Splawn anyone?

[Firebird V]

KT88's are the only way to fly IMO. Not much on EL34's myself.

I really want a gain monster like a Framus Cobra. But, I know that won't do everything I want. Too broke too worry much about that stuff, but I do try to stay informed so I can dream appropriately, haha...

Seems like the Nitro would be really good for the Priest Tribute I'm in. My CAE3+se actually does well for it. Just too heavy (weightwise) with the VHT2150 and the rest of the rack effects. I actually worry something will malfunction too. Lotsa stuff going on with switching, MIDI pedals, power supplies etc.

Just a simple head and a delay pedal would be nice. "KISS" ya know...

The Nitro would be PERFECT for the JP stuff. A Pro Mod would do British Steel and back.

[Firebird V]

OK, I am pretty sure I'm going to get one of the 50 watters with KT88s.

I guess this means I have a choice between a Super Comp (a single channel version of the Nitro), the Competition (single channel version of a Pro Mod).

Decisions decisioons.... I'm leaning towards the Competition (KT88 equipped of course) since it's a hair cheaper, and I'm not sure I need as much gain as the Nitro.

Anyone have any experience with either of these 50 watters?

Well both the PM and the Nitro can be set to half power so I have lots of experience with both.

The Nitro is more saturated and if you swap out some preamp tubes I have found I can get it to sound much like the PM but with more bottom and a bit rounder mid.

The Pro Mod with a pedal boosting the front end can get some of the Nitro saturation but not as defined.

If it were me I would get the SC because the gain is there if you need it but that is me...

I dont use a ton of gain but I like it on tap if I want to go there... And if you get the comp and want more gain you will end up spending on something to boost it so the money will be spent anyway...

[Cleveland Metal]

Yeah, definitely shooting for the newer high gain stuff. If it were not more of a tribute, I'd rather really crunch it up. My other band does old tunes with new chug, and people enjoy that a bit.

[Firebird V]

Well I sold the Pro Mod which I swore I would never do... Before I got the Nitro that is... That has to say something right?

That being said I loved the Pro Mod and either will be a good choice. The KT88's is the way to go IMO though.

[horns666]

I like them Splawn Sumbitches..

For the heavy "chugga" stuff ..I gotta stick with the Uber Sumbitches.

I wonder how these Soultones stand up to the Splawns..I would think they'd be comparible for their "heavy" Marshall-like goodness.

[Cleveland Metal]

Well I sold the Pro Mod which I swore I would never do... Before I got the Nitro that is... That has to say something right?

Oh yeah, that was pretty much un-said, haha

I have to say, they have a nice character I like. I like more gainy amps, but, they lose certain aspects of tone atthat point. they have their own thing, but loses that.

I can really see that sort of thing with my CAE preamp channel 3. At say 11 oclock, it has a vanhaleny low gain crisp articulate thing that's nice for shredding. But not quite heavy enough and not enough low end chug. At 1 oclock, it's about heavy enough with chug, but loses the articulation... If THAT was only MIDI controllable, that would rock.

[horns666]

Well I sold the Pro Mod which I swore I would never do... Before I got the Nitro that is... That has to say something right?

That being said I loved the Pro Mod and either will be a good choice. The KT88's is the way to go IMO though.

That does sound nice. I wonder if my Uber would be too dark with the KT88s. I would think it would be.

[Firebird V]

Only one way to find out Bill. The JJ's get a good reviesw and I use them but they are darker compared to others I have heard. The Ruby's get really good reviews... My next set wo;; be Winged C's or Svets... I always seem to like those brands with any kind of power tube.

[Cleveland Metal]

That does sound nice. I wonder if my Uber would be too dark with the KT88s. I would think it would be.

KT88 aren't really dark IMO. More bass (if that's even possible w/the uber)... More treble... Less Honk...

Not sure the transformer would really rock the KT88s to the point of really wringing them out, but I'm sure they'd be nice. My 2150 runs around 700 volts! Most Marshalls run like 450v or so. I can't imagine the Uber would be much different voltage wise for the EL34s.

[Firebird V]

Oh yeah, that was pretty much un-said, haha

I have to say, they have a nice character I like. I like more gainy amps, but, they lose certain aspects of tone atthat point. they have their own thing, but loses that.

I can really see that sort of thing with my CAE preamp channel 3. At say 11 oclock, it has a vanhaleny low gain crisp articulate thing that's nice for shredding. But not quite heavy enough and not enough low end chug. At 1 oclock, it's about heavy enough with chug, but loses the articulation... If THAT was only MIDI controllable, that would rock.

Well you kow the CAE better than anyone I know. You have owned that rig as long as I can remember.

[Cleveland Metal]

Winged C KT88s in my VHT2150 right now... All I'll ever use now. Period.

[Firebird V]

KT88 aren't really dark IMO. More bass (if that's even possible w/the uber)... More treble... Less Honk...

Not sure the transformer would really rock the KT88s to the point of really wringing them out, but I'm sure they'd be nice. My 2150 runs around 700 volts! Most Marshalls run like 450v or so. I can't imagine the Uber would be much different voltage wise for the EL34s.

Yeah. The low bass and low mids are more defind and tighter. The highs are not shrill. The treble is bright and defined. They dont break up early. Not squishy. Very bold.

[Firebird V]

Winged C's is probably the ones I will get. I am on my last set of JJ's. I put them in the Nitro because that is all I could grab local and I needed to get rid of the El34b's.

[Cleveland Metal]

Well you kow the CAE better than anyone I know. You have owned that rig as long as I can remember.

Yeah, I can't quite find anything that will make me let it go just yet, haha....

Screwy tho, that thing is like having a Ferrari with a 80MPH limiter... Really nice tone, but not quite enough gain/crunch. I have to really massage it with EMG's/PA2 Preamp/parametric to get enough edge, and that is still falling a just a touch short, and has its own set of issues with pick noise and some hum etc.

[horns666]

Oh yeah, that was pretty much un-said, haha

I have to say, they have a nice character I like. I like more gainy amps, but, they lose certain aspects of tone atthat point. they have their own thing, but loses that.

I can really see that sort of thing with my CAE preamp channel 3. At say 11 oclock, it has a vanhaleny low gain crisp articulate thing that's nice for shredding. But not quite heavy enough and not enough low end chug. At 1 oclock, it's about heavy enough with chug, but loses the articulation... If THAT was only MIDI controllable, that would rock.

Yes it is does. But I think it has alot to do with the tone we always gravitate to. It's in our sonic DNA. Your rig has a heavier "organic" classic Van Halen tone, or even the 515o for that matter. It actually sounds too good to be that tone. Much like the Uber, it can do that sorta tone quite nicely. But the Marshall has more of an "authentic" Van Halen tone..hish, edge, harmonics and all. Listen to the "Panama" intro ..that is thin, trebly "hish-city"..but our stuff doesn't sound like..and that's a good thing. Or not. It's not like a player like Dime (RIP) gan plug into our stuff and do his thing, just like Drover did..unless they slammed it with a few Metal Zones...

Tony is getting pretty authentic tones with his old Boss unit. It has that processed "canned" recorded studio sound, like the album..which is cool too. Much like how my two rigs..and your two rigs sound together. They just sit so well together, and prolly better than ours did. It would be nice to have THAT sound with one amp..but that's asking too much.