Need help on choosing a first tube amp

[guitarguy2237]

So, i've decided that my dimunitivie vox pathfinder 10 is not enough for me,especially since i want to start a band soon, so I'd like your opinions on a good tube amp, i need at least 100 watts, under 800$, and combo amps are preferred, since i don't own a cab. I want something i can do flat out thrash metal with,then is able to roll back and give a bit more vintage, ac/dc or jimmy page style tone.

[skullfunkerry]

Why do you want at least 100 watts? I've gigged venues of all shapes and sizes with my Orange Dark Terror and a couple of 1x12 cabs. That includes a few backline only gigs where it kept up with anyone else's gear. Until recently I was in a band with a guy who used a Peavey 6505 and a 4x12; my amp sounded as loud as his and much much better. It's definitely gainy enough and tight enough for thrash, then if you roll the shape to the left and back off the gain it goes fairly vintage-sounding too.

The Dark Terror's not available as a combo yet but you could get a Tiny Terror and hit the front end with some sort of boost, like an MXR Micro-Amp. The Dark Terror (or Jim Root #4 Terror) and a 1x12 cab would be about as portable as you could ever wish though...

[pickford1625]

buy a used krank. the krankenstein is best for all out metal, the rev is a little more versatile. i have both, love them...... they came out with the "plus" versions of both, so the old originals are going pretty cheap.

[guitarguy2237]

Why do you want at least 100 watts? I've gigged venues of all shapes and sizes with my Orange Dark Terror and a couple of 1x12 cabs. That includes a few backline only gigs where it kept up with anyone else's gear. Until recently I was in a band with a guy who used a Peavey 6505 and a 4x12; my amp sounded as loud as his and much much better. It's definitely gainy enough and tight enough for thrash, then if you roll the shape to the left and back off the gain it goes fairly vintage-sounding too.

The Dark Terror's not available as a combo yet but you could get a Tiny Terror and hit the front end with some sort of boost, like an MXR Micro-Amp. The Dark Terror (or Jim Root #4 Terror) and a 1x12 cab would be about as portable as you could ever wish though...

Im pretty new to playing guitar,and im not very smart when it comes to amps, that tiny terror is a good soundoing amp, from what ive heard.

[AdRock]

This is from my soundman side instead of my guitar player side.

Get a smaller tube amp. This way you aren't the type of guitar player that has to have the amp cranked to hell and back to get the tubes nice and warm for the tone you want. I've run sound for a bunch of guys like this. A 4 12 with a Marshall head or whatever with a great tone, but the shit has to be at fucking 8 to get it, and it completely ruins the sound of the band as a whole.

You only need it to be loud enough for you to hear on stage. Let the PA do the work it's there to do. Also, lean the amp back or something so its pointed at your head, not the back of your legs.

What I did in my last band was put some fender leanback posts on a carving legacy 212 cab. Then put it in front of me next to my monitor and put a Mic on it. Worked great and if I needed more volume I could turn it up without blasting people in the face. Just some food for thought.

[skullfunkerry]

Im pretty new to playing guitar,and im not very smart when it comes to amps, that tiny terror is a good soundoing amp, from what ive heard.

Yep, I used to have a Tiny Terror as well; great sounding amp, but not really gainy enough for thrash and "proper" metal. The Dark Terror will do it for definite though. Like AdRock says, smaller amps are more useable - big 100W amps are REALLY loud when you turn them up. There's a really big venue here where I live, with an 18kW PA. The soundman asked me to turn my Tiny Terror down as it was too loud on stage. Like AdRock also says - let the PA do the work. The other advantage is that you can use small amps at home without getting a noise abatement order!

[guitarguy2237]

This is from my soundman side instead of my guitar player side.

Get a smaller tube amp. This way you aren't the type of guitar player that has to have the amp cranked to hell and back to get the tubes nice and warm for the tone you want. I've run sound for a bunch of guys like this. A 4 12 with a Marshall head or whatever with a great tone, but the shit has to be at fucking 8 to get it, and it completely ruins the sound of the band as a whole.

