G
guitarman1956
Member
If you didn't have any pedals and could only use a Good Amp, what would that amp be to get great cleans, crunchy classic rock...No metal
Thanks
Thanks
japetus
Well-known member
I really like the Mesa Lonestars, I would probably go with that. Not an amp you hear the metal guys talk about much but very underrated. Great cleans, great low gain/mid gain tones. Can do higher gain if needed. Won't totally break the bank. Build like a tank. Loud, but can scale down and be quiet.
J
JSutter
Active member
Mesa Mark V, the crunch mode on channel 2 was my favorite for rock. Channel 1 has unlimited tones, from sparkling cleans to mid gain and beyond.
BeZo
Well-known member
I stand in defense of metal. I guess I don't understand why your personal bias against a genre of music should apply to amplifiers. Really, the answer to your question is in fact metal amps in general. Some of the best, and most versatile amps are metal amps. Just because an amp is capable of high gain tones (metal), does not mean it can't in most cases be dialed in to sound good as a rock amp. Most great rock amps are great metal amps and vice versa. Plus, the high gain channel, or lead channel, on most amps isn't just for chuggin the brootz, it also functions as a lead channel.
If I had to pick a head with no pedals, I would look for an amp with the most versatility and tweakabiliity. A clean channel with dedicated eq, a crunch channel, and a lead channel for solos. That would eliminate the need for eq and boost pedals for me. I would still feel lost without a phaser, but that's me. I need phasers.
If I had to pick a head with no pedals, I would look for an amp with the most versatility and tweakabiliity. A clean channel with dedicated eq, a crunch channel, and a lead channel for solos. That would eliminate the need for eq and boost pedals for me. I would still feel lost without a phaser, but that's me. I need phasers.
W
Will Onyx
Active member
I’m going with the Mark V as well. If I’m running no pedals, I at least want the amp to have built in reverb.
it can even do metal.
it can even do metal.
R
Racerxrated
Well-known member
Grab a DSL. Nice clean, good crunch and Marshall IS the sound of crunchy classic rock. They sound good and are EVERYWHERE. Love my Mesas too but they don’t cut though the mix like a Marshall, no matter how you set them up.
Luca79
Active member
CAE OD100 or a Dumble HRM clone. Many good amps out there can do clean and crunch better then pedals, IMO.
S
Special Ed
New member
Big fan of the PRS Archon. No matter what I play through, I always seem to end up plugged into mine.
C
ClintN667
Well-known member
One of my favorite crunch tones is the KSR Orthos/Ares crunch. It's just so... I dunno man its just good but buying one of those just for rock is overkill. If I was in the market for a hard rock amp I would get the Ceriatone all access Plexi. A lot of flexibility and with a PPIMV you can get some nice rock tones.
SpiderWars
Well-known member
Lol, I think he just wants to tell us that it doesn't have be high gain or "good for metal". Which is a very important piece of information in order to get good responses.
Pretty sure metal doesn't need anyone "standing in defense" of it here. We're mostly metalheads.
BeZo
Well-known member
I get it. It's just that all of my favorite rock amps are also great metal amps. I love plugging straight into the Peavey 5150 and playing the green channel on 10. Then you can go clean with your volume knob like Eddie did. The Mesa Rectifier, Rivera Knucklehead, and even my Verellen Skyhammer are some of my favorite rock tones, and they come from high gain "metal" amps. The Orange Rockerverb would be a great option, but it can do metal on the extreme end. Really, if I was doing rock WITHOUT pedals, I would want a metal amp.
thenine
Well-known member
JVM and a midi switch
H
Holy-diver
Well-known member
And I stand with you sir ?
H
harddriver
Well-known member
Friedman Smallbox Plexi, Metropoulous Metroplex, Friedman BE100, JEL100.
For a super great clean channel and great Marshall channel, Landry G3, Suhr PT100
If your buying on a budget Marshall DSL, JVM... alot of people get great tones of them.
For a super great clean channel and great Marshall channel, Landry G3, Suhr PT100
If your buying on a budget Marshall DSL, JVM... alot of people get great tones of them.
R
RockyStar
Well-known member
You have a ton of options under that criteria. Here are a few in addition to what has been listed already.
Bogner Shiva
PRS Archon
Diezel Paul
Mesa Marks, TC
Soldano SLO
Suhr Badgers
Friedman Dirty Shirley
Hiwatt DR103
Sound City 50
Roccaforte
Wizard
Bogner Shiva
PRS Archon
Diezel Paul
Mesa Marks, TC
Soldano SLO
Suhr Badgers
Friedman Dirty Shirley
Hiwatt DR103
Sound City 50
Roccaforte
Wizard
LP Freak
Well-known member
Friedman Twin Sister would fit the bill
DISTORT6
Well-known member
Fryette Sig:X will do it and then some.
rottingcorpse
Well-known member
Agreed. A multi channel metal amp usually has a rhythm channel that can be dialed back for rock. I would also suggest the sig-x as distort6 suggested along with the pitbull classic.
Or just give in to the inevitable and get a Kemper or a modeler.
glassjaw7
Well-known member
Of all my amps I own or have owned recently (Mesa, Bogner, Fender, Marshall) the one that I never feel the need to use pedals with is my 2555x. It just sounds awesome straight in, definitely tight enough if you’re not going for metal tones, dead quiet and nails the tones you mentioned.
The only drawback is that switching between clean and crunch without some dialing creates a bit of compromise on one or the other but it’s not bad.
The only drawback is that switching between clean and crunch without some dialing creates a bit of compromise on one or the other but it’s not bad.
ke2
Active member
Diezel D-moll.