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Henry Mars
New member
I would like to second this opimion. I like the way it sounds right out of the box but tube upgrades will really make it shine.
I would like to second this opimion. I like the way it sounds right out of the box but tube upgrades will really make it shine.
JPXTom
New member
For 700? That seems pretty hard to do...ive never seen any on ebay go for less than 900.
Myriad_Rocker
New member
I know someone selling a Fender '65 Twin that I'm THINKING of getting. Great cleans...but I don't know about getting anything NEAR a hard rock distortion out of it...
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mrface2112
Well-known member
you're not going to get anything approaching metal overdrive out of a Twin. it'll break up around 7 or 8, but it's not a hard rock overdrive. oh, and it'll be LOUD AS HELL too.
i'd source an Orange Tiny Terror for $450-ish and then spend another ~$150 on some kickass New Old Stock tubes for it. That'll do you really well. Put RCA blackplates where you want cleans and maybe some Brimars or RFTs where you want the crunch, and you'll be set.
And if you want a great "clean" amp, pick up a used Champ or Princeton later on down the road.
cheers,
wade
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xstatic
New member
Personally, I don't that an amp exists in this price range that does great cleans and will get up and do full on metal distortion unless you find a killer deal on something used.
The warmest clean you will get out of a peavey would be the classic, but it won't come near the metal stuff. The B52 just doesn't sound very good whether or not you are doing clean or heavy. The carvins do a decent light distortion/broken clean, but don't do either extremem very well.
Even the Oranges don't fit the bill very well. They are great sounding amps, but won't get too clean or too dirty. In fact, even most Mesa's (including rectifiers) won't really get that saturated metal sound without losing a lot of their clarity. The closest to that sound that I have heard comes from the Stiletto or the Road King, but those are out of that price bracket.
Personally, I think you should shift your realistic expectations if you want an amp. Either change the price bracket, or change what you expect to get for that price. Given the current limitations, I think that a used Mesa is going to get you the closest to the three requirements of price, cleans, and thick saturation.
The warmest clean you will get out of a peavey would be the classic, but it won't come near the metal stuff. The B52 just doesn't sound very good whether or not you are doing clean or heavy. The carvins do a decent light distortion/broken clean, but don't do either extremem very well.
Even the Oranges don't fit the bill very well. They are great sounding amps, but won't get too clean or too dirty. In fact, even most Mesa's (including rectifiers) won't really get that saturated metal sound without losing a lot of their clarity. The closest to that sound that I have heard comes from the Stiletto or the Road King, but those are out of that price bracket.
Personally, I think you should shift your realistic expectations if you want an amp. Either change the price bracket, or change what you expect to get for that price. Given the current limitations, I think that a used Mesa is going to get you the closest to the three requirements of price, cleans, and thick saturation.
Myriad_Rocker
New member
I can nearly get a custom built 100W all-tube amp for the money I have. I have one of his amps at my studio right now and it screams. Great cleans. It's a 50W two channel and the channels are COMPLETELY independent of each other. I might just go after one of those and add an Avatar 2x12 with v30's. It keeps great clarity no matter the gain setting.
Then again, I'm really liking the prospect of the Fender Twin. I've always wanted to incorporate a really nice clean amp in my live setup to use exclusively for my clean sounds instead of my Dual Rec. They leave a lot to be desired. I like bell-like chimey cleans. Ala Fender.
I've looked at the Stilleto's. The local Mesa dealer MIGHT have one...
Then again, I'm really liking the prospect of the Fender Twin. I've always wanted to incorporate a really nice clean amp in my live setup to use exclusively for my clean sounds instead of my Dual Rec. They leave a lot to be desired. I like bell-like chimey cleans. Ala Fender.
I've looked at the Stilleto's. The local Mesa dealer MIGHT have one...
ocnor
Lord Of The Thighs
The Legacy has a great clean channel and a killer distortion channel. You can get them on sale right now for $749.99 https://www.carvinguitars.com/products/single.php?product=VL100
DrewPeterson7
Sage of the Order
You won't find a Stiletto for $700. Trust me here, I want a Stiletto Ace head in the worst way, and if it was that easy I'd have one now.
You WILL find a used F-30 within your budget, though, which has one of the best cleans I've ever heard from a Mesa, and while not the most flexible gain sounds, a kickass saturation tone.
Also, with luck you could score a Mesa Nomad for that range. The clean isn't as good as the F-series, but the gain sounds (two gain channels (plus a clean), with two modes a peice) are way more versatile, and it handles low gain stuff as well as heavy saturation equally well. I've played one for years, and while I'm actually toying with selling it (just grabbed a Rectoverb, and I'm on the fence between letting them both go for a Roadster, or letting the Nomad go, keeping the Rectoverb, and grabbing a Stiletto), it's still one of the most versatile amps in Mesa's lineup, and a few guys who've played through it actually prefer it to the Rectifiers. In the room, I think it may actually have the edge - I just think the Recto records a little better.
J
JasonBird
Average Member
Keep looking
I found My near mint, Orange amp in a pawn shop in Wichita for $625. Check Craigs list as well...Ebay ain't the only place to buy stuff.
JasonBird
I found My near mint, Orange amp in a pawn shop in Wichita for $625. Check Craigs list as well...Ebay ain't the only place to buy stuff.
JasonBird
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jndietz
The Way It Moves
Personally, I own a B-52. A couple guys I've talked to say it sounds like a Mesa.
I like my amp!
I like my amp!
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xstatic
New member
I have worked with more than a few B-52's and personally, I don't even hear much of a similarity to the Mesa's.
I had forgotten about the Mesa F series. The cleans on the F series are pretty decent (a little more fender like than the Rectifiers but not quite as thick). The F series doesn't get that crunch that the Rectifiers generally get, but it does do a better saturated distortion sound which may fit the original posters requirements a little better. The F series is also more affordable than most rectifiers.
I had forgotten about the Mesa F series. The cleans on the F series are pretty decent (a little more fender like than the Rectifiers but not quite as thick). The F series doesn't get that crunch that the Rectifiers generally get, but it does do a better saturated distortion sound which may fit the original posters requirements a little better. The F series is also more affordable than most rectifiers.
guttapercha
New member
Just got a used DC-2 off of Ebay. Oodles of gain for $650 with a road case included. I think you can get them for $500ish without a case.