Power Amp suggestions needed

[thetruthguy]

I'm thinking of getting a floor multi-effects unit with a power amp and a 4x12 cabinet, but I know nothing about power amps. If I were to use a Boss GT-6 or a Zoom GFX-8 or another floor multi-effects/preamp unit for distortion and effects, what power amp should I get?

Thanks!

--Dan

[Cleveland Metal]

Re: Power Amp suggestions needed

Price range would be good to know. And how big. And whether you wanted tubes...

A solid state power amp starting at a 125-300 could be had. Like Rocktron Velocity or Carvin something at the higher end there, there are others also.

A good tube amp would start at $250 or so with like older Peavey 50/50 or 100/100 Classic, $350 or so for a small MESA 20/20, I've seen MESA Strategy 400s, 500s for around $550-800, Rivera power amps are in that range too, maybe less...

Or the Mother of all power amps could be had at around $800 for a VHT 2150, or one of the newer VHTs 2/90/2 etc.

Any of those tube amps mentioned are pretty darn cool things for guitar...

[rodrigo_echeverri]

Re: Power Amp suggestions needed

Dan sounds to me like he would be pretty happy with the Mesa 20/20. That amp is nice bacause its small and it has tone. I did sit with one the other day for hours at the Guitar centre in san Francisco and I really liked it well I gotta confess that the thing was connected to a triaxis and a 4x12 Mesa slant cabinet... [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] I was drooling over my own tone, I felt like the way I played didnt even matter anymore... anyways, Mesa 20/20 = very warm sound.

Only problem is I think the Mesa might explode if you connect it to a GT-6 and so will any decent power amp.. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[ April 16, 2003, 01:45 AM: Message edited by: rodrigo_echeverri ]

[Gilbert]

Re: Power Amp suggestions needed

I've been using a mesa simulclass 2:90 for several years, it was a big investment that i have never regretted. you will never need anything better. not like there is much out there that is better anyways.
If your not playing with a band, you wont need this much power though, and a mesa 20/20 would be perfect for your situation.

[ April 16, 2003, 02:45 AM: Message edited by: Gilbert ]

[thetruthguy]

Re: Power Amp suggestions needed

Thanks for the replies. I am playing in a band. I figured for the money, the multi-effect floor units/preamps would be good in combo. with a power amp. But maybe they're really not suited for that, eh? In that cas, I suppose I should get a power amp and a preamp and then a bunch of stomp boxes. What I'm mainly looking for is something that doesn't define my playing. Going with a Marshall head or a Mesa Triple Rec. or something like that is going to give me a particular sound. I'd rather avoid that "particular" sound and get whatever sound I want out of effects pedals or perhaps even rack equipment. That's whay I was thinking a power amp would work well, since it's just an amplifier and nothing else. I wanted to stay away from PODs and the Rocktron stuff, etc., since they're pretty damn expensive once you buy the footpedal and the rack and everything else. But the GT-6 and the likes are all compact and fairly inexpensive. But I guess you get what you pay for. Argh ... the never-ending quest to find the right equipment! [img]images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

[Newc]

Re: Power Amp suggestions needed

Mike Chlasiak (spelling?) uses a Digitech floor unit (GNX?) through a power amp, don't see why you can't. Some people are just opposed to such units.
I've used an ADA MP-1 and Digitech TSR-12 through the power section of a Fender head in live situations and they all work just fine. I've also used a Digitech GSP-21 Legend through the same poweramp with no problems.

Newc

[rodrigo_echeverri]

Re: Power Amp suggestions needed

thetruthguy (name?):

I am in the same quest as you. in my case, I used the following units in the past:

RP-1 (back in the day)
RP-10 (back in the day)
RP-12 (back in the day)
GT-3 (recently)... [img]graemlins/refuse.gif[/img]
RP-20 (recently)

And tried extensively the Gnx3... [img]graemlins/nono.gif[/img]

The more of these units I bought and tried the more convinced I got that they would NEVER do the trick for me. I am actually quite an enemy of the Gnx3 and most likely the GT-6. I think they are overpriced little tone souckers. I always found that for practice and rehearsal they were ok but every time you crank up the volume you get, well... [img]graemlins/puke.gif[/img] (only my opinion, please dont get offended)

My findings can be summarized in the following points (IMO):

- Boss: decent distortions, nice cab simulation but HORRIBLE digital effects and POOR EQ sections (this one I will never forget!)

- Digitech: HORRIBLE preamp section but nice digital effects. (I found the rp-20 to get quite a bit of help from the 12ax7 though...)

Harmony central was not helping me very much with my choices. The reviews there are from all sorts of people and you get tons of uninformed opinions. That being said it is a good start for a rough evalution of that you might expect. (jcfonline.com is a really solid place to ask questions about tone, believe me!)

This is my setup and these are the prices I got the components for. You can do your math and see if you want to continue to support digitech and boss:

- Furman RR-15 power conditioner = $60
- BBE Sonic maximizer 422A = $58
- Rocktron voodu valve (usa version) = $300
- Mesa 50/50 = $325
- ATA flight case = $90 (ouch! worth it though)
- Boss FC-50 midi foot controller = $50

Total = US$883.. you can't beat that!... however, it was achieved through careful, patient e-baying (took me like 1 1/2 months to get everything)

What does a new Boss GT-3 go for?... US$450... no amp... [img]graemlins/brow.gif[/img] I am convinced the one above is a dream cheap rack and no comparison can be established with a GT-6.

The only thing that makes me nervous about this rack unit is that down the road I may want to separate the pre-amp and the digital effects unit. I do drool over the triaxis big time and I have made a point of owning one someday. For the digital section I would like to own a Prophesy or a G-major... I dont know... thats the future though.

Note: I didn't say anything about cabinets because you didnt ask but if you read my signature you may find what I decided to go for.. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[ April 16, 2003, 11:20 PM: Message edited by: rodrigo_echeverri ]