Hello And Looking For Advice To Buy Marshall Style Amplifier

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MistaGuitah

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Hello, this is my first post. I would like some recommendations to buy a channel switching Marshall style amplifier. I want a clean channel and drive channel at least. An overdrive is always in front of my amp. I had a Smallbox and a JVM410H and they were both great. The Smallbox needed more bass and more gain would have been good, and the JVM was too compressed. I only have $2000, so cannot afford a BE-100 which seems like a good option. The Astoria Dual channel head sounds like it has that old JTM45 KT66 thing going on and I like it, but that too is too expensive for my budget.

People are not trustworthy to buy used amps so that is something I wish to avoid. I explored the Splawn option, but the Quick Rod was not good with FX and not as open as a Smallbox. As for music, I like to play a lot of classic metal like the Iron Maiden and Megadeth, blues rock like ZZ Top and Joe Bonamassa, and sometimes I play clean chord stuff. I want to play more brootz in the future so the amp has to have big balls LOL. My guitars have humbuckers. I have a Friedman Dirty Shirley 2x12 cab with 65 Creambacks and a Bogner Cube 1x12 with a Vintage 30.

For reference the Marshall tones that I am liking most are the Metroplex (also too expensive!), some of the JVM sounds, and the Tone King Royalist 45 MKII also sounds very good but only has single channel. Given all of my information, what amp do you recommend and why? Thank you in advance.
 
MistaGuitah":1t4osr5t said:
The Astoria Dual channel head sounds like it has that old JTM45 KT66 thing going on and I like it, but that too is too expensive for my budget.
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The Vintage Modern series have a similar vibe to that but cheaper used. Can do classic/thrash metal with a boost but probably not for brootz (a bit too saggy for that).

If you like the regular JVM but find it too compressed maybe look into the Satriani sig JVM? It's less compressed than the regular ones.
 
I just scored the new DSLHR for 750. I'm likely to get some mods done to it at some point which would still put it way under your budget. I'll post it up when it arrives
 
With you using a a Small Box, I assume a 50w is OK. With that said, Rivera Knucklehead 50w is an amazing amp. Now, you going to have to sit with it for a bit to dial it in, but once you get it, I think you will be happy with it. As far as the clean channel, not too many amp company's can make as clean a clean channel as Rivera, in a high gain amp. Also, another thing to keep in mind on the Rivera, its mid heavy, so it will really depend on the cab you are running. I run 2 V30's with 2 Greenbacks, in an x pattern when running a Rivera amp. It smooths out the mids in my Marshall cab.

FWIW, I to am into old 80's metal. Megadeth being my favorite, I can get Peace Sells, Rust, and Countdown tones with this amp.
 
Custom Audio Suhr PT100 (first version)... these can be found used for around $1800 and will check every box on your list... and they have one of the best clean channels and fx loops around.
 
Ceriatone. Definitely.

I’d look at the yeti or King Kong.
 
Get a real Marshall. Jubilee 2555x used will be under 1500 and be 2 yrs old at most, clean is decent and with a boost in front can get heavy enough. Good loop too.
JCM 800 for 1K or so, pedal for heavy stuff and dirty clean with your guitar volume. Need a loop? Grab a metro and have a tech put it in. Still way under your budget.
Or, the timeless classic NMV Marshall..used will be a bit more but 2K will easily get you one..clean is a classic tone and a decent distortion pedal will get you heavy enough.

I feel the best Marshall style amp is....a Real Marshall.
Edit: I see you want to buy new. Maybe look at Landry amps? I hear his prices are reasonable for a 2-3 channel Marshall build.
 
I'd revisit the JVM, but go for the 2-channel. I agree with what's been said already, get a Marshall. Or, the Ceriatone suggestions. You can get brand new, well under budget!

Or, if you don't mind a little different flavor, an EVH.
 
