Frustrated: one amp for classic rock up to modern metal?

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cardinal

cardinal

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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 would use a Fryette Sig X.
Clean channel can do clean to rock. The other two channels can do clean to metal. I haven't done much low tune stuff with it other than drop C. I usually play standard or drop D.
 
Just took a spin through the Sig X manual; it does seem very cool on paper. Is one of the channel's like the Deliverance?
 
Would a Wizard Modern Classic do it? Can it krang like a stock Marshall but also do more convincing brutal/metal mayhem?

The Sig:X looks cool, but I've moved on from amps with good-but-not-great crunch sounds, and I worry the Sig:X will end up in that camp?
 
That’s funny. I was going to say Fortin Cali. But the Current Wizard MTL should do it.
 
I guess the problem with the Wizard is that it might end up costing more than both a Marshall and Recto half stack.
 
Splawn nitro?
Henning Cherry bomb?

it seems I've read on here before that if you're right with your Marshall, throw the proper boost in front and it'll get you "there"...but, that may not be what your looking for either.
 
Save your money. Pick up a used JCM2000 DSL, and call it a day.

Don't know why people get so caught up in thinking they have to spend a fortune. Hell, better yet, a Peavey JSX. 3 excellent, useable channels. Exceptional crunch, massive ultra channel, and damn fine for leads. I'd take a JSX over a 5150 III any day. Red channel on the 5150 is over the top, and unusable, (for me, anyway, and I love high gain). The blue channel is the 5150's bread and butter. Love that channel. If they lowered the gain on the red and made it more musical/useable, I'd still own one.

I'll throw the Randall KH103 out there as well.
 
napalmdeath":23abyi38 said:
Save your money. Pick up a used JCM2000 DSL, and call it a day.

Don't know why people get so caught up in thinking they have to spend a fortune. Hell, better yet, a Peavey JSX. 3 excellent, useable channels. Exceptional crunch, massive ultra channel, and damn fine for leads. I'd take a JSX over a 5150 III any day. Red channel on the 5150 is over the top, and unusable, (for me, anyway, and I love high gain). The blue channel is the 5150's bread and butter. Love that channel. If they lowered the gain on the red and made it more musical/useable, I'd still own one.

I'll throw the Randall KH103 out there as well.
Click to expand...

I’m all for the easy, readily-available thing if it works. I have a 5150 block letter that sounds killer, it just doesn’t quite track the super low notes as well as I’d like. That’s really the problem. It seems for that I need active pickups but those don’t sound as good on the normal strings to me.

Used Rectos are pretty inexpensive and easy to come by and with the Fluence Moderns, that is a great sound to me. So I may just have a Marshall/passive guitar and Recto/active guitar and just pick one based on whether I’m mostly playing hard rock or mostly playing true metal stuff and just deal with it.

Doesn’t make sense to instead pay even more money and effort hunting for a single amp that probably still is a compromise.
 
cardinal":pvzknw5p said:
napalmdeath":pvzknw5p said:
Save your money. Pick up a used JCM2000 DSL, and call it a day.

Don't know why people get so caught up in thinking they have to spend a fortune. Hell, better yet, a Peavey JSX. 3 excellent, useable channels. Exceptional crunch, massive ultra channel, and damn fine for leads. I'd take a JSX over a 5150 III any day. Red channel on the 5150 is over the top, and unusable, (for me, anyway, and I love high gain). The blue channel is the 5150's bread and butter. Love that channel. If they lowered the gain on the red and made it more musical/useable, I'd still own one.

I'll throw the Randall KH103 out there as well.
Click to expand...

I’m all for the easy, readily-available thing if it works. I have a 5150 block letter that sounds killer, it just doesn’t quite track the super low notes as well as I’d like. That’s really the problem. It seems for that I need active pickups but those don’t sound as good on the normal strings to me.

Used Rectos are pretty inexpensive and easy to come by and with the Fluence Moderns, that is a great sound to me. So I may just have a Marshall/passive guitar and Recto/active guitar and just pick one based on whether I’m mostly playing hard rock or mostly playing true metal stuff and just deal with it.

Doesn’t make sense to instead pay even more money and effort hunting for a single amp that probably still is a compromise.
Click to expand...

I'd ditch the actives, first off. The 5150 block letter with the right passives should more than do the trick, (look into a better boost, like an Airis Savage Drive). I'm not a fan of actives, to each their own. I could certainly make the block letter fit the bill, with the right tools.

But, they don't do the crunch thing as well. Maybe look at a 5150II/6505+?

I'm telling you though, the JSX checks all the boxes. I've owned 4 of them, and know them very well. It's a Jack of all trades, and would be your go-to for all things, (though I didn't care for it with EMGs).
 
Keep your jcm800. Get a Fortin Grind or even better a VFE Standout/Focus if you can find one, that'll boost the 800 into tight br00tz territory.
 
godgrinder":rcltxkdh said:
Keep your jcm800. Get a Fortin Grind or even better a VFE Standout/Focus if you can find one, that'll boost the 800 into tight br00tz territory.
Click to expand...

Agree with that as well. OP needs to find the right boosts, not a new amp!
 
boyedav":qub9db7h said:
Check out the Randall 667. Sure, it has a lot of channels, knobs, and switches, but it'll cover all the ground. It was pretty much the last 3+ channel amp I tried because it seemed to have too much going on and I hated the size of the head, but it ended up ending my tone search. I used one as my primary gig and home amp for about 18 months, and if I ever go back to a traditional head/cab set up, I'll buy another one in a heartbeat. They can be found used for a pretty reasonable price too.
Click to expand...

I almost snagged one for $999. I too was intimidated by it's massive size and switches/bells/whistles. But all the clips I hear sound pretty righteous.
 
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