Just curious, what do you think the Tightest metal amp out?

[Ventura]

As per the XTCs not being tight, I dunno... I suppose tight ought to be defined. For me, the VH4 is tight - no after tones, percussive, potent, but still really, really musical, but the notes STOP dead when you want them to. No ringouts, no spongy undertones, just a 200mph freight train that stops on a hair, and continues on at 200mph thereafter. Thick, f*ckin loud, and dead quiet all at the same time, does that make sense?

The XTC's got some musical slop to it, like a bit o' grease, but I love it... I can define it by being careful with my pick attack and palm mutes, or I can let it all hang out and just let 'em ring, it like it either way, and either way, sounds great

Not sure how else to describe the XTC (20thA in my case, with KT77s). It's a lively amp...has character, NOT uber tight.

Mo

 

[philnz]

VHT Ultralead

 

[Anonymous]

You guys are sending my NATAS, and Ultralead gas through the roof!!! Herbert was super tight compared to my 2 channel dual rec... but the Cobra surprisingly was the tightest of those 3 that I have owned... EG5 module with the right power amp was pretty damn tight, but nowhere as close as Herbert or Cobra tight. I still have a Friedman and a revision F triple rec to try out when I get back home, along with my blueface vh4 that I haven't tried yet... wonder if any of those can change my mind?

 

[Shiny_Surface]

THIS thread is a sloppy mess

It's degenerated into posturing and he said/she said.

 

[nwright]

To me a tight amp is one without a lot of tube sag, defined "edges" to the sound, and a dryness to the tone. An amp with a lot of low end can easily still be tight...

The tightest I've owned is probably my 5150 III or my XXX, the tightest I've played has either been a VHT UL or the Rhodes Colossus. The tightest amp that had the most pleasing tone has easily been the Colossus. But for my tastes probably my favorite tone overall has been the 5150 III.

I don't always associate tightness with favorable tonal results. Solid State amps are tight generally speaking, but there are few which I find tonally pleasing. The tube sag and somewhat looser feeling in a tube amp is what I find to be most tonally pleasing by comparison to a SS high gainer. Too much sag and looseness makes the tone undefined, too much tightness makes the tone boring and sterile. Some amps have the magic amount of tightness matched with a nice voicing that makes them stand out. To me the Rhodes is one of those amps. But I'm a slave to the aggression and grind of the 5150/6505/5150 III style voicing.

 

[dfrattaroli]

Never heard a recto called "tight" before. Mark IV, that's tight. Recto, that's grandma's hay-nanny.

 

[TeleBlaster]

Friends don't let friends abuse hallucinogens and post in gear forums.....

 

[lolzgreg]

To me a tight amp is one without a lot of tube sag, defined "edges" to the sound, and a dryness to the tone. An amp with a lot of low end can easily still be tight...

The tightest I've owned is probably my 5150 III or my XXX, the tightest I've played has either been a VHT UL or the Rhodes Colossus. The tightest amp that had the most pleasing tone has easily been the Colossus. But for my tastes probably my favorite tone overall has been the 5150 III.

I think there are three ways that really describe the way an amp holds together; tight, liquid, and loose. Tight amps are very percussive, generally emphasize pick attack to a great degree, and are generally "harder to play" than other amps, because they don't hide mistakes. Tight amps can have a lot of gain, but not a lot of saturation. Liquid amps (like the 5150 III) saturate in a way that makes the bottom and top end very homogenous, hence the term liquidy, and they don't display a great deal of excursion upon palm muting. Loose amps are generally a bit on the drier side, but have a lot of excursion on the low end, and don't track extremely fast.

On any note, I wouldn't call a 5150, Recto, or SLO tight, especially not without a boost. The 5150 III, JVM, VH4, Ecstasy, and Jose-styled amps are liquid to me, and Mark IV, VHT, Natas, Bones, 800s, 900s and Barons are all tight amps.

 

[the4thlast1]

I have had the chance to play lolzgregs Natas several times.. It is the tightest and fastest responding out of them all.

I have owned pretty much all the Engls and they are close in terms of tightness but in general I think most of there amps are way over priced for what they are... I have also had Fryette amps such as UL and Clx, I had a Framus Cobra, Mark IV is pretty damn tight too. Except for the Natas and the Engls I would be using a boost with pretty much every other amp Ive had... Most amps need that extra push for that real fast tight pick attack.

If you have that type of dough than go for the Natas, If not than there are plenty of other amps that will be tight for riffing. Do you not want to use a boost ?

 

[glassjaw7]

Most amps can get tight with a boost. Lolzgreg put up a clip a little while back of a 101b doing thrash. Sounded tight as fuck.

When I said Rectos are sloppy and loose, I meant stock and without a boost. Play an Engl bone dry and stock, now that's tight sirs!

But judging from clips it seems that nothing touches Mike Fortin's Hulk mod or NATAS. That's the definition of tight responsive guitar. The way it tracks so fast that there's absolutely no hang up on the last note or leftover sag or bass flub. Just pure note clarity that tracks precisely when u play it. And its still got juice and tone! Not a sterile stripped away sound. I haven't heard anything else with that clean note separation.

 

[kiff]

peavey backstage 30 w/ a metal zone!

 

[AmpliFIRE]

any amp...with a Boss SD1 as a clean boost

 

[kiff]

oh yea, sd1, that's what i meant

 

[JTyson]

How easily we forget
Mikes Bones and Natas amps (and Jasons Evil Pumpkin) are the tight KINGS
Show me something that can track faster than that

 

[Mailman1971]

Whats funny to me......is if someone likes the amp .....
ITS TIGHT!!!
If they dont care for it......
ITS TOO 'STIFF'...

Whats the difference?

 

[steve_k]

Whats funny to me......is if someone likes the amp .....
ITS TIGHT!!!
If they dont care for it......
ITS TOO 'STIFF'...

Whats the difference?

Ear wax......

 

[Mailman1971]

Whats funny to me......is if someone likes the amp .....
ITS TIGHT!!!
If they dont care for it......
ITS TOO 'STIFF'...

Whats the difference?

Ear wax......

Good Answer Mellon....I will be watching you....

 

[steve_k]

Whats funny to me......is if someone likes the amp .....
ITS TIGHT!!!
If they dont care for it......
ITS TOO 'STIFF'...

Whats the difference?

Ear wax......

Good Answer Mellon....I will be watching you....

Cool hairstyle. Vintage Larry (Three Stooges)?

 

[Anonymous]

Well if by tight you mean the bottom end Is trimmed off without external gear the engl family wins this one. Not much below 300 hz in the blackmore I had.
Not sure why all these guys are saying diezel? They have huge bottom end AND an depth knob to boot at 120 hz!

I always associated tightness more with feel than sound..

Yeah, it's more of an immediacy thing, to me.

How fast the amp responds is how I personally define "tight"

me too.

friend bought his powerball over on sunday. channel 3 on that amp is GHASTLY! i couldn't understand why he was almost diming the gain on channel 4....gain at 1:30 on channel 3 sounded incredible to me..

to each his own.

 

[Mailman1971]

Whats funny to me......is if someone likes the amp .....
ITS TIGHT!!!
If they dont care for it......
ITS TOO 'STIFF'...

Whats the difference?

Ear wax......

Good Answer Mellon....I will be watching you....

Cool hairstyle. Vintage Larry (Three Stooges)?

COme on Steve-o......BACK TO SCHOOL......
Rodney Dangerfield?

One of the all time classics!