What amp should I be checking out ??

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Kidkramer71":2c6tncxa said:
I had an uberschall rev blue .
Sold it to buy the Helios .
If like drop tuning and metal it kills !!
Also does Alice n chains very well .
Clean is way less volume wise so much it's not much use .
It does more then just metal , but that's where it really breathes !!!
If you want 80's rock metal and like Bogner's and don't want to spend 3 grand ?
Find a used Ecstacy they sound great !!
Or a modded Marshall .
Although Uberschalls sound great for what they were intended if that's not your thing I would search elsewhere .
Just my 50 cents !!
Best of luck !!!



Jim

Thanks Jim ! Im a shredder through and through. I like Eric Johnson and I studied with Neil Zaza for years. I gravitate through modern voiced amps but Im not a metal player. I like old school thrash in standard tuning. I played a Dual Rec for 8 years when I was playing covers like Disturbed and Godsmack. I discovered Splawn and went through 2 quickrods and 2 Nitros. I love the Nitro voicing but lead tones dont come easy from that amp for me. I bought a 5153 mini and my head exploded. It finally had the gain and saturation I wanted. I then bought the 100 watt standard and found it anemic so I bought the Stealth. That killed amp gas for me since last April.

I have outgrown the Splawn. I no longer have a musical use for it. So if I sell it all I have are 5153s. Its really not a problem but I figure I want something else in the stable. My friend is a sound guy with a stable of amps that include Diezels and Bogners. His brother plays and has more of the same. They have been telling me to treat myself to something more. Ive been very ill lately so all this amp searching has been a brilliant distraction.

The Helios really has my vote. The clips are all astonishing. I worry about its vintage vibe though. The Uber has the gain structure and voicing that fits what Im accustomed to. The price is also appealing and I feel that it would be a better fit for me than the Nitro. But I know I truly want the Helios.

Luckily another forum member has all the amps Im contemplating as does my friend and his brother. So now I can try this stuff out hopefully. If I can play an Uber and Helios Ill know right away if Im going to buy either. Truthfully I might just be as happy with a Marshall DSL like MarshallMel suggested. I just want something to fill the void when I flip the Splawn.

The Helios is steep. The Uber is not. Ill check one out this week though and see if I need to spend 3k on the Helios.

And in the meantime I have had a great time thinking about tone and amps and not thinking about being sick.

Sorry for all these long posts but I really, really appreciate the responses and information this thread has given me. You guys have been fantastic.
 
No problem here!!'
It's all opinion and taste !!
Since I have a Helios and an Ecstacy , and had an Uberschall , I threw my opinions out there .
I like you wanted something more or different when I bought my Uberschall .
Then I heard the Helios . The rest is history !!
As I have said for me the Helios does it !!
I still have a modded fender bassman and my Ecstacy each has its thing it does best !
Hope you have a great weekend and keep getting better !!
Can't wait to hear your opinion of the amps when you try them !!
Have fun !!
Jim
 
stompboxfreak72":26uonhws said:
November5th":26uonhws said:
Do it man! With the shit you have been through and are going through you deserve to treat yourself.

Ironically exactly what my wife told me. I got ran over by a 16 year old while I was on a bicycle. I broke my pelvis in 4 places and had to have a screw put in to hold it all together. Then I end up with frigging cancer. I received settlement money for the accident and it has not been touched. I also return to work in 6 weeks which Im very excited about.

Ok....I just said way too much but your post got me. Why am I worried about money ? I guess my only thought is that I really want to do a custom Carvin build. Neil Zaza is even been kind enough to let me put my filthy hands on his collection so I can get a better feel for what I want. Shit.....I still get SSI/disability payments for months after I go back to work. And my family just got an 8 day trip to Disney so we did the family thing and my kids were thrilled.

Bogner Helios.



Wow, talk about hardships! Congrats for getting in front of it all. Helios has my vote too. I would love to try one. With your talent you should be able to kill it.
 
I want to clarify something on the Uberschall. There is a volume drop from the clean to dirty channel but this is easily compensated by simply turning up the clean volume. The cleans are nice on the Uber and the gain is far more versatile than simply detuned metal. That amp is really stereotyped and it does far more than the stereotype.
 
I was hoping to be the first to recommend a LANDRY
Killer amps that for whatever reason fly under the radar :thumbsup:
 
RockyStar":18g179io said:
I want to clarify something on the Uberschall. There is a volume drop from the clean to dirty channel but this is easily compensated by simply turning up the clean volume. The cleans are nice on the Uber and the gain is far more versatile than simply detuned metal. That amp is really stereotyped and it does far more than the stereotype.
From my experience the volume drop is to much at high volumes .
The clean does not have enough to keep up with the gain .
Yes it does more then metal .
I said it does .
It was designed for dropped timings and metal that is what it does best .
I think it is a great amp for it's intended use and will do more .
If 80's shred rock metal is your thing then the uberschall is not the best fit .
That is my opinion .
Rock on !!!
Jim
 
Well I got a huge Bogner education last night. My buddy and his brother invited me over to play the Uber, Einstein, Ectasy 101b, Shiva and some Wizard amps that we never even got to. The Uber is a wicked sounding beast and I was amazed by the versatility of the Einstein. The XTC blew me away and I loved the Shiva vintage clean tones but was not overwhelmed by its dirty channel. All of these amps are top not h and any one of them would be more amp than I would ever require. I really got schooled and had a ball doing so.

