angelspade
Well-known member
I tried one as well...definitely not a play at home amp. That said, I thought it actually sound really good.
S
sthall
Member
Fender Blues Jr…
DeathlyFighter
Active member
Marshall VS30 - Sounded "alright" for like Thrash & Death Metal rhythm tones but nothing else. Was really noisy if I recall, had nasally highs.
Peavey Ultra 120+ - Kinda regret selling this as it was a pretty good amp for the budget, but it was way too modern sounding for my tastes. Didn't really fit the type of music I play cause it was a bit compressed sounding.
Randall RH150 (or something like that) - Just awful sounding, had the worst midrange frequencies of any amp I've played. I imagine the only people who would say this amp sounds any good are people that just play Pantera covers. But even then I've seen a lot of Dimebag fanboys trash this amp.
Randall RG1503H - Admittedly I only bought this cause this the other guitarist in my band only had a practice amp at the time, and I didn't want to blow a ton of money on an amp I didn't need. It wasn't the worst sounding amp, but the EQ section was so ungodly finnicky it made the Peavey Windsor heads I've owned seem easy to dial in by comparison. It had some atrocious feedback, I recall it would constantly pick up AM frequencies. Luckily it didn't do that the 2 times he used it live.
Honestly the 2 Randalls I've owned made me never want to buy a Randall amp again. I know some of the 80s ones can sound awesome, but they just seem like too much of a tonal "trial and error" for me to want to bother with them.
Take it this forum doesn't care for ENGL much? I've always wanted to try a Blackmore head. The very FEW videos I can find of people playing actual Blackmore-style stuff with the amp (as opposed to djent/core) sounded pretty good.
I like the couple of ENGLs I've tried but I'm also anti-super-compressed-high-gain so I'm not sure if I'd like them as much now.
Peavey Ultra 120+ - Kinda regret selling this as it was a pretty good amp for the budget, but it was way too modern sounding for my tastes. Didn't really fit the type of music I play cause it was a bit compressed sounding.
Randall RH150 (or something like that) - Just awful sounding, had the worst midrange frequencies of any amp I've played. I imagine the only people who would say this amp sounds any good are people that just play Pantera covers. But even then I've seen a lot of Dimebag fanboys trash this amp.
Randall RG1503H - Admittedly I only bought this cause this the other guitarist in my band only had a practice amp at the time, and I didn't want to blow a ton of money on an amp I didn't need. It wasn't the worst sounding amp, but the EQ section was so ungodly finnicky it made the Peavey Windsor heads I've owned seem easy to dial in by comparison. It had some atrocious feedback, I recall it would constantly pick up AM frequencies. Luckily it didn't do that the 2 times he used it live.
Honestly the 2 Randalls I've owned made me never want to buy a Randall amp again. I know some of the 80s ones can sound awesome, but they just seem like too much of a tonal "trial and error" for me to want to bother with them.
Take it this forum doesn't care for ENGL much? I've always wanted to try a Blackmore head. The very FEW videos I can find of people playing actual Blackmore-style stuff with the amp (as opposed to djent/core) sounded pretty good.
I like the couple of ENGLs I've tried but I'm also anti-super-compressed-high-gain so I'm not sure if I'd like them as much now.
nightlight
Well-known member
The two Mesa Boogie Mark V:25s I had. They had a good tone, but absolutely no girth or thundering low end. Just a very 2D sound.
I also don't regret selling my Victory Kraken VX anymore. I can cop better tones with other amps, and I'm still not sure the problem I had with annoying feedback was due to a microphonic tube.
I was glad when I moved on my EVH 5153 50-watt head. I know it's raved about, but that head did nothing for me. Just sounded like a beehive whenever I played it.
Whenever I read the Engl hate on here, I look at my Savage 120 and wonder what it's all about. Definitely keeping that amp.
I might let go of the Fireball 100 though, just never gelled with it being a one-channel amp.
Just goes to show: Tone is for the nerds.
I also don't regret selling my Victory Kraken VX anymore. I can cop better tones with other amps, and I'm still not sure the problem I had with annoying feedback was due to a microphonic tube.
I was glad when I moved on my EVH 5153 50-watt head. I know it's raved about, but that head did nothing for me. Just sounded like a beehive whenever I played it.
Whenever I read the Engl hate on here, I look at my Savage 120 and wonder what it's all about. Definitely keeping that amp.
