ebay help needed

[Fragle]

yesterday i sold my mesa DC5 head. what i didn't like about it was that the gain is too fuzzy, the overall character was a tad too mushy and undefined for my needs, and in general a lack of definition and tightness.....besides, it had WAY too much gain [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
anyways, i'm looking for a replacement...just trying out new gear, seeing what suits me best [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] atm my main amp is a jcm800, and while i like it way better than the dc5, it has just about enough gain for rhythm (not enough for leads imo), and overall is a bit too abrasive and harsh sounding (which is why it cuts so well, but boy, this amp's LOUD). the bottom end is also just a slight bit too weak.
moreover, i'd like to have a second lead channel (or at least some kind of volume and gain boost) for playing leads, as i'm going to play lead on our next record (well, likely [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] )

so, there are 3 auctions that will end tomorrow.
one is a mk 3 head, price 890 euro (no bids yet), in a very good condition.
the other amp is an engl blackmore head. price 400 euro, but i think this one will go for around 800 euro.
last but not least there's a two channel triple rectifier head, price 999 euro, no bids...but i'm also sure that it will go for at least 1200 euro.

so, based on what i said above, what do you think will suit me best? the amp should be articulate, not as "harsh" as the jcm and brighter than the dc5, with about let's say 25 - 35% more gain than the jcm.
nice about all of those amps is that the resale value is pretty much consistent, so i won't loose any money in the process. try and error [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]
money isn't really an issue in this case, as we're pretty much staying below the magic 1500 euro line [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[jgcable]

Re: ebay help needed

If you want a second lead channel you should look at:
Mesa Boogie Mark IV
Mesa Boogie Rectifier series 2 (with adjustable solo boost)
The Mesa Mark III sounds the best IMHO but the channel switching can be a little bit of a pain live.
It also shares the EQ in all channels which is also difficult for some. For me, its perfect in every sense of the word. Tight, articulate, tons of gain, clear, super loud and actually sounds great at any volume. Get a purple stripe and you will basically have a hot-rodded JCM800 2203 with a ton of bottom end and more gain. I play heavy metal with mine with the gain on 6.

[Fragle]

Re: ebay help needed

well, actually i don't use any clean sounds, so atm the jcm or the mk III would be fine. it's all about the lead sound i'm going to need in a couple of months.
other than that, a jcm with more gain and bottom end...sounds promising.

well, i was thinking about the recto because we used it on our last album...and because atm it's insanely cheap (t recs usually sell for way more)..AND because the seller lives only like 50 km away from me.

by the way, what exactly are the differences between the various stripe models?

[taxistationary]

Re: ebay help needed

http://homepage.mac.com/mesaboogie/dot.html

[Fragle]

Re: ebay help needed

this board is fuckin pissing me off. i had an answer typed out, and i once i posted it i got a timeout error, and everything is gone. ARGH. it's also awfully slow today

well...back to normal. lets do this all over again [img]/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img]

i think i won't go for the rectifier. you can always get them for 1300-1500 euro, so this isn't really a super deal, and at the moment i don't think i can justify spending this kind of money on an amp just for try and error purposes. someday i WILL own one, that's for sure [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

the Mark III also lost my interest, as.......well, call me stupid, but it just LOOKS too awfully similar to the dc5 i used to have, and i surely don't want to go back to that kind of sound.

the blackmore however is really interesting me. it's not super expensive (just checked it out, the last two ones sold for 790 and 820 euro, and so will this one), and it's certainly said to sound very clear.

this leads me to my last question: would the blackmore head suit my needs? basically what i'm most worried about is the limited versality. is it possible to switch from rhythm to lead just by using the master B and the contour switch, or doesn't it work this way? furthermore, what about the gain? is there a "sweet spot" where it hast enough for lead and not too much for rhythm, or does it need an overdrive for lead?

ah, and by the way, thank you for the link john, that was an interesting read.

[Fragle]

Re: ebay help needed

*bump*
sorry, it's not that don't have any patience, but the blackmore auction's going to end in 5 hours [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[Fragle]

Re: ebay help needed

update:
i just found an engl savage, 1200 euro BIN only. any thoughts?

i haven't heared the blackmore yet, but i wasn't too impressed with the powerball as i already said above. but when i saw the forsaken playing savage and XXX heads, the savage had the best sound of all the bands who played there (and they used anything from 5150 over XXX and marshall heads all the way to mesas)