Driftwood Purple Nightmare....What a disappointment

Bad.Seed

Bad.Seed

Well-known member
Have you guys ever gotten an amp that was such a disappointment that you felt the need to run to a forum and cry about it?

I was really excited to try this amp out. It seemed like the next great thing in the modern metal amp world, and I never heard a bad word about it prior to owning it myself. Hell, even some members here seem to rave about it, and there's nothing wrong with that.

For some reason, I just can't get it to work for me. Most of the issues reside in the higher frequencies for me. I just can not seem to get the amp to sound cutting without it sounding really harsh and artificial.

The low end also seems to be a bit over the top. I love low end in my tone, probably more than I should, but with this amp it just seems like it's too much, and not in the right frequencies. Lowering the bass on the preamp controls almost to zero is when it finally calms down, but there seems to be no in between of sounding anemic and then sounding boomy and uncontrolled, even with boosting.

Multiple speakers/cabs, multiple guitars, 10 band EQ in the loop, EQ out front, multiple drive pedals. Just couldn't get it to sound as good as others make it sound. Makes me almost feel as if I'm doing something wrong, user error. I wouldn't count it out still, but I haven't identified what it is that I have wrong yet.

I sold it and am sending it on it's way today. I really wanted it to be a keeper but I'm honestly glad to see it going, and have replaced it with an Engl Inferno and a Hector Mr Laboga, both amps which I have been enjoying exponentially more than the Driftwood.

Anyone here have any experience with the Purple Nightmare? Care to share? Or has this happened with other amps for you?
 
The 5150 III is like that for me - any version of it. It just sounds plastic-like to my ears and as if somethings off. Like I’m playing a tube modeler and not a tube amplifier, I can’t quite put my finger on it.

I just play my 5150 II and be happy knowing what if can do at band practice levels.
 
Bad.Seed said:
Have you guys ever gotten an amp that was such a disappointment that you felt the need to run to a forum and cry about it?

I was really excited to try this amp out. It seemed like the next great thing in the modern metal amp world, and I never heard a bad word about it prior to owning it myself. Hell, even some members here seem to rave about it, and there's nothing wrong with that.

For some reason, I just can't get it to work for me. Most of the issues reside in the higher frequencies for me. I just can not seem to get the amp to sound cutting without it sounding really harsh and artificial.
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I've played and owned a ton of amps that "for some reason, I just can't get it to work for me".

Doesn't mean they're bad amps, key phrase is "it just doesn't work for you". Some people blast the JVM which has been my main amp for years, I think to myself how can these people not dial in a good tone with that amp but I have to remember - it just doesn't work for them. I believe you disliked the JVM as well.

My most recent high dollar acquisition was the Mezzabarba Trinity, in fact I had been settled amp wise for ages (still am) but that amp really intrigued me based on it's build and all the talk. Got it and for the life of me I could not dial in a good tone on that thing. Eq's in the front, the loop, boosting it...didn't matter. I was highly disappointed but the Key phrase applied here, I just couldn't get it to work for me.
 
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Bad.Seed said:
Have you guys ever gotten an amp that was such a disappointment that you felt the need to run to a forum and cry about it?

I was really excited to try this amp out. It seemed like the next great thing in the modern metal amp world, and I never heard a bad word about it prior to owning it myself. Hell, even some members here seem to rave about it, and there's nothing wrong with that.

For some reason, I just can't get it to work for me. Most of the issues reside in the higher frequencies for me. I just can not seem to get the amp to sound cutting without it sounding really harsh and artificial.

The low end also seems to be a bit over the top. I love low end in my tone, probably more than I should, but with this amp it just seems like it's too much, and not in the right frequencies. Lowering the bass on the preamp controls almost to zero is when it finally calms down, but there seems to be no in between of sounding anemic and then sounding boomy and uncontrolled, even with boosting.

Multiple speakers/cabs, multiple guitars, 10 band EQ in the loop, EQ out front, multiple drive pedals. Just couldn't get it to sound as good as others make it sound. Makes me almost feel as if I'm doing something wrong, user error. I wouldn't count it out still, but I haven't identified what it is that I have wrong yet.

I sold it and am sending it on it's way today. I really wanted it to be a keeper but I'm honestly glad to see it going, and have replaced it with an Engl Inferno and a Hector Mr Laboga, both amps which I have been enjoying exponentially more than the Driftwood.

Anyone here have any experience with the Purple Nightmare? Care to share? Or has this happened with other amps for you?
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My buddy actually traded his Mr H for a purple nightmare thinking he got a good deal. He is not happy now. lol
 
I first encountered the Driftwood stuff through Kemper profiles which, despite people raving about them, I thought sounded boomy and undefined, really not good in a mix. But I figured it was just another case of shitty profiling, however any clips or videos of these amps I checked out out of curiosity also left me wondering where all the hype was coming from.

I would add though I think you’re gonna dig that Laboga.
 
SKU said:
I learned about driftwood on tgp but quickly learned that the same guy was posting about it on every forum. And then it seemed the hype was artificially created by a small group of people.
Irl nobody cares or knows about them
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I see this alot and assume they are paid posters. I dont really look at new amps because of this bullshit. It happens too often.
 
The 5153; the first 50w I had sounded really good…not great…sold it. Tried 2 more and those were not in the same league for some reason. Returned each of them.
But an amp that I assumed would be pretty killer(45w version was) was the Randall Diavlo 100. Sounded like a shit sandwich with gravy. Garbage. When I have to use an eq in the loop to even get a usable tone, out it goes.
 
Racerxrated said:
The 5153; the first 50w I had sounded really good…not great…sold it. Tried 2 more and those were not in the same league for some reason. Returned each of them.
But an amp that I assumed would be pretty killer(45w version was) was the Randall Diavlo 100. Sounded like a shit sandwich with gravy. Garbage. When I have to use an eq in the loop to even get a usable tone, out it goes.
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I agree, anytime I haven’t bonded with an amp or got it to work for me in a mix and people tell me not to judge it until I’ve put an EQ in the loop I’m like NOPE. EQ in the loop is perfectly valid especially if you’re really trying to tweak a sound I guess, but if I have to fuck around with 10 bands of EQ just to kinda like something it is not for me.
 
The Herbert was this for me. I wanted one for YEARS, like seriously a decade. I had it built up in my head to be one of holy grails for myself. I loved every clip and album recorded with it. Then in my hands it was a total dud. I couldn’t even get it to sit in the same room with a bandmate on a 6505+ without getting buried, and no amount of tweaking or boosting seemed to do what I wanted. So disappointing, and the most I had ever spent on an amp.
 
Also, and Sun Model T and Coliseums were amps that I heard bands play especially in the 00s when they were cheap, always sounded great. And to this day the Model T is the biggest piece of shit I’ve ever owned, not only in tone, but in build quality as well.
 
Spaceboy said:
Also, and Sun Model T and Coliseums were amps that I heard bands play especially in the 00s when they were cheap, always sounded great. And to this day the Model T is the biggest piece of shit I’ve ever owned, not only in tone, but in build quality as well.
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The money they go for now is ridiculous considering what these things sound like IMO. Its not really a hard tone to get through other means. It sounds funny to say but I guess this is what passes for a “clout amp” in stoner-doom land.
 
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