Amp recommandations 1 channel or 2 channel (more for hard rock, metal, prog rock)

[asharrow]

To the group; This little survey goes out to Heritage guitar owners who are more in the hard rock, metal, prog rock genres who tend to play louder and with more distortion and use a several of FX pedals.

 

#1 - Do you prefer to use a 1 channel amp or else the clean channel and get your overdrive, distortion, tone...etc. from FX pedals rather than an OD or Lead channel?

 

#2 - Or, do you prefer to use a 2 channel amp, use the OD / Lead channel to get your overdrive, distortion, tone...etc.

 

Please also provide your preferred favorite amplifier(s), FX pedals and speakers .

 

Thanks for the feedback !

Al

 

[big bob]

Amp Carr slant 6, clean channel

 

Distortion soldano got pedal, Timmy pedal, Demeter fat overdriveulator.

[JeffB]

Ive used single channel clean amps with stomps and 2,3 and 4 channel amps with more gain on tap than anyone would use.

 

There is no right or wrong or one way for me. The right pedal in to a clean amp with the right speaker can work just as well as a multi channel amp. Ive enjoyed them all.

 

The 2-3 ch Koch was pretty great as was the 3 and 4 channel Mesa's and Egnater. JCM2000 50w JCM800 and VM were cool also.

Mesa LS was a stand out. Used both channels and od pedals. Hot Cat 30 was also good.

I think the Egnater was the best Marshall'y Vox'y sounding high gain amp I ever used. Loved the sounds. As far as reliability went, although it never broke down or let me down, I didnt trust it as far as I could kick it.(60lbs)

 

But the stand outs for me along the way were a little JTM45 head that looked as cool as it sounded and a fender I still have. Both had/have a great clean sound and both take any pedal you put in front of them. I think its the mids

 

I dont use very much gain anymore and just have a fender that stays clean right up to about 9 or 10 on the dial. I use two ods in front but theyre set to just barely breaking up.

[Kuz]

Single channel amps, clean to slight breakup plus OD or Distortion pedals.

[212Mavguy]

How much are you really willing to spend?

[t0aj15]

Single channel clean, with pedals. The best I've found for this is Quilter Pro Block 200 amp with a Fractal Audio FX-8 MkII for pedals. Simple rig with awesome sound.

[HANGAR18]

I prefer a multi channel amp which separates the clean and dirty. The PRS Archon in any of the wattage variations they offer will perform that duty magnificently. I also like the Mesa Boogie Mark Five:25 and the Carvin V3.

 

I don't use pedals unless I'm trying to get high gain out of an amp that isn't designed for high gain, such as the times where I use a RAT pedal with my VOX AC15C.

[asharrow]

Thanks for the replies.

What am I willing to spend?

Well.....I've been doing a lot of reading and researching and youtubing....It appears you need to spend $1500 to $2000 or more above average tube amp head.

Not willing to do that yet, at least not until I unload some gear I don't use.

 

That said, I am also intrigued by the many tube amp DYI kits on the market.

I have the background and skills set to build one of these myself, I just had never considered it before.

There are a few Marshall clones that are pretty interesting to me.

[Polo]

 

I have the background and skills set to build one of these myself, I just had never considered it before.

 

There are a few Marshall clones that are pretty interesting to me.

 

Seems like a no brainer to me.

 

Contact George Metropolus.

 

http://www.metropoulos.net/

[TalismanRich]

If you want to look at a kit to build, you might check this one. They have a JTM45 head kit or a Marshall 1987 50 watt plexi kit for about $750.

 

DuhVoodooMan build a 1987 a while back ( he was building one of the first ones as a test ). If you want to see the build, read this thread.

 

Hand WIred Plexi Clone

[Gitfiddler]

These are hard to find, but do come on the market once in a while....Heritage Colonial or Britan. Those are two great single channel amps.

[goSteelers]

I use a Mesa Triaxis -- kind of like having an amp with a ton of channels. No need for distortion boxes either. You need to be willing to take on a midi based footswitch -- if you have the brains to build an amp, you should have no problem figuring this out. About $700 - $1000 used. You might also consider the Marshall JMP-1 -- same idea, a lot cheaper.

 

Then you need a power amp -- lots of option here. I use a Mesa 20/20 stereo tube amp. A rack and a separate speaker cabinet too. Perhaps not as convenient or portable as a combo amp, but infinite tube tonal possibilities.

[smokedtires]

I've been very pleased with my Blackstar HT-60 which is a 3 channel 60watt. I don't use the third channel which is more gain than I need or want but really enjoy the 1st two. For what you're looking for, the third channel my be perfect. These are heavy 2x12 combos but can picked up used at a pretty good price. New only about $1000.

 

My other recommendation would be a Mesa Boogie, can't go wrong with these for hard rock/metal.

[212Mavguy]

Ooooh...great contributions here...

 

If the difference is a few hundred dollars higher than willing, well, that's just for now. But there just might be one heck of a lot more added value happening over a period of several years when what was too much at that time money has actually, inexpensively created the most desired version of added value results over that whole time.

 

Every well known most popular tube amp platform types are available in kit form like many others except Ceriatone, which covers all the basic bases and them adds some original takeoffs of some VERY top end boutique tweaks. What makes the Ceriatone stuff difference is Iron, board thickness and performance, caps and resistors, boards, and pots are chosen both for historical accuracy, but higher quality tolerances along with accurate values. Kits are available within a range of prices and features for each kit as well. That is huge in not having to spend for something you don't think you need. Dumble clones are available, the Marshall based stuff of theirs enables the builder to complete something that will be much more reliable than what was in the flimsy boarded originals with all the tweaks of the famous ones, right or wrong, from your hands. Want Fender, yup. Vox, Matchless, Trainwreck, Hiwatt, and a new line of lunchbox offerings covering Marshall, a couple mini Dumbles, all the lunchboxes of theirs have transformers that is well oversized, just massive, compared to what others offer. The iron, the iron.

