What are your favorite amps in the $800 - $1400 range?

[thiswaythatway]

5150 is hard to beat for the price. It's not going to last a lifetime though, and I want something that will.

The Mesa Mark IV is a complete steal. Dan, you have to bring your Mark over so we can compare

I actually have sold most of my "cheap" stuff, because my expensive stuff (Fortin Cali, soon to be Fortin Natas, Baron K2) are all hand made monsters, as well as my incoming Bogner Ecstasy 101B

I have my 5150 III and Mark which you can get used for cheap, and they both rip. I'm so thrilled with my Mark IV its out of control...

I've owned a few IV's. The deal breaker for me is paying the extra money for them only to get a shitty R2 channel, and the III lead channel is a little more raw sounding.

What are you getting a 101b for if you have that Baron clone? The XTC is a decent amp but the red channel isn't that great IMHO, unless maybe it takes a boost pedal to tighten it up.

 

[Khoi]

Splawn Quickrod and Axe-FX Standard for sure

 

[Code001]

Mark III
Mark IV
Single Recto
Dual Recto
JVM
5150
5150 III
Blackmore
Axe-Fx (can this be included?)

 

[thiswaythatway]

Mark III

Axe-Fx (can this be included?)

NO I said amp, not headache.

 

[Digital Jams]

Mark III

Axe-Fx (can this be included?)

NO I said amp, not headache.

Like it or hate it the axefx is very hard to beat at low level playing, not many tube amps I know that are better..........................

 

[thiswaythatway]

Mark III

Axe-Fx (can this be included?)

NO I said amp, not headache.

Like it or hate it the axefx is very hard to beat at low level playing, not many tube amps I know that are better..........................

Add a good tube poweramp and you're closer to 2k.

 

[Code001]

You can record direct into the computer. Just get a cheap interface.

 

[King Loudness]

You can record direct into the computer. Just get a cheap interface.

This is basically what I do. I have a Zoom G2.1Nu that acts as an effects processor as well as an audio interface. When I want to practice, record basic ideas, or record a quick clip to a jam track or something, that's the setup that I use. If I'm planning to do more serious recording I go into a studio and mic up tube amps... but for home purposes, my $250 Zoom and then my laptop and a set of speakers get the job done perfectly.

 

[Khoi]

Mark III

Axe-Fx (can this be included?)

NO I said amp, not headache.

Like it or hate it the axefx is very hard to beat at low level playing, not many tube amps I know that are better..........................

Add a good tube poweramp and you're closer to 2k.

Through a $120 44 watt SS power amp, it still sounds great, and you can not even argue with it's versatility and functionality.

 

[thiswaythatway]

Mark III

Axe-Fx (can this be included?)

NO I said amp, not headache.

Like it or hate it the axefx is very hard to beat at low level playing, not many tube amps I know that are better..........................

Add a good tube poweramp and you're closer to 2k.

Through a $120 44 watt SS power amp, it still sounds great, and you can not even argue with it's versatility and functionality.

I owned one and won't go down that road again. Too much tweaking, not enough playing.

 

[Khoi]

I've only had mine for a few weeks, but I actually don't really tweak, I usually find other people's presets and they are good enough for me

it's not hard to get a good tone on it

 

[stephen sawall]

Sig X, Deliverance, Mark III or IV.

I picked up my THD Series One Plexi from Ed D when he had several amps for sale. I also wanted the Avenger, great amp I have seen used many times. Ed kept the good one .... a Soldano modified Marshall that I understand may still belong to Dave S. Amazing sounding amp.

I had a Mark III red before my IV and feel the lead channel was better on the III. Just a great sound.

 

[Dale B]

If I had that much to burn on an amp, I would pick up a H&K Triamp MK1.

 

[TheMagicEight]

2ch Rectifier, 5150, 2203 Marshall

Egnater stuff that I've tried I've liked quite a bit, though I worry about quality.

Tried a JVM410H the other day through my Bogner 4x12 with M75s and it sounded awful. IMO if an amp doesn't sound good through G12M-type speakers, it's garbage.

 

[lolzgreg]

I've owned a few IV's. The deal breaker for me is paying the extra money for them only to get a shitty R2 channel, and the III lead channel is a little more raw sounding.

What are you getting a 101b for if you have that Baron clone? The XTC is a decent amp but the red channel isn't that great IMHO, unless maybe it takes a boost pedal to tighten it up.

The R2 channel on mine is pretty good. I suppose clips are in store

I sold the Baron clone because it wasn't mushy enough for me. It was too tight, and a bit more modern than I wanted, but it had an amazing voicing. The current owner absolutely loves it. The Ecstasy tone is all about the blending of the notes and juiciness, and the transformers in it matter a huge amount. I wanted the real thing, even though I think to YOU, the clone sounded "better" for YOUR style. The amp should be here in around a week-two weeks max, so if you come down here around then, you'll have the chance to play it alongside the 5150 III, Mark IV, Fortin Cali, and Baron K2.

 

[thiswaythatway]

I've owned a few IV's. The deal breaker for me is paying the extra money for them only to get a shitty R2 channel, and the III lead channel is a little more raw sounding.

What are you getting a 101b for if you have that Baron clone? The XTC is a decent amp but the red channel isn't that great IMHO, unless maybe it takes a boost pedal to tighten it up.

The R2 channel on mine is pretty good. I suppose clips are in store

I sold the Baron clone because it wasn't mushy enough for me. It was too tight, and a bit more modern than I wanted, but it had an amazing voicing. The current owner absolutely loves it. The Ecstasy tone is all about the blending of the notes and juiciness, and the transformers in it matter a huge amount. I wanted the real thing, even though I think to YOU, the clone sounded "better" for YOUR style. The amp should be here in around a week-two weeks max, so if you come down here around then, you'll have the chance to play it alongside the 5150 III, Mark IV, Fortin Cali, and Baron K2.

Check out this Mark IV clip i did a few years ago. UP THE IRON'S.

https://soundcloud.com/danieldowning/losferwords-master

 

[lolzgreg]

Nice job. That's much more "vintage" sounding than I set up my Mark IV, but I also really dislike MC90s.

 

[droptrd]

JCM 800, Splawn Quick Rod, 5150 versions, DSL 100, Mesa Mark III Great amps for the money IMHO.

+1 and ill add a tremoverb to the list

 

[zewango]

Bogner Shiva EL34, your favorite boost pedal and a V30 cabinet.

 

[BeZo]

My buddy just picked us a JCA100H and gets a pretty good sound out of it. He had the depth mod in it and a few other tweaks, and he's still pretty fat in the wallet. I'd get a 5150 and mod it. You drop a choke in it and clean up the gain and a 5150 will hang with some good amps for that price range.