Tell me if this combination would sound ok?

[NickCormier]

I am in the market looking for an amp at the moment, and I might be buying one of these few combinations..

A Crate Blue voodoo 120 head with a Randall 4x12 cab = Would that sound cool? Thats what I am swaying towards right now, unless the talks on these deals does not go through =[

Crate blue voodoo 120 head with a Line 6 Spider II 4x12 Cab

Crate blue voodoo 120 head with a Ibanez TB412A toneblaster 4x12 cab

Crate blue voodoo 120 head with either a Behringer BG412S or BG412F

These are all whats in my price range in terms of combos, and its all really based on if I get that blue voodoo head like I am hoping lol.. if not, I am considering a Crate GT1200H halfstack.. although im scared that at the price, It won't be too great

I hate buying amps online, because I can't test them out but unfortunately my musicstore likes to markup by like honestly like 45%! a Pod xt that would cost 300 US online, would cost 700 Canadian(taxes in) at my music store =[ last time I checked, the looney isnt THAT bad!

[Cleveland Metal]

Re: Tell me if this combination would sound ok?

Man, I am so not a fan of the BV head... Can't you fnd a decent 5150 around there? Even with a Marshall Cab, it would mop the floor with the Voodoo. Probably for around the same money as well.

[NickCormier]

Re: Tell me if this combination would sound ok?

personal opinion =[ I played a BV300h and it DOMINATED any marshall tube amp I ever tried, and my dad is a marshall freak (i went to abunch of his jam sessions and all his friends use LPs/Marshall rigs lol) so im assuming a BV120 wouldnt be too much different other than the obvious lower watts..

Not to mention the 2 best tones ever recorded to me, one is Steve Vai's Passion and Warfare, Im assuming his legacy amp, and other is Marty Friedman's Scenes, recorded with a blue voodoo amp

[Endrik]

Re: Tell me if this combination would sound ok?

Passion and Warfare was done probably with Bogners, Marshalls and older Carvins, I'm not really sure.
But Legacy amps didn't existed then

[jgcable]

Re: Tell me if this combination would sound ok?

Out of all your choices I would say that the Crate blue voodoo 120 head with Behringer BG412S would sound the best. I know plenty of guys who love their BV120's and the Behringer cab sounds pretty darn good.

[Cleveland Metal]

Re: Tell me if this combination would sound ok?

Yeah, and Nevermore sounds Godlike with Crank amps, zzzzz.... Studio magik...

You must have heard some horrid Marshalls. Or maybe DSL/TSL's haha...

Actually, I dislike the Legacy and it is still better than the Voodoo... And I'm not being a snob, just giving you the deal. 5150s walk all over them and for their price, you can't hardly beat them.

[Boxcar Willie 84]

Re: Tell me if this combination would sound ok?

Yeah don't get a Blue Voodoo. The third guitar sound in my band is a Blue Voodoo and it adds a nice layer of mud to the band mix.

[NickCormier]

Re: Tell me if this combination would sound ok?

=[ I will go with my word over you guys, im assuming if blue voodoo's sucked so bad, Marty Friedman definately wouldn't use one, and he has the most distinct tone of anyone

Yea wasnt sure if Passion and warfare was legacy, but whatever it was, good tone.. only thing I would consider better than a bv300h... but how many effect layers is on passion and warefares? tons, compared to bv300's pure sound which dominates without effects

[Endrik]

Re: Tell me if this combination would sound ok?

Steve Vai did about bazillion overdubs and used about bazillion and one different effects.

And I've hard that Marty's live sound with his Crate pretty much sucks ass

[NickCormier]

Re: Tell me if this combination would sound ok?

you do know one tour in megadeth, his crate fell out of a truck mid-tour and he played with it broken.. thats probably where you heard it from

on all Megadeth / Hebimetasan video footage, Marty's tone cuts through Mustaines when it comes to solos, and Mustaine has possibly the best metal tone in existance

[Endrik]

Re: Tell me if this combination would sound ok?

no, I'm talkin about his tone in last 3 years.

and well, I probably have totally different taste because I never liked Megadeths tone.

[horns666]

Re: Tell me if this combination would sound ok?

There was a guy demoing a new BV at GC one time when I was up there..it was doing OK..they also had some FX unit in the loop..I guess the guy was interested in both..it was sounding "OK"..THEY really liked it..but still wasn't sure about buying it..

So, I said to the mangager that John and I know up there.."Hey you got any BBE units in the store"..he goes "yeah"..I said.."throw that in the loop"..."they can work magic with SOME amps"..he said "Good Idea"..He came right back with a new BBE 482 and thew it in the loop and it immediately came to life..The guys bought The BV and The BBE..not the FX units..

A BBE is a hit or miss kinda thing...some amps Love em ..like the 5150...ot some amps just hate 'em..like my Uber..

and I don't even like the new BBE's..I like the older 422 series..

But I heard an improvement with the BV with a BBE in there immediately..it woke it up alot....so that was a give in..I dialed it up and played it..it was BETTER!!

BUT my concern is more with the Randall cab..if it's an older Randall cab with their "Jaguar" speakers loaded in there...FORGET IT..they are HORRIBLE!!!!!

If it's a newer ones that is celestion loaded..Then that's better...

I also opt to go with a 5150 with BBE..with 5150 cab..or any celestion cab..the 5150 cab is better with that head tho..

But if your set going with a BV..a BBE is campatable with that amp..

but for some reason 5150 LOves BBE's the best!

I tried a BBE in every head I ever bought..John too..that's alot of amps!!

[horns666]

Re: Tell me if this combination would sound ok?

Oh BTW the dude bought the blue matching cab that went with that head as well..loaded with Celestion V30's

so he bought the blue half stack..and the BBE unit.

[Inazone]

Re: Tell me if this combination would sound ok?

Nick, you have to remember that playing in Megadeth (and in his post-Megadeth career), Marty has access to some of the finest tools money can buy, plus professional sound guys and studio engineers. If I remember right, he used a Boss Metal Zone in his live rig - a device responsible for some terrible garage band tones - so apparently, he found a use for stompboxes as well as Crate amps. However, what ends up coming through a venue's sound system or ending up on a finished CD is the product of far more than just his guitar rig.

I have to concur with the 5150 suggestion, or perhaps a ValveKing if price is a primary concern. If you like the Blue Voodo's tone, then go for it, but I have yet to hear one sound anything like Marty Friedman's actual tone. Honestly, the best live tone I've heard from local metal bands (the bands who can't afford techs and sound guys of their own) have either been Bogners or Peaveys...opposite ends of the price spectrum.

[Rupe]

Re: Tell me if this combination would sound ok?

Okay, here's a bit of advice from someone who managed a music store and sold hundreds of Crate amps. The Blue Voodoo series are very poorly constructed with cheap components to keep the overall production costs down. I actually quit stocking them due to the numerous service issues they had. Their sound is servicable, but nowhere close to many of the best amps out there...or the 5150.
I would say your money is definitely better spent elsewhere.
The only Crates that I would recommend are their solid state practice amps...decent low volume tones to jam late at night or figure out new tunes/licks with (not band practice...they will be lost in the mix).
Don't ever let an artists gear trick you into thinking you will get a similar tone. Many of them have their equipment customized or use something completely different than what they endorse altogether (like Zakk with his JCM800's hidden behind his Ampegs when he endorsed them). And studio magic can create tones that most people, frequently even the artist, can never reproduce live.