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  • #1

    B-52 Stealth Amps

    Hey everyone,
    Do any of you have any experience with B-52 Stealth amps? My friend traded his Triple Recto for one and loves it; I'm also thinking about getting something different than my Mesa, and I was wondering if you have any comments or input on the quality/tone of these amps. I haven't heard of them before, so I was looking for some advice.

    Thanks,
    Nick
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Re: B-52 Stealth Amps

    I hope your friend got cash as well as the new amp. B52s are WAY cheaper new than a used Triple Recto. As far as the B52s go, the Stealth is the older model. They now have a true 3 channel head called the AT100. Check out my review here: http://www.jcfonline.com/ubbthreads/...&page=0#465680

    Here is the Stealth: http://www.b-52stealthseries.com/ST100A.html

    Here's the AT100: http://www.b-52stealthseries.com/AT100.html

    The AT100 is $699 at Musician's Friend, and the ST100-A is $599.

    Cool factor: the AT100 has 12 TUBES!!!!! [img]/images/graemlins/headbang.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/headbang.gif[/img]
    Sleep!!, That's where I'm a viking!!

    http://www.myspace.com/grindhouseadtheband

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    • #3
      Re: B-52 Stealth Amps

      I played one, tones of distortion, but defintly has diode clipping. I compared it to a crate's distortion with the tube warmth.

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      • #4
        Re: B-52 Stealth Amps

        I thought diodes only pertained to solid state...or am I wrong?

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        • #5
          Re: B-52 Stealth Amps

          Did he get a fistful of cash along with his triple rectifier I HOPE!!! If it was a straight up trade he did REALLLLLLLY bad.

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          • #6
            Re: B-52 Stealth Amps

            I messed around with that AT100 head last week. Sounded really good to my ears. I was impressed for a cheapo head, quite impressed. Don't know anything about the Stealth though.
            http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFn-5BTQ8uU

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            • #7
              Re: B-52 Stealth Amps

              Well, I don't know if he got extra cash (I can ask him if you're really curious) but he got the AT100 along with a 412...I don't know if that balances it out a bit more, I don't know how much the cabs are. Anyway, I wonder that if the high-end Mesas aren't what I'm looking for, if a "cheapo head" might not be a better option if it's going to give me what I want. Plus, couldn't it just be so cheap because B-52 isn't as well known? Or is the brand name not a determining factor in price?

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              • #8
                Re: B-52 Stealth Amps

                IMHO... you get what you pay for in regards to amps. Especially tube amps. Mesa Rectifiers are expensive for a reason. They KILL and are very well made.
                So is Soldano, VHT, Engl, Bogner, and certain models of Marshall. There is nothing wrong with a "cheapo head" if that is all you can swing and it sounds good.
                For total METAL bang for the buck.. it is hard to beat a 5150 or a Carvin MTS3200. I have never been inside of a B-52 amp but I can take a guess an say that it isn't close to the quality of a Mesa Rectifier Series amp.

                Comment

                • #9
                  Re: B-52 Stealth Amps

                  [ QUOTE ]
                  IMHO... you get what you pay for in regards to amps. Especially tube amps. Mesa Rectifiers are expensive for a reason. They KILL and are very well made.
                  So is Soldano, VHT, Engl, Bogner, and certain models of Marshall. There is nothing wrong with a "cheapo head" if that is all you can swing and it sounds good.
                  For total METAL bang for the buck.. it is hard to beat a 5150 or a Carvin MTS3200. I have never been inside of a B-52 amp but I can take a guess an say that it isn't close to the quality of a Mesa Rectifier Series amp.

                  [/ QUOTE ]

                  +1 personaly if you are gonna go the cheaper route i would say go with a used Peavey 5150 or if you want close to the same distortion as the B52 then get the Triple XXX. Personaly like i said i found the distortion on the B52 to sound like a crate amp warmed up by the tubes. I was talking to my friend at guitar center and with the amount of gain he agree's with me that they have to have some diode clipping creating distortion. Personaly if your friend just got the cab and head for the Recto he did ok if you go by trade in value. If he was to sell the recto head he got ripped off. I B52 cab goes for $349 and the B52 cab with V30s goes for $599. The head goes for $599. So depending on which cabinet he got will determined if he got ripped off or not. He could have easily sold the Recto for $1300 on ebay. Personaly the Mesa amps are alot better built and will have alot better resale value and i would stick with the Mesa's in a minute.

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                  • #10
                    Re: B-52 Stealth Amps

                    The B-52 has always struck me as a bedroom amp. They sound great at lower volumes, but start to lose it the more you crank them. If you like that kind of oversaturated fuzz, then there is nothing wrong with this amp, but it is just not my thing.

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                    • #11
                      Re: B-52 Stealth Amps

                      Haha, I'm definitely not looking for oversaturated fuzz, and I do like the amp to sound better as it gets louder. Maybe a better bet would be to sell my 50/50 and look into a 2:90 to boost the abilities of the triaxis. In any case...my friend seemed to really like the B-52, but from what you guys are telling me, it doesn't seem very reliable or worth getting rid of my Mesa. I'll keep tweaking...

                      Thanks a lot for all your input,
                      Nick

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                      • #12
                        Re: B-52 Stealth Amps

                        I never thought I'd say this about a Marshall, but I'd keep your 50/50 before getting a 2:Ninety. I've never heard anyone tell me they were happy with those amps. Cold and sterile is what I often hear, although I'm sure the right tubes could change that. However, for someone who really does not care for Marshall, I've been pleasently surprised every time I've ever had a chance to play through a 50/50. They used to have a POD Pro in front of one at Mars, and I would spend a lot of time jacked into that.

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                        • #13
                          Re: B-52 Stealth Amps

                          I like the 50/50 better too.

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                          • #14
                            Re: B-52 Stealth Amps

                            I currently have the Mesa 50/50 and the Mesa 20/20 and i have owned the 2:90. The 2:90 is a great amp with many functions, but it was just too overkill for me with that much power. Personaly out of the 3 the 20/20 is my favorite.

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                            • #15
                              Re: B-52 Stealth Amps

                              I'm starting to think that the 2:Ninety sounded the way it did because hardly anyone could get it up loud enough to really starting getting the power tubes to break up. Ty Tabor ran a PODxt Pro into one of these, each side out to a full stack, and his tone absolutely crushed.

                              Now he's with Randall... [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

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