P
pipboy90
Well-known member
I'm really curious about how the circuit changed through the years. Are the blueface reissues similar to the originals? I know bluefaces are pretty rare and expensive. I wish they still made them.
B
braintheory
Well-known member
I’ve not tried a reissue, so I can’t say, but have heard from some who have tried the reissues that they’re more like the recent ones and not like the originals
glpg80
Well-known member
1) 1988 Mesa Mark III+/++ Blue Stripe KRG. Absolutely the pinnacle of high gain mark series. It nails Whitesnake to Metallica and just brings the heavies mark series style.
2) Marshall Enmity Mod Prototype Two Channel
All of the gain you could want without losing the Marshall DNA/Bark on rhythm with solos that still have a ton of body. The most fun amp to rip on and you can still roll your volume knob back for cleans.
3) 1996 1959 Cameron Aldrich Single Channel
4) Bogner Ecstasy 101B (Blue Channel Boosted)
5) Laney GH100S w/EL34s
6) 2015 Metropolous Metroplex #001
This metroplex was a maxed out 3 stage design. I didn’t keep it long enough to make a video but it didn’t last long in my possession. Too VH and I just didn’t find it inspiring.
7) 5150 II Heavily Modded
https://youtu.be/0MobQz2hABI?si=DptWic6mpPIHiaSG
2) Marshall Enmity Mod Prototype Two Channel
All of the gain you could want without losing the Marshall DNA/Bark on rhythm with solos that still have a ton of body. The most fun amp to rip on and you can still roll your volume knob back for cleans.
3) 1996 1959 Cameron Aldrich Single Channel
4) Bogner Ecstasy 101B (Blue Channel Boosted)
5) Laney GH100S w/EL34s
6) 2015 Metropolous Metroplex #001
This metroplex was a maxed out 3 stage design. I didn’t keep it long enough to make a video but it didn’t last long in my possession. Too VH and I just didn’t find it inspiring.
7) 5150 II Heavily Modded
https://youtu.be/0MobQz2hABI?si=DptWic6mpPIHiaSG
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Exo-metal
Well-known member
Honorable mention....my Langner modded Park 50w. The finest amp I've ever played now long gone. The vht classic is obvious a tone machine as well and the last was worth dragging into the discussion bc RT is the tan pants killer lol
Attachments
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5
50WEST
Well-known member
1.) Diezel VH4
2.) Mesa MK IIC++
3.) Mesa Rev C
4.) Diezel Herbert MK III
5.) Block Letter 5150
2.) Mesa MK IIC++
3.) Mesa Rev C
4.) Diezel Herbert MK III
5.) Block Letter 5150
Beyond Black
Well-known member
The guy in your Mark vid is a fucking hack.
Beefeater
Active member
My top 5 that I've owned in no particular order:
'93 Marshall 1959slp: Sounded great cranked with a hot plate. I loved how raw this amp was. Also made a great fuzz platform. Had to be loud though.. Traded it off after noticing my ears never stop ringing.
Mesa Dual Rectifier Reg G: purchased this same amp 3 times. Pretty much the sound in my head I judge all other high gain amps to. Thought my Avenger could replace it but nah, I just keep coming back for more.
'83 Marshall JCM800 2204: Raw, aggressive and just enjoyable to play. Just does that sound. Also, I really enjoy the low input with fuzz pedals.
Orange Thunderverb 50: This thing can do clean to heavy on both channels. Kindof my Swiss army knife of my amps. While i've owned other better sounding amps, this ones always been reliable and got me into collecting orange amps.
Bad Cat Cub 30iiir: best cleanish amp I've ever owned. Crunch sounds are phenomenal as well. Takes pedals like a champ. With a good delay i can get lost all day.
'93 Marshall 1959slp: Sounded great cranked with a hot plate. I loved how raw this amp was. Also made a great fuzz platform. Had to be loud though.. Traded it off after noticing my ears never stop ringing.
Mesa Dual Rectifier Reg G: purchased this same amp 3 times. Pretty much the sound in my head I judge all other high gain amps to. Thought my Avenger could replace it but nah, I just keep coming back for more.
'83 Marshall JCM800 2204: Raw, aggressive and just enjoyable to play. Just does that sound. Also, I really enjoy the low input with fuzz pedals.
