Mesa for metal

[magiceye]

I am going into a new metal band and looking around a good mesa head. I know what i need but i want that you guys give me a suggestion about the right option or model

I need:

- 2 channels (a good clean and a high gain)3 is not necessary but i open mind
- 50W will be perfect but 100 its ok
- I dont need midi options and a hundred options ( roadkings is out of my mind, i need one easy amp)
- FX loop of course
- i going into 4X12 ( a rectifier cab or similar)

i mess around with the preamp+50/50 but too but what is the good choice for a metal band

Help me guys. Thanks

Hi nqd,

Single Recto Solo Head 50 is enough for metal or numetal. Just put some overdrive in front of the amp and you'll hear it. It is loud and owesome.

 

[Nitrobattery]

i'd check out a dc-5.

i used it on my band's cd. we're sending it out to be mastered, but you can here some unmixed clips here.

http://www.myspace.com/eminationmusic

here's also another clip of the dc-5

http://soundclick.com/share?songid=5302861

 

[Kaz]

i'd check out a dc-5.

i used it on my band's cd. we're sending it out to be mastered, but you can here some unmixed clips here.

http://www.myspace.com/eminationmusic

here's also another clip of the dc-5

http://soundclick.com/share?songid=5302861

Some rather cool music there, friend. That DC-5 clip is ballin'.

 

[tunedown]

For the "modern" metal tone, one trick ponies like Framus and Diezel are tough to beat. But, at least in southern california, the modern metal tone seems to be falling out of favor. It was so popular for so long that it got to the point where everybody had the same mid-scooped sound. What was once cool and "modern" became standard and stale. A lot of people are now experimenting with other amps and other types of tone.

If you've got the cash, try some of the Bogner amps - they're killer.

I use a mark iv, a really old one. It is not a modern metal amp, but its very aggressive and powerful. Check out Lamb of God and Chevelle - their guitarists use mark ivs and have awesome tone (in my opinion).

+1

I completely agree. I also agree with what playdosboogies said: "There are much more agressive, TIGHTER, distorted, and powerful amps these days".

For Heavy low end and TIGHTER mutes, you don't need to look any further then a 5150. There are tricks to give a boogie those characteristics, but they certainly don't have them "out of the box".

 

[tunedown]

Are cookie monster vocals also getting stale down there in OC? I pray for it to be true.

 

[MetalMatt]

For Heavy low end and TIGHTER mutes, you don't need to look any further then a 5150. There are tricks to give a boogie those characteristics, but they certainly don't have them "out of the box".

A fully loaded Mark III runs circles around 5150's IMO.

 

[powerlord]

For Heavy low end and TIGHTER mutes, you don't need to look any further then a 5150. There are tricks to give a boogie those characteristics, but they certainly don't have them "out of the box".

A fully loaded Mark III runs circles around 5150's IMO.

And thats the fact Jack

 

[soundpurist]

I am going into a new metal band and looking around a good mesa head. I know what i need but i want that you guys give me a suggestion about the right option or model

I need:

- 2 channels (a good clean and a high gain)3 is not necessary but i open mind
- 50W will be perfect but 100 its ok
- I dont need midi options and a hundred options ( roadkings is out of my mind, i need one easy amp)
- FX loop of course
- i going into 4X12 ( a rectifier cab or similar)

i mess around with the preamp+50/50 but too but what is the good choice for a metal band

Help me guys. Thanks

Want a simple amp? Single rectifier.
Want a tight sound, put less gain with a tube screamer in the front.

and if you want power just use a 2X12 cab along with the single rectifier.

If you can buy a used single rectifier, i think it's the best you can get for your money. It's very good for heavy modern rhythm but if you want lead sound it's better if you use an overdrive pedal over a low gain sound...

