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Ptak
Bronze Member
141 Posts |
 Posted - 12/23/2009 : 23:27:31
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Pretty much... i need a new amp.
I was reading one thread here and it helped me greatly. Im looking for an amp thats good with pedals and is powerful enough to gig with. Before i read the "Amp & Pedals" thread i was gung-ho on buying a Marshall JCM800 stack... but the thread made me realize that most of the time your amp is mic'ed so it would be overkill and really heavy to transport.
I currently have a Marshall AVT150 valvestate 2000 (75 watts) but it has 4 channels (acoustic sim, od1, od2, clean) It also has effects which i dont use! Since i bought it about 6-7 years ago ive never been able to get a tone i like from it... im constantly tweaking. So im looking for a 1-2 channel 2x12 combo tube amp around 50watts.
The only problem im having is that theres sooo many variations JMP, JCM, etc... just wondering if any of you could help me find the best amp for pedal use and my style of playing which is Thrash (Metallica, Slayer, Sepultura, Pantera) and Grunge (Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots) so yah any help guys? |
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FRANZONI
Double Platinum Member
Ireland
3543 Posts |
Posted - 12/24/2009 : 00:04:26
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I have one of the older JMP series marshall superbass heads the MKII version between the plexi and the JCM eras..very basic and simple amp but sounds great for guitar..my own opinion on amps is the simpler they are the better they sound,especially if your using pedals to sculpt your sound..you could always do what i did and use the marshall head with a 2 x 12 cab,not a combo i know but is actually quite portable,i have a musicman combo as well and the marshall head and cab is easier to lift and one arm balances the other...just make sure the speakers are big enough to take the power...
I'm not really into thrash music or well versed on the gear they use but looking at some of the articles in guitar mags i thought a lot of those guys used high wattage solid state amps or Mesa triple rec's....?
All my amps are 30+ years old and all are giving problems as i gig 2 or 3 times week so if your looking at buying an old amp be prepared to have the odd problem or two...looks like i'm going to be in the marketplace myself after the turkey in the new year.... |
Edited by - FRANZONI on 12/24/2009 00:05:20 |
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zerksies
Double Platinum Member
USA
3406 Posts |
Posted - 12/24/2009 : 00:55:33
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| I am not current with modern amps i mostly play vintage fenders.I know the importance of needing smaller amps for gigging i would say a marshall jcm 600, but that is a head and cab.I would really check out a mesa boogie amp i tried one out a few months ago had a great distortion and clean sound.they have that marshall distortion and a fender clean sound |
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Ptak
Bronze Member
141 Posts |
Posted - 12/24/2009 : 01:07:24
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Yeah im looking for a marshall just because ive always had a marshall but i fully know how awesome mesa boogies are. 
...and i never even thought about a head + 2x12. See this is my problem theres sooo much to choose from! |
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FRANZONI
Double Platinum Member
Ireland
3543 Posts |
Posted - 12/24/2009 : 01:25:07
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Zerks has a point there about smaller wattage as well..i put TAD tonebones into my marshall..these allow you to replace the output valves(mostly EL34's in marshalls) with a EL84 which is a lower wattage valve..basically it scaled the power output section on my Marshall from 100 down to 32 watts..most places i play i normally wouldn't get a 100 watt marshall head off 2 or 3 on the volume and this can make a big tube head sound a bit flat and lifeless..
maybe a 50 watt head or combo might be better for you plus it would be a bit lighter if your planning on gigging/rehearsing it often...i'm looking at a lot of different amps myself at the moment..one i'm looking at is the Egnater renagade 65 as i need the clean headroom,the rebel 20 and 30 look cool are DeFrag gave his 20 some great reviews but i think i would need slightly more powerful amp to keep up with the drummer...but for the moment i need to get one of my amps back working for the 27th... ... |
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zerksies
Double Platinum Member
USA
3406 Posts |
Posted - 12/24/2009 : 02:45:18
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| I have done 20 watts with a drummer and have over powered him with my volume |
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PaulH
Gold Member
535 Posts |
Posted - 12/24/2009 : 10:04:01
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I'm a firm believer in having no amps!
There seems to be this unwritten rule that all guitar players have to have an amp, not only that but to be a proper guitarist it has to be a tube amp.
Hmmm....
It's been almost 10 years now since I got rid of my Marshalls & Mesas.
Switching to Amp-Simulatotrs/DI-Boxes was the best thing I ever did.
I currently use the Tech21 SansAmp stuff with a few Boss pedals and go direct to the mixer/PA etc... just the same as any keyboard/synth player does.
If the PA is good enough I'll happily turn up to a gig guitar in hand and a SansAmp in my pocket.
If there is no PA, or it's only for vocals, then any keyboard amp will do. |
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Dirk
Platinum Member
Netherlands
1309 Posts |
Posted - 12/24/2009 : 11:02:30
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If you're want to rely on pedals for your distortion sounds then any tube amp is good, the pedal will always sound the same.
