Clean channel when plugging into helios hot input

Hello I am interested in the earlier version of the helios. What is the clean like when plugging into the hot input. I see alot of people complaining about it and I am just wondering how hot it becomes. Is it a light crunch? Can you still get a decent clean sound from rolling back the guitars volume (on the clean hot input).

I had one, and it depends on how hot your pickups are. Its not a fendery clean. Its more of a marshall clean (forward mids) with a just a little grit. Its not a light crunch either. But you can definitely clean it up with your guitar's volume knob.

flimz":idsr551d said:

I had one, and it depends on how hot your pickups are. Its not a fendery clean. Its more of a marshall clean (forward mids) with a just a little grit. Its not a light crunch either. But you can definitely clean it up with your guitar's volume knob.

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Awesome good enough for me. Think I am going to pull the trigger on one. Currently have a 2016 be100 but I'm looking for something with a little more rawness to it and based on the clips I've heard the helios seems right up my ally.

It’s indeed more raw. My brother has the be100 and I went original 100w Helios. As stated above, you definitely need to roll back the volume knob when plugged in hot even on the clean channel. I’m using medium gain humbuckers. I usually just stay on the dirty channel and roll back from there. But there are amazing cleans to be had in different modes.

misterspockyall":1ktzo98u said:

It’s indeed more raw. My brother has the be100 and I went original 100w Helios. As stated above, you definitely need to roll back the volume knob when plugged in hot even on the clean channel. I’m using medium gain humbuckers. I usually just stay on the dirty channel and roll back from there. But there are amazing cleans to be had in different modes.

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I can live with that. Was considering the eclipse for the clean channel but I think I'd rather have the option of the plexi input and 70's mode.

misterspockyall":1yyhqbwn said:

It’s indeed more raw. My brother has the be100 and I went original 100w Helios. As stated above, you definitely need to roll back the volume knob when plugged in hot even on the clean channel. I’m using medium gain humbuckers. I usually just stay on the dirty channel and roll back from there. But there are amazing cleans to be had in different modes.

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Did you get a chance to check out the 50 watt version? Trying to decide on which one to get.

nickdaripper94":3n9ez2ca said:

misterspockyall":3n9ez2ca said:

It’s indeed more raw. My brother has the be100 and I went original 100w Helios. As stated above, you definitely need to roll back the volume knob when plugged in hot even on the clean channel. I’m using medium gain humbuckers. I usually just stay on the dirty channel and roll back from there. But there are amazing cleans to be had in different modes.

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I can live with that. Was considering the eclipse for the clean channel but I think I'd rather have the option of the plexi input and 70's mode.

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I have the Eclipse now. I love it!

flimz":10k61n63 said:

nickdaripper94":10k61n63 said:

misterspockyall":10k61n63 said:

It’s indeed more raw. My brother has the be100 and I went original 100w Helios. As stated above, you definitely need to roll back the volume knob when plugged in hot even on the clean channel. I’m using medium gain humbuckers. I usually just stay on the dirty channel and roll back from there. But there are amazing cleans to be had in different modes.

Click to expand...

I can live with that. Was considering the eclipse for the clean channel but I think I'd rather have the option of the plexi input and 70's mode.

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I have the Eclipse now. I love it!

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Can you get solid low/mid gain tones out of it?

nickdaripper94":y502g1uj said:

flimz":y502g1uj said:

nickdaripper94":y502g1uj said:

misterspockyall":y502g1uj said:

It’s indeed more raw. My brother has the be100 and I went original 100w Helios. As stated above, you definitely need to roll back the volume knob when plugged in hot even on the clean channel. I’m using medium gain humbuckers. I usually just stay on the dirty channel and roll back from there. But there are amazing cleans to be had in different modes.

Click to expand...

I can live with that. Was considering the eclipse for the clean channel but I think I'd rather have the option of the plexi input and 70's mode.

Click to expand...

I have the Eclipse now. I love it!

Click to expand...

Can you get solid low/mid gain tones out of it?

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Yes, if you use "hot" mode and roll the gain back to around 10 o'clock. I experimented with a 5751 preamp tube to lower the overall gain on the overdrive channels. That took it down to plexi territory, but I eventually put back the 12ax7.

I use channel 2 in "eclipse" mode as my main heavy channel, with the gain around 12 o'clock. The "eclipse+" mode on channel 3 is for mega high gain. A bit too much for me.

I use channel 3 in "hot" mode as my lower-mid gain rhythm channel, with the gain around 10 o'clock.

And the clean channel is great, with the 3-way bright switch.

The Eclipse fixed everything I wanted from the original, and is a much quieter amp overall.
But its a slightly more modern amp than the original, given its higher gain nature. So, if plexi and 70's tones are what you're after then the regular Helios might suit you better.

Just picked up a helios. Call me crazy but with my neck pickup split the clean channel on the hot input is prob my favorite clean sound on any channel switching amp I've had (besides maybe the mesa boogie mark v). Def prefer this clean to the 16' brown eye that I just got rid of. It's too late for me to try out the gain channel but I'm excited for what this amp has in store.

nickdaripper94":igdm2up0 said:

Just picked up a helios. Call me crazy but with my neck pickup split the clean channel on the hot input is prob my favorite clean sound on any channel switching amp I've had (besides maybe the mesa boogie mark v). Def prefer this clean to the 16' brown eye that I just got rid of. It's too late for me to try out the gain channel but I'm excited for what this amp has in store.

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The cleans are actually to die for haha, not many people buy it for that but yeah. It has ruined the Blackface sound for me. Congrats! Sorry I didn't see your 50w comment, I never tried one but wanted all the balls possible so I went 100.