... IMPORTANT: with a noise gate pedal, IMHO the decimator pedal is the best. You can use it right after the overdrive since the gain is low on the amp. That was my 2 cents. :wink:

 

[nqd]

ok thanks to anyone for the suggestion. now i got 3 options in mind

-Single recto/Tremoverb
-5150
-powerball

PS I know Bogners and Diezels and that kind of stuff but guys, im looking for somethin cheaper... i am lookin for a 4X12 or a 2x12 first...any offers lol?


BTW i got the ISP Decimator and is the best noise gate pedal IMO

 

[EirikBrandal]

I actually think the powerball is the **** for you. The 5150 is noisy, and the recto isn't that easy to handle. check out www.myspace.com/thesafetyfire for Powerball tunes

 

[kmanick]

PowerBall is a pretty cool amp.
The more I use my Rectoverb the more I like it.
I've owned a 5150 (loved it but it was too limiting)
You may want to check out a JSX head as well. I love the one I have, with KT-77's in it you can the Ultra channel to get pretty heavy ( I use a boost in front as well). It's got a great loop a very good clean and the crunch channel for more moderate gain tones. It's a pretty flexible amp.
If you need a clean and you like the 5150 tone I'd look at a 5150 II (6505+), but I can get my JSX into 5150 territory pretty easy.

 

[MusicManJP6]

Oddly enough I am getting a surprisingly good metal tone out of my F-30 clean channel with a Keeley MT-2 in front. It gives me solid bass (the real chunky/grinding kind you hear on Atreyu and Avenged Sevenfold albums etc) and enough compression and EQ tweaking ability to give you just about any metal tone you need. I've been very happy with it. The F-30 really covers mid-gain ground the best so the MT-2 gives me the modern 'ultra gain' tones I need at times. I also use my Keeley BD-2 (soon to be a Keeley SD-1 thanks to plan-x) for low gain and slight boost for CH2. I have a very nice tonal variety... Keeley pedals are the way to go!!!

 

[EirikBrandal]

wonder if petrucci uses the keeley metal zone in his rhythm. I can't get his rhythm sound out of my mark IV

 

[tunedown]

For Heavy low end and TIGHTER mutes, you don't need to look any further then a 5150. There are tricks to give a boogie those characteristics, but they certainly don't have them "out of the box".

A fully loaded Mark III runs circles around 5150's IMO.

I'm going to say "O.K." because I accept that we're probably playing different styles of music or looking for different tones at different volumes. Also, because no two 5150s sound the same (that's annoying btw). The 2 that I'm familiar with are not "scratchy" or dry/cold as some have described them. (Their clean channel sucks immensely though)

Also, and this is purely subjective (so don't put me in front of the firing squad), a lot of people using 5150s are not quite as musical or specific about their tone (as the musician that runs a Mark III through a 4x12 of vintage 30s). It's not a difficult amp to "dial in" - you can get a passable hi-gain metal-ish tone by letting your 4-year-old play with the dials... A 5150 played by someone who knows how to use it and dial it in without cranking everything to 10 gives a very aggressive, shimmery tone thats plenty tight no matter how low you tune or how hard you mute...

But I'm not an idiot. (I promise)

...and I know that a 5150 is the poor man's Bogner/Diezel/ENGL/Mesa – but that's just the point. If I don't purchase a used 5150 for $750, my next step is a used DR (with loose low end) for $1200 or a used Mark IV for $1400 or a used ENGL/Bogner/Diezel for $1700...

Low end's important to me. Loud and low and tight low end, all at the same time, isn't easy for some heads. If I can get it for $750, why would I spend $1200+ to NOT get it?

I'm juss sayin'...

 

[nqd]

I actually think the powerball is the sh!t for you. The 5150 is noisy, and the recto isn't that easy to handle. check out www.myspace.com/thesafetyfire for Powerball tunes

ADDED :twisted:

 

[powerlord]

For Heavy low end and TIGHTER mutes, you don't need to look any further then a 5150. There are tricks to give a boogie those characteristics, but they certainly don't have them "out of the box".

