Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: noodleplugerine on July 17, 2007, 03:01:25 PM
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My Vox has started acting up a bit, and since my exams are finished I think my parents are gunna be rather generous - So I've started looking at some £600ish amps.
What in your opinion is the best £600ish amp for High gain modern metal type stuff?
Keep in mind that I'm not currently in a band, and that most of my playing is done at bedroom level, so I don't need some 100w monstrosity with urgent need of a Hotplate.
It can be a Combo or a head - And in an ideal world it should look pretty cool :p
At the moment I'm looking at the Orange Tiny Terror, the Engl Screamer and I took a quick look at the Matamp website - Is something like the little rock or the XV suitable for modern high gain? Has anyone done high gain matamp? They allways seemed to me to be tone machines as oppose to gain machines.
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The good thing about matamp is that if you want it high gain - you can have it high gain, except for the little rock which they ...cough...wont customise
When i ordered my little rock they said that on full the distortion was comparable to JCM800 (classic rather than ultra modern) levels but that it would still do heavier styles with a pedal.
I would definately find out what they can do you for the money!!
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having another look at the XV it might be a little loud for home use. I know 7w doesnt sound much but it is 7 matamp watts!!
I would go with a little rock, a nice 1X12" speaker cab and a couple of pedals.
Its a set-up that can grow if you need it to, but would still be great quality
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I think they'd have got a lot more orders if the Little Rock was customisable- or even just had the standard Matamp front, and not the metal one. I'm not a fan of that 'thing', and it's what's turning me off that amp atm- i wonder what the MiniMat II is going to be like?
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The minimat II is really aimed at the blues/jazz tone purist and they told me it wouldnt be as versatile as the little rock or be able to do as modern sounds.
It will also be priced higher than the little rock because it has the custom options.
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I think the Little Rock looks awesome!
If I ordered the XV, I'd ask them to make it look as similar to the Little Rock as possible but with Chrome knobs :>
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The Little Rock ain't high gain unless you use pedals. Also, the extra pre-amp stage sounds fizzy unless you crank the master. That makes it quite loud for home/bedroom use.
I'm finding I only use the clean channel on mine. To get good drive at low volumes (Thin Lizzy, Guns N Roses, Foo Fighters etc) I'm using pedals:
Guitar -> Maxon OD-9 (tubescreamer) -> Treble Twister (booster) -> clean channel on max, lowish master volume
I also use Metal Muff if I want Sabbath/Ozzy levels of dirt, in place of the OD-9.
For what you want, I'd get a good tube amp and pedal(s). I doubt you'll find a good low volume 'metal' amp where you can use the tube preamp without it sounding fizzy and scratchy (unless the Engl is good at those levels?).
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I agree with Oli, it's a shame the Little Rock doesn't have the custom options - but I guess it does make sense for Matamp to have a straightforward "production" amp in their range, so they can get on and build them without having to wait for orders.
Personally, I'm interested to see more about the MiniMat II - I've always liked the idea of a very basic amp with just a couple of controls so I can't f*ck the tone up (except by incompetent playing).
Has anyone done a Little Rock/Tiny Terror shootout?
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Has anyone done a Little Rock/Tiny Terror shootout?
This is what i'm after- the Tiny Terror is currently in the lead for me, but i need to get down to the Matamp factory to actually try a Little Rock in person.
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there is some stuff on the orange forum - the verdict seemed to be that the little rock was better last time i checked over there
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Read this
http://www.orangeamps.com/forumtest/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=17196&SearchTerms=little+rock
and this
http://www.orangeamps.com/forumtest/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=17215&SearchTerms=little+rock
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Engl Screamer sounds better for you, i can't see a tiny terror or little rock giving you "High gain modern metal type stuff" without the aid of pedals, lots of people on this forum seem to be liking the Screamer at the moment so maybe that is the way to go.
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My Vox has started acting up a bit, and since my exams are finished I think my parents are gunna be rather generous - So I've started looking at some £600ish amps.
What in your opinion is the best £600ish amp for High gain modern metal type stuff?
