An amp head with a great clean channel?

[Purge]

The more I think about it, the less interested I am in finding an amp head with ultra badass distortion. Every sound that I could possibly want my guitar to make comes out just fine from my floor processor. (GT-6) So I'm basically looking for an amp head with a really nice clean channel that doesn't distort so much at high volumes. I play basically a melodic rock/metal style that switches between various clean tones and distortion pretty frequently. I could care less what the amp's distortion sounds like, and any price range works for me since I can't really afford it right now anyway. Gives me something to shoot for.

Side note--considering what I'm trying to do here, would I almost just be better off with a racked power amp? The high volume distorting thing is getting on my nerves, and I was thinking that if a basic power amp would fit the bill...

[geet73]

I would at least suggest to stick with a sloid state amp if you don't want it to breakup.

[Farview]

You would be the only person I would recomend Crate to. Even though, that GT-6 is really pretty crappy sounding compared to a real tube amp that most hard rock/metal guys are using. The GT-6 sounds like a guitar sound that you hear on your CD. The guitars don't start out sounding like that, the CD has the combination of the amp, mic, preamp, eq, compression, doubling, and mastering. If you try to take yours sound and do all that to it, you will end up with crap.

[Purge]

Well, I see what you mean to some extent. I guess the "metal" part of the description isn't really accurate, and these distortions really wouldn't work at all for insanely heavy music. The sounds seem good for what I'm trying to do though.

Crate? Really?? Shit, what will my mother think?

[Farview]

Crate, Peavey, even just a power amp, like a crown PA poweramp would work. Most of the complaints about cheap solid state amps have to do with the crappy sounding distortion. Solid state is the way to go for a clean sound and, unless you need eq, all you need is clean power and a volume control. (and a cabinet)

[Purge]

Cool. Yeah, don't even need EQ so much (yep, the GT-6 does me fine on that one too), so that's really all I need is a knob that says "louder" without turning my cleaner sounds into something the White Stripes wouldn't even want to touch.

[nicolaad30]

I have listened to those kind of processors... it is what it is... A PROCESSOR... every single sound coming out of it goes through a whole system of electronic devices that will model your sound to the point where it sounds as mastered as a CD, but only if you play live.

When you wan to record it... imagine this... you put in the GT-6 a mic modeller and then you mic your amp, so... have you mic'ed twice or what... crap over crap... the less thigns you use to record a signal, tehe better the signal comes to your mix... Yeah right... there is a signal path that must be follwed, but after the guitar amp... not before it...I guess

[Purge]

This application is mostly for live use. That's where the volume issue comes into play. For the recording, I'll be going direct. My parts are mostly the leads and frilly weird stuff that goes on top of the other stuff. The rhythm parts are a different animal and will be done by a different guy.

That's really something we gotta clear up here--the sounds I'm getting from this pedal ARE what I'm looking for, and I'm not talking about all the problems that I'll have when recording. Truth be told, the "over-processed" sound is what I'm after anyway. The music is kinda rock/industrial/metal/whatever and I'm not looking for some kind of hearty SRV feel here--the more "machine-like" the sound is, the happier I am.

This is strictly a live issue. And as previously pointed out from the good folks here, it looks like solid state will be the way to go. I just needed to be thrown in the direction of an amp that doesn't distort it's clean channel the louder it gets turned up.

[donkeystyle]

rivera has like a 300 watt guitar amp......that would get damn loud without distorting........plus rivera has pretty awesome clean sounds.

[Purge]

lol, I was just about to ask about those Randall 300 watt monstrosities!! I'll check out Rivera, thanks for the suggestion.

[boingoman]

If you still want to try a guitar head get an old Hiwatt. Those things will peel paint off a wall at 100 feet, all clean.

[GHETTOROK]

the hi watt suggeestion was the best one i saw , but you can have everything and then some with a line6 vetta 2 combo

[Farview]

If you want old and tube, an Ampeg V4 will kill people at 100 paces. Or one of those Acoustic heads with the 5 band EQ. I think I am dating myself. The PA power amp idea is going to be the easiest. This is what most guys used when everyone was using ADA and Digitech processors to get their sound. You will want something with at least 200 watts per side. You need all the head room you can get, if you overload them it sounds like complete garbage.

