Best High End Combo Amps

[mjl927]

The best one I ever personally played was a Mesa Tremoverb 2x12. I'm still kicking myself for not buying it. I could have simply ran a 2x12 extension for bigger gigs. That amp sounded awesome...and I'm not even a huge Mesa fan.

I think modeling amps are fantastic tools for recording and jamming at home but they always seem to loose something live. At least that is my experience.

[JACKSONWOLF]

The best Combo that I've ever tried is a Mesa Rectoverb. Awesome tones!!!
Forget modelling Amps, they may be good for recording but lack dynamics and punch in a live situation. Valve's can't be beat!!

[IrfaanSE801]

I'm surprised no one mentioned Hughes & Kettner amps. I've heard nothing but good things about them from players who have them, but I have yet to personally play one. From what I hear the MKII model I think it was has everything from a great clean, to a nice crunch and can even do the metal very well.

[kokostrollet]

Never played it but heard from a friend some amazing things about the new Cornford Carrera. Would love to give that one a try as it costs the same as the Mesa Boogie Express 5/50 here in Sweden that I am also considering (looking for a high-end class A "play at home" combo amp).

[quiksilver]

I absolutely love my Vox AD120VTX.
Also, if you can wait, the new Line 6/Bogner combo looks like it will be nice.

[markD]

my rivera m-100 combo has been unbeatable for close to 20 years now. i had a boogie mark IV...it is gone. i had a twin reverb...it is gone. i had a jcm800...it is gone. had a soldano astroverb...it is gone.

from clean to dirty and everything in between, my rivera has been my sound for YEARS. everything else comes and goes, but that amp will NEVER leave.

it weighs about 100lbs., but it is indestructable. i used to gig with it...local gigs and small tours. i would run it with an extension cab. it is really the BEST amp i have ever played.

[Robotechnology]

I'm not much of a Rivera fan but, I must say the Quiana 1X12 combo I played yesterday sounded GREAT!

[horns666]

I never liked combos..I had many..not saying they're bad..they just never did it for me..I don't take 'em seriously..they are practice amps to me..that's all.

At bare minimum..I require a all tube 100 wat half stack in a band, nothing less!

[markD]

i used to do the half-stack route, too. now i use small 1x12 and 2x12 cabs and make small "mini" stacks. sometimes, if i am stuck playing in a dive with a small stage, i use the combo with a 1x12 extension cab and it rocks. plus my rig looks WAY cooler than a half-stack, because half-stacks are common!!!

i always dug the look of the stage set-ups in the late 70's - early 80's, with the combos and the extension cabs, like the WHO, clapton and santana would use.

[danastas]

In the last several months, I've been playing through a lot of combo amps. The price thing makes this so hard to generalize.

First, to go over the Cornford/Carr comments.

I bought a new Cornford Carrera, had it a week, traded it in for a Carr Mercury. The Carr was a much better amp, as I found the Carrera to be really flabby by comparison. But you know what? I realized that low watt combos do not sound as good as hi-watt amps with good master volumes. So I got rid of the Mercury too.

(As an aside, recently someone sent a Suhr Badger my way. It's a head, of course, though they will be producing combos soon. It was by far the best of the low watt amps, and it had power scaling which worked quite well at low volumes, and it's a very loud 18 watts which means you can play it out easily. On the other hand, it still didn't sound as good as amps with much higher wattage with good masters).

Carr does make a really nice combo with higher watts, the Hammerhead. I liked it better than all the other Carr amps I tried, including the Rambler and Mercury.

So, if you're in the 1.7-1.9k range for a combo, I'd look at Fuchs' ODS30s.

If you're in a much higher range, like double that, I'd look for a Two Rock CRS, or in the mid 2ks, an Emerald Pro.

If you're in the low 1k range, there are people who own a lot of high end amps who still swear by Dr. Z Maz Srs. I've never played one, but I'm impressed that people think so highly of them. Maybe they're a notch better than the Budda combos that are also highly regarded.

Finally, if you have $3k, many believe the best combo on earth is the Carol Ann OD2 made by a new builder in Mass. Very Marshall-like, but the best response and tone many players have heard. I've heard the clips, it sounds good. But who knows who is hyping what.

[markD]

all those boutique combos scare me. they are a lot of money and usually seem like they are all low wattage amps. that is great from the power-tube saturation, but my only experience with low wattage amps has been a soldano astroverb. i thought it sucked at stage volumes.

i do play out, a lot...and i like good clean headroom. i HATE when a clean channel or a distorted channel gets farty when the amp is cranked.

those amps are super and seem like they are aimed at a VERY narrow auidence...dudes with a ton of cash that like to have bragging rights.

i would like to try some out, but they are hard to find, and pricey to test in a real-world situation....

[danastas]

all those boutique combos scare me. they are a lot of money and usually seem like they are all low wattage amps. that is great from the power-tube saturation, but my only experience with low wattage amps has been a soldano astroverb. i thought it sucked at stage volumes.

i do play out, a lot...and i like good clean headroom. i HATE when a clean channel or a distorted channel gets farty when the amp is cranked.

those amps are super and seem like they are aimed at a VERY narrow auidence...dudes with a ton of cash that like to have bragging rights.

i would like to try some out, but they are hard to find, and pricey to test in a real-world situation....

I completely agree with you about the low watt amps. I don't like them.

But the Fuchs, Two Rock and Carol-Ann are 50-100 watters. Lots of headroom. And they sound better at lower volumes, IMO.

Still haven' heard the Dr. Z Maz that so many are raving about.

By the way, I buy these amps used and don't pay the crazy exorbitant prices.

[Final Sacrifice]

love my jcm800 combo

[Strat God]

For the bedroom where I'll never play with anyone else- Marshall MG15DFX, or my Fender GDEC.

But I need real tube power with the band...so I have a JCM900 head/cab rig.

[horns666]

I completely agree with you about the low watt amps. I don't like them.

But the Fuchs, Two Rock and Carol-Ann are 50-100 watters. Lots of headroom. And they sound better at lower volumes, IMO.

Still haven' heard the Dr. Z Maz that so many are raving about.

By the way, I buy these amps used and don't pay the crazy exorbitant prices.

Z's are cool, ..his high dollar ones are loud like old Super Leads and JMPs w/ 4 12's...I played ALL his amps. I used to hang in Mike's factory every day during lunch, and hide there until I got a run. None of his amps are high gain "metal monsters" He always had a TS-9 for me . I couldn't play any of his maps without it. His smallest one was a Carmen Ghia..he named it after his kid.

He used to make play the Gary Moore "End of the world" intro solo..I had that pretty nailed...his amps kinda sounded like that with the tube screamer.

He gave me a couple lightning bolt "Z" logos"..I got 'em somewhere.