
cardinal
Well-known member
Can you recommend one amp that can really deliver classic crunch up to detuned and tight modern metal? In general I don't think I'm chasing tones that are too exotic or unobtainium, but I'm getting frustrated.
I have a JCM 800 and an old metal panel Super Lead that with passive pickups sound really really good for that classic crunch tone all the way up to so grungy/metallic stuff (Billy Duffy to Jerry Cantrell, basically) but they won't really get stupid heavy/brutal for down tuned stuff. For the really detuned modern high gain stuff, I like the sound of a Mesa Rectifier with active pickups, but the crunch tones aren't entirely convincing and lead tones simply don't compare to the Marshalls, particularly when I'm running active pickups.
But I'd like to get down to a single #1 guitar and amp rather than having one amp/guitar set for rock and a completely separate amp/guitar set for the metulz.
Some ideas: I've had several Diezel VH4s, which are nice amps but I got frustrated with those too. Channel 2 sounds really nice but lacked the bite/aggression that I would have wanted and Channel 3 was killer but I'm not sure how well it'd do with a low F#. Channel 4 was unusable. Had an SLO for a while and the crunch was nice but didn't live up to the Marshalls and the lead channel was not exactly a metal monster (though it did sound glorious). I don't think an XTC would do it for me because I'm not sure the Red channel is going to be metal/tight enough for what I'm looking for. But maybe one of the 5150 IIIs? I liked the Fryette Deliverance 120, but it's been a while. I wonder if maybe I should check that out again? Friedman JJ? I don't really want to chase something ridiculously hard to find like "oh you need a Fortin or a Cameron or super rare Mesa made for six months in 1984" or whatever.
Or maybe I'm being too picky and if I really want that "Marshall" sound and a modern metal monster, I'm stuck with needing two separate setups? (Or a modeler, ugh).
I have a JCM 800 and an old metal panel Super Lead that with passive pickups sound really really good for that classic crunch tone all the way up to so grungy/metallic stuff (Billy Duffy to Jerry Cantrell, basically) but they won't really get stupid heavy/brutal for down tuned stuff. For the really detuned modern high gain stuff, I like the sound of a Mesa Rectifier with active pickups, but the crunch tones aren't entirely convincing and lead tones simply don't compare to the Marshalls, particularly when I'm running active pickups.
But I'd like to get down to a single #1 guitar and amp rather than having one amp/guitar set for rock and a completely separate amp/guitar set for the metulz.
Some ideas: I've had several Diezel VH4s, which are nice amps but I got frustrated with those too. Channel 2 sounds really nice but lacked the bite/aggression that I would have wanted and Channel 3 was killer but I'm not sure how well it'd do with a low F#. Channel 4 was unusable. Had an SLO for a while and the crunch was nice but didn't live up to the Marshalls and the lead channel was not exactly a metal monster (though it did sound glorious). I don't think an XTC would do it for me because I'm not sure the Red channel is going to be metal/tight enough for what I'm looking for. But maybe one of the 5150 IIIs? I liked the Fryette Deliverance 120, but it's been a while. I wonder if maybe I should check that out again? Friedman JJ? I don't really want to chase something ridiculously hard to find like "oh you need a Fortin or a Cameron or super rare Mesa made for six months in 1984" or whatever.
Or maybe I'm being too picky and if I really want that "Marshall" sound and a modern metal monster, I'm stuck with needing two separate setups? (Or a modeler, ugh).