Amp suggestions please....

[ScoobySteve]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Mesa yet. I'm a huge Mesa fan. I've owned many Mesas and my DC-3 head through my recto 1x12 cabs is my favorite and least expensive I've owned! The DC series (Dual Calibers) is the most underrated Mesa amp IMO.

Mesa doesn't really offer where he was looking for. Well not that I understand anyways.

He wants ridiculously high gain, in a relatively small package. So in the less than 50w range in a combo.

Can't think of anything in the current Mesa line that offers this.

 

[Tim O'Sullivan]

I just found out from the Engl distributor that there are no dealers in NYC. So the two amps I was looking to check out, I can't even hear in person.

This city is great for some things, but stinks for others.

I had an Engl and it went wrong almost continually from when I bought it. They do not have a proper distributor in the UK and they were next to useless trying to fix it. I don't know what the US distributor is like, but remember when it goes wrong there will be nobody in the city who can fix it for you! I would look at other options.

 

[Volt]

Except for the multiple channel requirement, I would recommend a Ceriatone 100 watt "Overtone Special" (Dumble clone) amp head (4-6L6's), and one or two Electro-Voice "EVM12L Classic" 12 inch speakers.
The Ceriatone amp is hand wired and uses top notch quality components. I built mine from the kit version and I upgraded and modified it for 120+ watts RMS that uses 4-6550 tubes.
As a matter of fact, I just received the upgraded output transformer today. Installing it will be my weekend project.

 

[ScoobySteve]

I had an Engl and it went wrong almost continually from when I bought it. They do not have a proper distributor in the UK and they were next to useless trying to fix it. I don't know what the US distributor is like, but remember when it goes wrong there will be nobody in the city who can fix it for you! I would look at other options.

ENGL has a lot larger and more broad establishment in the United States. I'm not sure if all production and work is done in Germany, I doubt it, (Don't quote me on this) but ENGL has a tremendous reputation in the States for being extraordinary quality at the same competitive price at the high end.

 

[The Devil]

Hello from Sunny England......Not!

If you want an amp that you can use in your apartment check out the Blackstar range.

They have a 5Watt valve amp available in either combo or mini stack.

I'd go for the mini stack as it gives a bit more bottom end and looks really cool.

It has lots of gain and two channels (switchable).

Check out the website

Blackstar Amplification

They also have the Series One range with crushing amounts of gain.

Also check out the pedals, they all have valves too and sound really warm.

Happy hunting.

 

[tommyk]

as what the devil said, the blackstar series one combo is awesome! ive got the 200 watt head on order! its an animal and very versatile!. there is a video on youtube. great qualtity amps. i got the artisan 30 too. beautifull!
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhZCo6fuIpM]YouTube - Musikmesse '09-Blackstar Amps Series One 200 Watt Demo[/ame]

 

[Astrofreq]

Thanks. Those sound really rockin.

 

[TonyEVH5150]

I've got one of the 5 watt Blackstar mini stacks on order/currently shipping. Hopefully have it here by the weekend so i can comment on it.

Sounds like it's a killer little amp, All-tube, channel switching, effects loop, and the ISP knob that lets you choose between British or US gain.

 

[mikeller]

Someone mentioned Mesa Boogie - my Express 5:50 has plenty of gain on the channel 2 burn setting, is tube, 50 watt & a combo. And it sounds great clean too and is fairly easy to move around.

 

[Astrofreq]

I just played through a Mesa Boogie Roadster and a Bogner Alchemist. The Roadster was a pretty kickin' amp. Super heavy (weight), which might be a bit big for my needs, but it did rock pretty hard.

The Alchemist is was way less impressed with. The clean tone really suffered and the distortion wasn't to my tastes exactly.

I still want to try out a couple of other brands, if I can find them to try out. I'm going to Guitar Center with a student in the morning, so I'm hoping they'll have a Blackstar on display.

 

[Astrofreq]

I'm watching the Petrucci video over at the Mesa site and his rig is simply nuts. The control he has at his disposal is heavenly. I can't imagine having a rig like that. His JP sounds sick too. Man, I wish the Axis line had floating trems.

John Petrucci of dream theater demos his Mesa Boogie rig

Has anyone heard/played a Boogie Mark V combo?

 

[bkrumme]

I'm watching the Petrucci video over at the Mesa site and his rig is simply nuts. The control he has at his disposal is heavenly. I can't imagine having a rig like that. His JP sounds sick too. Man, I wish the Axis line had floating trems.

John Petrucci of dream theater demos his Mesa Boogie rig

Has anyone heard/played a Boogie Mark V combo?

I haven't seen Mark V's anywhere. Cincinnati GC said they aren't getting one for at least another month or two and they've had one on order for like 4 months. I've been dying to try one myself.

 

[pearlredburst]

i tried the mark V combo today, and maybe this was because I was literally the first person in the store to play it, but I wasn't impressed with the tone. Granted, I only had about 30 minutes with it and as with all of the Mark series amps, it probably would require TONS of dialing in time. I also was only able to play it at a low volume.

I am also in the market for an amp. I have a Bogner Ecstasy half stack and wish that I could tap into sounds a little closer to Petrucci, i.e. a little bit heavier of a sound. Not death metal, but something a bit heavier. I'd like to try out Engl.