Keep in mind that I'm not currently in a band, and that most of my playing is done at bedroom level, so I don't need some 100w monstrosity with urgent need of a Hotplate.
It can be a Combo or a head - And in an ideal world it should look pretty cool :p
At the moment I'm looking at the Orange Tiny Terror, the Engl Screamer and I took a quick look at the Matamp website - Is something like the little rock or the XV suitable for modern high gain? Has anyone done high gain matamp? They allways seemed to me to be tone machines as oppose to gain machines.
There is a demo Marshall VM Combo advertised in Holiday Music for 615 GBP. Get it NOW!!!!!
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My Vox has started acting up a bit, and since my exams are finished I think my parents are gunna be rather generous - So I've started looking at some £600ish amps.
What in your opinion is the best £600ish amp for High gain modern metal type stuff?
Keep in mind that I'm not currently in a band, and that most of my playing is done at bedroom level, so I don't need some 100w monstrosity with urgent need of a Hotplate.
It can be a Combo or a head - And in an ideal world it should look pretty cool :p
At the moment I'm looking at the Orange Tiny Terror, the Engl Screamer and I took a quick look at the Matamp website - Is something like the little rock or the XV suitable for modern high gain? Has anyone done high gain matamp? They allways seemed to me to be tone machines as oppose to gain machines.
There is a demo Marshall VM Combo advertised in Holiday Music for 615 GBP. Get it NOW!!!!!
Interesting!
Any website, pics, clips, etc I can look at it?
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www.holidaymusic.co.uk but only contact info
Another one:
http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150142913917
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What in your opinion is the best £600ish amp for High gain modern metal type stuff?
In the UK you get the best bang for the buck from Marshall and Laney IMO.
Don't know what the tube amps run currently but I remember seeing a VH100R for around 600 pounds.
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Heres the Tiny Terror doing some Dream Theater. I think it sounds pretty good, I still want to try one of these amps out.
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/songInfo.cfm?bandID=608016&songID=4987571
That being said, my GH50L is pretty good for metal, with a boost. At low volumes it can be slightly fizzy but its not bad.
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Here are some videos I recorded of my TT doing metal:
WARNING: SLOPPY PLAYING APPLENTY!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1unKhZEbrPY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBOXeLEG4RA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jrvW8PB2rc
I love this amp... it's not really loud enough for the venues I play, i need to hear my amp as well as the monitors!
It does some great stuff, but also it's quite fizzy, if it's not going through a good quallity cab, if you got a TT you would HAVE to buy an ENGL, H&K or similar loaded with V30's... it sounds incredible through those speakers.
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Can get a Laney TT50 for £500, and then a Framus cab for £200...
That's another option :o
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i'd say engl screamer, or laney tt or gh. I haven't tried the tiny terror or those matamps though.
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So it seems Tiny Terror vs Matamp and Screamer vs TT.
Can anyone give a comparison between the Screamer and TT?
I've used a screamer, and while it sounded phenomenal, I couldn't help but think that I might geniunely need a boost for it...
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tt sounds a bit more 80's metal and possibly warmer and fatter (from what i remember), the screamer is more fendery, and more modern-sounding on the high gain channel.
I think. You'd need to try them head to head (i haven't).
best if you can try stuff, it's all preference.
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I owned both, the Screamer and the TT.
Screamer is a fully equipped amp, with the Z5 you have 2 channels, boost for each, 2 switchable volumes, switchable reverb. It also has parallel/serial loop, compensated speaker out and 50W power. I mean that's a lot of stuff to have ...
TT is one sound (howver quick access with 3 potis and many different tones in that box).
For me the Screamer is an amp that you will like in the shop, it's got that impressive, but rather superficial, kind of compressed drive sound. I got some nice tones out I gotta say though, but in a band context it was never right for me, either too trebly or not audible.
The Orange is more of an addictive thing. It's the kind of amp that you can't put down the guitar once you start playing. When I'm playing i am constantly touching the settings, like I do the pots on my guitar, it's so easy to use and has the right in between compression and openness. Absolutely love it! It seems and is expensive for what it's got, but it's just sounding so damn great, on any setting, at any volume. Also in band context, it cuts through the mix like a wet fart through your white panties.
