On my list to buy this year is a KSR Gemini (or Orthos if you don't need MIDI). It would fill your needs but not sure what your budget is. You won't find one in a shop though.

By what you describe I would think any Peavey 5150 based amp would be right up your alley. Especially something like the 6505+ but you mentioned you didn't like the EVH which is outstanding. Dark crunchy distortion and a fantastic clean channel. Exactly what you are looking for.. hmmm...???
To me... dark distortion is Mesa Rectifier distortion. I think you should look at the Mesa Mark V 25 watt head. The only thing I don't like about it is how many features it has... it has too many. The best sounding simple Mesa that has what you are looking for is a single rectifier.
The other amp that might be right up your alley is the Randall RM series. You can get a few modules and have exactly what you need.. say for instance... a blackface module and a Soldano SLO module. Its a great amp. Another brand to look at is Carvin. The Legacy might be exactly what you are looking for. Its a Bogner tone based amp with an extremely good clean channel and a 10 day money back return policy.

I've always wanted to play through a Carvin since I use to get their catalogs back in the late 80's.
Randall RM , do they still make them or should I look used?

The MTS stuff is discontinued, used to be all over Ebay but it's getting less and less. I think Bruce Egnater may still offer MTS stuff though.

I think I have kind of been where you are looking to go, so here's my journey.

Back in spring of 2007 I was super excited about the Marshall JVM, it sounded perfect. 4 channels, 3 modes per channel, switchable FX loop etc. I bought one as soon as they came out because I wanted to upgrade to a tube amp from the Peavey XXL I had at the time. Which the XXL had the same sort of thing, 3 different voices per channel. But the JVM was tube and everything was foot switchable and it was a MARSHALL!!!

I was never more disappointed in an amp. I didn't like the way it sounded and the delay and pop when you switched channels annoyed me even more. Not really having experience with tube amps, I thought I got a bad one. I called and explained my concerns to the store I bought it from because I wanted a return label. They told me, no that's just how they are, don't like it? Return shipping is on you... So I returned it.

I tried a bunch of amps after that, the Peavey JSX being one. I liked it, I liked that it sounded dark, but there was some reason I didn't buy, I think the gain channels shared and EQ or something. I want all my channels to have their own EQ.

So then I started seeing the MTS stuff. It sounded like a really cool concept so I started researching, found the MTS Forum, and I bought an RM100 and a couple modules. I have been playing the MTS stuff since late Summer '07. The MTS stuff is good for what it is. I have almost all the Sig modules, they definitely sound better than the non Sig modules. The Ultra module give that old school Randall solid state RG feel. But honestly, it was a money pit. Out of the 10+ modules I own, I really only play like 4-5. Most can sound amazing with a little tweaking and a lot of places tweak them like Jaded Faith Mods, Voodoo Amps, Dave Friedman...but then that's even more $$$. I am keeping the Randall stuff, and still see me using for some things time to time, but I definitely spent more $ than I should have on it.

But after 9 years and still not quite getting some of the tones I wanted, ESPECIALLY the Marshall-y ones, and still keeping the dream alive to someday own a Marshall, and just over all being bored I jumped in and bought a Marshall last week. Having read a lot of the reviews about the Joe Satriani JVM and interviews with Joe, it sounded like he personally fixed everything I hated about the original JVM and having remembered liking the JSX I have been thinking about buying one for a few years. Two things that really sold me were the Tony McKenzie review and a YouTube video of a guy with a 5150 III and JVMJS who did a comparison with an EVH cab and I thought that the JVM sounded darker and heavier than the 5153.


I am still exploring with it, but I can say I am not disappointed and it will be staying. I haven't had a lot of time with it because of work, in fact I still haven't tried to figure out the footswitch, but I can say it is very articulate and unforgiving. I can hear every little mistake I make where as the RM stuff kind of covered that up because it's not as articulate. When I bought the Randall stuff, I remember some guys saying it doesn't really have the feel of a real tube amp, now I can understand what they were talking about. I was a little worried because I like active pickups, and I read that hot pickups and the JVMJS don't get along. I have Duncan Blackouts, Live Wire Classic IIs, EMTY Blackouts in most of my guitars and I can honestly say I love the way they sound. I also have Gibson, Fender, and EMG pickups and I still think the Duncans sound best with that amp. The noise gates are Amazing, they work better than the ISP Decimator G Strings I have. I have only played around with the Clean and Crunch channels and if it was just a 3 channel amp with the Clean Green, Crunch Orange, and Crunch Red I'd still be happy with it.

