OK...What Amps Do You NEVER Regret Selling?

angelspade said:
I'm actually surprised that there arn't more Diezel VH4s making this thread as they seem to be a very polarizing, love it or hate it kind of amp.
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I'm sure the price has to have a part in that. I've never had the chance to play a VH4 and I consider myself way more willing to spend money on an amp than most other guitar players I know, but on the other hand $1k for a rectifier of some kind means they change hands a lot.
 
vultures said:
Mesa Badlander. Fuck that over-hyped trash amp. Modern Recto that doesn't need a boost? Chyea right, that amp was a wimpy pile of electronics. Maybe I'm bitter because Mesa took a year and a half to fulfill my order (custom headshell)? Maybe I'm bitter because I sold my Rev G to get it? Maybe I'm just bitter that it wasn't what was promised and hyped to be.
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I felt the same way from the brief seat time I got with one in store, but I'll admit I was very unsure of it to begin with. Seems like every time they do an offshoot rectifier (Blue Angel, Maverick, Heartbreaker, Stiletto, Roadster/King etc) it garners up a few die-hard fans but most people just wanted the original Rectifier sound.

In the case of the Badlander, I really feel like they just threw the badge/name on there for marketing purposes only, to drive sales. It's a 100w "rectifier" amp without switchable tube rectifiers... I mean if that's not a cop out then I don't know what is.
 
Vader99 said:
Channel 1 is a Marshall hot rod, channel 2 is a take on a recto .. does neither too well compared to others on the market and has a boxy feel
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Good to know. Few of those pre’s have been up on the market. Now I’ll close my eyes.
 
TotallyRadGuitars said:
I'm sure the price has to have a part in that. I've never had the chance to play a VH4 and I consider myself way more willing to spend money on an amp than most other guitar players I know, but on the other hand $1k for a rectifier of some kind means they change hands a lot.
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That may be true...But you may be surprised just how many of us here at the board have taken the plunge and shelled out the bucks to try a VH4, Hagen or Herbert. I'd venture to guess that at least half of us have owned a Diezel at one time or another.
 
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The first that comes to mind is the Engl Invader 100. It had an amazing clean channel but for high gain it always sounded like there was a thick blanket over the cab. Kind of muffled unlike any other Engl I have had which I generally liked.

My Marshall JVM 210H too. It seemed very harsh and I much preferred my JCM 2000 DSL 100. I replaced it with a JVM 410HJS which I prefer.

Then there were the Diezel Herbert and Engl Savage Synergy modules. Love Synergy, love the Savage and LOVE the Herbert but those particular modules were... meh.
 
I'm conflicted on ENGL myself. I think the Savage is awesome, but I really don't love the InVader. The Retro is good - but just kind of average compared to other "modded Marshall" types, the Fireball is great to my ear but it's definitely a high gain metal only kind of amp, so if that's not your style you won't like it.

My struggle with ENGL was that it's hard to tell what kind of music/tone I'd get from each model. Before I went on a spree and bought one of each, I had no idea from forum reviews, marketing material, or store descriptions what they would actually sound like compared to each other. Online clips help of course but there aren't many out there that compare multiple ENGLs in the same room/recording setup.

Examples taken directly from store pages:
Savage 120: "With a wide-ranging voice that excels at everything from articulate cleans and pummeling crunch to searing-yet-sweet higher-gain tones"
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Powerball: "This tube amp head includes four versatile channels that run the full gamut of tones, from crystalline cleans to muscular crunch and paint-peeling high gain."
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Invader: "The Invader focuses on pure tube tone. Channel 1, 2, 3, and 4 are capable of producing different Overdrive/Gain structures--from Crunch to High Gain. Every overdrive voicing in the channels sounds different."
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Maybe I'm nit picking, but every one of those descriptions sounds like the same thing to me, just worded differently. So if you listen to a few clips online and then order one of those amps... I just think there's a mismatch in expectations, since all 3 of those amps sound very very different from each other in the room. I know all amps suffer from the marketing word-salad fluff of course, but a lot of other amps throw out buzz words that link them to a more well-known sound (ex "british" is basically a code word for either Marshall or VOX, depending on the amp), while ENGL is trying to keep their own identity.
 
