am stuffed with a 3 channel amp lol

Dave_Mc

I dunno. You'd really want to try the same thing with more channels versus the single channel thing to be sure it's not just the circuit you like more.

Another helpful sitting on the fence post from me

ThePrettyDamned

@drew_fx I don't think single channel amps are better, but side by side, I definitely found they sounded better than multi channel amps I had to hand. For example, gh50 versus lh50. Okay, the lh50 had a lovely clean channel, but it didn't sound as nice clean as the jtm or the bassman, and then drive wasn't as nice as the gh50.

The best heavy channel I've heard remains the 6505+, which is a channel switcher, but the cleans on it are not amazing. I tried a 5153 50 watt and still prefer the cleans on the jtm and bassman, though they were nicer than the Chinese 6505+ combo.

Drew_TNBD

I think that's more just differences in the amp designs. The gh50 is quite different to the lh50.

Gassage

It's interesting but totally logical- in the same way single FX sound better than multi fx as multi tends to be a compromise. I guess it's focus. I just did a quick think about all my fave guitarists and every single one favours a single channel amps from claptons twins to Gilmourz's Hiwatts and Gary Moore's JCM 800

Hertz32

@Drew_FX what context is that? I'm loving my Orange DT I cant seem to get a bad tone out of it! (Except the extreme 10% at each end of the shape control)

In fairness, I see why people would want the convienience of a multi-channel amp. But thats why I'm trying to buy the Micro terror head off the classifieds. Have my DT into a 212 and MT into a 112 and an ABY switch at the end of my pedal board. Make 2 singles into a 2.5 channel setup? Perfect

Brad

A single channel devotee here too. Over time, I realised all I wanted from an amp was simplicity. Maybe its because I've had some aggro in the past with more 'complicated' amps that pushed me in that direction. The less stuff going on in the amp the less there is to go wrong in my opinion.

I find 'that' simplicity results in a nicer sound from the start, as in my mind, it is all that is being focused on in the amp. The amount of amps I've owned/played where I don't use one of the other channels, it just seemed like a waste of amp. 

But not all single channel amps are created equally of course, and don't get me wrong there are many variables that back up my opinion or suggest otherwise. I just reckon you need to know what sound you're after and depending on how you work your gear, single channel amps aren't for everyone. I just know they are for me as I'm happy to use my pedals for an amp with lots of headroom, or the guitars volume control for lower wattage amps.

Sayin' that, I'll probably get rid of my gear and be after a Boogie Mark V this time next year haha.

  

   

Hertz32

If I was to sell my amps and buy again, I'd have a Carvin v3m in all fairness. 3 channels and more knobs than TGP

ThePrettyDamned

Drew_fx;367698" said:

I think that's more just differences in the amp designs. The gh50 is quite different to the lh50.

Fair point, but if it's such an excellent sounding amp, why do they not make a 2 or 3 channel version? Is it just cost prohibitive?

The vh100 sounded immense, but again, voiced a bit differently and had more noise than the gh50. It also didn't clean up as well, though with channels that really doesn't matter - more highlights the circuitry differences.

Gassage

Why spend 1500 on a second hand Boogie when you can spend 4500 on 3 vintage amps and a lehle? Hold on...wait a minute......

samzadgan

all over that! I have come to the same decision. Single channel amps just sound much better and i think its because there is less going on in the circuit and its simple...what ever it is...a sinlge channel amp is awesome.

 

as far the dirt side...i've personally never liked amp distortion, and have always prefered pedals...having said that...i've gone through a lot of pedals to get to the dirt pedals i've had recently. There were a lot of shit ones, and if i compared them to amp distortion i would have prefered amp distortion. But with the last few dirt pedals i've had, all of them have been much better than any twin or 3 channel amp i've ever had.

 

StefB

ThePrettyDamned said:

Drew_fx;367698" said:

I think that's more just differences in the amp designs. The gh50 is quite different to the lh50.

Fair point, but if it's such an excellent sounding amp, why do they not make a 2 or 3 channel version? Is it just cost prohibitive?

The vh100 sounded immense, but again, voiced a bit differently and had more noise than the gh50. It also didn't clean up as well, though with channels that really doesn't matter - more highlights the circuitry differences.

I like the idea of single channel amps, but am with Drew in that I need more from an amp for the type of stuff I play, and pedal gain stages don't do it for me, other than for lead boost.

Sticking with the Laney theme, I recently picked up a TT50 head having owned both a head and a combo before.  It's very versatile head with three channels, two master volumes, MIDI etc and a load of tone sculpting buttons on every channel.  And it sounds IMMENSE on every channel.  The clean channel is one of the best I've heard from any amp, the drive channel is 70s classic rock all the way, and the lead channel is more of the same into higher gain JCM800 territory but without going daft.

A TT100 head went on eBay today for £300 Buy it Now and tempting though it is, I'm happy with the more pushable 50w format but it'd be a terrific bargain for someone in the know.

ThePrettyDamned

StefB;367795" said:

ThePrettyDamned said:





Drew_fx;367698" said:

I think that's more just differences in the amp designs. The gh50 is quite different to the lh50.Fair point, but if it's such an excellent sounding amp, why do they not make a 2 or 3 channel version? Is it just cost prohibitive? The vh100 sounded immense, but again, voiced a bit differently and had more noise than the gh50. It also didn't clean up as well, though with channels that really doesn't matter - more highlights the circuitry differences.

I like the idea of single channel amps, but am with Drew in that I need more from an amp for the type of stuff I play, and pedal gain stages don't do it for me, other than for lead boost.

Sticking with the Laney theme, I recently picked up a TT50 head having owned both a head and a combo before.  It's very versatile head with three channels, two master volumes, MIDI etc and a load of tone sculpting buttons on every channel.  And it sounds IMMENSE on every channel.  The clean channel is one of the best I've heard from any amp, the drive channel is 70s classic rock all the way, and the lead channel is more of the same into higher gain JCM800 territory but without going daft.

A TT100 head went on eBay today for £300 Buy it Now and tempting though it is, I'm happy with the more pushable 50w format but it'd be a terrific bargain for someone in the know.

Okay... Colour me interested.

How does it compare to other amps?

And what's the internal build like? This is the one Laney now I've never played, that isn't an 80s model.

The vh100r us actually one of the best sounding amps I've heard, 4 channels of great sounds, but it was a bit noisy - I'd definitely want a gate...