Like you said around here, there really isn't much to try out. There used to be, I remember 10 years ago trying so many different amps and now days there is literally nothing. Maybe see if you can find somewhere with a really good return policy and check one out.

I have bought a few guitars from both GC and Sam Ash Used and they refund all of your $$$ if you are not satisfied, even the shipping, so maybe see if they have one used and try it out. Worst it will cost you is a drive to GC or Sam Ash to return it.

Soldano Lucky 13 has two separate amps in it (or so they say), one for clean, one for od.

You don't like the Mesa cleans? To me that is the highlight of the boogies they have some of my favorite clean tones. Definitely check out the mark series.

Mesa does copy the fender circuit so that may not be your thing for cleans it is the most copied but not loved by everyone's ears. I would also check out an uberschall. The clean channel is mega clean has a unique character and take pedals very well. I run the ecstasy pedal on it to give a 3 channel rig and it does awesome with it. Are they spendy? Yeah a bit and the gain structure may not be to your liking but you can get them used for 1500.

Honestly if the uber doesn't do it for you check out the Mesa mini recto verb. Killer lunchbox head for what you are looking for or the mark v:25. The Mark Eq's a bit different,y so give it some learning curve time if you are going that route.

Actually, the amp range is being rereleased under the "Synergy" name
Will mount dual channel modules AND is backwards compatible with the older Egnater / Randall modules

Off the top of my head, I know Egnater, Diezel, Fryette, Friedman and Soldano will be offering modules for it

JVM410HJS - The Satriani model is voiced darker and fixes a lot of the issues with the straight JVM models. Best part is they should be available to check out at a Marshall Dealer.

Randall 667:
Super versatile. Super clean to insanely dirty. Played this several times at NAMM. It's just incredible and flexible. I've been seeing them used from 1699-1999 and new slightly higher.

Randall Satan or Thrasher:
Similar takes on each other. Love it too. I had Ola Englund walk me through it at NAMM last year. Very versatile, but not as versatile as the 667. But you can't go wrong. Been seeing these used from $999 and up.

KSR/Rhodes:
Incredibly versatile amps. Sully had one at his NAMM booth this year. Made in the USA, pricey but insanely good. I'd say the Randall's are angry and evil and the KSR is more polite. But all have as much or as little gain as you need. Kyle Rhodes is a great guy as well.

Synergy:
This is a collaboration between Friedman, Fryette, Egnater, and others. I played the SLO module at NAMM and it's a fucking beast. They're getting 3rd party amp makers to design the preamps. Soldano designed the SLO version. Diezel will design the VH4 version. Lots of Friedman ones available now. Check out their FB page and their forum.

Bang for the buck: Randall for sure.

Thanks so much for the reply. I owned a JSX and thought t was killer but noisy. It's really why I don't own it anymore. It constantly needs a noise gate on it or it's out of control unless you play it at low room volumes and even then it hisses. I hate that but the sound overall was excellent on all channels. Even the clean channel was very good and thats coming from a Fender Twin guy.
I strongly considered ordering a Randall from Sam Ash but I hate to do all that and then get it home and hate it. Maybe I'll love it but I always like to sit down and play it first to consider IF it has some personality that I'm looking for.
I'd like to check out the JS Mashall, I bet it's killer. I liked the JVM but there was something missing for me.
I played Tube amps all my life. I only owned one Solid State and that was a Peavey Bandit which I thought was a great practice amp. It's all I used it for.

You get a tone in your head and want to go find it, It's what I do.

I've played through a few Solano's but not the Lucky 13 or at least I don't remember them being called that. It was like SLO or something that had a mean drive channel and a ok clean.
I'd like to check this amp out.
Thanks

My clean is always compared to the Fender Twin reverb. Thats what I grew up playing and never thought any other amp made had a better clean channel then Fender. They also took pedals extremely well and you can create a ton of tones with some good quality OD pedals.
But over the years I became a Metal guy and prefer to have a gain structure of high gain. It's what attracted me to my current amp in the Krank Revolution 1 which is amazing clean and brutal Drive. But Thats all it does and no matter how much gain you take out of the Krank channel, it's still a metal amp with a sharp bite to it. OD pedals sound pretty good on the cleans but it's a dark Fender like sound.
Bogner's are amazing and I should look into them used. I never liked buying anything used but IF I found the right amp and good condition, I would consider it.

I so want to plug into one.

I'm a Bogner fanboy so take me with a grain of salt!! I just enjoy their voicing support and they sound great in a mix for me. Not everyone's cup of tea though. They are a love hate for sure.