my amp mod (and a couple questions)

[toejam]

Joe I'm sure those KT66 makes a huge difference in that BV..

They do sound very nice, but I got it off ebay with them in it, so I've never heard it with any other tubes.

[toejam]

I haven't had the chance to try out a THD yet.

I'm currious about how they sound, but there aren't any retailers near me that stock them.

The Univavle is pretty nice, a little bright. It pretty much has its own sound, and it's great for swapping in any one power tube with any two preamp tubes. It does old-school metal like Metallica's Kill 'Em All pretty well, definitely needs an OD boost for heavier stuff. I'm currently using a JJ KT77 in it with two 12AX7s, sometimes I use an EL84 with the Yellow Jacket adapter.

[Twisteramps]

Not to fan the flames higher, but I have an old Randall RG80 head - and it's not the loudest amp in the world, but for a solid state head it kicks ass on damn near everything non-tube and non-modelling I've heard.

Pete

[chrisolson]

I had the 3500 - great amp head. It wasn't working well in tandem with my Line 6 stuff though, so in the end, I had to return it. With that said, it was one of the best sounding SS amps I've played. PLENTY LOUD! Why don't you just run the 2 halfstacks with the one head? It has 2 speaker outs. It should be plenty loud...

[Racerx2k]

Niccolai, I know hwo you feel about using a Crate SS head, in spite of other's opinions. I run a Crate 90 watt Excalibur ss head, and think it's a damned good amp. My only problem is that it better voiced for metal, and I am playing straigh ahead Rock and Hard Rock. I've put an eq, inline, and that's helped tremendously, but I usually like to get all my tone directly from the amp. As I am a fan of Laneys (used to own a 100 watt AOR, and currently run a Laney 4x12 cab), and am looking, again for another AOR, down the line, or maybe a Marshall dsl 50, as I love the tones of that amp, as well. Regardless, I will keep the Crate.

[horns666]

DIME + RANDALL = AWESOME!!

I owned about 8 or 9 Randall heads back in the day..I always bought 'em super cheap..RG120 and RG80s..

SS amps..I go nuts with the squeals, divebombs , Satch dips..all that shit..very fun to play..

Joe I'm sure those KT66 makes a huge difference in that BV..

John was just over here Jamming with Vinny with my Jackson 7 string and Uberscahll..those Tung Sols make a HUGE difference ..especially really loud..it sounds HUGE!!

It's sounds like Sabbath/Trouble on Steroids..wow.

I fuggin' LOVE my tone..

[Twisteramps]

FYI, you could probably get away with a 300 watt Marshall 1960 slant cab with your amp. Generally speaking, tube amps are rated at lower than peak wattage, and solid state amps don't seem to put out what they are rated at. I would bet a 350watt solid state amp would be fine with a 300 watt cab. Besides, I bet you don't come anywhere near to turning that amp all the way up.

pete

[Niccolai]

I haven't had the chance to try out a THD yet.

I'm currious about how they sound, but there aren't any retailers near me that stock them.

[toejam]

Cool. I'm into high gain metal. My Randall is only a straight cab, too. It's the RS125CX, 240 watts, 8-ohm mono with Eminence Legend speakers. Sounds very nice, great low end, really tight. The only amp heads I have at the moment are the Crate BV60 and a THD Univalve. It gets the job done for me, and helps tame the brightness of both heads.

[Niccolai]

I can't really compare it to a randall cab, I heard a 2x15 randall cab for the first time the other day but it was for a short period of time.

the vaders sound HUGE though. Very loud and articulate. They have tons of power and the eminence speakers project very well. I find they fill a room with consistant sound rather than how alot of cabs sound really good if your in front of it, but muffled if you're off center to it, ect.

they have 400 watt power handling and are VERY fairly priced. sense my amp is 350 watts (260 at 4 ohms) I don't have tons of cab options, but I probably won't ever get rid of the vaders.

The 2x15s drive sooo much bottom end, but don't produce to much unwanted rumble and the 4x12s have a great crunch to them and pinch harmonics scream out of them.


the only single complaint I have about vader cabs is they don't offer a slanted front cab. all their cabs are straight.

I don't know what style you play, but they are phenominal for high gain metal.

[toejam]

How are those Vader cabs? I was thinking of getting one, but I got a Randall cab off ebay pretty cheap, it's the size of a 4x12 but it's actually 2x12/1x15. Sounds awesome.