I walked away knowing that its imperative that I try John4021's Helios before I buy one. I would be completely satiated with the purchase of any of these amps but the Helios is not going to be had on the used market for 2k like the others are. I also really like modern voiced amps and wonder if the vintage vibe of the Helios might leave me better served by an Uber. Its all in the ears and my choices seem even vast and perhaps more difficult now. But what a great way to spend a Friday night and what a great distraction.
 
Sweet !!
That's what it's all about !!!
Sounds like some nights at my house .
At least try a Helios before you choose .
I agree the uberschall and Ecstacy are great amps , just different although the uberschall can do a lot the Ecstacy is way more versatile but the uberschall has that majic over the top fat thick gain .

Remember when it was so much easier !!
A crappy amp maybe a pedal or two and all you wanted to do was play !!
Now we need better amps and guitars to inspire !! Lol
When you get with friends and jam the passion and smiles remain especially through killer amps !!
Glad you had a good time !
 
It looks like we are going to have another go at the amps on Sunday. Bogner and Diezel are certainly in a whole different level than what Im used too. I did learn that no matter what I played through I sounded just like me. No amp will give or take away skills but some are more inspiring to me than others.
 
I agree with the Landry suggestion . If you look at Henning , I'd suggest the Cherry Bomb .
 
The Uberschall is a complete bad ass. I've never tried to dial mine back enough to play anything that isn't just pure heavy & downtuned, so I can't attest to their versatility. Clean channel? What's that? You can get an Uberschall head in mint condition for under $2k which is a steal for how massive they are. I will tell you one thing though, you won't hear what the Uberschall truly sounds like unless you hear it through an Uberkab. Every other cab I've played mine through(except the DAR) won't do an Uberschall justice. This includes Marshall t75 loaded cabs, mesa cabs(standard & oversized), Vai legacy cab, v3 t75 loaded cab, MTS cab, Marshall mf400 k100 loaded cab, peavey ms412 k85 loaded cab, Krankenstein cab eminence Texas heat loaded, v3 t75 loaded 2x12 you get the idea.

Here's a quick vid of heavy riffage on my Uberschall Original

 
Spend 1K on the used D120 in the classifieds....I remember reading a post here that came from an Uberschall owner. As much as he loved his Bogner, he said that the Deliverance sounds even bigger when he A/B'd them. One channel but you can back the gain down and clean up with your guitar volume, and boost back with a pedal.
 
I played a Diezel Herbert today. I dont think Ill ever be the same......
 
Ran my Splawn through a Bogner 4x12 loaded with v30s. It sounded awesome and made me second guess selling my beloved Splawn ! I think Im going to swap the sb25s out of my Splawn cab this week.
 
No brainer then reading this thread and what you have liked.. used Bogner ecstacy. At the other end of spectrum, another quickrod.
 
I'd go with something totally different in sound and feel, maybe a mark v?
 
I've got a 2012 Quick Rod and a Ceriatone 50-watt Chupacabra that both nail 80s-90s hot-rod Marshall tones. I've had Bogners (XTC, Shiva, & TJ), Marshalls (2203X, DSL50), VHT (UL), Engl (Powerball), H&K (Triamp, GM), and other great amps... and I'm as happy with these amps as I've ever been. The fact that I got both the Chupacabra and a complete Quick Rod half stack for a total of $1600 is just icing on the cake after spending so much more for some of those other amps.
 
I have had 2 QRs and agree. The price point on the used market is unbeatable.

After spending two days with my friends having a mini ampfest I learned a lot about Bogners, Diezel and Wizard amps. I also discovered that my Nitro sounds awesome with v30s and Tom aka Lord Tone King did me a solid and hooked me up with a pair of UK made v30s. So awesome.....thank you LTK !

The thing is I sound just like me no matter how expensive or cheap an amp is. I sound just like me. No better and no worse. I expected to be gassing so hard for a boutique amp when all was said and done and the opposite happened : I lost all gas.

Im going to stay with the Stealth and the Nitro. When the new EVH 5153-34 or whatever the hell it is drops Ill be all wanting one. I still might like another QR if it was a 3 pre or maybe an Uber for the right price but Im completely out of the boutique amp race.

I got a quote from Carvin on a build yesterday and I might have another comic graphic done on my Splawn ss2. I might have Jon Hill build me a Bootleg........and I might not do anything at all. I have hedged and changed my mind so many times that I think I need a gear break.
 
stompboxfreak72":2wtplsta said:
I have had 2 QRs and agree. The price point on the used market is unbeatable.

After spending two days with my friends having a mini ampfest I learned a lot about Bogners, Diezel and Wizard amps. I also discovered that my Nitro sounds awesome with v30s and Tom aka Lord Tone King did me a solid and hooked me up with a pair of UK made v30s. So awesome.....thank you LTK !

The thing is I sound just like me no matter how expensive or cheap an amp is. I sound just like me. No better and no worse. I expected to be gassing so hard for a boutique amp when all was said and done and the opposite happened : I lost all gas.

Im going to stay with the Stealth and the Nitro. When the new EVH 5153-34 or whatever the hell it is drops Ill be all wanting one. I still might like another QR if it was a 3 pre or maybe an Uber for the right price but Im completely out of the boutique amp race.

I got a quote from Carvin on a build yesterday and I might have another comic graphic done on my Splawn ss2. I might have Jon Hill build me a Bootleg........and I might not do anything at all. I have hedged and changed my mind so many times that I think I need a gear break.
Isn't that the truth? We all have a tone in our heads, when we get new gear we still try to dial it in just like the last amp we had :lol: :LOL: I like upper mids, no one does that better than a good Marshall so....I have a marshall! OK maybe a Wizard might do it better but not much else. Find an amp you like, stick with it...sometimes the grass isn't always greener....
 
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