Jump to content

help: Carvin legacy 2 or Rivera Knucklehead Tre?

^zilla^

By ^zilla^
in Amps

Recommended Posts

  • Members
^zilla^ Newbie

^zilla^

Posted
  • Members
Posted

I'm up in the air between these two amps right now.

 

Does anyone have any experience with either or both of these amps?

 

what do you like/dislike about them?

 

I play a lot of satriani, dream theater, older metallica, etc. I don't really go into the drop tunings.

 

What i love about the rivera is the note definition. you strum a chord and you can pick out the individual notes. The cleans on the rivera are incredible, too.

 

I haven't heard a legacy in person, so i can't comment on it.

 

Cheers

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Members
ruppert240 Newbie

ruppert240

Posted
  • Members
Posted

 

I'm up in the air between these two amps right now.


Does anyone have any experience with either or both of these amps?


what do you like/dislike about them?


I play a lot of satriani, dream theater, older metallica, etc. I don't really go into the drop tunings.


What i love about the rivera is the note definition. you strum a chord and you can pick out the individual notes. The cleans on the rivera are incredible, too.


I haven't heard a legacy in person, so i can't comment on it.


Cheers

 

 

legacy is great for leads. stock they can be a little muddy in the low end. you can tame this by turning the bass down, they'll still be plenty of low mid growl. You'd want to boost it for thrash.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Members
^zilla^ Newbie

^zilla^

Posted
  • Author
  • Members
Posted

I know they're very dissimilar amps.

 

I haven't played a k-tre in person, but i've played a venus 5 and that blew me away. If the k-tre has the same kind of cleans and note definition (i know the venus 5 is class A and 6L6 powered and the k-tre is AB and EL34) then it's a no brainer. The only con against the k-tre is the lack of 1/2 or 1/4 power switches.

 

I'm using a G-Major 2 which has relays to switch amp channels.. does anyone know if the k-tre can be channel switched with the g-major 2?

 

mesas: i don't like them that much. I spent an afternoon playing with a mk5 and there was always something missing. i can't put my finger on it. I also have an ADA mp-1 with the mesa/recto mod on it, so i have a pretty good representation of the mesa recto tone.

 

edit: i didn't realize that the k-tre has midi, tho this info is from the manual on the rivera site which is from 2001. Do the current models still have midi?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Members
isvoid Newbie

isvoid

Posted
  • Members
Posted

Venus 5 is a different beast. Aside from what you've already noted, while the V5 has plenty of gain on tap it's spongier and sweeter (class A 6L6) than the aggressive k-tre (class AB, EL34), and why me, bein' more of a classic rock guy liked it better than the k-tre, tho the k-tre was boatloads of fun to play. Mind you I only spent about 15 minutes playing either, so it's hardly a sound opinion -- pun intended.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Members
FastRedPonyCar Newbie

FastRedPonyCar

Posted
  • Members
Posted

I spent an afternoon playing with a mk5 and there was always something missing. i can't put my finger on it.

 

It's called mojo. It's something the other mark's have in spades that mesa forgot to include in the MKV.

 

There I said it. :o

 

 

 

If you want to play DT, Metallica, Satch, etc, find a used Mark III or if you get lucky a MK II or IIC.

 

My mesa studio preamp I had was pretty much "Images an words" in a box. It was amazing but was old and noisy and needed to be cleaned/repaired and I didn't want to fool with that so I foolishly sold it :cry:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Members
Cougar Hunter Newbie

Cougar Hunter

Posted
  • Members
Posted

 

mesas: i don't like them that much. I spent an afternoon playing with a mk5 and there was always something missing. i can't put my finger on it. I also have an ADA mp-1 with the mesa/recto mod on it, so i have a pretty good representation of the mesa recto tone.


 

 

1. I'm not talking about rectos, not to mention, a modded MP-1 definitely doesn't sound like a recto.

 

2. I didn't mention recto since Metallica and DT used MK2C+ and MKIV's much of the time.

 

3. a MKV isn't the same thing as a MK2C+ or a MKIV. FWIW, how much time did you spend with the MKV? Did you turn the bass knob way down, and use the graphic EQ to add the back the post bass?

 

 

 

I don't want to sound like a dick, but it sounds like you've unnecessarily talked your self out of Mesa. Riveras are finnicky and weird in the preamp sections, IME. You might not achieve the sounds you're seeking with the Rivera or the Legacy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Members
^zilla^ Newbie

^zilla^

Posted
  • Author
  • Members
Posted

1. i didn't say it sounded like a recto, i said it was a pretty good representation.

 

2. like I said, i spent an afternoon fooling around with the mk5.

 

I haven't talked myself out of anything. If you have some kickass settings for the mk5 then please do share and i'll go back and give it a shot.

 

The first time i tried with mk5 was with a gibson les paul from the store and it sounded great. I came back later with my guitars and it didn't sound the same.

 

At this point, the badge on the amp means nothing to me. If i can find a kickass no-name amp for $10 then so be it (on that note, i did to and try a bugera 333XL - sounded good for what it was, but nowhere as nice as the rieveras and boogies i've tried)

 

If you think that there are some other amps that I should be considering then please feel free to share.

