New Egnater Armageddon! (Metal Amp content)

[Key_Maker]

Bumping this thread back up - I was wondering how the gents who bought these a while back have been fairing with them as far as reliability goes. Any issues? Anyone have the amp die on them? I noticed the price seems to have dipped from $1800 to $1700, wondering if eventually they will drop back down to $1500 like they were supposed to be priced when they were first released? I know, wishful thinking... They also don't seem to be in stock very often, not sure if it's due to production issues or something else, but 9 times out of 10 when I check on MF or another site no one has them in stock for weeks at a time. So current owners, care to share any information about how things have gone with your Armageddon since you've owned it?

So far, so good.

I have just one concern, it's too djenty/moderne sounding amp , but in every other aspect is built like a tank, i have been trying different tubes, moving it a lot and is holding as my 6505+, perfect.

The only cheap thing on it may be is the tolex, but may be i'm too rough.

Definitely worth every penny and the cab is one of the best sounding in the market in that price range, i'm really loving it, far more than my V30 loaded Cab.

 

[Eric Christian]

Bumping this thread back up - I was wondering how the gents who bought these a while back have been fairing with them as far as reliability goes. Any issues? Anyone have the amp die on them? I noticed the price seems to have dipped from $1800 to $1700, wondering if eventually they will drop back down to $1500 like they were supposed to be priced when they were first released? I know, wishful thinking... They also don't seem to be in stock very often, not sure if it's due to production issues or something else, but 9 times out of 10 when I check on MF or another site no one has them in stock for weeks at a time. So current owners, care to share any information about how things have gone with your Armageddon since you've owned it?

I can tell you that my local GC got a Armegeddon and Vengeance half stack back in April and both are still sitting in the rage room gathering dust. My buddy demos them several times a week but has yet been able to sell a single one. That said, the demo models have had the crap played out of them and they seem to be holding up fine. Obviously the price point is much too high for most people.

Honestly, Bruce & Ian if you're still reading this thread then its my opinion that you really ought to consider making a brutish yet simplistic single channel tube amp that utilizes channel 3 of the Armegeddon and yet still has the built-in ISP Decimator. Priced at around $800 you would undercut the 6505+ and sell a ton to the Deathcore/Metalcore demographic.

 

[HighGain510]

So far, so good.

I have just one concern, it's too djenty/moderne sounding amp , but in every other aspect is built like a tank, i have been trying different tubes, moving it a lot and is holding as my 6505+, perfect.

The only cheap thing on it may be is the tolex, but may be i'm too rough.

Definitely worth every penny and the cab is one of the best sounding in the market in that price range, i'm really loving it, far more than my V30 loaded Cab.

Ah right on, I hadn't realized you actually bought one! I'm curious since I haven't had the chance to play one yet (and annoyed because I met up with someone outside a GC in MD last weekend that HAD one in stock and I had no clue, could have tried it out myself! ), how are the cleans on the amp with the matching cabinet? I'm debating grabbing the whole shebang eventually and most folks seem to say the matching cabinet DOES make a difference with the amp, just a lot of money to sink on that rig so I'm waiting until I have some cash again and MF runs a 20% off sale because there is no way I am paying full price! I'm tempted to sell off my little tube amp + cabinet setup to switch to this, but if the cleans aren't pretty damn good at the very least, I'm not sure I could justify it as my little Tubemeister has a great clean channel and a so-so gain channel. The Axe-II does a great job paired up with my FRFR rig but I still love the sound of a tube amp and miss having that around as some of the nuances you pick up with a nice tube amp aren't always as noticeable on the Axe. Any thoughts on the clean channel?

I can tell you that my local GC got a Armegeddon and Vengeance half stack back in April and both are still sitting in the rage room gathering dust. My buddy demos them several times a week but has yet been able to sell a single one. That said, the demo models have had the crap played out of them and they seem to be holding up fine. Obviously the price point is much too high for most people.

Well that doesn't tell me a ton about the amp itself. There are tons of things that can contribute to a piece of gear not moving: if the store the amp is located in is not a wealthy area, if the folks coming in don't have that kind of cash to purchase expensive gear, if the area is notorious for tire-kickers who want to try in store but buy online instead, etc., an amp can sit for months at that store. Heck, the same Mark V has been sitting at my local GC for like a year, that doesn't say anything about the quality of the amp, it just says no one has bought it. It is good to hear that the amp is still holding up with the amount of noobs coming into GC to mess with the amp on a daily basis though! I agree that the price point is still too high, I saw the price dipped by $100 but honestly the original price is where it should have remained and while Ian can say the production costs increased and that was the reason why it ended up being so expensive, I have to say that at the current price (price-dropped to $1699 as of 7/24/12) it does seem a bit too high IMO.

Honestly, Bruce & Ian if you're still reading this thread then its my opinion that you really ought to consider making a brutish yet simplistic single channel tube amp that utilizes channel 3 of the Armegeddon and yet still has the built-in ISP Decimator. Priced at around $800 you would undercut the 6505+ and sell a ton to the Deathcore/Metalcore demographic.

