Top 5 tightest Amps

[Wizard of Ozz]

Personally I feel super tight bass really is only useful for fast staccato rhythm playing. It makes single notes and cleans just sound thin.

This right here is worth quoting.

That's my issue with the Fryette and Fortin amps (owned several of each, several times over). They are super tight... but they are both examples of too much of a good thing... just too tight, somewhat choked feeling... as you loose that little bit of squish and warm feel when playing leads or single notes. The truly exceptional amps imho have just that right amount of tightness to keep rhythms clear and defined... but just enough give, slip, warmth, and saturation when playing lead or single notes. Too much of either extreme is no good.

It's like a recipe... and when you taste it, you know it's just right.

 

[EvilBatman]

Personally I feel super tight bass really is only useful for fast staccato rhythm playing. It makes single notes and cleans just sound thin.

This right here is worth quoting.

That's my issue with the Fryette and Fortin amps (owned several of each, several times over). They are super tight... but they are both examples of too much of a good thing... just too tight, somewhat choked feeling... as you loose that little bit of squish and warm feel when playing leads or single notes. The truly exceptional amps imho have just that right amount of tightness to keep rhythms clear and defined... but just enough give, slip, warmth, and saturation when playing lead or single notes. Too much of either extreme is no good.

It's like a recipe... and when you taste it, you know it's just right.

One of the reasons I always tend to gravitate towards a Mesa Mark amp. The IIC+,IV, and Studio preamp in particular. I think if I could get the IV a bit wider sounding but not less tight, I'd be in heaven.

Not an amp per se, but a Triaxis in to a VHT 2/90/2 is very tight. The Tri is very compressed and the VHT just will not give up. I may have to revisit this now that I think about it...

 

[stephen sawall]

This tight / loose nonsense has been making musicians neurotic forever. Basically I want the sound tight enough to keep the sound definition and articulate. But not so tight I am fighting the feel and sound.

If you really want tight bass get a solid state amp with more than enough power to stay focused. Good luck getting a tone you like with a solid state rig. I've never done it.

 

[Little B]

Agreeing with a lot of what ive read.
For me: my mesa coliseum red stripe, mkiic+,mk ivb-?..are very "tight" if set that way..yet still unforgiving.
Elmwood M90,Diezel Herbert,Bogner shiva..all can get "tight" yet still somewhat forgiving.
My Bogner XTC is a bit stiff and unforgiving,along with SLO,VHT Pittbull,Ultralead,Wizard Classic,Splawn Quickrod--to me these are somewhat unforgiving.....but man do they sound good....

 

[thenine]

my Fortin mod JVM is the tightest Ive owned and played

 

[kylendm]

Sig X is very tight.

 

[JerEvil]

Yeah for me would be Sig: X, D120, Engl SE and don't laugh but the Peavey Triple XXX was SUPER tight.

 

[napalmdeath]

Peavey 5150 with an OD808!

 

[bgh]

[
I prefer the IV mode because it's bigger and more filled in. The 2C mode is tighter even in Triode, but it's narrower and honky all around compared to the IV. I don't get the hype of the 2C...

Totally agree (judging from my Mark V:25). The 2C+ mode is way too honky, even with an extreme V setting on graphic EQ. Good for Santana stuff, not Black Album.
I use the Xtreme mode mostly, as it's bigger sounding than the Mark IV; but it is a bit less tight.

@bgh; if you find the Mark IV unforgiving, try a Fryette for a change. To me, the Mark IV Lead (prior to my Mark V:25, I owned a IV Rev A from '91) is the definition of liquid high gain, and yes, pretty damn tight, but unforgiving? Nah.... A Fryette, now THAT'S unforgiving.

Let me see if I can explain what I mean. And, for context, when I say my Mark IV is "unforgiving", I mean it in a (very) good way.

What I found was this. I could play on my other amps, and they were rather forgiving in the sense the gain "made up" for some of the mistakes I was making. When I got the Mark IV, I found it to be not so forgiving. Instead of hiding my mistakes, they were brought to the forefront.

The Mark IV forced me to correct my mistakes and not be so sloppy. I found that to a good thing.

PS: The liquid high gain is indeed excellent!

 

[stephen sawall]

The Mesa Mark really is a great example of a tight sound with a great feel.

