Amp Dilemma

[dstaudt24]

Hey there everybody!

I have been having trouble trying to figure out which amp to ultimately buy and was hoping to get some advice from you. After much experimentation, I have tuned in my decision down to three options. The Roadster, the Mark V, and the Dual Rectifier. To give you an idea, I am trying to find an amp that can cover a wide variety of the tones I am looking for. I am trying to obtain tones such as the beautiful leads of John Petrucci, yet I also love playing material such as the crunchy rhythms of Avenged Sevenfold and the screaming solos of Dimebag Darrell. My main problem is that I want versatility. I think that the Mark V is the most versatile amp out of the three, however I am not sure that it can achieve the Dimebag Darrell tone (though I could be wrong). The Dual Rec is awesome for the Avenged Sevenfold tone and the Dimebag Darrell tone, but I'm not sure if I can get the versatility out of it that the Mark V could give (such as a Petrucci tone). I am currently not too sure about much that the Roadster has to offer. However, I have heard countless positive reviews about it. Basically, I want a versatile amp that can achieve screeching metal solos, crunchy rhythms, and nice clean Petrucci tones.

Do yall have any opinions on this? I could really use your help with this matter, and your opinions are GREATLY appreciated! Thanks in advance!

 

[elvis]

1. No amp can get every tone.
2. Do you want to get many tones one at a time at home where you can tweek each one, or do you want three or four tones footswitchable for live? If the former, then almost any amp, plus a pedal or 2, will do the job. If the latter, then the V or the Roadster are probably your best bets.
3. The Dual Rec is the least flexible, both in number of channels and in the range of available tones.
4. Only a Mark can get Mark lead tones. The MV can get great cleans and Mark tones, not so much the recto tone.
5. The Roadster has 4 channels, though many argue that channel 2 is unuseable. It has great cleans and recto tones. Not so much Mark tone.
6. Dimebag played solid-state amps. Almost any diode distortion pedal can get his tone. Try a Line 6 Spider. Note: solid-state amps tend to run WAY more gain than tubes. Many people switch from transistors to tubes and can't understand where all their sustain and pinch harmonics went. Rectos are high gain, but not so much that all the tone is sucked out. They are more designed for crushing volume with a fair amount of gain, and pretty much get their best tone only at high volume.
7. Tone comes from skill and attitude. Petrucci will sound like Petrucci through any amp, including one made from a shoebox and a piece of chewing gum.

 

[dstaudt24]

Elvis, thank you for the quick response. I am leaning towards the Mark V at the moment due to it's versatility. I feel I can obtain the rhythm tone, and that Petrucci feel through the Mark V compared to the others. My question is, does it have the gain capable of achieving the Dimebag tone, or would you recommend an overdrive pedal with it? I think this might be a dumb question to ask, as this is a high-gain amp, but the question remains. Do you have any opinion on this?

Thanks for all the help!

 

[elvis]

You're welcome.

I don't have a Mark, unless you count my Studio Pre, and haven't played through the Mark V at all. However, based on what I've read on this list, it has plenty of gain, and there is an "insane" mode of some sort.

Assuming the V has enough gain, the tone is not likely to match Dimebag's, as he has a really tight low-end and very scratchy mids with infinite sustain. Probably a distortion pedal (not overdrive) would be the way to go, and probably a compressor and noise gate. I'd check sites like the gear page, sevenstring.org and other metal forums to read about how to duplicate that particular tone into a tube amp.

The question you should ask yourself is "what % of the time do I want Petrucci tone, vs. Dimebag, vs. other tones?" For any that are less than 10% or so, don't factor them into your amp decision. And don't go "flavor of the month". You might be playing Petrucci day and night this month, but what about next month, or next year? Amps like rectos and Marks are not really easy to sell due to the large size, weight, volume and price. The Roadster is a fantastic amp, but good luck moving one. I recommend you shoot for long-term need fulfillment. YMMV.