[mojew]

i gig with a 1965 all original (except the tubes) fender bandmaster.

i feel terrible doing it, because this thing is so vintage it hurts... but it sounds sooooooooo good!

[cstockdale]

Roland JC-120. Loud as stink, clean as hell, more options than you can shake a stick at: bi-amped so that you can run one speaker clean and one with all your effects....

[Purge]

Thanks to everyone for the great suggestions. That Roland has been on my "back-burner purchase list" for awhile now. Time to do some shopping around.

Actually I do have another quick question. Anybody have experience with those ridiculously hi wattage Randall amps? Cyclone, Titan, VMAX, etc. Worth my time, or just crap?

[Outlaws]

JC120 if you want loud and clean.

I personally would take a TwinReverb, but for effects, the Roland is it.

[Purge]

Just checked Ebay for those JC-120's. I didn't even know they came in a "head only" version (just thought they had the combo version only). How long ago did they stop making these?

[cstockdale]

where do you live Purge? I know of one for sale in BC, Canada, but it is the combo version, and would cost a fortune to ship. Not sure how long ago they stopped, but the prices on them have really come down, but seem to be turning th eother way again as people discover they are awesome to run PODs, V-amps etc .

[Outlaws]

They stoped making them about 2-3 years or so ago. I have never seen a head only model, I would be less concerned about that than how well it sounds.

[Purge]

I live in Denver, CO. What kind of price are we looking at for the amp?

Here's the link for the head if anybody's interested:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...e=STRK:MEWA:IT

That's looking like the way I should go. 4 speaker outputs...with powers like these, I could become a superhero...

[Outlaws]

Originally Posted by Purge

I live in Denver, CO. What kind of price are we looking at for the amp?

Here's the link for the head if anybody's interested:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...e=STRK:MEWA:IT

That's looking like the way I should go. 4 speaker outputs...with powers like these, I could become a superhero...

The ablility to seperate your speakers would mke that the ideal way to go. Stereo chorus is a beautiful thing.

I am not sure about the 4 outs just yet. That might just be an 8ohm on the left and right and a 16ohm on the left and right. But if you can actually hook up 4 cabs at once then you are more than golden with it.

The distorion channel gives the old Crate amps a run for their money for the "worse sound of all time" award...but you are getting this for the clean, as most people do.

[DJL]

Originally Posted by Purge

So I'm basically looking for an amp head with a really nice clean channel that doesn't distort so much at high volumes.

Either two Fender Twin Reverb 85 watt amps. http://www.fender.com/products/show.php?partno=0217300 or two Fender Twin 100 watt amps. http://www.fender.com/products/show.php?partno=0215700 I say two matching amps, because your GT-6 will sound best when using the "stereo outputs" and two macthing amps).

EDIT: PS... I have a GT-6B.

[cavedog101]

Yeah to the Rolands...they are so pristine yet they have an input impedance that feels like you're still doing something other than whacking it against a wall...many many of these reside in large recording studios...theres a reason for that.For pure wallet grinding power, the Ampeg V4/V2 heads are crazy...the V2 has a bit more grunge to it but i dont think theres a room large enough in the world to get the V4 loud enough to distort without death involved...the wallet grind would be a reference to the cost of retubing one of those bastards.The VT22 is the 'combo' version and requires a pair of shooters headphones to be around it....its a law in some states.For extreme clarity an older Twin or a Showman amp would be just fine.If you can find an early 70's Super Showman head your problem could be solved.The LOUDIST amp I ever heard on a stage (actually two of em) was Teds SuperTwins and Elvin Bishops old Blackfaced Twin...Stock... we turned the mics off of it after the first song...It filled a 3000 seat venue by itself.

[foo]

Gotta agree with the Roland JC-120 and the Twin Reverb.

The JC-120 is really LOUD and always squeeeeeekkkkyy clean. If you try to get it to overdrive you can't.

My preference would be the Twin - the tubes give the high end a glassy shimmer that the transistors jsut can't match.