River KTRE?
- Thread starter kazE
- Start date
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mightywarlock
Well-Known Member
Dunno if you ever bought anything yet, but I'll chime in if you are still looking...
I have a Pre-500 Dual Recto. With an MXR EQ in the loop this amp kills everything. Without it still sounds much better than a new Recto.
I also had a Mesa Stiletto Deuce II, and I also have a Marshall JCM800kk Kerry King head, JMP-1, EL34 100/100, Mesa Triaxis, 2:90, Rocktron Progap, ADA MP-1, and Digitech GSP2101. I have had a Rocktron Prophesy, and Chameleon, and Voodoo Valve in the past. All sold very quickly due to lack of real sounding tone.
This past Friday i traded someone my Stiletto for an Engl Powerball. It sounded ok to me at my house.
I then took it to the studio on Saturday, and after fussing with it for a while and being able to really crank it, i hated it. very much so. For an amp claiming to have so much Balls, and distortion, it was just a noisy screechy amp with too much bottom end. (I have Mesa and Marshall cabs with v30's).
It was muddy, and just a very bass heavy amp. I had my Marshall head there in the studio and when I decided to switch to it, it was night and day difference. The Marshall Kerry King head blew the Powerball completely out of the water. And I mean completely. I could finally hear what I was playing and wasn't getting lost in the mix as with the Powerball.
I came home and tossed it on Ebay, and sold it fairly quickly, and with the money, i found a used'ish Rivera KR7 on Craigslist for $2000 with the Headmaster footswitch.
I tried it in the local dealer directly against a K-Tre and to me, it sounded tighter and more defined, especially in the low end. Much tighter, and cleaner sounding. The K-tre is good, but there is a Buzz in Rivera's distortion i find somewhat annoying, and the K-Tre is not as tight as the KR7.
My advice, skip the new K-Tre and go directly to the KR-7 used. They are still pretty new, and can be found used, and go used for $2000. Right smack in your budget.
Example of used Powerball, i sold it for $1400.
even though it is all studio'd up, listen to the new Slipknot album to hear the K-tre and KR7 together, albeit detuned.
Or I'll throw another monkey wrench in the picture.
Go buy a used Marshall EL34 100/100, Mesa 2:90, or VHT/Fryette 2:90:2 Poweramp, then buy a used Rocktron Progap off of ebay, and prepare to be simply floored by the amazingly strong and clear pounding Metal tone you get from that Progap!
I just picked one up for like $65 and it is simply one of the best preamps (albeit solid state) i have ever heard. I heard one live recently in 2 bands, and it simply destroyed the other guitarist in the band. Such clear tone and distortion...but only really good for that super Tight metal stuff.
You would be completely under $1000., but not as versatile as the KR7.
my 3 cents.
I have a Pre-500 Dual Recto. With an MXR EQ in the loop this amp kills everything. Without it still sounds much better than a new Recto.
I also had a Mesa Stiletto Deuce II, and I also have a Marshall JCM800kk Kerry King head, JMP-1, EL34 100/100, Mesa Triaxis, 2:90, Rocktron Progap, ADA MP-1, and Digitech GSP2101. I have had a Rocktron Prophesy, and Chameleon, and Voodoo Valve in the past. All sold very quickly due to lack of real sounding tone.
This past Friday i traded someone my Stiletto for an Engl Powerball. It sounded ok to me at my house.
I then took it to the studio on Saturday, and after fussing with it for a while and being able to really crank it, i hated it. very much so. For an amp claiming to have so much Balls, and distortion, it was just a noisy screechy amp with too much bottom end. (I have Mesa and Marshall cabs with v30's).
It was muddy, and just a very bass heavy amp. I had my Marshall head there in the studio and when I decided to switch to it, it was night and day difference. The Marshall Kerry King head blew the Powerball completely out of the water. And I mean completely. I could finally hear what I was playing and wasn't getting lost in the mix as with the Powerball.
I came home and tossed it on Ebay, and sold it fairly quickly, and with the money, i found a used'ish Rivera KR7 on Craigslist for $2000 with the Headmaster footswitch.
I tried it in the local dealer directly against a K-Tre and to me, it sounded tighter and more defined, especially in the low end. Much tighter, and cleaner sounding. The K-tre is good, but there is a Buzz in Rivera's distortion i find somewhat annoying, and the K-Tre is not as tight as the KR7.
