What amp?

[PDC]

I am so head over heels for my recently re-acquired 1973 Marshal 50 watt. Metal face, NMV. Warm, almost fenderish cleans. And makes any AIB pedal sound glorious: Pinnacle, BE OD Deluxe, Suhr Eclipse... it really is like the best 3-channel amp I’ve ever played through.

 

[JackBootedThug]

This is Rig-Talk. Not possible to only have one amp.

I don’t even play and I’m running two amps stereo and getting ready to go w/d/w…lol..and I might play ten minutes a week. But it sounds fuckin glorious when I do….plus momma’s pants just fly off when I power on and hit an e.

 

[Bram576]

For metal: the Hermansson modded Rev G Dual Rec I just got or my Rev C

Just got a hermansson too. How do you feel it compares to your c?

 

[braintheory]

Just got a hermansson too. How do you feel it compares to your c?

Well my Herm Single Rec like yours has almost nothing in common soundwise with the C or other 2ch Rec’s, but the Rev G is my standout favorite of my 4 Hermansson’s and maintains more of that sound in it. Like all the Hermansson’s he makes the mids very hollow (won’t growl or have juice in that region) and scooped in parts of the low mids, but it’s way tighter, faster, cutting and more attack-y than my C or any stock recto. It’s basically the Herm sound that all his amps have to varying degrees (super tight/fast, but hollow and colder) with some of the 2ch Recto sound maintained in there. The C is much fatter (but way darker) and has all that throat growly, where the Herm G has some of that left in it, but both are among my top 3 high gain amps

The Rev G Herm I think is a good balance because it’s almost as tight as my other Herm’s, but not as hollow or lacking in tonal richness and thicker sounding

 

[DanTravis62]

That’s the problem, my amps with the best mids aren’t as good as my other amps in the low or high end and vice versa for my amps with great lows and highs. Can’t have it all, but mids tend to win me over more too

Bad midrange tends to bother me the way some get bothered by a high end that is too harsh or intense

I'm the same way.

I can swap pickups and speakers and get all or none of most high and low end frequencies in general

Want booming low end? Dirty fingers and a k100. Want grating black metal treble? X2N and a 75.

The midrange, and more specifically the way the midrange reacts to the gain, is pretty much hard wired into the circuit it seems like

You can slightly accentuate 1k honk with a JB, V30, or klone, or conversely remove it; but you can't simply add "kerrang" or aggression

 

[braintheory]

I'm the same way.

I can swap pickups and speakers and get all or none of most high and low end frequencies in general

Want booming low end? Dirty fingers and a k100. Want grating black metal treble? X2N and a 75.

The midrange, and more specifically the way the midrange reacts to the gain, is pretty much hard wired into the circuit it seems like

You can slightly accentuate 1k honk with a JB, V30, or klone, or conversely remove it; but you can't simply add "kerrang" or aggression

This is partly why my some of favorite speaker mixes so far have been 20w GB’s/JBL D120F’s, 20w GB’s/Altec 417C’s, and Redbacks/JBL E120’s (most brutal sound I’ve had so far). The celestions bring the best mids, while the Altec’s and JBL’s give the lows and highs that aren’t in the cards for any celestions including K100’s and 75’s

Now that you mention it, my vintage Dirty Finger’s may actually have the biggest low end I’ve heard in any pickup so far, but I’m a big fan of them when used for where it’s well suited. They along with my vintage BL’s and a few others make any pickup I’ve tried that’s recent made come off sterile and bland comparatively

That’s partly why JB’s and V30’s are not my favorite choices, but I am a huge Klon fan

 

[BesaMoogie]

Probably a Dual Rec MulitWatt.
It has a good clean channel plus two channels for high gain. It`s perfect for playing at home or live.
I know there are Wizards, SLOs, Larrys and other boutique amps out there. But if everyone jumps on these Unicorns, you become that guy with the Rectifier.

 

[gibson5413]

I have owned many amps over the years from vintage to modern. If you ask me today I would say the 3rd Power Kitchen Sink. Fender and Vox tones on the clean side and the gain side is based on a 68 Marshall Superlead. Some modern features along with these classic tones. It is everything I've ever wanted.

 

[BeZo]

Powered Kemper

I win!

