Recommend me an Amp!

[Mailman1971]

What fireball did you use? The 60 watt or 100 watt?

The 100 is a monster beast for sure.
Some of the best metal tones I have owned.

60w mate, i still have it. Definitely has my favourite tone of any i've had.

Oh man.....you need to check out a 100 watt. Totally different animal then the 60. It really kills.

Never really thought about checking out a 100w, didn't assume the difference would be enough to warrant checking out. Thanks man

Here is a couple of vids...
the Loomis is live recording so not going to sound as polished but you get the idea.
Then the Guitar world one.
Really is a mean Mutha

 

[Jaek-Chi]

Thanks dude, at work at the moment so can't get it on this computer but i'll check it later on today Thanks mate

 

[Miniman]

The EVH 5150 is a great tight amp and waaaay better sounding than a fireball imho. Of course it's a matter of taste
I consider the Driftwood purple nightmare as a better an more 3d sounding 5153 with more low and and less high mids fizz. Although it has more low end to it its equally tight... Killer amp!

Thanks Miniman. I don't want a really thin tone, i still want a solid bottom end, but i want it to be tight and punchy. Definitely one of the amps i've looked into as close as i can. Only wish i could play one somewhere haha.

That's what it is: tight and punchy

 

[Jaek-Chi]

The EVH 5150 is a great tight amp and waaaay better sounding than a fireball imho. Of course it's a matter of taste
I consider the Driftwood purple nightmare as a better an more 3d sounding 5153 with more low and and less high mids fizz. Although it has more low end to it its equally tight... Killer amp!

Thanks Miniman. I don't want a really thin tone, i still want a solid bottom end, but i want it to be tight and punchy. Definitely one of the amps i've looked into as close as i can. Only wish i could play one somewhere haha.

That's what it is: tight and punchy

Lasse Lambert does a bunch of video's with different amps, a lot playing the same thing so you can compare it well. Certainly sounds good, and he rates them over Diezels, Bogners etc for the high gain tone.

I've spoken to Marek at Driftwood, as i was considering just buying one. But for me it works out to well over $4,000 cause i'm in australia and i'm scared to drop that much on something i've never played.

 

[Miniman]

In the Studio Jeff Loomis still used 5150s while he had this Engl endorsement deal going on... and now with the Kemper he uses a 5150 profile again... just saying

 

[Jaek-Chi]

I need to just go on a holiday to somewhere that has everything under the sun and play every amp haha.

 

[Miniman]

I need to just go on a holiday to somewhere that has everything under the sun and play every amp haha.

Sounds like a plan

 

[Jaek-Chi]

Ugh, bloody Australia. Everything is cheaper in America. Guitars, amps, booze, food, cars, everything hahaha.

 

[godgrinder]

All the amps i hear seem to have way too much bottom end and a loose, wide tone. I'm after an articulate, sharp, focussed tone.

My other Gear:
I am currently using the following as my main setup (what i play with most)
ESP MH1000NT, with a BKP Alnico Warpig in the bridge

The Alnico Warpig is partially the culprit I would say. I have all 3 versions of the Warpig, while all of them are arguably articulate and clear, the alnico version definitely has a slower response and way too little treble for cutting through (way too much lows for the tones you are after too). I probably wouldn't use it for anything other than stoner rock and drone.

You might want to look into a Painkiller or maybe a Lace Deathbucker.

 

[Jaek-Chi]

Cheers godgrinder, didn't think much about that. I've been real happy with it, kills all the other active pickups i've had, but i hadnt thought to look further into that

 

[Jaek-Chi]

Can't say i know much about the Lace deathbucker?

 

[jc986]

Maybe look into the PRS Archon. It definitely has a different sound than many of the amps you've tried. There's a lot of range in the lead channel.

 

[Jaek-Chi]

Maybe look into the PRS Archon. It definitely has a different sound than many of the amps you've tried. There's a lot of range in the lead channel.

