I'm about to start touring and being in a "real band" I figure my Line 6 isn't pro enough, so I am looking for an affordable mean sounding tube amp.

I was thinking of a Carvin V3. Affordable and USA made. Yay or nay???

I want to get into tube territory, don't have mesa money and I'm afraid to try Bugera. Seem pretty brutal. Suicide Silence uses the V3. Shitty band, but it's a heavy guitar tone...so I know it can do what I want.....unless they are running some shit into it.

http://www.carvinguitars.com/produc...php?product=V3L

I know nothing about tube amps, so helping me pick a good one would be appreciated

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Hvaent tried the v3, and i dont know many people who have. Thtas the problem with carvin because they dont have suppliers, they just ship directly.

All that aside, whats your budget, and do you have any examples of what you want?

You can get heavy tones out of many, many things . For example, i'm running a homebuilt sunn model t clone (its like a darker, bassier fender tweed bassman) with a muff style fuzz up front and it is crushingly heavy.

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Thanks for helping. Budget wise, I wanna stay in the three figures. I'm still looking for a job, so I may end up touring a bit with the line 6! Oh well... As far as examples of what I want, I play in a melodic death metal (borderline deathcore) band...but we have a lot of oldschool influences. I know a lot of my favorite suffocation, cryptopsy and Cannibal Corpse tones were created with SS amps back in the day, but I want to see what all this tube talk is about. I recorded my EP on a dual rec, and honestly at first I didn't get why everyone was harping on SS amps. I still don't think the improvement is worth that much money, which is why I am opting out on expensive mesa heads.

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mesa's take a year to learn how to use, if you dont have friends telling you how. And even then, the only way to make them sound good is if they sound like everybody else.

That being said, 3 figures, go used peavey 6505/5150 whatever. If you absolutely need a clean channel, get the 6505+ or 5150II. They are the exact same amp, different label. People say theres a difference, they are straight up lying. Peavey had to change the name of the amp when Eddie Van Halen decided to end their contract. Dont get a new amp, new amps are a lose/lose situation - used amps however you manage to maintain the money you've spent if you decide to resell.

With htis amp, you can get into major brutal territory. http://www.myspace.com/splatterhouse is an example.

Run a boss hm-2 into one, and you'll sound liek Dismember or Bloodbath or Entombed.

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yeah 5150 is a cool choice. That's what some bands I like use. That's why I started to go with Bugera because they have a clone. But a used peavey would be better. My only concern is running a pedal. I dunno. Doesn't seem like you have the right amp if you need a pedal too. I just want to be taken seriously as a guitarist, people see my line 6 and laugh.

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lots of people use pedals. Nothin wrong with it. into my marshall i have a tubescreamer and an EQ and it sounds brootz.
Dismember and bloodbath both used hm-2 pedals for their sound. Cannibal corpse uses an mt-2 into a triple rectifier.

Its all about makin your own sound, and pedals change the palette. If i were you, i'd start with a 5150 and an eq to boost the low mids in the fx loop. 5150's are awesome by themselves, but an eq in the loop lets you accentuate the bits you like the most. Go to a Guitar Centre, ask for a guitar with an emg 85 in the bridge (if you can find one), and plug into a 5150. Keep the gain, presence, and treble around noon. You will probably everything except hte top end buzz - which can be removed with an eq pedal.

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Does the 85 in the bridge really kick that much ass? I think I might switch mine next time I change strings! I'll probably pick up a 6505, almost the same price as a carvin. My drummer has a boss metalzone he will let me have. I don't know how good that pedal is though, I've always been kinda anti-pedals.

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well the 5150 is a pretty bright amp, and the emg81 is a horribly bright pickup. The 85 will smooth it out tons. My fav tone is an Bareknuckle Warpig into a 5150, but theyre expensive. youtube bareknuckle warpig and you'll find a video. You'll also find a video of me playin my bluebeard through my marshall hahaha.

Now as for using the mt-2 with the 5150. Keep it on the crunch channel, put the gain on the amp between noon and 3 oclock, eq to preference.
Then with the mt-2, keep the gain as low as it goes, the eq's all at noon, and the volume at 3 oclock. Tweak eq to preference. Thats how i'd do it.

Although, right now, i'm having too much fun boosting my amp with a boss dd6. I set the mode to the shortest delay, put delay time at minimum, feedback at minimum, and volume to full. Experiment with stuff. You never know, you might just like the 5150 on its own.

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You have the cutest bunny

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hahahahha found my youtube channel have we? XD

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Just make sure you run an NS-2 with the 6505. And I wholeheartedly agree buying one used. Especially if you can score a bias modded one. They sound good without being modded but the mod adds that little extra IMO.

@the_bleeding Do you know exactly what Splatterhouse uses gear-wise? I fucking love them.

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not exactly, but i lurk their myspace every once in a while and i always see 5150's and crate blue voodoos.

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Cool man thanks. You have good taste in music.

