barrymclark Posted December 14, 2011 Posted December 14, 2011 I went to the local GC today at lunch and figured I'd play through a number of amps. The ones of note were: Marshall Class 5: Head + Marshall M412A Combo with a 1x10" Egnater Tweaker 40: Head into 1x12" Tweaker cab. Mesa/Boogie 5:50 Express 2x12" combo I used an Ibanez hollowbody. I can't recall the model but it was decent sounding acoustically and cost about $500. Played through the Egnater first. I just couldn't find a tone I liked. I twiddled knobs until they about fell off. It just didn't do anything for me. Not bad... just not something that said, "Barry, you gotta have this." Next, because it was right behind me, was the Class 5 head into the M412A cabinet. From the moment I turned the amp on with all tone knobs at 12 o'clock, it sounded wonderful. Some very minor tweaking, and I was off the races. Knowing that I had some issues with the cabinet, I plugged into the cabinet next to it to see if maybe it was my tastes that had changed and not just a difference in the amps. Nope, the combos still have that bottom heavy darkness and are very low volume. With the head and cabinet, the bottom got under control and, with the volume at 2, It was easily loud enough to play with a quite band, I pushed it to about 4 on the dial and it really jumped out. I can't say how well this might work in a band, but I know with the folks I play with, even with the rockish stuff, I believe it has enough to go. Next, the Mesa 5:50 Express. Quickly sounded good. Very good. ...as expected. I liked the cleaner tones than anything else on this amp. In the end, for me, I give the Lunch-tone prize to..... Marshall Class 5 head + Marshall M412A cab. Under a grand and this amp should easily hang with most bands that the tones would find home, I think. Unless you need to find a bassist or drummer that needs to calm the hell down. Just for reference, through these amps, I played: Vince Lewis' Do I Love You Georgia on my Mind All of Me Stray Cats Rock this town Stray Cats Stray Cat Strut Brian Setzer Sleep Walk Original Sleep Walk Sixty Feet to Burn's Perfect Day Sixty Feet to Burn's The Bitter End Sixty Feet to Burn's Let Go ...and just noodled. Just so you know... Sixty Feet to Burn is a band I play for. I went to the local GC today at lunch and figured I'd play through a number of amps. The ones of note were: Marshall Class 5: Head + Marshall M412A Combo with a 1x10" Egnater Tweaker 40: Head into 1x12" Tweaker cab. Mesa/Boogie 5:50 Express 2x12" combo I used an Ibanez hollowbody. I can't recall the model but it was decent sounding acoustically and cost about $500. Played through the Egnater first. I just couldn't find a tone I liked. I twiddled knobs until they about fell off. It just didn't do anything for me. Not bad... just not something that said, "Barry, you gotta have this." Next, because it was right behind me, was the Class 5 head into the M412A cabinet. From the moment I turned the amp on with all tone knobs at 12 o'clock, it sounded wonderful. Some very minor tweaking, and I was off the races. Knowing that I had some issues with the cabinet, I plugged into the cabinet next to it to see if maybe it was my tastes that had changed and not just a difference in the amps. Nope, the combos still have that bottom heavy darkness and are very low volume. With the head and cabinet, the bottom got under control and, with the volume at 2, It was easily loud enough to play with a quite band, I pushed it to about 4 on the dial and it really jumped out. I can't say how well this might work in a band, but I know with the folks I play with, even with the rockish stuff, I believe it has enough to go. Next, the Mesa 5:50 Express. Quickly sounded good. Very good. ...as expected. I liked the cleaner tones than anything else on this amp. In the end, for me, I give the Lunch-tone prize to..... Marshall Class 5 head + Marshall M412A cab. Under a grand and this amp should easily hang with most bands that the tones would find home, I think. Unless you need to find a bassist or drummer that needs to calm the hell down. Replace the bolded and underlined with combo. Sorry.
barrymclark Posted December 14, 2011 Author Posted December 14, 2011 yep, heard good things about those. Highly recommend at least going to hear the head through a big cab like that. Really took care of what I didn't like and, from what I have read, others didn't like either.
barrymclark Posted December 14, 2011 Author Posted December 14, 2011 Big cabs do make a difference. I'd LOVE to hear the tone of the single 10" Class 5 cab modified to accept a 12" with a BARKING loud Eminence in it.
DetroitBlues Posted December 14, 2011 Posted December 14, 2011 KBP made me a 1x12 cab once to replace my Fender Superchamp XD's 10" internal speaker. Sounded great.
barrymclark Posted December 14, 2011 Author Posted December 14, 2011 Just talk to a service center friend of mine and mentioned that amp: the Class 5. He said they are made out of the cheapest stuff Marshall could find and break VERY frequently. Real shame.
