Big amps still used by the pros - what do we know

[RaceU4her]

Again, it's a common thread with the amps you mention.....DSLs, 5153s....they are cheap, and available any and everywhere. And, of course, they sound good enough. Not a bad tone at all.

But they are both amps that I'd hard pass, vs many others.

they wouldnt be my first choice either, but this thread is about what the pros are using, and many of them like Meshuggah and Lynch, who have all the amps we rave about and can play whatever they want are still choosing them, and its not because they are cheap and available.

 

[RaceU4her]

Here’s another recorded 5150 III tone. Always dig decapitated stuff, one of my favorite bands but know it’s not everyone’s favorite deal. I’d definitely take a Cameron over a 5150 iii but probably will never have a shot at owning one lol.

Decapitated was my favorite till Vitek died, then i just never listened to anything they did after. i wouldnt hesitate on a cameron if you find one, though i think you got that kind of thing pretty much covered with your iic+ and modded recto

 

[Racerxrated]

they wouldnt be my first choice either, but this thread is about what the pros are using, and many of them like Meshuggah and Lynch, who have all the amps we rave about and can play whatever they want are still choosing them, and its not because they are cheap and available.

Yes dude, it's ABSOLUTELY about that they are cheap, and available, and replaceable. And, they do sound good...I've always said that...but they don't sound as good as the stuff those players keep at home, for the studio.

This really isn't debatable.

Gary Holt, for instance...tours with his Jubilee reissues. They sound great. And, they are easy to find AND can be replaced IF someone steals his gear. At home, he has his Langner modded Marshalls which are irreplaceable. If someone stole them, he'd be heartbroken because Todd has passed on and good luck finding any other.

EVH never toured with his magic Marshall in the early yrs after a bunch of his tour Marshalls were stolen. Lesson learned, and thankfully he didn't have the 68 on the road when it happened.

You go ahead and believe your little 'budget amp' theory all you want. But anyone else with any common sense, and has played out knows that at any given time someone could try and steal your shit.
Playing with amps/gear that sound good enough, gives the pro peace of mind knowing that IF they lose some gear, they can head to a local GC and grab another DSL or 5153.

 

[braintheory]

Yes dude, it's ABSOLUTELY about that they are cheap, and available, and replaceable. And, they do sound good...I've always said that...but they don't sound as good as the stuff those players keep at home, for the studio.

This really isn't debatable.

Gary Holt, for instance...tours with his Jubilee reissues. They sound great. And, they are easy to find AND can be replaced IF someone steals his gear. At home, he has his Langner modded Marshalls which are irreplaceable. If someone stole them, he'd be heartbroken because Todd has passed on and good luck finding any other.

EVH never toured with his magic Marshall in the early yrs after a bunch of his tour Marshalls were stolen. Lesson learned, and thankfully he didn't have the 68 on the road when it happened.

You go ahead and believe your little 'budget amp' theory all you want. But anyone else with any common sense, and has played out knows that at any given time someone could try and steal your shit.
Playing with amps/gear that sound good enough, gives the pro peace of mind knowing that IF they lose some gear, they can head to a local GC and grab another DSL or 5153.

It’s the same with classical guitars. Some pro’s have irreplaceable guitars worth anywhere from $50-$250k. They record with them or play them at some local shows, but use more practical alternatives for any other performance

I remember also when I used to go to some local amp shows/expoes this was also their main point in salesmenship telling me how my old Marshall’s aren’t as reliable for gigs and how this boutique amp they’re showing me sounds almost as good and practically better. They’re not wrong necessarily, but that just doesn’t interest me unless I maybe was in a position hypothetically of touring and even then would consider a few other potential options

 

[braintheory]

Always curious to know which of the rigs that forum-folk tend to talk about, buy or obsess over are still used on records, tours etc.
Ideally within the last 5-10 years, i.e. not the 90s when the XTCs, SLOs, CAAs etc were considered 'contemporary'.

