Which amp CCV,20th XTC or the Friedaman Marsha

[Digital Jams]

Like it or hate it the VH4 is a far more complex amp with many more options than a plexi clone. Also took far more research and developement to make.


Welcome to the family.

 

[Tvd]

I notice more and more around here that bickering about your amp being a little noisy is becoming the thing to do. I own an old dual wreck and she ain't all that quiet when I'm not playing and just muting the strings but when I start to strum she makes all the right sounds. It's not something I notice when I'm playing and switch to a mute or flip the switch to rhythm with the vol rolled down for a break spot. If I wanted an amp that didn't make any noise I'd blow 10g on a hi-fi rack rig, but it seems completely unreasonable to me. My next amp is going to be either a Marsha a naked or an older, stock Marshall. I'm not expecting it to be completely silent and if it was such a big deal there are obviously pedals and rack units etc that can help. For example, I love the sounds and tones on tool's album opiate because it was no bullshit, all metal and all fun. As tool progressed and moved to the vh4 it became less raw for me, more "hi-fi", obviously a lot because of the amp. For myself that's something I'm not a huge fan of, but eh... That's just my kick at the can.

 

[AmpliFIRE]

Cameron moded Marshall of course

 

[fearhk213]

The only one of those I've had experience with is the Marsha, but that seems to be the logical choice of the ones you mentioned since that is what it's geared towards. I'd also consider the Cameron HG Jose or Fortin Cali. They each have their own vibe/thing going on so depending on your tastes either 3 of those could be your ultimate hotrodded Marshall. I'm sure there are plenty of other choices, but those are the only ones I have experience with.

 

[danhops]

Friedman

 

[yngzaklynch]

I could go into detail about why I wasnt diggin but lets just say I am a Diezel VH4 user and its kinda like the benchmark for me in terms of quietness (when your not playing) , tightness on the low end, gain structure. The naked and the marsha are fine amps but im not really buying into the whole 80's sound thing. Like why would I want to recreate the fuckin 80's?
the amps sounded cool but just werent a VH4. Its hard to come off a fuckin masterpiece and play a marshall clone-ish amp and be impressed. In fact its been awhile since I have been impressed with a marshall style amp. I need the amp to sound TIGHT and have huge mid range punch. Im sure with a different CAB, a les paul, and a NOISE SUPPRESSOR the amps would have been more to my liking.

Calling a VH4 a masterpiece is kinda stretching it but to each his own.

I played a VH4 at the GC near Pittsburgh. Didn't think much of it. Now the Herbert on the other hand... Maybe there were issues with that VH4. Maybe I just didn't dial it in well. Not an expert on the amp.

 

[Nico]

I could go into detail about why I wasnt diggin but lets just say I am a Diezel VH4 user and its kinda like the benchmark for me in terms of quietness (when your not playing) , tightness on the low end, gain structure. The naked and the marsha are fine amps but im not really buying into the whole 80's sound thing. Like why would I want to recreate the fuckin 80's?
the amps sounded cool but just werent a VH4. Its hard to come off a fuckin masterpiece and play a marshall clone-ish amp and be impressed. In fact its been awhile since I have been impressed with a marshall style amp. I need the amp to sound TIGHT and have huge mid range punch. Im sure with a different CAB, a les paul, and a NOISE SUPPRESSOR the amps would have been more to my liking.

Calling a VH4 a masterpiece is kinda stretching it but to each his own.

Oh is that really stretching it? its more of a masterpiece than some recreation of a fuckin marshall. Its something never done before. Its A NEW thing to its own. Much closer to a masterpiece than hot rodded wannabe EVH amp.

The Marsha is no EVH wannabe amp, its just a classic hot rodded plexi and I don't think you need a noise suppressor for it?!?!

And the VH4 is not a slouch amp either...

 

[AmpliFIRE]

I could go into detail about why I wasnt diggin but lets just say I am a Diezel VH4 user and its kinda like the benchmark for me in terms of quietness (when your not playing) , tightness on the low end, gain structure. The naked and the marsha are fine amps but im not really buying into the whole 80's sound thing. Like why would I want to recreate the fuckin 80's?
the amps sounded cool but just werent a VH4. Its hard to come off a fuckin masterpiece and play a marshall clone-ish amp and be impressed. In fact its been awhile since I have been impressed with a marshall style amp. I need the amp to sound TIGHT and have huge mid range punch. Im sure with a different CAB, a les paul, and a NOISE SUPPRESSOR the amps would have been more to my liking.

Calling a VH4 a masterpiece is kinda stretching it but to each his own.

Oh is that really stretching it? its more of a masterpiece than some recreation of a fuckin marshall. Its something never done before. Its A NEW thing to its own. Much closer to a masterpiece than hot rodded wannabe EVH amp.

aww...what happened? Someone doesn't like your favorite amp? What a pity

 

[Digital Jams]

Well EVH did not really cause the gain wars in the 80s, his amp was just dimed with some filtering changes. The dude could control a plexi on 10 and that is about it. Not easy to do.

