Which high-end high-gain amp would you choose?

dm426

dm426

Member
My current amp is a Super Lead. The SL does really well with a tube screamer in front, but just for a change of pace I thought I would add a second amp, perhaps something with a bit more aggressive character for very hard rock and metal tones.

What I'm looking for are your thoughts on the following:

  • What makes this amp special?
  • Does the amp take boosts well? Does it even need a boost?
  • How well does the master volume work?
  • Is the reliability and customer support good?

Here are the amps on my short list:

Diezel VH4
Wizard MTL
Mesa Mark V
Engl Savage
Soldano SLO-100
 
You’re covering a lot of ground in your listed amps - can you give some examples of the music (specific styles or bands) you’ll be utilizing this amp for or any tonal preferences you have? Would help direct people’s advice imo :thumbsup:
 
Why's it have to be "high-end"? I can think of several that cover slot of ground, and sound fabulous doing it, at a fraction of the price of the amps you list. A JSX comes to mind.. An EVH. A Triple XXX. A Laney VH100R.
 
So:

VH4: unique sound and especially feel. Hard to describe if you haven't played it. Sounds like Godzilla. Built extremely well and Diezel support is great for trouble shooting but reports of getting actual repair in the US are spotty at best. New models have a great master (old Blueface ones, eh). Never tried it with a boost. Channels 1 or 2 could be cool with a boost. I wouldn't even think to try with 3 or 4 but maybe some people like it.

Wizard MTL: Never tried it. People seem to like them.

Mesa Mark V: Do you actually need all the stuff it offers? If you just want the gain channel, I'd opt for a Mark III or IV. Built well. Mesa service is good. Fantastic master volume. Never tried a boost but can't imagine using one with a III or IV at least.

Engl Savage: Played one only briefly and it did sound good. Built quality is a bit scary looking.

Soldano SLO: For "more aggressive character for very hard rock and metal tones," I'd pass. The SLO is IMHO a squishy, brown-sounding amp. I prefer a Mesa Mark to the Soldano sound; both are similarly bright and fluid, but the Mark is more immediate with feel and the bass tracks fast and tight. SLO is a great amp for some things, but I don't think it's best at why you describe. SLO Crunch channel boosted would be pretty great, but if you're going to do that, just get a 2203, which IMHO sounds similar but better than the SLO Crunch.

Oh, and people complain about the SLO master but I don't get it. Sounds great even at TV level volumes.

FWIW I used to use a Super Lead and similarly liked it with a tube screamer type pedal (Maxon 808). If I were going to complement that with a modern high gain amp, I'd get a Rectifier. But if I had to stick to something on your list, probably either the VH4 or the Mesa Mark. Both are very different from each other but I liked them both.
 
cardinal":3kc66wj3 said:
So:

VH4: unique sound and especially feel. Hard to describe if you haven't played it. Sounds like Godzilla. Built extremely well and Diezel support is great for trouble shooting but reports of getting actual repair in the US are spotty at best. New models have a great master (old Blueface ones, eh). Never tried it with a boost. Channels 1 or 2 could be cool with a boost. I wouldn't even think to try with 3 or 4 but maybe some people like it.

Wizard MTL: Never tried it. People seem to like them.

Mesa Mark V: Do you actually need all the stuff it offers? If you just want the gain channel, I'd opt for a Mark III or IV. Built well. Mesa service is good. Fantastic master volume. Never tried a boost but can't imagine using one with a III or IV at least.

Engl Savage: Played one only briefly and it did sound good. Built quality is a bit scary looking.

Soldano SLO: For "more aggressive character for very hard rock and metal tones," I'd pass. The SLO is IMHO a squishy, brown-sounding amp. I prefer a Mesa Mark to the Soldano sound; both are similarly bright and fluid, but the Mark is more immediate with feel and the bass tracks fast and tight. SLO is a great amp for some things, but I don't think it's best at why you describe. SLO Crunch channel boosted would be pretty great, but if you're going to do that, just get a 2203, which IMHO sounds similar but better than the SLO Crunch.

Oh, and people complain about the SLO master but I don't get it. Sounds great even at TV level volumes.

FWIW I used to use a Super Lead and similarly liked it with a tube screamer type pedal (Maxon 808). If I were going to complement that with a modern high gain amp, I'd get a Rectifier. But if I had to stick to something on your list, probably either the VH4 or the Mesa Mark. Both are very different from each other but I liked them both.
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Gonna disagree with the SLO description if only to say that with a boost it can do whatever heavy you want, and I mean on the lead channel. The only amp that pushes like an SLO at volume is a Wizard, or a Mark Coliseum. It won’t be Engl tight but it’ll get tight and aggressive enough for most things heavy imo.

The Wizard MTL is different enough from your SL and has a low mid focus; but get ready for no compression whatsoever. Great feel too. One of the best if not the best amp in the clarity dept. No amp pushes harder than a 100w Wizard.

Mark V- I own a C+ Coliseum and love it, but can’t comment on the V.

