I've been coming across various info about amp designs. In short, the info says that simple amp designing (e.g. Marshall JCM 800) makes for a better sound in general 'cause of it's simple interior design (circuitry and what not). Whereas amps which have a lot of channels, effects, reverb, etc. would have more noise in them, etc.
This is similar to when one hooks up a long chain of effects pedals and hissing/noise etc. starts to be noticed coming out from the speaker/s and the tone itself has some of it's quality taken away.

So, in essence, there seems to be a price to pay for having loads of channels on an amp.

That's about it. I'd be glad to read your opinions, thanks.

well... its all dependent.

If you have sub-par builders and designs, you will have noise. If you cut costs, you will have noise. If you use crappy components, you will have noise.

If you buy a good amp instead of a shit amp, you wont have noise. Example: Engl Blackmore, or a VHT pitbull UL. Both are complicated as shit, multi channel switching, super high gain, etc. But theyre both quieter than a whisper, even when gain is maxed. My marshall gets noisey as hell... at gain levels lower than engls. Its just how they're built.

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I see, thanks.

Of course, I should have mentioned the fact that it depends on the quality of the components. Thanks for adding that.

By the way, you can't get ENGL amps over there and I can't get Mesa Boogie amps over here haha. This sucks! You need to go to the U.S. for yours and I've got to go to Italy for mine haha. To try them, of course.

Well, TBH, look at a schematic of a 5150 or Blue voodoo. Then, look at a schematic of an Uberschall or a Powerball. The 5150 and Blue Voodoo are quite a bit more complex, while the Uberschall and Powerball are more bare bones. It mainly has to do with cost. Peavey and Crate can easily use more components of lesser quality and/or voltage rating for cheaper than using fewer quality components because of the bulk that they can buy in. ENGL and Bogner will use the correct component for the job, and it will typically be a better component in general, so they can use a simpler design. Also, ENGL likes to use relays for switching, which are expensive. Crate or Peavey would instead use a slightly complex SS circuit that is much more cost effective.

Generally, you look at designs, and the cheaper ones will end up being more complex. Hell, the 5150 is designed off the SLO-100, but the 5150 is more complex, even though the SLO-100 is a $4k amp.

Thanks for your input, Amplitude.

The quality of the parts used in the circuitry is definitely something one has to keep in mind when getting a new amp.

Right now, I'm still researching on power amp saturation. Generally, people say Metal players prefer to overdrive the preamp but keep the power amp 'clean' 'cause power amp tube saturation produces 'sag' (I'm still not sure what this refers to exactly) and that is undesirable by Metal guitarists.

Sag is a natural compression that has a special charictaristic, it sounds uniquely "tube". What is is, its when the tubes are unable to fully charge at the attack of a string. You end up with a lower output at the attack, but the tube gradually charges to full output.

Thanks again. I haven't yet experienced power amp tube saturation, but I plan on getting a THD Hotplate attenuator or something and will be able to get it.

What gear do you use yourself, if I may ask?

Right now I am actually between a few different amps. I have a Crate Blue Voodoo which I am repairing to sell, when I get around to it. My other amp is a rack setup consiting of an ADA MP-1 and a Peavey Classic 60/60. I also have various different things, EQs, Power Conditioner, Tube Screamer. Both amps I have are being sold soon though, in favor of the custom amp I am getting ready to build. It will be kind of like an ultra-hi gain Marshall (think Splawn Nitro) with a bit of an extended bass and somewhat smoother and less raw (think Uberschall). It will be very tight, in the league of ENGL or VHT. My favorite frequency is mids, so that will be abundant, although I could build it however someone would want one. Once I decide on the transformers I want from Soulinsane (Mercury Magnetics) I will get to building it.

I agree. You can build some incredibility complicated amps and still maintain the raw musical energy if done with care and quality parts. A setup is only as good as its weakest part. I always like to make sure that weakest part is the skill of the player

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Oh, so you're going to build an amp by yourself? Cool! Me, I'm not ready for that yet. I imagine it will cost you a fortune?

Not really. Around $1000 US, and that includes chassis punches and other tools.

Cool. Will you be getting an EQ rack mount unit?

Nah, I'm just keeping my MXR 10-band Kerry King pedal. It does its job just as well as any other EQ, and the 2 outputs might become useful if I decide to run 2 amps at once.

Sorry for the late reply, Amplitude. I had a lot of e-mails to go through, including notifications for new replies such as this one.

How are you getting on with your equipment? I was thinking of getting an MXR 10-band eq pedal, but the regular one, not the Kerry King model. I'll look into the K.K. model, though. May I ask why you chose that one?

Musicianfriend only had the KK in stock, and I figured the 2 outputs may be useful at some point in my life. The gain boost is alright, too.

both 10 bands are identical except for the KK having 2 outputs. I have the plain 10 band with 1 output. Does the job perfectly.

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For some reason I thought only the KK one had a gain boost, but after looking it up, they both have em. Regardless, I didn't pay for it so I don't really care that their the same. I never recommended getting the KK one, for the record.

Two outputs meaning that it can be connected to two amps or something?

yes. Kerry's rig was guitar --> eq --> 2 different jcm 800's

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Two amps, huh... I imagine it's so that they can be connected in stereo mode instead of mono? Not sure.

Angus Young of AC/DC connects to two separate (and different) amps, too, but he does it 'cause he uses one for rhythm and the other for soloing.

Mono. 1 guitar = mono
unless of course it has a stereo output in which you could send your different pickups to different amps, but only rickenbacker makes those standard.

He had the 10 band KFK made so he only needed 1 pedal to boost both of his amps, instead of needing 3 (2 eqs, and a y splitter)

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the_bleeding: You gotta stop replying to my questions 'cause you're making me look like the dumbass that I am! Haha Jokes apart, dude... thanks. You know about guitars.

So the KK eq pedal can be used to eq two amps... I think I'd get that instead of the regular MXR eq pedal. Like Amplitude said, the two outputs may be useful at some point in life.

But it seems we haven't mentioned the reason for running two amps instead of one. Why? Sounds more powerful?

I have no idea why Kerry would. From what i understand they're dialed in the same. So probably more power/volume.

But then you get guys like Mark Morton from Lamb Of God... He uses 2 mesa mark IV's, but with the mids dialed in the opposite from each other on each head so he has a scooped head and a boosted head. Fills in the sound without making it terribly muddy.

And then you have the dudes from sunn. Who just have a pile of amps and turn them all to max and assault people with their volumes.

Does whatever you want man.

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if we take the maxim 'something is only as strong as it's weakest link',
then it follows that by adding more stuff to an amp, there is more change of something dragging the quality down or something going bad.

That doesnt neccecarily mean a amp with lots of parts is bad if the parts are all high quality..

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