Versatile, high gain amp?

[emperor_black]

BTW, what guitar/pickups are you using? I too felt I had to use a OD pedal in front of the 5150. have you tried to upgrade your pickups to something hotter like EMG's? Also try the BBE Sonic maximizer in the FX loop.

Have you considered the JVM ?

[SEAN RAF]

I'm using Seymour Duncan's. I've got the Sonic Stomp in the loop on the Peavey and, as Bill has pointed out numerous times, there's no point running a 5150/6505 unless you have a BBE...more important than actually having strings on your guitar.

I haven't tried any of the new Marshall gear, I gave up after the dark days of the 900 series.

The Cobra has midi function, I just don't understand what that means...I mean zero understanding. All my pedals are stomp, no multi fx. I want to run my SD-1 and NS-2 constantly. I then want to press 1 (one) pedal to switch to clean, bypassing the SD-1 and NS-2. Is there a way? Would buying a midi foot switch (Behringer etc) enable me to do this?

[thetroy]

Why not just cut a piece of wood/aluminum/whatever such that it goes across all the pedals you want as one big footswitch? =P

[Mazrim]

I just got rid of a Road King 1. A brilliant amp but Mesa are just not me and they just dont growl like a Marshall. Also I needed new cabs and had no money so I traded in my RK head for a Marshall JVM full stack.

The JVM is VERY versatile and comes with a programmable footswitch too. Its very powerful and has a sick amount of Gain. Too much in fact and you'll have to dial some off no matter how much you usually use.

4 channels (Clean, crunch and 2 overdrive channels) x 3 gain modes (green, orange and RED!!!!) and unlike the Road King has a decent clean channel.

I think thats the amp you might be after.

[SEAN RAF]

Why not just cut a piece of wood/aluminum/whatever such that it goes across all the pedals you want as one big footswitch? =P

You know I was actually thinking about this morning...my wood/metal work skillls are woeful, I'd probably have it turning off the bass players gear or dimantling the drum kit. Both of the amps I use have more gain than I can handle, in fact they are dialled in well below capability...

[Dreamland_Rebel]

if you had the matching cab for your cobra, you probably wouldn't feel the need for an OD pedal. something about the early breakup of the 25w greenbacks gives it that smooth distortion that you're trying to achieve with an OD pedal.

[Infernal Death]

Again, why not go with some midi switching devices ?

Flo

[SEAN RAF]

Again, why not go with some midi switching devices ?

Flo

You're probably right, but I don't/can't/(won't) understand how this works. If I had my SD-1 in the front end, would the midi pedal bypass this?

[Outlander]

You've tried a lot of gear and have your sound for distortion so I'd run a 2 amp setup. Get another amp for cleans and just use an A/B box to switch. That seems like the logical thing to me anyway - the extra amp would not even need to be that big because cleans can be had with a smaller amp a lot of the time.
If not a 2 amp system you should be able to get something that will switch your amp channel and a loop for your pedal in one switch.

That's what I ended up doing. The ADA is powered by a Mesa 20/20 (nice singing musical tone) driven with EL84's. All of my effects are run through this. The other amp is a Recto which is run direct(just straight guitar). Together they sound enormouse !!!!

[Endrik]

That's one of the amp's I mentioned. Best sounding recto series amp. I even like channel 4 in modern mode Can't say the same about the other recto models.

Endrik, in my opinion, all the German amps have a particular hi-fi ness sound going on (Hughes & Kettner probably least of all though). The ENGL SE is a pretty open sounding amp as is the Savage 120 and Blackmore. I don't like the Powerball much. In my opinion, Diezel's I think have too much of that hi-fi ness going on and can't be dialed out (except for the amps/channels I mentioned in my previous post). Although, probably mixing power amp tube types in the Herbert can make it pretty close to perfect I would think. Your mileage may vary...

Another amp for you to consider though is the Hughes & Kettner Triamp MK II... also very versatile as well as great sounding. Some of the best prog metal chording/riffage tones I've ever heard came out of it.

I totally agree about the hi-fi-ness in German amps.

BTW. Sean have you thought about Cornford? Hand made in UK... they sound like the best hot rodded Marshalls, have good clean channel and don't need no pedals. The craftmanship is incredible.

[SEAN RAF]

I tend to (unjustifiably) think of Cornford, Bad Cat et al as 'blues' amps. There aren't enough hours in the day to try all these brands, at least not properly. Here in the UK, most dealers stock one high end brand and the rest is the bread and butter Marshall's, Peavey's, Line 6 etc. At the moment I travel to stores in Doncaster, Liverpool, Manchester, Stoke, Nottingham and Lancaster. That might not mean anything to our overseas friends, but I'm sure UK members will appreciate that I'm covering some considerable distance just to try out quality guitars and amps. I bought my Cobra through Ebay without ever hearing how one sounds, purely on the (excellent) advice of fellow JCFers. But it still needs pushing at the front end.

