Members Jody Butt Posted October 20, 2006 Members Share Posted October 20, 2006 1. Peavey Triple XXX Head into matching 4x12 cabinet 2. Peavey 6505+ Head into matching 4x12 cabinet 3. Peavey Supreme XL Head into matching 4x12 cabinet 4. Crate GT1200 Head into matching cabinet 5. Marshall DSL 100 Head into 1960 Lead cabinet I spent a few hours with these amps the other day, and I thought I would throw in my two cents for discussion. I had the opportunity to play all of these amps at maximum volume, as all of the amps were in a somewhat isolated loud room, and the store was not exceptionally busy while I was there. 1. Peavey XXX I had played this head before on several occasions, and I always liked what I had heard. However, these previous auditions were at what I would call a loud bedroom volume. On this occasion, I had played it at pretty much maximum volume. I have to echo a lot of what I have heard around here regarding the fizziness of this amp. I am not saying that fizziness is bad, as tone is subjective. It wasn't what I was looking for in an amp, though. I tried to dial it out by decreasing the gain (and eq), but was unsuccessful. [As a side note, I found that anything past ~ 12:00 gain is too fizzy for me.] I spent a considerable amount of time eq'ing the amp. I considered all of the channels and modes. This was the first time that I had the opportunity to really crank a tube amplifier. Quite frankly, I was not impressed with the volume. One other note: The lack of markings on the shiney knobs makes it hard to see your eq/volume settings when under bright lights. I'm not trying to diss people with the XXX. Lots of pros use them and are able get the tone that they like. I am just reporting that I was not able to get the type of tone that I was looking for with this amp. Tonewise, I am a power metal type of guy. [Which is not really that helpful a descriptor. Oh well. Check wiki for some examples of power metal.] 2. 6505+ I had also played this amp before on several occasions. I always thought that it sounded clearer and tighter than the XXX. At max volume, the 6505+ was a little better than the XXX. It retained its clarity to a greater degree. Also, it was louder (I perceived). Even though it was louder, I was not really impressed with the volume. I have heard a lot of people on this forum talking about how loud this amp is, and how they never turn it up past 5, or something. I am puzzled. I expected ear-bleeding volume, but I was underwhelmed. The 6505+ is still too fizzy for my tastes. It was not as fizzy as the XXX, though. Again, this is not meant as a diss. We all know that a lot of great stuff has been recorded with the 5150s which are the same as the 6505s. 3. Supreme XL Hmm. I cannot speak very well of this amp. I was very disappointed with the tones coming out of this amp. The rhythm channel was really upsetting. The lead channel was better. Still way too fizzy, though. Volume was noticeably less than the XXX and 6505+. 4. Crate GT1200 Crate gets all of the love, don't they. I will have to say, though, that my audition confirms what most people say about the suitability of SS amps for tightness. It was really tight, guys. Really tight. I cranked this little 120 Watt head. Volume was quite disappointing. I thought to myself, "Is that it?" I don't think you could play unmiced with a loud drummer while using this head. Maybe you could, though. I have never played with a live drummer. 5. Marshall DSL 100 into 1960 Lead cabinet I left the best for last. This head was heads and tails above the other heads. The other heads are not even in the same league as this one. The louder I cranked it, the better it sounder. No fizziness. Crunchy and clear. Tight, even! Because of the clarity, I could really feel the responsiveness to the nuances of my playing (not trying to say I am a really nuanced player, but you know what I mean). Summary The XXX and 6505+ were not that much different from the SS sounds to which I am accustomed. I was disappointed, and expected much more from a tube amp. I would not shell out the coin for either of these heads. The Supreme XL was the worst of the five that I played. The Crate was decent if you like tight, hi-gain stuff; it's weakness was its volume. The Marshall DSL 100 ate everything else for breakfast. Worlds apart from the others. If I had the coin, I would buy this amp. The head is about $1700 CDN, and the cabinet is about $800 CDN. Take a look at my signature. I play the almost universally reviled MG series head. [i know of only a few pros that play this head: Rob Zombie (Riggs), Static X (Wayne), and Prong, I think.] I am sure that fact alone will discredit my opinions in the minds of many forumites However, I honestly prefered the sound of my MG series 100 to the XXX and the 6505+. Yup. The DSL100 would eat it for breakfast, though, tone-wise. So, there ya go. Has anyone had similar experiences/thoughts after playing these amps? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members StringBreaker Posted October 20, 2006 Members Share Posted October 20, 2006 Marshall m/:mad: Are you a girl? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members YK13 Posted October 20, 2006 Members Share Posted October 20, 2006 350 for the dsl shipped! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jody Butt Posted October 20, 2006 Author Members Share Posted October 20, 2006 Originally posted by StringBreaker Marshall m/:mad: Are you a girl? Nope. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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