You only need it to be loud enough for you to hear on stage. Let the PA do the work it's there to do. Also, lean the amp back or something so its pointed at your head, not the back of your legs.

What I did in my last band was put some fender leanback posts on a carving legacy 212 cab. Then put it in front of me next to my monitor and put a Mic on it. Worked great and if I needed more volume I could turn it up without blasting people in the face. Just some food for thought.

This is genius. In my last band i played a music man 100w with a 4x12,it sounded amazing, for some reason in my mind i was thinking more watts= better tone, but that dosent seem to be the case.

[guitarguy2237]

also, does either the tiny terror or dark terror have a seperate clean channel? i dont use it too often, but its nice to have

[Chief_CrazyTalk]

Small amps seem to be the rage these days. I haven't kept up with all the new amp offerings these days so I probably wont be much help. I like Marshalls but they probably wont have enough gain for you without a boost and they tend to be more expensive. I do think its safe to say 100W is probably way more than you would ever need. I have a 74 Super Bass (100W) and that amp is obscenely loud. I cant imagine any situation outside of an arena or outdoor venue where that kind of volume would really work.

That said, the apparent higher headroom of the 100W amp sounds a lot better to me than my 50W. Way more punchier and more "there". Probably has a lot to do with being a non-MV vs the MV 50W too...

[horns666]

Small amps seem to be the rage these days. I haven't kept up with all the new amp offerings these days so I probably wont be much help. I like Marshalls but they probably wont have enough gain for you without a boost and they tend to be more expensive. I do think its safe to say 100W is probably way more than you would ever need. I have a 74 Super Bass (100W) and that amp is obscenely loud. I cant imagine any situation outside of an arena or outdoor venue where that kind of volume would really work.

That said, the apparent higher headroom of the 100W amp sounds a lot better to me than my 50W. Way more punchier and more "there". Probably has a lot to do with being a non-MV vs the MV 50W too...

Amazingly true !! In fact, your two examples of Marshall greatness is the 2205 and 2210. I agree completely. I bought both to run stereo with two 1960B cabs. Even tho, they sounded mirror image. I could FEEL the 2210 much more. , So with that said. I sold the 2205 for another 2210. Same tubes..ect. That was a perfect match when A/B side by side. Without that A/B comparison. I'd never know the difference.

The consensus seems to think 100 wt..50 wt..is too loud for an apartment, bedroom..ect. Not if you gotta enough preamp gain..which is every amp made these days. My two Marshalls stacks have been my bedroom practice amp since 1996, and I could play Woodstock without a PA.

..and you dicovered this too? That is a good thing. You are becoming one with greatness ..Chief Crazy Ass!!! : )

[warlok]

I see the same thing in amps I've had. I had a Peavey Ultra Plus 120 and it sounded great on full power in my home studio (a bit above bedroom levels) but on 1/2 power, it was lacking FEEL as Bill put it well. But my Randall RM100 sounds amazing at bedroom levels with the preamp modules I'm using.

[petez0r]

give the jsx a try, if you want the versatility for under 800, id think youd have a winner there.

[jgcable]

Personally, I think the perfect wattage for live use for a thrash or metal band is 50 watts. The perfect amount of speakers is a 4 x 12 closed back cab. Basically refered to as a half stack. Most combo's don't have the thump required for metal or thrash.
One exception is the Peavey 5150 combo. 2 x 12 and it will rip your head off and kill bugs dead.

I use a Mesa Single Rectifier head (50 watts) and a Peavey 5150 4 x 12 cab or a Marshall 1960B 4 x 12 cab depending on my mood.

[guitarguy2237]

thanks so far, Ive been looking at the 5150 alot, and i like what ive seen, what do they usually run for?

[Larz]

For a combo tube amp under $800 that gets a lot of good feedback.....check out the Peavey 6505+, they are 60W (which is not necessarily 60% of the volume of a 100W amp in tube world)