angelspade said:
What didn't you like about the Butterslax?....just out of curiosity
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It was a great amp in many respects - I just didn't dig the overall processed feel of the higher gain sounds, and it was overall too much gain for my needs and wants. Basically, a great amp - but just having it sit around in amongst others like the Hagen, VH4, XTC, Shiva, JJ, just seemed like a lot of cake to have tied up for no particular reason.
TBH since then I've veered away from Friedman amps. I know they're fantastic amps with a definite signature sound, but that signature sound isn't for me. I'd say "too processed" sounding but then many will say the same about Diezel, and yet I love my Diezels.
To each their own.
I'm sure if I only had access to the Butterslax, I'd be able to make it work - but it just wasn't something I needed my coin tied up in without using it more fully.
 
Ventura said:
It was a great amp in many respects - I just didn't dig the overall processed feel of the higher gain sounds, and it was overall too much gain for my needs and wants. Basically, a great amp - but just having it sit around in amongst others like the Hagen, VH4, XTC, Shiva, JJ, just seemed like a lot of cake to have tied up for no particular reason.
TBH since then I've veered away from Friedman amps. I know they're fantastic amps with a definite signature sound, but that signature sound isn't for me. I'd say "too processed" sounding but then many will say the same about Diezel, and yet I love my Diezels.
To each their own.
I'm sure if I only had access to the Butterslax, I'd be able to make it work - but it just wasn't something I needed my coin tied up in without using it more fully.
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And to add to the list - believe it or not - I have zero regrets selling my former SLOs.
 
anomaly said:
Ampeg VH-140C
Crate GX-130 C
Mesa single rectifier
Randall Warhead (first version)

I like some Randall SS amps but I could not jive with the Ampeg VH-140C, very cold, sterile buzz machine. Sure it's brutal in a old school way but it's thin and was not very loud for 140 watts. Same thing with the Crate GX-130C, even worse and had even less guts than the Ampeg, I doubt it could hang with a drummer. The Warhead takes it though, not a usable sound in that amp at all. I dug the Cyclone though, which was made around the same time.
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VH140C not loud? Every one of them that I owned have had endless headroom.
 
Ventura said:
It was a great amp in many respects - I just didn't dig the overall processed feel of the higher gain sounds, and it was overall too much gain for my needs and wants. Basically, a great amp - but just having it sit around in amongst others like the Hagen, VH4, XTC, Shiva, JJ, just seemed like a lot of cake to have tied up for no particular reason.
TBH since then I've veered away from Friedman amps. I know they're fantastic amps with a definite signature sound, but that signature sound isn't for me. I'd say "too processed" sounding but then many will say the same about Diezel, and yet I love my Diezels.
To each their own.
I'm sure if I only had access to the Butterslax, I'd be able to make it work - but it just wasn't something I needed my coin tied up in without using it more fully.
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Thanks...Makes prefect sense...While the Friedman stuff has many fans, I do hear often that overall they can be a bit processed and "polite" sounding.
 
PBGas said:
Diesel Einstein. I hated that thing. The plexi mode was great but that was about it.
EVH 5150 EL-34. Just a strange honk out of that one.
Mesa Stiletto Ace combo. Great design but just not happening tone-wise
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So strange... I have had all the amps everyone has spoke of on here except the Mezzos and the revvs. I have 4 stilettos and 2 aces.. Love the shit out of them to the point I have added bias mods..
 
jabps said:
Yep, preference...that's all it is. As an example I've never gotten along with Bogners but for plenty of people that's their main amps. One thing I learned along time ago is not to force myself to like something regardless of price, build, brand or what was hot at the moment. And IMO I think alot of people have/and always will get hung up on that. For me it's either going to work or it won't and I feel no need to have a collection of stuff that's "almost" there or just doesn't work and I'm not looking for various tones, I have the one tone I dig and that's what I shoot for. But again, it's all subjective, nothing more.
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Def.. I use a fender cyber deluxe for most gigs and people love it... As my Bogner 20ths look at me..............And my Mesa Stilettos snarl and wonder why I like a 250.00 amp.
 
The Marshall TSL 122. The amp had the runaway bias drift. Even after I had it fixed i had a hard time bonding with it. It wasn't until I bought the silver jubilee reissue did I realize how one dimensional and mundane sounding it was. I held on to that amp.way too long.
 
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