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

[Markedman]

Boogie Mark 3. If you had one, you wouldn't be asking!!!

 

[7 Stringer]

Revv generator 120.

This has become my favorite amp of all time. Does everything well.

 

[Riggins1966]

H&K Triamp. Seriously. Can cover everything you want IMO.

 

[cardinal]

H&K Triamp. Seriously. Can cover everything you want IMO.

Was just listening to Fuel's Something Like Human this morning. Man that amp sounds good on that record.

 

[cardinal]

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.

Agree with that as well. OP needs to find the right boosts, not a new amp!

This! Find a VFE Dragon and Standout and you’ll be shocked.

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=203394

I'm looking for a Standout. I've ordered a Rocket pedal (the parametric mid boost) which is a different concept but has a shelving bass control which might be similar to the HPF of the Standout.

For the Standout: how do you set the blend knob?

For simply the HPF and LPF, something like the Empress ParaEQ could be a reasonably substitute: set the high and low bands to the widest Q and their max frequencies and start adjusting them in; use the boost to slam the input. But there's no way to blend in the dry signal unless you use another pedal like the Boss LS-2, at which point I think things are getting out of hand. But maybe blending in the dry signal isn't necessary since the Empress has more control over the amount of high and low roll off (rather than a set -6 or -12 db per octave).

 

[stephen sawall]

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?

The Rhythm channel preamp is similar to the Deliverance. But the poweramp is different. You can get similar sounds and they both have the Fryette fingerprint....but two different amps.

As for the crunch sounds ....it is extremely versatile. Each channel can do a variety of different feeling and sounding crunch sounds. Anything from Hiwatt to Mesa Mark type flavors. Similar...not duplicate.

I've used the VFE Dragon and Standout many times with many amps since they came out a few years ago. These pedals work very good to get a modern sound out of a vintage voiced amp. The Rocket and other pedals you are looking at are not going to sound the same. Not anymore than all guitars with humbuckers sound the same.

You really need to try this stuff and the other options people are suggesting. Trying to guess what's going to work for you without actually trying the gear is a endless guess game.

 

[cardinal]

Ugh I caved and just bought a damn VFE Focus. Seems like most people are setting the Standout's HPF and LPF within the range that the Focus can do, so we'll see how it goes.

 

[_actual time_]

In my experience, the JVM (mine was a 410 with mods like the Satch 410) can get sounds like all of those, but to my ear the tones were good but not great. Great bang for the buck used, but they weren't quite as 3D or rich.

Splawn QR in my experience does everything from AC/DC (1st gear) to Rust-era Megadeth (3rd gear + extra gain stage) very well. I don't know how well it does low brutals; when I play as low as D or B, it's usually Sabbath covers, and a loose sloppy sound on those is a plus. It likely would need a boost to get tight in the C# and lower range.

A boost with adjustable lows and/or mids, like the VFE, seems a good thing to try.

 

[311boogieman]

In my experience, the JVM (mine was a 410 with mods like the Satch 410) can get sounds like all of those, but to my ear the tones were good but not great. Great bang for the buck used, but they weren't quite as 3D or rich.

Splawn QR in my experience does everything from AC/DC (1st gear) to Rust-era Megadeth (3rd gear + extra gain stage) very well. I don't know how well it does low brutals; when I play as low as D or B, it's usually Sabbath covers, and a loose sloppy sound on those is a plus. It likely would need a boost to get tight in the C# and lower range.

A boost with adjustable lows and/or mids, like the VFE, seems a good thing to try.

I agree. The JVM, to me, was a good bang for the buck used. A 205 that is.

The Splawns handle the down tuned stuff so well because of dem massive trannies and the fact that they are pretty bright and articulate. Very hard to get a Splawn to flub out or get sloppy.

Big fan of EL34s in Rectos too

 

[ElectricVoodoo]

I've always been a marshall guy, but last week I picked up a mesa MkV 35 head.....wow!
Swiss army of amps.
Jazz to death metal

Cleans ate probably better than my fender Deville I had years ago.

