Best pedal for a solid state half stack

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Guitarer said:
Your friend. He doesn't need a stack. It doesn't make him cooler. He's sacrificing the amazing tone he can only get from tubes just to have something more show-offy.
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not quite true. an enclosed 4x12 cab sounds WAY defferent (and in my opinion, better) than an open back combo or 2x12. and Dimebag Darrel played solid state randall amps and sounded bad ass. there's absolutely nothing wrong with solid state amps, though personally i like the feel and responsiveness of tubes better.
 
castlerock said:
not quite true. an enclosed 4x12 cab sounds WAY defferent (and in my opinion, better) than an open back combo or 2x12. and Dimebag Darrel played solid state randall amps and sounded bad ass. there's absolutely nothing wrong with solid state amps, though personally i like the feel and responsiveness of tubes better.
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George Lynch played solid states for a long time too. That's not my point. Tube amps still have a sound that can't be obtained from an SS amp, and generally death metal incorporates good tube tone into it's music.

Also, you're forgetting that Dimebag's signature SS head, the Warhead, sold for something like a grand for the head. You're not going to get that kind of tone out of a $600 stack.
 
Guitarer said:
George Lynch played solid states for a long time too. That's not my point. Tube amps still have a sound that can't be obtained from an SS amp, and generally death metal incorporates good tube tone into it's music.

Also, you're forgetting that Dimebag's signature SS head, the Warhead, sold for something like a grand for the head. You're not going to get that kind of tone out of a $600 stack.
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perhaps not, but good tones can still be had from that amp. i played with a peavy renown 400 and TS-9 for years and got some good tones out of that rig.

my main point is that the half stack will sound better (to my ears anyway). when i got my V3, the head came frist and i pluged it into that little renown's speakers. it wasn't bad but the closed 4x12 cab sounds WAY better. true the speakers make a difference but i've never like the sound of open back 2x12 cabs/combos as much as closed 4x12. the 4x12 just seem to have more balls.

i won't turn my nose up at a SS amp as long as it sounds good. feel and response is another matter entirely. and that's where tubes definitely rule.
 
Farview said:
Where did you read that? What kind of metal were they talking aobut? You do know that all solid state amps don't sound the same, just like all tube amps don't sound the same.
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Speculating here...

I think part of it is that solid state amps tend to sound less bad for metal than most styles - my experience is that when it comes to distorted sounds, where tubes really excel compared to anything else I've ever played is in touch sensitivity. A good tube amp, you can really milk a whole range of gain levels out of, even with a fair amount of preamp gain on the amp. Solid state (even the best solid state amps I've played, such as my Tech 21 Trademark 30), you just don't get the smooth gradiations. You CAN get them to clean up, sort of, but it's an all on/all off thing.

The other half of it is that solid state amps can put out a TON of saturation. If you're after the "more gain than seems humanly possible" sound, then solid state may actually be the way to go since it's easier to build a preamp out of diodes that put out that kind of saturation, and microphonics or low end flubbiness become less of a factor. Dimebag Darrel was a total gain slut, and he LOVED solid state Randalls. There's a reason for that.

So, as a tube snob, I'll say that there are certainly situations where a solid state amp might be better than tubes, which have never been good at that buzzsaw, sine wave distortion thing that some metal guys go for. IF this is what your buddy's after, then the Randall you're looking at will probably be fine.

Just, maybe he should play it first. ;)
 
I know that Dimebag ENDORSED those SS Randall amps, but is that what he actually used in the studio and/or on stage? I'm just curious. I don't listen to his stuff at all so I wouldn't know. But remember that endorsements are a way of making money. And I've heard rumors of players being endorsed by a company and only using their products in some indirect way on a studio album (like using a POD for the monitoring chain only, or having a brand's amp mixed way back in the feint background of a track just so they can honestly say that amp is "on the record"). For all I know, Dimebag's signature sound could have had nothing to do with the amps he endorsed.
 
Although there are some great sounding 2x12 open backs (my Road King kicks ass), I have to agree about the 4x12 closed back sounding more "metal", and if you are going to play out...it looks more impressive, which sounds silly, but people see your gear before they see, or hear your band. However, you can always add a 4x12 cab to a Mesa combo. Can even bypass the 2x12's and just use the 4x12 if you want.

I would start with a great sounding head, and a cheap cab, which can be had for around the budget line.

I picked up a used Mesa Dual Rec 3 channel head for $1000 on Ebay. (I already have one, but decided to try them in stereo:cool:). I had a Crate 4x12 sitting around that I had picked up on Craigs list for $100. Was going to give it to my Daughter, who insist on having a half stack in her bedroom as "decoration":rolleyes:. I've heard many Crate cabs, but never a good one. Decided to try the new Boogie head through it just for shit's and giggles. I haven't unplugged it since. Sounds really good. I can't claim that it sounds near as good as a Mesa cab, but it does sound surprisingly good.

So, for just $100 more than your buddy's budget, I got a seriously respectable half stack. Might not fit your friends taste, but the point is....buy a quality amp that pleases the players ears, and don't settle for "not bad for the price". At the very least, compromise on the cabinet, but don't skimp on the head.
 
