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Please help me find an amp... I have tried so many and can't find one I love...


Unclemeat

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I basically am looking for 3 channels.  Clean, crunch, lead.  I don't need super high gain, but do like a fluid lead sound, a nice deep crunch, and a nice pristine clean, through just a hair of breakup.  I tend to like big thick sounds, not a ton of highs, and I hate fizziness.

I play a variety of styles of music.  I would like about 50 watts.  I gig two or three times per month.  

 

I have played a Carvin Legacy 3, and liked it, but thought the voicing a little too dark for me.  I had an EVH 5150 III 50 watt and really really liked it, but had trouble balancing the clean and crunch.  I tried a tubemeister 36 and hated it.  It was just way way way too fizzy in the Lead channel.  I liked the Blackstar HT stuff, but have trouble cutting through live with it.

I use greenbacks in a 412 and private jacks in a 212...  Maybe it's the speakers I don't like and not the amps?

 

I don't know...  Anything else I should try?

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What's the budget?

The Line  6 DT series are really cool, but only two channels.  Bogner (boutique-y ones) like the ecstasy have three channels.  Diezel also makes 3 and 4 channel models.  Suhr PT-100 is also another option, it has two independent channels, but a boost section basically makes it three.

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Unclemeat wrote:

 

I basically am looking for 3 channels.  Clean, crunch, lead.  I don't need super high gain, but do like a fluid lead sound, a nice deep crunch, and a nice pristine clean, through just a hair of breakup.  I tend to like big thick sounds, not a ton of highs, and I hate fizziness.

 

I play a variety of styles of music.  I would like about 50 watts.  I gig two or three times per month.  

 

 I
 don't know...  Anything else I should try?

 

Mesa Boogie Mark V, awesome cleans, lovely crunch, liquid leads. No fizz. Only thing it wont nail is big and thick. I wouldn't say it is thin, but its no Recto. There are multiple settings to adjust power output to suit your needs. It's pricey, but well worth a test drive.

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Unclemeat wrote:

 

 

Maybe it's the speakers I don't like and not the amps?

 

 

 

I don't know...  Anything else I should try?

 

 

Speakers definitely play a big part in the sound, so it's worth trying amps out with some different speakers. The Legacy might have been perfect for you had you tried it with a different cab. The Legacy cabs are V30 loaded, so if the high end is tuned with that speaker in mind, a different speaker might very well make it sound too dark. Or too bright. Or unpleasant in whatever other way. And of course the same goes for any other amp you might try.

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Hi! If money's not a concern I agree with the proposed Mesa mk. V. Older Mesa's with 6L6 tubes can cut it too + they take pedals very well! Pristine cleans with a very(!) nice breakup and fluid gain (Santana-ish). The crunch can be had in spades by diming the clean and work your guitars volume (or add a clean boost). Another pick could be an older silver face Fender combo. They also respond very well to stompboxes and you get great cleans + grade A reverb and vibrato.

 

Chris

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JSutter wrote:


Unclemeat wrote:

 

I basically am looking for 3 channels.  Clean, crunch, lead.  I don't need super high gain, but do like a fluid lead sound, a nice deep crunch, and a nice pristine clean, through just a hair of breakup.  I tend to like big thick sounds, not a ton of highs, and I hate fizziness.

 

I play a variety of styles of music.  I would like about 50 watts.  I gig two or three times per month.  

 

 I
 don't know...  Anything else I should try?

 

 

Mesa Boogie Mark V, awesome cleans, lovely crunch, liquid leads. No fizz. Only thing it wont nail is big and thick. I wouldn't say it is thin, but its no Recto. There are multiple settings to adjust power output to suit your needs. It's pricey, but well worth a test drive.

 

 

WOW! I was gonna say the Mark IV. I think either would be PERFECT for whathe describes. IV would be a little more inhisprice range.

 

Nice cleans....good crunch...and that smooth fluid hi gain Mesa is known for.  I wouldn't call the cleans "pristine" like a Roland JC. But yes to "thick and rich".

 

Good cal JSutter. I hope he takes your advice! (or mine ; )

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Budda Superdrive 2. Don't know how the Peavey ones are, but I have the one Budda made right beforethe switch. I know it is a 2 channel amp, just find a good crunch pedal to throw in front of it, set up channel 1 for clean and the second for lead tone.

 

 

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Unclemeat wrote:

 

I basically am looking for 3 channels.  Clean, crunch, lead.  I don't need super high gain, but do like a fluid lead sound, a nice deep crunch, and a nice pristine clean, through just a hair of breakup.  I tend to like big thick sounds, not a ton of highs, and I hate fizziness.

 

I play a variety of styles of music.  I would like about 50 watts.  I gig two or three times per month.  

 

 

 

I have played a Carvin Legacy 3, and liked it, but thought the voicing a little too dark for me.  I had an EVH 5150 III 50 watt and really really liked it, but had trouble balancing the clean and crunch.  I tried a tubemeister 36 and hated it.  It was just way way way too fizzy in the Lead channel.  I liked the Blackstar HT stuff, but have trouble cutting through live with it.

 

I use greenbacks in a 412 and private jacks in a 212...  Maybe it's the speakers I don't like and not the amps?

 

 

 

I don't know...  Anything else I should try?

 

THD Bivalve. You could get two for what some of the other high ends charge.

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DeadNight Warrior wrote:


Unclemeat wrote:

 

 

Maybe it's the speakers I don't like and not the amps?

 

 

 

I don't know...  Anything else I should try?

 

 

 

 

Speakers definitely play a big part in the sound, so it's worth trying amps out with some different speakers. The Legacy might have been perfect for you had you tried it with a different cab. The Legacy cabs are V30 loaded, so if the high end is tuned with that speaker in mind, a different speaker might very well make it sound too dark. Or too bright. Or unpleasant in whatever other way. And of course the same goes for any other amp you might try.

Good post

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