 

Read up and save up, you'll like what you get. I have and have many hours of playing through a couple of custom builds of theirs for a few years now and they sound amazing. One is a steel String Singer 100w clone, another is a 90's Dumble HRM circuit called a Hot Rubber Monkey, Hot Rodded Marshall, or as they put it...His Royal Majesty. A third amp has some ceriatone guts inside, the Marsh Overlord 50w, a clone of an 80's #124 circuit type, get the lift negative feedback mod. The half power mod is not necessary, the master volume on this amp is beyond reproach. The Marsh Overlord is an amazing value amp, most defintely has all the features desired from the original post in spades, but is amazingly affordable brand new ordered fully completed. An original Dumble Overdrive Special of that type currently goes for well over a hundred thousand dollars. The Overlords have two instrument cable inputs, normal and FET boost (think built in tubescreamer) in front of the first tube. The FET board mounted inside the amp chassis has a couple trimmer pots for the tech or savvy player to tweak for desired results. The tones are all...yours.

[HANGAR18]

Thanks for the replies.

What am I willing to spend?

Well.....I've been doing a lot of reading and researching and youtubing....It appears you need to spend $1500 to $2000 or more above average tube amp head.

Not willing to do that yet, at least not until I unload some gear I don't use.

 

That said, I am also intrigued by the many tube amp DYI kits on the market.

I have the background and skills set to build one of these myself, I just had never considered it before.

There are a few Marshall clones that are pretty interesting to me.

 

The Carvin V3micro I mentioned was $600.00 brand new and I'd challenge anyone to find a more versatile and fantastic sounding amp than either of the two Carvin V3 offerings (50 watt or 100 watt) for that price point.

[gpuma]

Nothing stops you from using pedals with a multi channel amp if there is a pedal and a clean channel that you really like

[mark555]

If I am not on a budget, a hand built amp with two channels, the key is separate EQ for both channels.

 

On a Budget, I am using my Fender Hot Rod Deluxe on the clean chanel going through a Boss OD3 for overdrive which seems to work well.

 

Ask ten people and you could well get ten different opinions !

[greatmutah]

I pretty much only use single channel amps anymore. My main amp is a Metropoulos Metroplex that I run through a 2x12 with Creambacks. While the gain levels are switchable, the EQ is shared and the shared settings work well across all voicings. My back up is my Egnater Seminar head based off a hot rodded Marshall circuit, with a push/pull pot on the gain switch. Even in high gain, I can still get very clean rolling my volume back on my guitar. Not black face Fender clean but clean enough. Prior to getting my Metropoulos my main amp was a Fryette Deliverance. Single channel, with a mini toggle to engage an additional gain stage. Even with the additional gain stage added in, it cleaned up well using my guitar's volume knobs. I came to prefer these versus the multi-channel amps like my Rectifiers and Boogie Marks over time. Much more simple setup (not that my Boogies were complicated. Once you realize how they're laid out, they're pretty easy to use), and I felt the sweep from clean to mean was more organic through my volume pot than stepping on a footswitch. Could just be me, but it's what I've come to prefer.

[Gtwibs]

If we're strictly talking high gain, I've always been a multi-channel amp for distortion guy. There's something about the simplicity of just plugging in and being able to get all the gain you'd like without tone stacking a million overdrives/distortions/boosts...etc.

 

A fender amp with a pedal, while great for many applications, never really did it for me for high-gain.

 

I play a Mesa Rectoverb 50 Combo ($600 used) with my Heritage H150 and I think it's great for this sound.

[yoslate]

l

 

Anymore, for me, it's one good, punchy clean channel: Suhr Badger 30 head. Fabulous!

 

Quality pedals: vintage TS-808, Wampler Euphoria, non-MOSFET FullTone Full Drive, Strymon Flint, Strymon El Capistan, which let the character of my guitars bloom in the amp.

 

A good 1x12 cab (w/ Eminence Tonker) for small venues, 2x12 (w/Eminence Wizard and Red Fang) if I can get away with it, and a 4x10 (Marshall 1965 A w/ Celestion G10L-35's) for outdoor stages.

[myoldfriend]

One channel amp w/ lots of headroom + pedals. For dirt I'm fond of:

1. Weehbo Plexface

2. Keeley Bootlegger

3. Plum Crazy Fuzzy Lady

YMMV.

[Millennium Maestro]

Budget Killer amps. - LOVE my Carvin v3micro (lunchbox sized) 50 Watts
Peavey JSX100 is impressive

 

Absolutely love my Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier Roadster 4 channels, Reverb, switchable to 50 watts by channel

 

I have been jonesing for a 50 Watt Marshall/Clone... To front load pedals with.

[DetroitBlues]

I have used Jet City amps. 20watt heads on 2x12 cabs. I like heavy dirt pedals up front and use modulation effects in the effects loop. Rather cheaper route then many here, so it's worth a shot

[HANGAR18]

I have been jonesing for a 50 Watt Marshall/Clone... To front load pedals with.

 

 

I have one for sale. An amp that actually two clones in one.

[asharrow]

I just bought a new Ceriatone 2202 single channel amp, 20 Watt Marshall JCM800 clone with additional bells and whistles. I am very happy with this amp.