PLease, help me to decide... AMP CHOICE QUESTION...

I'm about to purchase my first tube combo amp, and it came to these three/four:

1. Fender Hot Rod Deluxe / Blues Deluxe reissue

2. Marshall JCM2000 DSL401

3. Randall RG50TC


I like tone of the following guitarists: Eric Johnson, SRV, David Gilmour, John Petrucci, Andy Timmons, Mark Knopfler, Eric Clapton, Steve Vai, Guthrie Gowan, Richie Kotzen, Vlatko Stefanovski (awsome Macedonian guitar virtuoso who plays BD, HRDx and Vox AC-30 with couple of pedals on stage)... I know I won't be getting the same tones as these guys, but in addition to the amp, I'll go for the Analogman DS-1 and/or BD-1 or most likely one of the new VOX Cooltron tube overdrive pedals (the one with two modes) with T.C. Electronic G-major for the effects (or skip T.C. and buy chorus, delay and one or two more pedals... that's another thread to be started)) - I'm a sucker for delay and chorus - Eric Johnson has grail tone - to me...

The thing that bothers me with Fender that it might have a great clean channel, but the lead is poorer, and it has shared EQ for all channels. It has 40W and it is made in Mexico. 6L6 tubes. Blues hasn't got the "more drive'" thing, but I think I won't use it, anyway...

Randall has 50W, two separate channels with their EQ, two modes on each channel, and as I read, Marshall-esque flavored sound. It has EL34 tubes and it is made in China.

Marshall is also 40W, two separate channels with boost on overdrive and it has EL84 tubes. Parallel loop.

I read somewhere (maybe on this forum) that HRD has somewhat of linear volume that it doesn't get louder above 5, and that is quite touchy in 0-5 range...

I'm torn between having a HRD/BD and bunch of pedals through a great (if that is the story with HRD/BD, that it has great clean channel) clean channel, or go for the Randall (or Marshall, being similar amp) that has two gain modes (vitage and modern) and its clean channel with some kind of a boost that sets it in light blues breakup...

These three/four amps are in the neighbourhood of 600-650 euros...

Please, help me if you can, this thing is getting the best of me! I need to close this thing and buy any of these three cause I need amp ASAP, and don't know which one to choose.

Please, suggest some settings for testing these amps, cause I'll be doing it within next few days.



Thank you.


mullmuzzler | OSSMT

None of the above

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Originally Posted by MMP

None of the above

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:appl:



mullmuzzler | OSSMT

Yeah, sorry, can't recommend any of those for what you describe.

Okay, to be fair, I know nothing about the Randall which is why I can't recommend it.

As for the HRD, take some time and read a bunch of the HRD threads here. Sounds like you already have, but still, read more.

Sounds to me like EJ is the top choice for sounds you want, so I'd look more to an older style Marshall--a 50-watt something or other. I am consistently underwhelmed by the DSL-401. I do think it has a nice clean sound, but (as I've been thinking a lot about "classic" Marshall tone lately), the 401 doesn't have it in my opinion.

Given the wide range of things you like, I'd say go for an amp that has a great clean tone and augment the rest with pedals. I.e., DRRI, SRRI, TRRI, depending on your preference for the exact clean tone and the wattage. If memory serves, EJ has done the two-amp thing with a set of Twin Reverbs in stereo for clean, then the Marhsall for leads.

What you are looking for does not exist in a single amp short of the boutique stuff and I'm not 100% sure it exists there. Most amps are good at one thing and not the other. Either great cleans or good distortion.
I don't know much about what's available in Europe.
So maybe
VoxAC30 or
a Used Marshall JCM800....1982 or earlier
or if you have to go Fender then a Deluxe Reverb RI + a good dirt pedal.(MI Audio CrunchBox, hand made in Australia)

A Bogner Shiva is a nice amp too for about $3000 USD

I recuse myself from this question.

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Originally Posted by General Specific

I recuse myself from this question.

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Do you love or hate your HRDLX this week, General?

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Originally Posted by curtisstetka

Do you love or hate your HRDLX this week, General?

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Oh, I love it. It's the best amp ever. In fact, it's too good for me. Look for it on Ebay!

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Originally Posted by General Specific

I recuse myself from this question.

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And a good move that is... :D

Stay away from the HRDx. You'd be barking up the wrong tree.