DetroitBlues Posted December 15, 2011 Posted December 15, 2011 Same goes for the Haze series... Marshall does not make a decent tube practice amp. Once again, when you buy a chinese amp....
SouthpawGuy Posted December 15, 2011 Posted December 15, 2011 Hmmmmh ..... I tried the Class 5 side by side with an Orange Tiny Terror, both combos, and found I preferred the Orange. The master volume on the TT made it more controllable for me. In the end I bought a Super Champ XD.
barrymclark Posted December 15, 2011 Author Posted December 15, 2011 Hmmmmh ..... I tried the Class 5 side by side with an Orange Tiny Terror, both combos, and found I preferred the Orange. The master volume on the TT made it more controllable for me. In the end I bought a Super Champ XD. As good as I thought the TT sounded, I preferred the Class 5.
DetroitBlues Posted December 15, 2011 Posted December 15, 2011 Hmmmmh ..... I tried the Class 5 side by side with an Orange Tiny Terror, both combos, and found I preferred the Orange. The master volume on the TT made it more controllable for me. In the end I bought a Super Champ XD. I agree with you 100%, lack of Master volume is a real deal killer for me. If I can't get the dirt without high volume, it's not a workable amp for me. TT wins in that department. However, the Superchamp XD is probably one of the best verstile practice amps out there. I had one and loved it. Just wish it came in a bigger cabinet or as a head cab.
barrymclark Posted December 15, 2011 Author Posted December 15, 2011 I agree with you 100%, lack of Master volume is a real deal killer for me. If I can't get the dirt without high volume, it's not a workable amp for me. TT wins in that department. However, the Superchamp XD is probably one of the best verstile practice amps out there. I had one and loved it. Just wish it came in a bigger cabinet or as a head cab. Which is actually what I really, REALLY liked about the Class 5. haha. Any distortion was all power tube. Love, love, LOVE power tube distortion.
DetroitBlues Posted December 15, 2011 Posted December 15, 2011 But you have to have a place you can use it in....I don't!
koula901 Posted December 15, 2011 Posted December 15, 2011 FWIW, despite all the hype I've heard about Egnator, all the tweaking I did never got fantastic tones out of it, either. Plus, it has a cheap feel to it.
Fernando Posted December 15, 2011 Posted December 15, 2011 Igniter of eggs in a refrigerator: egnater. I just never played one, never liked the name.
SouthpawGuy Posted December 15, 2011 Posted December 15, 2011 I agree with you 100%, lack of Master volume is a real deal killer for me. If I can't get the dirt without high volume, it's not a workable amp for me. TT wins in that department. However, the Superchamp XD is probably one of the best verstile practice amps out there. I had one and loved it. Just wish it came in a bigger cabinet or as a head cab. I hooked up the SCXD to the Blues Jnrs 12" speaker. Sounded like pants, i.e. cr@p It seems the stock speaker has an eq curve that suits the modelled tones the SCXD creates, the Jensen in the Jnr has a totally different tone and made the SCXD sound very odd. I do have a Cyber Twin modelling amp with two twelves, I wonder how that would sound hooked up .....
DetroitBlues Posted December 15, 2011 Posted December 15, 2011 Igniter of eggs in a refrigerator: egnater. I just never played one, never liked the name. If I would of thought like that, maybe I'd never brought home a Bugera last year....
barrymclark Posted December 15, 2011 Author Posted December 15, 2011 But you have to have a place you can use it in....I don't! I do! ...everyone around me thinks I don't.
DetroitBlues Posted December 15, 2011 Posted December 15, 2011 I hooked up the SCXD to the Blues Jnrs 12" speaker. Sounded like pants, i.e. cr@p It seems the stock speaker has an eq curve that suits the modelled tones the SCXD creates, the Jensen in the Jnr has a totally different tone and made the SCXD sound very odd. I do have a Cyber Twin modelling amp with two twelves, I wonder how that would sound hooked up ..... I had a different 1x12 on mine and I thought it sounded great. No idea on the speaker though, it was a reconed speaker KBP gave me....
barrymclark Posted December 15, 2011 Author Posted December 15, 2011 FWIW, despite all the hype I've heard about Egnator, all the tweaking I did never got fantastic tones out of it, either. Plus, it has a cheap feel to it. I had that problem. I have heard people get good tones for what they were playing.. I just didn't get anything I wanted to use. Just a preference thing.
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