Most Versatile Tube Amp

[downrodeo]

Hey, guys...I'm probably not going to be in the market for a new amp for awhile, but that can't stop me from being CURIOUS! What I want is a tone machine of an amp with three (or four) channels: a great clean channel with an almost jazzy smoothness, a second channel for lower gain, distorted tones that are nice and clean and soulful...think classic Jimmy Page overdrive on "Since I've Been Loving You"...and of course a third channel for gritty metal and powerful power chords and soaring, sustaining leads. I know...sounds exactly like what everyone else wants, but I want to know what is the best amp out there for the job I'm describing. A big plus would be half power switch, and possibly independent effects loops. Thanks, guys. I just want to know so that when I CAN buy my dream amp, I'll have a better idea.

[deg0ey]

Most versatile tube amp eh?

Maybe a Bognor or something - or something else high end like that...You could probably get close to those tones with some sort of Mesa or Engl, for a more affordable package

I'm sure some more knowledgeable people will be along soon :P

[TwilightOdyssey]

Have one built for you, to your specs. Then you will get exactly what you want/desire.

[chrisola]

I agree with TO, a custom amp would be good if you have the cash.. something from Matamp maybe

If not

An ENGL Screamer is great and will do everything you mention.

A POD 2.0 in one of the ATomic amps would be the most versatile, POD models with the atomics valve setup ;)

[Tricalibur]

MOST versatile would prob have to be the Diezel VH4. Only problem is that its like 180 watts and no half power switch. And it costs an arm and a leg, and everything else attached to them ;]

[jt]

:D To be quite honest you`ve asked for the impossible !

No one amp will do all these things convincingly. TO`s right you`ll need to talk to a custom amp builder Sheldon, DHA to name but 2 inorder to get anywhere near what you want. And that`s going to cost serious amounts of money !

 :D  8)

[Searcher]

The Hughes and Kettner Triamp would be close.

[dave_mc]

The Hughes and Kettner Triamp would be close.

its high gain tones don't cut the mustard, though (for modern metal). in my opinion.

I agree with TO.

off the shelf ones I've tried, that do a bit of everything:

engl se
diezel vh4
mesa roadking

of course, they're all incredibly dear- you could by 3 or even 4 amps each aimed specifically at one tone you need for their respective costs- and if you want versatility, that might be better. depends on what space you have, etc.

haha, this was no help.

[deg0ey]

Hmm, A Double Pole-Triple Throw footswitch (if such a thing exists, or could be built might be a possible idea...would allow you to fashion a device that allows you to switch the guitar between amp heads with one pole, and the amp heads between a single cab with the other pole...

But I just saw the major flaw in that plan (along with many less major flaws) in that there would be no load on the amps when they weren't selected, which would then explode the amps :lol:

Looks like separate cabs is the only way to go :drink:

[hunter]

Bogner XTC Classic with Class A/AB mod

However, for those 3,000 GBP you can also get a Fender, a Vox and a Marshall :)

[Sekhmet]

"The Hughes and Kettner Triamp would be close."

I was going to sudgest that to, but as with the reply the only thing that let the amp down was its hi gain tone :-(

Shame because the clean channel was just so loverly ;-)

[downrodeo]

[quote To be quite honest you`ve asked for the impossible ! [/quote]

I know I was asking the impossible, BUT, I just wanted see what you brilliant people would have to say. Thanks for the responses...I have def. been gassing something major for a Bogner XTC and Engl SE. Both extraordinarily costly, I know. But, the cost is not what matters...I'm in search for my holy grail of tone. So, yeah.  :lol:

[OD-Black_Fire]

It might not be THE most versatile tube amp ever made but the B-52 AT-100 is up there. It has THREE rectifier settings. Class A, AB, and solid state. I can get a smooth and warm VOX like overdrive classic rock sound(class A), to a hot rodded jcm800 marshall sound (slayer, class AB) to a really raw tight cold Dual Rectifier sound. With a little play with the low resonance and other EQ settings I can get something close to a Engl Powerball also.

I've never really played a Randall RM4 preamp combined with the Randall two channel power amp, but since the preamp is modular, you can put in 4 out of something like 20 preamp modules in and switch between them live with a press of a button. You can match the preamp modules with the correct power amp tubes also. You can also remove a module and replace it with another on stage by going into standby. Awesome shite. Egnater has a super super high end version also, that supports modules that actually have two modules built into one.  There are some that are usable with the Randall version but you have to walk up and flip a switch. And those aren't really two preamps, they just have gain boosts and mid voice changes.

[fatbob]

Not a one box solution, but how about a JMP or ENGL pre, into a power amp of your required power/tone choice.

[Ratrod]

Try the new Fender Supersonic.

There are some clips of it on Fender's website. It also gets some great reviews on other forums.

2 clean channels and 2 dirty channels.