Best would be to have 2 TTs, one set for clean (master and tone on 10, loudness adjusted via the gain pot) and one for drive and A/B between them.
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I've used a screamer, and while it sounded phenomenal, I couldn't help but think that I might geniunely need a boost for it...
Oh ... in that case ... the TT has less gain than the Screamer, that's for sure. TT does a great Zakk Wylde rhythm sound though ...
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im confused now.... TT meaning tiny terror but TT also meaning the laney TT... :? lol
a boost for the screamer though? that's surprising... i never have my gain past 1 o clock very often. if the screamer doesnt have enough gain then surely your gonna be after a beast of an amp... powerball/fireball, 5150 or something... i dunno
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^ garg, good point, sam. Any time I've said "TT", i mean the laney TT, as I said I haven't tried the orange tiny terror.
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:D Your not going to believe this but earlier on today i was at Sound control in Milton Keynes & i came across a Tiny Terror ! & yes i did play it. I was going to give a general heads up to all my forum buds to look out for them & give one a go. Just before i posted a topic i looked at this one & low & behold your talking about`em !
It`s about 12 inch`s long & about 6 inch`s high [not including handle] It`s got a switch for 7 watts or 15 watts. 3 rotary controls Volume Tone Gain & an input [ guitar lead] It was going through a Marshall 4 by 12 cab.
Sound : i had the gain up full its got a lovely clear sound to it. It`s not a high gain amp. You`ll need a pedal in front of it if you really want that kinda Mettallica thrashy sound or a different amp. It gave the kinda classic Metal `ish type sound think Van Halen, AC/DC, Early Priest. Plenty enough for me & more gain than my Sheldon TT3 & me Fender Champ. I have to say i was & still am very very tempted. Check the Orange site out here :
http://www.orangeamps.com/
:D 8)
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your gonna be after a beast of an amp... powerball/fireball, 5150 or something... i dunno
Now we're talking!
All of the above amps I absolutely love.
None of the above amps are in my price range - Unless I get a used 5150 or something - But they sell like White Chocolate Magnums on a hot day in July.
I'm guessing that my best bet is to save a bit more money and get a Powerball/fireball/5150? =/
brb going to Ice Cream van in local park...
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:D Your not going to believe this but earlier on today i was at Sound control in Milton Keynes & i came across a Tiny Terror ! & yes i did play it. I was going to give a general heads up to all my forum buds to look out for them & give one a go. Just before i posted a topic i looked at this one & low & behold your talking about`em !
It`s about 12 inch`s long & about 6 inch`s high [not including handle] It`s got a switch for 7 watts or 15 watts. 3 rotary controls Volume Tone Gain & an input [ guitar lead] It was going through a Marshall 4 by 12 cab.
Sound : i had the gain up full its got a lovely clear sound to it. It`s not a high gain amp. You`ll need a pedal in front of it if you really want that kinda Mettallica thrashy sound or a different amp. It gave the kinda classic Metal `ish type sound think Van Halen, AC/DC, Early Priest. Plenty enough for me & more gain than my Sheldon TT3 & me Fender Champ. I have to say i was & still am very very tempted. Check the Orange site out here :
http://www.orangeamps.com/
:D 8)
Let's found a Tiny Terror club and give those Laney dudes a run for their money :P
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if you want a modern metal tone, i recommend you go with a magnum classic. Calippos are cr@p for that type of tone- ditto '99's.
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VHT are highly recomended for rock music
if you use a high gain pedal you can have more sounds
dont go for a marshall .......... go for vht
i own a vh pittbul but its very difficult to find one
this is the site: http://www.vhtamp.com/ spend some ime there
http://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/amplification.asp?BrandName=VHT&guitars=28
you need some more cash but VHT sounds better than Marshall
i play giutar for 15 years and i work in a guitar shop
just go and listen VHT
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I've got a Screamer atm, and I've never had any issues with it. It's quite bright (especially as my main guitars are a strat and a tele), which I think holds the clean sound back a bit when comparing it to something warmer like the Mesa F Series (out of your price range though I think), however, I still really like the sound it gives and hasn't been a problem for me.
I have found the crunch 'channel' fairly useless, as you have to play around with the settings quite a bit to get it to sound right, and these settings then don't really work with the other channels - the draw back to a shared EQ. This hasn't been much of an issue where I'm concerned, as it's not a channel I needed anyway - I use the lead channel on low gain mode, with the gain set quite low on the rare occasion I want to play that sort of thing.
The lead channel on the whole is very good. The 'low gain' mode can cover a very wide range of styles, from that crunchy sort of sound to the medium-high gain 80s metal (maiden/sabbath sort of thing) - although it's at its best doing something in between those extremes.
The 'high gain' mode of the lead channel is not something I use very often at all, as I tend not to play anything with that sort of sound. It does sound slightly different from the low gain mode - a bit more bassy. However, at bedroom levels, bass notes tend to lack definition (probably true of a lot of amps) and I haven't tried this setting any louder. This channel may well sound awesome, but I'm not a fan of the type of music it is intended for, and therefore do not see the attraction (the same reason Alexi Laiho etc don't use a Fender Twin I imagine).
So to be honest, I would more likely consider the Screamer a two channel amp rather than a four channel amp, as those will be the two that you use most. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as those two channels do their jobs very well for an amp in this price range, and the other channels can be used for some applications.
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haha loving the ice cream metaphor guys :lol: :lol: :lol:
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Back with a Magnum White in one hand, and a can of Vimto in the other!
if you want a modern metal tone, i recommend you go with a magnum classic. Calippos are cr@p for that type of tone- ditto '99's.
Had to read that twice before I understood it - I thought there was some Amp make called Magnum which Dave had suddenly become an expert on - Even told me which years to watch out for!
Once I came back to Earth, I understood it and laughed very hard xD
I've got a Screamer atm, and I've never had any issues with it. It's quite bright (especially as my main guitars are a strat and a tele), which I think holds the clean sound back a bit when comparing it to something warmer like the Mesa F Series (out of your price range though I think), however, I still really like the sound it gives and hasn't been a problem for me.
I have found the crunch 'channel' fairly useless, as you have to play around with the settings quite a bit to get it to sound right, and these settings then don't really work with the other channels - the draw back to a shared EQ. This hasn't been much of an issue where I'm concerned, as it's not a channel I needed anyway - I use the lead channel on low gain mode, with the gain set quite low on the rare occasion I want to play that sort of thing.
The lead channel on the whole is very good. The 'low gain' mode can cover a very wide range of styles, from that crunchy sort of sound to the medium-high gain 80s metal (maiden/sabbath sort of thing) - although it's at its best doing something in between those extremes.
The 'high gain' mode of the lead channel is not something I use very often at all, as I tend not to play anything with that sort of sound. It does sound slightly different from the low gain mode - a bit more bassy. However, at bedroom levels, bass notes tend to lack definition (probably true of a lot of amps) and I haven't tried this setting any louder. This channel may well sound awesome, but I'm not a fan of the type of music it is intended for, and therefore do not see the attraction (the same reason Alexi Laiho etc don't use a Fender Twin I imagine).
So to be honest, I would more likely consider the Screamer a two channel amp rather than a four channel amp, as those will be the two that you use most. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as those two channels do their jobs very well for an amp in this price range, and the other channels can be used for some applications.
Bright amps shouldn't be too much of a problem for me, since my main guitar is all mahogany - That being said my RG is quite bright, but not as bright as your two fender's I'm sure - So if you don't find it a problem, I doubt I will.
The 3 basic sounds I'm looking for are a mellow clean channel, a chug chug lead channel and a liquidy shred lead channel - Those are the 3 basic sounds I use, and in total the 3 sounds would only use 2 channels - So number of channels really isn't a bonus for me...
And a crunch channel really wouldn't be used by me in any situation as far as I know...
