Smoothest high gain amps?

[Tommy Von Voigt]

Hey all! I'm thinking of adding another amp to the arsenal. Whatever I add, I'd like it to be the smoothest, most polished high gain amp I can get. So, I thought I'd ask everyone their opinions! What I mean by smooth high gain - no harsh frequencies, nothing "sharp" about it, not overly stiff, etc.

I'm not looking for fuzz. I actually run screaming away from fuzz. I don't like buzzy, fuzzy or harsh distortion. I'm looking for an amp that, when tracking with it, already sounds as close to polished and produced as possible. I have STL Libra, and almost every IR that Celestion and OwnHammer make. I'd like to be able to go through my Suhr Reactive Load, and, with the right IR selected, already be right where I want to be. I'd like that "studio microscope" to not reveal anything unpleasant. Something that already sounds like it's double tracked. I'm looking for something super refined. Open, 3D, polished...these terms come to mind.

I dig this KSR Juno clip quite a bit:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02JCh_CzZbE

But there aren't too many other clips of that head around, and the ones that I have found, don't really sound like that. It's hard to really know for sure what I'd be getting, and it's a heck of a risk to take for such a pricey head that I can't play through first and has a long turnaround time.

There are tons of fancy high gain heads on the market, but finding demo clips that I dig is proving to be quite difficult. Nearly all of them seem to be brutal, modern metal sounds, which is not what I am trying to achieve at all. I'm going for the idealized 80s rock sound. You know, the way it sounds in your head, afterward, looking back on it with rose tinted glasses.

It would be ideal to have:
• A lush, pretty clean channel
• A kick ass high gain channel for the kind of rhythm guitar I play (I go beyond what I think most consider to be crunch rhythm...we're talking Tom Scholz levels of gain. Like, the opening power chords of "I Think I Like It" off of Boston's Third Stage record)
• A saturated, liquidy and full lead channel

Don't worry about budget, but I'd like to avoid anything that is just legit unattainable for whatever reason. So, nothing crazy like Trainwrecks or Dumbles, nothing really hard to find used, like a Cameron or a real Jose, etc. Let's stick to stuff that is either in current production, or that I can realistically and reasonably find on the used market.

Also, one more thing...please don't post "Soldano SLO" unless you can provide a clip of one doing exactly what I'm talking about!

 

[PBGas]

I would suggest either a BE-100 DLX or BE-50 DLX. Both fantastic amps for the tones you are looking for.

 

[Meeotch]

Hmm not sure about the Friedman recommendation. Granted I've only owned a Butterslax but it was a bit gritty/grainy for my tastes. The smoothest high gain amp I've played was a PRS Archon 100. Seems like it could be a good fit for you, as it has a stellar clean channel as well. I can also recommend the Diezel Herbert for that polished sound. Channel 2+ is pretty amazing, though not as tight as the Archon.

 

[napalmdeath]

Hmm not sure about the Friedman recommendation. Granted I've only owned a Butterslax but it was a bit gritty/grainy for my tastes. The smoothest high gain amp I've played was a PRS Archon 100. Seems like it could be a good fit for you, as it has a stellar clean channel as well. I can also recommend the Diezel Herbert for that polished sound. Channel 2+ is pretty amazing, though not as tight as the Archon.

Runt 50. Polished, is how I'd describe it. Nothing gritty or grainy about it. Fits the bill to a T.


A real sleeper, (and cheap), suggestion would be a JSX. Very smooth.

 

[Manxmusicman]

I’d have a look at the Carol Ann Triptik or Tucana, wonderfully balanced amps the only get harsh if you want them to.

Also have a look at something like the Fuchs ods.

I’m also sure some of the Mesa amps can get you into smooth territory, when I hear Petrucci I don’t here fizz or harshness, I’d say his tone is quite smooth.

 

[dirtyfunkg]

I think this is out of left field because it's not boutique at all, but...

The Lee Jackson XLS-500 I had fifteen years ago was the smoothest sounding amp I've ever had/heard. I actually liked it a lot, but from a transient standpoint it just sounded really fluid and liquidy.

 

[fek]

I would say just about any Friedman offering should do the polished thing quite well. The Ceriatone Yeti that I just picked up can be dialed in quite smooth as well but it is does not have a dedicated clean channel.

