311splawndude":3678muyc said:
tech21man":3678muyc said:
You have splawn, it's awesome but for me it's not "hi end" but this another debate alltogether. So if this is, then for example so can be ceriatone...
Almost didn't see this as it was buried in the middle.
Why not Splawn? Please tell me. The transformers alone cost more than some Randall amps. Or is it because you can get a new Quick Rod starting at only $1,850? But Diamond and PRS are high end for sure? I get it.
That is why I am asking what classifies as hi end high gain. Sound that is a hallmark? Quality of materials-construction-production method and overall design?
Splawns are great for what they are and what the guy aimed for when designing them. Which is good, upper mid quality, sensible buys. But in essence it's the JCM power amp with a different front end, plate tonestack and a whacky (which I don't really like) ressonance control on the nitro. That's why I am mentioning ceriatone as a similar case. Hardly "original" or new but great buy.
There is a thread on the SLOclone forum where they over analyze the quickrod and nitro preamps, it's not something "terribly original" or even "super high guality" as far as materials go. He now uses heyboyer which is very very good, as good as commercial goes but there are other builders who can wind their own for example. And good point for randall amps but you can't forget that they are mi china and in a scale that can shave some from the price (for example jet city's transformer are less than 50$ the set...they are not bad quality). Think of the SLO with the de-young relationship. Or what diezel does. There is a russian tech in that thread who also found some flaws in the quality and design of the nitro (early) and had some trouble while servicing one and how it was a chance to reverse draw the current schematic. Most of them don't really like how he (splawn) kind of castrates the highs in some point of the path (mostly for a thicker sound but anyway...).
In essence, I am only concerned about the sound and they deliver obviously for whoever likes them. I really like what he offers as far as customizing the look of his amps also. But he is more of ford GT rather than exotic italian as a parallel.
Another question is, if you can consider the original 5150 hi end. Because as far as high gain goes, it fucking rocks, even vs much more "expensive" amps and kind of changed the book and became one of the most used pieces of gear. But it's made in USA by a mass production company, a super shitty chinese-german company as a sort of copy (bugera) and from another mass production company with the EVH logo (as the most recent evolution of the circuit) with custom schumacher transformers, assembled in mexico...Is the 5153 hi end (because the fucking design of the EVH just rocks...Great amp, great all around design, great feature set)? Or it can't be because of the fender connection?
Meanwhile even small builders say openly that you can't build an amp with only made in USA electronics, or made in japan or europe.
Also designs like the VH4 for example push the limit on how you can offer so much to the player in a feature pack. Different tonestacks, masters, loop inserts (which are top in the bussiness), midi, his fairly unique mid cut (not really simple but effective for what it does and cool design). I'd say it's hi end for the way he designs them, builds them and has so little noise with all that factory of sound under the hood even if I don't like the sound whereas splawn it's much more simple in comparison.
