Metalcore/Deathcore Amp Head

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Hey guys. For the past few months I've been on a search for a new amp. I decided to go with a half stack but I cannot decide on what amp head to get. I love the sound of Mesa Dual Rectifiers, but I do not have that much money. The most I can spend on the head is $1,100 give or take. I refuse Peavey 6505's and Line 6's. Can someone help me out? I need a good metalcore tone like August Burns Red or Killswitch Engage. Preferably 100+ watts.
 

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Carvin V3.

Whats wrong with 6505's? You could get a second hand Recto.

How are Carvins? I've never played one. And every time I play a 6505+ I've spent time EQ'ing it but im not the best at it. I just can never get a good sound out of it.
 

habicore_5150

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ABR uses 5150 heads (dunno if they still do, havent checked lately), KsE used 5150s at one point before, Chelsea Grin uses 6505s (dunno either standard or plus, was mentioned in a thread about a rig rundown of bands who played Thrash and Burn)

*EDIT*
forget what i said about the 5150/6505 bit

some 5150/6505 owners use a good OD pedal going into the front end to give it a touch more gain, shape the EQ and whatnot
i mean i have a 5150 running into an old Laney 4x12 cab loaded with Celestion G12-70s, and im still trying to get something decent out of it until i can cash in on a good OD and a noise gate
 

metulkult

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How are Carvins? I've never played one. And every time I play a 6505+ I've spent time EQ'ing it but im not the best at it. I just can never get a good sound out of it.

The typical metalcore amps are as follows...

Mesa Dual Rectifier
Marshall JCM 800 (boosted)
Peavey 6505/5150
Splawn Nitro
Framus Cobra

At least from what I've heard. Adam D records almost exclusively with Splawn Nitro's, Framus Cobra's, and Soldano SLO's.

You can find Cobra's for about 1200 used if you look.
 
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This is where I get confused. EVERYONE recommends 6505/5150. I haven't tried a 5150 but I played the 6505 and had the guy at guitar center (who uses one) EQ it for me, and it just sounded horrid. I tried another one and still no dice. I just don't see what I did wrong if that many people suggest it.
 

Andii

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This is where I get confused. EVERYONE recommends 6505/5150. I haven't tried a 5150 but I played the 6505 and had the guy at guitar center (who uses one) EQ it for me, and it just sounded horrid. I tried another one and still no dice. I just don't see what I did wrong if that many people suggest it.

You have to plug into a good cab. The wrong cab can definitely make anything sound awful. Speakers are critical.

Anything with celestion V30s is excellent. My favorite is Mesa rec. 4x12s.

After you're going through a good cab it will be really easy to dial in a 5150/6505. You can put everything on 5 and it sounds like sex times 1000.

Putting the right OD out front filters what comes into the preamp. You use a TS type pedal for that. A TS7, TS9 TS808, Maxon OD9 etc. etc. Is great. It's just important that it's a TS style pedal with the appropriate eq circuitry.

Some examples would be Whitechapel's albums. Their newest effort was a 5150 and This is Exile was a 6505. If you like that sound, that is what you should go for.

TS pedal>5150/6505>mesa rec. 4x12 with v30s
 
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Some examples would be Whitechapel's albums. Their newest effort was a 5150 and This is Exile was a 6505. If you like that sound, that is what you should go for.

Whoa! I didn't know Whitechapel used 6505/5150. That gives me hope. I just wish I knew someone who had one where I could test it on a better cab. Each one I've played was on the 6505 matching cab, I take it that one is bad?
 

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What kind of a sound are you after? Remenber that guitar just all by itself is supposed to sound a bit rought and peaky to cut through and to sound good in the live mix. Especially when you play with tunings below D standard the clarity and cutting of the sound will be fundamental things.

The guitar alone isn't supposed to sound like August Burns Red on their CD's, because there is tons of different amps, bass, and studio magic on top of the basic guitar sound.
 

metulkult

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This is where I get confused. EVERYONE recommends 6505/5150. I haven't tried a 5150 but I played the 6505 and had the guy at guitar center (who uses one) EQ it for me, and it just sounded horrid. I tried another one and still no dice. I just don't see what I did wrong if that many people suggest it.

EQ it to your liking. Then try it again.
Maybe with a boost and a good cab. The cab can effect your tone a lot more than you think.
 

AlexWadeWC

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Whoa! I didn't know Whitechapel used 6505/5150. That gives me hope. I just wish I knew someone who had one where I could test it on a better cab. Each one I've played was on the 6505 matching cab, I take it that one is bad?

Yes, the 6505/5150 cabs are horrific (in my opinion). There is nothing better for metalcore/deathcore than a 6505 or 5150 into a Mesa 4x12 with V30's.

This Is Exile was a 6505 not boosted into a Mesa 2x12, and our new cd A New Era of Corruption was a 5150 boosted with a Maxon OD 808 into a Mesa 4x12.
 

Andii

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Whoa! I didn't know Whitechapel used 6505/5150. That gives me hope. I just wish I knew someone who had one where I could test it on a better cab. Each one I've played was on the 6505 matching cab, I take it that one is bad?

I haven't played a peavey cab before. I don't know if it's bad awful or unusable, but you aren't going to get the appropriate sound from it, I'm 100% sure of that. I also know that I never see anyone using a Peavey cab and there is probably a good reason for that.
 

Sepultorture

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the 6505 cab is far too muffled sounding, if you want a cheap cab with a much more decent sound, good for metal, would be the joe satriani JSX cab

used is pretty much the route your gunna have to go with that budget if you want to pass on the 6505, but i myself recommend the 6505, it's all in the boost and cabinet you use, seriously, try out the 6505 head on any cab you can, guitar center or whatever big name place you got near you will work, once you tried it out on a cab and achieved a damn near good tone to your ears, then try experimenting with boosts, tube screamers, maxon od808, this will get you in the right direction, if all fails, keep looking, find your tone, and sorry bud but you gunna have to buy used unless you can bump up your budget
 

budda

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If you don't want to go used, you won't find anything that stands out.

Used Soldano Avenger, get R done.
 

xCaptainx

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5150/6505 + maxon od808 + cab with V30's. Thousands of metalcore/deathcore bands use this combo and thousands of bands get great tone from it. You cant go wrong. I posted the settings I used with this setup a few days ago and they were identical to Unearth/Killswitch/Parkway settings.
 

budda

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To be clear, the Soldano I suggested is the lead channel of a Soldano SLO-100. You'll stand out ;)
 

Mop

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Pretty much the only reason not to go with a 5150/6505 in this situation would be if you wanted a good clean channel.
Any reason why you aren't considering going used? You could put the saved money towards a od808, good noisegate and decent cab with v30s.
 
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I don't know, I've always just been skeptical about buying used stuff. I've found a few Mesa Dual Rect's used for $1,000 but they were gone too soon. :/
 


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