Tadpui said:
I know that Dimebag ENDORSED those SS Randall amps, but is that what he actually used in the studio and/or on stage? I'm just curious. I don't listen to his stuff at all so I wouldn't know. But remember that endorsements are a way of making money. And I've heard rumors of players being endorsed by a company and only using their products in some indirect way on a studio album (like using a POD for the monitoring chain only, or having a brand's amp mixed way back in the feint background of a track just so they can honestly say that amp is "on the record"). For all I know, Dimebag's signature sound could have had nothing to do with the amps he endorsed.
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yup, he actually used the randall amps. he was just about to switch over to krank tube amps when he was killed but they had to hot rod them to satisfy his appetite for gain. that's where the krankenstein came from.
 
Guitarer said:
George Lynch played solid states for a long time too.
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Only live and that was because the company was paying him.

Guitarer said:
Also, you're forgetting that Dimebag's signature SS head, the Warhead, sold for something like a grand for the head. You're not going to get that kind of tone out of a $600 stack.
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The Warhead was a flying pile of crap that Darrell never really used. He had them on stage, but he had the original head feeding the power amps of the Warheads. Washburn/Randall could never get it together with that head. Most of the problem came from using cheap garbage parts to make them, no two Warheads sounded alike. The funny thing was that the heads that didn't seem to get loud really sounded good and the heads that would tear your face off sounded like crap.

Anything that Washburn or Randall makes will tend to have a good design that eventually gets compromised by cost cutting manufacturing methods.
 
Farview said:
Only live and that was because the company was paying him.

The Warhead was a flying pile of crap that Darrell never really used. He had them on stage, but he had the original head feeding the power amps of the Warheads. Washburn/Randall could never get it together with that head. Most of the problem came from using cheap garbage parts to make them, no two Warheads sounded alike. The funny thing was that the heads that didn't seem to get loud really sounded good and the heads that would tear your face off sounded like crap.

Anything that Washburn or Randall makes will tend to have a good design that eventually gets compromised by cost cutting manufacturing methods.
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i didn't think he used the warhead but i couldn't back it up. thanks for clearing that up.
 
DrewPeterson7 said:
Dimebag Darrel was a total gain slut, and he LOVED solid state Randalls. There's a reason for that.
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Darrells rig didn't have as much gain as everyone seems to think it did. It also wasn't as scooped as it sounded on the CDs.
 
castlerock said:
i didn't think he used the warhead but i couldn't back it up. thanks for clearing that up.
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He wanted to, but the company couldn't get him one that sounded right.

Funny thing is, he sounded the same through the Krank, which was a tube head. Too bad he only played them for 3 weeks.
 
Well judged on reading peoples debate, im leaning towards great (tube) head and okay (4x12) cab...until he can afford better. but im also wondering, because i know him, if he can get a new madison SS for like $500 that looks cool, and sounds good, hed rather have that than a $1000 used tube head that sounds better, or even a $600 tubed head that is used. When i called him yesturday he was sketchy about spending that much money on something over ebay...i told him that it would be fine though cause if something wrong im pretty sure you can get your money back or something.

I agree (though im no guitarist) that you can get great sounds for metal out of a SS amp, cause nobody in metal would use them if they didnt, and now that I think about it there is a band that I kinda like locally that uses madison amps (theyre 17-19 so i doubt they could afford the tubed ones)http://www.purevolume.com/forwhichwekill and it sounds good to me granted its a SS.

but since so many of you are saying that tubes would be the way to go, im thinkin he should just go that route and take the chance with ebay.
 
A Bugera 6262 with insurance and an Avatar 212 with V30s will put you right at 1k. I have a friend that went that route and it sounds incredible.
 
So I got my friend here right now...he just said that this amp i looks AMAZING
http://cgi.ebay.com/Peavey-JSX-120-...ryZ10171QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

He doesnt care that its ebay because this guy has good reviews and the amp looks brand new.

But hes also looking at this because its a little cheaper..but not as cool looking

http://cgi.ebay.com/Peavey-Triple-X...ryZ10171QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.com/Peavey-Triple-X...ryZ10171QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.com/Peavey-xxx-head...yZ121161QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

What do you guys think? which sounds better?
 
Tell him to mow a few lawns, steal from Grandma, take out a loan, open a credit card, or blow someone, but stop messing around, kick up a few extra bucks, and buy this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/MINT-Mesa-Boogi...5|66:2|65:12|39:1|240:1318|301:1|293:1|294:50

I've bought 3 off ebay, and never had a problem. They are built like a tank. Also, check Craigslist for local sales. If he is patient, which it doesn't sound like he is, he can hold out, and keep an eye on Ebay, and will find one cheaper, but just take the plunge....This is a $1900 head new.
 
Lord have mercy.

This kid hasn't even played a good amp ever before and you all are telling him to go spend upwards of a thousand dollars or more on something he knows nothing about, and he won't even have a speaker to play it with!

Pathetic.

How about this advice:
Drive your ass to the guitar shop and play some.
 
Outlaws said:
Lord have mercy.

This kid hasn't even played a good amp ever before and you all are telling him to go spend upwards of a thousand dollars or more on something he knows nothing about, and he won't even have a speaker to play it with!

Pathetic.

How about this advice:
Drive your ass to the guitar shop and play some.
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Hey wait a minuite aparently you have glazed over my posts

I have been trying to save the kid some monet:(
 
I gotta go with "what is a mute switch", Alex.

What do I win???
 
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