New Amp Time

Yakult

Its this time again.. Time for a new amp :pac:

Have €1500 to spend on a nice new/used combo. Now the only problem is, I dont have a clue what to get :rolleyes:

I need only 2 channels, the cleans are pretty important and of course the overdrive needs to have balls and tighness to get within heavy rock/metal(with od pedal) territory.

The amps so far I have been looking at are:
Mesa/boogie F50 combo,
Mesa/boogie Rect-o-verb (top choice so far due to hearing it first hand)
Engl Raider
Koch Twintone II
Orange Rockerverb 50
Randall RM50B with changable modules

Thats it so far. I would like if people played any of these would comment on them would be great or even new recommendations would be great.

Dave.

Patricide

I like the sound of an F50 myself, the rectoverb is lovely too though.

spoonbadger

http://www.ceriatone.com/productSubPages/BSJCM800_2204/BSJCM800_2204.htm

Ceriatone JCM800 clone.Brilliant amp, great cleans (well,not compared to 60's fenders/marshalls but better than just about everything else out there) and brilliant overdrive tones. With a good OD/distro pedal you can get some excellent metal tones out of it.

It's 2 channel, built like a tank and completely handwired. The components used will probably be far better than those in most of the amps in your list, and is about as pure (circuit/quality wise) as you can get if you want to play everything up to metal.

Voodu Child

needs to have balls and tighness

A rectoverb is anything but tight. The Rectifier series are about the least tight amps Mesa make. That's not a criticism, Rectos are fantastic at what they do. But relatively speaking, they have a pretty loose/flubby overdrive compared to other 'heavy' amps.

Obviously, if you know you like the sound go for it. But if you genuinely want an amp that has 'tight distortion', I'd scratch anything Recto off the list first.

And you mention that cleans are important, so again, anything Recto falls pretty far down the list.

Yakult

spoonbadger wrote: »

http://www.ceriatone.com/productSubPages/BSJCM800_2204/BSJCM800_2204.htm

Ceriatone JCM800 clone.Brilliant amp, great cleans (well,not compared to 60's fenders/marshalls but better than just about everything else out there) and brilliant overdrive tones. With a good OD/distro pedal you can get some excellent metal tones out of it.

It's 2 channel, built like a tank and completely handwired. The components used will probably be far better than those in most of the amps in your list, and is about as pure (circuit/quality wise) as you can get if you want to play everything up to metal.

Ya I've heard nothing but great things with ceriatone. But thats a head, im staying away from head/cab.

Tho I will consider it I suppose!

voodoo_child wrote: »

A rectoverb is anything but tight. The Rectifier series are about the least tight amps Mesa make. That's not a criticism, Rectos are fantastic at what they do. But relatively speaking, they have a pretty loose/flubby overdrive compared to other 'heavy' amps.

Obviously, if you know you like the sound go for it. But if you genuinely want an amp that has 'tight distortion', I'd scratch anything Recto off the list first.

And you mention that cleans are important, so again, anything Recto falls pretty far down the list.

I dunno, I never like the recto series either, but when I heard the rectoverb combo I was impressed.

How would the f50 combo compared?

punchdrunk

a used matchless dc30 would fit the bill...

Voodu Child

R_H_C_P wrote: »

How would the f50 combo compared?

The clean is Blackface-based, very good.

Ch2 is midway between a Rectifier and Mark-series (ie MKIIC+ or MKIV).

It may or may not suit you, best to play it yourself.

boycey

Just to throw another cat among the pigeons- the Laney TT series is well worth a try. I remember playing through a TT series twenty watt head in Musician Inc. and being impressed. It would be in the right ballpark for what you've mentioned.

Quattroste

Mesa Lonestar or Lonestar Special. You won't get one new but you might second hand (should)

CianRyan

voodoo_child wrote: »

The Rectifier series are about the least tight amps Mesa make.

That is so not true, i was only today playing through the Dual Rectifier and i was blown away with how tight the distortion was.

It can depend on how you play it, but mainly, tight amazing distortion from that amp anyway.
Wouldnt get a dual recto combo for €1500 though.
Well, maybe...

Yakult

Quattroste wrote: »

Mesa Lonestar or Lonestar Special. You won't get one new but you might second hand (should)

Ya I was looking a lonestar. but couldnt find any second at all!

punchdrunk wrote: »

a used matchless dc30 would fit the bill...

I will look out for one of them definally

Voodu Child

CianRyan wrote: »

That is so not true, i was only today playing through the Dual Rectifier and i was blown away with how tight the distortion was.

