EL84 Amps for Metal Band Gigging

[glassjaw7]

Pink Taco should fit that bill. love that amp, wish they made a no frills 50 watter

Isn’t the Smallbox pretty much that? Not single channel but it’s not a complex amp by any means.

 

[errrrrl]

The Pink Taco would be pretty good but I'd opt for the 2x12. It gets surprisingly loud and sounds great with an od or boost. Also you might want to think about the PRS MT15 as well. That is also a loud ass amp.

 

[crankyrayhanky]

Yes, that PRS MT15 has big glass. I'd like to check that out- sounds killer on clips and reviews

 

[MistaGuitah]

The Pink Taco would be pretty good but I'd opt for the 2x12. It gets surprisingly loud and sounds great with an od or boost. Also you might want to think about the PRS MT15 as well. That is also a loud ass amp.

I personally thought the Pink Taco could do some fairly sizable gigs with a 4x12. It did not seem to lack low end, but I was playing mostly rock and not metal back then. It seems like it could handle it pretty well with a pedal.

 

[some dude]

30w is right at the tipping point for keeping up with a drummer. They’re typically loud enough, but in my experience they’re right at the edge of their headroom. With a decent PA it’s a non-issue and you can dial it into a sweet spot, but with minimal PA/monitors it can quickly get swamped and pushed up into mush territory.

In my experience, smaller gigs typically need the most power. Big venues usually have plenty of PA and multiple monitors. It’s the small shows that have minimal PA and a single monitor that really stress test your equipment.

 

[Rex Rocker]

I dont think all amps are created equal going by wattage alone but the EVH lbx2 sounded so good at home at what I considered loud volumes but cranked in a big room it just sounded small. I was kind of embarrased actually. Needless to say I wasnt invited back. Im hoping the Friedman JJ jr doeant suffer the same way as the LBX

That really sucks to hear.

I have a Krank Rev Jr. (that runs on 5881's) that's just on the edge of being loud enough. I mean, it does technically get loud enough to jam with a loud drummer, but I have to turn up the master volume to a point where the amp doesn't really sound its best.

 

[chunktone]

Every high gain amp i've heard with EL84 had mushy lows. I much prefer 6v6's for lower watt amps.

 

[skullfxr]

Every high gain amp i've heard with EL84 had mushy lows. I much prefer 6v6's for lower watt amps.

Maybe that is why my SS is outperforming the prior Orange Rocker 30. hmmm.

The rocker 30 lost a ton of bass and mushed out bad at gigging volume. The SS hasn't been gigged and I anticipate it will be a while, but I am curious. I think it sounds better louder TBH.

My Rockerverb 50mki is nuts with the quad of 6v6's. It can keep up for sure and overpower any drummer I have came across if needed.

(obviously I am not trying to overpower, that isn't musical IMO, I go for the best mix live for the band as a whole)

 

[lockingtuner]

The Pink Taco would be pretty good but I'd opt for the 2x12. It gets surprisingly loud and sounds great with an od or boost. Also you might want to think about the PRS MT15 as well. That is also a loud ass amp.

I personally thought the Pink Taco could do some fairly sizable gigs with a 4x12. It did not seem to lack low end, but I was playing mostly rock and not metal back then. It seems like it could handle it pretty well with a pedal.

The problem is a little different than just loudness. The tricky part is that lower notes are longer, which means it takes more power to push them through your cab. Smaller wattage amps, having less power, will struggle more to get those lower frequencies out, so while you may get enough volume to keep up with a drummer, you may not get enough low end for the sound you want compared to an amp with more wattage.

 

[ClintN667]

There is always the option of adding a Fryette Power Station for some extra wattage.

 

[Jeff Hilligan]

Dark horse...


My Peavey bravo!!

 

[lockingtuner]

There is always the option of adding a Fryette Power Station for some extra wattage.

That's a good solution. For a similar amount of money, he could also go with a used Peavey 5150 or even the 120 watt 6505+.

 

[Rex Rocker]

I just got the EVH LBX II. It's pretty loud, lol. It's louder than my Krank, even though the Krank is 20W (and runs off 5881's) and the 5150 is 15W. The Krank does have a lot more low-end and sizzle, though.

I haven't tried it in a full-band scenario, but I have hope.

 

[errrrrl]

The Pink Taco would be pretty good but I'd opt for the 2x12. It gets surprisingly loud and sounds great with an od or boost. Also you might want to think about the PRS MT15 as well. That is also a loud ass amp.

I personally thought the Pink Taco could do some fairly sizable gigs with a 4x12. It did not seem to lack low end, but I was playing mostly rock and not metal back then. It seems like it could handle it pretty well with a pedal.

Yeah the taco can crank up. I let my guitarist use it once (I play drums) for rehearsal. I hit really hard and was curious how it would hold up. He had it around 6 to 8 and it did great. No issues with the low end at all. After that he wanted a Friedman and ended up getting a JJ.

 

[RaceU4her]

No.
It can sound decent on your own, but the moment you jam with a loud metal drummer- and what metal drummer is contained?- those small tubes get exposed. It's not about low end quantity, it's low end quality.

this. ive had to push some of my 100w heads to the limit with a 4x12 if we are talking about unmic'd and actually sounding good in the last couple bands ive been in, no way 20w and a 1x12 is keeping up.