Recommend me a new amp

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Gibsonchild

Gibsonchild

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My current rig is a JJ Jr and a Mesa DC-3 into a old stereo Soldano 4x12. It sounds pretty damn killer, but I’m jonesing for something a little different.

The DC-3 does the Recto thing pretty damn well (close enough that I’ve never felt the need to upgrade to a real Recto), and we pretty much all know what the JJ Jr sounds like.

I’d like something different that would compliment those two. Definitely want something more raw and unrefined than what I current have. The only way I can think to describe what I want is more of a raucous, chainsaw-like grind. I don’t give a rats ass about a clean channel or versatility. I really only need it to do that one thing, and do it well.

In a perfect world, I’d like a Friedman Naked, but that’s not happening. I’ve considered a VH2, but I’m not sure if it would really work for me. I’ve tried the VH4 pedal, and have a serious love/hate relationship with it.

Also… I’m not hellbent on a new production amp, and would prefer to keep it in the $2500 or less ballpark. I know I am being somewhat vague, but I haven’t really played a whole lot of high gain amps to know what stuff sounds like. Most of what I have owned over the years has been vintage Fenders, 2204s, and boutique Voxy shit.

I know suggestions will be all over the place, and that’s fine, because I don’t really know what I’m looking for.
 
Racerxrated said:
You have a modded Marshall type, and Recto type, since you mentioned the Naked I’d recommend ordering new or waiting on a used Naylor to pop up. The Naked is a reworked Marshall preamp circuit changed to a Naylor SD circuit.
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I have an old Laney AOR 50 that I converted to a Hoffman Plexi 50 years ago. I tinker with it from time to time, but haven’t done anything with it in a few years. I could always gut that thing out and build something Naked-esque (Assuming the Petey the Pitbull schematics are somewhat correct)


That said… even if I do that, I still want another amp too.
 
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I'm gonna second the Naylor and MC recommendations, and if you're patient, both can be had around your price range.

The Skeleton Key is a great amp in its own right, as well, but maybe doesn't seem to jive with your descriptions imo. Still, maybe worth looking into.

A wildcard piece of advice I would add, as far as wildness, raucous, and chainsaw like grind, is get an HM2 clone with a clean blend and run it through a loop at a lowish level.
 
DanTravis62 said:
I'm gonna second the Naylor and MC recommendations, and if you're patient, both can be had around your price range.

The Skeleton Key is a great amp in its own right, as well, but maybe doesn't seem to jive with your descriptions imo. Still, maybe worth looking into.

A wildcard piece of advice I would add, as far as wildness, raucous, and chainsaw like grind, is get an HM2 clone with a clean blend and run it through a loop at a lowish level.
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Yes, the HM-2 is very specific, but can be killer when used appropriately. It’s one of those things that sounds so bad that it’s actually great. Love having my ‘80’s original HM-2
 
You may want to consider the Victory V4 (4 valves) pedal series... they are the preamps from the actual amps, that you run through your amp's FX Loop. When you engage the pedal, it bypasses your amp's pre-amp and uses only the power amp/speakers. They sound fantastic. If you're looking for different, I would go for the Kraken (very intense)... or the Countess (very thick and chewy). The Sheriff is excellent, but it's more of a Marshall hi-gain amp sound.
 
japetus said:
Chainsaw grind? Get a 5150 and stack a fuzz and a boost.
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Had an OG 5150 for a while about 15 years ago. Loved it, but I want to try something different. And I’m really trying to avoid pedals for my dirt.
 
I’ve got a Naylor Duel 100, and it’ll excel for what your looking for. Naylors are very raw, unrefined, and open. They hit hard, have a deep, lower mid tone, and a ton of growl. Mine LOVES every boost I’ve tried with it, and gets downright vicious when boosted. Naylors bark like an old Marshall, they’re thick and chewy like a Bogner, and raw and aggressive like a Recto.
 
I'll definitely look into the Naylor's. I always assumed they were just another flavor of Marshall, so I never payed any attention to them.
 
I think the modern classic will be my next amp. But I am also looking at this 2204 clone I know you said you had a bunch of marshall amps. I just like the thought of the lower gain option to go with my w800
 
Smashedguitarist said:
I think the modern classic will be my next amp. But I am also looking at this 2204 clone I know you said you had a bunch of marshall amps. I just like the thought of the lower gain option to go with my w800
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I had two 2204’s, a JMP and a JCM800. I loved them both, but my JJ Jr gets me pretty much all the Marshall tones I need. I’m also looking for something with more gain on tap than a stock 2204.
 
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