Yeah i knew very little about them, but started to look into them more the last few weeks. They seem solid

 

[Beyond Black]

What fireball did you use? The 60 watt or 100 watt?

The 100 is a monster beast for sure.
Some of the best metal tones I have owned.

60w mate, i still have it. Definitely has my favourite tone of any i've had.

Oh man.....you need to check out a 100 watt. Totally different animal then the 60. It really kills.

I concur with the Mailman. I just got a FB100 a week and a half ago, and I'm in awe of this amp. IT IS A FUCKING BEAST. I've read that the 100 and the 60 are so different that they shouldn't both have the name "Fireball." I've had a Framus Cobra, Uberschall, 5153 50 watt, and for brutal tones, I'll take the Engl hands down. This amp just has the most vicious, violent, grinding gain structure to it. It's got a great feel, liquid but not overly compressed. The built in noisegate also works great. It's a naturally dark, scooped sounding amp, so you wanna get the treble, presence and mids up a little. Also, just because there's a ridiculous amount of gain, doesn't mean you have to use it all. Sometimes less is more. Many clips on YouTube sound like there's a blanket over the cab, especially that Guitar World vid. There's too much bass and gain, not enough mids and highs. If you set this amp up correctly, it is simply mind blowing. Cool that you've got a Savage on the way. That amp sounds like a good time from what I've heard.

 

[Jaek-Chi]

What fireball did you use? The 60 watt or 100 watt?

The 100 is a monster beast for sure.
Some of the best metal tones I have owned.

60w mate, i still have it. Definitely has my favourite tone of any i've had.

Oh man.....you need to check out a 100 watt. Totally different animal then the 60. It really kills.

I concur with the Mailman. I just got a FB100 a week and a half ago, and I'm in awe of this amp. IT IS A FUCKING BEAST. I've read that the 100 and the 60 are so different that they shouldn't both have the name "Fireball." I've had a Framus Cobra, Uberschall, 5153 50 watt, and for brutal tones, I'll take the Engl hands down. This amp just has the most vicious, violent, grinding gain structure to it. It's got a great feel, liquid but not overly compressed. The built in noisegate also works great. It's a naturally dark, scooped sounding amp, so you wanna get the treble, presence and mids up a little. Also, just because there's a ridiculous amount of gain, doesn't mean you have to use it all. Sometimes less is more. Many clips on YouTube sound like there's a blanket over the cab, especially that Guitar World vid. There's too much bass and gain, not enough mids and highs. If you set this amp up correctly, it is simply mind blowing. Cool that you've got a Savage on the way. That amp sounds like a good time from what I've heard.

Thanks mate, never really heard about there being so much of a difference between the 60w and 100w versions.

To give you an idea i have my amp roughly set at the following:
Volume: 7-8 oclock
Bass: 9-10 oclock
Mids: 12 o'clock
Treble: 2 o'clock
Presence: 2 o'clock

Cheers

 

[Beyond Black]

I'm not at all familiar with the 60, so I can't comment on your settings. I just read more than a few times that the 60 is extremely scooped and gets totally buried in a mix, and that they remedied that with the 100.

 

[Jaek-Chi]

I'm not at all familiar with the 60, so I can't comment on your settings. I just read more than a few times that the 60 is extremely scooped and gets totally buried in a mix, and that they remedied that with the 100.

In a band situation with a 6505 they definitely get a bit drowned out and lost in the mix, so you are right there haha.

 

[godgrinder]

Can't say i know much about the Lace deathbucker?

I swapped out the Alnico Warpig in one of my guitars to a Deathbucker for tigher "modern" tones and couldn't be happier.

 

[Mr. Willy]

The first amp that came to mind based on what you are looking for verses what didn't work for you is a VHT/Fryette CLX or Pitbull.

 

[Jaek-Chi]

Can't say i know much about the Lace deathbucker?

I swapped out the Alnico Warpig in one of my guitars to a Deathbucker for tigher "modern" tones and couldn't be happier.

Bloody hell, they must be the goods then. My warpig is a giant step above any other pickups i've used, whether active or passive.