That would be cool, but I guess if the Armageddon and Vengeance models aren't flying off the shelves, they would need the motivation to do so. Not only that but the Vengeance doesn't come with the built-in decimator and still runs @ $1100, so I'm not sure that just removing a clean channel and adding an ISP would let them drop it to $800.

 

[Eric Christian]

That would be cool, but I guess if the Armageddon and Vengeance models aren't flying off the shelves, they would need the motivation to do so. Not only that but the Vengeance doesn't come with the built-in decimator and still runs @ $1100, so I'm not sure that just removing a clean channel and adding an ISP would let them drop it to $800.

I was previously employed at Fender building amplifiers so I have a vague idea how much the cost per unit is based on seeing the invoicing for larger components like transformers, tubes, chassis etc. That said, from my estimates the mark up on amplifiers is incredible. However, from what I understand not these two amps. Cost is very high. My point is you can't front load all your engineering & production costs into the price of your amp. Thats my take on it. The price should be based on the materials and labor instead. Calculating that, plus a generous markup for the retail outlet it shouldn't be too hard to build a single channel 100 watt tube amp in China with a built-in noise gate that has a price point of around $800.

 

[HighGain510]

I was previously employed at Fender building amplifiers so I have a vague idea how much the cost per unit is based on seeing the invoicing for larger components like transformers, tubes, chassis etc. That said, from my estimates the mark up on amplifiers is incredible. However, from what I understand not these two amps. Cost is very high. My point is you can't front load all your engineering & production costs into the price of your amp. Thats my take on it. The price should be based on the materials and labor instead. Calculating that, plus a generous markup for the retail outlet it shouldn't be too hard to build a single channel 100 watt tube amp in China with a built-in noise gate that has a price point of around $800.

Yeah man I don't totally disagree with you, believe me! I just can't say without seeing the figures myself based on how much the amps REALLY cost to manufacture and how much profit they make per-amp, which I doubt is information they would be willing to share for obvious reasons. One thing I have heard from folks who are dealing with building products in China is that their labor costs are increasing which is causing items built in China to increase in price. The labor could be the factor for the cost increase, at least partially. Not that I buy that it was a $300 increase due to labor though... With the 15% and 20% off coupons MF runs from time to time, and the free shipping on the head (and the $100 price drop on the head currently on most sites) it's a bit closer to what I'd hope to see the amp sell for normally. Still kinda kicking myself for not getting in on the initial pre-order when they had a 20% off coupon because I could have grabbed the amp for like $1300-ish.

 

[Key_Maker]

HighGain510: The cleans are great, compared to my 6505+ and the 3120, and as good than my Triple Rectifier, not as good may be than an Egnater Renegade that i had or a Marshall Plexi, but hey! It is a god damn metal amplifier!

The clean channel is very flexible, you can get almost JC120 type of sound to cranked small tube amplifier and everything in between, using the gain knob and the switches you can get a ton of different tones, if i have sometime this days i will record for you a couple of examples.

IMO you should get it, it is a great amp, really unique sounding and i bet that will be working in a couple of months, as far as i know, there is a bunch of important endorsers coming (I heard that A7X, kids loves a7X).

K.

 

[HighGain510]

HighGain510: The cleans are great, compared to my 6505+ and the 3120, and as good than my Triple Rectifier, not as good may be than an Egnater Renegade that i had or a Marshall Plexi, but hey! It is a god damn metal amplifier!

The clean channel is very flexible, you can get almost JC120 type of sound to cranked small tube amplifier and everything in between, using the gain knob and the switches you can get a ton of different tones, if i have sometime this days i will record for you a couple of examples.

IMO you should get it, it is a great amp, really unique sounding and i bet that will be working in a couple of months, as far as i know, there is a bunch of important endorsers coming (I heard that A7X, kids loves a7X).

K.

Sweet, thanks for the info sir! On the point of endorsees, I know they gave both a Vengeance and an Armageddon half stack to Peter Joseph and he posted his thread on here with the NGD but never posted ANY vids or clips which I thought was a bit disappointing. I figured since Pete is a killer player that Egnater was kinda trading some free gear for some exposure and/or clips from Pete to help sell the amp and it doesn't appear anything ever came from that. Wonder what their take was on that... Ian?

 

[HighGain510]

Figured I'd bump this instead of starting another thread just yet as it hasn't arrived but after a long time of searching I finally came across a good deal on a used one:

Soon! I'm heading down to visit Ryan and he picked up a 5150 III 50w last week and we're going to try to get some A/B clips together between the two amps and a couple different guitars with different pickups. Should be fun!

 

[Sepultorture]

i wonder if that depth knob on the midrange is just for adjusting the Q of that midrange frequency.

and if that's the case why would they have a level knob if the midrange knob already acts as a level

 

[StivO2005]

Waiting for that A/B test

 

[Key_Maker]

i wonder if that depth knob on the midrange is just for adjusting the Q of that midrange frequency.

and if that's the case why would they have a level knob if the midrange knob already acts as a level

The level is for more or less volume so you can use it for just tone shaping or as a booster in case you want more or less mids for your solo. Usually when you cut some mids, you loose volume, this helps to keep it the balance between the two channels without using the volume knob for example.

