Helios 100 or 50?

[gbsmusic]

Bad GAS for this amp!!!! Just looking for opinions. Have you had both or played them both in the same setting and which did you like better? Why? Thanks for any info.

 

[zewango]

I had both. Im really liking the 50 I have now.

 

[glip22]

I had one of the earliest Helios. I have been so close to pulling the trigger on a new one lately. I remember I liked the tone allot. Very sweet in the highs and Marshall mids. A little stiff compared to the Wizard it sat next to. The PT buzzed really loud. It was why I sold it. It just bugged me. I'm fine with Magnetic Corps OT's but not there PT"S. They sell them for like 80 bucks a set to builders.
Such a nice to build to crap out on the trannies. I wonder if they changed that about the PT.
The other thing that stopped me was the bus wire for the preamp grounds. Some had issues because you usually need to jiggle the pretubes to remove them. This put pressure on the joints and some guys I read had problems. My only two gripes. Otherwise the amp was great. If these were changed I would have jumped on another one recently.

 

[gbsmusic]

Can you get good lower volume tones?

 

[stratotone]

I dig my 50. Here's the 'clean' channel cranked.

https://soundcloud.com/stonecutter-13/h ... annel-clip

 

[jape23]

I dig my 50. Here's the 'clean' channel cranked.

https://soundcloud.com/stonecutter-13/h ... annel-clip

Sounds good! Thanks for posting.

I A/B'd a 50 watt Helios against the 100 watter, and I liked the 50 a bit better. Best way I can describe it is the 50 watt version sounded a bit sweeter/warmer to my ears.

Both are great amps though. Can't go wrong with either one.

 

[gbsmusic]

I dig my 50. Here's the 'clean' channel cranked.

https://soundcloud.com/stonecutter-13/h ... annel-clip

Sounds just incredible!! What pedals, cab, and speakers?

 

[Jdub]

Hey man thanks for the call earlier. Nice chat sorry to cut it short brother..

I love them both and they are a bit different. For me, I like the 50 better. it is a little more searing. the 100 has a little more knock. my 50 has more gain the my 100 did by a margin, not that I use it all very often..

I absolutely love my H50. if you are going to pull the trigger there are a couple varied version of the headshell and also some have no variac from what i understand. you want the variac!

 

[stratotone]

I dig my 50. Here's the 'clean' channel cranked.

https://soundcloud.com/stonecutter-13/h ... annel-clip

Sounds just incredible!! What pedals, cab, and speakers?

Thanks. No pedals, evh bumblebee clone with 80s super distortion pickup, stock 1972 Marshall cab. Miked it with a md421 and heil pr30. Was making kemper profiles and kept the mic settings for the clip

 

[gbsmusic]

I dig my 50. Here's the 'clean' channel cranked.

https://soundcloud.com/stonecutter-13/h ... annel-clip

Sounds just incredible!! What pedals, cab, and speakers?

Thanks. No pedals, evh bumblebee clone with 80s super distortion pickup, stock 1972 Marshall cab. Miked it with a md421 and heil pr30. Was making kemper profiles and kept the mic settings for the clip

Wow it sounds like you have a little reverb or delay. Great stuff! Thanks.

 

[Jdub]

I dig my 50. Here's the 'clean' channel cranked.

https://soundcloud.com/stonecutter-13/h ... annel-clip

Sounds just incredible!! What pedals, cab, and speakers?

Thanks. No pedals, evh bumblebee clone with 80s super distortion pickup, stock 1972 Marshall cab. Miked it with a md421 and heil pr30. Was making kemper profiles and kept the mic settings for the clip

No kidding?!! Hot input, clean channel no pedals? Wowza.! very impressive Pete!!!! I think that is my fave Helios clip on the net and its the clean channel hot input. Funny when I hear people say that channel is virtually unusable. Lol. Sounds pretty useable to me. I was rocking my clean hot input last night but was using a 59 AVRI start. did not sound like that but it sounded killer nonetheless. Helios 50 is the shiznizzles .

 

[Jdub]

Greg you gotta get one and then just stop.. quit the gear flip BS once and for all..

 

[stratotone]

I dig my 50. Here's the 'clean' channel cranked.

https://soundcloud.com/stonecutter-13/h ... annel-clip

Sounds just incredible!! What pedals, cab, and speakers?

Thanks. No pedals, evh bumblebee clone with 80s super distortion pickup, stock 1972 Marshall cab. Miked it with a md421 and heil pr30. Was making kemper profiles and kept the mic settings for the clip

Wow it sounds like you have a little reverb or delay. Great stuff! Thanks.

Well yeah, there's some verb going on one side for the VH thing. But the tone and gain is all amp.

 

[Jason_86_951]

Hit Velcro up and see if you can try his. Had it for a while up here and loved it!

 

[mchn13]

What's the volume like on these? Equal to a Marshall or close to it? I pretty much use my 2204 these days as it's way more than enough. Thinking about offing my 2203 to add to my gear pile to get one.
If they're on par with the marshalls I definitely want a 50watt then.

 

[SavageRiffer]

I have the 50w. Before I bought one, I tried both the 100w and 50w. Bogner recommends the 100w if you're not sure which one you want, but I've got to tell you that I absolutely love the 50w. The main difference between the two is that the 100w has a 30w JTM mode and the 50w has a Variac mode. They both have amazing power modes, but I like the Variac on the 50w better. If you turn on the punch switch and set it to Variac power, oh man, it's incredible at ANY volume. You can really feel the notes coming right out of your fingers.

 

[Jdub]

Hit Velcro up and see if you can try his. Had it for a while up here and loved it!

Hey Jas.. I would bring mine over but cant get across the pass from the beach to the city. Velcro is in love.. me too. great amp Greg. you want it...

 

[napalmdeath]

I have no experience with the 100, but as a new owner of the 50, it sounds absolutely glorious!

I did stumble across this when I was doing my research..
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nEimW6edYDI

 

[PBGas]

I really love what comes out this amp. I tried one back in the summer and it is still sitting in my head.

 

[krueger]

I owned both and keep the 50. I find the 50 more musical.