Hi,

I currently have a Jackson WRMG, with EMG 81-85's, playing through a Marshall Valvestate 100 watt combo and a BOSS ME-50. I'm now looking to purchase a new head and cab set. I'm currently getting too much hiss through the current set-up looking for a heavier, better defined monster tone, but without reliance on pedals. Want to use the amps distortion settings, people have reccomended Mesa Boogie set-ups, any other good reccomendations, on a budget of about $1000.

Thanks \m/

a used 5150 head? only like $500-ish
or maybe a used 5150 II? only like $600-ish

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ok that sounds like a good bet, i've taken a look at some of the Mesa Boogie Rectifier heads, they seem a little over priced! How do the 5150 clean setting fair?

The best sounding amp I've heard is the Engl Ritchy Blackmore sig. Have no idea how much. The XXX is good to.

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the 5150 II is better for clean tone imo, because the overall sound of the amp is brighter and you have separate eq'ing.

but the bias mod(like $50) will do wonders for your clean sound(the overall sound will be improved, but the cleans are especially what sticks out imo).

you can have the bias mod done to both.

i like the rectifier more than the 5150's... but they do alot more variety of sounds... to me the 5150's are just killer distortion amps.

the recto can get into fuzzier territory imo... and the cleans are much better imo.

so basically i wouldnt say one is simply better, but a couple reasons a recto will cost more, much better build(not to say peavey isnt good, i have and still do own alot of peavey stuff and it has never let me down.), and a much bigger range of tones.

i guess it depends on what you want to do... but for the money a recto goes for i could think of a few other amps i'd rather have.

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engl anything is good, seriously, i've yet to play any engl stuff that doesnt rock.... the resale in the u.s. is insane, a used one almost costs as much as a new one.

i think the xxx is actually pretty good too.. though i'd probably take any engl head over it. soundwise.

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Wait untill you try the powerball or the savage! both more suitable for metal and way more options (also in a high price range, unfortunatly...)

our other guitarist has a ritchie blackmore, like all engl's it does have tone though. they're pretty rare though in the us and expensive too, even used.

the XXX is pretty decent for its money... If you can get a recto for 1000?, get it. No question its a great amp and it's pretty affordable in the US too.

well, if you want clean tones... a 5150 block will probably not fill your needs... ive been looking at the pod XT lately, the thought behind it seems pretty cool, since i use cleans sometimes, and i could get em to sound any way i want pretty much... although, id probably rather have an engl power/fireball or 5150 over a preamp...

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Thanks for the advice. The 5150 seems like a good reccomendation. What are the main differences between the 5150 and the 5150 II ?

I'm not sure, but I believe the II has a little less gain and seperate eq-ing on the channels.

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yep, separate eq's for the clean/crunch and the lead channel.
plus the overall sound is a bit brighter(you can just get an mkII mod for the 5150)
and the difference in gain is subtle... because the 5150 II can still easily get brutal.

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I tried hard to like the clean tone on my 5150 combo, but after months of listening, I gotta admit I really don't like it. Enough that I'm either going to A/B it with another amp for cleans or switch amps entirely.

IMO even a Marshall valvestate 1x12 beats the pants off of the 5150 clean sound (note this is without tweaking the eq knobs on the amp while switching channels, since it's not like I'd do that mid-song anyhow).

I don't really notice that the cleans suck when I'm playing alone, but then when jamming with friends it's striking.

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a bias mod would make that all happy and stuff.

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if you want good distortion try out a laney gh100ti, its tony iommi's sig amp, very good distortion but it aint got no clean channel which sucks a bit.

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He has a combo which is biased around 40mA's.

With a sperate 15 band EQ I can get an extremely usable clean channel on my 5150 head with the bias mod. Damn good considering the 5150 dosent even have a clean channel

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Yeah, so does that mean that my combo would not benefit from a bias mod?

EDIT: I know that xdx said a while ago that the combo doesn't need a bias mod, but the cleans just sound so bad I have a hard time believing it. Seems like adding an EQ would just be "polishing a turd". Maybe switching brands of power tubes would help.

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I bought my first 5150 almost 10 years ago, and just sold my second one. They do sound pretty nice if you are a distortion junky, but they are not what I'd call "monster" or "insane" unless you know how to pick your tubes. I am into thrash/death stuff, so I'm not into weenie distortion, but without a powerbrake I would generally not be happy with just about any head.

http://www.guitaramplifierblueprinting.com/12ax7.html

For me a good used processor and poweramp combo rack setup IS the way to go and exactly what I am doing now.

If you think solid state is "nice" though, then by comparision a 5150 is "monster tone."