Peavey Valveking?

[fps_dean]

^ it had plenty of gain- i just thought that at low volumes adding gain increased the "mud" factor. so yeah, plenty of gain, but a lot of it wasn't really usable, IMO.

That's what Guitar Player said in a review.. the low volume gain was a bit too fizzy, but I can name tons of boutique amps that cost ten times the price and have the same problem....  I mean as long as low volume is considered 2 and not 4 or 5....

[fps_dean]

The Peavey Ultra Tube was a better amp (if you can find one second hand) but they have one thing in common; shitety Chinese valves. If you're gonna buy one I'd recommend talking to Derek at Watford Valves about the sound you want and re-tube it straight away. You can always keep the others as emergency replacements.

Some of the chinese preamp tubes have a lot of gain... but some of them are made of plastic too!

[dave_mc]

[That's what Guitar Player said in a review.. the low volume gain was a bit too fizzy, but I can name tons of boutique amps that cost ten times the price and have the same problem....  I mean as long as low volume is considered 2 and not 4 or 5....

that may be true, but I can name tons of boutique amps where it's nowhere near as fizzy at low volumes.

[fps_dean]

[That's what Guitar Player said in a review.. the low volume gain was a bit too fizzy, but I can name tons of boutique amps that cost ten times the price and have the same problem....  I mean as long as low volume is considered 2 and not 4 or 5....

that may be true, but I can name tons of boutique amps where it's nowhere near as fizzy at low volumes.

I can name some that aren't too fizzy at low volumes too, but there are also those that are much fizzier than your much cheaper Marshalls and Peaveys too, and I should note not much is fizzier than the current line of Marshalls even turned way up....

[dave_mc]

yeah, like krank...

I mean, it's all preference. you wouldn't buy a cheapo amp just because boutique amp X is fizzier, when boutique amp Y might be 100 times better...

[fps_dean]

yeah, like krank...

I was thinking bogner actually, but there's a lot of them.

But yeah, if you judge how it sounds with the MV low, then you aren't buying for the best overall tone anyway.  Some of those amps that sound really good at low volumes wont ever sound much better than that, where some amps that sound too fizzy to use at low volumes sound absolutely killer with the volume cranked.

[nfe]

my shop's been selling loads of them, i really like them for what they are, a cheap all valve combo.

as for doing metal, the lead channel with a tubescreamer in front of it (or actually a mxr zakk wylde works well) and you can get very usable high gain sounds.

[dave_mc]

yeah, like krank...

I was thinking bogner actually, but there's a lot of them.

But yeah, if you judge how it sounds with the MV low, then you aren't buying for the best overall tone anyway.  Some of those amps that sound really good at low volumes wont ever sound much better than that, where some amps that sound too fizzy to use at low volumes sound absolutely killer with the volume cranked.

that's true. I still say my engl sounds awesome at all volumes (obviously better up full, but sounds better than most amps I've tried at lower volumes, unless you're comparing it to like a 0.5 watt amp)...

[fps_dean]

ENGLs do sound pretty good at lower volumes too... not ideal still, but they slay when you turn them up!

[I_cant_play]

I tried it once. It was really easy dial in lots of sustain but I thought it sounded kinda sterile in general. It was one of the first tube amps I tried so I was amazed at the time but once the honeymoon period passed it was just ....meh..

[dave_mc]

ENGLs do sound pretty good at lower volumes too... not ideal still, but they slay when you turn them up!

:drink: