Non ADA Gear > Amps
Modern Sounding Power Amp for MP1
rnolan:
For the $s, I'd proffer that a Carvin TS100 is the pick if you want a "new" tube poweramp. In the SS stream, a B200s is hard to go past, but they are all very old (albeit very reliable) these days. In the SS territory the DCM 200l makes lots of sense. I also like the Mesa power amps, but they tend to be expensive.
Griphook:
I think I'll go with a Tube amp. The question is, which one.
The Mesa does not have a bridging function IIRC.
I recetnly saw a Peavey Calssic 50 50. Is it comparable to the Carvin?
rnolan:
If you're happy to lug a brick, the TS100 is the pick of that bunch IMO. It's actually lighter than many others (though still quite heavy). You get a presence knob (I have no use for, plenty in the MP1/2) a bridge mode (but only if you use the same output tubes for each channel, you can use 6L6 one side and EL34 the other if you want), and you can run 6L6 or EL34 tubes, mine has 6L6. A new Messa will cost you your house, and aren't any better, the Peavy will be a good amp but $$$ ?? Also I can't vouch for the transparency of the Messa or Peavy, they are very much "for guitar amps". They are all good amps though and will all do the job.
Damn-Danny:
You can check on You Tube 2 Russian handbuild tube preamps for more modern metal gain.
The Yerasov Detonator P ( 5 12ax7,s) on ebay I bought one for 480 euro's icl. shipping.
Or on Reverb a Kartakou Colossos (5150 based) 435 euro's excl. shipping , but some 40 euro's
:headbanger:
Chip Roberts:
I've tried a bunch of power amps and had different results with all of them.
If you're looking for a "modern" metal type sound, I recommend putting it through the FX return of a high gain amp head or combo, or really anything with big fat power tubes. I've been running my MP1 through a Jet City 333, 100 watts with EL84s and it sounds huge for those metal chugging riffs. It does color your sound a bit, which might not be a bad thing for what you're looking for; it's all a matter of preference.
I've also run the same setup through the effects return of my Line 6 Spider Valve 112; it's a tube/digital hybrid Line 6 put out for a few years. The power section is all tube, 2 6L6s, and I quite like the sound of this. For 40 watts of all tube power it gets really loud for such a small combo.
For solid state, I've used a MosValve 1160, which is a bit rare. I'm not sure how the 962s sound, though they're much more common and can be bought for ~$150USD. It had a nice color to it, I found it added a bit of brightness and bite and was decently suited to metal. It really shines on cleans, plus it looks nice in the rack ::)
I've also run a Marshall Valvestate 8004. This is the younger, 40w brother to the 8008 and lacks the controls on the front panel; it's either on or off, so you would need to use the last item in your signal chain to dial in your volume. I believe it has 1 tube in there, but I think it's just for show. I've seen Ola Englund replace the tube in a Valvestate head and get radically different results, so I could be wrong. Otherwise, it's solid state but very very good, especially if you can get the 1U version. There's a linear switch on the back so you can A/B which route you want to go. I've played my setup through the 8004 and through the power section of a JVM410 and liked the 8004 better.
My main power amp now, however, is the B200s. Something about it is just the nicest, cleanest sound, to my ears. I've been using it for my cleans and leads when recording, and when gigging with my casino band it gets the range of tones I'm after. Again, if you want that modern metal sound, you might want to look elsewhere, but do give it a try if you have the opportunity. It has a nifty plug on the back too, just in case you need an extra one.
Those have been my experiences with power amps. I've liked them all in different ways, and I've had a lot of fun comparing and contrasting them; that's half the fun of building your rig! Given your budget, I think you're set to get pretty much anything you want outside of the T100s, which is really rare and apparently weighs a metric ton. I've always been curious about the Engls and Mesas, but can't justify spending $600 for a power amp when I already have a bunch :facepalm:
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