DanTravis62
Moderator
Moderator
Agreed, I think the other channels are a little bit underrated is all im saying
Agreed, I think the other channels are a little bit underrated is all im saying
SgtThump
Real OG
A boost on the distortion channels? No way! It’s perfect.
DanTravis62
Moderator
Moderator
For the metal guys, it seems like it's really common
Personally I didn't think it needs one
SgtThump
Real OG
yeah, I’m with you.For the metal guys, it seems like it's really common
Personally I didn't think it needs one
To me, most of the boosted high gain metal tones sound the same. I feel soooo old saying that.
Techdeth
RESIDENT ROCK PROFESSOR
I’m following you I was just adding thst in .
Exo-metal
Well-known member
Pls, for the love of God...and your entire legacy going forward change your name from The Kid to The Clock. You will forever become the legend you were meant to be bro.The clock...
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Hack
Never played one. But i had a vh2 and never used a boost that I can remember
DanTravis62
Moderator
Moderator
yeah, I’m with you.
To me, most of the boosted high gain metal tones sound the same. I feel soooo old saying that.
Can't disagree with that. Everything is the same MoDeRn MeTaL satellite radio metal tone, over and over and over
It's crazy because part of what made metal cool in the 80s and 90s was how wildly different sounding all the tones were
You'd have boogie tones like metallica and sepultura, marshall tones like megadeth, lee jackson tones like Children of Bodom, all sorts of crazy different stuff that was completely unique
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Hack
I only boost amps that need them. And lately, i have been playing a ton of them that don'tFor the metal guys, it seems like it's really common
Personally I didn't think it needs one
DanTravis62
Moderator
Moderator
Yeah I don't get the "all or nothing" view on boosting
Some tones sound good with a boost, some don't need one
Some amps juice up well with one, some don't need it
Exo-metal
Well-known member
The Kid just got clocked
skoora
Well-known member
A store local to me has had a used VH4 for what seems like a couple of years
. I always ignore it because I had tried one many years ago and it didn’t grab me. Decided, what the hell, let’s try it again and gotta say I was pretty impressed. Like you said I was really surprised by channel 2 and could probably live on that channel. Great 800 vibe and the gain range was about perfect. I thought the clean channel was pretty good too. I even thought Ch 4 sounded fine for rhythm even though people seem to bag on it as only decent for leads. What I really dug about the amp was you could have the amp be whatever you want. Sure you can do the heavy thing but even CH 3 and 4 could be medium gain if you wanted and not sound neutered.
Left the store wondering how the hell has it been there so long? It’s tagged at $3399 (iirc), so not sure if that’s a decent price. But they haven’t changed that price as far as I know for time they’ve had it.
DanTravis62
Moderator
Moderator
A store local to me has had a used VH4 for what seems like a couple of years
I thought the clean channel was pretty good too. I even thought Ch 4 sounded fine for rhythm even though people seem to bag on it as only decent for leads. What I really dug about the amp was you could have the amp be whatever you want. Sure you can do the heavy thing but even CH 3 and 4 could be medium gain if you wanted and not sound neutered.
Left the store wondering how the hell has it been there so long? It’s tagged at $3399 (iirc), so not sure if that’s a decent price. But they haven’t changed that price as far as I know for time they’ve had it.
They are incredible for covering a wide variety of ground. With a handful of pedals they are just as good as a high end modeler as far as covering ground in a cover band or something like that. I've used one as backline before for that exact purpose.
3400$ isn't cheap, but it isn't stupid expensive for one either from what I remember, I'm not an expert or anything though
The cheapest ive seen one sell for was like 2900 with most in the low to mid 3's
SgtThump
Real OG
The VH4 price was ridiculous 20 years ago, but it’s in line with other top shelf amps today. Seems like it was always $4k or more? I don’t think it has increased much?
Techdeth
RESIDENT ROCK PROFESSOR
I always boost my vh4 for MY own tones . But when I play Metallica and tool for fun in them I dint boost
R
Racerxrated
Well-known member
OK, now this is just stupid.To me a JCM 800 just lacks balls..... Gain, punch, Crunch and well all the good things one associates with them, hears about them and what You Hear people talk about them or about.....
Yeah You Hear them on recordings and studio use and they sound amazing right After editing and whatever pedals are being used.....
But in general IME plugging into one in a room leaves a lot to be desired. As said for me and My money there are just better options, that arent Made overseas, are better Quality, sound better, Built better here in the States too.
Simply put it's just a boring amp that didnt really live up to the hype and for My money there are just more fun amps that bring more enjoyment and something that makes me happy......
More or less many of these other amps Take all the Bad things of a JCM800 and fixes them, and just make the good things better..... You can roughly Make them sound like a JCM800 or spot on but You cant really get a JCM800 to sound like these amps.
Call me stupid but when I look for amps I look for something I enjoy and is fun to play and to me a JCM800 offers neither
Lacks balls?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
The only Bad Cat I ever played, sounded so dark and muffled I was hoping for TWO treble and presence pots to turn up. Yuck. Not for me. If it's your jam, have fun.
But making the comment that a JCM 800 lacks balls?
Grasshopper, I highly suggest you get out of your basement, go find an early 80s 2203/4 and grab it. Then, run it through it's paces.
Report back.
I've also had a 2203x that had a Cameron Modern mod. That one also peeled the paint off walls.
To say a JCM 800 lacks balls is like saying Kirk Hammett hates the fucking wah pedal. Or, he has great vibrato.
Exo-metal
Well-known member
Or saying that Kirk Hammett actually has balls
psychic_driver
Member
The sickest ones are fat without the boost & get tighter & meaner when you jack the front end.
If you sound like crap without the boost you need to go back to the drawing board
Music&Chaos
Well-known member
In case anyone missed it, here is a Marshall Reverb sale with quite a few deals. There is this specific model that appears to be about 60% off.
https://reverb.com/shop/official-marshall-amplification
When I first got my DSL combo, I thought - I get why people use boost/EQ pedals to shape this.
I did a speaker swap and some tube swaps, and now I just plug straight in and love it!
Sad part is that Marshall could copy their old circuits exactly and they will not sound close to the same using the random modern tubes like JJs and Chinese V30s or G12s that turn it into fizz - let alone that most people cannot crank the amps to their intended state, even when performing live shows and gigs.
My amp went from - wow that drive is rough to - nothing else is needed.
https://reverb.com/shop/official-marshall-amplification
1974X Handwired 18W for $1799.
When I first got my DSL combo, I thought - I get why people use boost/EQ pedals to shape this.
I did a speaker swap and some tube swaps, and now I just plug straight in and love it!
Sad part is that Marshall could copy their old circuits exactly and they will not sound close to the same using the random modern tubes like JJs and Chinese V30s or G12s that turn it into fizz - let alone that most people cannot crank the amps to their intended state, even when performing live shows and gigs.
My amp went from - wow that drive is rough to - nothing else is needed.
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Hack
To be fair, he also said that it needed a power switch to make it less wattage. This is a very gear page thought process. This indicates to me that he doesn't turn it up enough to know why it is special.
