Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: ChrisMetal on October 17, 2007, 11:11:06 PM

Title: Recommendations for a amp head?
Post by: ChrisMetal on October 17, 2007, 11:11:06 PM: Any recommendations for an all valve amp head? I have about £400-£500 to spend. Looking to get some nice clean tones out of it and distortion in the realms of Megadeth etc... Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks
Title: Recommendations for a amp head?
Post by: hunter on October 17, 2007, 11:13:22 PM: Spider Valve
Title: Recommendations for a amp head?
Post by: apmaman on October 17, 2007, 11:20:17 PM: Is it really that Good? Its converted Hunter!!
Title: Recommendations for a amp head?
Post by: sgmypod on October 17, 2007, 11:22:47 PM: yeah you converted
Title: Recommendations for a amp head?
Post by: indysmith on October 17, 2007, 11:35:23 PM: JCM800
Title: Recommendations for a amp head?
Post by: ChrisMetal on October 17, 2007, 11:42:39 PM: only thing about JCM 800 I'm worried about is getting from cleans like on say "A Toute Le Monde" to the heavy Megadeth distortion. I'd have to stick a pedal infront of the amp. and finding one for under 500 always seems to be a pain for me. Even on ebay.
Title: Recommendations for a amp head?
Post by: indysmith on October 17, 2007, 11:59:59 PM: Quote from: ChrisMetal
only thing about JCM 800 I'm worried about is getting from cleans like on say "A Toute Le Monde" to the heavy Megadeth distortion. I'd have to stick a pedal infront of the amp. and finding one for under 500 always seems to be a pain for me. Even on ebay.

you're right cleans are always a limiting factor on a jcm800 but yu can do alright with the volume rolled right back, and the gain down low. Yu can get some great deals on ebay on the combos - i.e. my 4104 50W 2x12 single channel combo from 1984 was £400, and of course it could be used as a head if you wanted. As far as pedals go- you're probably right in that yu'll need one, but £40 or less for an SD-1 won't break the bank :D ;)
Title: Recommendations for a amp head?
Post by: LazyNinja on October 18, 2007, 12:03:19 AM: You can easily find a JCM800 for £500 on ebay :? Master volume JMPs are great and cheap(ish) too. Certainly under £500 anyway. If you want clean and high gain tight sound I'd look for a 100W one. More headroom and tighter gain. Oh also, don't be thinking that 2210 has a clean channel. It just has a normal channel and a boosted channel.

Personally, I think you'd be better off with an old Mesa. Or a MkIV if you can afford (and find) one.
Title: Recommendations for a amp head?
Post by: hunter on October 18, 2007, 05:48:25 AM: Quote from: apmaman
Is it really that Good? Its converted Hunter!!

Just in that price range, it's what I would get if I didn't have a proper amp yet.

And well, it says "Bogner" on it :twisted:
Title: Recommendations for a amp head?
Post by: Stevepage on October 18, 2007, 07:00:12 AM: I'd say Laney VH100R. You could even stick a boost in front if you like but I doubt you will need too. Cyrstal cleans to heavy distortion with a touch of a button.

If not, the Spidervalve
Title: Recommendations for a amp head?
Post by: Mr Ed on October 18, 2007, 08:50:18 AM: Dave Mustaine's all about Line6 amps now... try them. Maybe the HD147?

Other than that, I'm a big fan of JCM900's and I can get some respectable metal tones out of mine, the clean's very useable too.
Title: Recommendations for a amp head?
Post by: ericsabbath on October 18, 2007, 09:06:27 AM: +1 for laney vh100r
Title: Recommendations for a amp head?
Post by: hunter on October 18, 2007, 12:43:25 PM: If you could invest a bit more, someone is selling a mint Einstein, this might be interesting:

http://www.rig-talk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=21639
Title: Recommendations for a amp head?
Post by: indysmith on October 18, 2007, 12:46:37 PM: VH100R ain't a bad idea at all!
Title: Recommendations for a amp head?
Post by: ChrisMetal on October 18, 2007, 01:20:27 PM: the Spider Valve HD100 looks nice, but it does look rather complicated to use, and I have nowhere to try try one out. Trying amps out for me is a pain in the ass :( living where i do.
Title: Recommendations for a amp head?
Post by: hunter on October 18, 2007, 01:59:23 PM: Quote from: ChrisMetal
the Spider Valve HD100 looks nice, but it does look rather complicated to use, and I have nowhere to try try one out. Trying amps out for me is a pain in the ass :( living where i do.

... which is in England, the motherland of ROCK!

No amps in sight? Comeon, you should have Marshalls instead of kitchen radios, Hiwatts instead of refridgerators, Plexi furniture and houses built of ROCK!!
Title: Recommendations for a amp head?
Post by: ChrisMetal on October 18, 2007, 09:49:14 PM: Yeah if I lived in london or down by the coast. I live in the countryside, closest place to me to try out stuff is Swindon, and they literally have nowt. 3/4 music shops with nothing good to try out. Cheltenham not too far but even there's not great.
Title: Recommendations for a amp head?
Post by: AngusYoung01 on October 18, 2007, 10:41:50 PM: Marshall DSL50

Cleans - Amazing
OD - Beautiful

Both depending that you buy an MXR Distortion+, it doesn't distort in the loop, it stays clean but really brings out the best.

