Suggestions for a “main” backup amp: Carvin Legacy vs PRS Archon vs Marshall DSL vs..?

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C0UNT3RP01NT

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So there’s a Carvin Legacy 1 for sale near me, and I had heard some great things about them. Gave it a spin and damn it kicks ass. But they want $1k for the combo and I’m not too sure that’s a good price. But it’s hard to judge with covflation and the used market, as the combos are kinda rare. Additionally, the reverb seemed non-existent or broken, and something seemed to be messed up with the treble or presence (sometimes when I would get this hectic bee static when I set the eq, it seemed like a malfunction instead of a feature). That being said the amp fucking slayed outside of that. Didn’t seem as problematically loud as people kept bringing up (don’t get me wrong I was one 1, but I still got a decent tone at 1).

I already have a Diezel VHX running into a half stack. Love it. Amazing. Brilliant design. It’s my center piece for sure.

That being said it’s still a Diezel, and I’m looking for another amp to add for a few different reasons:

1. I live on the second floor of a big ass house, which already requires stairs to reach the front door. I love the Diezel but god damn, I loathe moving this half stack in and out of my vehicle for practice. I sold my 5150iii recently (honestly, wasn’t a fan but got it for stupid cheap), and now I’m down to the Diezel and a Peavey Stereo Chorus. A combo would be nice (I don’t mind weight so much as multiple trips carrying heavy amps and cabinets up and down stairs).

2. Adam Jones fanboy here, but not overly obsessed. I’m kind of trying to mimic his dual/triple amp setup, with one set for highs and another for lows. I’m not exactly going for that, but I am looking for an amp with a more fluid smooth lead channel than the Diezel, which the Carvin honestly seemed to have. So something that differentiates itself from the Diezel tone and is respectable in its own right.

3. I’m not really looking to dump money into another expensive amp. I got my dream amp, I’m set. I’m looking for a reasonable respectable amp that plays nice with it, and that I can take to band practice. Sub-$1k, closer to $700, best bang for your buck sort of deal.

4. My drummer, bless his heart, plays loud. He’s got an ear for everything but volume. Between him and the VHX being 100w, I need 40 watts at the very least.

This being said, besides the Carvin there’s a few other amps that I’m considering.

Archon: I’ve never played an Archon but I’ve heard it’s superb. From the YouTube demos I’ve seen, I agree that it kicks ass. I’m curious how its lead tone compares to that smooth feeling I got from the Legacy. I’ve heard its clean channel is superb. The Legacy had an exceptional clean channel too.

DSL40: I played one and didn’t really jive with it years ago, but that’s when I was chasing the tone I finally got from my Diezel. I have a hard time justifying the used prices I’m seeing them at now, when I remember seeing them for $350 a few years ago.

Orange Rocker 32: Played one once for an hour and really liked the fuzzy distortion it had. I do love my stereo effects. I kind of get the feeling I might end up being underwhelmed after playing it for awhile, especially since I’ll have to use it to cover quite a range with the band. It’s also 30 watts, which means I might have to fight my drummer just to be heard.

Zinky Blue Velvet: Left field I know, but god damn I played one once and it haunts me that I didn’t buy it at the time. That amp sang lead lines. The Diezel covers the raw distortion, you’ll notice the common factor is the lead tone mixed with the ability for me to bring it to band practice.

Any other suggestions?
 
I say dsl . A great amp at great price and Diezel mixes well with Marshall. It’s great
 
I sold my Archon 100. It did not give me what I wanted. Loud/ plenty of gain but probably more for contemporary metal vs old school. Idk. I’m glad it’s gone but at least now I know.

I’d look for a Peavey XXX Quite versatile and relatively inexpensive
 
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I found the archon to be dark. Really dark.

$1000 for a legacy combo is about $300 to 400 too high. Great amps though.

I would give the Marshall dsl another spin. Why didn’t you like about it?
 
The legacy I heard was slightly more compressed than the Archon I played. It was brighter sounding too. I think darker can be a good thing, they tend to sound thicker with less effort. Too much effort to make a bright amp thick and they seem to get more "congested" sounding at volume if that makes any sense. I liked them both though, the cleans on both were really good. The Archon I played was really cranked and the Legacy I heard was not, and Im not sure how that factors in to what I heard.
 
mystixboi said:
I found the archon to be dark. Really dark.

$1000 for a legacy combo is about $300 to 400 too high. Great amps though.

I would give the Marshall dsl another spin. Why didn’t you like about it?
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Yeah that legacy certainly seems overpriced, especially since there seems to be some issues with it. It does feel kind of like a one-trick pony as far as the distortion channel sounds. The EQ didn’t do much, and I didn’t hear any reverb. But that thick, warm, dark lead sound was nice. But I’ve always wanted an Ecstasy, and this seems to be a version I can afford right now.

I tend to like darker amp’s in general. The super bright thin 80’s sound is just not my thing really. Which is why I didn’t jive with the 5150iii. It was heavy and could handle downtunings well, but I just did not like how darn bright it was.

I’m reconsidering the DSL. My issue with them now is mainly just the price (and I haven’t played one in close to 10 years). They used to be really cheap secondhand. Now the used value is what they were selling new ones for 5 years ago. The reason why I didn’t like it when I first played it years ago, is because I was transitioning from beginner to intermediate guitarist, and I was looking for something dark and heavy. At the time, I found it to be pretty bright, and its gain to be weaker than what I wanted. But that was a tonequest that led me to the Diezel.

So now I’m looking for something slightly in the opposite direction. None of these are hard requirements but something with a great lead tone (at least smoother than the Diezel), not as metal sounding but can still due heavy distortion, not super dark but not too bright, preferably a combo, and something I can afford (I had to save up for the VHX, I don’t think I can justify buying another super expensive amplifier right now). I’m pretty open to all suggestions though. I did some more research last night and the Egnater TOL and Renegade popped up too.
 
The Legacy sounds over-priced ...........and it potentially has problems. I would avoid.

Not a big Archon fan. I had the 50 combo and I just couldn't bond with it. It had a dull/lifeless quality about it.

Based on your requirements I would possibly look into a rectoverb 25. They are loud, and have a ton of headroom. Plus they are one of the smallest and lightest combo's I've owned. You'll need an EQ in the loop, but it is a killer amp.
 
You guys are really making me reconsider the DSL. I'll have to go take one for a spin again. How's the tone at lower volumes? Like I said it's been 10 years. I've played the Origin series much more recently, and it was decent, but it seemed like it needed to be cranked before a really good tone came out of it? Is that the case on the DSL?

I need this next amp to keep up with my loud fucking drummer, but I would also like it if it can do bedroom levels for when I play by myself?
 
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