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  • Power amps

    any ideas on a loud, nice natural sounding power amp? SS is alright, but what is reliable and affordable?

  • #2
    Re: Power amps

    You can't go wrong with a Marshall.
    I would go for the 50/50 or the 100/100 for more headroom.

    Nek

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    • #3
      Re: Power amps

      Marshall's overheat. If you want something loud but more affordable look at Mesa's. If you want the best look into VHT's.
      We must!
      We must!
      We must increase the bust!
      The bigger the better!
      The tighter the sweater!
      The boys are counting on us!

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      • #4
        Re: Power amps

        I've owned and gigged with EL34 100/100 and 50/50s for years.

        They are prone to breakdowns and really aren't that great sounding. I would not recommend them at all. If you ever saw the inside of one, you'd understand that they're a service techs nightmare and their internal parts are cheap.

        I went to a VHT 2150 with KT88s and they really are the best power amp I've ever used. Simple to repair if it ever did break (can't imagine that happening really), they sound ABSOLUTELY awesome, and they're built like a nuclear reactor.

        I'd personally look at VHT and Rivera for tube power. Or, if you want Cheap, the older Peavey Classic (6L6 based) 120/120s are dependable and are a decent tube amp for not much dough.

        Solid state? ehhh, k... If you must... Old Crown, Cerwin Vega, and Carvin all make good stuff that I've played guitar through and done "ok"... Tubes are the way though really.

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        • #5
          Re: Power amps

          Somehow MESA escaped me. yes, if there was no VHT, I'd prolly look at MESA power amps as being a product to buy... Sorta wasn't thinking when I posted that.

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          • #6
            Re: Power amps

            Lately Ive been trying to scheme a rig that will have some tone, but I am sick of tube amps, and all the bull****t that comes with that magical cranked power amp sag. I am peeping a rocktron pirahna, and an MP-1, and a big amp that I will NEVER have to fuk with would be great. This is because my band and myself play VERY loud, and I really dont even have a need for that organic something tubes give in a live setting, I doubt it would be intelligable at the vlumes we use. I need power, and reliability, and of course, tone. I like Dimebags tone, so dont preach about warmth to me. If I was recording a CD, I would rent a Bogner, or a DC-5, but Im not. Im playing hardcore metal in clubs.

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            • #7
              Re: Power amps

              Then get one of the Rocktron Velocity's. You can't go wrong with one of those especially for the price.
              We must!
              We must!
              We must increase the bust!
              The bigger the better!
              The tighter the sweater!
              The boys are counting on us!

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              • #8
                Re: Power amps

                Nothing about tube amp sag man. They just sound better period. I play my stuff in the living room and in the clubs... I like it better than a solid state amp in both places. As a matter of fact, I really don't want my tube amps to saturate. Hence my usage of a VHT2150...

                If "you" can't hear the difference between tube and SS, then be happy that you can't, buy a warhead and not have back problems like I do from carrying a tube rig...

                Myself, I could not live with DDs sound and really need the pleasing even harmonic sound that a tube amp will give. They also project better than solid state in the clubs...

                But, I've only been playing metal, speedmetal, thrash and power metal for 25 or so years and in the clubs since the early 80s. So I might easily be wrong...

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                • #9
                  Re: Power amps

                  Hey, I appreciate the advice Cleveland, I do, I was born in Akron! Its not that I cant tell the difference, its that I dont care so much for the difference. Most of my sound is in my right hand, I can live without the tube sound, as long as it sounds good, ya know? I am poor as a mofo so no more new tubes just sounds so good to me. And you know, the Warhead just sucks! SS and unreliable, what a combo! The cyclone is twice the amp. They are pricey for what they are though. My dads Dual showman had the same power tubes in it for like 30 years, while today, it seems everyone changes their power tubes every two years. I might try the velocity, warm it up with something.

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                  • #10
                    Re: Power amps

                    Strangely, I tried a Velocity when I was shopping for Bill before he bought his Uberschall. And he had been running my Voodu Valve through My Marshall 100/100 Monobloc and a little through my VHT2150 here at the studio. We went to guitar center and tried the Voodu through the Velocity 250 into the same marshall cabs I have. It was ok, but VERY marginal compared to the same preamp at home with the tube amps... Workable/useable but not as rich and big at all. Sorta thin sounding.

