Amps, amps, amps.

[Roobubba]

Right, maybe it's just amp GAS or just needing to find something to change about my tone, but I'm looking around at other amps, and I think my 5150-II might be getting jealous.

At the gig last night I ran it with preamp on the dirtier channel at about 2.5/10 (but I was slamming the front end with a bodenhamer bloody murder TS9 type pedal). I had the post up to about 4 or 4.5 and obviously it wasn't hugely saturated or smooth, but was sounding reasonably good. Crunchy, more than brutal, though. I'd prefer to be able to run it more towards brutal.
The reason I chucked the preamp gain down was to get on top of the feedback and noise issues, and also to keep the low end as tight as possible.

My main gripe about this amp is that it's not very tight once you use any meaningful amount of preamp gain.

Soooo the options:

1) mod the 5150-II (already had some words with Dmoney about options for this)
2) Sell the 5150-II and get something else.
3) AxeFX

I've not been out looking at other amps yet, although have taken particular note of other bands' amps I've seen at gigs recently.
Narrowing down the field a bit, I'm thinking along the lines of:
Line6 spider valve (whatever that new one is, heard it recently and it sounded really good).
Diezel (VH4 for tightness rather than herbert?)
Bogner (Uberschall maybe...)
'Fryette' (stupid name).
Koch powertone?
Others?
I have yet to try any of these, just trying to gather some ideas together.
NB must be able to cope with our ear-splittingly loud band setup, so 100W+ only. I've already found one scenario where the 5150-II was near its limit (even with highly efficient speakers), so 50W wouldn't be enough.

My current thinking:
I'm thinking that the AxeFX is just waaaaay too much 'stuff' for me.
Selling the 5150-II might be a mistake (plus I don't have the money yet for a replacement, that would be a bit of saving).
Will modding the 5150-II really be able to get the amp very tight?


Help!

Roo


(PS Aftermath is on its way, that will help somewhat with tightness in the low registers, but obviously it won't change what the amp itself is capable of!)

[D4niel]

So...
I'd like to ask you one thing:
what do you like about the 5150? Cuz I think I might have something very nice for you:

http://www.earforce-board.de/cms/index.php?page=781888691&f=1&i=781888691
But, I fear you might not understand the website, so ... just let your ears to the work:

http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/equipment/610924-my-new-favorite-amp-earforce.html
or
http://www.lasselammert.com/sonstiges/NoGod.mp3 [A Deathmetal sample, the bit muddyness it wanted!]
samples are recorded by Lasse Lammert (e.g. not me, I just got allowed to post them here!)

These guys are a "newish" Germany Amp manufacture, and through lucky circumstances I got my own Earforce Two. It has 5150 qualities for being "crushing"(dunno how to explain it), is ubertight and really, really variable through a very effective and interactive EQ section.
The clean channel (IF you need none, then the "Earforce One" should be interesting), is very Fenderlike, but with again a very effective and interactive EQ section, so you can go from warm cleans to sparkling cleans and just everything.
The Amps are very direct and dynamic, meaning you have to be able to play tight. But if you like a really 3d sounding amp with a very personal note, just ask Alex
alex@earforce.de
[those guys have a support, similar in quality to BK :)
They even have some "Trial Amps", that are currently circulating. Just ask, if something could be organized. I am sure, they will be helpful!

[Roobubba]

Hi D4niel,

that's very interesting indeed, really like the sound clips that I heard. My German is pretty basic, but I could follow the gist of most of the site. As for cleans, I would want to have a decent clean channel for those very infrequent sections that we have where I still need a clean - the 5150-II struggles here, obviously! The Earforce Two does look very nice indeed.

Increasing the number of options, though! Gah! :)

[Roobubba]

I forgot to answer your question. What I like most about the 5150-II is: the aggression!

[Telerocker]

Pretty wide pricerange the amps you mentioned. You will not get happy with the Line6. I find them a bit bland, missing magic. The Koch is a bit thinner sounding then the 5150, I think. I had one. It lacks somewhat of tone, but I was playing strats on it. The Freyette is a good amp, but I find the tone too dry. Not my piece of cake, but that's personal preference. For your style (brutal) the Uberschall is definitely a winner.