Both the Peavey and the Cobra have more than enough gain, in fact it's backed off a fair way on both, especially on the Cobra. But, as with all amps I've tried to date, that gain needs smoothing out with OD/Distortion. Dialling in more in an attempt to jettison the SD-1 isn't the answer (for me).

[siggy14]

I really think the bogner uberschall is what you are looking for. You dont need a pedal, stays tight even at the highest gain, smother then the recto's and also clearer.

I had an uberschall, sold it because I could get close to the same tone out of a recto with a pedal in front and the 2 channel recto was $800 cheaper. When I say close to the same tone, the recto is a little harsher or more of a brutal distortion, where the uber has more gain but is smother.

My uber was the second revision that i sold, i just recently purchased the blue revision that doesnt come in till monday. The Blue revision is suppose to be a bit brighter, has bias test points and they evened the channels out so they are closer in volume.

I tend to (unjustifiably) think of Cornford, Bad Cat et al as 'blues' amps. There aren't enough hours in the day to try all these brands, at least not properly. Here in the UK, most dealers stock one high end brand and the rest is the bread and butter Marshall's, Peavey's, Line 6 etc. At the moment I travel to stores in Doncaster, Liverpool, Manchester, Stoke, Nottingham and Lancaster. That might not mean anything to our overseas friends, but I'm sure UK members will appreciate that I'm covering some considerable distance just to try out quality guitars and amps. I bought my Cobra through Ebay without ever hearing how one sounds, purely on the (excellent) advice of fellow JCFers. But it still needs pushing at the front end.

Both the Peavey and the Cobra have more than enough gain, in fact it's backed off a fair way on both, especially on the Cobra. But, as with all amps I've tried to date, that gain needs smoothing out with OD/Distortion. Dialling in more in an attempt to jettison the SD-1 isn't the answer (for me).

[SEAN RAF]

It keeps coming back to the Uber...just concerned about the cleans and solo boosts. You may be right siggy, Bill hasn't shut up about them since he got one, I thought he was on the Bogner payroll...but he's been bang on with advice about 5150's and BBE's, 5150 settings and of course his Marshall gear.

A big problem here in the UK is actually finding a Bogner. I haven't actually ever been in the same room as one. The ENGL Invader I tried was stunning tone plugging straight in. It was through the ENGL V30 4x12 and I used a Mike Learn graphic Charvel Strat head with one hum (not sure which hum, but it didn't have a surround). I have to say that the quality of finish on that Charvel was god like. It was the Skulls on sticks graphic (not the official title, just my description), looked like shit on the website, in person...oh my!

[siggy14]

Well if you just put your stomps in front of the amp then with the blue revision uber you can set the loop to act as a solo boost. From bogner website.

"Volume Cut function. Second benefit. When no effect unit is plugged in the loop, the pot can be used as an adjustable "boost in reverse". Here's how to use this function as a boost, make sure no effect unit is in the loop: Turn the effect loop on and then turn DOWN the effect loop send control on the back panel to adjust your "normal" non-boosted volume level. When you turn the effects loop OFF the amp will get louder, instant boost! Perfect for solos! Once your happy with the ratio of boost to non-boost, then you can adjust the Global master volume on the front panel to determine your overall maximum volume level."

As to Bill and the uber, yeah he does have a hard on for it, i think he might secretly make love to it at night after his wife goes to bed!

But it is a great amp, dont expect it to sound like a recto though, it is a heavy distortion like the recto with plenty of bottem end, but i have yet to hear an amp that will give you that recto tone.

I have a feeling if your love your peavey, you will love the uber even that much more, no need for BBE or stomp but same type of gain if that makes sense, just clearer and thicker with more bottem end.

It keeps coming back to the Uber...just concerned about the cleans and solo boosts. You may be right siggy, Bill hasn't shut up about them since he got one, I thought he was on the Bogner payroll...but he's been bang on with advice about 5150's and BBE's, 5150 settings and of course his Marshall gear.

A big problem here in the UK is actually finding a Bogner. I haven't actually ever been in the same room as one. The ENGL Invader I tried was stunning tone plugging straight in. It was through the ENGL V30 4x12 and I used a Mike Learn graphic Charvel Strat head with one hum (not sure which hum, but it didn't have a surround). I have to say that the quality of finish on that Charvel was god like. It was the Skulls on sticks graphic (not the official title, just my description), looked like shit on the website, in person...oh my!

[ozzuk1]

If you've tried the invader like the tone of it unbosoted can get everything you wan't from it you might aswell get it plus 6505's are common....

and you could always buy the cobra again too, but if you like the engl you might aswell get it...