Best sounding amp for lead tones

  • Thread starter Thread starter rokker
  • Start date Start date
Without further information what you are searching for it is impossible to answer. Too many alternatives, all great but still very different.
 
The most liquid lead sound I've heard is a Mesa Mark.
Jesus, I better stop talking about these amps. Someone will think I'm on the payroll or something.
 
I think you'll be happy with a mark iv. If you want to get pricier, my personal fave is a Marshall type amp with a SLO. That's as liquid as it gets.
 
moltenmetalburn":2e8mxneu said:
Diezel, SLO, Mesa.
Click to expand...

I've got all of these right now side to side... and the SLO is a little more in the modified Marshall side of things. Crunchier, rawer, more grunt to the notes sounding... slower to play as there is more bloom to the notes... nowhere near as liquid, smooth, and fast playing/reacting as the Mesa Marks or VH4... over even the Herbert channel 3 for that matter. The SLO is a great lead amp... but the feel, response, and attack is more on the Marshall side of the fence... vs Mesa or Diezel.
 
Great info here guys. Thanks
I will elaborate that i am after Eric Johnson/Satriani tones. Possibly Sykes tones if possible. The two amps i think will get my close are the JP2C and possibly the Diezel Paul. Wonderingif the Paul is too bright for this. Thinkig the JP2C will work. If it is not too cold. The paul does not have many clips out there. Loved the Einstein but felt it was a tad dark and compressed. Maybe the Paul is more open and not dark.
.
 
Depending on which era Sykes you are talking about a Mesa Boogie Mark will get you there, for the other two you would need something a little more British in flavor. Marks are highly saturated but tight and highly dynamic and reward a strict right hand technique. If you are after a slightly looser liquid tone the Diezel Herbert (and I'm guessing the einstein) would do it, the VH4 channel 4 is just a ton of gain at the preamp and compression at the power amp it didn't feel as good for that style of play as the Herbert. I've owned all of the bigger Diezel amps and the Herbert really is the biggest surprise in the line you would expect it to be just a brute because of the power section but it's actually great at low and medium gain because the front end of the amp compresses and feels less stiff than the VH4 while the power amp section stays relatively clean.
 
I will have the Brit tones from the Friedman SB. Not Jose modded but still a modded Brit tone that has a pretty awesome lead tone.
It's not ultra high gain like the Diezel or Mesa so I think it will blend well.
The 2c+/JP2C is what I'm leaning toward as several have indicated....a bit harder to find a 2c/+ so that means the updated JP2C.
I should have stated I wanted to keep the cost down below $3k which takes out the larger Diezels and leaves the Paul and Einstein which could work as well. So it's Paul or JP2C and most likely the JP2C...may order it today.
 
rokker":5b4eouq6 said:
Great info here guys. Thanks
I will elaborate that i am after Eric Johnson/Satriani tones. Possibly Sykes tones if possible. The two amps i think will get my close are the JP2C and possibly the Diezel Paul. Wonderingif the Paul is too bright for this. Thinkig the JP2C will work. If it is not too cold. The paul does not have many clips out there. Loved the Einstein but felt it was a tad dark and compressed. Maybe the Paul is more open and not dark.
.
Click to expand...

For Eric Johnson, it's basically a fuzz face into a Marshall so try something like that. May not need another amp.
 
Not as spendy as some of the amps mentioned, but a carvin legacy is a good candidate.
 
basically if you are using Sykes as a reference point then IMO the amp isn't the big factor so anything with a good medium to high gain tone will do it. The key is you need reverb/delay/chorus all pretty "wet" and if possible run stereo amps or wet/dry
 
Doesn't get much better than HBE for me, Hairy Brown Eye of the BE for lead tones.
 
Some of the Henning clips I've herd contained the best lead tones I've heard.
 
Adambomb":spkdvnx6 said:
Doesn't get much better than HBE for me, Hairy Brown Eye of the BE for lead tones.
Click to expand...

THIS.....this is being overlooked because of the Small box....but in my experience the Sat switch is a lot stiffer(not knocking it or it's sound) than the HBE channel. Hit it(HBE) with some hot pickups especially and it's :shocked: for lead tones....Use mine with med gain pups and it's there for me.

I will say that I think the JP-2C is a great amp to have along with the BE100 though....should have everything covered IMO...complimentary so to speak.
 
The thing with the Bogner XTC, SLO, or Friedman BE100... is they have a warmer, bigger, fuller, slower syrupy liquid tone... not as tight, fast, articulate and responsive as a Diezel or Mesa Mark... they both do the same thing but from 180º different directions. Mesas and Diezels are really liquidy smooth too... they just pour a lot faster.
:yes: :lol: :LOL:
 
First two that popped to mind are the Mesa Mark series and Bogner XTC...I would not call the VH4 I had "liquidy" whatsoever, so Diezel-wise Herbert would probably be closer to what you have in mind. Andy Wood got some pretty gorgeous sounding lead tones on the Herbert that he posted here back in the day. Cheers
 
Racerxrated":ekfikphy said:
Original Mark 2C+.
Click to expand...

Yep, nothing really like it, and they go for less than the new limited edition JPIIC+s, and less than many other boutique high gain amps. I'm surprised the originals can still be had for 1500-2500.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top