Which amp was your most disappointing purchase?

[AndyK]

Funny how tone is relative, mostly. And the amps listed here are probably listed on people's favorites in another thread!

 

[kasperjensen]

The real question is...

How many of us are disappointed in an amp that was built with your specific taste and style in mind?

 

[GuitarGuyLP]

Mesa Formula preamp...My first Mesa what a turd!!!

Mesa 50/50 power amp, just didn't sound good with anything (compared to a SS power amp, Marshall 9005, or a Peavey classic 50/50)

 

[jcj]

Engl SE 670. Couldn't trade it fast enough.

 

[nevusofota]

Mesa Formula preamp...My first Mesa what a turd!!!

Mesa 50/50 power amp, just didn't sound good with anything (compared to a SS power amp, Marshall 9005, or a Peavey classic 50/50)

oooooh, I forgot about this one. My first Mesa also, and I felt the same way.

 

[LP Freak]

Funny how tone is relative, mostly. And the amps listed here are probably listed on people's favorites in another thread!

I thought the same thing.

 

[stephen sawall]

Funny how tone is relative, mostly. And the amps listed here are probably listed on people's favorites in another thread!

I thought the same thing.

What this thread really shows is people have different taste and about nothing else...

Personally I feel almost all the amps listed in this thread suck....

 

[311boogieman]

I never owned one but I could never get along with the SLO's thinnerish tone. I do like the Hot Rods.


And funny that I started off looking for a Nitro and 'settled' on a Quick Rod when one popped up on Clist. Now I'm kinda glad things worked out the way they did.

 

[Hollywood]

Yeah, you came out to the good with the Quickrod. I got one of the first Nitro's but when I got it, I literally packed it out of the way to the side and when I finally played it. It sucked.
It had issues so in all fairness, I will not say it had anything to do with the amp build, design, etc...Maybe just tubes ??? Could not say.I lay no blame. I just turned my back on it, out of disgust.
But since I had it sitting there new for 3 months, I quietly made a deal to get my $1950.00 back from it, without ever sending it back to Splawn, or dealing with it. No harm, no foul. My money came back to me and the guy I dealt with at the time got it, knowing exactly what I had going on.
I lost nothing, but the chance to own an amp I thought was gonna be killer.
I kept tabs on that amp over the next few years and it changed a bunch of hands constantly. So I know, I did what was best for me.

 

[squank]

Shiva
Mark V

 

[blackba]

These threads are always interesting. My #1 amp has already been listed a few times.

I'm surprised no one has listed the Mojave Peacemaker. That and the Quick Rod are my two favorites and I can't tell you how many threads I have read where people scratch their heads after receiving those amps and sell them the next day.

I got my Peacemaker after having a few high gain amps, and I just didn't get it at first. You have to work the amp. The gain is there, but you can't hide behind it; if your chops suck, then guess, what your tone is gonna suck too. That being said, there were some things I changed with mine; I find the PM a little dark and stiff. A few small changes to the filtering, the V1b cathode cap and the output coupling caps makes that amp tonal nirvana! I think I'll send it back to Vic for the high gain mod, since I have a 68 Metro that does early VH dead to rights.

Oh, and an attenuator is a must!

If you must have an attenuator with a peacemaker, than they need to change the name to Enemy-maker since its so damn loud.

 

[blackba]

Funny how tone is relative, mostly. And the amps listed here are probably listed on people's favorites in another thread!

I thought the same thing.

Its also interesting that I don't see many Vox or Fender amps getting listed. Guess they are not high enough gain to qualify.

 

[Laura]

Im telling you I can get better tone from beating my dick on a cinderblock.[/quote]

 

[cujo]

Splawn nitro Open box plug in and it was like holy shit you've gotta be fuckin kidding me. Then stupid me tried it 3 more times. What's that saying "INSANITY" doing the same think over n over hoping for a different result !!!

Do tell why the Hagen was a let down???

 

[gibson5413]

Framus Cobra, Mesa Mark V (what a toneless pile of shit)

Traded my Powerball to "meanstreet" for the Framus Cobra. I can honestly say it is my least favorite amp I owned. Tried to work with it for a bout a month to no avail. Honestly, I think it was biased cold. The amp was just lifeless. I have heard some killer clips however.

I sold my beloved Mark IV short head to try the Mark V. Bad move! I was severely disappointed. Everything I loved about the IV's lead channel didn't exist on channel 3 of the V. I did everything I could to get it where i wanted but there was a graininess to it I could never dial out. Sounds as if Mesa made a couple of minor changes/updates that have newer versions sounding much better. Not enough for me to own one again. I wouldn't hesitate to own a Mark IV again though.

Engl SE 670. Couldn't trade it fast enough.

At the time I owned my SE EL34 I loved it. When I go back and listen to my clips from that time they sound lifeless. Maybe my tastes have evolved. I'm surprised at how stiff it felt now that I have tried playing lots of amps. This is coming from someone who loved the VHT CLX which most players would consider dry and stiff. Maybe it's just me.

 

[rocker]

Cornford RK 100, the lead sound was ok, but what a boring amp.

 

[petejt]

Line6 FlextoneII, back in the day.


It seemed so good on paper, and that it had effects and a supposed MarkIIC+ mode. I was duped, being the n00b I was at the time.
Although it sounded ok through headphones, it did not sound like the amps it said it did, and when playing through the speaker above 1/4 master volume just my cousin's snare drum could drown it out. So terrible I haven't even bothered to try to sell it, years after.


I learned from that to shop around A LOT before committing to buying an amp. Shop around, try, try, try, try amps with your own guitar, on different days, over the span of months and months, do lots of research, keep going back to those guitar shops and testing out the amps at different volumes, WITH YOUR GUITAR or something close to it, use effects with it to see how it reacts, and don't ever just buy them on first impressions or what others say they are so good at. Personally I believe that a guitar amplifier is too high an investment to buy straight off the bat.

 

[AndyK]

Funny how tone is relative, mostly. And the amps listed here are probably listed on people's favorites in another thread!

I thought the same thing.

Its also interesting that I don't see many Vox or Fender amps getting listed. Guess they are not high enough gain to qualify.

Yeah, there are a few Supersonic hate posts! I think if you want CLEAN tone, most any Fender or Vox will do! Has anyone EVER said they hated their Fender clean tones??

The beauty is today, you can buy an amp online, hate it after 5 minutes, and, most times, sell it right away for close to what you paid for it!

 

[Shark Diver]

My rack mount Wizard MC.

 

[Deleted member 3860]

Customized Fortin Bones (bought used).

Sounded good, but rather difficult to play.
Tighter than an over tuned snare drum. Probably great for speed metal, but I don't play speed metal.
Superb build quality, just disappointing after all the personal anticipation/hype build up.

R~