[Niccolai]

Yea man, I HATE recto heads. (had a solo, and have worked with guitarist with duals and tripples). I don't mind their cabs, but I've found better for their kind of money.

The first Crate I had an experience with was a gift I bought for my younger brother at Matts Music a few years back. it was the lower end gt1200h model. Cheap as dirt, but for the price he got some cool tones out of it.

Than one of my old band's guitarist's blue voodoo made me take Crates more seriously. I dicked around with one of the gt3500h half stacks at Matts music when they first came out and I remember not liking it (it was one of the older models with the picture of the wave on the front), but as the years past I got more into grindcore and what having trouble dialing good grind tones with my amps.

My fiance bought me a powerball one year, wasn't for me, I traded it towards a fireball and vader 4x12(both of which I still have) and I had a few other amps; 6505+ (hated it, especially with the stocke groovetubes), an older randall head, and a used madison (which I lost in a house fire).

they had different things I liked about them, but couldn't get the tone I was looking for.

Then randomly one day I was talking to Scott Hull (pig destroyer) on the pig destroyer message board and he told me he and pretty much every other one of my favorat guitarists used the old ampeg solid states and Scott started using the new shockwaves and tidalwaves.

I tried one of them out at guitar center and after dicking around for a little bit and playing it next to a solo head I told them to bag it up.

I really do love this head, and for the money the blue voodoos aren't to bad either (I don't like the brand new ones though, they have a really stupid tone shaping).

with my vader cabs (4x12 and a 2x15) it screams. I would like to have a seperate head run each cab though so I can EQ each cab differently.

for my deathmetal project, I use my fireball, but when it comes to grind, it's gotta be a high gain solid state.

[toejam]

I love my Blue Voodoo 60 head, gets plenty of gain. Though, I mostly play at home, so tubes are overkill for my needs. Mine's got a pair of KT66 tubes in it, though. I used to have a Fender Roc-Pro 1000 that was a great solid state head, it just needed a little more gain.
If I get rid of the BV, I'll probably get a Tech 21 Trademark 200 or 300 head.

[horns666]

Haha.

Well I mean, I've decided not to go through with the mod because of ventalation and interference issues, but in order for it to work, the top head would haveto be mounted upsidedown. That would look dumb.

I still stand by my amp though. It's not the most expensive amp I've owned, but the tone is great for what I need it for, and it's friggin loud through my vader cabs.

I hear you man..I am no tube snob..I insist on the theory of "whatever works best for you"..what works for some don't work for others..

I don't like Rectos..ya think I would, but I hate 'em..but my favorite metal shredder in the world Jeff Loomis never sounded better live with his..and I heard ALL his live rigs..

I don't like Marshall DSL/TSL..but players better than muself go nuts with 'em..

I LOVE my Uber but I also LOVE my Marshall rack I bought in '96 which is a JMP-1/JFX-1 and 9200w/5881s..many have ragged on the JMP-1.."Fuggum"..I'll kick their asses with it!!

The only Crate I playe thru..just by chance and thought it sounded decent was at GC some time ago..a friend was trying to close a deal on a Blue Voodoo but they were undecided..So I tried it , dialed it up..and asked if he had any BBE Sonic Maximizers in stock..they did, the 462..I only like the 422s..but he threw one in the loop upon my request for shits and giggles and the damn thing just came alive..like BING!!!!

SOLD..The Crate and BBE..the BBE is not a one size fits all unit..My Bogner hates it..My Marshall likes it and 5150s LOVE them..in my experience.

They were really messing with that Crate for sometime..the whole time I was there..and they seemed like cool dudes..and they were really on the fence about it..so I sugestted giving the BBE a "try"..and it just happened to work..No I didn't get a commission..

Yeah, I agree it would look weird with one upsidedown, and awkward with the knobs like that..the only other option is to get a custom shell made..there's guys here that can point you in that direction if you still want to entertain this thought.

Take Care, and welcome..it's a great forum..with some silly and knowlegable people as you can see..

Bill Z ..aka Rev. B Fuggums..

[Niccolai]

Haha.

Well I mean, I've decided not to go through with the mod because of ventalation and interference issues, but in order for it to work, the top head would haveto be mounted upsidedown. That would look dumb.

I still stand by my amp though. It's not the most expensive amp I've owned, but the tone is great for what I need it for, and it's friggin loud through my vader cabs.