What is the best guitar amp you have ever played?

-Vintage: C+ SRG
As said, does what I’ve needed and tried for since my tonal and aural eggtooth scratched it. Being a one channel, plug straight in player, all I need and want.

-Modern: Mark5 tie with JP2C+
both do everything needed functionally and tonally for me. Both have gig friendly footboards with 25ft cable. Both get “that” sound, and both are just more iterations of a crushing tonal circuit. Both are masterpieces and pleasure to own type instruments.

-Rack: The Triaxis is also another solid, top notch tonal and functional choice and now you can add a mesa 5 band to one of the loops and get it even closer.

Non “that” sound

JVM410 is up there to me, as a no brainer Marshall if you can afford it. Anyone can save and buy one and make it sound good. Easy to dial. Midi. 4 channels, 3 modes, all kinda easy popular mods available. Likes all cabs and speakers. 5:5 🌟 win
Sounds tremendous in every channel and mode. Love that amp.
 
Out of the dozens I’ve owned over the decades there’s no single best for all uses. Here are my current favorites;

- Marshall DSL40 (turned into a head with some circuit mods) : great rock amp. I get compliments on my tone at gigs all the time. I modified it to tame the red channel and use that channel almost always.

- EVH Iconic: great modern metal amp. Too stiff for general rock, but great for heavy stuff and just fun to play.

Fender Bassbreaker 30R: not a traditional Fender tone, but a great clean sound and a distorted tone that rivals the DSL (less compressed sounding).
 
creep66 said:
Random observation: when I was young and didnt care about amps I was a way better player. I had a beat up 5150 combo and the internet hadn't told me the speakers sucked yet. A les paul with EMGs, and a chorus pedal. That was my rig.

I played that fucker 4-5 hours a day and seemed to get better every day. Now I play when I have time and think about amps and tones the rest of the day. I am not nearly as good as I was on that shitty old peavey.
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Same with me, I worry about my damn tone these days more than I do my playing. I shredded like a madman thru my yamaha super strat and Randall. Now I just play simple chords and listen to the overtones, harmonics and analyze them very thoroughly, then make small adjustments on my amp, repeat...
 
anomaly said:
Same with me, I worry about my damn tone these days more than I do my playing. I shredded like a madman thru my yamaha super strat and Randall. Now I just play simple chords and listen to the overtones, harmonics and analyze them very thoroughly, then make small adjustments on my amp, repeat...
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Time to pay a little more attention to your acoustic guitar.
 
I play more mandolin than guitar these days. I've moved away from the whole jumbo fret thing and more into music.

My favorite amp can change any day. The sounds are in my head. I just use whatever gear is around to get me there. Is there differences in the gear ? Obviously yes. But I don't see them as important.
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Just got a Power Station to tame this beast. 9-10:00 on the Volume, it's already going into distortion. Was ripping just w/ an SD-1 hitting it.
The 1987x is so aggressive there's no point trying to run it clean. Easier to get it to overdrive and hit it w/ an OD pedal.

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CarlF said:
Just got a Power Station to tame this beast. 9-10:00 on the Volume, it's already going into distortion. Was ripping just w/ an SD-1 hitting it.
The 1987x is so aggressive there's no point trying to run it clean. Easier to get it to overdrive and hit it w/ an OD pedal.

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Nice Carl,
How’s the loop on it?
 
chris lykins said:
Currently my Bogner Goldfinger SL. Back in my youth, Mesa Mk 3. Should have bought a Mk 2c, but when the 3 came out at that time, no one gave a shit about the Mk 2 because hey, there's a mark 3!
Not touring metal bands, no one. This is from 86-92 when I played with Coroner, Sacred, Flotsam, Venom .........long list. No one talked about them and barely anyone, even American bands, played Mesas. It was all boosted JCM 800s. I was the weirdo touring with a Mesa.
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During that timeframe I saw Coroner, Sacred, and Flotsam at the Thirsty Whale, and I think you (Atrophy) were on all three of those bills. Definitely Coroner and Sacred. Fucking amazing times for thrash. 🤘
 
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Yeah we played that show! And we were pretty crispy at that time but how do you not get up for the whale! Man I wish I knew now what I didn't know then, I would be a waaaaayyyyyy better player1
Everyone was awesome but watching Tommy practice every day on the bus made me realize how much I suck! It was cool trying out his scalloped guitar!
We also had Forced Entry with us on a Coroner tour. Those guys were awesome!
I also think that modern thrash bands are fucking amazing. Havok kills it !
 
chris lykins said:
Yeah we played that show! And we were pretty crispy at that time but how do you not get up for the whale! Man I wish I knew now what I didn't know then, I would be a waaaaayyyyyy better player1
Everyone was awesome but watching Tommy practice every day on the bus made me realize how much I suck! It was cool trying out his scalloped guitar!
We also had Forced Entry with us on a Coroner tour. Those guys were awesome!
I also think that modern thrash bands are fucking amazing. Havok kills it !
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I gotta check out Havok, what are they like?
 
Kind of like a better, more talented Exodus and I love Exodus and Gary so no offense!!
These kids today have it great with all the classic ground breaking bands and guitarists and the internet speeding up the learning process! Newish guys like Brandon Ellis are like the perfect fusion of 80s with every influence since and mind numbing technique, he's basically the new Paul Gilbert!
No more slowing down records and star licks tapes although I want the Demartini one!!
I wish there was a modern Angelwitch equivalent !
 
chris lykins said:
Yeah we played that show! And we were pretty crispy at that time but how do you not get up for the whale! Man I wish I knew now what I didn't know then, I would be a waaaaayyyyyy better player1
Everyone was awesome but watching Tommy practice every day on the bus made me realize how much I suck! It was cool trying out his scalloped guitar!
We also had Forced Entry with us on a Coroner tour. Those guys were awesome!
I also think that modern thrash bands are fucking amazing. Havok kills it !
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I saw you guy’s a couple of times back then and you always brought it. Atrophy was a killer band man.
Not even fair to compare yourself to Tommy, Coroner were ridiculous and on another level than everybody else.
That show was the first time me and my friends saw or heard Forced Entry and our jaws were on the floor. They absolutely killed and Brad Hull was a metal beast. You were on the bill of one of my most memorable shows, brotha. 🤘
 
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