Marshall AVT150h

CianRyan

For metal?

I'm not great when it comes to Marshall, and need your opinions.
I read a few reviews and people have said they are pretty nice, but need a more exact idea.

If i bought it, id be using it everday, for sure and probably once or more a week for about 5 hours at high levels, and want to know if it can take that for at least a year second hand?
And could i get some nice death metal tones from the heads FX, or woud i need a pedal to sort that out?

Not sure if its a tube amp or not?

And any extra info on the amp would be muchly appreciated,
Thanks.

Voodu Child

I think you'd be better off with a modelling head/combo.

The AVT series were never great, and nowadays there's so many good-sounding, affordable modelling amps that the AVT just doesnt have any logical place in the market. There's literally no point in buying one, no matter how tight a budget you're on, you'll get a better sounding amp no problem.

Theres so many modelling amps I can't really recommend one in particular without knowing more about your needs. But you should check them all out and see what's available at various price points. There's actually better choice in combo's rather than heads though - probably because, at the price range, most guys arent going to want to be shelling out for the whole head+cab shebang.

boycey

I cant see why it would'nt stand up to that kind of usage Cian, should be well able for it. BTW they're hybrids I think, solid state with a tube in the pre-amp or something. I wouldnt necessarily buy the matching cab though- ya could hold out for a better cab and then when you feel you've outgrown the head ya can sell it on and keep your cab for your next purchase.

BTW "nice" death metal tones- I never knew such a thing existed:D

Karl Hungus

Dude, you were talking before about getting a Mesa Rectifier or Engl Fireball, those would be far, far better amps. Seriously, don't waste your time with the AVT.

CianRyan

I know the other amps I've been looking at are of far better quality, but i've had to drop my price range, looking at about 400 for a cab and 600-800 on a head, is that realistic for good gear?

The avt really that bad?
Right, scratch that idea. haha

Karl Hungus

Either go for a second hand amp, or get a combo amp like this Engl Thunder 50 or if you want to stretch to it, Peavey 6505. Don't feel the need you have to go for a head and cab just for the sake of it, because in your price range, you'll be making serious compromises.

That Engl Thunder is a very good amp for the price, few guys on here have owned one before, they can be had cheap enough second hand too, and they'll get you plenty of excellent high gain sounds. The 6505 is one of the defining high gain amps, think Carcass, In Flames, My Dying Bride, they've all used it. Again, not too hard to get second hand, and it will give you an excellent Death Metal tone.

feylya

Ever tried transporting a half stack without a car? Think about that and then think about a combo.

CianRyan

feylya wrote: »

Ever tried transporting a half stack without a car? Think about that and then think about a combo.

Haha, very good point.

Those two amps you posted, would they be loud enough to play with heavy playing drummers?
I know a guy with the 6505 head, great amp, didnt know you could get it in a combo.

Karl Hungus

CianRyan wrote: »

Those two amps you posted, would they be loud enough to play with heavy playing drummers?

Easily.

CianRyan

Think i may head down to xmusic and see if they have the 6505 ready to test yet down there.

Was just browsing adverts, opinions?
http://www.adverts.ie/showproduct.php?product=71546&cat=all

Mods, sorry if i cant post that, remove if you like.

Demeyes

I had an AVT combo before and it was really not that great. I play metal, and the tones from it were pretty weak. also don't buy into the built in effects. They are mostly pretty poor and you have very little control over the parameters. Not worth even looking at in my opinion.
I've since gotten a Laney half stack and for a practice amp I got a peavey bandit. Both are far superior. If you can stretch to a 5150/6505 then I would highly recommend it. Loads of metal bands use those amps to great effect, and once you get into tube territory with that sort of wattage, you won't really have to worry about being loud enough.

CianRyan

So you're saying the peavey bandit is nicer than the avt?
God, i had a bandit 65soloseries, and tbh the only thing i liked about it was its clean tones.

Eoin Madsen

boycey wrote: »

I cant see why it would'nt stand up to that kind of usage Cian, should be well able for it. BTW they're hybrids I think, solid state with a tube in the pre-amp or something.

They actually aren't. There's one voltage starved ECC83 tacked into the preamp circuit - it's a hybrid in the same way that a guitar with a steering wheel bolted onto it is a guitar-car.

