Anyone given an amp a ‘second chance’ and glad they did???

That was my original thought. I wanted a nice clean, AC/DC, VH and AIC all in one box. Not a tall ask at all. At least that's what I wanted when I was poor. Now I'm fine with having multiple amps that excel at only one or two things. I used to scoff at the "single channel purists" thinking they needed to get the cork out of their ass. Now, I'm more in-line with that way of thinking. Somehow the cork has found me.
I am often reminded by my friends of my cork sniffery. Honestly, though, the only clean I need is a rolled back guitar volume and light pickking clean. When you roll that volume full on and hear the nasty coming, it is like a fucking tidal wave of brutality...lmao
 
In the mid 2000’s I didn’t get the Mesa Recto hype at all. I kept thinking how can this amp stand with a 5150 for heavy music? It was too bloated for me to enjoy. That is until I finally did what people said to do and put an overdrive in front of it. Never have I meet an amp so transformed by an OD pedal, but I’m glad I tried that.
 
I think the jvm is pretty much the start of a long line of amps trying to give people versatility. Some guys want a shit load of versatility. I want a very simple amp that does one or possibly two things well. No channels. No footswitch. Just a boost pedal, and a volume knob.

I agree. Versatility in amps is overrated and sometimes can come at the expense of the things that would otherwise make a particular amp shine.

That said, if I'm the one loading and unloading my rig, I'd rather carry one 4 channel head than 4 heads :)
 
Now is my second time with a 5150. Had one a while back that I really liked but sold it when I sold most of my stuff. After going through a bunch of amps recently, and I'm back to really liking the ol' 5150.
PRS Archon! I bought one used from GC, but it needed a lot of work, so I brought it back. Found another one a few months later that was nicer that I straight traded my Runt 50 for...couldn’t be happier. One of my best buds has a bunch of old boogies and we a/b’d my Archon w/one of his IiC+ and got it veeeeeery close sounding...like alarmingly close.

Anyway, I moved my family to Colorado from California a few months ago, and all my shit was in storage and I haven’t played much on the last six months, but I got my house sort of situated, including my studio room, and I was able to play my amp for a few minutes...fuck that thing sounds good. Glad I bought it!
Curious how you set the Archon to sound like a Mesa Mark?
 
It also has alot to do with the player and what YOU need OUT of your amp. Until i found the larry, I was always unhappy with how every amp reacted to speakers, guitars, pedals, EVERYTHING.
Yeah. I like wizard with my 30/k100 cab. But i bet it would fucking sound amazing with greenbacks. If you want to bring me a greenback cab, I will play through it.
That was my original thought. I wanted a nice clean, AC/DC, VH and AIC all in one box. Not a tall ask at all. At least that's what I wanted when I was poor. Now I'm fine with having multiple amps that excel at only one or two things. I used to scoff at the "single channel purists" thinking they needed to get the cork out of their ass. Now, I'm more in-line with that way of thinking. Somehow the cork has found me.
This is a scenario that a stock 4 hole vintage Marshall would fit the Bill for...with the right pedals. Pedals off, clean. If you have a little dirt back off the guitar volume. Then, 2 boost pedals either one at a time or stacked would get you there imo.
 
The amps I had initially crossed off my list were just because I tried the wrong version/revision and then I learned better (like with some Diezel's, Recto's, Wizard's, Soldano's and others)

I also didn't like some of the vintage NMV Marshall's super leads I'd tried in the past, but it was just because they desperately needed servicing

Other than that, I can't think of any one specific amp where I changed my mind about it later. I'm very thorough with the way I test gear and do lots of AB comparisons with amps I already know well. I am very glad though that I later considered that I just didn't try the right version. I guess some say they're not a boogie guy or not a Marshall guy or not a Diezel guy, but I'm an everything guy with amps as long as the quality of sound is there, so that's why the right revision is crucial for me
Kinda like the guy who tried the TSL and says “Marshall’s suck!” Yeah the TSL does. Now go try an early 2203 or vintage Superlead. Then report back. Lol
 
This is a scenario that a stock 4 hole vintage Marshall would fit the Bill for...with the right pedals. Pedals off, clean. If you have a little dirt back off the guitar volume. Then, 2 boost pedals either one at a time or stacked would get you there imo.
Actually I'm atypical in that way; a vintage four-hole marshall with nice pedals will sound great for the vast majority of lead players - and players in general.

But it doesn't give me near the low mids or transient speed i'm after with pedals, because i'm specifically a songwriter/rhythm/bandleader type with a very specific sound in mind. The only amps that have given me the goods in that way, have been amps that are basically highly modified vintage four-hole marshalls.