Orange Thunderverb 50: This thing can do clean to heavy on both channels. Kindof my Swiss army knife of my amps. While i've owned other better sounding amps, this ones always been reliable and got me into collecting orange amps.
Bad Cat Cub 30iiir: best cleanish amp I've ever owned. Crunch sounds are phenomenal as well. Takes pedals like a champ. With a good delay i can get lost all day.
glpg80
Well-known member
Badass riffage at its finest. Video needs a warning may cause wetness sign ?
mentoneman
Well-known member
1) triaxis/395
my first live rig with tons of boogie library versatility
2) egnater tol 100
4 channels of history
3) mojave peacemaker
one channel of big plexi tone
4) carol ann OD2r
eric johnson in a box
5) current egnater ie4/syn 2 rig with DS and SL+ modules=
fender clean and pushed , jcm crunch and eggie ch4 violin, jtm45 clean and dirty, and 80s hot rod marshall
my first live rig with tons of boogie library versatility
2) egnater tol 100
4 channels of history
3) mojave peacemaker
one channel of big plexi tone
4) carol ann OD2r
eric johnson in a box
5) current egnater ie4/syn 2 rig with DS and SL+ modules=
fender clean and pushed , jcm crunch and eggie ch4 violin, jtm45 clean and dirty, and 80s hot rod marshall
Tomas Obester
Member
1. Headfirst Alta - by far the best amp ever created, at least for me, YMMV
2. Diezel Herbert MK1 from 2009 - just crushing and exactly as everyone says, stellar cleans.
3. Diezel VH4 2018 - amazing ch2+ch3.
4. Bogner Ecstasy 101B - only because of blue channel.
5. Ceriatone Molecular - for 700€ I paid for it, it was amazing bang for the buck, but the Alta can do that sound even better and be less noisy with higher amount of gain.
2. Diezel Herbert MK1 from 2009 - just crushing and exactly as everyone says, stellar cleans.
3. Diezel VH4 2018 - amazing ch2+ch3.
4. Bogner Ecstasy 101B - only because of blue channel.
5. Ceriatone Molecular - for 700€ I paid for it, it was amazing bang for the buck, but the Alta can do that sound even better and be less noisy with higher amount of gain.
MadAsAHatter
Well-known member
Time to update. I've gotten a couple other amps since I originally posted my list and a couple things have been bumped out the top 5.
1. Headfirst Alta 100 - still holds the top position for the same reason.
2. Ground Zero Hellion - Second place is still the same and for the same reason.
3. SonicTone Loyalist (with Culper mod on Ch4) - This one bumped the Skeleton Key. Four very versatile channels each with a slightly different voice. Can go from clean to mean and everything in between.
4. Naylor Superdrive 100 - Still holding solid in 4th place.
5. SonicTone BA-300 - Yup, a bass amp rounds off my top 5. Two channel 300 watt all tube. It's everything I could want from a bass amp. Vintage cleans to modern grind. Channel 2 can get down right nasty sounding and I love it.
The Skeleton Key, EVO TM50, and Zinky MOFO are still keepers and are in my top 10 favorite amps. Just had a couple others come in that bumped them out the top 5.
Superunknown
Well-known member
1) Mesa Boogie IIC+
2) Cameron CCV
3) Marshall 1968 Plexi
4) Cameron Jose SLP
5) Mesa Boogie C++ Reissue
6) Friedman Jose
2) Cameron CCV
3) Marshall 1968 Plexi
4) Cameron Jose SLP
5) Mesa Boogie C++ Reissue
6) Friedman Jose
anomaly
Well-known member
Mesa Mark IV - It's not a iic+ but it has the sound I seek. The lead channel is just so versatile, it can get a really lean tight tone or something much fatter with all the switches and pots available. Works great in a band too.
Mesa Mark III red stripe DRG, nice and raw and in your face. Not quite as complex sounding or as easy on the ears at high volumes as the IV though. Still, great amp.
Mesa .50 caliber +
Great little amp. Kinda a stripped down lower powered III or IV. Great lead channel, the cleans are near perfect.
Randall rg100es - with a boost in front this amp is lethal. Huge punchy palm mutes. I used mine with a furman pq3 and mxr 6 band to have a Pantera rig. Nails their live tone.
Fender baseman from around the mid 60's. I had this amp for a short while but it sounded great. I could crank the thing with a couple pedals in front and almost get a metal sound, but what it was best at was cleans and rock tones. With a strat it sounded amazing.