45-50W or more, not talking princetons etc. Big and gainy

I'll start with what I know/ saw about amps that interest me:
Boogie Mark: Petrucci.. I've seen some old ones in social posts from the recent recordings.
Bogner Helios: Luke and Evergrey dude
Bogner Uber: other Evergrey dude
5150: Andy Sneap, Priest
Gower Rock Monster mod: Andy Sneap
Mezzabarba: John Norum, Mario Sfoggli, Eric Steckel
Folkenson mod: Kee Marcello
Hermanson mod: Meshuga dude?
Jube: JoBo
Engl: Steve Morse, new Deep Purple dude
Wizard: Richie Faulkner, Priest
Bogner XTC: Andre Nieri
Victory Kraken: Rabea
CAA/ Suhr: Reb Beach
Bogner Shiva: Justin Derrico (AFAIK studio use nowadays)

Soldano??
Recto??
Friedman??

what else?

For Hermansson you can also add Misha Mansoor of Periphery and for Gower the guitarist of Sylosis (Josh Middleton I think). For MLC you have Silenoz and Phil X

 

[braintheory]

Yes dude, it's ABSOLUTELY about that they are cheap, and available, and replaceable. And, they do sound good...I've always said that...but they don't sound as good as the stuff those players keep at home, for the studio.

This really isn't debatable.

Gary Holt, for instance...tours with his Jubilee reissues. They sound great. And, they are easy to find AND can be replaced IF someone steals his gear. At home, he has his Langner modded Marshalls which are irreplaceable. If someone stole them, he'd be heartbroken because Todd has passed on and good luck finding any other.

EVH never toured with his magic Marshall in the early yrs after a bunch of his tour Marshalls were stolen. Lesson learned, and thankfully he didn't have the 68 on the road when it happened.

You go ahead and believe your little 'budget amp' theory all you want. But anyone else with any common sense, and has played out knows that at any given time someone could try and steal your shit.
Playing with amps/gear that sound good enough, gives the pro peace of mind knowing that IF they lose some gear, they can head to a local GC and grab another DSL or 5153.

The other thing I’d add is that IME most of these famous metal bands I’ve seen (in recent years at least) didn’t really have good tones live. They often sound very messy in the mix, often hard to hear over the drums, so I don’t really often wanna know what’s being used

Dave Gilmour had an awesome sound using his Alessandro Red Bone when I saw him, but I get it’s much easier to have amps work well functionality for his type of music being way lower in gain

 

[guitup too]

Brother Cane
Wizard-Damon Johnson
Shiva-Tony Higbee.

 

[Yehuda]

For Hermansson you can also add Misha Mansoor of Periphery and for Gower the guitarist of Sylosis (Josh Middleton I think). For MLC you have Silenoz and Phil X

Does misha record with his? Or is it just a toy for him the way it is for most of us? Mark tremonti also has a Hermansson, but he definitely doesn’t record with it

 

[Bram576]

For Hermansson you can also add Misha Mansoor of Periphery and for Gower the guitarist of Sylosis (Josh Middleton I think). For MLC you have Silenoz and Phil X

@Yehuda AFAIK misha has chosen a 5150, or invective for his album tones over the other insane stuff he has. I know he used a granophyre a bit for album tones. Josh Middleton pretty much uses a peavey 5150 block letter for everything album wise over his gowers. I honestly don’t even know if he has them anymore tbh.

 

[Jimty]

Sunn O))) and whatever they use. Ampegs and Sunn Model Ts?

The day they do a rig rundown and it’s just two Axe fx units…

 

[Techdeth]

Interesting...

All the diezels...


And you prefer a 5153 still?

Yeah man sell one of the damn diezels you're hoarding.

I don’t prefer a 5150 at all . I just like how it takes the beating that happens live

 

[Bram576]

Also Gary holt has definitely used a boosted jubilee as an album tone over his rare stuff.

 

[braintheory]

Does misha record with his? Or is it just a toy for him the way it is for most of us? Mark tremonti also has a Hermansson, but he definitely doesn’t record with it

No idea lol. I just saw one was made for him on Herm’s YouTube channel

 

[braintheory]

AFAIK misha has chosen a 5150, or invective for his album tones over the other insane stuff he has. I know he used a granophyre a bit for album tones. Josh Middleton pretty much uses a peavey 5150 block letter for everything album wise over his gowers. I honestly don’t even know if he has them anymore tbh.

All could be. I don’t honestly pay attention to what gear guy’s use. It’s mostly just me trying everything I can (a lot of esoteric stuff too) and deciding what I prefer

 

[Yehuda]

All could be. I don’t honestly pay attention to what gear guy’s use. It’s mostly just me trying everything I can (a lot of esoteric stuff too) and deciding what I prefer

I wish the music I listened to had tones that inspired me lol- every guitarist I look up to has shit tone

 

[RaceU4her]

Yes dude, it's ABSOLUTELY about that they are cheap, and available, and replaceable. And, they do sound good...I've always said that...but they don't sound as good as the stuff those players keep at home, for the studio.

