New tube amp head, suggestions needed! :)

[Dragoneti]

I have a question for an amp head suggestions as G.A.S has hit me once again! :P

I have a TSL60H (with Mercury Magnetics OT) as my main amp and a peavey 30 combo which I use together in a wet/dry setup. I have three cabs, 1 Marshall 1960A which I use with the TSL, 1 Framus Dragon 412 (with various speakers available) which at this point I use with the peavey and 1 Engl 212VH which is not used.

I’m thinking of moving the peavey to the engl so to create a small stack, and thus I have a dragon 412 to spare and so I’m in the look for a new amp to be used with the cab and in place of the peavey in the wet/dry setup.

As I mostly play 80s hard rock and hair metal, I know that a hot rodded jcm800 would be perfect but as the stock 800 goes for about 1600€, it’s a little bit expensive, so I came down to either a Laney gh50l (which from what I hear sounds just like a hot rodded 800) and costs about 700€ (in Greece) or going again the multichannel path in the form of JVM205H (which I think it’s kind of redundant as I already have the TSL’s 3 channels and I only need a good drive channel amp with a good FX loop to go, where the loop is where the TSL goes bad for my needs, and forced me to go to wet/dry setup to have the necessary effects), but if the JVM205 delivers the sound I’m looking for better and worth the extra cost of about 400€  then why not...!!

Which amp would you choose in my case to be the companion for the TSL? The Laney or the JVM? Which of these makes a better JCM800 sound or to rephrase, which is more suitable for 80s metal?

Thank you all in advance for your answers!

Stelios

[hamfist]

GH50L would be a good lower budget choice. Also how about a Marshal DSL50 ?

Here's a link to Tom's comparison clip between the two - http://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=14599.0

I'm not a fan of the JVM amps. Many owners have also said that they are not good at band volumes. I must admit that I do not like them at any volume.

[Spitfire]

how are the engls prices over there??  how about a fireball??

or an orange rockerverb?? they are hotter than the traditional orange amp.

[HTH AMPS]

Gotta be the Laney GH50L - it IS a hotrodded JCM800 in the same way that an SLO100 or Bogner Ecstacy is (checkout the schematics).  Last time I played the Laney in a shop I was very impressed, they shouldn't sound anywhere near that good for the money - every home should have one.

Alternatively, get an amp kit from Ceriatone or Metroamps and hotrod the amp to your own taste.  Also bear in mind that if you can get a 1987 or 1959 model Marshall (reissue) on the cheap, they are fairly easy to mod into a JCM800.

Nice one on the Mercury Magnetics iron too - they really do make a big difference to the amp's tone.

[_tom_]

I'd go with a DSL over a GH50L based on my experience, for the sounds you want. It has the more aggressive and tight sound thats good for the sound you want, whilst the Laney sounds a bit flatter and duller/less punchy to me. Dont know if my Laney just needs new preamp tubes or what.

Then again apparently the Marshall has something wrong with it, my mate said it keeps cutting out/going really quiet and just sounding weak :? Sounded fine to me.

[Dragoneti]

Thank you all for your answers!!

About the engls here in Greece are pretty much the same price as the JVM205, about 1100€, but the thing is that engls sound very modern in sound and not what I’m looking for. Maybe the blackmore but then again… not my first choice.

The DSL again is in the same price area as the JVM, but the fact that I have the TSL60 which belongs to the “JCM2000 sound” family, makes it kind of redundant, isn’t it? That why I’m targeting towards either the Laney or the 50 watt JVM, to have a different flavor of the classic british hot rodded sound along with the TSL.

So the public opinion goes towards the laney uh? How is the fx loop on it? Works ok with effects pedals? This is an area that the TSL disappointed me with its parallel loop so I’m interested in a good loop preferably serial.

Thank you again for all your answers!

[_tom_]

I've only used the fx loop with an eq in for lead boosts but that seemed to work ok..