(EDIT: I can't spell)

Demeyes

CianRyan wrote: »

So you're saying the peavey bandit is nicer than the avt?
God, i had a bandit 65soloseries, and tbh the only thing i liked about it was its clean tones.

I find the Bandit a much nicer amp than my avt combo. I've got a bandit 112 I think, it's an older one? The tones from it are very usabe and I play on the distortion mode most of the time.

CianRyan

Well yeah i guess the 112 is a whole bunch nicer than the 65, but is i've said, you can still get some nice clean tones with it.

novarock

Eoin Madsen wrote: »

They actually aren't. There's one voltage starved ECC83 tacked into the preamp circuit - it's a hybrid in the same way that a guitar with a steering wheel bolted onto it is a guitar-car.

(EDIT: I can't spell)

That made tea come out of my nose... But in all seriousness AVT bad, full stop. You would be more satisfied with a smaller all tube amp. A guitarist in an old band of mine had the AVT halstack. Was essentially a ball of noise to be honest. saying that i never heard it through a decent cab.

Karl Hungus

CianRyan wrote: »

Think i may head down to xmusic and see if they have the 6505 ready to test yet down there.

You should also go into Instrumental and give the Engl Thunder a whirl. Superb amp, and I think it'll suit your needs perfectly, without breaking the bank. Here's a video of a guy taking one of these amps from a nice clean sound, up to some rock, and then onto some heavy metal:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPESCDuNEQw

It's a fairly versatile little beastie, and I've seen a guitarist in use one in a band live before, so it should certainly do the job for you further down the line.

CianRyan

Karl Hungus wrote: »

You should also go into Instrumental and give the Engl Thunder a whirl. Superb amp, and I think it'll suit your needs perfectly, without breaking the bank. Here's a video of a guy taking one of these amps from a nice clean sound, up to some rock, and then onto some heavy metal:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPESCDuNEQw

It's a fairly versatile little beastie, and I've seen a guitarist in use one in a band live before, so it should certainly do the job for you further down the line.

Now officially on my week end to do list.

darrenw5094

The Peavey 6505 is savage, although there is no real clean channel with that bad boy. The 6505+ is your man there. So versatility is not it's strong point, for metal/rock only.....

That one in adverts is not that cheap anyway. Not much cheaper than Thoman for a brand new one. The Engl is the best around in your budget.

Paolo_M

Eoin Madsen wrote: »

They actually aren't. There's one voltage starved ECC83 tacked into the preamp circuit - it's a hybrid in the same way that a guitar with a steering wheel bolted onto it is a guitar-car.

(EDIT: I can't spell)

, great analogy!!

Eoin Madsen

Possibly better would have been imply that maybe hybrid cars just have an ECC83 running off 12V in the speedometer. :pac:

Valvestate amps were the bane of my live engineering days. Though I've actually been keeping a first series VS65 around just for an effect I'm planning to use in a recording some day. There's nothing quite like the sound of transistors and diodes screaming in Mexican Strat-induced agony.

boycey

Just thinking, if its metal all the way ya really should'nt write off solid state either. Doc J has a 2x12 Ampeg with insanely good distortion, and its louder than hell. Dimebag was another solid-state advocate for metal tones. Randall, Ampeg, Hughes & Kettner and more make some seriously good metal orientated solid state amps.

*Docs Ampeg is an older amp, could be worth asking him what model it is and keeping an eye on flea bay. I think he said he picked his up for something ridiculous like €140:eek:

Karl Hungus

boycey wrote: »

Just thinking, if its metal all the way ya really should'nt write off solid state either. Doc J has a 2x12 Ampeg with insanely good distortion, and its louder than hell. Dimebag was another solid-state advocate for metal tones. Randall, Ampeg, Hughes & Kettner and more make some seriously good metal orientated solid state amps.

*Docs Ampeg is an older amp, could be worth asking him what model it is and keeping an eye on flea bay. I think he said he picked his up for something ridiculous like €140:eek:

Doc's is a VH140, absolutely savage amp, and there's quite a few Death Metal bands who've used them, such as Suffocation. Definitely an awesome amp, but quite hard to find as they're not made any more.

CianRyan

This a combo or a head?

feylya

Combo. Fantastic thing. Good luck finding one.