Which amp should I get?

[Skyze]

Ok, I have a Carvin XV112 that is quite good, its clean channel is by and far the best I've ever heard. Unfortunately though, its rhythm channel is quite wimpy. Enough so that I think I might consider letting it go =[

Mesa has interested me for awhile now, I was researching the Mark III before I bought the Carvin, but since I LOVE Carvin guitars (have about 6) I chose them. I still do love Carvin, my bass amp is the best from them, but for guitar they just don't have any options in combos for the type of heavier music I enjoy. If only the V3 was rackmountable =[

Anyways. What I typically play, or rather what I want to achieve tone-wise before pedals/etc:

- Two channels or more
- One channel for cleans, Great cleans that have lots of headroom
- Nice reverb
- EQ option
- Medium chassis

Examples of cleans I like are like Marty Friedman http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Crrnqc03Gjs&feature=related

Examples of Gain/drive tone I would like to get, ala Megadeth and Nevermore
Marty again - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjbaaKOwJ9A&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rCsAH6giAM&feature=related

I was looking at the DC-5, .50 Caliber and Mark III (all within my pricerange) but DC-5 interests me the most.. I am slightly concerned about the 50 watts, would prefer 100 but the DC-10 wouldnt fit into my cab.

Any opinions?

 

[babow2]

the DC-5 is a better choice from what you describe, because you have completely separate controls for each channel, while the other two amps share EQ stacks.

Also, the 50 watt DC-5 is amazingly loud and powerful, with plenty of clean headroom. The difference in perceived volume between 50 and 100 watts is only like 6db. You need to double the power to double the perceived loudness. There isn't much difference between 50 and 100 watts. Besides, if you use an efficient speaker, you get more volume from the same amount of power.

Go find and play a DC-5. I bet it will be fine.

 

[ryjan]

Are you forgetting the Carvin Quad-X? Just about any of the Mark series amps from IIC through V will get you the sounds you want. The V3 also comes in a combo also.

 

[Skyze]

Quad-X apparently doesnt have the V3-like rhythm channel, and Rhythm channel is the main reason I am not happy with my current amp. I dont even know if a Mark I-III would even do it, sure a Mark IV would but it is quite out of my budget (as is the early Marks, besides the III)

V3 is too huge for what I am trying to achieve (already have the cab made, wanting to place a chassis in it, medium chassis from Mesa to be exact.)

The headroom on the DC-5 is what concerns me. Volume has nothing to do with it, its the tone crapping out as you turn it higher, which most amps I find that happens to.

 

[pokerrules47]

Take a listen to some of the newer andy timmons stuff. He uses a lonestar and stiletto deuce along with a couple of very simple pedals for his main tones. It's got that organic tone that marty is famous for. You can get a lot of tones out of these two amps.