Mesa Mark III red stripe DRG, nice and raw and in your face. Not quite as complex sounding or as easy on the ears at high volumes as the IV though. Still, great amp.
Mesa .50 caliber +
Great little amp. Kinda a stripped down lower powered III or IV. Great lead channel, the cleans are near perfect.
Randall rg100es - with a boost in front this amp is lethal. Huge punchy palm mutes. I used mine with a furman pq3 and mxr 6 band to have a Pantera rig. Nails their live tone.
Fender baseman from around the mid 60's. I had this amp for a short while but it sounded great. I could crank the thing with a couple pedals in front and almost get a metal sound, but what it was best at was cleans and rock tones. With a strat it sounded amazing.
Mike Oxhuge
Active member
1. Mesa Mark IIB Coliseum - Loop moded and recapped was killer tone and more ass than a Kardashian. Volume on zero in full power is too loud for neighbors. Allegedly. Sounded very close to my friends IIC+ but with a bit of extra anger.
2. 1972 Marshall 1987 Lead spec - It is that tone. Any one you want from a Marshall. More gain than EVH used, and almost enough for 80's thrash. Amp was 100% original down to every cap except power cord and tubes. It might get loud.
3. Mesa Mark VII - Best channel switcher I've ever played through. Killer cleans, killer Marshally tones in Mark VII mode and IIC+ mode is legit. Even the feel is good, not quite as good as the real deal but close enough for me. Decent master but still needs some volume to open up on drive channels.
4. 1981 Marshall 4104 - Best Master volume Marshall I've ever tried. With an eq in front in a frown it was very Plexi like. Stack the eq with an OCD in front of EQ and it was one of the best metal tones ever. Like any proper 800, sounds best at 5 and above on master. Can be dialed to sound decent at bedroom levels too, just not as epic.
5. Cameron Moded Sovtek MIG. Amazing tones at all volumes. Low input was like a perfect master volume Plexi, and High input was like a Recto, IIC+ and Plexi had a 3 way love child.
2. 1972 Marshall 1987 Lead spec - It is that tone. Any one you want from a Marshall. More gain than EVH used, and almost enough for 80's thrash. Amp was 100% original down to every cap except power cord and tubes. It might get loud.
3. Mesa Mark VII - Best channel switcher I've ever played through. Killer cleans, killer Marshally tones in Mark VII mode and IIC+ mode is legit. Even the feel is good, not quite as good as the real deal but close enough for me. Decent master but still needs some volume to open up on drive channels.
4. 1981 Marshall 4104 - Best Master volume Marshall I've ever tried. With an eq in front in a frown it was very Plexi like. Stack the eq with an OCD in front of EQ and it was one of the best metal tones ever. Like any proper 800, sounds best at 5 and above on master. Can be dialed to sound decent at bedroom levels too, just not as epic.
5. Cameron Moded Sovtek MIG. Amazing tones at all volumes. Low input was like a perfect master volume Plexi, and High input was like a Recto, IIC+ and Plexi had a 3 way love child.
napalmdeath
Well-known member
No particular order...
Splawn Competition 50
Peavey JSX
Friedman Runt 50
Bogner Helios
Laney GH50L
Honorables:
Mesa Stiletto Deuce
Bogner XTC 50
Splawn Competition 50
Peavey JSX
Friedman Runt 50
Bogner Helios
Laney GH50L
Honorables:
Mesa Stiletto Deuce
Bogner XTC 50
SFW
Well-known member
EVH 5150 III Stealth - My current amp. Not much it can't do. From clean to peal the paint off.
Marshall 2550 Jubilee - I treated this amp like a single channel amp. Hands down some of the best live tone that I ever got. This a TS9 and a wah pedal was my rig for years.
Mesa Boogie Mark IVB - Every channel sounded killer. Some of the best recorded tones I've gotten were with this amp.
Hughes & Kettner Triamp MK I - treat it like a three-channel amp, and it was just beautiful. It was the only amp I can say that I heard that "3D" thing with. Miss this one a lot.
Splawn QuickRod 2005 model - If the new ones sounded like the old ones, I'd probably have another QR right now.
HM: 1966 Fender Bassman. Crank it. Hit it with a dirt pedal. Sound of rock.
