Ampeg SS140c - can it do what I want? (CCorpse, Suffocation)
 

I'm getting back into making music after a long break and I like the recent Cannibal Corpse tone and pretty much all of Suffocation's sound. I used to have a Randall RH100 which I thought was pretty good for what I play but i'd like to try something different. I've heard a lot about the Ampeg VH140c but I found a SS140c for sale near me. Any comments on this amp?

I've also been looking at a Crate GX-130C. :)

i think i've played a SS140c before. if i remember correctly, it was pretty decent.

How would it compare to the Randall RH100 I used to have? If you're familiar with the Randall anyway...

If I remember correctly the SS-140c uses the same electronics as the VH-140c. The Vh-140c was used on Effigy Of The Forgotten and maybe breeding the spawn, but I know if you want the tone off Peirced, you won't find it in those heads. The 2120 I have can get pretty closed to the peirced sound, but its a bit more defined and kind of mixed with the tone from Symbolic.

Alright, thanks for the info.

Here's some cds that used it.

Effigy of the Forgotten
Destroy The Opposition
Killing On Adrenaline


I'm sure you can get an awesome tone out of it.

ampeg makes guitar amps?

used to, and they were pretty damn decent too.

Yeah, from what I'm told the VH-140c is a really good amp for anything metal.

Yah that's what I hear. I'm not going to get the SS-140C, i'm going to try and get the VH-140C. May take longer but may as well get what I want.

I'm pretty sure the SS and VH have the same preamps, just different poweramps.. atleast I remember reasing something along those lines on the Harmony Central forums.

dude I havent seen you on here in forever!!
i have a question.
is there a major difference in tone between all tube amps and tube/ss hybrids?

YES.

Most hybrids just have one preamp tube, hell that vox tonelab has one tube that never needs to be change, cause it's never on, it just had a led behind it.

im talking bass though.
most of the bass hybrids have 3 or 4 tubes, and the ones im looking at are all atleast 1000 u.s.
so
IF THE TUBE IS ACTUALLY USED does it sound like an all tube?
or do you need to have tube power also?

It's going to sound different, obviously more sterile and tight, and you won't be able to get all that much headroom with a SS poweramp combared to a tube one(plus it won't sound as good as a tube PA at very high volumes), but if it's got enough wattage(probably will) it won't matter much plus you're going to end up micing a cab in a live situation anyway.

Most metal basses use hi wattage SS poweramps, because of the tight response.

IMO that style of hybrid is a horrible idea for guitar amps but a great idea for basse amps. Id put my M-Pulse up against any tube amp any day.

thanks guys, now I can broaden my horizons.
has anyone played that one genz benz hybrid?
its a dual channel, I think its in the 1200 dollar range, ill look up the exact model later.

Don't waste your time trying to play CC through a SS Ampeg.. Your just gonna get garbage gain with shitty fizz everywhere.. if you want that.. buy a Metalzone.

If you want a good metal tone.. for a low price.. Just buy a used 5150 or something along those lines.

Suffocation has shitty fizzy tone? Don't want another tube amp.