Hot marshalls are more than just 80s stuff btw..................Nu metal uses marshalls today. Marshalls are on more backlines than most other amps and cover all types of music.

 

['63-Strat]

I could go into detail about why I wasnt diggin but lets just say I am a Diezel VH4 user and its kinda like the benchmark for me in terms of quietness (when your not playing) , tightness on the low end, gain structure. The naked and the marsha are fine amps but im not really buying into the whole 80's sound thing. Like why would I want to recreate the fuckin 80's?
the amps sounded cool but just werent a VH4. Its hard to come off a fuckin masterpiece and play a marshall clone-ish amp and be impressed. In fact its been awhile since I have been impressed with a marshall style amp. I need the amp to sound TIGHT and have huge mid range punch. Im sure with a different CAB, a les paul, and a NOISE SUPPRESSOR the amps would have been more to my liking.

It's cool you don't like the friedman stuff, that's your call. But given the thread is clearly slanted towards guys looking for an 80s type tone and NOT a diezel, and you freely say you have no interest whatsoever in that sorta thing... what do you really feel you're going to contribute by saying this kinda thing? I think Diezels are cool if you're looking for that tone, they do it great. I'm not looking for that, and so it's not a great amp for me, nor do I like many of the diezel tones I hear, but I'm not going to go into a diezel fanboy thread and say diezels suck. Just doesn't seem to be much point but to each their own. What may be a "masterpiece" to some is clearly not for others, it's subjective.

 

[steve_k]

For you boys who have been around all 3. Which was your favorite and why. I am thinking of getting one or the other. I am looking for the ultimate hotroded marshall tone. I know they are all different. I just moved my wizard mc 100 which i loved for a diezel blue face vh4. So I am going to be back in the market soon. I am thinking friedman.

Greg,

Not to steer you away from any of those three, because they are all good in their own right - at different things. The 20th XTC is a channel changer's delight. They are all good and very tweakable. You can find lots of range in tone. It is by far the most versatile.

The CCV was meant to be played hard and going to be more of a one-trick pony, but a good one for what it does. Maybe with the channel switching capabilities the boys have set the new production up with, it will be more versatile. It can be noisy, depending on the settings of the clipping diodes. With things backed off a bit, it still has plenty of gain on tap and is quiet.

The Marsha's versatility depends on what you get done to it. As I said earlier, it is going to get you closer to some Marshall tone than any of them. There's no noise to speak of with the amp.

My next amp, and last is going to be one of John's handwired SE's. It should be ready this summer. I got hold of one of his Aldrich modded JMP's and it kicks everything else to the curb for 80's, big hair, spandex tone. Its a one trick pony though.

By far, the most versatile modded amp on the market these days for 80's hair tone is a Fortin Cali. I have never played an amp where you can peg the gain and stay in the same room with it. Dead quiet as Mike goes to pains with the grounding buss and heater circuit.

That's my 2 cents. And, that's all its worth.................Steve

 

[LP Freak]

I could go into detail about why I wasnt diggin but lets just say I am a Diezel VH4 user and its kinda like the benchmark for me in terms of quietness (when your not playing) , tightness on the low end, gain structure. The naked and the marsha are fine amps but im not really buying into the whole 80's sound thing. Like why would I want to recreate the fuckin 80's?
the amps sounded cool but just werent a VH4. Its hard to come off a fuckin masterpiece and play a marshall clone-ish amp and be impressed. In fact its been awhile since I have been impressed with a marshall style amp. I need the amp to sound TIGHT and have huge mid range punch. Im sure with a different CAB, a les paul, and a NOISE SUPPRESSOR the amps would have been more to my liking.

Calling a VH4 a masterpiece is kinda stretching it but to each his own.

Oh is that really stretching it? its more of a masterpiece than some recreation of a fuckin marshall. Its something never done before. Its A NEW thing to its own. Much closer to a masterpiece than hot rodded wannabe EVH amp.

aww...what happened? Someone doesn't like your favorite amp? What a pity

Yea no shit. Lighten up Francis.

 

[PaulyPanacea]

Get them all Greg so I can come try them out : )

 

[AmpliFIRE]

I could go into detail about why I wasnt diggin but lets just say I am a Diezel VH4 user and its kinda like the benchmark for me in terms of quietness (when your not playing) , tightness on the low end, gain structure. The naked and the marsha are fine amps but im not really buying into the whole 80's sound thing. Like why would I want to recreate the fuckin 80's?
the amps sounded cool but just werent a VH4. Its hard to come off a fuckin masterpiece and play a marshall clone-ish amp and be impressed. In fact its been awhile since I have been impressed with a marshall style amp. I need the amp to sound TIGHT and have huge mid range punch. Im sure with a different CAB, a les paul, and a NOISE SUPPRESSOR the amps would have been more to my liking.

