What is your favorite Solid State amp?

[MrSandMan]

I have played two SS amps that I absolutely enjoyed and thought they were amazing.

Randall RG100 ES (with Metal Monster)

&

Line 6 HD147 (with shortboard)

Discuss

[Mudder]

I have a Tech21 trademark 60 that is a great SS amp. Real versatile, nice cleans, pretty crunchy gains, I'm having some issues with the volume control right now, but that should be easy to fix.

[MrSandMan]

Sweet, I read good things about those. Is it a combo? Is it a pot giving you trouble?

[Mudder]

Mine is a 1x12 combo that has been great until a few months ago. I have a couple scratchy pots that need to be cleaned but the volume issue is one the amp does all on it's own. It will be fine for a while then volume will increase noticeably, then drop back down after a few minutes. I think a good cleaning with some contact cleaner will probably take care of it but it's been on the back burner since I picked up an Engl combo.

[ninja636]

Crates. I'm using an XT120R right now, but back in the 80's I had a GT212 with Celestions in it. The XT has a way better clean sound than the GT did, but the GT had a way better dirty channel. The XT is a 3 channel, and the GT was a 2 chan. People put the Crate amps down for bad tone, but if you know how to eq an amp and understand an SS amps strengths and weaknesses, you can get good tone.

[MrSandMan]

I'd love to see some pictures of that setup. I just got a Furman PQ3 in, playing it with the RG100ES. That's massive.

[indytruckboy]

Vox Valvetronix. Sweet little bastards. I know they have a 12AX7 as a "power tube". But really? Who you foolin, Vox?

[MrSandMan]

Vox is awesome. I had a ToneLab (desktop, not the floorboard model) It was a modeller with a 12AX7... probaby like the Vox that you're describing. That thing was a tone lab for sure. I miss it actually

[jackal]

i used to have a Randall RG100SC it had great sound

and the new Fender metalhead is built like a tank, and has a nice sound too

[jackal]

Ohh ohh i forget for solid state amps i tried out a new one last week its a Hughes and Kettner zenTera you have to check this one our Mrsandman i think you'll have a balst.. it like a line 6 but with a $3500.00 price tag just for the head, and it sounds amazing AMAZING tons and tons of settings and amp mods. lol now i sound like i work for them hehe, but really try on out, there a great amp for gigs. they have everything.

[jackal]

check it out the zenTera head

http://www.hughes-and-kettner.com/products.php?mode=sound&id=6

[jackal]

My Randall RG100SC R.I.P .. lol well a bit of it made it in the pic... and yes before any fender lover asks, the headstock is burnt... i also burnt Fuk into the body in big letters.. but dont shed a tear i didnt

http://www.angelfire.com/myband/oftheReknown/images/n668420216_282018_3700.jpg

[jackal]

the fender metalhead i was talking about

http://www.angelfire.com/myband/oftheReknown/images/014_14.JPG

[MrSandMan]

Hell Yeah!!!

Hughes and Kettner are def well liked. My buddy has one. Though I never personally played it, he talks very highly of it.

RG100ES-- They are the best solid that I have personally played. I have the PQ3 and a Randall RG100ES... it's a tone machine. Actually Randall RGs kick ass with distortion pedals too. I'm sure you played yours with you metalzone. Put that MT-2 through the loop and adjust the EQ to taste, and whammo!

The Fender Metal-Head. Now that's an amp the we don't talk enough about. How is it compared to other solid state amps? I think they look mean as hell.

[jackal]

The metalhead, like i said is built like a tank.... and looks like one.. It's mega distortion.. a bit thin on the bass side... but that could be the peavey cab too... overall i give it a 8 out of 10 as a soild state... compared to a tube, lol i cant beleive i even said that never mind, lol

but it is worth the money

[Monster]

most will say this amp sucks for solid state , but i like the line 6 spider II 210 amp i find i get good sounds out of it.. weather you have it turned down low or cranked... and i play all sorts of music on it....

[MrSandMan]

I had the 112 (75 watt). they are packed with lots of goodies and effects. They're just not so desired because of the digital feel and sound. Most Type O Negative stuff reminds me of Spider tone.

Play a Line 6 flextone or HD147 and you'll blown away. I love my HD147 :D

[Monster]

i will have to check one of them amps out then... thanks for the info

[senor_penguin]

I love spiders for practicing purposes, but not for gigging.
Randalls, hands down, best solid state ever

[jackal]

Spiders, lol yeah ok practice amps, way way to digital for me... i love randall soilid state sound... but i've owned four and they all have the same problem...pop goes the capasitor's.... over and over.. other then that there great

[Juggernaut]

Randall RG100ES
Randall RG100HT
Randall Warhead
Randall X2
Pearce G2R

[MrSandMan]

Randall RG100ES
Randall RG100HT
Randall Warhead
Randall X2
Pearce G2R


What amp do you find plugging into more often then not?

....and what's up with the broken image in your sig? :poke:

[Juggernaut]

I was just looking on how to fix the image....

honestly over the years, my "go-to" amp has always been the RG100ES, just sounds great no matter what. add an eq and it's a BEAST!

[MrSandMan]

There's two RG100ES heads on Deans forum w/footswitches for $250 ea.