If you like it, you like it, that's great, I wont argue with you. Ive owned two Rec's and they are fantastic amps at what they do.

But in the grand scheme of things, the Rectifier series are not tight amps, they are about the loosest Mesa amp made - that's all part of their sound so it's not a criticism.

Arguing about a word that describes a sound is kind of pointless so i'll leave it there. But if you genuinely thought a Rectifier was 'tight' you'd have your socks blown off by something like a MKIIC+

Yakult

^speaking of a mkIIC+ theirs one on ebay for €1850.

Over the budget tho

Paolo_M

CianRyan wrote: »

That is so not true, i was only today playing through the Dual Rectifier and i was blown away with how tight the distortion was.

It can depend on how you play it, but mainly, tight amazing distortion from that amp anyway.
Wouldnt get a dual recto combo for €1500 though.
Well, maybe...

Not sure about other Mesa's but the preceived "tightness" of the Dual Rec will depend on whether you've selected valve or solid state recitifer. The valve rectifier will give a softer, more compressed tone which may sound "loose" if it's lightning fast, palm muted metal madness you're into.
The solid state rectifier will produce a tighter sound which is perfect for metal IMO.
That bold/spongy switch will also loosen/tighten things up as it increases/decreases the B+ supply to the amp, lower B+ sounding looser.

I thought I had read somewhere that there would be a Mark V, now that Mark IV is out of production. Anyone heard anything?

progsound

Recto needs a boost in front to tighten up the low end stick a tube screamer in front of it and it is more than capable of doing super tight tec metal. The fact that it is being used time and time again on countless records by pros should tell you something about the amp (Duel recto) Without a od in front it is quite loose though.

Voodu Child

Paolo_M wrote: »

I thought I had read somewhere that there would be a Mark V, now that Mark IV is out of production. Anyone heard anything?

Current rumours suggest it'll surface this coming Namm - ie this week.

progsound wrote: »

Recto needs a boost in front to tighten up the low end...
...Without a od in front it is quite loose though.

Exactly, this man speaks the truth.. :pac:

Yakult

After listening to the F50 it seems to suit me, so definally thinking of getting the F50 over the rect-o-verb if I can find one.

ClutchIt

R_H_C_P wrote: »

Ya I was looking a lonestar. but couldnt find any second at all!


Here's a second hand one on Adverts:

http://www.adverts.ie/showproduct.php?product=84214&cat=16

Voodu Child

ClutchIt wrote: »

Here's a second hand one on Adverts:

http://www.adverts.ie/showproduct.php?product=84214&cat=16

That's a mile overpriced for a US model Lonestar, you'll do much better.

You'll get a brand new UK-spec model for €1800 or less from the UK. You'll get a UK-spec ex-demo Lonestar for £1200-1300 from machineheadmusic.co.uk

The one you've linked on adverts is worth about €1100-1200 tops.

Yakult

^ya it seemed over priced alright!

thanks for the link, trying to keep within english stores, but I only know of Gak and andertons!

punchdrunk

http://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/amplification.asp?brandname=Mesa%20Boogie

darrenw5094

I have a Mesa Boogie Studio 22+ and she has lovely cleans. Overdrive is USA type sounding, which is a change from the Marshall overdrive. But if you throw another overdrive pedal in there, you have a choice of two overdrive tones.

I would love a Mesa Boogie Mark IV.......just about in your budget for a second hand one.

Yakult

I always wondered how the 22+ sounded!

Mmmm MkIV... Cant find any at the mo.

Patricide

Good luck finding one for 1500, there always snapped up pretty fast too. Dammed holy grail amps!!

11:11

I played the Rockerverb 50. It's such a good amp if you're into your indie or general no-holds-barred rock...but I thought that for solos it's pretty ****. That's just me! But I thought it was very muddy up the high-end, but dreamy and chunky with the chords.

I am looking to buy a new amp myself soon and have my sights on a Fender Twin Amp or Twin Reverb.....I have a handmade Fender Strat copy (best Strat I've ever heard, and it's not even a Fender ) and it sounds like heaven through those.....get a Ibanez TS808 plugged in there and I'm in heaven!

Best of luck in getting your amp. Try and, be bold and play them amps loud, know what you're buying. I find YouTube pretty handy for getting samples from amps. Just type in the amp and you'll get loads of videos.

11:11

Yakult

I say you need an od in front of the orange for liquid leads!

Ah nice, I like those two fenders but I wouldnt buy one myself, wouldnt suit me.

Ya Im on youtube alot. The Mesa F50 really caught my eye. Just finding one now lol.