Loudest High Gain Amp????

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Loudest amps I've owned is my 1967 Plexi when I had it running 575v. I would blow 30 watt blackbacks... while running two 4x12's. The thing it, it sounded good that loud. While other amps may get louder, they tend to sound like shit fully cranked.

My old CCV sounded amazing cranked.
 
rsm said:
Engl Invader 150?
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I have the Invader 100 (+4x12 with V30's) and even on large stages (think 3000+ crowds) the master volume never went beyond 2.
Mind you, I *am* running the channel volumes at 6 or 7; my experience with Engls in the past showed -with one exception, the SE EL34!!!- that if you run channel volumes too low on Engls and crank the master, they will sound more like a distortion pedal than an amp.
My Savage 60 is a prime example of this. Channel volume at 2 (out of 10) and Master volume at 4 or 5 and the sound is a bit more fuzzy and meh.
So I run Lead channel volume at 5 or 6, and Master around 1.5 or 2 @ home.
 
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I haven’t tried a lot but my loudest rig would have to be the Mesa Boogie Quad I’m running into a Rectifier Stereo 2:100. Can’t even imagine cranking both channels into two V30 loaded 4x12s, it’s painfully loud even with the single Emperor 4x12 I have.

Triple Rectifier I used to own is a distant second, but that amp once made my ears ring when I accidentally strummed my guitar and was too close to the cab with the volume cranked.

The Savage 120 I own is third, but it pales in comparison to the other two.
 
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nightlight said:
Triple Rectifier I used to own is a distant second, but that amp once made my ears ring when I accidentally strummed my guitar and was too close to the cab with the volume cranked.
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I had an Korg era 90's RI Plexi modded with 6550's and a greenback AX cab. In the early 2000's me and a guitar friend set it up next to his Triple Rec half stack for a side by side comparison. It wasn't even a contest. The Marshall was barely into breakup and was louder than the Mesa. I've never seen that much clean power. It makes a Twin seem like a low watt practice rig.
 
mcstinger said:
I was surprised how loud is Rivera Knucklehead Tre. My friend said that playing it makes his bowels twist :)
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I have a 25w Rivera that is so loud through my 2x12 that is rattles windows and drowns drums. Just as powerful as a lot of my other amps at a 1/4 of the wattage. I could only imagine a 100w Rivera ....Jeez...
 
VHT Ultralead 120. That amp never gave up. Would love to have another.

Mesa Triple Rectifier no idea what it is other than black grill /chrome chassis. It is loud and sounds like shit.

60’s Orange OR120 it had over 600 volts on the plates. Awesome amp with my pedal mix.

Wizard Metal and MC Road 100’s. Those amps will put a hurt on your chest.
 
I have no idea what the actual “loudest high gain amp” might be. However, of the amps I’ve owned, I’m going to have to go with the Rivera m100.
I don’t know? It just seems insanely loud when it’s at full roar.
My best friend, who passed away 2 years ago, used to live out in the country, so we’d drink beers and play amps at full blast, just to experience the “sonic overload”. All 100w+ amps we did this with were loud as f_ck. But, the Rivera actually gave us a “sound hangover” for about 3 days.
We ran it through my Boogie Recto 4x12(360w) cab.
 
Just remember that on amps with a send-level control for the loop you need to set it on max to really appreciate it's full signal strength.
Blast the send-level on any rectifier, or just remove the loop section entirely with the rotary knob on back, and then stand back!
 
dave74 said:
Just remember that on amps with a send-level control for the loop you need to set it on max to really appreciate it's full signal strength.
Blast the send-level on any rectifier, or just remove the loop section entirely with the rotary knob on back, and then stand back!
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One of the interesting tricks I learnt with that Recto was that to remove fizz, you can actually mess with the loop volume on a channel in order to get it to suit your taste. Wish I hadn't sold that amp in hindsight.
 
The loudest amps I've ever played weren't super high gain.

HiWatt dr103, orange or120 (580v at plates!) and marshall major

As far as high gain amps go, probably my old mark i H&K triamp - those things are brutally loud

I think people are confusing dynamic range with actual, literal volume in this thread though
 
Have to agree with Mesa Mark III. Grabbed one from a member, unboxed it and fired it up with the Master a little over 3...bad idea. Definitely the loudest sound I've produced in my 40 years and that little III was sitting next to a VH4 and 2203 that I've taken to unhealthy volume levels.
 
psychodave said:
Loudest amps I've owned is my 1967 Plexi when I had it running 575v. I would blow 30 watt blackbacks... while running two 4x12's. The thing it, it sounded good that loud. While other amps may get louder, they tend to sound like shit fully cranked.

My old CCV sounded amazing cranked.
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Reminds me of an old 71 100 water a local guy had that we nicknamed “the violator”. It was so loud and when you hit a chord the room lights would dim :D
 
psychodave said:
Loudest amps I've owned is my 1967 Plexi when I had it running 575v. I would blow 30 watt blackbacks... while running two 4x12's. The thing it, it sounded good that loud. While other amps may get louder, they tend to sound like shit fully cranked.

My old CCV sounded amazing cranked.
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That’s the nature of NMV amps, imo. Some exceptions with MV amps, SLOs and Wizards but most MV amps reach a point by 4-5 on the master where they sound worse
Edit: CCVs as you mentioned also
 
My Triamp mkii goes from "will wake up the family" to hearing-protection-required by looking at the master too hard. I couldn't even wager a guess how many power tubes I've blown in that thing, it sounds too good cranked not to.

Mesa Stiletto Trident was plain ridiculous. I think they advertised it at 127db, and gave me little reason to doubt it.
 
RaceU4her said:
Probably my krank with kt88s or my laney gh100s, both of those turn into completely different beasts with the master up over 10 o’clock, definitely not bedroom amps.
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The Laney GH100L is certainly one of the loudest amps I've ever owned. No question.

I also had a 2005 Quick Rod that I bought new back then, and I've owned several Splawns since, and none of the other Splawns compared. It was insanely loud.
 
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