If i was playing lead in a band, there isn't much that will outdo a vintage marshall with pedals. But that isn't what I do.
 
Now is my second time with a 5150. Had one a while back that I really liked but sold it when I sold most of my stuff. After going through a bunch of amps recently, and I'm back to really liking the ol' 5150.

Curious how you set the Archon to sound like a Mesa Mark?
Drop the mids out, push the lows and highs.
 
Actually I'm atypical in that way; a vintage four-hole marshall with nice pedals will sound great for the vast majority of lead players - and players in general.

But it doesn't give me near the low mids or transient speed i'm after with pedals, because i'm specifically a songwriter/rhythm/bandleader type with a very specific sound in mind. The only amps that have given me the goods in that way, have been amps that are basically highly modified vintage four-hole marshalls.

If i was playing lead in a band, there isn't much that will outdo a vintage marshall with pedals. But that isn't what I do.
Fast tracking, or response is something that I haven't experienced too often with tube amps. SS amps yes, to the point they become super easy to play; feels like cheating in a way. Hard to explain. But the only tube amp I've tried with that super fast response is a non eq 2C...if only I could live with that mid 'honk' of that amp I'd have kept it. The AXE FX and Kemper have it too. But didn't sound tube like enough to keep. I have heard the III is much better. A Larry would be great to try sometime..I'm looking forward to Braintheory's(Sam) review when he gets his. We seem to have similar opinions about certain amps tone/feel. I know a few others here that have/have had them and they all say how great they are.
 
Fast tracking, or response is something that I haven't experienced too often with tube amps. SS amps yes, to the point they become super easy to play; feels like cheating in a way. Hard to explain. But the only tube amp I've tried with that super fast response is a non eq 2C...if only I could live with that mid 'honk' of that amp I'd have kept it. The AXE FX and Kemper have it too. But didn't sound tube like enough to keep. I have heard the III is much better. A Larry would be great to try sometime..I'm looking forward to Braintheory's(Sam) review when he gets his. We seem to have similar opinions about certain amps tone/feel. I know a few others here that have/have had them and they all say how great they are.
They aren't for everyone, but they're damn sure for me lol.
 
New Bogner XTC in 2008. Just could not understand it and it had a few issues. Bought another
In 2014 and it's one of my favs...
 
You guys will laugh, but the Fender Deluxe Reverb.

No, it doesn’t do gain - not what this crowd calls gain - but as a small grab and go with my 3-pedal micro-board it rules. But it took me a long time to get there.
 
It took me giving the JVM 3 tries o_O to realize it was NOT a good amp, at least to my ears. Complete opposite of your question, but tangentially related I guess. I wanted to like that amp so much. Maybe I should give it a 4th try?
I had a JVM back I'm the day and it sounded great but didn't have "feel". Hard to explain. Almost felt like too much preamp and not enough power amp?
 
Shows you how much I know, I *prefer* my Larry with v30s :ROFLMAO: it does weird things with celestions, man. Even T75s, it really sounds great.
Jon Schaffer is using old T75s from the 80' or 90'
I personally don't like T75s due to the missing mid complexity
My personal favs (not only DINO's, but also Rock Wizard & British Purist) are G12M and G12H Blackbacks (no pre Rola) from the 70'
The G12M I do have in a straight Marshall 4*12" cab from '77 and the G12H in an Orange 4*12" cab from '76
Only sometimes (very seldom) I feel the desire for my Soldano 4*12" cab loaded with V30's and carry it up then from my siller.
 
Jon Schaffer is using old T75s from the 80' or 90'
I personally don't like T75s due to the missing mid complexity
My personal favs (not only DINO's, but also Rock Wizard & British Purist) are G12M and G12H Blackbacks (no pre Rola) from the 70'
The G12M I do have in a straight Marshall 4*12" cab from '77 and the G12H in an Orange 4*12" cab from '76
Only sometimes (very seldom) I feel the desire for my Soldano 4*12" cab loaded with V30's and carry it up then from my siller.


I also have a scumback 55hz copy of a "pre rola" and it sound EXCELLENT with the Larry. It just really really loved celestion style speakers!
 
The first Randall rg100es I bought was a lemon, and i knew there was something wrong with it. It had a really high pitched overtone to the tone that was just irritating (in the presence range). So, i bought another one and sure enough I was right. The second one I got was absolutely killer and had the tone I was looking for without that weird frequency. Wish I still had it, as well as the rg100ht rackmount amp i also bought which was a little different sounding than the regular head version (a little stiffer and brighter). If anyone has one they wanna sell, let me know, a rg100es or rg100ht.
 
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