[HairyChris]

None of the Diezels do coat-over-the-head-and-pummel lairy in the same way that the 5150 does... VH4 is a very good amp but is hi-fi brutal as opposed to dirty. I do rather like my Einstein, though, it's really responsive to pickups and pick attack. I get pretty good aggression out of it as opposed to full out brutality. TS-9ing it puts it in Dimebag mode which is amusing.

FWIW - IMO The Herbert is a Recto-destroyer, VH4 is pushed & stiffened Marshall, Einstein is simple and sits in the middle in terms of how hard/soft the amp feels. Herb is tighter then the Recto btw, I sold my Dual for the Einstein and haven't regretted it.

Some of the Engl range might be worth a look. Bandmate has the Invader which is find of massive (in size and sound) with stupid amounts of gain, and I've heard good things about the SE's capacity for violence.

Ditto the Fryette range. I'll be interested in trying those out myself as they seem to be precise & pretty brutal at the same time. Last on my list of amps to try is the H&K Triamp. Always been interested in those!

EDIT: Amp GAS is a farking nightmare!

[Roobubba]

Thanks for the comments guys, all good!!

I must say having listened to quite a lot of Earforce content, I'm very impressed with the tone of those things. I'd obviously want to try one out, but that will have to wait until I have that kind of cash together, which would be a fair few months.

In the mean time, modding the 5150-II can't be a bad idea :)

Roo

[JDC]

just thought I'd add that Roo has a peavey cab but with k100s and zakk wylde speakers, so my worry would be what limits the cab is putting on him

[Roobubba]

just thought I'd add that Roo has a peavey cab but with k100s and zakk wylde speakers, so my worry would be what limits the cab is putting on him

Every time I've lent out my cab at a gig, JDC, the guitarist who has been using that rather than their own generic Marshall 4x12 has sounded so SO much better. I'm pretty sure the cab isn't a problem :)

[D4niel]

Thanks you like my recommendation, Roo :)
If you like the agression and brutality of the 5150, the Earforce might be a good match!
Just as I mentioned, these guys keep a very personal contact with their customers, and plus, you get an absolutely unique amp (you get to define the looks by yourself!). Maybe just ask Alex about the possibility of getting a trialamp?
I am sure, he'll organize something...

[FernandoDuarte]

Roo, I'm attending Sir McCartney's concert soon, do you want myselft to spot the amp he's using while playing the guitar? :D
Cheers

[Roobubba]

Roo, I'm attending Sir McCartney's concert soon, do you want myselft to spot the amp he's using while playing the guitar? :D
Cheers

aww mate, would you? I love that guy!

[Dmoney]

yeah do that! also, i'm surprised you're taking advice from someone with 'Tele' in their screen name! haha.


Earforce is a weird name. Looks interesting though. Kind of like an SLO in layout, but with dual eq. probably nothing like that though.

you could try a Splawn Nitro too. or an old 2 channel dual rectifier.
The Uberschall is super tight. I found I had to run mine quite loud to get it to sound how I liked. (its not a loud amp that happens to sound 'good' at lower volumes). It's kind of dark, has masses of gain, but it does do that fizzy kind of thing as you whack it up. Still, you probably wouldn't run with it much of half way up.
The clean channel needs cranking a up to get it levelish with the gain, but it has a lot of headroom. It BARELY breaks up and max preamp gain on the clean channel.

EDIT: I've NEVER been into Engl's personally, played the odd one here and there.

[Transcend]

Have you looked at the Powerball II?

That is one tight ass amp that can very easily do brutalz

[Roobubba]

Have you looked at the Powerball II?

That is one tight ass amp that can very easily do brutalz

I would give it a go, for sure. I'm not one to rule out something because a few people on some deathz methullz forums play theirs with no mids, so it always sounds... lacking :D

I've not played an ENGL, so would definitely want to give them a shot before I committed to anything. But I must say, those Earforce amps have grabbed me...

Time to save. Mod as a stop-gap, and save :)

PS The 'Tele' bit does disturb me, but hey he's a nice guy. Flawed by a love for a wrong guitar, but nice nonetheless :)