Calling a VH4 a masterpiece is kinda stretching it but to each his own.

Oh is that really stretching it? its more of a masterpiece than some recreation of a fuckin marshall. Its something never done before. Its A NEW thing to its own. Much closer to a masterpiece than hot rodded wannabe EVH amp.

aww...what happened? Someone doesn't like your favorite amp? What a pity

Point taken. I didn't say they were bad amps at all , I think they are great for what they do. Rock on marshall modders, rock on.

It's all good

 

[charveldan]

I could go into detail about why I wasnt diggin but lets just say I am a Diezel VH4 user and its kinda like the benchmark for me in terms of quietness (when your not playing) , tightness on the low end, gain structure. The naked and the marsha are fine amps but im not really buying into the whole 80's sound thing. Like why would I want to recreate the fuckin 80's?
the amps sounded cool but just werent a VH4. Its hard to come off a fuckin masterpiece and play a marshall clone-ish amp and be impressed. In fact its been awhile since I have been impressed with a marshall style amp. I need the amp to sound TIGHT and have huge mid range punch. Im sure with a different CAB, a les paul, and a NOISE SUPPRESSOR the amps would have been more to my liking.

Friedman amps are as tight as a frogs ass under water, and mids from here to China, i have no idea what your talking about.

 

[Shiny_Surface]

Fanboi's: Serious Business.

 

[Heritage Softail]

For you boys who have been around all 3. Which was your favorite and why. I am thinking of getting one or the other. I am looking for the ultimate hotroded marshall tone. I know they are all different. I just moved my wizard mc 100 which i loved for a diezel blue face vh4. So I am going to be back in the market soon. I am thinking friedman.

Greg,

Not to steer you away from any of those three, because they are all good in their own right - at different things. The 20th XTC is a channel changer's delight. They are all good and very tweakable. You can find lots of range in tone. It is by far the most versatile.

The CCV was meant to be played hard and going to be more of a one-trick pony, but a good one for what it does. Maybe with the channel switching capabilities the boys have set the new production up with, it will be more versatile. It can be noisy, depending on the settings of the clipping diodes. With things backed off a bit, it still has plenty of gain on tap and is quiet.

The Marsha's versatility depends on what you get done to it. As I said earlier, it is going to get you closer to some Marshall tone than any of them. There's no noise to speak of with the amp.

My next amp, and last is going to be one of John's handwired SE's. It should be ready this summer. I got hold of one of his Aldrich modded JMP's and it kicks everything else to the curb for 80's, big hair, spandex tone. Its a one trick pony though.

By far, the most versatile modded amp on the market these days for 80's hair tone is a Fortin Cali. I have never played an amp where you can peg the gain and stay in the same room with it. Dead quiet as Mike goes to pains with the grounding buss and heater circuit.

That's my 2 cents. And, that's all its worth.................Steve

Fortin Cali eh? I have been tossing this same question around for a while on what to pair up with my Uber. It was going to be a Shiva and still may be but I need to check the Cali. Cantrell claims to use a Shiva or Friedman in his gear listing along with his Uber.

Interesting.....

 

[charveldan]

Fanboi's: Serious Business.

I'm not paid, i'm stating the obvious, conversly i find dieziel to sound fizzy & overly compressed like a bad dirt pedal.

 

[thegame]

Friedman amps are as tight as a frogs ass under water, and mids from here to China, i have no idea what your talking about.

I played a fully loaded Marsha. I thought it sounded great with this incredible richness to the tone. However, the feel was far from tight and not immediate, like too much low end happening in the preamp section or something. I didn't spend much time with it and there's the possibility it could have been dialed in better. I did go through every switch on the back though.

I will say it was one of the best sounding amps I've ever heard. Just did not gel with the feel.

 

[Digital Jams]

I could go into detail about why I wasnt diggin but lets just say I am a Diezel VH4 user and its kinda like the benchmark for me in terms of quietness (when your not playing) , tightness on the low end, gain structure. The naked and the marsha are fine amps but im not really buying into the whole 80's sound thing. Like why would I want to recreate the fuckin 80's?
the amps sounded cool but just werent a VH4. Its hard to come off a fuckin masterpiece and play a marshall clone-ish amp and be impressed. In fact its been awhile since I have been impressed with a marshall style amp. I need the amp to sound TIGHT and have huge mid range punch. Im sure with a different CAB, a les paul, and a NOISE SUPPRESSOR the amps would have been more to my liking.

Friedman amps are as tight as a frogs ass under water, and mids from here to China, i have no idea what your talking about.

Sheet..................boy that amp aint that tight.