 

[Racerxrated]

This is a recurring theme…. Never been available to me. Help explain

Sam explained it well; I would only add that stock, classic rock all day (think early ac/dc), 1-2 ODs and 80s, then hit it with a Dist + OD and you now have the vol on the Dist pedal acting like a MV, and stacking an OD with it will get you modern super heavy.
The early 70s versions are more aggressive than the previous years…as long as it still has the bright cap.

 

[CrystalSky]

Well my Herm Single Rec like yours has almost nothing in common soundwise with the C or other 2ch Rec’s, but the Rev G is my standout favorite of my 4 Hermansson’s and maintains more of that sound in it. Like all the Hermansson’s he makes the mids very hollow (won’t growl or have juice in that region) and scooped in parts of the low mids, but it’s way tighter, faster, cutting and more attack-y than my C or any stock recto. It’s basically the Herm sound that all his amps have to varying degrees (super tight/fast, but hollow and colder) with some of the 2ch Recto sound maintained in there. The C is much fatter (but way darker) and has all that throat growly, where the Herm G has some of that left in it, but both are among my top 3 high gain amps

The Rev G Herm I think is a good balance because it’s almost as tight as my other Herm’s, but not as hollow or lacking in tonal richness and thicker sounding

So it is Rev C, RevG Herm and the third one would be?

 

[braintheory]

Sam explained it well; I would only add that stock, classic rock all day (think early ac/dc), 1-2 ODs and 80s, then hit it with a Dist + OD and you now have the vol on the Dist pedal acting like a MV, and stacking an OD with it will get you modern super heavy.
The early 70s versions are more aggressive than the previous years…as long as it still has the bright cap.

OD’s get it into ‘80’s, but a few other amps of mine I feel do that job a bit better. I find my 72, while it can cover many styles with pedals kinda like how some of my other amps can cover many styles, I just like to focus on what amps do at a top notch level vs others. With the 72 I find that to be all things rock, some old school metal like Priest, much like how with Herm’s I only really use them for modern and fast styles of metal even though they can do other styles at a lesser level imo

Although distortion pedals like the Uzi and a few others I’ve got get it “modern”, I find it to be an subpar modern sound vs my amps that really excel in that like Herm’s, OG Uber, Rev C. I think the inherently leaner/shallow low end on the NMV Marshall’s just (for me at least) doesn’t lend itself ideally to modern sounds or what I’d consider to be very heavy (imo the low end needs to be deeper/more extended for that). Some heavy amps like my Beta or OG Uber hit me in my ankles or shin region, which makes it come off really heavy, while my 72 hits really hard higher up on my body lol

 

[braintheory]

So it is Rev C, RevG Herm and the third one would be?

The Rev C is stock (not Hermansson modded). For Hermansson’s I’ve got a Single Recto, Rev G Dual Recto, Carlsboro 5 Gain Stage and Marshall 5 Gain Stage. They all have that signature Hermansson flavor in there, but still all different enough that I’ll keep them now at least

 

[CrystalSky]

The Rev C is stock (not Hermansson modded). For Hermansson’s I’ve got a Single Recto, Rev G Dual Recto, Carlsboro 5 Gain Stage and Marshall 5 Gain Stage. They all have that signature Hermansson flavor in there, but still all different enough that I’ll keep them now at least

I meant for top 3 you mentioned, Rev C and Rev G Herm were two, and the third is?

 

[TotallyRadGuitars]

Coin toss for me too - ENGL Savage Mk 1 or Diezel Herbert Mk 1
I've had a lot of amps but those two aren't going anywhere

 

[Jccobb2]

Bogner 101B w/EL-34. I've yet to find anything equal to the blue channel. Great super reverb clean and a good higher gain channel as icing on the cake. I'd probably still pick it if it was only the blue channel with a boost honestly.

Goldfinger SL is a close runner up.

 

[dave74]

I'd just stick with my 2011 mw triple rectifier. I mostly just use 50w for modern mode though.

 

[RaceU4her]

I'd just stick with my 2011 mw triple rectifier. I mostly just use 50w for modern mode though.

id take my triple G too

 

[Geo]

Either my 68 or 71 super lead, hands down.

+1

 

[Chubbs]

Herm modded 2203 would be my pick for things that actually exist.

If I could have one to rule them all it would probably be a hermansson modded boogie mark coliseum, while it doesn't exist it should.