Poll - Looking for an amp for 80's Metal / Rock

[Odin]

Here's a clip off the Splawn page of Gear 1...doesn't sound too distorted or compressed to me.

 

[Slaytallica]

Here's a clip off the Splawn page of Gear 1...doesn't sound too distorted or compressed to me.

Yup! That's the tone I'm talking about.

But this VM Clip sounds bad ass as well.

 

[orangekick]

Here's a clip off the Splawn page of Gear 1...doesn't sound too distorted or compressed to me.

Odd. That's what my Rockerverb sounds like through my VHT cab.

 

[yngzaklynch]

With an SD-1 I would easily take the VM over the Splawn I had for 80's metal and hard rock. For me there is no comparison. But you may find the opposite.

 

[Tnjpekar]

ampeg vl 502 or 1002
Lee Jackson designed, pure 80s tone to the bone

 

[Odin]

Here's a clip off the Splawn page of Gear 1...doesn't sound too distorted or compressed to me.

Yup! That's the tone I'm talking about.

But this VM Clip sounds bad ass as well.

See, that VM clips has to much fizz on the top end for me and it's kinda nasty on the low end.

Here's the Quick Rod with more gain if you like the higher gain stuff...

And this guy gets some smokin' tone from his QR at low volumes...

http://www.youtube.com/user/CFCBOZ

 

[dylannelson]

I would go for a JCM800 if I were you, QuickRods, to me, sound way too compressed and distorted, When I think of 80's tone I think of a hot Plexi, and quickrods to me sound way over distorted and saturated for that. They dont breathe, they are just %100 all the time. Nothing is more badass then pluging in to a Marshall full stack and cranking it up beyond belief.

I gotta wonder if you've ever played a Quick Rod, because your description of the QR tone is the exact opposite of what mine sounds like.

The gain control on my Quick Rod can take Gear 1 from a clean plexi Marshall sound to an 80's metal sound, the gain control is useful 100% of the way through. Try that with a JVM where the gain control stops being useful after about 10 o'clock and it's all overdistorted after that.

The Gear 1 can do plexi-ish to "hot plexi" all day long and never get compressed. Gear 1 / OD1 stays articulate and open even with the gain wide open. I run Gear 1 OD 1 with the gain between 10-12 o'clock with a PRS and it's pure 80's tone on the lesser distorted end of the 80's.

If you want the more distorted 80's stuff you'll need to switch over to Gear 2 or Gear 3.

Over distorted is the one thing I've never heard a Quick Rod called, most people think it doesn't have enough "br3w7alz gain" compared to their Marshall JVM or Diezel or Engl or whatever.

I would advise the OP to try a Quick Rod if possible, I can't think of any amplifier made that is more suited to the 80's rock/metal thing than a Quick Rod.

You are probably right, I have played a QR but not on gear 1, I only messes around with the high gain channel and rolling off the gains on it left it a little dead, but I never thought of playing in gear 1. Also another benefactor of my post was all the people on HCAF and this forum that say "check out this low gain Quickrod clip" when they are playing Metallica with the amp full blast. I must check out gear 1 now , that is whenever I see a splawn again

 

[dylannelson]

Here's a clip off the Splawn page of Gear 1...doesn't sound too distorted or compressed to me.

Yup! That's the tone I'm talking about.

But this VM Clip sounds bad ass as well.

Thats good tone! I like that clip much better than the Quickrod clip IMO

 

[Odin]

I think that my QR has a lot of gain when I'm playing on Gear 1 OD1 with the gain at noon. For me, that's high gain.

But my main gigging amps for the past 6 years have been blackface Super Reverbs and Dr Z Maz 18 and 38's, so when I fire up the QR on Gear 2 or 3 I don't know what to do with all that gain.

I find that Gear 1 on the QR needs to have the Bass control run pretty high, where Gear 2 and 3 need to have the Bass control run pretty low. I'm not really into trying to play the bass on the guitar, I prefer to let the bass player cover the low and and I want my guitar to have the mids and highs covered. Gear 1 is much brighter and has less bass, very much like a plexi Marshall.

I suggest trying it with the Bass around 2 o'clock, Mids around 11 o'clock, Treble OFF and Presence between 9-Noon. Keep the between 11-1 o'clock. OD1. That should give you the "better" 80's tones, and if you want the more gain heavy 80's tones just boost up the Gain and hit the OD2 button.

Gear 2 and 3 are something I play around with but don't use for gigs because I prefer a more open sound.

 

[moronmountain]

SLO

 

[dylannelson]

I think that my QR has a lot of gain when I'm playing on Gear 1 OD1 with the gain at noon. For me, that's high gain.

But my main gigging amps for the past 6 years have been blackface Super Reverbs and Dr Z Maz 18 and 38's, so when I fire up the QR on Gear 2 or 3 I don't know what to do with all that gain.