And since I've found how to use the Deep Switch to good effect, it hasn't been turned off :D
Title: Recommendations for a amp head?
Post by: AngusYoung01 on October 18, 2007, 10:42:54 PM: Quote from: ChrisMetal
Yeah if I lived in london or down by the coast. I live in the countryside, closest place to me to try out stuff is Swindon, and they literally have nowt. 3/4 music shops with nothing good to try out. Cheltenham not too far but even there's not great.

OMG I'm from Cheltenham :D

Bishops Cleeve :)
Title: Recommendations for a amp head?
Post by: ChrisMetal on October 18, 2007, 10:51:02 PM: Aroundabout Sound and Soundhouse :lol:

Anyway I'm staying away from DSL's and TSL's. Bad experiences at work... :P Not bad amps, just not what I'm after. Tbh I'm not sure I really even want a marshall again after using my AVT150H for quite some time.
Title: Recommendations for a amp head?
Post by: AngusYoung01 on October 18, 2007, 10:52:53 PM: Ohhh no! AVT's blow. What eperience sorry?

And I did my work experience at Aroundabout Sound, my favourite place ever :D
Title: Recommendations for a amp head?
Post by: Philly Q on October 18, 2007, 10:53:43 PM: Quote from: hunter
Comeon, you should have Marshalls instead of kitchen radios, Hiwatts instead of refridgerators, Plexi furniture and houses built of ROCK!!

I do have a Marshall for a radio...

(http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p216/phillyq/marshall.jpg)
Title: Recommendations for a amp head?
Post by: ChrisMetal on October 18, 2007, 11:02:46 PM: Quote from: AngusYoung01
Ohhh no! AVT's blow. What eperience sorry?

And I did my work experience at Aroundabout Sound, my favourite place ever :D

Teaching guitar, I was using a JCM2000... didn't like it much. Was nice and loud mind lol. Deafened some kids. :lol:
Title: Recommendations for a amp head?
Post by: ChrisMetal on October 19, 2007, 06:17:30 PM: Wahay I bought a new amp.

LANEY GH100L. Just gotta wait for it to arrive at the shop now to pick it up... looking forward to it :D
Title: Recommendations for a amp head?
Post by: sgmypod on October 20, 2007, 10:14:47 AM: http://www.thomann.de/gb/hugheskettner_tube_amp_clock.htm..or there's a clock head
Title: Recommendations for a amp head?
Post by: Stevepage on October 20, 2007, 11:02:40 AM: Quote from: ChrisMetal
Wahay I bought a new amp.

LANEY GH100L. Just gotta wait for it to arrive at the shop now to pick it up... looking forward to it :D

good choice! I reckon you'll love it
Title: Recommendations for a amp head?
Post by: Philly Q on October 20, 2007, 04:36:48 PM: Quote from: sgmypod
http://www.thomann.de/gb/hugheskettner_tube_amp_clock.htm..or there's a clock head

:!: Two hundred quid for a clock! :!:
Title: Recommendations for a amp head?
Post by: dave_mc on October 21, 2007, 11:14:13 AM: but it has better tone than those digital clocks...
Title: Recommendations for a amp head?
Post by: noodleplugerine on October 21, 2007, 11:27:04 AM: Quote from: dave_mc
but it has better tone than those digital clocks...

Truer words have never been spoken.
Title: Recommendations for a amp head?
Post by: Henk on October 22, 2007, 07:13:04 AM: Quote from: ChrisMetal
only thing about JCM 800 I'm worried about is getting from cleans like on say "A Toute Le Monde" to the heavy Megadeth distortion. I'd have to stick a pedal infront of the amp. and finding one for under 500 always seems to be a pain for me. Even on ebay.

As far as value for money is consearned i'd definately go for a JCM800, said it before and wont shut up :P

I have the 2205 50w JCM800 which i like better then the 100w ones tonewise, they are often cheaper then their 100w bro's still finding a decent one could take a wile. Allthough you can 'unmod' a modded one be carefull because some DOY modders take out essential parts and toss them while modding instead of a simple bypass, they will be hard to replace.

I always play a stompbox OD with it, just for versatility purposes, cant imagine why anyone would be hesitant to use one. Also try a quality type footswitch, a friend of mine made one for me, but the cheap single footswitches can be noisy.

A JCM combo is an option allthough you should consider a speaker replacement up front, the stock speakers in those are awfull IMHO. With some v30's in it and maybe an extra cabinet you might have even more value for money. Still, if you gig alot a combo is very heavy to drag around, my back still hurts if i only think about that cr@p Peavey combo i had when i started gigging.

The JCM800 to me is a classic, everyone should have one, or two!
Title: Recommendations for a amp head?
Post by: dave_mc on October 22, 2007, 11:23:34 AM: Quote from: noodleplugerine
Quote from: dave_mc
but it has better tone than those digital clocks...

Truer words have never been spoken.

:lol:
Title: Recommendations for a amp head?
Post by: Mavet on October 22, 2007, 10:54:29 PM: If you choose to go for the jcm800 and worry about the cleans, you can switch the power tubes from el34 to kt77, which are supposed to be somewhere between el34 to 6l6 (never tried them though so I don't "really" know what I'm talking about :roll: )