 

[Hardvalve]

Not 1 mention of my favorite super tight brutal as hell Metal amp,

Ampeg VH140C Head. It also cuts in a mix like a beast. Had a few Pitbull UL amps, Deliverance, Diezel VH4S, Marshalls, Peaveys, KSR Ares, numerous boutique amps. Still my favorite for tight Metal Rhythm tones. Others for lead tones, more vintage metal/rock tones. Straight up crushing, it is the one amp I always keep around.

 

[stratjacket]

Interesting thread. I’ve honestly never given much thought to pursuing tight or loose amps, I just went for the amps that I liked. I guess like must love tight amps, because all of my current flock have been listed:
KSR Artemis (rack version of the ones listed here)
Diezel Hagen
Diezel Herbert
Bogner Uberschall

Hmm, guess I’m a tight amp lover.

 

[errrrrl]

Not 1 mention of my favorite super tight brutal as hell Metal amp,

Ampeg VH140C Head. It also cuts in a mix like a beast. Had a few Pitbull UL amps, Deliverance, Diezel VH4S, Marshalls, Peaveys, KSR Ares, numerous boutique amps. Still my favorite for tight Metal Rhythm tones. Others for lead tones, more vintage metal/rock tones. Straight up crushing, it is the one amp I always keep around.

I wish I still had mine... I loved that amp. Such a great amp for all things metal. I've actually been thinking of that amp lately after seeing that Tapp amp video... for some reason that Tapp amp sounds to me like the VH140C with a tube power amp or something. Something really familiar about that amp which is also very tight sounding.

 

[EvilBatman]

For the Ampeg VH140C guys, I've read that one of the Crate SS amps is supposedly a nearly identical amp. Is this factual or is this at least partially accurate?

Speaking of Ampeg and tight, I remember years ago hearing a guy play through a rig that had a modded DS-1 feeding in to an old slightly modded SVT bass head on a 4x12. I wasn't wild about how he had the mids EQ'd, but holy hell... that was one of the tightest and articulate distorted tones I've ever heard. On top of that, it had most of that crazy punch the SVT power section is known for. It was nuts.

 

[milkchickenbomb]

Only 5? It's should be 100 amps and it's teh brutalz.

 

[midnightlaundry]

The Mesa Mark really is a great example of a tight sound with a great feel.

A-B'ing my Mark to my Sig, the Mark is tighter but it's more compressed and saturated. The Sig is more raw and open, less compression. The Sig is harder to play convincingly.

 

[Wizard of Ozz]

The Mesa Mark really is a great example of a tight sound with a great feel.

A-B'ing my Mark to my Sig, the Mark is tighter but it's more compressed and saturated. The Sig is more raw and open, less compression. The Sig is harder to play convincingly.

... and you say it like it's a bad thing?

I like saturation and good deal of natural compression. It greases-up the tone in just the right places imhe. Who wants an amp that is hard to play? That doesn't sound like fun.

 

[Wizard of Ozz]

The Mesa Mark really is a great example of a tight sound with a great feel.

Can't say I disagree.

 

[MetalHeadMike]

Not 1 mention of my favorite super tight brutal as hell Metal amp,

Ampeg VH140C Head. It also cuts in a mix like a beast. Had a few Pitbull UL amps, Deliverance, Diezel VH4S, Marshalls, Peaveys, KSR Ares, numerous boutique amps. Still my favorite for tight Metal Rhythm tones. Others for lead tones, more vintage metal/rock tones. Straight up crushing, it is the one amp I always keep around.

Sometimes kick myself for not buying the VH140C that was up here a while back

Still digging on your ARES though

 

[midnightlaundry]

The Mesa Mark really is a great example of a tight sound with a great feel.

A-B'ing my Mark to my Sig, the Mark is tighter but it's more compressed and saturated. The Sig is more raw and open, less compression. The Sig is harder to play convincingly.

... and you say it like it's a bad thing?

I like saturation and good deal of natural compression. It greases-up the tone in just the right places imhe. Who wants an amp that is hard to play? That doesn't sound like fun.

Never said 1 was better than the other. Just different shoes for different hills. However, if you like to roll back, the more open tone is glassier and contributes to a better cleanup. I like it when I play loud and soft that it comes out of the speakers that way.