I am currently using my 5150 with the gain dialed way down and can pull off some convincing classic rock tones (ZZTop, AC/DC, Robin Trower, Billy Squire etc.) but we can always do better right? I have two amps that are available local to me and I am trying to figure out which one to go with to try out. Both are around the same price:
1) Fender Prosonic Combo - Great cleans to overdriven bassman tones on channel 1 and mid - to over the top gain on channel two. I played this for about an hour last night at low to med volume and it was a lot of fun. It's also super portable and I imagine good wattage for club gigs.
2) Metro Amp 12000 series kit w/master volume - Haven't played it yet but based on the clips and my love for all things EVH could be very cool. Could also serve as a great platform to send to Dave Friedman for some modifications. With a good boost out front, should get me into Metal - Land; correct? On the downside, even with the master volume, it may be too loud for what I'm doing?
So, if anyone has any thoughts, I would love to hear them. Thanks
You mean on my 5150? That's what I'm doing now. Gain on the amp is around 10:00 and I hit it with an SD-1 for some boost evry now and then. Sounds good but...
those fender prosonics are just nasty metal gems, but for classic rock i believe its a bit over the top. IMHO i would recommend you check out the marshall, they mix well with 5150's and it will have that in-between attitude i think you will be looking for. i also own and play 5150's so i know what you mean on the gain dialed back for classic covers, i did that for 2 years along side a blues band as well - 5150 did it all, but it indeed would have been nice to mix things up a bit - the marshall would be what i recommend first. if you want another high gain city insane amplifier go for the prosonic, those things are possessed by the devil when ran through V30s
another one i recommend you check out if you dig the prosonic more would be to get a Suhr PT100 - it was inspired by pete thorns 5150 III but not based on it. great over the top lead channel and a crunch and clean channel that is 100% usable - IMHO i would consider a PT100 over a 5150 III anyday due to that versatility.
Always thought egnater gear was extremely particular about what speakers you run them through. 5150's are pretty careless but sound best through V30's, but i tried an egnater renegade through a V75 speaker and thought it sounded like treble city mixed with bee farts but through a V30 cabinet it really didnt sound bad at all
Egnater has also had some loop problems, google it.
well only have two cabs.... the Eganter tourmaster 2x12 which has elite 80 speakers and a 2x12 with v30s and my renegade sounds awesome through the two.
but honestly, that speaker pickiness is common in almost all amps man.
If you want classic Marshall sounds like the ones you listed get the Metro and do not get it modified in less you want modified sounds and not the ones you listed. Use pedals with it if you want different sounds.
Thanks for the responses but my cheapness has won out for now. I passed on both Although, if I find a prosonic super-cheap, I'm getting one. It may not be the best classic rock option but damn; what a nasty amp. I love it. The metro would have been the way to go though...
Regarding some of the other options thrown out there; I don't think I would ever buy an egnater. I had a seminar amp for awhile that was very cool but I played a Vengance last night at GC and lets just say I wasn't blown away. The tweakers are kinda cool but they all have that same sound/feel that I just don't dig.
Prosonics are great, and amazingly still a deal! Clean channel gets all the use for me...hit it with pedals. Only my bandmaster takes pedals better. Distortion side CAN get nuts, but generally that's when you start using the second gain knob. Gain 1 @ 100% and Gain 2 at 30% gives the 5150 a challenge. With the first one rolled back, it's certainly nothing insane, and totally usable!
My only gripe, at least with my prosonic, is the gain knobs bleed over into the clean (so I always keep em off).
