Yes the illustrious THD Hotplate. I've finally decided. I must own this thing. I see one on ebay for like 200 bucks (buy it now)

Should I get it? Or should I wait.? I know this is kind of a question thats pretty open ended.. But we'll see if I end up becoming convinced.

Or should i go with a used 1960a cab?

*note My current set up (if you don't know) is a Crate Bvh-300 Head with an off name brand 412 cabinet with madison speakers in them. Also the head doesn't even really sit on the cabinet right because the cabinet is too small so it pudges out and is kinda being held up by the wall behind it.. So the predicament is.... I have a small cabinet that needs to be replaced anyways for quality reasons.... and I have an amp with 300 watts of head room.. which needs to the "power soakness" of the thd hotplate to sound better.

Which one?

Begin convincing

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just wondering, why the hell did u get a 300 watt tube amp

id probaly get the hotplate first, u can always buy/build a table or something to put the head on while using the small cab right?

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I was sold with the sound. its fucking rediuclous. And as they say the 300 watts is for headroom and not volume. I believe it too.

Although now that i know they have a 150 version that has the same capabilities (exact same head minus 150 watts) i pressume. I kinda want that.. but eh.. i love my amp to death.. seriously.

Oh the amp sits on the cabinet. Its a 412 cab. it just is hangs off on all 4 sides ha.

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lol, thats how my svt 410 looks on by GK cab

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Well thats a tough choice. If the cab has Madison speakers in it, its definitely holding you back. But on the other hand, the THD hotplate is great. The thing is though, the purpose of the Hotplate is to allow you to drive the power tubes into distortion and 300 watts of tube power would kill anything within a 6 block radius WITH the Hotplate if it were pushed into distortion. God knows what you would unleash without any attenuation. So I would say go for the new cab first. It will be a huge tonal improvement over Madison speakers.

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Well like i've said before (great post by the way, and i'll probably go with your idea) but the 300 watt head doesn't need THAT much volume to push it into distortion. Basically because of the eq controls and hte ungodly amount of gain at different volumes i can compensate not playing loud as shit. Is it the great tone i like at a semi decient volume? No. But it works. I think with the hot plate i could probably get that tone all the time.. But like you said if i have shit speakers to begin with....

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I don't understand this thing about cranking guitar amps. Sure at lower volumes you need to boost treble and gain to get more crunch and at higher volumes cut both down, but I don't see any gigantic difference in tone/distortion. I don't crank my ENGL Fireball much for my eardrums' and neighbor's sake, but it sounds damned fine at lower volumes(just more "boxy sounding", but that's fixed with EQ) with no powersoaking and I think yours should too.

I think all this cranking nonsense only applies to non-super high gain amps like JCM 800's and such and other overdrivish sounding amps.

GOD DAMN 5 Fuckin POWERTUBES on that thing! Your neighbors must be slitting their wrists!

But hell if you're a tough macho, and you do it like Manowar: "All men play on 10".

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You are the only person on earth that i've heard yet agree with me on this one. I mean.. hey i have a shit ton of recordings can vouche for what i say. Although sure, the tone is a little bit different, but hey.. it still hasn't swayed me from my purchase. I just REALLY need a delay pedal..

Fuck i hate buying equipment, cause there is always something else i need to.

Actually. 6 power tubes..

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its a differentkind of distortion you have to experience. my splawn sounds great at low volumes. not bad for a fucking loud 100 watts. but the more you turn it up the better it sounds. its like taking most of the pregain out and turning the volume all the way up. its gonna kill you, but that kind of distortion is so much...freaking awsomer! more chunky, more feeling, more growl. only preamp distortion sounds buzzy and thin. personall i'd sell the amp for the 150 version or get an older version with even less watts and then get the hotplate.

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Ah well thats cool then, I would still go with a new cab but it sounds like a Hotplate would help as well. As far as cranking amps go, Arvina pretty much nailed it. Preamp distortion is more of a buzzy, fizzy, non-dynamic kind of distortion. But when you get those power amp tubes burnin nice and hot (distortion usually comes between 6-10 on the master, depends on the amp and the tubes) thats when you get the sweet, thick, very dynamic distortion that everyone craves.

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Well when i get a chance to crank my amp.. i usually go about 12 oclock. And well as one could imagine, thats fucking loud as hell. But its a good practice volume (like band practice imo) and i'm sure.. at least i HOPE thats what quality distortion sounds like haha. But yeah i know what you mean by buzzy ish distortion. Its very thin sounding. I'm definately a person taht doesn't even like that much gain to be honest. I mean just enough to get teh job done. There are alot of great albums i've heard that the band used lower gain and it sounded good. I mean sure probably close to nobody here likes Atreyu.. hell i listened to the new cd and i'm so disqusted with it.. its rediculous. But their earlier stuff, very low distortion and it sounds pretty kick ass.

