Author Topic: VH100R or GH100L? (Read 5972 times)

ChrisMetal · « **on:** March 27, 2007, 01:32:22 PM »

Basically I'm gonna upgrade my current stack again, to another Laney(like my practice amp) I currently have a Marshall AVT150H (which I do love) but I'm looking to get an all tube/valve head as the only guitarist in my band I wanna cut through over the bass guitar. Couple of factors I'm not sure about though.

I would like an amp to be able to handle fast picking, and chugging riffs/pinch harmonics etc and also have an excellent range of distortion. But the distortion can be get to one of two ways.

Do you guys recommend a amp head of the two above using either the single channel Laney GH100L using a separate footswitch (namely a Metal Muff) for distortion. Or using the VH100R with its multi-channel gain?

Any ideas which would get the best sound? I do like the idea of having a footswitch for gain but if I get a better Distortion from using just the amp then there's not much point in getting a pedal.

Cheers
Chris

Twinfan · « **Reply #1 on:** March 27, 2007, 01:55:42 PM »

Depends if you need cleans or not as to which head to get. The VH has a dedicated clean channel, but the GH hasn't.

Unless you're playing super distorted tones, the GH with it's extra gain stage can get pretty distorted without an external pedal. I think the VH and GH have the same gain on their dirty channels anyway?

ChrisMetal · « **Reply #2 on:** March 27, 2007, 03:40:41 PM »

yeah i need cleans, I thought the GH100L had a clean channel with footswitchable gain though... well thats what i guessed from the site.

Twinfan · « **Reply #3 on:** March 27, 2007, 03:54:15 PM »

Not really. It's single channel and has a footswitchable gain. You can go from "crunch to metal" or "clean to crunch". You can't go "clean to metal". The footswitchable gain is just an addition to the existing standard gain. You can get cleanish by rolling off your guitar volume then rolling it up and then boosting it to get metalish. However, you'll never get Hank Marvin clean to Dimebag dirty out of a GH without a pedal.

To be honest, if you need a clean tone I'd go for the VH. The GH doesn't really do clean. Think of it as a modern single channel JCM800 with a built in tubescreamer and you'll get the general gist of it.

ChrisMetal · « **Reply #4 on:** March 27, 2007, 03:56:10 PM »

what are peoples opinions on Hughes & Kettner amps? They seem to be very expensive (but look cool lol)

noodleplugerine · « **Reply #5 on:** March 27, 2007, 04:06:12 PM »

Never played a bad H&K and I've played through a few.

Never played the high end stuff though, nothing above a Switchblade.

ChrisMetal · « **Reply #6 on:** March 27, 2007, 04:59:13 PM »

See I'm just trying to find the right amp and make sure I don't splash out on something I'm gonna replace a few months later... And I want an all Valve/Tube amp this time around. I'm into Testament, Metallica, Megadeth, Pantera and Guns N Roses type stuff if that helps...

HTH AMPS · « **Reply #7 on:** March 27, 2007, 05:23:39 PM »

for everything you've mentioned I've immediately thought JCM800 since that's pretty much what they all used (albeit with OD pedals and EQs in some cases to get extra crunch). only thing is you'd need a seperate clean amp.

how about one of the DSL series Marshalls? - they have all the gain you'd want and the clean channel too. you can pickup DSL50s on ebay for £350 fairly easily. If there's a 100w version I'd go for that personally (I like 100s better for the extra chunk in the bass end)

What type of cab are you using?

:twisted:

nillox · « **Reply #8 on:** March 27, 2007, 06:19:38 PM »

i have a gh50l and its amazing. what you could do is set the amp for clean (low gain) and the drive all the way up, so when u use the foot switch/change channel, you'll get nice distortion, then u can add to it with the metal muff. the amp seriously cleans up if u use the volume knob on your guitar too

Word Bearer · « **Reply #9 on:** March 27, 2007, 06:45:46 PM »

I'd go with the VH over the GH.

Also look into the Peavey Windsor and some type of overdrive if you're after the boosted JCM800 sound. I've heard that they should be bringing out a combo version of it soon if you didn't want to go the half stack route.

indysmith · « **Reply #10 on:** March 27, 2007, 08:51:18 PM »

why does everyone always say "what it sounds like you want is a JCM800" and then suggest peavey windsors, Laneys GH's etc.
There's no beating a real JCM800 8) Just been playing mine, and it makes me grin every time i plug in. such a FINE amp.

ChrisMetal · « **Reply #11 on:** March 27, 2007, 10:27:44 PM »

I'm not looking to going via a Marshall really. I've already got a Marshall AVT150H stack here and wanna get rid of it for an All valve/tube amp by somebody else perhaps. Maybe I'm wrong, I dunno I've never really heard a JCM800 in person.

noodleplugerine · « **Reply #12 on:** March 28, 2007, 11:06:02 AM »

They're good amps, very solid, and although there's nothing wrong with them, I'd rather an ENGL any day =/

LazyNinja · « **Reply #13 on:** March 28, 2007, 01:26:15 PM »

As people said, a GH is like a boosted JCM800 and won't do clean to metal in one setting. What you could do is to get a modeller like a pod or a GT-8 and use the amp for distortion and the modeller for clean. I've not tried this so I'm not sure how good it sounds.

VH100R is awesome! Really great clean and it has an onboard reverb (for each channel) and dedicated FX loop for each channel so you can add chorus flanger whatever just to the clean and not affect the drive chanel. The drive channel is identical to a GH100L I think.

Oli · « **Reply #14 on:** March 28, 2007, 03:21:56 PM »

Go for the VH100R, the reason being:
The VH in the model name stands for 'Very Happy', which is what you'll be if you get one... the GH only makes you 'Generally Happy'. The L at the end of the GH100L also stands for 'Lacking' as in; Lacking a switchable clean channel :)

Its true!