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i almost agree with deg0ey...
the clean+boost 'channel' verges on useless because its INCREDIBLY bright when you have the other channels set to something useful...
and as he says, you can use the lead channel with low gain to get a good low -gain sound...
on the other hand... i definitely use lead channel+boost, (and you would definitely use that too if your into metal, as i dont think the lead channel without boost will get you deep into full-on metal territory).
so in essence it may be 3 usable channels.
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haha, when i said "99", i meant those ice creams with a flake whacked into them.
:lol:
I dunno... i've heard a lot of people say not all the engl channels are useful. I've never really found this to be the case- of course, this may be because my ear for tone is cr@p, or i just play quite a wide range of stuff. But certainly for the stuff I play, I could see using all the channels; some more than others, though, obviously.
bear in mind, i'm not trying to twist your arm into getting an engl, if you don't like them, or think some of the channels are indeed useless, that's totally fair enough.
the brightness can get a little annoying, depending on what you want to play. When you turn down the treble, the sound doesn't really darken, it gets smoother. it does (or at least, mine does) darken the more you increase the volume.
EDIT: also, I have an aversion to treble, so i would have the treble rolled away back even for the overdrive channels. on mine (not a screamer) i'd have the bass and mids on like 9, with the treble and presence around 4. something similar on the screamer is pretty nice too, but it does depend on the tone you like.
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I know what you meant by 99 when I reread it :p
And even if some of the channels are useless - As long as some of the channels are useful - it's irrelevent how many useless channels there are...
I think I'm gunna take my Viper along to some guitar shops over the weekend and give them a proper tryout - that being said, the only shop that stocks Engl and Laney is the Wembley Guitar Center - Will be sure to pop down and do direct comparisons when I can.
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haha, i thought you had figured it out, just making sure- i wasn't clever enough to think of recommending years of ice creams which were good! :lol:
i think the wembley guitar centre is a very good idea. They have most of the kit you want to try (also peavey, mesa, hughes and kettner, etc.), they're very nice people (any of the times I've been there), and they have a soundproof try-out room.
Nigh-on perfect, if you ask me.
:drink:
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The website doesn't mention H&K - Could it be that there's more in the shop than on the website? Because I would LOVE to compare a Screamer or even a Fireball to a 5150.
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they had h&k the last times I was there- they may have given up that dealership, of course.
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Hi everyone, good to meet u all on the BKP forums.
I used to use 2 x Peavey Bandits in stereo, then Laney heads, then power amps . . la la la.
Couple of years ago decided I need a long lasting head that will cover all the bases, so went head shopping. Tried plenty of Mesa heads, all of which you seem to have to run at insane levels to get any kind of decent response out of them.
Tried a Powerball, and just bought the thing. Plenty volume, loads of EQ for versitility, and more gain than you can shake a sh*tty stick at - even at the lowest volumes, which seems strange for a full valve/tube head.
But - a Les Paul & a Powerball are a very unforgiving combo, and I noticed all these noises & flaws in my playing, which I'd never picked up on before. Incidentally, the BK Mules through it sound 100 times better than LP standard Burstbuckers.
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I couldn't be arsed to read all the posts but I would say that I've been in the same position the last 6-12months. Its taken me 4 changes of amps in that time because I either didn't do my research or I comprimised. I'd seriously recommend going all out for the best possible amp and that means buying 2nd hand. I wanted the same thing as you, High Gain and v.tight mainly for Melodic Death Metal type tones. I have finally settled on an Engl Fireball which I got used for £500. I am finally happy, sounds amazing at bedroom levels, and just kills the Engl Thunder I had before (which is very similar to the screamer). It sounds absolutely huge and brutal even in a modest D Standard tuning. Ideally a 5150 would be my first choice for the High Gain sound but a). its 120w, not ideal for a bedroom player and b). Rubbish clean channel, which I need. The Fireball by the way has the best clean channel I have ever heard! Hands down the Engl wins for lower wattage high-gain amps. Oh and I'm using EMG's and a Framus V30 cab if that helps. I also appreciate that everyone on here has a decent knowledge of guitars and amps etc but recommending a Tiny Terror/ Matamp/ Marshall VM is just plain wrong, no offence to those of you that said it but I know my high gain and they won't cut it. Fireball or maybe check out the 5150 60w combo (unsure of how it compares to the head though).