 

[Tommy Von Voigt]

I would say just about any Friedman offering should do the polished thing quite well. The Ceriatone Yeti that I just picked up can be dialed in quite smooth as well but it is does not have a dedicated clean channel.

I do have a King Kong 50 currently on order...I wonder if that will do it?

 

[fusedbrain]

I'm going to say BE-100, but the older the better.
The old ones with Mallory caps and the negative feedback on the speaker jack are about as polished as it gets.
Stock clean channel isn't great, but is easily converted to a beautiful Fender clean channel with just a couple of parts swaps.
Over the years, Dave has tweaked the BE-100 circuit to be a little brighter and a little more aggressive because the main beef you always heard with those amps circa 2014 / 2015 was " it's too polished" and "it sounds too much like a record"

Diezel VH-4 might also fit the bill.

 

[braintheory]

The other clear choice for super smooth and polished high gain would be the Bogner’s like the XTC and Shiva. I hear Naylor’s are also supposed to be smooth, but never tried one

The smoothest amp I’ve tried is probably my CCV. I heard the King Kong has a very similar voicing. Channel 3 of the Engl Invader 150 I had could also get very smooth, but wasn’t my thing

I don’t go for smooth, polished sounds myself. The Mesa/Boogie Mark IV and V can also be pretty smooth and polished

 

[maddnotez]

Diezel Hebert gets my vote. Incredible amp and the polished sound you described is exactly why I didn't get it. Granted I only played it once.

2nd vote which maybe should be at the top, Kemper.

 

[the4thlast1]

Out of the amps Ive owned, all of these have been mentioned but I will second most. I would disagree with the Bogner Shiva above only because the high gain tones are very aggressive and raw not what I think of being associated with smooth ..Although it isn't harsh in anyway. It does have a killer clean. Out of all the clean channels I have tried the Carol Ann cleans are just sooooo very lush , my fav on any high gainer , only the Shiva cleans come close...IMO

Smooth Amps :

- Friedman BE-100

- Carol Ann Triptik 1 or 2

- ENGL Steve Morse / Invader

- Bogner XTC

 

[Tommy Von Voigt]

I'm going to say BE-100, but the older the better.
The old ones with Mallory caps and the negative feedback on the speaker jack are about as polished as it gets.
Stock clean channel isn't great, but is easily converted to a beautiful Fender clean channel with just a couple of parts swaps.
Over the years, Dave has tweaked the BE-100 circuit to be a little brighter and a little more aggressive because the main beef you always heard with those amps circa 2014 / 2015 was " it's too polished" and "it sounds too much like a record"

Diezel VH-4 might also fit the bill.

That is absolutely fascinating...I am absolutely looking for a head that sounds like a record already

 

[RockyStar]

PWE Event Horizon

 

[Snave]

I'm going to say BE-100, but the older the better.
The old ones with Mallory caps and the negative feedback on the speaker jack are about as polished as it gets.
Stock clean channel isn't great, but is easily converted to a beautiful Fender clean channel with just a couple of parts swaps.
Over the years, Dave has tweaked the BE-100 circuit to be a little brighter and a little more aggressive because the main beef you always heard with those amps circa 2014 / 2015 was " it's too polished" and "it sounds too much like a record"

Diezel VH-4 might also fit the bill.

That is absolutely fascinating...I am absolutely looking for a head that sounds like a record already

BE100s are absolutely smooth to a fault. Probably just what you're looking for.

 

[PDC]

Mesa Mark Series for the ‘smooth’ ‘glassy’ gain.

 

[guidedbyechoes]

You can't talk about 80s and smooth without mention of the Carvin Legacy.

 

[Beyond Black]

Another vote for the Yeti. Super warm and smooth.

 

[MetalHeadMike]

Engl FB100...Smooth/compressed but aggressive.

 

[Racerxrated]

Real 2C+s are the smoothest amps I've owned; the older BE100s are super smooth and polished but too much so for my taste. The Naylor clips I've listened to are VERY smooth and have a cool unique tone that I've never really heard before. But they seem pretty dark too; Jubilees are darker and smoother than any other Marshall and have a unique gain structure due to the LED clipping and EQ that is way more responsive than any other stock Marshall.
Personally, if I were after a smooth tone I'd go after that Naylor SD60 in the classifieds right now.