hellzington
Well-known member
Hey y'all, I made a little video comparing my two Gower-modded amps. The first is a Marshall 1959 SLP reissue with the Gower Rockmonster mod. The second is a Marshall JCM 800 2203x reissue with the Gower Killer Kali ++ mod. There's timestamps in the video for each amp plus setup and my thoughts. This isn't intended to be a scientific experiment, just a fun, casual comparison of the two.
My thoughts are at the end of the video but in sum: while these two amps share a similar DNA, they're pretty different in how they operate and how they sounded in the room.
The Rockmonster has this massive wall of sound that just fills the entire room. I think it's a great amp in a band where you're the only guitarist because its sound is so big. It is also much simpler to get great tones out of: just plug in, set everything halfway and you're 90% of the way there. Just tweak to taste. However, it doesn't clean up as well as the KK when you roll the volume knob back and it can't do lower gain tones as well as the KK. The Rockmonster also has more gain than the KK, if that matters to you. But if you want something straightforward, with a thick sound that just simply rocks, the Rockmonster fits the bill. The mod is named very aptly!
The Killer Kali ++ is a much leaner and more versatile amp, but it's also more complicated. There's more knobs and switches on this one and the two push/pull bright switches and the "Feel" knob have a lot to do with your sound. By default, it's a mid-gain, fairly bright amp that cuts through the mix like a razor. I think this is an awesome amp for solos, a band with two guitarists, or a band that has a lot of low end as part of its sound. That said, the KK can have a huge sound, but you'll likely have to engage the Violence mode (additional gain stage) and spend some time with the Depth and Thump knobs to get a huge sound similar to the Rockmonster. Overall, the KK is brighter and more versatile than the Rockmonster, but it's also more complicated.
I think they can be dialed in almost the same if you try, though. For example, when I go back and forth between the two listening to the "Enter Sandman" tone, they sound almost identical on the recording. (I'm fairly impressed that I did that completely by ear, in the moment.) However, in the room the two amps consistently sounded a bit different to me: the Rockmonster was naturally more gainy and fuller and the KK was brighter and more cutting.
What do you think? I'd love to hear your thoughts. I'm also happy to answer any questions. Cheers.
My thoughts are at the end of the video but in sum: while these two amps share a similar DNA, they're pretty different in how they operate and how they sounded in the room.
The Rockmonster has this massive wall of sound that just fills the entire room. I think it's a great amp in a band where you're the only guitarist because its sound is so big. It is also much simpler to get great tones out of: just plug in, set everything halfway and you're 90% of the way there. Just tweak to taste. However, it doesn't clean up as well as the KK when you roll the volume knob back and it can't do lower gain tones as well as the KK. The Rockmonster also has more gain than the KK, if that matters to you. But if you want something straightforward, with a thick sound that just simply rocks, the Rockmonster fits the bill. The mod is named very aptly!
The Killer Kali ++ is a much leaner and more versatile amp, but it's also more complicated. There's more knobs and switches on this one and the two push/pull bright switches and the "Feel" knob have a lot to do with your sound. By default, it's a mid-gain, fairly bright amp that cuts through the mix like a razor. I think this is an awesome amp for solos, a band with two guitarists, or a band that has a lot of low end as part of its sound. That said, the KK can have a huge sound, but you'll likely have to engage the Violence mode (additional gain stage) and spend some time with the Depth and Thump knobs to get a huge sound similar to the Rockmonster. Overall, the KK is brighter and more versatile than the Rockmonster, but it's also more complicated.
I think they can be dialed in almost the same if you try, though. For example, when I go back and forth between the two listening to the "Enter Sandman" tone, they sound almost identical on the recording. (I'm fairly impressed that I did that completely by ear, in the moment.) However, in the room the two amps consistently sounded a bit different to me: the Rockmonster was naturally more gainy and fuller and the KK was brighter and more cutting.
What do you think? I'd love to hear your thoughts. I'm also happy to answer any questions. Cheers.