Pedals tend to sound better in front of tube amps as opposed to solid state amps however.
All those bands you mention don't use pedals for their distortion, they crank up the gain on their tube amps for the most part.
Ok, except Kurt Cobain used a DS-1
Have you tried the Marshall VintageModern 50watt 2x12 combo?
Single channel, great rock sound, cleans up nicely with the guitar volume, can be boosted into metal territory with any overdrive pedal. |
Edited by - Dirk on 12/24/2009 11:02:47 |
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Witloofboer
Gold Member
Belgium
513 Posts |
Posted - 12/24/2009 : 11:19:04
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| Laney's AOR series are factory modded JCM800's + they're much cheaper & still sound great. |
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FRANZONI
Double Platinum Member
Ireland
3543 Posts |
Posted - 12/24/2009 : 13:27:53
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quote:
Originally posted by PaulH
I'm a firm believer in having no amps!
There seems to be this unwritten rule that all guitar players have to have an amp, not only that but to be a proper guitarist it has to be a tube amp.
Hmmm....
It's been almost 10 years now since I got rid of my Marshalls & Mesas.
Switching to Amp-Simulatotrs/DI-Boxes was the best thing I ever did.
I currently use the Tech21 SansAmp stuff with a few Boss pedals and go direct to the mixer/PA etc... just the same as any keyboard/synth player does.
If the PA is good enough I'll happily turn up to a gig guitar in hand and a SansAmp in my pocket.
If there is no PA, or it's only for vocals, then any keyboard amp will do.
IMHO it depends on the band and what sort of music is being played..we did a low scale gig last weekend where my amp went bang..i used Lauries HZD line booster to go into one of the channel of the PA... sounded pretty good and i have a two channel tube overdrive that covered the distortion side of things but on bigger,louder gigs i would still use an amp..i have nothing against solid state amps some of them are very good..in fact i was even considering one of the Hendrikson Jazz amps..very small and portable and puts out 120 watts.. ... |
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Brutalitarian Supremacy
Silver Member
USA
270 Posts |
Posted - 12/24/2009 : 18:25:40
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just looking at the bands you enjoy i'd say it's pretty much a JCM800 2203 you're after!!!....who cares if it kills your back...ask yourself which is more important your tone or your health? yeah that's what I thought...the amp wins, long live big & loud ampsnot knocking toy amps(i own a few myself)but that's what they are...just toys!...when it's time to play for "real" you'll need a "real" amp |
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Ptak
Bronze Member
141 Posts |
Posted - 12/25/2009 : 03:45:39
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| im well aware about the bands i listed not using pedals but since ill be playing both genres im trying to obtain an easy switch between the two. Modded ds-2 for anything grunge and keely mt2/modded hm-2 for metal so its easy to switch between the two. Im not trying to copy any single one of those band sounds its more like a general blend. I dont know much about heads and cabs so could i get a jcm800 head and be able to switch between a 4x12 cab and 2x12 cab? that way if i ever needed more power i could just get a 4x12 orrr is that not possible? |
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Ptak
Bronze Member
141 Posts |
Posted - 12/25/2009 : 04:04:45
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| with what dirk was saying about tubes sounding better with pedals he might be right that any tube amp could be right for me because ive got my solidstate sounding like 85% where i want my sound to be. Ive spent 7 years trying to get it right but i keep getting stuck saying it needs something extra. Just like an extra little push to get me over the hill. |
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hateandwar
Gold Member
Australia
524 Posts |
Posted - 12/25/2009 : 08:32:16
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Today i played through my uncles JCM 2000 thru a 1960 (?) cab and holy hell it sounded soooo sweet with my pedal board. I don't have much expierience with tube amps but this thing to me was the duck guts!
....I want one :( |
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Dirk
Platinum Member
Netherlands
1309 Posts |
Posted - 12/25/2009 : 11:18:28
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I think you're better off with a good 2 channel amp instead of getting a tube amp and using a pedal in front of it.
IMHO, then you're not using the amp to it's fullest potential.
It'd be a crying shame to buy a JCM800 and playing it clean, with some shitty sounding pedal in front of it.
I've seen some kid with a very nice Marshall JCM 900 SL-X, using it for a clean sound with some Digicrap pedal in front for distortion.
Needless to say, it sounded like shit and it doesn't make sense buying a rather expensive amp without using it to it's fullest.
That's like buying a Porsche and replacing the engine with one from a Honda.
Sorry for the rant, but you'll get my point
Oh yeah, amps can be used with any cabinet 2x12 or 4x12, your choice. |
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Ptak
Bronze Member
141 Posts |
Posted - 12/28/2009 : 01:14:37
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| Right now for my price range i can get my hands on a JCM600 2x12 combo for $500-550. Im thinking i should buy it and sell my avt if its not everything i dreamed of its at least a stepping stone in the right direction... right? feedback asap on this guys please!! |
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Topic |
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Best Marshall Amp For Use With Pedals