K.

 

[tonethack]

I have owned the armagheddon for 3 years. I also have been blown away, especially since I found the perfect speaker selecton and ohm selection. It has just quit working for me. I am in the process of trouble shooting.then possible repair. I will let everyone know how it works out. The problem I am having is no channel selection or eq. The amp turns on and all tubes are lit. A little clean sound is all I have. I am sure a quick fix. To let u know how much i love this amp. I ordered a replacement till mine is repaired.the 5150 3 may sound better. No isp and twice the price. Same for the archon. Sorry engl fans.this amp requires no pedal to crank out any style metal.

 

[tonethack]

I just wanted to update. I emailed Nate@egnater Sunday. Still no reply as yet. The Amp is working fine again. this happened 4 months ago. I emailed Bruce@egnater with no reply. The front panel controlls not working with or without footswitch and no lights except stage. ISP not working either. Then a few days later going to troubleshoot further the amp is working fine.? The amp hasnt been abused? I worry now that I ordered a replacement. Egnater may not stand behind there product. On a positive note,my mark iv requires pedals and a lot of tweaking to get close to the armagheddon for clean or medal. the mark iv likes a diffrent cab setup also to get its full potential. The Mark iv is almost 20 yrs old and no problems though.

 

[vick1000]

Chinese built amp, power tubes on circuit board, in a chassis with unsocketed ICs? Yeah, don't expect a long life, poor design and expensive repair.

 

[tonethack]

Chinese built amp, power tubes on circuit board, in a chassis with unsocketed ICs? Yeah, don't expect a long life, poor design and expensive repair.

I understand u have biased opinions, because egnater tolled out there work to the Chinese. It ended up being a resistor , at the preamp tube , beside the power tubes. All good even though egnater never responded. I stood by them. I just wished they had my back. Still a great amp. I own 2 now lol.

 

[tonethack]

i wonder if that depth knob on the midrange is just for adjusting the Q of that midrange frequency.

and if that's the case why would they have a level knob if the midrange knob already acts as a level

Hello.
Just turn the knobs and u will understand.

 

[Sepultorture]

Hello.
Just turn the knobs and u will understand.

dude i asked that question 2 years ago, i don't care to find out nowadays to be honest, i have a 6505 and that's all i need

 

[tonethack]

Ah right on, I hadn't realized you actually bought one! I'm curious since I haven't had the chance to play one yet (and annoyed because I met up with someone outside a GC in MD last weekend that HAD one in stock and I had no clue, could have tried it out myself! ), how are the cleans on the amp with the matching cabinet? I'm debating grabbing the whole shebang eventually and most folks seem to say the matching cabinet DOES make a difference with the amp, just a lot of money to sink on that rig so I'm waiting until I have some cash again and MF runs a 20% off sale because there is no way I am paying full price! I'm tempted to sell off my little tube amp + cabinet setup to switch to this, but if the cleans aren't pretty damn good at the very least, I'm not sure I could justify it as my little Tubemeister has a great clean channel and a so-so gain channel. The Axe-II does a great job paired up with my FRFR rig but I still love the sound of a tube amp and miss having that around as some of the nuances you pick up with a nice tube amp aren't always as noticeable on the Axe. Any thoughts on the clean channel?




Well that doesn't tell me a ton about the amp itself. There are tons of things that can contribute to a piece of gear not moving: if the store the amp is located in is not a wealthy area, if the folks coming in don't have that kind of cash to purchase expensive gear, if the area is notorious for tire-kickers who want to try in store but buy online instead, etc., an amp can sit for months at that store. Heck, the same Mark V has been sitting at my local GC for like a year, that doesn't say anything about the quality of the amp, it just says no one has bought it. It is good to hear that the amp is still holding up with the amount of noobs coming into GC to mess with the amp on a daily basis though! I agree that the price point is still too high, I saw the price dipped by $100 but honestly the original price is where it should have remained and while Ian can say the production costs increased and that was the reason why it ended up being so expensive, I have to say that at the current price (price-dropped to $1699 as of 7/24/12) it does seem a bit too high IMO.



That would be cool, but I guess if the Armageddon and Vengeance models aren't flying off the shelves, they would need the motivation to do so. Not only that but the Vengeance doesn't come with the built-in decimator and still runs @ $1100, so I'm not sure that just removing a clean channel and adding an ISP would let them drop it to $800.

I love the design of the anp. I bought one used. I started having reliability issues. I liked it so much I bought a new one while a friend checked the used one out. I think I got a year warranty on the new one but am starting to have problems with it. I retubed my used one and wow as far as clean or high gain. the cleans are beautiful and warm as any amp. I love the sounds and design,just not the reliability. I am sure if they where built USA everything would be fine. Classic rock tone or modern is amazing when paired with right cabinet. I am trying to decide to send off or move on. I am sad because this amp is perfect for me

 

[PF Chang]

Insane that he never made a lunchbox version of this amp.