Best Amp and Cab for Thrash Metal

[slayer]

I have figured out my favorite tones are from the thrash metal era of the mid 80`s until about 1990 ish. Think early Testament, Exodus,Metallica, DRI etc. What Amp/Cab/Effects would you fellas reccomend? My guess is alot of you will reccomend a Marshall JCM 800-Marshall 1960 Cab with G12T-75`s, some sort of distortion pedal, delay pedal and possibly a BBE sonic maximizer. What say you? Thanks-Jack.

[nateb]

Go Mesa... Not because of personal preference. It is just that a few of the bands that you listed use them. Eric Peterson(testament), as far as I know lives by them. Get yourself a Dual Recto + overdrive pedal and whatever flavors that you use for effects for the chain. I personally didn't like the sonic maximizer in the chain with my Roadster.

-Nate

[slayer]

I have heard that a BBE in a Mesa didn`t do much if anything. Can a Recto really get that early Exodus crunch like Bonded by Blood, etc? They sound like suped up 800`s or something to me, but I am by meens an expert I am not saying a Recto can`t do that, it is just not what I am use to hearing form them. Thanks-Jack.

[nsubulysses]

If you're going for old thrash sound you have to go with the 50 watt JCM800 and you have to do the Entombed setting ie all knobs on 10.

I think the Mesa stuff is good, but only the Mark III. I think Metallica used those on Justice and Puppets.

Personally, an amp that I like and use is the Sunn Model T. Fender owns the Sunn name now (like it owns everything) and they reissued Model Ts from '95 to '99. I love mine. It's super, super loud and only gets better sounding as you turn it up. You can dial it in to be blown out and fuzzy (not what you want), or just cut the gain a bit and it's really sharp and tight, and you can crank those mids for that Slayer-esque tone.

Edit: Forgot about the cab thing. I would say since you're going for an old thrash tone don't go with a cab that has Vintage 30s. I would go with a cab that either has Greenbacks or those Celestion GT75s or whatever they're called. They're in most Marshall cabs.

[Jeff Albertson]

1000 buck gets you a 5150 II / 6505+....It's the best money you'll ever spend. Other way I would go is with a DLS100. You'ld be wasting money on a JCM800 is just too freakin old and vanilla. Everyone is clammering to get old wornout trendloving pieces Like 2555 Jubilees and 2555 SL's...power of suggestion...another sucktrain joke from Slash. Mesa Rec is a damn fine amp but it's just too much cash and the Peavey will do everyhting that it can do. I'm pretty impressed with the 5150 III but, again, $2000 is too much fucking money. I just jettisoned a Krankenstin because it was one dimensional, but is a tall metal amp. I've just started to work with a JVM, so no opinion yet.

If I could only have one it would be the goddamn Peavey 5150 II. Run a BBE sonic maximizer thru the loop and it has no equal.

[toejam]

Go Mesa... Not because of personal preference. It is just that a few of the bands that you listed use them. Eric Peterson(testament), as far as I know lives by them.

Now he does, but Jack's looking for an older thrash tone which was through Marshalls.

[OzoMan]

1000 buck gets you a 5150 II / 6505+....It's the best money you'll ever spend... blah blah

I have to disagree. My bandmate has Peavey 5150 Head and it's far from that older thrash metal sound. To me it sounds as modern as it gets. At low volumes that thing buzzes like hell and when you turn it up, the buzzing is gone but it still sounds lame.

But don't get me wrong. Peaveys aren't that bad but might not be what you're looking for.

[horns666]

I have to disagree. My bandmate has Peavey 5150 Head and it's far from that older thrash metal sound. To me it sounds as modern as it gets. At low volumes that thing buzzes like hell and when you turn it up, the buzzing is gone but it still sounds lame.

But don't get me wrong. Peaveys aren't that bad but might not be what you're looking for.

[nsubulysses]

I have to disagree. My bandmate has Peavey 5150 Head and it's far from that older thrash metal sound. To me it sounds as modern as it gets.

Agrizzle. An old thrash sound isn't what a 5150 does. It's a super high gain modern sounding amp. You can probalby dial it in close, but it won't be the same as the Marshall "driven" sound when you crank the 50 watt head. This is why Mesa stuff won't get that tone either. Old thrash sound were Marshall's cranked to distort, not an amp that has a channel to make a *distortion sound*.

Also, this is why I would never buy any JCM2000 or DSL or whatever they call them. Those amps are modern high gain amps, not old stuff that relied much more heavily on natural distortion because of the amp being cranked.

[slayer]

That is what I thought. A JCM 800 50 or 100 watter loud and with a distortion pedal of choice in front for taste. I would think they have Graphic or Parametric EQ`s mixed in there some where and some effects. The only Marshall I have played thru was a TSL 2000 2x12 combo and I thought it sounded good, the speakers were very good and it had an Ibanez Tube King in front for flavor. I did play thru a Marshall 2210 which I thought sounded good, but the guy wouldn`t let me turn it up past 2 I believe the 2210`s have diode clipping? I really have go and play thru a good JCM 800 from the early 80`s or a re-issue. I guess 50 or 100 watts doesn`t matter, but definitely want an effects loop. I really dig the tone of Exoduses song Pirahna, that song rocks man!! I like almost all Thrash music though. I may just throw some G12T-75`s or G12T-100`s in my Madison cabinet. Are the G12T-100`s similar to the 75`s with just more headroom?

Jack

[nsubulysses]

Dude, don't go for the reissues. What you need is a true JCM800 from the early 80s. I know people will want to hang me for this, and it is just opinion, but I would say Marshall hasn't made a good amp in about 20 years. "Reissue" usually means "re-done more garbagey for more money with more plastic parts."

The only Celestions I know about are Greenbacks and Vintage 30s so I can't help ya there.

[horns666]

Ooops..just re-read this thread. 5150s are definitely good for a MODERN thrash tone..pardon me.

If you want "Authentic" classic thrash tones.old Marshalls are the way to go, it's what they used. I saw Hades a few years back and he used a 2203 with a SD-1 in front ..sounded pretty damn good. My favorite Marshall "heads" are the 2210s..I never needed to run a stomps in the front..it nails VH tones along with old thrash tones nicely...The very reason I still love my Marshall 9200/and JMP-1 rig..because it covers that ground..and it's very consistent.

I agree on the DSL..JCM 2000s..Don't like the gain structure at all..sounds very "Nu" sounding...me no likey!

5150s are cool for modern thrash tones that I'm into..Arch Enemy, Soilwork, In Flames. Darkane..even Nevermore and ect..

[slayer]

I appreciate the help fellas Yes, it looks like a 2203/04 or a 2210/05 for me one of these days. The re-issue 2203 looks just like the originals except for the transformers, which I believe the originals were Dagnal and not sure what they are using now? I also think the re-issues are a little overpriced, but I would probably buy used if I were to go that route. Now, as for the JCM 800`s, should I get the EL34 version or 6550 version like some of the old ones for the tone I am after? Also, when I say old Thrash is my favorite, I am also saying speed metal also, which are so close in tone.

Jack

[Spivonious]

Peavey Valveking, Genz Benz El Diablo, Mesa Stiletto

[slayer]

Peavey Valveking, Genz Benz El Diablo, Mesa Stiletto

I have heard the Valveking(where is this one made?) sounds good and I have never played thru any of the 3 metioned. I am going to have to pick a day and take my guitar out and try as many as I can. 1 thing is a must though, it has to be a USA made amp. I hope noone takes that wrong, but I kinda like to support USA made products if I can of course.

Jack