I might let go of the Fireball 100 though, just never gelled with it being a one-channel amp.
Just goes to show: Tone is for the nerds.
K
Kordoba
Well-known member
Crate Stealth 1x12 combo. Like blowing a kazoo into a toilet bowl.
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ZEEGLER
Well-known member
Peavey Windsor - Good lord, what a piece of shit. I paid $200 for it brand new and still feel like I was ripped off.
Laner AOR 6 Knobber - So dry and unpleasant sounding. People think these sound like JCM800s?
Carvin Legacy - Dark, loose, flubby. To be fair, I never tried it with a boost, but it would take a miracle to tighten up that mess.
Friedman Runt 20 - Ratty, no balls whatsoever. I'd rather play a 10 watt Gorilla.
Mesa Dual Rectifier 3 Channel - A mess that I just couldn't work with. Worst rectifier I've ever played.
Marshall JVM410 - Perfect if you like an amp with no character whatsoever.
Laner AOR 6 Knobber - So dry and unpleasant sounding. People think these sound like JCM800s?
Carvin Legacy - Dark, loose, flubby. To be fair, I never tried it with a boost, but it would take a miracle to tighten up that mess.
Friedman Runt 20 - Ratty, no balls whatsoever. I'd rather play a 10 watt Gorilla.
Mesa Dual Rectifier 3 Channel - A mess that I just couldn't work with. Worst rectifier I've ever played.
Marshall JVM410 - Perfect if you like an amp with no character whatsoever.
Devin
Well-known member
Carvin Legacy - i liked the 4x12 and the amp had a great clean channel but the drive channel was just shit to me
I ended up using it as a glorified poweramp for my ENGL preamp and was a million times happier that way
I ended up using it as a glorified poweramp for my ENGL preamp and was a million times happier that way
E
ewill52
Well-known member
Randall RM100 - mine was just an absolute sewer pickle.
Mesa Roadster - extra mediocre, just did a bunch of stuff but none as good a plain-jane Dual Rec
Dr. Z Stang Ray - fantastic amp but it's a one-trick pony. that one trick was realllly good, but just not what I wanted.
Mesa Roadster - extra mediocre, just did a bunch of stuff but none as good a plain-jane Dual Rec
Dr. Z Stang Ray - fantastic amp but it's a one-trick pony. that one trick was realllly good, but just not what I wanted.
Soundstorm
Well-known member
I bought one of those Hovercraft amps that was making the rounds about 10 years ago, basically claiming to be Sleep's Dopesmoker tone in a MV amp (cranked Matamp GT120 tone). Man that was a piece of shit. It was literally a Jet City amp that the guy had put a plexiglass faceplate over and then used permanent MARKER to change the hash marks around the pots and give it a different look. The circuit was a mess of clumsy mods. It sounded like a Metal Zone amplified through a bullhorn.
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Speeddemon
Well-known member
Well, I had high hopes for a Revv Generator 120 as a sort of be-all-end-all multichannel head. Man, that thing was bland, and this is coming from someone who enjoys his rather polished sounding Engl Invader. Sure it could use more bite and crunch on CH2... but at least the cleans are big and wide, CH3 f'n slays...
That Revv Generator, hell nah.
Never bonded with Rectifiers either. Had a DC-5 for a while that was supposed to be Mark-meets-Rectifier. It was too Rectifier for my tastes. Fuzzy, bloated low end, it NEEDED a boost to get tight. Luckily I recorded some clips with my phone at the time, so whenever I feel the urge to re-buy a DC-5 (cause the cleans are awesome though!), I check my own clips and away with the GAS....
S
Sermo Lupi
Member
Surprised by the ENGL discourse, usually people rave about those amps.
I've never owned an ENGL, though I did try an ENGL Powerball II that I was really underwhelmed by around the time those amps just came out. Was trying at low shop volumes when I was buying a Bogner, so probably not ideal conditions. Sounded so anemic by compared to the Bogner, though, I really didn't like that thing.
Usually ENGL has a really good reputation, however.
I've never owned an ENGL, though I did try an ENGL Powerball II that I was really underwhelmed by around the time those amps just came out. Was trying at low shop volumes when I was buying a Bogner, so probably not ideal conditions. Sounded so anemic by compared to the Bogner, though, I really didn't like that thing.
Usually ENGL has a really good reputation, however.