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Yeah man. I love my NS-2 to death! It's the only thing I really use. I have a shitload of pedals, but most of them broke because they are digitech! My NS-2 and DS-1 are beat to shit...but they still come through. BOSS are some badass dudes. Too bad I don't really like the sound of the DS-1...I might be able to use it to soup up a 5150/6505 if needed. You think that would work?

As for splatterhouse...this thread was my introduction to them. Pretty awesome shit!

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ds-1 works interestingly as a boost. Just keep the gain low and the volume high. Lots of people like them modded though.

heres a decent demo of a 5150 and 5150II unboosted, with emg's.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiqTxktTEm8

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Thanks for the video kind sir. I really like those amps...even un-boosted. Awesome! I'm definitely gonna shoot for any 5150 I can find, be it I or II. But then again 6505 ARE the same thing, right? So that leaves me a good amount of options. Sadly I will not be able to get a new cab for the price that I will be paying for the head.....so I am taking the behringer plate off of my cab. Honestly it sounds really good. I think it's just the sheer size of it.

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Yessir. 6505 = 5150. 6505+ = 5150 II. They changed the name when they lost the contract with eddie van halen. Same amp, different name.

Eventually you'll wanna flip it for a new cab though. Those behringer cabs really make for a loss in tone. Eventually, i think you'd REALLY enjoy a marshall 400watt mode 4 cab - it has g12k100s, which are really metal speakers. EIther that, or a regular 1960, with 2 g12t-75s and 2v30's in an x position, also a brutal combo. Just keep it as a goal, and you'll get it eventually.

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Yeah man. I'm definitely getting a new cab, just not soon....

BUT the behringer I have is a limited edition with Jensen speakers! kinda lessens the shit factor!...but not much I guess.

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want a fun project to make it sound better?

Step by step.

1. Take off the back.
2. Line all of the inner corners, and where the handles meet the wood with caulking. This will make it more air tight.
3. Replace speaker wire inside with 14 or 16 gauge wire - will make a decent difference, but probably not much because the cable that connects head to cab is probably 18 ga anyway.

it shouldnt take much time. Hell, you could even skip the wire part and it will make a tiny difference. If your cab seems to be woofing out, you can put some egg carton foam on the inner walls of the cab too. Just not on the baffle - as in the panel of wood that the speakers sit on. That thing should remain bare.

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I don't have my cab at home to look at...it's at my practice place...but would I just peel off the tolex, then unscrew the back plank? Seems like a pretty simple modification, and every little bit helps so I will definitely try. Don't know if I have the know how to replace the wiring, but I'm sure I could find something to teach me. I'm sure it's hella simple too.

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no tolex peeling hahahha. There should be screws on the back panel holding it in, on top of the tolex.

If that isnt the case, your cab is probably front loaded, and the screws are in the grill at the front.

If neither are the case, your cab is front loaded, and the grill is probably affixed with velcro hahaha.

But yeah, to learn how to do the wiring, you have to know how to solder. Its not that hard, just watch a few vids and make sure you have a 25-35 watt iron. Also, when it comes to soldering stranded cable (like speaker cable), its REALLY nice to have a dropper of flux on hand. Check out tubedepot's youtube channel, the video where they make guitar cables. He shows you how to use flux, and solders up a cable tip in 3 seconds.

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Shoot for a 5150 if you can. Reason I say that is because they are older and more likely to have better tubes and possibly bias modded. I bought a new 6505 for $700 and while the tubes are ok and everything I've heard other 5150s with different tubes that IMO added that little extra. If you look at my youtube channel (same name as here) all my covers except for the Dying Fetus one are done with a completely stock 6505.

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I just remembered I got a deal with Madison amps. Not an endorsement or anything, but I some help, lol. So honestly...I think I will try to take that up. That way I can get an armored cab too. Actually I got the deal a long ass time ago and never acted on it because my band broke up...but we got back together and I sent them some unfinished tracks to see if they are still interested...so maybe that will work out for me, if not...back to 5150 hunting.

But if I still want to improve my behringer cab...the only screws I noticed were on the corners. So it probably is front loaded...I guess. I don't know what I'm talking about.

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Careful with madison's. Their durability and quality control was out the window. Cabs are fine though. They can be found used for like... 300$ hahaha.

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Yeah, I've heard some stuff about that. Supposedly it's been addressed. But if I can get my deal back...for the price it won't be too bad if it craps out, I can pay for it to get fixed and still profit off of it if I decide to sell it.

Hopefully that won't happen though...

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yeah, about that. They have NO resale value. You will probably be hard pressed to even get half of its original value back if you decide to resell, and that is, if you find somebody who actually wants to buy one. People simply dont trust them.

Oh, and the original madison models, i forget what they are, are literally jcm2000 clones. On the inside, theyre identical to a marshall dsl100 and tsl100, except with cheaper components, and a slight tube change, and less reliability haha.

