Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: braintheory on August 04, 2011, 07:45:41 PM

Title: Randall V2 and T2
Post by: braintheory on August 04, 2011, 07:45:41 PM
Can anyone who has played these amps tell me about them.  I'd think they'd probably be good amps for the price, but can they really hold their own with amps like Splawn, Engl, Mesa Boogie, Diamond, or Bogners.  I know they're hybrid amps, but that doesn't automatically make them inferior.  I've played a bunch of other Randalls like the Cyclone and RX ones and if the V2 and T2 are anything like those (which they probably are not) I'll pass.
Title: Re: Randall V2 and T2
Post by: dave_mc on August 04, 2011, 08:04:54 PM
i think i tried one of the hybrid randalls a fair while ago (v2, i guess? Not certain). I thought it sounded pretty good for a hybrid... but would I take one over one of those other ones you mentioned? Probably not.
Title: Re: Randall V2 and T2
Post by: Crunch on August 04, 2011, 09:34:43 PM
Randall makes the only solid state/hybrid amps I can stand. They're built like tanks, too.
Just try to see if you can find one on Craigslist- it'll run like new at 250k.
Title: Re: Randall V2 and T2
Post by: schantist on August 04, 2011, 09:49:16 PM
They're built like tanks, too.

I object.

I bought a brand new T2 back in 2008, which died after 2 hours of playing.
Got another brand new T2 as replacement a few days later which didn't even make it out of standby without blowing the fuse, out of the box mind you.

After that Randall supplied me with a RM100, which lastet for a good month
before developing serious feedback issues that not even an ISP Decimator could come by.

All three had production faults and proven mechanical issues(due to warranty repair protocols), never ever touched a Randall since that time;
Built like tanks my @ss ;)
Title: Re: Randall V2 and T2
Post by: Nadz1lla on August 05, 2011, 11:03:21 PM
V2 is an amazing sounding amp and the extra EQ is a big selling point, but I have also heard these models have huge issues with the fuses going all the time. Not sure if they ever did get around to sorting out that problem or not.
Title: Re: Randall V2 and T2
Post by: braintheory on August 06, 2011, 01:21:59 AM
I guess I gotta try these amps.  The problem is I live in New York and I don't know of any guitar store within a three hour driving distance that has either the V2 or T2.  There are stores nearby that carry randalls, but not the V2 or T2.
Title: Re: Randall V2 and T2
Post by: Madsakre on August 06, 2011, 01:26:44 AM
damn i thought that a place like that would be filled to the breaking point with mesa, randall etc.

Over here its Engl, marshall, Orange.. All over the place!
Title: Re: Randall V2 and T2
Post by: braintheory on August 06, 2011, 01:45:02 AM
There are a lot of mesas here and there are plenty of randall dealers too, but they don't have the more expensive ones like the v2, t2, RM, etc. 
Title: Re: Randall V2 and T2
Post by: Madsakre on August 06, 2011, 01:52:51 AM
i hope you can convince them to order one home for you for you to try.

i was actually quite suprised. but the best i've tried of them i the Gus G signature. Its tight as a nuns anus!
Title: Re: Randall V2 and T2
Post by: HTH AMPS on August 06, 2011, 05:03:20 PM
I had a Randall Titan head a few years back which was an absolute monster, I have a lot of time for Randall gear - they do their own thing and do it well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SO0SJAlx6tE&feature=related (V2)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZY4YXaUL0as&feature=related (T2)

Some great metal tones going on in these amps.

Title: Re: Randall V2 and T2
Post by: Stevepage on August 06, 2011, 05:42:14 PM
I had a T2 for a while. One of the best amps for metal I've come across. Imagine how aggressive the 5150 can get but then remove the fizz and you have the T2 sound. It was extremely quite too, I never needed a noise gate even when turning the gain to maximum.

I only sold it because I really wanted a Marshall JVM as it was more versatile but if I joined a metal band again I'd try and get one.
Title: Re: Randall V2 and T2
Post by: Nadz1lla on August 06, 2011, 08:46:51 PM
Steve, did you ever have the dreaded fuse issue with it? If it weren't for the trouble I had heard about, then I would seriously consider putting the V2 on my list of amps to buy later on. Even the one in my local axery that I tried needed the fuse changed before I could have a go on it, heh.
Title: Re: Randall V2 and T2
Post by: JacksonRR on August 07, 2011, 02:17:17 AM
Huh. I always thought Randall's were a pretty good amplifier construction wise. I did have a run-in with their customer service about a cab I bought second hand. It's the XL one with 2 12's and a 15 on the bottom and all speakers were 16 ohms. They didn't even ask for proof of purchase and agreed to send me two correct ohm Vin30s at no cost. Here's where I get my mind blown. They sent Seventy-eighties. I called and the guy said keep em, I'll get the Vin30s out to you. This happened 2 more times, each time I was begging for them to give me a return authorization number because I felt guilty. I ended up with 6 Seventy-Eighties and 2 Vin30s all new in the box to resolve an issue on a cab I bought for $250 second hand and had already loaded with two G12T-75s to mate with the 15" Eminence. Randall rules if you ask me. I absolutely adore the cab as well.
Title: Re: Randall V2 and T2
Post by: Stevepage on August 07, 2011, 11:03:45 AM
V2 is an amazing sounding amp and the extra EQ is a big selling point, but I have also heard these models have huge issues with the fuses going all the time. Not sure if they ever did get around to sorting out that problem or not.

I didn't have a single problem with mine. But then I only had it for about 9 months.
Title: Re: Randall V2 and T2
Post by: braintheory on October 09, 2011, 02:56:09 AM
So I just bought a used Randall T2 for $380.  At first I really liked it.  It has decent, but definitely not great cleans.  However, both distortion modes on Channel Two lack the rawness and aggression that I usually look for.  I compared it to my Bogner XTC 101B side by side with the randall with the same guitar and cab etc. and the randall got crushed to say the least.  The randall sounded almost artificial in comparison to my Bogner.  I never thought of my Bogner XTC as being raw or aggressive, but compared to the randall it really was.  The randall overall sounded smoother and I always thought of the XTC as a smooth sounding amp.  Before doing the side by side comparison I thought the randall T2 sounded great and maybe even in some ways better than the Bogner XTC.  Do any you guys know how the V2 compares to the T2?  Maybe the V2 is better, but I hear the T2 is meaner and more direct sounding, which would make me think the V2 is even worse.
Title: Re: Randall V2 and T2
Post by: Stevepage on October 09, 2011, 08:03:24 AM
You had a Bogner and bought a Randall? Sorry mate but even though I loved the T2, comparing it to a Bogner XTC is a waste of time because it just can't compare to an amp like the XTC.
Title: Re: Randall V2 and T2
Post by: braintheory on October 09, 2011, 06:57:07 PM
You had a Bogner and bought a Randall? Sorry mate but even though I loved the T2, comparing it to a Bogner XTC is a waste of time because it just can't compare to an amp like the XTC.
I know what you mean, but I figured since it was only $380 I'd give it a try and I feel it definitely was not a bad buy for the money.  But I didn't necessarily think the bogner would destroy the randall.  There a lot of amps way cheaper that I think can holds their own against the bogner.  For example, I play my mesa boogie mark iii way more than my bogner xtc and I got the mark iii for $900.  The mark iii sounds way more aggressive, open, and raw.  Also, for almost half the price of my bogner you can get a spawn quick rod or nitro or diamond nitrox, all of which might not have the features of the xtc, but are just as good tone wise.  Because of this I thought the randall might hold its own.  I'm still slightly curious about the Randall V2, but I have a feeling I'm probably not missing much with that amp if I didn't like the T2.