VH4-great amp but low mid centered and just not my thing. Love to try a blue face though.

Engl-great metal amp and tight but I’ve heard questionable build quality and reliability. But not from personal experience.
 
Wizard MTL FTW!

Not super great at low volume IMO. Fortin Calimod, or really most modded marshal Jose style amps sound good at lower volume
 
Some good suggestions in here for inexpensive high gain amps. If you don’t want to spend $$$ on Wizard or Diezel or ... then i‘d seriously consider a 5150 or a Dual Rectifier variant. a VH4 or Mark V are do-it-all amps but you’re looking for a specialist (i think).
 
I've owned all those amps. I now have 3 MTLs. So that's my vote. lol

If you want something almost as good, find a VHT/Fryette Ultra Lead or CLX
 
"something with a bit more aggressive character for very hard rock and metal"

Wizard MTL - doesn't get more aggressive and ball crushing than a Wizard MTL. Can be loosened up a bit with a boost. MCII does the same trip, but with a higher mid focus closer to a Marshall thing. MTL is more different from your Super Lead tone.

Diezel VH4. - would fit the bill for hard rock and metal, and would be more versatile than the MTL with 4 channels, but is a little too dark and compressed to be characterized as " aggressive". YMMV

Mesa MK5 - Meh. I hate that amp. I'd go Recto for what you describe. Rev G would be my first choice at resonable $$, but the muti-watt is pretty good too. A Rev F Triple would be the ultimate score, but will be spendy.

SLO - Great amp no doubt. For "something with a bit more aggressive character for very hard rock and metal" it probably wouldn't be in my top 5 amps for that application. Again YMMV.

Engl - meh. build quality puts me off as well.

Not on your list - Bogner Twin Jet. It can an "out recto" a recto ( see PsycoDave's thread ), but the eq is weird to dial in and may be a little too compressed. 6550's can up the aggression factor though. Try before you buy for sure.

Lower $$ solution - the EVH 5153 amps are good sounding and versatile amps. I prefer the original 100watter, but the stealth amps are cool, as are the 50watters. As stated earlier, a Rev G recto or multi-watt will also be more wallet friendly than the Wizard or Diezel options.

edited for spelling :D
 
If you go Engl I’d recommend instead of the Savage either the SE EL34, Inferno, or Artist Edition. I’ve played them all and those were my faves, but I would still choose a good modded Marshall like a Cameron or Monomyth over those
 
I had the same quest years ago in a similar situation and found a used Single Recto for $490. Fixed.


but yeah, I agree that your short list is bit varied so maybe describe more about the metal tones you are wanting.
 
I think you can get what you are looking for out of all those, but for my 2 cents, I just bought the new SLO a couple weeks ago and completely happy with it. Great amp, works well with pedals and without.
 
First I would flat out eliminate the mkV. I would take an IV over a V any day

I think an earlier triple rec would be badass maybe a rev F. They sound the most raw and badass to me. Saying that I do love my tremoverb and it won't leave.

Just because Splawns are cheap, don't look past them. Mine have been great for over 10 years. Massive character and cut. Especially the KT88 models, in my opinion anyways.

I have played SLO's (never owned one) but they IMO they did not deliver the hype that one would think.

Also look into VHT/FRYETTE pittbull, deliverance, and if you need bells and whistles the Sig:X. I really like the cut of VHT/FRYETTE stuff that I have tried.

Never played a vh4. No comment.

I had a weekend with a twin jet, holy hell it was amazing.
 
Mark V: Fucking deadly amp if you never played any of the originals like me. Being said, after i played a 3 /4 and a few different variants. I still liked the mark V better.
I also recall some Steve K advice about slaving the V out to some vintage Marshall power sections and it changing a lot about the amp. The going rate on the V is "it sucks cause it cant do what it says." I think it was awesome across all modes when i played it, at volume, in all watt settings and with and without the loop in. Pretty fullproof. Mesa is awesome. Bullds awesome amps.

Check out the Marshall JVM410. The mod bible is awesome and lots of the kick ass mods (neg fdbk, rhoads, afd, etc) are super easy and really do a nice job. Even stock, monster amp, Marshalls flagship. Built like a beast. 5/5 amp for me.
 
The Wizards have sent many a packing at my house. That said, the Savage 120 is in my top 5. Savage 120=no boost required...only amp I've ever owned where I can say that.
 
Yeah, I know my list is somewhat broad, but understand I'm not chasing any particular metal tone just yet. I've mostly always been more into AC/DC and ZZ Top and various types of rock. However, in the last few years my musical tastes have gradually drifted more toward metal and a heavier sound.

I think I'll have to experiment a little bit and see what kind of metal guitar tones I like and which ones I don't.

So what kind of metal stuff am I listening to? Well, I can't say it's death metal, or doom metal, or thrash, any particular genre of metal, really. It's just whatever I happen to run across that I like. Even though I said I've mostly been a rock guy in the past, Rammstein is an exception to that and I've been listening to them for a very long time.















 
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