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MistaGuitah
Well-known member
If you had to choose one, why would you choose it?
GOHOINC
Well-known member
Vh4 is only one I have direct exp with. But I chose it because it kicks ass and has lots of options. I'm sure the be is right up there but I tend to like the darker stuff like the jj or vh4 I had.
fusedbrain
Well-known member
VH4 vs BE100 vs SLO vs Hagen??
Choose for what application??
I own the first 3. They're different...
Choose for what application??
I own the first 3. They're different...
napalmdeath
Well-known member
I thought you loved the Astoria? Oh wait, AXFX II, no wait, BE-100, oh wait, maybe a Bogner?? Oh wait, the BE-50?
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MistaGuitah
Well-known member
fusedbrain":3j72jp7y said:
They're all very versatile amps, well except maybe the SLO, but of course rock and metal and a few other things just for the sake of discussion.
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Racerxrated
Well-known member
I tend to like more bright, raw tone, so for my tastes out of those 3 the SLO wins. The other 2 are more polite.
PBGas
Well-known member
BE-100 for me. Love the Friedman tones.
I’ve had 2 different Deizels in past years. Amazing amps but not the sound I was looking for.
I’ve had 2 different Deizels in past years. Amazing amps but not the sound I was looking for.
fusedbrain
Well-known member
Versatile, and if the focus is on the metal side + best clean channel of the 3 amps I listed = VH4MistaGuitah":2v00p5rf said:
Versatile, and if the focus is on the rock side (but can get into metal with the HBE / Sat etc) + best crunch tones = BE100
One of the best bright, raw rock tones ever = SLO
The VH4 and BE100 also sound closer to their to their "signature tone" at low volumes. The SLO is kinda OK at low volume, but is in another league when the master gets above 4 or5.
Then there's the loop....we all know about the SLO loop.
If I could only keep one, it would be between the BE100 and the SLO. I'm more of a rock guy than a metal guy.
Never even heard, let alone tried a Hagen.
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MistaGuitah
Well-known member
I'm not asking because I want to buy one those amps but when you can only afford to own one of them, you can't help but to think "what if I had the other one instead?" You know what I mean? To me Friedman is a safe bet because it's the most comfortable tone for me, but the cravings for those other amps are frequent.
fusedbrain
Well-known member
Friedman BE100 is tough to beat.MistaGuitah":1zup2hpj said:
Covers a ton of ground stylistically, works great at any volume, and the loop is the best in the biz.
Oh ya, and it sounds insanely good. What's not to love....
Rdodson
Well-known member
I have experience with all of them. They are all good. The Hagen is so under appreciated. Give it a 4x12 of GBs & V30s and it could do a lot. I don't think it sounds that good with the 2x12 K100 cabs that you see it paired with.
The SLO sounds SO good doing it's thing, and set right gets a gorgeous clean. It just can't do it all without resets and loop workarounds.
I'm still waiting to make time to get my BE100 the NF plus SS100 clean mods done. Then it will be the greatest amp ever.
The SLO sounds SO good doing it's thing, and set right gets a gorgeous clean. It just can't do it all without resets and loop workarounds.
I'm still waiting to make time to get my BE100 the NF plus SS100 clean mods done. Then it will be the greatest amp ever.
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halebox
Active member
Only have experience with slo, so thats my 1st pick. I really like the hagen clips Ive heard and would choose over a VH4. The only Friedman clips I dug are the smallbox or modded marshalls, the others don't sound bad just haven't wowed me through clips.
fusedbrain
Well-known member
The NF change is significant, and I would recommend you try it yourself first before you commit, or put it on a switch. To do it yourself, all you have to do is move the purple wire on the impedance selector.Rdodson":3lm5g177 said:I have experience with all of them. They are all good. The Hagen is so under appreciated. Give it a 4x12 of GBs & V30s and it could do a lot. I don't think it sounds that good with the 2x12 K100 cabs that you see it paired with.
The SLO sounds SO good doing it's thing, and set right gets a gorgeous clean. It just can't do it all without resets and loop workarounds.
I'm still waiting to make time to get my BE100 the NF plus SS100 clean mods done. Then it will be the greatest amp ever.
Not sure what Dave does for the SS100 clean mod, but I changed the tone stack for the clean channel in my BE100 from the stock Vox-ish thing to what you would see in a Fender Deluxe, and it kills. Still just bass and treble controls - no mid knob - but it sounds fabulous.
And yes I agree, for the tone it produces and the ground it can cover with a clean channel mod, the BE100 is with out a doubt one of the best amps ever made.
