high gain amps for the studio

permanent hearing damage · Post by **permanent hearing damage** » Fri Jun 20, 2014 10:34 am

so i'm curious what amps you guys like in the studio. i am a drummer, so my guitar amp knowledge is admittedly a little limited. i have plenty of bands come in with Marshalls, Sunns, Peaveys (vtm series/butcher), Ampeg V4s, Sovteks, and the occasional Orange or Mesa Boogie.

i have had pretty good luck using Orange Tiny Terrors but am curious if there are other gems out there. I have a V4 and a Sovtek Mig60 that are both great, but the V4 is positively deafening and the bleed into other amps in my small iso booth can be a bit of an issue sometimes. And neither amp is really high gain (though the Mig60 is a lot dirtier).

I figure I can probably get more bang for my buck getting a lower wattage head. Been eying the newish Traynor Darkhorse head - i know it isn't high gain, but i figured with some pedals, it could do the trick, but then stumbled across a used Marshall Class 5 for pretty cheap and am considering that as an alternative. Anyone have any experience with those? I haven't been terribly impressed with newer Marshalls these days and their cheaper stuff seems to be garbage, but have seen mixed reviews.

Should I just save up for a Soldano Hot Rod or Avenger? I have only ever had one band bring one to the studio and I thought it sounded killer. I would also expect it would get a ton of use. I think the Orange logo is why so many folks want to use the Tiny Terror in the first place.

vvv · Post by **vvv** » Fri Jun 20, 2014 12:23 pm

I have a 25/50 Marshall Silver Jubilee 1x12" combo that works well (lower left).

The Tech 21 Trademark 10 is also surprisingly good for S/S (middle left).

I even have a Peavey 10 Transtube thing that is useable for hi-gain sounds (middle right).

After that, whatever, with pedals.

numberthirty · Post by **numberthirty** » Fri Jun 20, 2014 12:34 pm

If we're talking lower wattage, isn't that Jim Root Orange signature head around fifteen watts?

kslight · Post by **kslight** » Fri Jun 20, 2014 9:33 pm

I don't know about "bang for buck" in terms of lower wattage heads?truth is that a 15 watt tube head versus a 50 or 100 watt head through the same cabinet is not going to be much quieter, just have less headroom, and often less features. A lot of these ridiculously high gain sounds are direct with amp modelers anyway, aren't they?

While not a "face-melting" rectifier, I have had good luck with a Carvin X100B (poor man's JCM800 with a better clean channel?so I'm told?I replaced a Tweed Bassman with it and it has similar characteristics on the clean channel, and much easier to get dirt out of on the lead channel). Amps are worth almost nothing on the used market?Craigslist always is overflowing?I picked up an 80s X100B + matching 4x12 cabinet for around $300?actually they even still make them new today if you want. I use a different speaker cabinet, but for the price I figured I might as well take the whole package and put the 4x12 in storage. Also has a built-in attenuator for less wattage, if desired? I just see no justification in buying a new amp with as many classic amps available for pennies on the dollar.

That to me is an amp that serves well in a studio on a budget?as its not so specialized that only a handful of bands will ever use it, has a ton of great features that most amps simply don't, and is more than capable of getting dirty when needed.

Nick Sevilla · Post by **Nick Sevilla** » Sat Jun 21, 2014 6:13 am

Is this amplifier for your own use, or for other guitarists?

Guitarists are notorious for wanting their own gear for their own sound.

If you want an amplifier that is versatile with different sounds, try getting a Line6.

Cheers

Brett Siler · Post by **Brett Siler** » Fri Jun 27, 2014 8:23 pm

The amps you have are great maybe run them with some pedals. Joyo, ATM, Sansamp, Boss (hm-2, metalzone ::At The Gates used it on slaughter of the soul:: ) Zoom G3.
For amps, Marshall 8100 or 8200 (Chuck Shuldiner of Death among many used this amp), Peavey 5150 is almost a standard for death metal at this point, Ampeg vh140c, Vox Valvetronix has some amazing high gain sounds (among many other tones) and lots of info for easy mods too.

GooberNumber9 · Post by **GooberNumber9** » Sun Jun 29, 2014 5:50 pm

My favorite low wattage high-gain combo is the Bogner Shiva. Mesa-Boogie does some decent ones also, although they can come off a little sterile. Soldanos are quality amps, they come off a little fizzy for my tastes but overall very nice. When other people play Marshall amps I really like them. For some reason they feel weird to me when I play them, unless they are vintage or reissues of vintage circuits.

I went on a high-gain amp quest some time ago in Los Angeles and drove around and played all kinds of great amps, and in the end I chose a Rivera Fandango because even though it wasn't really high-gain, it just sounded (and still sounds) amazing. Over the years since then I've slowly learned that all the sounds I've heard on recordings that I thought were high-gain actually are not. And many sounds I thought were from amps were actually from pedals.