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Ah well, if it's free......

I'll still buy a gnarly peavey and have two amps. And I can use my madison cab!

3 year warranty too. Just found that out.

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I'm honestly thinking about picking up a good Solid State amp...I don't know shit about tubes or biasing or anything, I don't want something to happen on the road and me be lost.

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biasing is easy, especially on amps with built in bias controls.

All you need is a multimeter, a 1ohm resistor, and 2 wires with alligator clips.
Multimeter can be a 10$ radioshack or home depot piece of crap. Guitar amps are NOT precision instruments, so yo udont need precision.

First rule: one hand stays in your pocket - you dont want electricity coursing up your arms and through your heart.

now step by step.

1. Turn amp on! measure plate voltage! set your meter to 600vdc, attach one wire to ground (anywhere on the chassis), and the othe rone probes pin3 of the power tubes. They will all be the same across the tubes.

2. Discharge caps - this can be done by UNPLUGGING your amp from the wall, and attach alligator clip to pin 1 of your first preamp tube, and the chassis. Wait for like 10 minutes.

3. Cross reference your measured voltage with this list to figure out how many ma you're aiming for. http://www.webervst.com/tubes1/calcbias.htm

4. Attach your 1 ohm resistor to pin 8, and ground. Do this for each tube or set of tubes that has a bias control.

6. Clip your meter to pin 8, and ground as well. This makes it a PARALLEL circuit - this is necessary.

7. Turn your amp on, let it warm up fo ra half an hour.

8. Turn off standby so it is in play mode, set meter to 100-200vdc. Make this number match up with the ma number from the reference list. That is to say, if you're aiming for 45ma, you want your meter to read 45vdc.
usually theres a pot to make these numbers align, but some amps dont have them and have to be retrofitted. Peavey's dont have a bias control, and just fix the bias really cold so you dont damage tubes, but can swap em in and out anywya.


Total time of labor that it takes me to bias my amp is about 5 minutes. I have my 1ohm resistors preinstalled, so that helps, but yeah, its pretty easy. Im actually redesigning my bias circuit so that current only flows through the 1ohm resistors when my meter is plugged into my amp, and the circuit is defeated when you unplug through a switch

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You're like the patron saint of guitar amps dude. I don't know shit. I just get on stage and play my stuff, then I go try to get ass.

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hahaha man, i just did a lot of reading so i could build my sunn clone. And when i got into it, it seemed the whole world was against me, most professionals wouldnt help me, and any questions i asked were answered with "clearly you dont know what you're doing, so im not guna say anything so you dont die". Most amp builders are fucking assholes, and im not guna be that guy.

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I got a 5150 II. Now I just need a good brutal cab. I have a behringer right now, but I took the logo off and cosmetically, it matches the 5150!

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Not only do I need to know of a good cab, I need to know what tubes to buy. I'm just woried about the four 6l6 tubes in the poweramp. But I see a lot of tubes that are 6l6gc and a6l6c and a bunch of weird stuff...will anything 6l6 be fine? plus I noticed tubes come in hard, medium and soft...can anyone help me?

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dont buy groove tubes. Theyre chinese or russian tubes that have been relabeled, and marked up in price.

For 6l6's, the best choice are SED winged C 6l6's. They are pretty expensive (100$-120$ a quad), but they do stand head and shoulders above everything else.

Hell, even the electroharmonix or tungsols are better than the groove tubes, and are way less.

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cool, stay away from groove tubes. The kid who sold me the amp told me to get groove tubes. I don't know if I can afford the 100 bucks a quad yet....I owe my band fund some money. but as long as it says 6l6, it will work...right? I don't need to worry about the letters after it? like 6l6GC? and what about the hard, medium or soft? Sorry for all the questions...I don't want to waste money or fuck up my amp...I'm practically in love with it.

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alright. The letters after it are just for telling the differences between it and a standard 6l6. GC means it takes higher voltages and is able to produce higher wattage. That being said, your amp, the 5150, was designed to be shipped out el-cheapo chinese tubes, so it will take any 6l6 variant. GC and whatnot dont matter in the long run, they will all work.

Now, only groove tubes offers low medium and high options, and it basically tells you how far off the tube is from a normal production, and what tones it will offer you. The lows distort fast, and the highs stay clena, and the medium are just in the middle. Groove tubes charges you a premium for this testing and rating system, which is why theyre so goddamned expensive.

If you're on a budget, may i suggest Sovtek 6L6WXT+'s, or the JJ's. Read the reviews over at www.thetubestore.com, and check prices at www.tubedepot.com
Tubestore has good reviews, tubedepot has good prices. Reason being is that tubestore is canadian so they get hit by our govt hard with taxes and duty... while tubedepot is in the US and pays less.

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hahaha sounds like me.




By the way vader cabs are pricey, but if you want to be able to keep a heavy bassy tone, they're really fucking nice.
with a peavey head combo that might be perfect.