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Ok - Back on the search now.
And I'm setting my budget at a very strict £600 - Many choices looked at were over 600, even if slightly - But I'm gunna have to push to get £600 anyway.
So currently I'm looking at..
Laney GH50L - £400
Laney GH100TI - £402
Orange Tiny Terror - £290
Engl Screamer Combo - £500ish used, £650ish new
Engl Thunder Combo - £500ish new - Might need a boost.
Various other 5w mini valve amps
Matamp mini amps - £300ish
Peavey Valve King combos - £350ish
Framus 2x12 cab - £200
Harley Benton V30 2x12 cab - £135
Firstly - How much of a difference is there between the GH50 and the GH100 Iommi model? The Iommi is advertised as a metal amp, 5 gain stages etc - Anyone have any expierience with it?
Also, any expierience with either of the cabs mentioned - If the Harley benton one is any good then I would HAPPILY buy it since it's so cheap. I know the £8 music stand I bought from Thomann was absolutely bloody brilliant, even better than my £40 K&M one - And I noticed that most of the harley benton range are actually other brands which Thomann have bought in bulk and then labelled it as harley benton on the website and/or sticking a harley benton sticker on the product.
I've heard that the Framus cab is good - And I'm sure it probably is, but if the harley benton is good enough then it saves me another £70 to spend on an amp or a boost pedal..
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I wouldn't have said that either of the Laneys were any good for modern metal tones, not really 'tight'. Still very good amps though. All I'd say is that having a good cab is very important, especially when considering that for metal you want the bass to be controlled and the 'punch' to be there when needed. I own the Framus and its fantastic value for money. I'd be tempted to Buy the Engl Thunder head coupled with the Framus Cab and maybe buy a Electro-Harmonix 12AX7 for the V1 position to give it a bit more gain. If you keep your eye out on ebay though there are real bargains to be had on Engls, so don't rule out the Fireball, which would kick any of those amps asses for anything metal. Other options would be to pair the Thunder with a boost aka the Maxon OD808 or an EQ pedal. If at all possible avoid the Engl combos as they aren't particularly tight, being open-backed and all. I know what its like doing this search, its bloody confusing, especially as you often can't try everything out. Oh and who are you using for the price quotes? www.thomann.de have the Engl Thunder head for around £450 new (free p&p to the uk) and I sold my combo for £300 on Ebay recently.
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I wouldn't have said that either of the Laneys were any good for modern metal tones, not really 'tight'. Still very good amps though. All I'd say is that having a good cab is very important, especially when considering that for metal you want the bass to be controlled and the 'punch' to be there when needed. I own the Framus and its fantastic value for money. I'd be tempted to Buy the Engl Thunder head coupled with the Framus Cab and maybe buy a Electro-Harmonix 12AX7 for the V1 position to give it a bit more gain. If you keep your eye out on ebay though there are real bargains to be had on Engls, so don't rule out the Fireball, which would kick any of those amps asses for anything metal. Other options would be to pair the Thunder with a boost aka the Maxon OD808 or an EQ pedal. If at all possible avoid the Engl combos as they aren't particularly tight, being open-backed and all. I know what its like doing this search, its bloody confusing, especially as you often can't try everything out. Oh and who are you using for the price quotes? www.thomann.de have the Engl Thunder head for around £450 new (free p&p to the uk) and I sold my combo for £300 on Ebay recently.
I did try an Engl Thunder in rose morris and remembering it to be a great amp - Just not enough gain =/
If I got the thunder head with a boost, that's allready most of my budget - so in the end, if I wanted an engl, I think I'll have to get a combo.
I've been watching Ebay for Engls for the past few weeks, and there have been quite a few combos, but very few heads - And in general, I feel uncomfortable buying from Ebay, especially when it comes to picking up the item, delivery etc.
There are loads of good solutions for what I'm looking for - But none are quite within my budget - And to find the perfect one, I'd need to look second hand, which is never easy - Since with second hand stuff - You have to be extremely lucky to get what you want - Normally you have to choose from what's available.