 

[Braciola]

I can't think of one amp that will do classic rock and modern metal without some sacrifice....and I've been through a boatload of amps.
You may want to consider going kemper, fractal, etc.

 

[_actual time_]

The Splawns handle the down tuned stuff so well because of dem massive trannies and the fact that they are pretty bright and articulate. Very hard to get a Splawn to flub out or get sloppy.

Actually my QR is very flubby on 2nd gear. Sounds honky or congested, and loose in the lows like 70s Molly Hatchet or old Mountain tones. Very different than the tight & bright feel on 1st gear and 3rd gear. So I never play in 2nd gear; only 1st and 3rd.

 

[sytharnia1560]

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.

You're missing the point..clearly the OP wants to buy a new amp

 

[cardinal]

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.

You're missing the point..clearly the OP wants to buy a new amp

I really don't! I've found a VFE Focus and hope it does the trick. I'm hovering on buying a 33 though I really really really don't want to.

The problem is I think I am being picky. Lots of good amp suggestions in here, but like Braciola said, everything I've played has been a compromise. Either it delivers the old school Marshall crunch but not really the super high gain or the high gain is there but the crunch just isn't like an old Marshall. Maybe the Wizard is there but at that price point I could keep the old Marshall and a separate high gain amp.

Anyway, hopefully one of these pedals will scratch the itch. And I'll keep an eye out to try as many of these amps as I can. Should be easy enough to track down a JVM and maybe a Splawn. The JSX seems common enough. SigX isn't; I'd probably have to buy one of those to try it.

 

[311boogieman]

The Splawns handle the down tuned stuff so well because of dem massive trannies and the fact that they are pretty bright and articulate. Very hard to get a Splawn to flub out or get sloppy.

Actually my QR is very flubby on 2nd gear. Sounds honky or congested, and loose in the lows like 70s Molly Hatchet or old Mountain tones. Very different than the tight & bright feel on 1st gear and 3rd gear. So I never play in 2nd gear; only 1st and 3rd.

Sorry to hear that.

I pretty much live in Gear 2 and tuned to C doing KSE type stuff. Trying anyway

 

[D-Rock]

H&K Triamp. Seriously. Can cover everything you want IMO.

Was just listening to Fuel's Something Like Human this morning. Man that amp sounds good on that record.

Man, that album and Sunburn are great...

 

[napalmdeath]

I've always been a marshall guy, but last week I picked up a mesa MkV 35 head.....wow!
Swiss army of amps.
Jazz to death metal

Cleans ate probably better than my fender Deville I had years ago.

I had the 25, and was impressed as well. It just petered out to quick. The sweet spot was sweet, indeed.

 

[napalmdeath]

The Splawns handle the down tuned stuff so well because of dem massive trannies and the fact that they are pretty bright and articulate. Very hard to get a Splawn to flub out or get sloppy.

Actually my QR is very flubby on 2nd gear. Sounds honky or congested, and loose in the lows like 70s Molly Hatchet or old Mountain tones. Very different than the tight & bright feel on 1st gear and 3rd gear. So I never play in 2nd gear; only 1st and 3rd.

Sorry to hear that.

I pretty much live in Gear 2 and tuned to C doing KSE type stuff. Trying anyway

I live on 2nd gear as well. I boost with a Savage Drive, and even with Greenbacks, I have no flub. I kick it up a notch with an MXR 10-band in the loop as well. Very big tone. Boosted 1st gear is pretty awesome as well for hard rock/80's tones. Gets pretty close to John Sykes territory, and nails Viv's Holy Diver tones.

 

[cardinal]

^ 10-band EQ is a good idea too. I have a limited EQ pedal right now and just dumping some of the low end is really helping. Something simple like the Boss GEB-7 can just dump the frequencies around 60hz and 125hz and leave everything else alone.

 

[napalmdeath]

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.

You're missing the point..clearly the OP wants to buy a new amp

I think his point is, (and I agree), he already has the amps to do what he wants, just needs to boost them with the right pedals.