My advice, skip the new K-Tre and go directly to the KR-7 used. They are still pretty new, and can be found used, and go used for $2000. Right smack in your budget.
Example of used Powerball, i sold it for $1400.
even though it is all studio'd up, listen to the new Slipknot album to hear the K-tre and KR7 together, albeit detuned.
Or I'll throw another monkey wrench in the picture.
Go buy a used Marshall EL34 100/100, Mesa 2:90, or VHT/Fryette 2:90:2 Poweramp, then buy a used Rocktron Progap off of ebay, and prepare to be simply floored by the amazingly strong and clear pounding Metal tone you get from that Progap!
I just picked one up for like $65 and it is simply one of the best preamps (albeit solid state) i have ever heard. I heard one live recently in 2 bands, and it simply destroyed the other guitarist in the band. Such clear tone and distortion...but only really good for that super Tight metal stuff.
You would be completely under $1000., but not as versatile as the KR7.
my 3 cents.
Necrophagist777
can't bend....
Savage 120? It's my favorite ENGL, but I love the sound of the KTre too, ITS A BEAST.
kazE
Well-Known Member
Haha old thread, but thanks for the input warlock.
I definitely plan on trying a rack setup sometime next year so I will definitely take your suggestions under advisement. And I have my eyes set on a Rectifier as well so we'll see...
Jeez GAS is expensive.
I definitely plan on trying a rack setup sometime next year so I will definitely take your suggestions under advisement. And I have my eyes set on a Rectifier as well so we'll see...
Jeez GAS is expensive.
mightywarlock
Well-Known Member
make sure to look for a Pre-500 Recto.
hard to find, worth the wait.
i've actually been switching away from the rack stuff, but still can't resist it, hence buying the Progap last month.
I take it since this is an old thread you still haven't gotten anything?
kazE
Well-Known Member
I actually bought a VHT One-Hundred. Incredible amp and I had no issues with it at all but I wanted to try something different so I sold it.
To replace it I just purchased a 6505+ and it's at FJA being modded right now.
I played a stock 6505+ last month and I really liked it so I'm dying in anticipation to have an FJA'd Peavey.
To replace it I just purchased a 6505+ and it's at FJA being modded right now.
I played a stock 6505+ last month and I really liked it so I'm dying in anticipation to have an FJA'd Peavey.
pauzenclown
New Member
maybe I`m too late but i have to say - i`ve tried them all - we play some kind of alternative heavy stuff - i recently got hands on a modified kr 55 with a gainmod in channel 3 - more tighter bass and a overall 2nd mastervolume - it`s one of the greatest amps i ever played - and i played a lot over the last 20 years - mesa`s (tripple rectos and roadkings), diezels (einsteins, herberts) rivera ktre, buddas, VHT, Soldanos, Bogners, engl Steve Morse, Brunettis O59 and XLEvo and a lot of other stuff...
But don`t underestimate the sound of your guitar - its as important as the amp - i use 7 string schecters with duncans (passive), ibanez 7 and 6 strings and a john 5 signature tele -
in my opinion - most of the german amps are compressing a lot in higain mode (diezels, engl hughes and kettners) they seem easy to play - you don`t have to play very accurate, but they lack in definition - they are not that tight especially not on the bottom end - the articulation isn`t perfect...
personally i think that the riveras - ktre/and kr55/100 or the vht/fryette amps Ultra Lead/CL50 are one of a kind - tonewise - although they have insane amounts of gain, they always stay transparent and cutting through well in a band - and at sometimes reasonable prices ;-)
But don`t underestimate the sound of your guitar - its as important as the amp - i use 7 string schecters with duncans (passive), ibanez 7 and 6 strings and a john 5 signature tele -
in my opinion - most of the german amps are compressing a lot in higain mode (diezels, engl hughes and kettners) they seem easy to play - you don`t have to play very accurate, but they lack in definition - they are not that tight especially not on the bottom end - the articulation isn`t perfect...
personally i think that the riveras - ktre/and kr55/100 or the vht/fryette amps Ultra Lead/CL50 are one of a kind - tonewise - although they have insane amounts of gain, they always stay transparent and cutting through well in a band - and at sometimes reasonable prices ;-)
kazE
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the input pauzen. Having owned a VHT and loving it, I will definitely purchase another in the not-too-distant future. And if a good deal comes by on a KR7 or KTRE I will seriously consider it.