 

i tried an engl powerball and that amp felt very one dimensional. bogner alchemist sounded muddy and distant, egnator renegade sounded crappy, but i suspect it was because the guy at the music store was retarded and was using an instrument cable instead of a speaker cable.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Members
Cougar Hunter Newbie

Cougar Hunter

Posted
  • Members
Posted

1. i didn't say it sounded like a recto, i said it was a pretty good representation.


2. like I said, i spent an afternoon fooling around with the mk5.


I haven't talked myself out of anything. If you have some kickass settings for the mk5 then please do share and i'll go back and give it a shot.


The first time i tried with mk5 was with a gibson les paul from the store and it sounded great. I came back later with my guitars and it didn't sound the same.


At this point, the badge on the amp means nothing to me. If i can find a kickass no-name amp for $10 then so be it (on that note, i did to and try a bugera 333XL - sounded good for what it was, but nowhere as nice as the rieveras and boogies i've tried)


If you think that there are some other amps that I should be considering then please feel free to share.


i tried an engl powerball and that amp felt very one dimensional. bogner alchemist sounded muddy and distant, egnator renegade sounded crappy, but i suspect it was because the guy at the music store was retarded and was using an instrument cable instead of a speaker cable.

 

 

This might sound crazy, but have you tried a Marshall DSL or a Peavey 6505? Maybe Jet City?

 

I'm having trouble coming up with much atm, but I'll keep thinking.:thu::idea:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Members
thenakedarab Newbie

thenakedarab

Posted
  • Members
Posted

 

I know they're very dissimilar amps.


I haven't played a k-tre in person, but i've played a venus 5 and that blew me away. If the k-tre has the same kind of cleans and note definition (i know the venus 5 is class A and 6L6 powered and the k-tre is AB and EL34) then it's a no brainer. The only con against the k-tre is the lack of 1/2 or 1/4 power switches.


I'm using a G-Major 2 which has relays to switch amp channels.. does anyone know if the k-tre can be channel switched with the g-major 2?


mesas: i don't like them that much. I spent an afternoon playing with a mk5 and there was always something missing. i can't put my finger on it. I also have an ADA mp-1 with the mesa/recto mod on it, so i have a pretty good representation of the mesa recto tone.


edit: i didn't realize that the k-tre has midi, tho this info is from the manual on the rivera site which is from 2001. Do the current models still have midi?

 

 

There's really a naked pissed off aggression that the Mk II, and Mk III have that the Mk IV never quite got. It smoothed it out a bit too much. Haven't played a Mk V, but have heard some say it's almost got the Mk IIC+ vibe, and other say it's still too smooth.

 

Mk II's, and III's scream more, Mk IV's sing more.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Members
^zilla^ Newbie

^zilla^

Posted
  • Author
  • Members
Posted

This might sound crazy, but have you tried a Marshall DSL or a Peavey 6505? Maybe Jet City?


I'm having trouble coming up with much atm, but I'll keep thinking.
:thu::idea:

 

DSL: no, but i tried a TSL and it was meh. i used to have a jcm 900 a long time ago and thought it was a pile of {censored}.

 

Jet City: tried the 20watt and 100 watt heads. didn't do it for me.

 

peavey: haven't tried that or the jsx. how different is the 6505 from the original 5150?

 

I'd be more than happy to re-consider the mk5 if there are some hidden tricks to getting those kickass tones from it.

 

fwiw, i'm looking for a head, not a combo.

 

I have a Marshall 1922 2x12 cabinet which (i think) has g12h-75 speakers in it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Members
mfergel Newbie

mfergel

Posted
  • Members
Posted

I owned the Legacy I. My understanding from talking with others is that the Legacy II sounds exactly like the I but adds a mid gain crunch channel, deletes the reverb and adds a master volume. Based on what you want to play I don't think it would work for you. Just not enough gain for the Metallica and Dream Theater stuff. It's great for leads/solos but it doesn't excel at heavy riffing tones. Incredible clean, great for classic and hard rock and can get into Marshall tone territory if you add an eq into the effects loop. I'm not familiar with the Rivera so I can't say if that meets your needs but I don't think the Legacy will..........in fact, if you need a Carvin, probably better off with a V3 based on your needs. Much more gain, nice clean, a lot of flexibility and tailoring of your tone. The only thing I didn't like about it is that it sounded a bit like having a blanket over the cabinet. Lacked that 3 dimensional tone. That was running through an oversized mesa boogie cabinet. Different cabinet might yield different results.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Members
pioneerprogress Newbie

pioneerprogress

Posted
  • Members
Posted

 

DSL: no, but i tried a TSL and it was meh. i used to have a jcm 900 a long time ago and thought it was a pile of {censored}.


Jet City: tried the 20watt and 100 watt heads. didn't do it for me.


peavey: haven't tried that or the jsx. how different is the 6505 from the original 5150?


I'd be more than happy to re-consider the mk5 if there are some hidden tricks to getting those kickass tones from it.


fwiw, i'm looking for a head, not a combo.


I have a Marshall 1922 2x12 cabinet which (i think) has g12h-75 speakers in it.

 

 

Don't judge dsl based on the tsl. I like the dsl much better.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Members
^zilla^ Newbie

^zilla^

Posted
  • Author
  • Members
Posted

so i went back to the store on the weekend and re-visted the boogie mk 5 and TSL (didn't have any DSLs on the floor)

 

TSL; my opinion stayed the same.

 

mk5: i ended up downloading and reading the manual before heading out to the store and i think this amp is back on the short list :p

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...