I feel like if you're providing amps for other people to play through, there's a case to be made for the known quantity. Meaning, better to get a couple classics that everyone knows and let them bring pedals, instead of getting some one-trick ponies that people will have to figure out how to drive around. I'm thinking a good Fender all-tube combo with a nice clean channel, maybe a Vox AC-15 or AC-30, and some kind of all-tube Marshall combo (if they still make those?) would provide something for everyone.

permanent hearing damage · Post by **permanent hearing damage** » Tue Jul 01, 2014 9:30 pm

thanks for the thoughts, folks. i might hold off on this for a bit as i just scored a soundelux u195 for pretty cheap. but will definitely check out some of these suggestions.

to clarify, this is not for me - i can't play the guitar worth a damn and don't even own one these days. yes, most guitarists come in with their own stuff, but if they're adding extra passes, i try to encourage them to try some different stuff. i feel like the orange name and the odd-ish look draws them to the tiny terror, half the time.

the mig60 gets some use, but i feel like people usually want more gain than it can deliver and the v4 is only really works with pedals - which can be cool, but my pedal options are pretty limited (Rat with the upgraded chip, Boss HM-2, Sansamp Gt2, and some weirdo Ibanez thing that is actually pretty cool sometimes).

vvv, am i wrong to think the marshall jubilee stuff is priced crazy high? and i've actually heard a lot of sans amp stuff and never been wowed. always sounds weird to me for some reason. curious about the peavey - was impressed by a similar looking 15" combo of theirs - maybe a delta blues or something? i can't remember the model.

i kinda forgot about 5150s. it seemed like everyone i knew stopped playing them by 2005 or so. didn't realize they were enjoying any kind of resurgence (or maybe they never went away?). i never liked them back then, but i also didn't know what i was doing really, and neither did half the players who were using them. maybe it's time to revisit.

i've honestly never heard a rivera head, but have heard good things. though i did just look up the fandango and those are prob out of my budget.

Brett, is that ampeg vh140c one of the Lee Jackson amps? one of my bandmates owns a ton of Lee Jackson Ampegs and it could just be how he sets them up, but I'm convinced I hate them.

i have had some line 6 stuff in the studio and generally thought they were garbage, honestly. i would kill to have a jcm800 of some kind, but i almost think a soldano would get more use and the avengers/hot rods seem to go for a bit less than a jcm800 on the used market.

seems i have some more time to think on this.

thanks, folks

vvv · Post by **vvv** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 4:30 am

The Jubilee is ridiculously priced, what with the Slash and Black Crows connections. It is the missing link between the 800 and 900, like a 800 with the FET. I used to have two (one for backup I have since sold) and when I gigged I put a single 12" ported 150 w. EV with it and it was a nice little 1/4 stack. It's 25 watts on low, and so makes a nice recording amp - at 50 watts is when it really sings, tho'.

The Trademark 10 (Sansamp) is weird to play, like all solid-states it's not very interactive with the guitar relative to a tube amp, but records very nicely, sounds huge at fairly low levels, and requires little to no EQ - a nice tube mic in front and it really takes off. I've never tried the DI but they do/did advertise it (mine is the Trademark 10, no longer made altho' they make the 30 still.)

The Peavey is also S/S, nowhere near nice as a Delta Blues, just a little practice amp with what they call "Transtube" what is some kinda FET distortion, but it also records aiight. I usually forget it's there as I bought it for my office years ago but that wasn't at all practical.

Lemme say, I highly reco the Vox Pathfinder as a awesome US$100 recording amp - really.

rhythm ranch · Post by **rhythm ranch** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 9:00 am

My Marshall head got "disappeared" a while ago and I got a Peavey Windsor head to replace it (for $179!) that's been pretty popular with guitarists in the studio. Running through Marshall 1960 cabs.

Recycled_Brains · Post by **Recycled_Brains** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 10:05 am

5150s rule. I don't play one, but when I'm recording hardcore or deathmetal and the guitar player(s) has one, I get stoked. When I'm doing FOH for a heavy band that has one, I get stoked. I think they do that uber crushing modern sound better than a lot of others. The original big block letter ones though... the II is ok, but I've A/B'd them and the original is better. I also like the 6505 oddly. I usually fucking hate amps that are that gainy and abrasive, but they sound really tight with the right player plugged in.

That said, you can never go wrong with a JCM800 or JMP. Those are my preferred amps for basically everything (I play a JMP in my hardcore band). Either of those, with a Rat and an OCD on hand to push them over the edge or to sculpt the tone more than the amp allows, and you can do a lot of damage.

I also have found that a JCM/5150 combo works well.

Mesa's... i can't do it for some reason. I know players that can make a Rectifier sound great. But I can't.

Recycled_Brains · Post by **Recycled_Brains** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 10:08 am

Oh! and, since you're not a guitar player, you could do a lot worse than a Peavey VTM-60 as a pretty damn close sounding alternative to a JCM800/JMP.

They're CHEAP usually.

Waltz Mastering · Post by **Waltz Mastering** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 2:39 pm

Can't go wrong with a used Fender tube amp. Deluxe, Princeton, Twin.. also Vox Tube.. AC 15 or 30. go tube

permanent hearing damage · Post by **permanent hearing damage** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 8:35 pm

ha. i sold my vtm60 last year! no one ever wanted to use it. though, i did only pay $40 for it! just had to fund some other stuff.

permanent hearing damage · Post by **permanent hearing damage** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 8:39 pm

i actually don't think i've ever had a single band bring in a vox in like 300 recording projects i've worked on. i feel like i never see those around, but i have always been curious. anytime i look around, the vox model numbers confuse the hell out of me.

i had good experiences with a silverface bassman, but again, those would need a pedal, no? same with an old traynor or something, right? always thought a twin might be cool, but i figured i'd get a lot more use out of a marshall.

either way, it looks like big tube amps rule the day

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