I'd get the DRRI, a Fuzz Face clone, and a Chandler Tube Driver if you're going for the EJ sound. Or an earlier Marshall and some good pedals. But for versatility, you can't beat a DRRI and some quality pedals. Great Verb, fantastic cleans, and whatever flavors of OD/Distortion/Fuzz you want. If you want to nail the clean sound of Desert Rose or 40 Mile Town you'd want a delay pedal, too.

Edited to add:
OK, reread your post. You'll never cover all the ground with one amp, but I'd have to say that if you get the Keeley-modded Blues Driver and a Cooltron, and use the TC for FX, you can get very very close with the DRRI.

Best-case scenario? DRRI and an 18W Marshall clone head into a 2x12 cab. But then you're into the big bux.

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Originally Posted by General Specific

Oh, I love it. It's the best amp ever. In fact, it's too good for me. Look for it on Ebay!

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:up :applaudit

try a valvetronix?

I can't say enough good things about my Valvetronix AD30VT. Surprising amp - got it for $206 on a MF sale!

I have the HRdlx and the eq thing really does bother me. Decent sounding amp though. There are a lot of HRdlx threads on here. Many from the same people but still a lot. Mine died after 6 months. It's been good now. I'm still a little concerned about reliability.
Someone mentioned the Deluxe Reverb Reissue. There are as many people praising it as there are dogging the Hot Rod. It's a one trick pony but it's a great trick. It's 22 loud watts.

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Given the wide range of things you like, I'd say go for an amp that has a great clean tone and augment the rest with pedals. I.e., DRRI, SRRI, TRRI, depending on your preference for the exact clean tone and the wattage. If memory serves, EJ has done the two-amp thing with a set of Twin Reverbs in stereo for clean, then the Marhsall for leads.

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Well, you are right; after all, I'd go for the BD or SRRI and Cooltron with T.C.

EJ uses two Twins in stereo for clean and two Marshall JMPs for rhythm/lead with Fuzz Face and Butler Tube Driver...

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What you are looking for does not exist in a single amp short of the boutique stuff and I'm not 100% sure it exists there.

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I didn't say that... Basically, I wanted from people on this forum to recommend me a Fender amp in given price range (after all, this is Fender forum)... Marshall and Randall were brought up just for the opposite side of equation, if you know what I mean...

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Stay away from the HRDx. I'd get the DRRI, a Fuzz Face clone, and a Chandler Tube Driver if you're going for the EJ sound. Or an earlier Marshall and some good pedals. But for versatility, you can't beat a DRRI and some quality pedals. Great Verb, fantastic cleans, and whatever flavors of OD/Distortion/Fuzz you want.

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Is HRDx that bad? I think that after all SRRI is out of my price range, I'm affraid, + it doesn't have a MID pot, I think...

If I can't get SRRI, which one shoud I get: BDx or HRDx?

I wouldn't get a Marshall as my only one amp cause of the clean channel... If I can afford one int the future, I will surely get one vintage head... I think that clean is more important to me cause I can use several pedals to produce creamy liquidy lead, but I can't use a pedal to make a dirty amp clean...:smile:

Cooltrons are cool tube pedals... Nice if you can't afford Butler or H&K...

For some strange reason, BDx is cheaper than HRDx in a store near me (both new - BDX is around 90 eur cheaper)... I don't think that they have SRRI... SRRI has tube driven reverb if I'm not mistaken, and BDx and HRDx solid state... Which one is better...?


mullmuzzler | OSSMT

Go for the BDx. I had one for 11 years (was just stolen). It was a good reliable amp. It doesn't have the OD channel like the HR's, but those don't sound good anyway. I used a moded TS-9 to get my OD and it worked great. You can even get a RAT pedal to get you into the Marshall arena.

A used BDx can be had for $400 US.

Questions we need before reccomending anything

1) Are you gigging or using it for home use? That will have a big effect on the choice.

2) What axe?

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Originally Posted by Offshore Angler

Questions we need before reccomending anything

1) Are you gigging or using it for home use? That will have a big effect on the choice.

2) What axe?

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I'm not gigging - currently... I'll be using it at home for practice and in friend's studio for recording. I have '91 Ibanez RG550 (H-S-H) and I'm shopping for two-tone sunburst strat. I'm building two guitars at the moment, 7 string (my own design) and a 6 string (with non-locking trem (H-S-S), my take on Suhr Standard).

mullmuzzler | OSSMT

I'll second (or third) the recommendation for a Vox AD30VT. Lots of different sounds in a small package. I would think for recording it would be a great choice. It will handle small gigs too.

Check out Carvin amps. You get the best of both worlds, Fender Clean and Marshall crunch.

Which model?