$400 tube amp - Gearheads?[views:2721][posts:23]________________________________________ [May 31,2007 1:03pm - DestroyYouAlot ""] So, I'm going to be in the market for a guitar head in roughly a month. (Gotta put in the overtime, first.) Budget-wise, there's about a million other things going on, so the most I can really blow is $400 or so. (Maybe more if something tasty comes up.) I'm looking for something LOUD, with good tone and high gain, and I'd prefer a tube amp; I'd love a 5150 (or 6505, w/e) but I'd have to luck into a hell of a deal. Any advice on my other options? So far the VK100 and VTM seem like they're affordable substitutes; anything else fit the bill? I'll still have to figure out a cab; I may just end up building one if it comes down to it. |
| __________________________________ [May 31,2007 1:07pm - SteveOTB ""] If you're looking to spend that low don't expect the most amazing head. Personally I would save up a little more and get something far more decent such as the 5150 which you can find used for like around $600.00 However if you seriously want to spend around $400.00 for a tube head go for the Crate Blue VooDoo. I think it sounds pretty good and packs a nice punch. http://cgi.ebay.com/Crate-Blue-Voodoo-Guit...ssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem |
| _____________________________ [May 31,2007 1:08pm - ZJD ""] Sovtek amps can be had on ebay for around that price, often under, and they are great amps. I have an MIG60 that has great tone and get's me pretty nice high gain metal sounds when boosted. The only thing with the Sovteks is that they only have one channel, so unless you want to use pedals (which I think sort of defeats the purpose a little for seeking great distorted sounds) on the clean channel, you'll be confined to distortion. This is a metal forum so I'm guessing it may not be an issue. I honestly think this head sounds hundreds of dollars nicer than it will cost you. |
| _____________________________ [May 31,2007 1:10pm - ZJD ""] http://cgi.ebay.com/SOVTEK-MIG-60-With-Mod...ssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem |
| __________________________________ [May 31,2007 1:19pm - Niccolai ""] Used Crate blue voodoos hit that price sometimes. Even though alot of people here have issues with crate, they have good tone for the price. Mark has one and used it on the Terminally CD and Sexcrement demo and the tone is great. If you keep your eye on craigslist, a 5150 head will pop up for 450-500 from time to time. |
| _______________________________________ [May 31,2007 1:19pm - watchmaker666 ""] an Ampeg V2 and a nice distortion peadal is around that price. Those things are fucking loud and sound great. |
| ______________________________________ [May 31,2007 1:27pm - shamash nli ""] Try to find a Laney AOR Pro Tube amp from the 80's. They can be found for around 3-400 bucks. They're based around the JCM 800, but with higher gain. Amazing amps. |
| __________________________________ [May 31,2007 1:32pm - Sinistas ""] Carvin MTS is another good option. I'd save the extra 2 bills and get a 5150. |
| __________________________________ [May 31,2007 1:35pm - Sinistas ""] ZJD said:Sovtek amps can be had on ebay for around that price, often under, and they are great amps. I have an MIG60 that has great tone and get's me pretty nice high gain metal sounds when boosted. The only thing with the Sovteks is that they only have one channel, so unless you want to use pedals (which I think sort of defeats the purpose a little for seeking great distorted sounds) on the clean channel, you'll be confined to distortion. This is a metal forum so I'm guessing it may not be an issue. I honestly think this head sounds hundreds of dollars nicer than it will cost you. http://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/msg/341174803.html |
| ________________________________________ [May 31,2007 1:40pm - DestroyYouAlot ""] I'm trying to stay away from (extra) pedals, amp distortion is the goal, here. If I need clean, I can turn down. I'll probably get a tube screamer, and maybe a noise reducer. I know the obvious thing is to just save more money, but I really do have a ceiling on this particular item; I will be lurking for good deals on 5150s, though. Any observations on the "other" Peavey amps? (VK100, VTM?) |
| ________________________________________ [May 31,2007 1:58pm - DestroyYouAlot ""] And, on a related note: Does this seem a little fishy to anybody? "EVH 5150 in a 1966 Vox cab"? http://providence.craigslist.org/msg/316542459.html |
| ____________________________________ [May 31,2007 2:52pm - Kinslayer ""] Sack up, spend an extra $100 and get: http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Peavey-ValveKing-100-Head?sku=481170 |