SQUAREHEAD
Well-known member
Yamaha T100
… ‘designed by Soldano’ amplifier.
I wanted to love it, hated it, so I sent it to Soldano and Bill Sundt added choke and matched the preamp to SLO specs.
Got it back.
Hated it a little bit less, but Sold it immediately.
… ‘designed by Soldano’ amplifier.
I wanted to love it, hated it, so I sent it to Soldano and Bill Sundt added choke and matched the preamp to SLO specs.
Got it back.
Hated it a little bit less, but Sold it immediately.
headlessdeadguy
Well-known member
I played a Fortin Bones at Mailman’s house. I was expecting it to rule. It did not rule. My dusty old vh140c smoked it in every way.
gibson5413
Well-known member
ENGL Powerball- I owned an original ENGL SE EL34 that I really liked but the Powerball just didn't do anything for me. I had it for almost a year and bought it brand new from DerekB at Rock Solid Amps. Not trying to be offensive but it sounded like I plugged into a bar of plastic and wax. Sounded ok on its own but even playing along with my stereo it got lost. It just had no character or dynamics. I've heard the Powerball II is better. Either way, I grew weary as ENGL amps (at the time) were hard to get repairs completed on the amps in the US. It always worried me so I moved on from the brand.
Framus Cobra- I bought it after I moved the Powerball. I was extremely disappointed as I heard some good clips but mine sounded like it was neutered somehow. In retrospect, I think something was wrong with mine but there was no way to know. I also read a lot about the reliability of the Cobra or the Dragon. I sold it and the individual who bought it loved it. I was really surprised at the lack of sustain even with a lot of gain dialed in. I posted about it on HCAF and one of the members said "Why does that matter?" Oh well, different strokes.
Framus Cobra- I bought it after I moved the Powerball. I was extremely disappointed as I heard some good clips but mine sounded like it was neutered somehow. In retrospect, I think something was wrong with mine but there was no way to know. I also read a lot about the reliability of the Cobra or the Dragon. I sold it and the individual who bought it loved it. I was really surprised at the lack of sustain even with a lot of gain dialed in. I posted about it on HCAF and one of the members said "Why does that matter?" Oh well, different strokes.
Speeddemon
Well-known member
I'm quite a fan of some Engls, but the Powerball 1 was a turd for sure.
Clinical, sterile, scooped, doesn't cut through the mix, etc.
But I'm never selling my Savage 60.
Tight, mean, crunchy, saturated, defined.
Clinical, sterile, scooped, doesn't cut through the mix, etc.
But I'm never selling my Savage 60.
Tight, mean, crunchy, saturated, defined.
MadAsAHatter
Well-known member
Did you ever play the 8 knob one? I've heard they were better.
I've been thinking about something to get me that Laney/Iommi tone and an AOR is one I started looking at. Though I'd probably be better off with a Supergroup for that.
ZEEGLER
Well-known member
I did play one very briefly many years ago, and yes from what I remember it was much, much better.
kmanick
Well-known member
B52 At100 - cheap ass Recto wanna be, thing almost caught fire twice.
Marshall DSL 40 -- yuck did nothing well.
Peavey JSX (had 3 of them) tried this amp with all possible tubes (El-34, KT-77, 6L6) had an annoying mid thing that drove me nuts
Mesa Rectoverb - too one dimensional it was one of the weaker Rectos I ever played through
Marshall JVM210H- even modded it still IMO still had zero character, my Splawn kills it.
Marshall DSL 40 -- yuck did nothing well.
Peavey JSX (had 3 of them) tried this amp with all possible tubes (El-34, KT-77, 6L6) had an annoying mid thing that drove me nuts
Mesa Rectoverb - too one dimensional it was one of the weaker Rectos I ever played through
Marshall JVM210H- even modded it still IMO still had zero character, my Splawn kills it.
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S
Sermo Lupi
Member
I'm quite a fan of some Engls, but the Powerball 1 was a turd for sure.
Clinical, sterile, scooped, doesn't cut through the mix, etc.
But I'm never selling my Savage 60.
Tight, mean, crunchy, saturated, defined.
What's funny is that I always loved Michael Romeo's tone, and he uses a Powerball and a Fireball in a stereo rig. I guess you just need the talent of a thousand suns to make it work.
psychodave
Well-known member
Anything made by KSR. I tried a few of their amps in my house and hated everything about them.