Mattfig
Member
I have played all above with exception of Hagen and I own a BE-100...
For me, BE-100 is the sound I desire. Plain and simple. Trying to get my hands on a used SS-100 though for comparison!
For me, BE-100 is the sound I desire. Plain and simple. Trying to get my hands on a used SS-100 though for comparison!
CEG85
Active member
BE-100.
I generally favor Marshall type amps.
I generally favor Marshall type amps.
jdel77
Well-known member
Here's my opinion, take it or don't...
BE-100 sounds like a professional polished Marshall with the raw grit, grind and scream taken out of it. Sounds too polite and mastered for me.
VH4 is killer, but kinda like a BE-100, isn't raw and rude enough for me, although Channel 3 is bloody good.
SLO is my winner. Pure unadulterated rock that gets into metal on the Crunch channel with an SD-1 up front, or the Overdrive channel will just crush with that midrange. The SLO is all about finding the right speakers for me, and I'm enjoying a two vintage G12-65's and two V30's in an X. Love that sound.
BE-100 sounds like a professional polished Marshall with the raw grit, grind and scream taken out of it. Sounds too polite and mastered for me.
VH4 is killer, but kinda like a BE-100, isn't raw and rude enough for me, although Channel 3 is bloody good.
SLO is my winner. Pure unadulterated rock that gets into metal on the Crunch channel with an SD-1 up front, or the Overdrive channel will just crush with that midrange. The SLO is all about finding the right speakers for me, and I'm enjoying a two vintage G12-65's and two V30's in an X. Love that sound.
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GtarLover
Well-known member
I own or have owned ALL of these...
Really tough to make a decision on one.
I agree with some of the assessments here. Especially that the Hagen is "under-appreciated."
Love the Friedman tones, no doubt.
Still own both a modded BE-100 and the Hagen, so that's my vote. I know, not a single amp.
That said, I do miss the SLO once in a while and occasionally get that itch...however, I want amps that I can use in live situations, and agree with what was mentioned earlier, that the SLO is amazing AND can't be foot-switched to give all of what it is capable of without manual adjustments. My work around, I do still have my X99 pre, so I can switch that one via midi
In the end, when you get to this level of gear, they are ALL pretty amazing. I would add Herbert and maybe a couple others as well.
Comes down to your specific needs and desires. There are quite a few SUPER SWEET amps out there these days
Really tough to make a decision on one.
I agree with some of the assessments here. Especially that the Hagen is "under-appreciated."
Love the Friedman tones, no doubt.
Still own both a modded BE-100 and the Hagen, so that's my vote. I know, not a single amp.
That said, I do miss the SLO once in a while and occasionally get that itch...however, I want amps that I can use in live situations, and agree with what was mentioned earlier, that the SLO is amazing AND can't be foot-switched to give all of what it is capable of without manual adjustments. My work around, I do still have my X99 pre, so I can switch that one via midi
In the end, when you get to this level of gear, they are ALL pretty amazing. I would add Herbert and maybe a couple others as well.
Comes down to your specific needs and desires. There are quite a few SUPER SWEET amps out there these days
Ventura
Well-known member
I either own or have owned all these amps.
What a nutbar poll. I'd go nuts. Seriously.
But!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I chose the Hagen. Why? It's the greasy brother to the VH4, the VH4 is infamous for its Ch.3, the Hagen has that Ch.3 goodness but it's a little more slippery. I dig the playfulness of the Hagen, and with *careful* technique, it can flirt with the tightness of the VH4, but only flirt. It's a remarkable amp. It's a remarkably underrated amp, IMHO. The clean on it is fucking amazing - VH4 is piano - Hagen is crystalline. Crunch (Ch.2) are similar, again, the Hagen is looser and more playful. Remember, this is all IMHO, and YMMV. SO there ya have it. Oh, and the Ch.4 is sustain for DAYS but - again - IMHO - has better string definition in its higher gain arena than the VH4 - which definitely delivers the gainy brootz like none other - but it's mega THICK. It's a wall of gain. The Hagen, you can hear the notes.
The SLO is a league unto itself - it's got it's own thing going on - it's either a love or a hate. It's a polarizing amp. Once you get on with one, you leave forums and just play till your dead. If it's not your cup of tea, you're still hear reading this - but it's a killer amp and is played by many people who are not currently typing, or reading anything thereon, for that matter, forums.