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Nevermind everyone.
Just won a Screamer combo on Ebay with the footswitch for £460 and £40 delivery =)
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Nice, remember to post some pics and a review when it arrives :P
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sweet!
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Nice! You'll love it! He's killing you with postage costs though :?
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Congrats
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Nice....clips!!!
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Nice....clips!!!
When it arrives! :twisted:
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Nice! You'll love it! He's killing you with postage costs though :?
£40 for shipping a combo by DHL or Parcel Force is pretty average. It cost me over £100 to send a combo to Netherlands by DHL.
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Over the past year I've sent off 3 combos (I change amps a lot!) and none of them cost me more than £25.
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Okie doke - Arrived, in superb packaging, and everything is good =)
Now for the review - I'll go through each channel etc, and give a brief description.
Channel 1 - Clean:
Basically, you have 2 main sounds here - A sharper clean when you have the brightness switch on, and that sounds great for the good ol' chicken plucking, bluesy stuff etc, and a warmer clean channel when you have the brightness switch off, which is lovely a thick and great for chords, jazzy stuff etc.
Channel 2 - Crunch:
When you turn the clean volume (basically acts like a gain control for the clean/crunch due to use of the master vol) down it sounds nice a bluesy crunch - very useable, if you're into that sort of thing - But when you turn up the clean volume, you get beautiful thick rock tones - think AC/DC, Led Zep etc.
Channel 3 - "Soft lead":
Now we're getting into the more warm liquid metal tones, at low gainit it's quite similar to the high gain crunch, while at high gain, it's basically metal rhythm. Of all the channels, I'd say this one was probably the least usefull, since it's basically the crunch channel for people who need to keep the clean gain down for playing clean.
Channel 4 - "Heavy Lead":
Rich liquidy sustain and great metal tones - Very crushing while not being too full on - It's not the very tightest of amps but the notes catch well and you won't lose notes in waves of gain like you would on Mesas. Chords are pretty crushing, and the lead sounds are nice and liquidy.
Other things:
Reverb:
The reverb is gorgeous! Very wet, and very usable - While not being overkill. Seriously - Some of the nicest reverb I've ever used, really thick and wet - love it!
"VLS":
Basically, it's a volume boost - You hit it before a solo and cranks your volume up a notch on the master volume - or so it seems. It works fine, and doesn't make you ridiculously louder, just enough to make you stand above in a mix. Basically it's a volume boost for people that don't own volume boosts - Does it's job fine, and it's a very nice addition to the amp.
Build Quality:
Everytime I see the amp I forget just how big it is. This amp is really quite big. It's built like a freaking tank. Although only time will tell how reliable it is, it does not look like I could break it even if I tried. It's really bloody tanklike :|
Cabinet: Open back with a V30 - obviously being open back it doesn't sound as tight as it could - but it does sound nice - I'm no cab expert, so I won't go on about how the V30 does or does not do something or other, or how the cabinet design limits/exceeds tone compared to closed back - but I will say the amp sounds good doing any style through this cab, and maybe one day I'll put a K100 in to darken the tone, but at the moment it's perfect.
General Sound etc:
Overall the amp is quite bright - Not too bright, just that's the general tonality of the amp, it seems to do every style well, and I can't imagine replacing it any time in the near future. Compared to other amps in the market, I can't really think of anything that really competes with it - And trust me, I LOOKED. I might darken the tone with a Celestion G12K-100 one day - I played through a Diezel cab with them once and just - WOAH.
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sweet, nice review, sounds about right. I think you can set the level of the VLS boost too, round the back somewhere.
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Glad it's everything that you wanted
Now it's time to save up for a hotplate I assume ;)
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sweet, nice review, sounds about right. I think you can set the level of the VLS boost too, round the back somewhere.
After you said that I went to the back and there's a knob labelled "Level" I think that might be it - Not gunna check right now :p
Glad it's everything that you wanted
Now it's time to save up for a hotplate I assume ;)
Don't go there.. xD
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sweet, nice review, sounds about right. I think you can set the level of the VLS boost too, round the back somewhere.
