Marshall KK or VHT Pittbull Ultralead ?

[highgainer]

Hello rig nation!

Long time lurker, I decided to get my first tube amp, I have an all mahogany Gibson 2016 limited faded flying V with dirty fingers humbuckers.
So, I have the opportunity to get either a 2005 VHT Pittbull ultralead or a Marshall KK. Both amps are second hand in super clean shape.

Although I have never tried them, I prefer KT88 tubes as they are described to have oomph, clarity, and tight lowend. Of course both of the ultralead and KK are KT88 driven.

I'm looking for a clear, tight, strong, mix cutting highgain tone. Think of Iced Earth's Night of the storm rider, Megadeth's Architecture of agression, Judas Priest's Bullet Train.

I know the Marshall KK has it's limitations: can't remotely engage the beast mode, no fx loop . But I also got a rocktron piranha which I'm looking to hook in the power section if needed...

The VHT pittbull i'm talking of has the built in EQ

I'm seriously and desperately looking for your suggestions and feedback.

Heavy metallic cheers!

 

[hopkinWFG]

A clear tight strong and mix cutting seems to be the characteristic of the Ultra lead... but again have not played the marshall KK and am not professional for record and mixing haven done so... but i own a UL and its an insane amp

 

[highgainer]

A clear tight strong and mix cutting seems to be the characteristic of the Ultra lead... but again have not played the marshall KK and am not professional for record and mixing haven done so... but i own a UL and its an insane amp

That's great! As you have an ultralead you are the right person to answer my questions! I really don't care for recording or mixing anything, just looking for a great highgain tone to keep up with a loud hitting drummer, and if the amp is house friendly and quite good for the eventual bedroom jam then it's a plus! Then I plan to either get an orange PPC 412 or a VHT FB412

Both the KK and the Ultralead are in super clean shape, the ultralead is 1500 euros, the KK is much cheaper, almost half the price of the UL, price tag is something to take in consideration, but I'm mainly looking for tone and reliability.

 

[paulyc]

VHT for the win hands down.

 

[Mailman1971]

I absolutely loved my KK Marshall.
It was like a heavily modded amp when the beast mode was engaged.

 

[highgainer]

I absolutely loved my KK Marshall.
It was like a heavily modded amp when the beast mode was engaged.

Mailman, you are the kind of famous virtual tone gurus we know and we appreciate without being able to reach and hang out with ))) Such is the magic of internet and the sadness of geography distance!

I came across many of your posts and reviews, I know that you went through so many amps and rigs, thus I would like to ask if you could make a little comparison between the Ultralead and the KK, mainly a high gain contest! I know that you used to have a Rivera KR7 which you really appreciated back then, I was about to get me one, but someone was quicker than me.. Now it's between the Ultralead and the KK.

Ok. To let you have a precise idea of my kind of favorite tone, think of Megadeth's Youthanasia, Judas Priest Jugulator! Sure an album is the fruit of long hours of recording, mixing, enhancing, mastering...but you get the idea.

 

[Racerxrated]

Wlecome! Firstly, you mention hooking up a Rocktron Piranha to the KK..the KK has no loop, so you'd have to have a tech mod it to have a loop to be able to hook up to the power section. If a loop is necessary then the VHT. But, I've had a KK and it's a great amp! I ran it with the beast engaged and dialed back a bit, then hit it with a little boost from an EQ pedal, very nice modded Marshall tone. I've only owned both Deliverances, 60/120 so that's my only VHT experience but those two are amazing tone machines. Also, the KK is a one channel amp where the VHT is not.

 

[negaodapicona]

The Marshall KK tha I played sounded as a Marshall with a Metalzone in front of it.

 

[stephen sawall]

I prefer the UL. Taste is very subjective. These two amps sound pretty different. The bass is considerably tighter on the UL. The UL also has a lot more articulation and definition. The Marshall has more fur and more forgiving.

 

[rottingcorpse]

I have them both in my room,and they are two of my favorites for sure!

I would advise the ultralead. It will cut thru anything, and IMO make you a better player.

 

[Mailman1971]

Never owned the Ultra Lead. But a buddy brang his over when I had the KR7. We did some tone for tone on them both and could dial them to sound exact. It was pretty crazy.
I like the Marshall over the Rivera. So I am still leaning on the KK. They don't pop up very often around here.

 

[Racerxrated]

The Marshall KK tha I played sounded as a Marshall with a Metalzone in front of it.

Wonder what was up with that one? When I had my KK, I also had an early 90s Cameron Aldrich SLP. The KK with a slight boost stayed with the Cameron. Not better but was damn close to equal.

 

[Wizard of Ozz]

UltraLead.

 

[sg guy]

-apples & oranges-

-if you want the tone of the PRIEST go MARSHALL, if you want a modern voiced amp, go UL..

-I owned a VHT PITBULL UL & a 2203KK, still have the KK-(thou its for sale)-you wouldn't believe the long list of high gainers that the KK sent packing, longest I've ever owned any amp, what knocked the KK of its throne?.... WIZARD MC,...

-(which ever choice you go with bitch slap it with some GOLD LION KT88's)-

 

[hopkinWFG]

A clear tight strong and mix cutting seems to be the characteristic of the Ultra lead... but again have not played the marshall KK and am not professional for record and mixing haven done so... but i own a UL and its an insane amp

That's great! As you have an ultralead you are the right person to answer my questions! I really don't care for recording or mixing anything, just looking for a great highgain tone to keep up with a loud hitting drummer, and if the amp is house friendly and quite good for the eventual bedroom jam then it's a plus! Then I plan to either get an orange PPC 412 or a VHT FB412

Both the KK and the Ultralead are in super clean shape, the ultralead is 1500 euros, the KK is much cheaper, almost half the price of the UL, price tag is something to take in consideration, but I'm mainly looking for tone and reliability.

Oh... well taking reference to what the rest of people here... getta VHT UL if you like a modern vibe and getta Marshall if you prefer old school vibe...

Suggest you to play it in person and many may not like the VHT ultra lead as its unforgiving and its tight in a certain way but not tight like the mesa mark series or the JP signature...

You may like the orange V30s or VHT FB with P50es... well many have said the P50es has a "hollow" sound and its more "softer" compared to V30s...
But the Fryette now has fanes speakers loaded in and maybe the FB412 has improved by the new speakers by those couldnt gel with the eminence p50es?

I used to have an orange cab 212 too when i first got my VHT 50CL its nice but abit harsh and for some reason i sold it to getta FB412 p50es since i thought i wanna true VHT tones and also i had thought the orange212 sounded kinda "boxy" when heard at few steps away....

The VHT UL has a 50watt half power mode and a master volume and it can excels well in room volume...but i guess many will prefer the master at about 1 or 2 oclock and having the channel volume to tune to desired volume but i find IMO to keep the master at about 12 or 11 and bring up a notch higher on the channel volume for more meat ?

Oh and last thing is if you were to decide on VHT ultra lead make sure you getta new version as its gone thru few times of 12at7 tube driver revision... just getta UL with 6 preamp tubes having that 12at7 delivering more punch ....

 

[RedB4Black]

I own a UL, a BE100 and 2 Wizards. While the EQ on the UL gives it the ability to get a more modern tone, I disagree with statement's that it's the only thing it can do. It can definitely get an old-school Marshall tone. I recently got a new FB cab with the Fane speakers, which are a major improvement over the p50es, which I always hated.

I'd suggest another alternative to the OP. A Splawn Quickrod with KT-88s - get a newer one with the B/B+ switch and the new front panel switches. I had one once that I sold when I was gear fiending. I wish I'd have held onto it.

 

[hopkinWFG]

Hi mhenson... cool well just wonder the fanes on the FB412 has a tone of a p50es based variant or a v30 based variant with improvement ?

 

[highgainer]

The Marshall KK tha I played sounded as a Marshall with a Metalzone in front of it.

How ?
Maybe due to failing tubes ? Maybe the amp was fine, but it just wasn't producing your kind of tone ?

By the way, is the KK reliable and solid enough ? Alexi Laiho's guitar tech said that Laiho was happy with the tone, but then the amp started to show signs of failure and they had to repair it...

 

[highgainer]

Never owned the Ultra Lead. But a buddy brang his over when I had the KR7. We did some tone for tone on them both and could dial them to sound exact. It was pretty crazy.
I like the Marshall over the Rivera. So I am still leaning on the KK. They don't pop up very often around here.

Did you have any kind of tech issues when you had the KK ? Have you had some friends or rigtalk buddies who had some sort of tech problems with the Marshall kk ?

 

[sg guy]

The Marshall KK tha I played sounded as a Marshall with a Metalzone in front of it.

How ?
Maybe due to failing tubes ? Maybe the amp was fine, but it just wasn't producing your kind of tone ?

By the way, is the KK reliable and solid enough ? Alexi Laiho's guitar tech said that Laiho was happy with the tone, but then the amp started to show signs of failure and they had to repair it...

-he's a troll, I've been pounding the piss out of my KK since a bought it new in 2007, with an obscenely high bias and a variac, zero issues, never blown a tube or a fuse,