The BE-100 is done to death. Great amp - but many amps out there are similar. Friedman's got some amazing skillz in the amps department - I'm a huge fan of the JJ and Slax - the BE?? It's a masterpiece if that's your thing.
Like I said, this is an insane poll.... But I took the bait.
And now I'll dwindle off into the twilight of my own introspective insanities thinking about this poll and my answer to it till my death
(Or I'll just get the fuck off the net and play one of the aforementioned amps and fawgeddabowdit!! )
What a nutbar poll. I'd go nuts. Seriously.
But!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I chose the Hagen. Why? It's the greasy brother to the VH4, the VH4 is infamous for its Ch.3, the Hagen has that Ch.3 goodness but it's a little more slippery. I dig the playfulness of the Hagen, and with *careful* technique, it can flirt with the tightness of the VH4, but only flirt. It's a remarkable amp. It's a remarkably underrated amp, IMHO. The clean on it is fucking amazing - VH4 is piano - Hagen is crystalline. Crunch (Ch.2) are similar, again, the Hagen is looser and more playful. Remember, this is all IMHO, and YMMV. SO there ya have it. Oh, and the Ch.4 is sustain for DAYS but - again - IMHO - has better string definition in its higher gain arena than the VH4 - which definitely delivers the gainy brootz like none other - but it's mega THICK. It's a wall of gain. The Hagen, you can hear the notes.
The SLO is a league unto itself - it's got it's own thing going on - it's either a love or a hate. It's a polarizing amp. Once you get on with one, you leave forums and just play till your dead. If it's not your cup of tea, you're still hear reading this - but it's a killer amp and is played by many people who are not currently typing, or reading anything thereon, for that matter, forums.
The BE-100 is done to death. Great amp - but many amps out there are similar. Friedman's got some amazing skillz in the amps department - I'm a huge fan of the JJ and Slax - the BE?? It's a masterpiece if that's your thing.
Like I said, this is an insane poll.... But I took the bait.
And now I'll dwindle off into the twilight of my own introspective insanities thinking about this poll and my answer to it till my death
(Or I'll just get the fuck off the net and play one of the aforementioned amps and fawgeddabowdit!!
)
Rdodson
Well-known member
Ventura, you are always a good read.
Great thoughts about the Hagen. I brought my Bogner ported 1x12 with a Scumback M75 100w to my local GC to test the Hagen with and loved it. The K100 cabs that Diezel always ships just take the Hagen-ness out of it.
Great thoughts about the Hagen. I brought my Bogner ported 1x12 with a Scumback M75 100w to my local GC to test the Hagen with and loved it. The K100 cabs that Diezel always ships just take the Hagen-ness out of it.
Ventura":3d7c7nil said:I either own or have owned all these amps.
What a nutbar poll. I'd go nuts. Seriously.
But!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I chose the Hagen. Why? It's the greasy brother to the VH4, the VH4 is infamous for its Ch.3, the Hagen has that Ch.3 goodness but it's a little more slippery. I dig the playfulness of the Hagen, and with *careful* technique, it can flirt with the tightness of the VH4, but only flirt. It's a remarkable amp. It's a remarkably underrated amp, IMHO. The clean on it is fucking amazing - VH4 is piano - Hagen is crystalline. Crunch (Ch.2) are similar, again, the Hagen is looser and more playful. Remember, this is all IMHO, and YMMV. SO there ya have it. Oh, and the Ch.4 is sustain for DAYS but - again - IMHO - has better string definition in its higher gain arena than the VH4 - which definitely delivers the gainy brootz like none other - but it's mega THICK. It's a wall of gain. The Hagen, you can hear the notes.
The SLO is a league unto itself - it's got it's own thing going on - it's either a love or a hate. It's a polarizing amp. Once you get on with one, you leave forums and just play till your dead. If it's not your cup of tea, you're still hear reading this - but it's a killer amp and is played by many people who are not currently typing, or reading anything thereon, for that matter, forums.
The BE-100 is done to death. Great amp - but many amps out there are similar. Friedman's got some amazing skillz in the amps department - I'm a huge fan of the JJ and Slax - the BE?? It's a masterpiece if that's your thing.
Like I said, this is an insane poll.... But I took the bait.
And now I'll dwindle off into the twilight of my own introspective insanities thinking about this poll and my answer to it till my death
(Or I'll just get the fuck off the net and play one of the aforementioned amps and fawgeddabowdit!!
M
MistaGuitah
Well-known member
I'm surprised at the poll results as I thought the VH4 would get more votes. Reading Ventura's post man brings on the Hagen GAS.