                    Although I hear from lotsa very respectable people that the Velocity amps are really cool. I sorta thought that my old Cerwin Vega SS PA amp sounded better.

                    If you play really loud a lot and wring out your amps, you'll replace the tubes around every 6-12 months like I did when I played out a lot, practiced loudly and had the Marshalls (which were saturating all the time). With the VHTs KT88s I prolly won't do it that much, as it is hardly taxed by my usage I think and definitely not saturating.

                    I might figure that your dads amp went as long as it did is he prolly didn't crank it to saturation levels and use it 3-4 nights a week in clubs... If you play quietly, it may go for a loooong time and be fine.

                    You might also check out the MESA 20/20 amp, it's really loud for what it is... And isn't too expensive to buy or retube...

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                    • #11
                      Re: Power amps

                      Cleve, while I agree that VHT and Rivera are great power amps - and nothing sounds better than the VHTs - Mesa's 50/50 and 2:90 are quite viable choices in this range, as well, as they sound good and are built like tanks, and they're always available used for good prices.

                      I also played through the new 2:100 and 2:50 a couple of weeks ago, and they're very good-sounding amps with the Mesa Recto Recording amp - I haven't heard them with anything else, though.

                      If you must go solid state, I recommend a MosValve. They are the most tube-sounding SS amp I've ever heard. I used one through most of the '90s, when tubes REALLY sucked.

                      Mike
                      Division - American Metal that doesn't suck. Much. Even on Facebook.

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                      • #12
                        Re: Power amps

                        How did i know cleveland would recommend his VHT? [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

                        I cant comment too much on the other power amps listed but ive been using a mesa 50/50 for a year now and can totally recommend it... unless of course you can afford a VHT.

                        Never played out of the peavey tube power amps, but i also have heard they are good. Either way, go tube if at all possible.

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                        • #13
                          Re: Power amps

                          for $200
                          Carvin T-100 Tube 100 watts great sound for 200. I actually got one for 150. Checkk the reviews on Harmony Central about them
                          I keep the bible in a pool of blood
                          So that none of its lies can affect me

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                          • #14
                            Re: Power amps

                            Personally, for me, just as important as the sound difference, are the enhancements to playing feel and sensitivity a tube power amp gives. It's just more fun playing, to me, when you don't feel like you're having to force sounds out of the guitar.

                            If you'd consider a tube amp at all, Cleve's idea of the Mesa 20/20 is a good one. EL84s are really cheap tubes, and they saturate early, giving a lot of OOMF as well as adding to the feel/sensitivity factors. Peavey 50/50 power amps also use EL84s. And, personally, I chucked the EL34s in my VHT 2-50-2 power amp in favor of some THD Yellow Jackets socket adaptors that allow you to stick EL84s in EL34 sockets. YOWEE, that's one nice, heavy sounding mutha! Hehehe...

                            But if you just HAVE to go solid state, I've heard lots of good things about the Rocktron Velocity units. The Velocity 250, from what I've heard, is the most "tube amp voiced" of the bunch, and has controls for adjusting I believe both Presence and Reactance, though they might call Presense something else on that amp. The Velocity 300 is also supposed to be very good, somewhat less "tube amp voiced", they're usually easier to find and generally cheaper. Both, I believe, are discontinued.

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                            • #15
                              Re: Power amps

                              Yeah I love the 20/20 for my needs. I don't play out though and like the fact that it gets great power tube saturation without destroying the house. lol I didn't mention it specifically in my initial post since I figured it probably wasn't going to be loud enough for you and would have more of a compressed tube sound than you would like. You can tell it is an all tube power amp. But that's what I love about. The tubes are fairly cheap also. A lot cheaper than most of the larger sized tubes.
                              We must!
                              We must!
                              We must increase the bust!
                              The bigger the better!
                              The tighter the sweater!
                              The boys are counting on us!

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