Best amp for around $1,000

[Tone Monster]

Deliverance with a couple of pedals is world class tone for $1000

 

[nevusofota]

5150III 50w hands down; though I would do a 100w used.

 

[BrentSSL]

More options people lol so when people google this they are not picking between a 5150 or a Rectifier lol

 

[dooredge]

I picked up a 6534+ last month for $700

Earlier this year I picked up a modded 6505 for $600

If given a choice, I'd go Peavey and save $300-400 bucks vs. going for a rectumfrier.

Which do you like more?

The 6534+ for the simple fact that it has a grind to it that the 6505 doesn't have. Likely due to El34's vs. 6L6's. The 6505 mods were done to the Cameron recommended/PyschoDave specs by GreazyGeo. So it's a bit smoother than a typical 6505. Still awesome though. I may sell the 6505, but I've not yet convinced myself I can do that.

 

[glip22]

I picked up a 6534+ last month for $700

Earlier this year I picked up a modded 6505 for $600

If given a choice, I'd go Peavey and save $300-400 bucks vs. going for a rectumfrier.

Which do you like more?

The 6534+ for the simple fact that it has a grind to it that the 6505 doesn't have. Likely due to El34's vs. 6L6's. The 6505 mods were done to the Cameron recommended/PyschoDave specs by GreazyGeo. So it's a bit smoother than a typical 6505. Still awesome though. I may sell the 6505, but I've not yet convinced myself I can do that.

Got you.

 

[the rossness]

What kind of music are you going to play with the amp?

 

[BrentSSL]

What kind of music are you going to play with the amp?

Whatever you want I would assume

 

[Rex Rocker]

A peavey XXX/JSX will cover almost everything, will give three discreet channels and leave a lot of cash for a great used cab at the same time. It's active eq are its weakness and secret weapon at the same time. It will swap power tubes, will do clean crunch/heavy and modern/thrash at the same time, three gain/volume/tonestacks, good loop...great master (almost makes you think the amp isn't loud:it is, the master is different). Great amp for peanuts.

Agreed on the Peavey XXX. I got one a few months ago. Not a perfect amp, but it's hell of a metal amp for around 300-350 bucks used.

I don't think it does mid-gain tones brilliantly, though. The gain channels have way too much gain. Both gain channels are actually the exact same ridiculous gain levels, it's just the voicing/behavior of the tone stack that is a bit different between both. The clean channel is alright. A bit cold, sterile and kinda generic, but it's also very very sparkly, dinamic, and useable. The gain channels are very Peavey-sounding, so they're kinda sorta familiar if you've played a 6505, they've got the grainy squishy Peavey mids, but they're a bit more "unique" in their voicing. More over-the-top.

They're actually pretty reliable too as long as you don't stick those stupid sgreen-grid-resistor-blower JJ E34L's which don't even sound all that great, IMO. I don't know why everyone feels like they should drop them in their EL34 amp. The XXX sounds better with 6L6's anyways, IMO.

 

[glip22]

Install a bias pot, 470 screen grids and a choke in a 6505 and it's a different animal.

 

[geese_com]

If you are lucky, you might be able to find a Mesa Royal Atlantic close to $1,000 used. Now that is a killer amp for the money.

 

[Kapo_Polenton]

JCM800 with pedals

DSL

6505+ on crunch channel with pedals

One of the newer Laneys (GL, GH series)

 

[lespaul6]

JCM800 with pedals

DSL

6505+ on crunch channel with pedals

One of the newer Laneys (GL, GH series)

I agree... those laney's sound pretty good and the build quality is very good.

 

[stephen sawall]

Fender Deluxe .....

 

[spanny]

For high gain, cant go wrong with a Mesa Dual Rec or Mark IV

 

[prsplayer86]

there is a vht pitbul 100 CL for sale locally for about 800 bucks. Tone wise not my cup of tea, but thats a hell of a lot of amp for 800 bucks!

 

[camrock]

There's so much recto love around here lately...

Love mine

 

[The Axe Palace]

Obvious choices: Mesa Dual/Triple Rec, Peavey 5150, ENGL Ironball, Laney GH50/100. Always good choices.

Not so obvious choices: The Diamond F4 is $999 new and is easily one of the best sounding heads I've ever heard in that price range. Also the Hughes & Kettner Grandmeister 36, sounds killer. The Taurus Stomphead 4 is pretty slick also. I also like the Framus Dragon head and those can sometimes be had for under $1000.

Anything but a JCM900 and you're good

 

[C1-ocaster]

Fender Deluxe .....

Yes. +10

OP:
After buying and selling a large number of tube amps over the past 1.5 years I finally discovered the versatile goodness that is a classic Fender amp with great distortion/gain pedals.
I have a 68 custom deluxe reverb and the new 68 custom vibrolux reverb.
They are 2 flavors of Fender clean but with different voicing.
The deluxe reverb is a smooth mid amp with chimey top end. Cranked past 4 on the volume it's 6v6 tubes break up to classic rock tones. Unlike the 65 deluxe reverb the bight caps have been removed and it has 2 different tone stacks, one is the "vintage" that sounds very much like deluxe reverb with lower highs, and bass-man tone stack in the "custom" channel.
Reberb on both channels unlike the deluxe reverb.

The custom vibrolux is cleaner at higher volumes and uses 6L6 power tubes.
It too has a vintage and custom bass-man tone stack.
This one also also has "bright" switches on both channels.

These are versatile amps that let you create your tone with your guitar and pedals.
I also have an Eganter Vengeance that is versatile on it's own with built in smooth and fine clean channel and a bruttle and smooth high gain channel.
As much as I like the Ven I've been playing the Fenders with pedals much more often, so much I'm thinking of selling the
Vengeance.

The Fenders can be hand under $1K if you use coupons, but then you'll have to pony up more money for a couple of pedals. A Fulltone Fulldrive II is great for classic lower gain distortion and also makes a great boost pedal.
Then get something like a Bogner Ecstasy Red distortion pedal that will do light classic distortion of very saturated high gain. Something like the Wampler Triple Wreck will give you ballsy and deep ripping high gain for singing blues solos or tight chugging riffs and rhythms.

 

[Dimebag11]

Deliverance or Pittbull CL

 

[stephen sawall]

If we are including used amps and want a lot of variety & control ..... Fryette Deliverance would be my preference. Mesa Mark III & Tremoverb is also excellent amps that can be found used for this or less that can do a variety of sounds.