| ________________________________________ [May 31,2007 3:17pm - DestroyYouAlot ""] Kinslayer said:Sack up, spend an extra $100 and get: http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Peavey-ValveKing-100-Head?sku=481170 Yeah, I'll probably have to wait and find one of those used; so far the VK100 seems like my best bet. We'll see in a month's time once I have the cash. |
| ________________________________________ [May 31,2007 3:37pm - DestroyYouAlot ""] Anyone have any experience with those 5150 2x12 combos? I know a guy who had one of those when they first came out, and it was loud as shit. He didn't have the foggiest idea what to do with it, though, so I can't comment on the tone. |
| ______________________________ [May 31,2007 5:35pm - blue ""] the 5150 combos arent that great of an idea if youre going to be cranking them a lot. amps are a torture chamber for tubes, head + cab is the way to go. peavey vk100 used peavey 5150 peavey xxl ampeg vh-140c (the dying fetus head) crate gx-130c (the old cannibal corpse head) those are definetly your best choices for a head, the first two are tube and the last three are solid state. the peavey vtm series are solid, but definetly need a boost in front to get high gain and i know you said you are trying to avoid pedals. as far as a cab is concerned, there is a constantly ready supply on craigslist for you. |
| ________________________________________ [May 31,2007 5:42pm - DestroyYouAlot ""] blue said:the 5150 combos arent that great of an idea if youre going to be cranking them a lot. amps are a torture chamber for tubes, head + cab is the way to go. peavey vk100 used peavey 5150 peavey xxl ampeg vh-140c (the dying fetus head) crate gx-130c (the old cannibal corpse head) Thanks, man. (Though, correct me if I'm wrong - isn't the XXL solid state?) |
| __________________________________ [May 31,2007 6:19pm - sinistas ""] blue said:the first two are tube and the last three are solid state. |
| ________________________________________ [May 31,2007 6:36pm - DestroyYouAlot ""] sinistas said:blue said:the first two are tube and the last three are solid state. Yeah, I'm retarded. :ralphie: |
| _________________________________________ [May 31,2007 11:19pm - ArrowHead NLI ""] 1) Find a head 2)Play it 3) if you like it, buy it. Seriously, how the hell do you expect other people to have a clue what you'll sound like through an amp? I saw Ted Nugent in a video at a Van Halen concert. He picked up Eddies guitar, through eddies amp (around the time of the ernie ball/5150 combo) and he sounded exactly like ... Ted Nugent. Laney amps are the worst crap I ever played through. However, Mattias Eklund (sp?) from Freak Kitchen gets the most god-like tone I've heard out of them. Everything from your guitar to your fingers effects the sound of an amp to such a degree that you'll never be able to rely on the opinions of others. That said, play them all and pick the one you like. Then buy it. |
| _________________________________________ [May 31,2007 11:20pm - ArrowHead NLI ""] blue said: the peavey vtm series are solid, but definetly need a boost in front to get high gain and i know you said you are trying to avoid pedals. Yeah, but he said he would probably end up getting a tube screamer, which would sound pretty good through one of those. |
| _______________________________ [May 31,2007 11:44pm - blue ""] true, true. i also failed to mention the peavey ultra 60/120/plus heads. you can find those things pretty cheap on ebay and sound 90% like a 5150. |
| __________________________________ [Jun 1,2007 12:29am - brian_dc ""] Laney actually makes some very nice amps. They just happen to also make a ton of shit amps. I'm sure Eklund isn't slumming it. I think Paul Gilbert also plays Laney. |
| __________________________________ [Jun 1,2007 12:31am - brian_dc ""] I'm also pretty sure I spelled Ia's last name wrong too...I just went with it. Blue, you wouldn't believe it. Out of all 5 heads we had in the studio the only one we didn't use was the Splawn Quickrod. We think there's something wrong with the new tubes, it didn't rule as much as I know it should. |
| _______________________________________ [Jun 1,2007 7:18am - DestroyYouAlot ""] ArrowHead NLI said:Seriously, how the hell do you expect other people to have a clue what you'll sound like through an amp? ... Everything from your guitar to your fingers effects the sound of an amp to such a degree that you'll never be able to rely on the opinions of others. That said, play them all and pick the one you like. Then buy it. Fair enough, it's just that I'm not super gear-savvy, and I don't have the scratch to go through 14 different amps if I don't get good long-term results out of the one I end up buying. Of course I'm gonna play it, first, but I'm trying to figure out what to look for. Thanks for the advice, though. That being said, here's some underwear: :tightiewhities: |