New Amp advise!

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afex121

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Hi everyone!

Here's the deal. I've been playing for 20 years and I've owned a whole lot of different gear through the years. Currently I use a Mark IV, TC G-force and some pedals in GCX loops as my main rig. I also have a Triaxis + 2:90 that I used to run with the main gear in a wet/dry/wet setup but I don't use them much anymore, but that I've kept them as a backup.
This week I'll be selling the Triaxis + 2:90 together with the G-force (which I don't wanna sell really, but he wants to buy the whole package or nothing) so I'll be having some cash in hand to try some new toys, which is something I haven't done in the last 7 years! I was thinking about another head to complement the Mark IV and to run a stereo rig.

There are some nice options available withing the budget I'll have but it's very hard to decide! I've never had this much trouble deciding and I've always known what I want in the past so it's driving me nuts!
The options I'll have are the following and the are all available right now:
- Mesa Dual Rectifier
- Engl Savage 120
- Engl Invader 100
- Elmwood Modena M90
- EVH 5150 III
- Egnater MOD50
- Soldano Hotrod+
The above mentioned are all used and in a price range that leaves soem cash over to buy an effects unit to replace the G-force and the effect unit options are:
- TC G-system (used or maybe new if I get a deal I'm asking at a local store)
- Axe FX ultra (used)
- Buying back another G-force
- G Major 2

Then there are some options which are new and leaves me very little or next to nothing for an effects unit. They are:
- Diezel VH4 (used)
- Mesa Mark V
- Mesa Roadster
- Axe FX II
If I get one of the budget breakers above (except for the Axe FX II) I'll only have a Boss GT-8 for the effects for a while until I get something else later on.

What I'm looking for sound-wise as a complement to the Mark IV which covers the creamy lead and tight cleans, is a good clean channel that can take pedals fairly well and a tight chunky metal rythm channel.

Please feel free to comment and recommend!
 
i'm running my mark IV in stereo with a Bogner uberschall and i find it bery satisfying. It adds depth to the mark IV sound, while the mark IV bring the tightness. pretty happy with it. you should find yourself happy with a diezel too.
 
B. Ste":2jk5ea5b said:
i'm running my mark IV in stereo with a Bogner uberschall and i find it bery satisfying. It adds depth to the mark IV sound, while the mark IV bring the tightness. pretty happy with it. you should find yourself happy with a diezel too.
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Thanks for the reply. So you'd recommend the VH4 among those amp options?
 
for my taste it's either the dual rectifier or vh4/herbert/hagen. the other amps you mentioned are in a different ballpark (sonically) than the mark IV IMO.
 
B. Ste":28xl2xnt said:
for my taste it's either the dual rectifier or vh4/herbert/hagen. the other amps you mentioned are in a different ballpark (sonically) than the mark IV IMO.
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Oh ok, I see. Thanks.
 
I've used a Mark III for years and recently purchased a Fryette SigX. I haven't even turned on the mesa since buying this amp. Although I would like to run them together, I kinda miss the lead channel on the Mark. The Fryette has a really nice clean channel and two gain channels with tons of gain and tone options... an awesome sounding amp, you might want to add it to your list to try.
 
Soldano (Avenger for my tastes) or Engl Savage, personally. :thumbsup:
 
daveg62":1ui0b4hs said:
I've used a Mark III for years and recently purchased a Fryette SigX. I haven't even turned on the mesa since buying this amp. Although I would like to run them together, I kinda miss the lead channel on the Mark. The Fryette has a really nice clean channel and two gain channels with tons of gain and tone options... an awesome sounding amp, you might want to add it to your list to try.
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I'd love to get to try one but living on this side of the pond (Europe-scandinavia) has it's disadvatnages and I don't know of any place within driving range that carries them. It fits the budget though but in that case I'd have to buy new without trying and it will end up in the new, unused amp options list which would limit my budget for replacing the G-force.

Spaceboy":1ui0b4hs said:
Soldano (Avenger for my tastes) or Engl Savage, personally. :thumbsup:
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Soldanos, don't pop up on the used market that often over here unfortunately. The Hotrod 100+ that I mentioned is the first one I've seen in a good while and the new ones are more than budget breakers. About the Savage, it has 2 main channels and 2 switchable modes in each, right? How does the shared EQ work out? Do the other switchable options really make that much of an impact to call it a 4 channel amp? I mean if you set the EQ to have a tight metal rythm on main channel 2, will switching to lead and engaging the smooth really give you a smooth lead, or is it more of the same rythm sound that you already set with a slight variation?
 
Framus Cobra and Dragon are 2 other options I forgot to mention.
 
With the thump of a Mark IV, I'd almost be tempted to go with the 5150 III...
 
I have a Cobra, and it's got a great clean channel, and the crunch channel is sick for metal rhythm. It is unique sounding and took me a few days to warm up to though when I first got into it. It has the most low end of any of my amps so hearing heavy palm muted riffs on it is an experience. It'd be a nice compliment to the Mesa since it's very different sounding. I'd describe it as a thicker, smoother dual rec. Maybe worth mentioning, it's MIDI controllable, so if you paired it up with a g-system or something, bam, control the whole thing with your midi foot controller.
 
I find this a tough one to answer, as most metal amps have rather sterile/hifi cleans.

An amp with organic cleans for pedals (that are also a little bouncy) and a metal drive side surely exists, but nothing springs to my mind spontaneously. I like the cleans on the Ueber, but they are lacking a bit of shimmer/complexity.

Randall MTS line would offer all the flexibility, and there are some modules (and modded modules) that do real nice cleans as well as real mean metal, but it is a bit of a compromise quality wise.

Engl, H&K ... are not to my taste. They sound bland IMO (your miles may vary).

Diezel yes on the drive side, but their cleans are more of the hifi type, too.

What about Rhodes amplification? That might be something.

Egnater Armageddon? Maybe?

Not sure about the Shiva 20th. The Shiva cleans are surely what you're after, maybe the drive side can do metal, I haven't played it.

Keep us posted which amp it will be in the end.

Edit: Where are you located? Europe or US? Makes a huge difference in prices/availability of different brands.
 
daveg62":1bo3iclu said:
I've used a Mark III for years and recently purchased a Fryette SigX. I haven't even turned on the mesa since buying this amp. Although I would like to run them together, I kinda miss the lead channel on the Mark. The Fryette has a really nice clean channel and two gain channels with tons of gain and tone options... an awesome sounding amp, you might want to add it to your list to try.
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+1 super versatile and a nice sounding amp got an older VHT model , great clean channel as well , each channel is a continuation of each other instead of sounding considerably different which is sometimes the case, but depends what you're after really
 
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