looking for a new amp - recommendations?

[Neeradj]

Re: looking for a new amp - recommendations?

I can provide for clips from people at the Dutch forum, a lot of Dutch seem to like the Powerball, but are totally siked about the Savage, which has more gain, more clarity and still has that chunk. You should at least try it out I'm sure you'll like it! The Fireball isn't a good ENGL amp to start off with, the Savage has so much more versatilly!

[jwoods986]

Re: looking for a new amp - recommendations?

Yesterday I was in a shop trying out a guitar and played it through a JSX, dual Rectifier, and an XXX. Both Peavey's were great, so good that I'm actually considering selling my Single Recto and getting either one. I would definitely recommend checking them out.

[Neeradj]

Re: looking for a new amp - recommendations?

Hey jwoods, which amp did you like better and why, the JSX or XXX? I've been considering buying one myself. Could you possibly give a short review? It would be mucho appreciated

Thanks

[sevser]

Re: looking for a new amp - recommendations?

Neeradj: The xxx has a great clean ch with a ton of head room. I agree with the 5150 clean being crap but, the two are nothing alike. (Just incase Fragle gets that impression)

[jwoods986]

Re: looking for a new amp - recommendations?

Neeradj was asking about the JSX vs. the XXX, the 5150 hasn't even been mentioned in this thread. [img]/images/graemlins/poke.gif[/img]
Neeradj - I'll get back to you soon (I'm at work).

[sevser]

Re: looking for a new amp - recommendations?

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I can tell you right now what everybody's recommendations will be:

<font color="red">5150</font> , XXX, or in some cases a dual recto. (listed in order of popularity)

[/ QUOTE ]

<font color="red">Except the first two have a ridiculously bad clean channel and the Dual Recto, well let's just say it ain't impressive</font>

@Axeman: Dude ENGLs go for insane prices around here. Mint second hand Savages will be 900 euros in Holland, maybe even cheaper in Germany. I think ENGL and Framus are the only brands we can get cheaper than you guys though. When I look at your eBay I always wish I were a US resident [img]/images/graemlins/eyes.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

Oh? [img]/images/graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img]

[Neeradj]

Re: looking for a new amp - recommendations?

Maybe I'm just spoiled man, but I believe the Rivera, Mark IV, DC-5 (also Mesa), Framus Cobra/Dragon have much better clean channels compared to the Dual Recto. I'm still not touching the XXX clean, but overall that amp doesn't seem to be my thing.

@jwoods: Thanks bro, take your time [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[Fragle]

Re: looking for a new amp - recommendations?

by the way, the "clean" channel of the 5150 is that bad because that amp doesn't have one! the channels are labeled lead (=soloing) and rhythm (=rhythm guitar).
i've been told that EVH designed this amp with two of his favourites in mind: the SLO100, and his old marshall plexi's, with the lead channel beeing the slo ripoff and the rhythm channel beein the plexi ripoff.
although plexis can also be great clean amps (at low volume ^^), EVH used his mostly for all out distortion....obviously [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

so guys, thank you all, and of course, keep 'em coming!
i'll take the drive to the store now....i guess you can read my post when it's 12 o'clock over there in the US [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

on my want-to-try-out list:
XXX
maybe 5150 I
cobra
recto
savage
beat me - peavey xxl. i've heared TONS of great things about that solid state amp (and i'd actually prefer a solid state or digital amp.......unfortunately i haven't found one that sounds good enough (yet?) *g* )

greets
fragle

[Fragle]

Re: looking for a new amp - recommendations?

alright folks

so i just came back from the store. they didnt have any of the high gain engls as well as the cobra, but they had some other amps that i wanted to test

at first i plugged into a mesa 3 channel dual rectifier with a mesa 412 standart cab. awful. the clean channel was alright, the pushed thing was useless for me, as was the raw setting. the vintage setting was okay, just a little muddy sounding. the modern channel was awfully harsh. i turned the thing up to 7, hoping that the raspy top end might dissappear, but it didnt. the bottom end was really nice, though. for 2700? no way folks, no way.