After you said that I went to the back and there's a knob labelled "Level" I think that might be it - Not gunna check right now :p
The 'Level' knob is related to the volume when using the line out port...
You use the small knob labelled "V.L.S Ratio" that's on the far left (as you look at the back of the amp) to adjust the VLS settings :drink:
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The 'Level' knob is related to the volume when using the line out port...
Nope, level is mix level for the FX loop, on full it's a serial loop, on 0 it's no FX.
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The 'Level' knob is related to the volume when using the line out port...
Nope, level is mix level for the FX loop, on full it's a serial loop, on 0 it's no FX.
Nope that's the Balance knob xD
The Level is to do without the line out, and the VLS ratio is weird - it changes the volume of the output without VLS on, and then the VLS volume is whatever the master is set at. So infact, VLS doesn't make it any louder - it makes the normal volume quieter.
Confusing stuff :p
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The 'Level' knob is related to the volume when using the line out port...
Nope, level is mix level for the FX loop, on full it's a serial loop, on 0 it's no FX.
Hmm, I assumed that's what the "Balance" knob next to the FX jacks did, whereas the level knob is next to the line out stuff
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The 'Level' knob is related to the volume when using the line out port...
Nope, level is mix level for the FX loop, on full it's a serial loop, on 0 it's no FX.
Hmm, I assumed that's what the "Balance" knob next to the FX jacks did, whereas the level knob is next to the line out stuff
Opss :roll:
been a while that I owned a screamer :oops:
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sweet, nice review, sounds about right. I think you can set the level of the VLS boost too, round the back somewhere.
After you said that I went to the back and there's a knob labelled "Level" I think that might be it - Not gunna check right now :p
The 'Level' knob is related to the volume when using the line out port...
You use the small knob labelled "V.L.S Ratio" that's on the far left (as you look at the back of the amp) to adjust the VLS settings :drink:
aye that sounds about right. :drink:
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Here's some clips!
All of these are recorded with a PC Mic, due to my Shure acting up..
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/songInfo.cfm?bandID=671776&songID=5737926
Ibanez straight into the ENGL - Channel 2 at the beginning, channel 1 at the end, full clean "volume" on, Reverb set to about 12. Whole song played on the neck pickup - Don't have the fingers to get that sustain at bridge =(
Song's Europa by Santana.
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/songInfo.cfm?bandID=671776&songID=5737987
Again, Ibanez straight into the ENGL - Channel 1 at the beginning, channel 4 for the rest, reverb set to full at the beginning and end sections, gain at 12 for the Gain channel Presence also at 12, and full on for the clean channel. Again all done at neck.
Song's Searching by Satch.
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/songInfo.cfm?bandID=671776&songID=5738018
Again, Ibanez straight into ENGL - Forgot to pull out a Wah, kinda neccesary for this song but whatever. Gain and reverb on full, Presence at about 3. If you hear this clip you'll understand why it's called a Screamer...
Song's Bad Horsie by Vai.
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/songInfo.cfm?bandID=671776&songID=5738204
Viper into ENGL, all done on Bridge pickup. Channel 4 with the presence at 12 and gain on full. Was going for a slightly more classic sound, but I wanted the sustain of the high gain channel. Saw so many people doing Stairway clips I thought I might aswell too...
Song's Stairway to Heaven by Led Zepplin - Greatest solo ever made tbh, not hardest, or fastest, or most technical etc, but it sounds so epic - And it's Zep.
Recordings done on Audacity - Needed a quick substitute, my Cubase was acting up >_>
(Not a good day for my gear, eh?)
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By the way - Just out of interest, anyone else here that owns a Screamer, and can recognise some good settings? I haven't been super adventurous, seeing as I've managed to get pretty good tone with almost any settings - But is there any magic dials which you know of?
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Nice playing!!
Though the tone doesn't come through that well with a PC mic :(
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Nice playing!!
Though the tone doesn't come through that well with a PC mic :(
Yeah - True, I keep planning to add recording stuff to my list of things to buy, but there are allways priorities... :p
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nice playing! :twisted: