Pantera tones

[anomaly]

They are really nice sounding amps for sure...and probably the best bang for the buck out there...I think my opinion is simply based on the fact that the SS amps will not get power tube compression/distortion, which I really enjoy when I can turn my amps up.
So in that sense, even though the RG really does a great job sounding/feeling like a tube amp, you're not going to get that compression that I like.
Re wiring a 16 ohm cab for 4 ohms, those Randalls will give enough power for any gig with multiple cabs. It's just that tube compression that I miss.

No, it's not really meant to be cranked past the half way point unless you are using the treble pull circuit. The RG100ES doesn't have that power tube compression but there is a sweet spot on the master where the amp really comes to life and opens up, it's around the 3 to 4 (out of 10) spot on the master... it's kinda like tube compression, it's got a similar feel to it. Anyways, if you're in a metal band these amps will hold their own against 5150's and such, as long as you got a good cab to run it through, or two cabs are better with these amps. Ideally you want a 4 ohm load to get all of the wattage.

 

[Rex Rocker]

I don't think this was meant to be a discussion about wether SS amps are worse than tube amps. But the fact is Dime used these amps and not tube amps. At least for the majority of his Pantera career. Or at least for the most recognizable of his tones.

 

[braintheory]

This isn’t meant to be an attack on you personally, but this narrow idea that pedals are used because the underlying amp needs it….is bullshit. Basically, if you use anything else to enhance the underlying amp you are adding an artificial wow??? This is likely 90%+ of the guitar playing population. Most of use use pedals to enhance what we like or even get us “there” with an amp we like or own. Whether the pedal is to add gain, chorus, delay, etc, shouldn’t matter. I mean, let’s look at the easiest example… Eddie Van Halen. He used tons of effects and delays to become who he was. ? He even had a name for it “jape”. Look at the fever pitch going on right now with the new Boss SDE-3000. I guess Eddie didn’t like amps he used since he was running like 10 pedals out front, then into multiple delays and additional power amps. ? and I’m talking EVERY amp he used… Marshall, SLO, 5150 and EVH amps.

I don’t need to mention Dimebag since he used an RG with a ton of effects to get the tone he has…. Which lots of people try to emulate.

Let’s use your opinion on Mesa amps. Everyone who got the ++ mod must not like the underlying amp because they needed to get the amp modified to sound better?

With the RG, I actually like the sound of the amp without a pedal and actually set it up to sound killer in its natural state. That said, it’s super fun to slam the front end and get massive gain. When I had my CCV, I rarely used a pedal out front, but I wasn’t ignorant to the fact that using a pedal and change the amps setting got me something different.

I think you misunderstood what I meant, which is partly my fault since it was late at night for me haha and I may have partially misunderstood you as well, but let me try to explain better and I wasn’t trying to cause a pissing match or anything like that

I have no issues whatsoever using pedals, poweramps or any of what you’re using as long as it truly is enhancing the core tone. I actually do it myself regularly. However, when I evaluate what I think of an amp vs another (or any piece of gear) I do dry ab comparisons with only an overdrive/boost added if the amp benefits from one (I know some amps need it to do their thing). In that context my 1986 RG100ES I had still sounded really good, but fell short vs my other amps sounding comparatively flat/2D. Yes I could add in all that other stuff you did and make the amp sound very impressive, but I could also do that with my better sounding amps, although I will admit I never liked much the sound of those modulation effects even with all those famous guys using them. Too cluttered sounding, like the sound equivalent of too much cologne or make-up, but that’s just my opinion. To me that part diminishes from the tone, unless used subtly/tastefully and with good enough quality fx. I know I’m in the minority here, but I found that plate reverb EVH used to sound really obnoxious and would’ve enjoyed his sound so much more without it and the other modulation fx

And no I have nothing against getting a ++ mod either (I’ve had it on some of them myself). I like to isolate first as much as I can to understand the core tone itself of each individual gear piece I test and then later I can do all those additions if I want to, but I feel it’s important for me at least to have a dry/naked core sound that is already great as is. To me that’s the hard part of what really separates the great gear from the not so great. That’s the impressive part for me. A super wet sound like that full with effects, a poweramp slaved, and all those other details it’s easy to have a wow with so many amps in that context. Nothing wrong it of course (and I do it too), but I won’t get impressed if any amp sounds good in that context and for amp demos I think it’s important to keep it dry with only overdrive pedals added if they highlight the amp well since the point is to get a sense the actual amp’s core/inherent tone. But just my opinion again, which I’m aware would be in the minority on here

 

[Exo-metal]

This thread sucks ass until someone with both answer who settles it for the win?

 

[anomaly]

Some info on the RG100ES and Century 200II,.. the RG has a warmer sound, more tube like, it also has more bass response to it. The Century is a bit more aggressive, it's tighter and has a bit more gain on tap. I think if you like one you'll like the other.

But as far as Dimebag's live rig from about 1992 to 2001 (before that he used the RG100ES and RG100HT rackmount heads) he used the original Century 200 heads, which are even closer to the RG100ES tonally. It was originally called the RG200ES and It's like a RG100ES but has independant EQ's for each channel and a switch instead of the pull treble knob. These amps are VERY rare. The Century 200II was an updated version of the 200. I guess they made it right after Randall was sold off and wasn't located in Irvine California anymore?? early 90's sometime. Dimebag had one of these 200II heads and called it "The Monster". He never used it lve, but possibly in the studio??

 

[RaceU4her]

Some info on the RG100ES and Century 200II,.. the RG has a warmer sound, more tube like, it also has more bass response to it. The Century is a bit more aggressive, it's tighter and has a bit more gain on tap. I think if you like one you'll like the other.

this is accurate, the differences are pretty minor and one or the other isnt gonna make you more "dime" if thats the end goal.