Can't pick amp head.

[BC6x3]

ok so I'm pissed about not being able to choose between these two heads
Randall v2h
Hughes & Kettner Switchblade

V2H pros: onboard 6 band graphic EQ, presence and density control, which is very good cause I'm a tone freak, sounds great, 400 watts so really loud, looks cool (always a good thing), trusted brand.
V2H cons: really heavy, I dont know how 400 watts would be in practice or smaller gigs.

Switchblade pros: several onboard editable effects, not as loud so good for practice and smaller gigs, sounds really good.
Switchblade cons: not as loud, lacks tone shaping controls, I've had no experience with hughes and kettner.

please keep in mind that I'm in a death metal band and need the absolute most badass tone. thanks.

 

[ColoSSuS]

Hughes and Kettner are amazing, but probably not for what you're doing.
I don't know anything about Randalls.
Personally, I've been looking at gettin an ENGL 2x12 cab and using an EHX 44 Magnum power amp pedal and just using effects pedals for my tone shaping.
And you can never go wrong with a Triple Rectifier. Blackstar also makes some damn nice products for the price.

Oh and believe me, you DON'T want 400 Watts. In fact, you want as low a wattage you can get. With an all tube amp, you'll want to crank the volume so you can get the natural overdrive before having to use distortion controls. And really, an all tube amp, 100Watts is enough to play for a crowd of around 5,000

 

[cwhitey2]

Switchblades are tight. My buddy uses one in his band. The thing is so beast live.

The Last Ten Seconds of Life on Myspace Music - Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures & Music Downloads Here is a link to his band, its pro recorded to give you an idea of what it can do.

 

[Albionic]

switchblade is also fully midi switchable(i think the randall just channel switches i could be wrong) and comes with the pedal included in the price (are yoiu listening line6?) a big plus for me
other guitarist in my band has one on its way to him i'll let you know how it is

randall may be 400 watts but it has a solid state power section wheras the switchblade has a valve one the volumes will be pretty similar i think
both should be more than loud enough

 

[pac1085]

The randall isn't really 400w unless your running it at 2 or 4 ohms. Its 280 into an 8 ohm load and 140 into a 16 ohm load. I have one and it sounds amazing through my 2x12 with g12t-75s at low volumes. Even at practice levels.

 

[meisterjager]

Wattage doesn't have much to do with how 'loud' an amp is. Especially when you're talking tube vs solid state

 

[OwainXerath]

Finally, a comparison thread where I've tried both

Switchblade every time. They're just great sounding amps, fancy effects or not. The Randall *does* do a good death metal sound. I think Organic Hallucinosis by Decapitated was using a V2 (could be wrong) and it sounds massive!

400W does sound sound a lot, but it's a transistor amp, not a tube amp. Don't get me wrong, it's f*cking loud, but don't expect 4x100W. The Switchblade is versatile enough to cover all bases really well, and they have character. From what I got out of the Randall you can get a Dimebag sound OR a Vogg sound.

 

[Dru_WaXaW]

I'm going to use my first ever post on this forum to side with the H&K folks. The Switchblade/Coreblade series is one of the best sounding amps I've ever played through. I've never personally been a fan of Randall amps, though they may be to your liking. The Switch/Core series has such an amazing amount of clarity and character and they are built extremely well.

If you're playing a gig btw, where you would need to blow a room away with 400 watts, loudest doesn't necessarily mean "best sounding". A powerful 100 watts should work just fine. Get whatever has the sound you want.

 

[Overtone]

I've had some reliability issues with my H&K Switchblade and found the US customer support to be really lacking. No responses to the emails I sent to the address on the US website. None of the repair centers in TX listed on their site would provide me with warranty service... they had more or less ended their relationship with H&K. I ended up having to go to a local guy out of pocket. Afterwards I ended up chatting with their PR guy in Germany and he was appalled at what had happened and did really help me out by sending me a replacement footswitch, no questions asked. The amp is having problems again and I'm not sure I want to shell out more dough to have it fixed since I've moved onto a different amp and I would hate to spend money on a repair only to have it crap out again, so I'm waiting till I happen to be buddies with a tech. If you want to buy my Switchblade and fix it I can make you a hell of a deal... it's a simple component issue, something that must be overheating.

 

[cwhitey2]

I've had some reliability issues with my H&K Switchblade and found the US customer support to be really lacking. No responses to the emails I sent to the address on the US website. None of the repair centers in TX listed on their site would provide me with warranty service... they had more or less ended their relationship with H&K. I ended up having to go to a local guy out of pocket. Afterwards I ended up chatting with their PR guy in Germany and he was appalled at what had happened and did really help me out by sending me a replacement footswitch, no questions asked. The amp is having problems again and I'm not sure I want to shell out more dough to have it fixed since I've moved onto a different amp and I would hate to spend money on a repair only to have it crap out again, so I'm waiting till I happen to be buddies with a tech. If you want to buy my Switchblade and fix it I can make you a hell of a deal... it's a simple component issue, something that must be overheating.

i have heard that too actually, my buddies needed work and he had a hell of a time getting someone to work on it.

 

[Scookers]

Absolute badass tone for death metal? Did you consider the Peavey 6505 or 5150? I've got the 6505+. When everyone else is having trouble with their gear, I plug straight in with a sonic maximizer and a noise gate and blow them out of the water. Best part about it is that it's made in the USA and it's about the same price as the switchblade. They are just a great metal amp. And in my experience, those tubes make a huge difference. That 120 watt tube head just plows my old 100 watt valvestate into the next galaxy. And wattage is really not the big factor. My Peavey gets better and better sounding the more you turn it up. At about 4, I'm overpowering everyone else at practice. This is usual of any tube amp, though. That's why people go for a 50 watt tube head or an attenuator. Just trying to help you out in your search for that death metal tone to die for. Also consider I love the old Swedish death metal tone like Entombed and Dismember. That head also cuts right through the rest of the band too. Just reduces everything in its path to ash. Hope this helps. Good luck with the choice you make.

 

[Gemmeadia]

I have a Peavey 6505+ and it seriously gave me my dream tone all the way up until i stopped playing live. I would DEFINITELY recommend at least trying one out before you make a decision! I spent awhile in your shoes testing out heads, and this one came out on top and never failed! In fact im keeping it in my closet because i know it will be ready for me when i decide to play live again.

Just make sure whatever head you choose.. get a NOISE SUPRESSOR! (NS2 or ISP Decimator) It will make everything tight, and you will still keep the thick and heavy tone.

 

[maggotspawn]

Peavey XXX is another to look into. I have 2 XXX heads, love em.