A fully loaded Mark III runs circles around 5150's IMO.

I'm going to say "O.K." because I accept that we're probably playing different styles of music or looking for different tones at different volumes. Also, because no two 5150s sound the same (that's annoying btw). The 2 that I'm familiar with are not "scratchy" or dry/cold as some have described them. (Their clean channel sucks immensely though)

Also, and this is purely subjective (so don't put me in front of the firing squad), a lot of people using 5150s are not quite as musical or specific about their tone (as the musician that runs a Mark III through a 4x12 of vintage 30s). It's not a difficult amp to "dial in" - you can get a passable hi-gain metal-ish tone by letting your 4-year-old play with the dials... A 5150 played by someone who knows how to use it and dial it in without cranking everything to 10 gives a very aggressive, shimmery tone thats plenty tight no matter how low you tune or how hard you mute...

But I'm not an idiot. (I promise)

...and I know that a 5150 is the poor man's Bogner/Diezel/ENGL/Mesa – but that's just the point. If I don't purchase a used 5150 for $750, my next step is a used DR (with loose low end) for $1200 or a used Mark IV for $1400 or a used ENGL/Bogner/Diezel for $1700...

Low end's important to me. Loud and low and tight low end, all at the same time, isn't easy for some heads. If I can get it for $750, why would I spend $1200+ to NOT get it?

I'm juss sayin'...

This is where us guitarists come to the obvious realization that there is no "best" amp out there,there is only what's best for you and what you like.Not to say there aren't real crappy amps out there.I've owned just about every brand out there and IMO they all have their goood and bad,but for some reason out of all of them I keep going back to Mesa,sometimes unintentionally,it seems like they fall in my lap when I'm not looking.So I'm probably going to let the gear god's have me this time and give in to the powers that be and stay with Mesa,the label that's looking at us right now thinks so too.I think you could get any decent metal tone from a Mesa and never want for power.Are there any bands that run straight through their heads?I don't know many.

 

[tunedown]

This is where us guitarists come to the obvious realization that there is no "best" amp out there,there is only what's best for you and what you like.Not to say there aren't real crappy amps out there.I've owned just about every brand out there and IMO they all have their goood and bad,but for some reason out of all of them I keep going back to Mesa,sometimes unintentionally,it seems like they fall in my lap when I'm not looking.So I'm probably going to let the gear god's have me this time and give in to the powers that be and stay with Mesa,the label that's looking at us right now thinks so too.I think you could get any decent metal tone from a Mesa and never want for power.Are there any bands that run straight through their heads?I don't know many.

Oh, that's interesting. I know many bands in more underground/"small scale" environments that run straight through their heads, but I don't know many "main stream" acts or stadium tours where the musicians plug straight in. Though I will say that I doubt that many of them run a lot of OD pedals (straight OD/Distortion) that don't color up their tone with some sort of crunch or added compression (like a blues driver, etc).

Am I way off base?

I get the feeling that most of those effects they'd be using are delay/echo style. Something that the amp doesn't/wouldn't have built in. I can/SHOULD get saturation and over drive from my guitar head. I can't get adjustable delay from it...

 

[EirikBrandal]

For me, I don't think the lead channel on the Mark IV has enough saturation. It sounds very weak above the 7th fret. Therefor I almost have to use a distortionpedal to feed the sound

 

[tunedown]

For me, I don't think the lead channel on the Mark IV has enough saturation. It sounds very weak above the 7th fret. Therefor I almost have to use a distortionpedal to feed the sound

Hmm... I wish I was better with a Mark IV. Platypus taught me a lot about my Mark IV, He'd have some good advice for you (if he hasn't already

Maybe a better question is: What do you mean by Saturation? I hear that word a lot and I'm not sure I understand what every individual person means by it when they say it...

I think I'VE even used it and I only kind of had an idea of what I meant...

 

[EirikBrandal]

something like the opposite of "thin" IMO