Need some advice on a amp head

ajdebeer

Marshall or blackstar i own a gibson les paul studio and want a amp with a good gain channel. If you say which on please recommend a model and why.

Thank you

Gearhead

Need more info: do you intend for the amp to keep up with a drummer in a band setting? If you are talking gain, do you mean bucket loads of gain or classic rock kind of gain?

ajdebeer

Classic rock like guns and roses I'm looking at the ma100 from Marshall its going to be use in a studio most of the time.

Im just worried of the sound quality of the ma cause its Marshall entry level amps

Gearhead

Using it for studio work, the 100W is a silly idea (says he who just got one). For the purpose, I would rather go for the 1974X or DSL15H with for instance a 1936 cab. You don't want to be in the same booth as the amp when cranked, but at least you will be able to put it at 10 without cracking any windows.

I don't know Blackstar amps but from what forumites are saying, it looks like the gain is different sounding from Marshall.

ajdebeer

Yea i watch a few reviews on both Marshall and blackstar both sounds very well. The reason why i want a 100w amp is when i go out and play and i need to power a hall or something like that it must be able to do. The thing that bothers me some amps gain don't work that well on low volume you need to crank them up and yea don't like that. My budget for the head is about 7 too 8 k

warrenpridgeon

ajdebeer wrote: Yea i watch a few reviews on both Marshall and blackstar both sounds very well. The reason why i want a 100w amp is when i go out and play and i need to power a hall or something like that it must be able to do. The thing that bothers me some amps gain don't work that well on low volume you need to crank them up and yea don't like that. My budget for the head is about 7 too 8 k

When you go out and play.. why not just mic the cab up? That way you make the sound guys job easier (unless it's just going to be you playing alone?).

From personal experience, I would have bought a DSL15H if I had known then what I know now... (Actually thinking of trying to build a lowish watt tube amp sometime). I have the DSL40 which has a 12 inch speaker... and it PUMPS... If you could get away with a smaller amp... do it... and it will be cheaper... my DSL40 cost me around R8000 new... and it does quite a decent classic rock tone (IMO).

free2rhyme

The blackstar amps are actually great. The ones below 10k, they have great gain, I have an ht1 for practice at home and love it.

Go try a ht20 head, you would be surprised especially with the new isf knob they have and full valve, the gain stage has enough for metl and even nu-metal territory.

Im a hi-gain enthusiast, I haven't come across a Marshall I've liked in a while, the jvm were ok but for 15k plus it's pretty steep especially you can't really use 100w valve everywhere

Gearhead

ajdebeer wrote: The reason why i want a 100w amp is when i go out and play and i need to power a hall or something like that it must be able to do.

No. We're not in the seventies anymore and no-one plays stadiums through their wall of stacks. Everyone mics up, even in small church setups.

ajdebeer wrote: The thing that bothers me some amps gain don't work that well on low volume you need to crank them up and yea don't like that.

...which is why you want a small valve amp cranked and not a 100W. Actually 18W is too much already, but it is one of the smaller push/pull amp sizes.

ajdebeer

That makes alot off sense thanks i guess i just like the look of a full stack with a 100w Marshall head haha

aubs1

Gearhead wrote:
ajdebeer wrote: The reason why i want a 100w amp is when i go out and play and i need to power a hall or something like that it must be able to do.
No. We're not in the seventies anymore and no-one plays stadiums through their wall of stacks[/b]. Everyone mics up, even in small church setups.

Well ..... maybe , just maybe, some still do, they even mic up the stacks ...... ?

warrenpridgeon

ajdebeer wrote: That makes alot off sense thanks i guess i just like the look of a full stack with a 100w Marshall head haha

Check these ous out! LOL!