[Juggernaut]

yea, I saw those..... ALMOST pulled the trigger on one, but waited then the HT came up, and decided to snag it instead. I also got an RGP1000 on the way too. :D

I'm such a Randall WHORE!

[MrSandMan]

well... I'm glad you got it then. :bringit: lol

That's cool.. you know what I wanted it for.

...I was really set on that 1992 Blackface Recto. I almost pulled the trigger, but I just wanted to play cautious.

[Juggernaut]

Yea, I've missed out on a couple killer deals too..... about 6 months ago, I missed out on a Mesa Mark IV for $450. :shock: Couldn't believe the price, it's all good though a friend of mine grabbed it so I still get to play with it every no and then

[MrSandMan]

$450, that fukin insane :ohz:

[Juggernaut]

got to love those crack addicts, when they are jonesin.... :jumpgrin:


I've picked up ALOT of good deals from a buddy of mine who used to work for Boogie Music in Phoenix, those Meth freaks would come in with some of the nicest shit, and sell it for next to nothing. I used to keep a seperate savings account just for when he would call. :jumpgrin:

[MrSandMan]

Long live the crack heads... :bowz:

As long as they weren't 'hot'... boogies

[V-Type]

Theres plenty of good sounding SS amps these days.
I really dug the Warhead from Randall and the JC120 I had was a Standard for cleans.
The Peavey XXL also has a few nice tones too it and seems like it has tons of features.
Modeler amps: Hands down the Vetta's then Hd147's
Oddly enough Ive been hearing good Metal tones from a couple bands using Crate SS's .
I pick The JC120 cause I owned it rather than demoed it.

[floydmoline]

i don't think solid state amps are bad, or have bad tone so much, i think it's a preferance thing, alot of folks like tubes because they sound warm, or because if that's what my idol used it's good enough for me. personally i prefer tubes because when i play electric guitar i play in the overdrive areas more than distortion, to me transistors sound good with full on distortion, and clean, but they can't do overdrive like tubes, it's the sound of the transistion that gets me, transistors seem to have a hard edge, it goes from clean to crunch, and sorta tips back and forth, where as tubes the transition from clean to distortion is softer, i don't know if any of you guys know what i mean lol, anyway alot of it depends on how you play guys like david gilmour who are really effect dependant and don't reall use amp overdrive could use a solid state amp and still sound good, but a guy like jimmy page only does what he does because of the tubes (sound wise).

blah blah blah my favorite solid state amps are the vox pathfinders, not great for tone, but my god those little bastards are loud for a little amp, ask sandman LOL, and fender solid state amps from the 80's the frontman series don't sound like the princetons and supers from the 80's..... they only solid state amps fender made that were exceptional were the red knob deals

[Monster]

i don't think solid state amps are bad, or have bad tone so much, i think it's a preferance thing, alot of folks like tubes because they sound warm, or because if that's what my idol used it's good enough for me. personally i prefer tubes because when i play electric guitar i play in the overdrive areas more than distortion, to me transistors sound good with full on distortion, and clean, but they can't do overdrive like tubes, it's the sound of the transistion that gets me, transistors seem to have a hard edge, it goes from clean to crunch, and sorta tips back and forth, where as tubes the transition from clean to distortion is softer, i don't know if any of you guys know what i mean lol, anyway alot of it depends on how you play guys like david gilmour who are really effect dependant and don't reall use amp overdrive could use a solid state amp and still sound good, but a guy like jimmy page only does what he does because of the tubes (sound wise).

blah blah blah my favorite solid state amps are the vox pathfinders, not great for tone, but my god those little bastards are loud for a little amp, ask sandman LOL, and fender solid state amps from the 80's the frontman series don't sound like the princetons and supers from the 80's..... they only solid state amps fender made that were exceptional were the red knob deals


very very well said .... there are some pretty good solid state amps.. out there there days.. i have both solid and tube... depends what type of sound you want...

[torgeot]

I'm a tube guy now, but I did have one of the older Randall100 heads back in the late 80's for a while. I was talked into leaving SS and going tube so I did, but I do remember that it was a nice amp

[jackal]

usally i don't even look if it tube or not, its more about how it sounds to me.. there a good in both, i play a mesa roadster now and love it, but i also loved my SS Randalls

[diditfortehlulz]

Sunn made some awesome solid state amps, as did Vox ( the Beatle).

[jackal]

Sunn Amps, i havent heard from them in years...

[diditfortehlulz]

Sunn Amps, i havent heard from them in years...


I used to have a collection of Sunn amps. They were all stolen out of the U Haul truck when I moved, though. 2 Sunn Model T's, a Coliseum Slave, and a Coliseum Lead. I'll never be able to replace that gear - it's a real shame.

[floydmoline]

talking about insane deals when i was in chicago a year ago, some guy came in the guitar center while i was in, and was trying to sell a MOOG MINIMOOG, guitar center told him they'd only give him 150 dollars for and he took it....... i said what i couldn't do to have 200 bucks on hand right now heh

[floydmoline]

prolly shold have quoted lol so that made sense was refering to the last page, sorry lol

[jeffreyliu838]

My favorite SS amp would definitely be a Roland cube. I love how versatile it is. I would like to own one, but nothing compares to tube amps.