Favorite High Gain Amp Plugged Straight in No Pedals

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MadAsAHatter said:
Any amp that has a core tone I like. I don't run a boost in front of any of my amps. I'm not limiting myself of anything, it's just something I never really bothered with. I find the best way to tighten up a high gainer (or most amps for that matter) is to back off the gain and tighten up my playing. That works for me anyway.
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Pretty much this. I have a few different boosts but I pretty much just use them like an occasional effect. I hate gates too.
 
MetalThrasher said:
Curious what everyone thinks are good high gain amps that bring the high gain tones plugged straight in without any pedals. For me, it would be any Mesa Mark series with an EQ. I feel my Mark III and V sound best without using any pedals.
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Easy for me, my JVM.

OD1 orange channel is Marshall High Gain perfection to me.

Then again any high gain amp I have owned I don't run a boost. From my Peavey's, 5150's, VHT's, Engls, Soldano, Laney, Langner etc... I grew up in a time where you had to have an OD to get something going so when all the high gainers came out we were in heaven. I'm still there as I would just rather get all my gain and tone from the amp and my pickup setup.

Usually if I'm looking for a boost or OD, that amp isn't going to stick around with me for long i.e. Boogie's, Mezzabarba's etc... Btw/ more power to guys that like the boost/OD, there's no rules here. Whatever gets you your tone.

Now one caveat, for low volume playing I do run an EP Boost for color, but the boost is off via the dip switches - set to unity. And for live use I use the CAE/MXR Boost for it's buffer but it's set to unity gain. Both are run at 18v.
 
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MadAsAHatter said:
Any amp that has a core tone I like. I don't run a boost in front of any of my amps. I'm not limiting myself of anything, it's just something I never really bothered with. I find the best way to tighten up a high gainer (or most amps for that matter) is to back off the gain and tighten up my playing. That works for me anyway.
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+1000. The right pick and the right picking/muting technique can go a long way towards alleviating the need for any boost. Another trick to that end would be lowering your pickups quite a bit on the lower wound string side only, then upping the amp gain to compensate. You can then optionally raise it a bit on the plain string side, resulting in a pickup that’s sitting slanted. It’s not a problem though. This is a natural way to clean up the low end in your signal. Sorry, this offer does not extend to guitars with direct mount pickups!
 
EVH 5153 EL34 100
Rhodes Colossus
My morin modded Marshall ( although that ain’t a stock or a production amp, so kinda unfair for this post)
 
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SQUAREHEAD said:
I’ve owned numerous 5150 Block Letters, Soldano SLO, Diezel VH4’s, Steavens Poundcake, 5 100w Wizards, Bogner 100B’s, Aiken Sabre, 30th Anniversary Marshall, VHT and a bunch of vintage 100W Marshalls
… all great amps depending on what you’re into musically.

My answer… Larry Dino.
I wish everyone could experience the harmonically rich, textured, juicy, tight, all tube, extremely pure organically dense tone of Larry amps.
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Viva la Larry!!!!!
 
bubbastain said:
My old Fortin modded VTM120.
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Interesting. Speaking of Fortin I thought my Satan kinda sucked and was thin . Then I read the manual and it said keep channel volume at 3 o clock or more !?!?!?. Well it sounds amazing now but that’s a strange feature . I wonder if they messed up in production but said fuck it
 
Can't pick only one! lol
My fave ones are my Cameron Ocean and my Hermansson 5 Gain Stage. Both of them take boost pedals really well, but it's not needed, and they still sound better without them.
These are my two amps that if I could only have one of them, one guitar and one cab, I would still be 100% happy.
That's for high gain amps.
 
MetalThrasher said:
Curious what everyone thinks are good high gain amps that bring the high gain tones plugged straight in without any pedals. For me, it would be any Mesa Mark series with an EQ. I feel my Mark III and V sound best without using any pedals.
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This is *the* litmus test I have for all my amps - none of them should require or tempt me to stick something in front of 'em or in the loop:
Diezel VH4, Hagen, D-Moll
Bogner 20thA XTC and 20th Shiva
/end
 
Techdeth said:
Interesting. Speaking of Fortin I thought my Satan kinda sucked and was thin . Then I read the manual and it said keep channel volume at 3 o clock or more !?!?!?. Well it sounds amazing now but that’s a strange feature . I wonder if they messed up in production but said fuck it
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You got your Randall satan to sound good?
 
I like my Mark IVb a lot. I can get this really glassy high gain tone out of it with the right settings, it's very cool. It's a very unique tone the Marks have.
 
SQUAREHEAD said:
I’ve owned numerous 5150 Block Letters, Soldano SLO, Diezel VH4’s, Steavens Poundcake, 5 100w Wizards, Bogner 100B’s, Aiken Sabre, 30th Anniversary z Marshall, VHT and a bunch of vintage 100W Marshalls … all great amps depending on what you’re into musically.

My answer… Larry Dino.
I wish everyone could experience the rich, textured, juicy, tight, all tube, extremely pure organically dense tone of Larry amps.
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Very kind & nice words from one of the many very pleased DINO users on this planet ?

Words from one of the very few DINO users, who also is posting his opinion & feelings publicly (y)

Thank you so much, my canadian bro :cheers:
 
DanTravis62 said:
No pedals? Larry Dino, EASILY

Like square, ive played a million other amps, and theres nothing that feels like plugging straight into a Dino
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Dan, quite the same text what I've addressed to Squarehead right above this post is with only one exception also valid for you ?

Just swap the word 'canadian' by the word 'american' ?

Thank you so much for your very kind and nice words, bro :cheers:
 
novosibir said:
Dan, quite the same text what I've addressed to Squarehead right above this post is with only one exception also valid for you ?

Just swap the word 'canadian' by the word 'american' ?

Thank you so much for your very kind and nice words, bro :cheers:
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If only the wait wasn't soo long.
 
My Mark IV sounds godly straight in, but Mike B modded it for more gain when I ordered it in 92.
Only newer amps I have that sounds tight and heavy straight in is my Monomyths.
 
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