This really isn't debatable.

Gary Holt, for instance...tours with his Jubilee reissues. They sound great. And, they are easy to find AND can be replaced IF someone steals his gear. At home, he has his Langner modded Marshalls which are irreplaceable. If someone stole them, he'd be heartbroken because Todd has passed on and good luck finding any other.

EVH never toured with his magic Marshall in the early yrs after a bunch of his tour Marshalls were stolen. Lesson learned, and thankfully he didn't have the 68 on the road when it happened.

You go ahead and believe your little 'budget amp' theory all you want. But anyone else with any common sense, and has played out knows that at any given time someone could try and steal your shit.
Playing with amps/gear that sound good enough, gives the pro peace of mind knowing that IF they lose some gear, they can head to a local GC and grab another DSL or 5153.

Live sure. Meshuggah though has one of the most impressive amp collections I’ve seen and are still choosing 5153’s, I gotta believe that’s cause they think they sound good and not because they are cheap, readily available and “good enough”

 

[Bram576]

Live sure. Meshuggah though has one of the most impressive amp collections I’ve seen and are still choosing 5153’s, I gotta believe that’s cause they think they sound good and not because they are cheap, readily available and “good enough”

Yeah I second this. Yes, it is completely debatable. Live, yeah easiest shit when touring.

A lot of these guys have so many amps at their disposal in the studio and many times they still go with a 5150 or boosted recto or whatever, because they do kick ass.

And the whole thing about “amps don’t sound like themselves micd up” yes they do. I think about it from this stand point, “a singer doesn’t sound like themselves micd up.” See how ridiculous that sounds. I know so many try to judge all these tones and sounds on an iPhone and say shit. Get in a car and listen on your stereo or on studio monitors. There you go.

 

[ChuggNorris]

I don’t prefer a 5150 at all . I just like how it takes the beating that happens live

You don't feel a diezel can handle a touring? I mean you can clearly afford a road case for one of your diezels. Unless you prefer the live sound of the 5153... there is no shame in this. It's the most widely used metal sound going right now because its hard to know anyone who hasn't had one of those variations.

 

[VESmedic]

Yes dude, it's ABSOLUTELY about that they are cheap, and available, and replaceable. And, they do sound good...I've always said that...but they don't sound as good as the stuff those players keep at home, for the studio.

This really isn't debatable.

Gary Holt, for instance...tours with his Jubilee reissues. They sound great. And, they are easy to find AND can be replaced IF someone steals his gear. At home, he has his Langner modded Marshalls which are irreplaceable. If someone stole them, he'd be heartbroken because Todd has passed on and good luck finding any other.

EVH never toured with his magic Marshall in the early yrs after a bunch of his tour Marshalls were stolen. Lesson learned, and thankfully he didn't have the 68 on the road when it happened.

You go ahead and believe your little 'budget amp' theory all you want. But anyone else with any common sense, and has played out knows that at any given time someone could try and steal your shit.
Playing with amps/gear that sound good enough, gives the pro peace of mind knowing that IF they lose some gear, they can head to a local GC and grab another DSL or 5153.

Why doesn’t anybody use a 2c+ in the studio then? You know what also “isn’t debatable”? That no one in 35 years has used that turd…


As usual, you are completely off base. How many albums have you seen produced? Just curious, probably gonna guess none…


The 5153 is used IN THE STUDIO AND LIVE because it’s a phenomenal sounding amp. As stated on the recent Meshuggah tour, they were using the quad quartex with a model of a 5153 with a precision boost upfront…a band that can use whatever they want.

Tons of bands that could use anything they want, use a 5153, and have for years…live AND the studio….you know what they almost never use? Don’t make me remind you, I’m sure you can guess at this point.

 

[ChuggNorris]

Also Gary holt has definitely used a boosted jubilee as an album tone over his rare stuff.

The poor man's wizard
Not that he couldn't get a wizard deal pretty easily I'm sure. When I hear boosted Jubilee, I think that's the core of wizard genetics 100%

Still gotta get a MTL/clone to just satisfy that part of my brain. I wouldn't need to go any further than that model for sure to get the goods I'm after usually.