Recommend me a cheap used 3 channel head for metal

[nilenecrophagist]

Ok, basically, I'm looking to get a decent head. Have never owned a valve head before but in one of the bands I'm in atm I use a 6505+ live that belongs to the other guitarist.

I'm looking to buy second hand, don't want to spend more than about £400 (it is possible in the UK to get a 6505 or Laney Ironheart 120 for this price)

I want an amp that does these things:

- Has as much gain as you'd need on it
- Has good cleans
- Has an effects loop
- Is footswitchable between a clean, crunch and lead channel
- has separate volumes for the channels! this is very important because I want to be able to get the solos to sound louder than the rhythm guitar


thanks

 

[xwmucradiox]

That's a pretty slim budget. It would be hard to beat the Peavey and an OD for your 'third channel' sound for that price. If you wanted an all-in-one option I'd suggest the EVH 5153 but its probably above your price range.

 

[TheWarAgainstTime]

I don't know how readily available they are in the UK, but I'd look into the Peavey JSX, Carvin V3, or maybe a 6505+ of your own if you like the one you're borrowing. I've seen lots of rave reviews of the Laney VH100R as well, but have never tried or heard one in person. The Ironheart seems to be a love-or-hate amp from what I've read.

Also not sure about the used prices over there, but would a 50 watt EVH be possible at all? It's got a killer lead channel, good cleans, and sweet crunch available. It's not a "true" three channel amp, but if you use pretty neutral settings on the blue/green (start with gain around 4, everything else at noon) you can get a wide range of sounds without much of a volume jump.

 

[jc986]

Maybe look for a used Peavey XXX or JSX.

 

[protest]

Balckstar? I'm not a huge fan, but there's not a ton of choice in that price range. Are there any used Randal Diavlos over there? The 100 watter might work.

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

How much is the Randall RD100 over there?

 

[xero7]

I m there's a Marshall that could do that.

 

[budda]

Just pay the other guitarist for the amp you've been using. Your budget is so low, and most brands that cover that ground well are probably american therefore out of your price range.

There's also more to tone than just having a decent amp, though that plays a very very large role.

Not once did you mention any drawbacks with your current amp, which makes me think that it will probably continue doing the job just fine. Also, given how many times the question has been asked, the search function may prove useful to you.

The only immediate choice I can offer is the 5153 100W.

 

[Dana]

have you tried a Bugera Trirec Infinium 100W 3-Channel Valve Amp Head?

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

have you tried a Bugera Trirec Infinium 100W 3-Channel Valve Amp Head?

Oh my ....ing god.

 

[Dana]

Oh my ....ing god.

mehehe

 

[budda]

You're a sick man, Dana

 

[Dana]

You're a sick man, Dana

haha Justin. how could i not?

 

[Bearitone]

JSX sounds like the way to go.

If you're brave enough to go solid-state you could give the AMT Stonhead a try, or even some Randalls too

 

[Bloody_Inferno]

have you tried a Bugera Trirec Infinium 100W 3-Channel Valve Amp Head?

 

[Thanatopsis]

Peavey Ultra Plus, Ultra 60 or 120 head. Or if you wanna go rackmount, Rockmaster and the power amp of your choice. The preamp in all of them is based off of the RM and will give you the 3 channels you want. One thing I love about my Rockmaster is the 5 effects loops. An individual one for each channel, one shared between the crunch & ultra channels, and a global one. With a 400 pound budget you options are pretty slim.

Is having 3 channels non-negotiable? You could always go with a 2 channel with a pedal for boosting when you want some more gain.

 

[Edika]

It's quite difficult to find something for £400 but not impossible. The problem is getting someone to ship the amp as most delivery companies treat the packages like crap and won't cover damages. The 6505 and the 6505+ usually go for £500 and upwards and in rare cases go to £400-450. Usually the Peavey JSX can be found at the £400-450 mark. The Blackstars depend on your luck again as they're usually about £500-600. The Ironheart might be your best bet as I've seen more pop up at about that price. I have recently bought the Laney VH100R. Lovely sounding amp that can do what you want. Really nice clean and distortion. It is actually two channel that each channel has an extra gain stage so it has two EQ settings but with individual volume for each one. So the four modes have thei own volune and gain setting. The reverb is quite good. The only issue I can find is that it gets loud pretty quickly and the distortion channel needs the volume.

 

[Floppystrings]

Peavey XXX + pod in the loop for cleans.

 

[My Aspirations]

I'm probably the only one to say this. But get a used peavey valveking. I love the cleans on them. Distortion is pretty decent. But with a boost and added distortion you'll get where you want to be and probably have a little bit of left over cash if you buy it all used . Just see if you can try one and see for yourself.

 

[budda]

JSX sounds like the way to go.

If you're brave enough to go solid-state you could give the AMT Stonhead a try, or even some Randalls too

I owned a JSX for 3 years. 6505 if he wants great metal crunch, JSX if he wants decent metal crunch with better cleans. IMO, YMMV, etc.