Marshall 2550 Jubilee - I treated this amp like a single channel amp. Hands down some of the best live tone that I ever got. This a TS9 and a wah pedal was my rig for years.
Mesa Boogie Mark IVB - Every channel sounded killer. Some of the best recorded tones I've gotten were with this amp.
Hughes & Kettner Triamp MK I - treat it like a three-channel amp, and it was just beautiful. It was the only amp I can say that I heard that "3D" thing with. Miss this one a lot.
Splawn QuickRod 2005 model - If the new ones sounded like the old ones, I'd probably have another QR right now.
HM: 1966 Fender Bassman. Crank it. Hit it with a dirt pedal. Sound of rock.
jabps
Well-known member
1. Marshall JVM 410 - had this amp the longest of any amp I've ever owned. Still my number one.
2. Peavey 5150 - OG block letter. Main amp for 10 years back in the day.
3. Langner DCP-1 Pre-Amp/Peavey Classic 120/120 Power Amp. Straight high gain heaven and could move some freaking air. That Peavey power amp is "the" most underrated power amp ever. Had nice 12 space rack for several years, massively heavy though.
4. Marshall 50w JMP 2204 - Grew up with this amp. Had some cajones with the 6550's. Toss a SD-1, DOD 250 or Tubescreamer in the front and you were good to go.
5. Splawn QR / JSX - JSX took over the top spot for a few years when I moved away from the 5150. The QR ('05-06 era) I had was juicy, loved it. Was going to take over the top spot and lost it in a fire. Replaced it with another QR but not sure what happened, night and day difference.
Honorable Mention - VHT Ultra Lead, VHT Sig X and Diezel Herbert MK1. Really loved these amps and nearly went full on with the Sig X for a bit when going through my VHT phase. The MK1 is really the only Diezel I've owned that I like.
2. Peavey 5150 - OG block letter. Main amp for 10 years back in the day.
3. Langner DCP-1 Pre-Amp/Peavey Classic 120/120 Power Amp. Straight high gain heaven and could move some freaking air. That Peavey power amp is "the" most underrated power amp ever. Had nice 12 space rack for several years, massively heavy though.
4. Marshall 50w JMP 2204 - Grew up with this amp. Had some cajones with the 6550's. Toss a SD-1, DOD 250 or Tubescreamer in the front and you were good to go.
5. Splawn QR / JSX - JSX took over the top spot for a few years when I moved away from the 5150. The QR ('05-06 era) I had was juicy, loved it. Was going to take over the top spot and lost it in a fire. Replaced it with another QR but not sure what happened, night and day difference.
Honorable Mention - VHT Ultra Lead, VHT Sig X and Diezel Herbert MK1. Really loved these amps and nearly went full on with the Sig X for a bit when going through my VHT phase. The MK1 is really the only Diezel I've owned that I like.
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Maguchi
Active member
Not necessarily in any order, but just stream of consciousness and as they come to mind. Some I still got, others I don't got no more:
Matchless DC-30, Marshall 1987 and 1960A halfstack, a 65 Twin Reverb or Super Reverb, Marshall 1974, Fender Tweed Deluxe.
Why? It's complex. And by complex I mean both the sound of the amps and the explanation of why these are my top 5.
Matchless DC-30, Marshall 1987 and 1960A halfstack, a 65 Twin Reverb or Super Reverb, Marshall 1974, Fender Tweed Deluxe.
Why? It's complex. And by complex I mean both the sound of the amps and the explanation of why these are my top 5.
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ChuggNorris
Well-known member
1-- Archon 100 - perfection
2-- Jvm 410 - king of thrash
3-- Savage 120 - surgical brutality
4-- Triple Crown 100 - mark iv + rectifier
5-- Deliverance 120 - dynamic as fuck
2-- Jvm 410 - king of thrash
3-- Savage 120 - surgical brutality
4-- Triple Crown 100 - mark iv + rectifier
5-- Deliverance 120 - dynamic as fuck
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guitarxtc
Member
After about 90 high gain heads that i owned...
1. My build 85w 2x Kt90 5 stage single channel
2. Ampete one
3. Engl SE el34
4. Bogner xtc 20th
5. EVH stealth
1. My build 85w 2x Kt90 5 stage single channel
2. Ampete one
3. Engl SE el34
4. Bogner xtc 20th
5. EVH stealth