I like the JVM410HJS suggestion. I think there was a review that did say something about it being less compressed, more open than the regular JVM. Ceriatone would be great, but I don't want to wait months for one. I hear they have U.S. dealers so I'll check into it. Thanks for the great suggestions.
 
I wouldn't give up on Splawn just yet. Nor would I give up on buying used. IMO

You can get a LOT of amp for your money buying used. I also don't get what the fuss is over the Splawn FX Loop. I don't have any problem with mine. Great clean channel. Plexi to Brootz. But oh well.

I personally found the JVMs way too compressed.

EVH 5153 is a good idea.

Hell, maybe just a DSL
 
311splawndude":dalrf7h7 said:
I wouldn't give up on Splawn just yet. Nor would I give up on buying used. IMO

You can get a LOT of amp for your money buying used. I also don't get what the fuss is over the Splawn FX Loop. I don't have any problem with mine. Great clean channel. Plexi to Brootz. But oh well.

I personally found the JVMs way too compressed.

EVH 5153 is a good idea.

Hell, maybe just a DSL
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I'm still looking at Splawn, but maybe the Nitro with EL34's this time. I won't buy used. There are too many people comfortable with lying. The Bogner Goldfinger 90 looks very promising too.
 
MistaGuitah":31am55ra said:
311splawndude":31am55ra said:
I wouldn't give up on Splawn just yet. Nor would I give up on buying used. IMO

You can get a LOT of amp for your money buying used. I also don't get what the fuss is over the Splawn FX Loop. I don't have any problem with mine. Great clean channel. Plexi to Brootz. But oh well.

I personally found the JVMs way too compressed.

EVH 5153 is a good idea.

Hell, maybe just a DSL
Click to expand...

I'm still looking at Splawn, but maybe the Nitro with EL34's this time. I won't buy used. There are too many people comfortable with lying. The Bogner Goldfinger 90 looks very promising too.
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I'll throw some out there. Granted I love my JVM however it you feel it's too compressed then a 5153 isn't going to be any better, it's more compressed IMO. Btw/ with the JVM what about staying on the Crunch channel and working in an OD pedal. I've gotten great tones out of that amp that way, then again I pretty much love everything about the JVM. Also, what type of pups are you using? Maybe try something more PAFish. And of course your can do some mods to the amp.

Less compressed w/staying in the Marshallesque realm>
Marshall - JCM 800, Jubilee, DSL
Splawn - QR
Friedman - BE100
Bogner - Shiva

Maybe's - Fryette/VHT - Pittbull, Deliverance. You want high gain, low compression these are it.
Suhr - PT100
 
Honestly my friend, I never could gel with the JVM. I tried 4 or 5 times on different amps and never really got there. I think the 210 or 205 might be my favs of them all. Way compressed though as we all know. Some of the Green and Orange OD1 and 2 were pretty cool IMO.

I don't think the EVH is as compressed as the JVM. I'd say it is more half way between that and say a Splawn. Splawns are pretty open to my ear. The grit you get out of it is the grit you put in. Pretty frickin transparent in that regard. Some would call that stiff or too tight or too unforgiving. Fair enough.

I really wish I had an EVH 5153 really.

I think the VHT is a good call too - but more like the Splawn.

But go play a DSL seriously and report back. :D

All of these can get you modern + crunch + cleans

PS: I can almost guarantee if you buy a Splawn ( or any amp) off of here or the splawn forum you won't get screwed. Kind of depends on what you can tolerate. I mean...Craigslist, you can go play the amp and develop a personal report if local. Most of the cool forums (like Rig-Talk, GAB, SS, UG, etc etc do not have users who are going to screw you.
 
Get a Quikrod or a 2 input BE100 used for around $2,300 great tones on them. I have both and won't be selling. You won't regret getting either one. The Splawn is a tad darker with more lows and gain. The BE100 is more transparent and brighter in the upper mids with a tad less gain. Both have a mean tone and nice clean channel.
 
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