I've decided to take your advice and i'm looking around for cabs. I saw a few on ebay that were going for cheap but they ended already... so i'll have to wait until the next batch of used gears comes in.

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I would honestly check out Avatar stuff. I know im gonna be sortin myself with a 2x12 in the not so distant paycheck, im just deciding what speakers I want to put in it. And I totally know what you mean about the gain thing, too many people use way too much gain. I like workin in the medium department. High enough to play heavy riffage, but low enough to pick lightly and play something a little sexier.

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I've been told to get teh B-52 cabinet. I've personally played my amp ata the store through the amp and it wasn't bad. Nearly everyone in the store told me to get it especially for the price. But i won't lie i REALLY want the cabinet that goes with it. But its SO expensive new.. and finding it on ebay.. is one hard freaking task. I maybe have seen 2. I saw one go with the 150 watt head.. for 1000 bucks. I was so sad when i saw that.. Seriously. I almost messaged him and asked if he would trade my head for that combination straight up. It ha sthe vintage 30s in it.

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It may be important to note that you CANNOT use a THD Hotplate with any amp over 100 watts!!! You will just fry it, straight up. It can only handle up to about 150 watts I think, max. The best thing you can do is get a better cab and sell that crazy amp for a 100-watt tube head. Trust me it will sound better and won't be as loud. You could actually just get a 50-watt head and be able to get better tone at a bit less volume.

Hotplate's are mainly for non-master volume amps like the old Marshall plexi's where the only way to get distortion is turning every knob all the way up-they have no master volume. Sure those sound GREAT but you can't use it anywhere.....too loud. But since your amp has a master volume you don't need it. 300 watts of tube power for a guitar rig is just insane unless you are playing stadiums, IMO. What I do is turn my amp really loud, turn the 4x12 around so it faces the wall, and mic it through the P.A. if I can't still hear it. Soundguy's at gigs will like you a LOT more if you do that too!

IMO the best sounding cabs are the Mesa Traditional straight 4x12's......they have tons of bass and good mids, with less treble than most cabs. If you are on a budget pick up an Avatar 4x12 and have them put Celestion Vintage 30 speakers in it. That will sound great and is pretty cheap!

Just my thoughts......hope this helps.

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Well i dunno if you truly know what the purpose of hte THD Hot plate is or the purpoes of having 300 watts on this amp. I appreciate your input and i'll actually look into those mesa cabs/ avatar ones. (and i'm thinking about getting celestions vintage 30s anyways)

But the purpose of the thd hot plate isn't to put 100 watts into it and i understand what you mean by master volume but its designed with the PURPOSE of being a dummy load. Its enabling a louder tube amp to be played lower because it allows the amp to push watts into a large resistor if you will that soaks up the volume. I'm talking about being able to turn the amp just a SMIDGET with it not being so loud. I mean literally you slow turn the dial and it starts jumping in volume. It doesn't mean that i need 100 watts of pure power to obtain the sound that i need, cause trust me i've recorded both my amp loud as jesus christ and at a lower volume, barely a difference.

Also the purpose of having a 300 watt head isn't to PUSH 300 watts of volume. Its head room. Whats the purpose of having 1000 watt Solid State amps? Head room. Having a quality sound without uneeded or unwanted distortion is the purpose behind it. Although do i need 300 watts of tube head room? Probably not, thats why i said i want the 150 version. Although i have turned it up to 12 oclock plenty of times and thats just a decient eh gig volume. Were talking 12 oclock here, my old amp i used to turn it to like 4 oclock and it sounded like shit, didn't get any louder just muddier. The purpose of me having a head like i have or even a 100 watt all tube head would suffice is being able to get loud when i need it (gigs.) And just having a high quality amp to play and record on.

Sure i could buy some other head, but i've TRIED other heads. I have tried every jcm made. Side by side even and thought they sounded ok, or they needed to be pushed way.. way too loud to make a good sound (jcm 900s)
. From the moment I was showed this amp is the moment i fell in love with it, thats why the only other option is the 150 version (same amp smaller wattage).

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Finaly found a deciently cheap new BV-150H on ebay@($(@@&(@# cheap enough that i can sell my head and get money BACK from it to fund either a cab or the THD hotplate for "free"! Then i can spend money on whichever piece i don't have yet. Woot. I better win!

I have enough money to buy the head, make sure its good to go and that i can do exactly what i want with it (just like the bv300 Make sure its loud enough and clear and just what i exactly what, then sell the other. If not.. well i just sell the amp i just bought, but i dont' see that happening.

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