afterwards i plugged into a 5150 combo. i was pleasantly surprised. great bottom end, especially for a small combo, and it cutted really good though the mix (there were 3 or 4 punk kiddies playing nirvana or green day or whatever...and they didnt play well, thats for sure. they had a REALLY hard time beeing heared over my 5150 combo which was set at 5. great. lots of gain (i NEVER turned past 6,5 using the lo gain input). the clean channel was not the worst, really. especially with the bright switch engaged. the downsides were the waaay to midrangey voicing (even with the mid eq at zero it was still midrangey!) and the NOISE!!! i've NEVER EVER heared an amp that was THAT noisy, really. we put a ns2 in the loop, but it didn't really help. we also tried a rocktron hush unit, which also didn't help that much. a pity, really. otherwise its a great amp with great bottom end definition and cuts through like mad.

the last amp i played was the triple xxx. we tried lots of different cabs, for example the stock 1960B marshall, the marshall tall vintage (greenback loaded), the regular marshall greenback cab, as well as the mesa cab with vintage 30's. i prefered the 1960B by far. the clean channel was great, a little bright, but nothing the trebe pot as well as my tone pot wasnt able to fix. lots of headroom, really nice. with the greenbacks it had lots of twang...i was surprised, really.
the crunch channel.....well, i dont know what to think of the crunch channel. with the gain turned way down, i got some great hardrock sounds. setting the gain higher than 5 was useless, it became too fuzzy for my taste. before that point it was quite a nice lead sound, and i bet it is possible to get a convincing thrash metal rhythm sound out of it (it's kind of difficult to dial in a specific sound, because even slight changes actually change a lot due to the active equalizer). the ultra, with the treble turned up to about 2 o clock, sounded pretty much exactly like the dual rectifier, exept for the bottom end which was a bit tighter sounding than the mesa. once again, way too much gain...i set it at 7
that was just alright imo. with the treble turned down, and some of the midrange scooped, i got quite a nice sound....although it was REALLY hard to hear the nuances of the sound because of those damn punk kids..i hate them, really [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

all in all, i'm not really sure what to think...the xxx is really versatile, and i think i've barely scratched the surface of its possibilities. the 5150 on the other hand is a great sounding amp, just way too noisy and a bit too midrangey. the mesa sucked donkey balls. the 2 channel recs sound waaaaaay better


just some of my impressions

greets
fragle

[Alain]

Re: looking for a new amp - recommendations?

Engl powerball
Engl Savage
Peavey JSX
Peavey XXX

I own a powerball, playing it through a bogner cabinet.
First time I set it up, our rythm player just went [img]/images/graemlins/notworthy.gif[/img]

He agreed that it totally blows away any Mesa amp out there. If you know how to use it. And we don't play death metal too. Rather melodic opera metal (Nightwish-Rhapsody-...)

[Neeradj]

Re: looking for a new amp - recommendations?

Hey Alain [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Since when did you decide to post on this board, welcome bro! It's quite nice except for the minor incident I had with two members really. Nice to know we have another gitaarforum member here

I don't know, I feel like the Powerball is just pure Metal, you might like it Fragle since you're in need of a usable clean channel. But for good cleans I'd recommend a Savage anyday [img]/images/graemlins/headbang.gif[/img]

[jwoods986]

Re: looking for a new amp - recommendations?

[ QUOTE ]
@jwoods: Thanks bro, take your time [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]
I'm not the best at describing this stuff in words but I'll try. I would say the JSX was a little more "refined" than the XXX. Meaning a little clearer clean channel, and not as "raw" on the 2 distorted channels. It doesn't sound like you (neeradj) are too crazy about the XXX, but give the JSX a try if you find one.

[Fragle]

Re: looking for a new amp - recommendations?

"First time I set it up, our rythm player just went "

LOL [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] great [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]


soooo....i think i will check out the powerball ASAP, but for now the xxx is my favourite.....although i still think it leaves something to be desired. i like really really smooth highs, and none of the amps i played today delivered. the 5150 came close, but it was not quite there.
the xxx.....well......honestly, i cant tell lol. those damn punk kids were too loud. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] btw i've been told that the XXX is biased really cold (although not as cold as the 5150) and the stock tubes are fairly harsh sounding (usual sovtek crap)....maybe replacing the tubes with JJ's or svetlanas and having it rebiased will make the highs more smooth??

[Dreamland_Rebel]

Re: looking for a new amp - recommendations?

those peavey's sound best through the 5150 cabs. so if you go XXX or JSX you should really consider the 5150 cab with it.

[Fragle]

Re: looking for a new amp - recommendations?

they didnt have a 5150 cab there.....but isn't the 5150 cab....well....a marshall 1960 ripoff? [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] i always thought so

greets
fragle