Help - Amp advice!

[Econ]

Which amp would you buy if you had around $1000?

The purchase must meet the following conditions:

1. The amp has to be new
2. The amp needs to have at least 2 channels (clean and dirty)
3. Amp's dirty channel needs to have enough distortion to play 80's metal, hard rock and shred type music
4. Must have an effects loop
5. Amp price can't go over $1100

I was thinking about an Engl Fireball. What would be your choice?

[raymo]

Re: Help - Amp advice!

Marshall DSL 50, negotiate the price with them. That will take all your money, so dont get one if you dont have atleast a 2x12.

Thats just personally what I would get.

[rodrigo_echeverri]

Re: Help - Amp advice!

oh, so you mean you want a head... did you see the thread on that Metaltronix?...

[taxistationary]

Re: Help - Amp advice!

Metaltronix are great amps, and i was lucky to get one. You can try to look for one for sale, but their getting pretty rare. If your looking for some kind of 2x12, i would either go with a Mesa Tremoverb (or some kind of 2x12 Recto), or a Roland JC-120 with a nice preamp. If your looking for a stack, then i would go with a used 5150 head. I see them go on ebay for around $500-$550, and then with the money left over, you could buy a decent used 4x12 cab (Marshall 1960, Ampeg, or even the matching 5150 cab).

EDIT: Sorry, just saw that you want something new.

[ May 19, 2003, 05:50 PM: Message edited by: john ]

[Econ]

Re: Help - Amp advice!

Thanks for all the replies. You guys have to remember that the amp must be new. I'll take a look at the DSL 50. I do have a 2x12 cab, so that won't be a problem.

[Ace]

Re: Help - Amp advice!

Not to change the subject, but why must the amp be new?

[Jeremy]

Re: Help - Amp advice!

would you buy second hand underwear? [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[Econ]

Re: Help - Amp advice!

Well said Jeremy, thanks.

[rodrigo_echeverri]

Re: Help - Amp advice!

I dont know about you but I dont put my head inside my pants... [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[Econ]

Re: Help - Amp advice!

If I'm gonna spend over a thousand bucks for one amp, then I want it to be new. That's just my preference.

[rstites]

Re: Help - Amp advice!

It's your money, just make sure you consider the trade-off there.

If you can score an Engl new for your price-range, I'd be very tempted by one. They've gotten very good press lately.

The Peavy all-tube amps are worth considering too. The 5150 and the XXX are both well built and both should be able to cover the tones you're describing. Laney makes some very good sounding amps in that range, but I don't know their price structure.

I agree with checking out the Marshall DSL too. I'm not a huge fan of the newer Marshalls, but the DSL is the best of them IMO.

The Soldano Hot Rod 50 and 50+ are going to be very close to your price range and designed specificly towards the type of tones you're describing.

Just some ideas there... If I were buying new, I would definitely want to play all of the above before making my decision. The Engl and Soldanos can be hard to come by, so if those are what seemed like the best fit from reveiws I'd want one from somewhere with a return policy.

[Chuckracer]

Re: Help - Amp advice!

I tend to keep my head inside my pants, unless of course...Oh Wait, wrong Forum!

You can get some smokin amps if you lose the "must have new" thing. I don't remember the last time I bought a new amp...or new anything for that matter. Used IS the way to go. If I had to ONLY buy new for whatever reason, I wouldn't own an SLO, that's for darn sure!

Now...about where Rodrigo keeps his head...!

[Econ]

Re: Help - Amp advice!

You certainly have apoint Chuck, but I just want something new. If someone tells me that for $1100 I can get a used Uberschall, SLO 100 or Diezel Herbert, I would definitely go for it. But that never is going to happen. So for $1100 I rather have a new , lets say Engl Powerball than a used amp.

[raymo]

Re: Help - Amp advice!

Yeah for awhile all I bought had to be new, then I bought a few things off ebay and got some decent gear, but I've sold all that and all my gear is new.

There is a sense of pride knowing that you bought that amp or guitar new, atleast to me there is.

[rstites]

Re: Help - Amp advice!

There's certainly nothing wrong with buying new, but you want to make sure it's exactly what you want. If you buy used and loose interest after a while, it's pretty easy to recoup most of your money. If you buy new, you simply can't do that due to depreciation. That's why I said above, I'd definitely want to play everything in that price range before spending the money because it's something you'll want to live with longterm IMO. I've bought close to half of my amps over the net without ever playing a similar model. Some I've immediately relisted and sold, but it wasn't a big issue since I was only out shipping to get it to try. I would never want to do that with a new amp.