I find that Gear 1 on the QR needs to have the Bass control run pretty high, where Gear 2 and 3 need to have the Bass control run pretty low. I'm not really into trying to play the bass on the guitar, I prefer to let the bass player cover the low and and I want my guitar to have the mids and highs covered. Gear 1 is much brighter and has less bass, very much like a plexi Marshall.

I suggest trying it with the Bass around 2 o'clock, Mids around 11 o'clock, Treble OFF and Presence between 9-Noon. Keep the between 11-1 o'clock. OD1. That should give you the "better" 80's tones, and if you want the more gain heavy 80's tones just boost up the Gain and hit the OD2 button.

Gear 2 and 3 are something I play around with but don't use for gigs because I prefer a more open sound.

OT: Where in the Dallas area are you from?

 

[Odin]

I think that my QR has a lot of gain when I'm playing on Gear 1 OD1 with the gain at noon. For me, that's high gain.

But my main gigging amps for the past 6 years have been blackface Super Reverbs and Dr Z Maz 18 and 38's, so when I fire up the QR on Gear 2 or 3 I don't know what to do with all that gain.

I find that Gear 1 on the QR needs to have the Bass control run pretty high, where Gear 2 and 3 need to have the Bass control run pretty low. I'm not really into trying to play the bass on the guitar, I prefer to let the bass player cover the low and and I want my guitar to have the mids and highs covered. Gear 1 is much brighter and has less bass, very much like a plexi Marshall.

I suggest trying it with the Bass around 2 o'clock, Mids around 11 o'clock, Treble OFF and Presence between 9-Noon. Keep the between 11-1 o'clock. OD1. That should give you the "better" 80's tones, and if you want the more gain heavy 80's tones just boost up the Gain and hit the OD2 button.

Gear 2 and 3 are something I play around with but don't use for gigs because I prefer a more open sound.

OT: Where in the Dallas area are you from?

Originally Garland, then Dallas for a long time...then got tired of the crime and grime and moved to McKinney. Now I live where it's nice and go to work where it's not so nice.

 

[dylannelson]

I think that my QR has a lot of gain when I'm playing on Gear 1 OD1 with the gain at noon. For me, that's high gain.

But my main gigging amps for the past 6 years have been blackface Super Reverbs and Dr Z Maz 18 and 38's, so when I fire up the QR on Gear 2 or 3 I don't know what to do with all that gain.

I find that Gear 1 on the QR needs to have the Bass control run pretty high, where Gear 2 and 3 need to have the Bass control run pretty low. I'm not really into trying to play the bass on the guitar, I prefer to let the bass player cover the low and and I want my guitar to have the mids and highs covered. Gear 1 is much brighter and has less bass, very much like a plexi Marshall.

I suggest trying it with the Bass around 2 o'clock, Mids around 11 o'clock, Treble OFF and Presence between 9-Noon. Keep the between 11-1 o'clock. OD1. That should give you the "better" 80's tones, and if you want the more gain heavy 80's tones just boost up the Gain and hit the OD2 button.

Gear 2 and 3 are something I play around with but don't use for gigs because I prefer a more open sound.

OT: Where in the Dallas area are you from?

Originally Garland, then Dallas for a long time...then got tired of the crime and grime and moved to McKinney. Now I live where it's nice and go to work where it's not so nice.

Thats cool, I live in Colleyville, which is right next to Grapevine, whenever I see some with dallas in there location I always have to ask!

 

[AmpliFIRE]

With an SD-1 I would easily take the VM over the Splawn I had for 80's metal and hard rock. For me there is no comparison. But you may find the opposite.

You have to try a Quickrod Jim. My QR was not bright at all...

 

[Slaytallica]

SLO

NO

 

[Death by Uberschall]

SLO

NO

YES!

You can't get more 80's metal than this amp!! With the depth mod, you can cover more modern sounds also.

If price is the issue, look at the HR series.

 

[Gainfreak]

Mesa boogie MKIV. All the 80's tones and more

 

[kebabeater]

I play a lot of 80s covers - Dokken etc and use an XTC101-B. I get nothing but compliments on my tone (shit playing of course) but the tone is cool.

https://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemus ... dID=559543

This guy has some good tones

 

[Elric]

Since everyone has gotten off topic from the poll. I'll +1 the ADA MP-1.

MP-1+Good power amp == ultimate 80s metal tone, BOTH clean and dirty.

 

[Death by Uberschall]

Since everyone has gotten off topic from the poll. I'll +1 the ADA MP-1.

MP-1+Good power amp == ultimate 80s metal tone, BOTH clean and dirty.

I have a very nice Mesa Simul 395 stereo power amp that will kill. Make offer if interested.