best amp for metal

[levantin]

There's really no such thing as the best amp for metal. It all depends on your playing style, how you dial in your amp, the guitar you play, etc.. I could get a great metal sound out of any of the 6 amps sitting behind me right now. I've never played a 6505+, but considering it's basically the same amp as a 5150, I imagine it would be pretty damn good for metal. The problem with the 5150 is there isn't really a proper clean channel.

What he said. I hate marshalls, but tons of people will swear by them. I don't like ENGL's either. 6505+ would be my go to but I'd also consider a recto dual or the Mark IV/V.

[84sups]

I've gotten a good metal tone out of a Fender twin before. Just needed to know which effects and settings to use.

[BigE13]

I love both my 5150iii and my ENGL Powerball II. Both get it done with just a slightly different flavor. The bonus to the Powerball II is that is cleans up to Fender/Vox level. Very clear and rich clean tones which is suprising from what is really a hard rock/metal geared amp. Only drawback is unless you buy a used one with the Z9 pedal board for channel switching you will need to get one seperately and they run $250.00. Built like a tank though. But in the end you gotta get what sounds right to you...

[straycat]

The best cab I have heard for handling heavy chugging is a Basson 4X12. The cabs are solid as hell, the speakers (Eminence Legends) are sealed to the baffle board so no vibration with low tunings and foam insulated which I suppose cuts some high frequency. A very bottom heavy sounding cab.

[ZL1hawk]

I like what Grim is saying, Fireball all the way!

[markD]

I've gotten a good metal tone out of a Fender twin before. Just needed to know which effects and settings to use.

the best metal tone I ever had was a fender bassman 100 head into a musicman ported 2X12 cab with a Yamaha DI-10II distortion pedal and a boss OD. got that trick from criss oliva. but, if I still played metal these days, and had a $1200 budget I would just get a single or dual rectifier and be done with it.

[straycat]

markD makes a good point about the Fender Bassman heads at 1200.00 you could get a head and decent 4X12 cab.
Fender Bassmans make some serious grunt when you jump the channels.
They don't sound anything like a run of the mill Fender amp.

[The Rossness]

best amp for metal? What kind of metal? Do you already have a cab?

short list of amps under 12 hundred bucks-

Laney Ironheart
Line 6 Spider Valve 100
Krank Rev1+
Lee Jackson
Mesa Single Recto, MKIV, TriAxis, Royal Atlantic, Stiletto
Randall MTS and modded modules
AxeFX ultra
H&K Triamp MK1, Trilogy, Switchblade, Coreblade
Soldano Avenger, Hotrod, Lucky 13

[axe dude]

it's not tube, but you should check into the Ampeg VH140C. Brian Hoffman used one for years and created some VERY brutal tones. living in the birth place of death metal, I have seen MANY VH140Cs in action and letting out some heavy ass tones with mega "chugga-chugga" ness going on.

cool part? you can get one under $500.

X2! Yeah Dude the VH140C is not a "Tube" but it is One Of The BEST SS/Metal Amps out there ever built...P-E-R-I-O-D!

[coloradoman25]

You can get metal outta a lonestar it all depends on what you wanna do and what you put infront/behind it.

[mantis]

I would look into the BlackStar Amps. They seem to be pretty nice for the money. Amps are very personal and no one can tell you what to buy but one can steer you in the right direction.
Your Budget of $1200.00 should get you into a 60 watt combo model of your choice. The Peavy Amps are nice but the cleans suck IMO, I'd look for a JSX if you like that kind of tone which IMO the JSX is better then the 5150's and especially better then the 6505+ and has a very usable clean channel.

[Axegrinder87]

THE hidden gem is the Peavey XXX. Killer amp, and no more than $400 used. I call it The Poor Mans Recto, except it has usable mids.

[walshula]

THE hidden gem is the Peavey XXX. Killer amp, and no more than $400 used. I call it The Poor Mans Recto, except it has usable mids.

I couldn't agree more. Best bang for your buck. The trucker chics are rather cheesy but I turned the plate around and customized mine.

[jgcable]

The Best amp for metal? That's funny but you left out a few other questions..

What's the best guitar for metal... ( and don't say Les Paul's... my dad has one and I HATE it)
What's the best speakers for metal...(and don't say Celestion V30's because I HATE THEM)
What's the best guitar strap for metal?
What are the best strings for metal... and don't say D'Addario because I used them once and I broke an B strings after only 6 months of playing the guitar every day and sweating all over it.

I love this place.

[jgcable]

THE hidden gem is the Peavey XXX. Killer amp, and no more than $400 used. I call it The Poor Mans Recto, except it has usable mids.

I agree 100%. My Triple X has officially retired my Mesa Boogie Single Rectifier half stack. Its just not necessary to lug that half stack around anymore.
My metal rig live consists of: (and I get nothing but compliments from other metal players on my tone).

Peavey Triple XXX 60w 1 x 12 combo. Its the first year original model
Rocktron Cyborg Digitial Destiny delay and a BBE Sonic stomp in the loop. Both are always on. They sit on the top of the combo.
Out in front I have the 3 button Peavey footswitch, a chorus pedal and my Morley switchless optical wah pedal. That's it. I run it unmic'd for small shows and I mic it for large ones. It sounds amazing. Clean is great, rhythm and lead channels (crunch and Ultra) are both good enough to be used as rhythm or lead channels. I happen to use the red channel for rhythm and the yellow channel for lead which is opposite of how most use it.
Its an amazing amp. Especially with the BBE in the loop.