Tube head with cab for around £600-800

[Kenose]

Hi, first post here.

I've been playing for around 2 years and have recently started jamming with a band, so I'll need something of my own (I've been renting a cheap marshall combo). I've actually been putting off buying one for a while, mainly because I didn't feel 'worthy', if that makes sense? It's only recently I've realised I'm actually not bad and deserve some decent tones, haha.

In terms of what I want sound wise, a good starting point would be Adam Jones. Yep, I realise that must have been posted on thousands of forums worldwide, but I'm only using him as a loose reference and realise I won't get near to replicating his tone. I like tones with plenty of mid punch and clarity, and this especially holds true now that I'm playing in a band environment. Problem I've found when browsing amps is there seems to be a big 'jump' in price from what people deem as a decent amp to a good one. Realistically, my budget could go higher than stated but I'm also warey of being one of those dudes who has great equipment but limited ability!

I also really like to play inverted chords, tritones, unusual chord voicings etc, so note articulation is very high up on my preference list. At the moment, with the cheap gear I'm using, it's virtually impossible to play anything unusual without it sounding like mush.

So far, I'm liking the clips I've heard of the JSX, which don't seem nearly as expensive as the likes of Mesa Dual recs etc. I'm also looking to supplement the amp/cab with some Nailbomb pickups. Any help/advice would be much appreciated.

[Attica!]

Check out the Bugera range. And ignore the cr@p that people say they're unreliable. They're perfectly reliable. It's just when they first came out, there was a problem with some clip that kept setting on fire, but the rectified (no pun) that problem. They make clones of very famous amps and with a tube change, they sound awesome. I own 3. They've also released the Infinium range this winter which has self biasing and little lights on the back to let you know whether your tube is faulty or needs replacing. I just bought one of these new models and they're actually extremely good.

Bugera 333/333XL is a clone of Peavey XXX/JSX
Bugera 6260/6262 is clone of Peavey 6505/6505+
Bugera 1990 is a clone of Marshall JCM 900
Bugera 1960 is a clone of Marshall Plexi

They're currently about to release the Bugera Trirec and Magician which are clones of the Triple Rectifier and Mark IV by Mesa.

Seriously check out these amps and clips, and please ignore the cr@p people are saying about them. Mine are perfectly fine and reliable. Cheapest place for them are from Thomann between £300-£400 with the Infinium Technlogy. Without Infinium, you can look elsewhere for between £250-£350. The Infinium is only out in germany from what I can see, so since the Thomann Warehouse is in Germany, they manage to get them. You also get 3 Years Warranty on everything so no worrying about things breaking down.

Regarding Cabs, check out Zilla Cabs. They're hand made, have won awards and half the price. I have a Zilla Super Fatboy which was recommend for me in place of a Mesa Rectifier 4x12. And it was less than half the price.

Another amp to check out is the Laney Ironheart.

Any questions feel free to ask :)

[Twinfan]

You may also want to look at Jet City, who do a nice range of keenly priced valve amps.  I have a 20watter stored at my rehearsal rooms as it was cheap as chips but great sounding!

For the nice amount of money you have available, some good used amps will fall into your range.  A used Marshall DSL50 and '1936' model 2x12 would be a good solid start if you want a known brand.  Some of the lower wattage Orange amps will fall into budget too, like the Rockerverb series, but they have a unique sound you'd need to hear first hand before buying.

Best thing to do is to head to your nearest guitar supershop and try a load of amps out.  Enjoy the hunt!  :D

[Kenose]

They are both very helpful answers, so thanks! Gives me something to investigate when I get home from work.

[dave_mc]

peaveys are pretty expensive in the UK. that doesn't matter if only they do the tone you want, but it's worth bearing in mind if you just want something which sounds "good"- you can get something which sounds "as good" from the likes of laney (though their prices have shot up recently :( ) for less money.

[ericsabbath]

peaveys do not sound like what you're looking for

if you want a cheap new amp with a good and open high gain tone, try a jet city 50 or 100 watter, or maybe an egnater tweaker 40
the jet cities sound huge and open
the egnater is more compressed and modern sounding
bugeras aren't reliable and their recto clone sounds like shitee (the peavey and marshall clones sound good)

[dave_mc]

oh right yeah i completely missed where he said the tones he wanted :lol: :oops:

[Attica!]

Yh the Egnators and Jet City's are great!

[JacksonRR]

I saw them a couple of weeks ago and Jones was using a Diesel VH4 and a Marshall Superlead both through Mesa cabs(dunno which cabs). I think I'd stick with Marshally amps if I wanted to do an Adam Jones tone on a budget. Bugeras aren't nearly as bad as people make them out to be. The first run issues have long been sorted out.

I did experience a very nice example of "the tone is in your hands" at that show. During a song, both Jones and Chancellor gave their instruments to the supporting act's guitarist and bass player. Night and day. All of the snappiness in the bass and the aggression and presence in either instrument instantly died. Whatever you get, I'd say play with some authority.

[Kenose]

^ Yeah, that's probably more a style issue than the actual equipment. The good thing about Adam's playing is, it's not nearly as technical as most people think, so he has room to be more aggressive (most of the 'riffs' are straight up power chord versions of the motifs that run through..). Out of curiosity, who supported?

Thanks for the further suggestions, people. Having played recently in the band situation, I'm more aware than ever about the importance of Mids in order to cut through. It' been really educational to just stand there and listen to how everything blends together.

[JacksonRR]

It was a band called YOB. Their set was pretty boring. It was very muddy sounding and the songs were very very similar. When Tool came on it was almost like someone said, "Oh hey. That knob for 300HZ was maxed out the whole time. Oops. Better fix that."

[Mr. Air]

You could also dig into he Egnater and Randall module series if you want some serious versatility. I just love the stuff and I know that a few others at the forums do as well.

[Kenose]

^ Thanks.

Is there any relationship between certain pickups and amps that I should be aware of - i.e. do certain combinations work better? E.g. would an amp that is heavy in the mid department be paired with a pickup that had high mids, or should it be offset with a different sounding one? I realise I sound a bit fussy considering it's my first proper rig (and the guy I'll be playing with seems pretty "ah, it doesn't really matter about what head etc you get"..), but the way I see it is I should get the best out of what I can have.

[Twinfan]

Pickups match to guitars, not amps  ;)

I would aim to get a nice solid benchmark amp, then see how you get on with it.  You can fine tune afterwards, but be aware some people spend a lifetime 'fine tuning'.....

[Attica!]

I say take ya guitar to an amp shop. Try it on a Line 6 or something. They're bright amps, and you can try different model presets.

EDIT: IGNORE THIS COMMENT, I HAD 3 WINDOWS OPEN AND COMMENTED THE WRONG PAGE HAHA!