Worthless NAD thread - Krank vs. VHT content

[blackrobedone]

Hi,
I just traded a Soldano Avenger for a Krank Krankenstein + to my bro here on 7 string, alowerdeep. Value wise, I know the Avenger may be worth a little more so some might say I got ripped, however . . .

I just wanted to point out that the Krankenstein + is a much better amp than is normally assumed on this site. I have owned and played 4 amps with 6550/KT88 tubes and the Krankenstein is my favorite thus far. This puts it ahead of a VHT Pittbull UL, VHT Sig X, and a Kerry King JCM 800. There are similarities with all those amps and I've found that there is an unmistakable attack to an amp with KT88s, but the Krank has the purest tone I've heard, it's more responsive to the fingers, and is not colored by static-y gain or other annoying boosted frequencies. Granted, extreme settings on the Krankenstein will give you a horrible tone, especially with cranked presence. I worked with it for a couple hours and the best tone I was able to get sounded pretty close to Metallica's tone on Death Magnetic. While that might not be the holy grail, it's still a pretty good base to start from.

Anyways, I may fiddle a bit more with it and do a proper review, but for now I'll just say it is the best KT88 amp I've played, and the price is very reasonable ($200 less than the Kerry King, and half the UL).

This thread is worthless without pics. (There, I saved you the trouble)

 

[JJ Rodriguez]

Fuck you, I'm saying it anyways

 

[TMM]

What kind of cab are you playing it through?

 

[loktide]

 

[blackrobedone]

BASTARDS!

I'm playing through a Rivera cab with Vintage 30s. I played all the other heads I mentioned through the same cab, among others.

 

[Larrikin666]

I've heard that the plus models are a big improvement over the originals. I still own an original Krankenstein and absolutely hate it. I'd consider trying a plus in the future though.

 

[blackrobedone]

I think that there was a push-pull gain pot on the original that is not on the new one.

Also, I should mention that the tube layout is out of the ordinary, with the V1 actually being the second tube from the input jack (it is shielded too, unlike the other preamp tubes). I found that putting a 12at7 in the 3rd slot tamed a lot of the high end, made the presence knob useable, and also allowed you to turn the gain past 3 without the sound turning into a wall of noise. I don't know exactly what the 3rd one is for as far as the schematics, but it worked wonders with the sound.

Another thing, it didn't like my Maxon 808 too much. It already has enough mid and crunch. It did take to a MXR Distortion III much better, as far as tightening it up and making it more touch sensitive.

 

[JJ Rodriguez]

That's all well and good....but where are the pics?

 

[blackrobedone]

Alright, already.
I've never posted a picture in a reply here so this may not work. I just took it with my camera phone so it may be blurry.

 

[JJ Rodriguez]

Sweet.

Now post more.

 

[blackrobedone]

Hehehe. On the real, when I get outta work I'll try and get some. But just for you JJ my man!

ATTN 7 string dot ORGers: RIG of DOOM pics coming soon!

 

[zimbloth]

Congrats Rob! Glad you're digging the Krank. Obviously we have drastically different tonal preferences and you know where I stand, but it's always good to see someone happy with their tone nonetheless.

I've heard that the plus models are a big improvement over the originals. I still own an original Krankenstein and absolutely hate it. I'd consider trying a plus in the future though.

Not really, if you hated the original you'll like the + also IMO. I tried the Krankenstein+ at the last two NAMM shows and I hated it as much (if not more) than the original I owned. It still sounded like solid-state cardboard to me, ultra compressed and abrasive with stiff responsiveness.

It's a love or hate type thing really. It's a waste of time doing "___ vs ___" silliness, everyone's tastes are different.

 

[blackrobedone]

Yeah, the vs thing was just for comparative purposes, not to really get things going again on which one is "better". I'm pretty sure VHT has better build quality than Krank, from the looks of things so far anyways. But I think that there are some tonal similarities between the Krank and other KT88 based amps I've played such as VHT, though I was surprised to find that I prefered the Krank.
What are your thoughts on that? Do you hear the similarities with KT88/6550 based amps?

 

[budda]

"not really to get things going again on which one is "better"..." - check your first post .

glad you found an amp you like!

 

[Larrikin666]

My hate of the original was less about the sound of the amp...more about the range capability. I was only able to get 2 or 3 acceptable sounds out of it. None of them really fit my needs.

 

[blackrobedone]

Compared to other KT88 amps I am happy to inform you that it is an under-rated amp. Just a heads up to people who might like the clips they've heard of Krank and then read about it sounding like a solid state POS. Like the story about how all Krank endorsers have Peaveys or Mesas or Soldanos or Line 6s hidden under the stage on inside the Krank headshell? I came across all kinds of crazy shit like that when I was researching Krank. I admit, the name Krank and the logo are pretty cheesy, and the Dimebag angle doesn't help for some, but lo and behold, the shit rocks. I really only frequent this forum and little would I know, that over on the Andy Sneap forum the Krankenstein is apparently one of the holy grail amps for re-amping and recording, along with the 2 channel Dual Rec, and the original 5150 (according to my drummer who is a studio engineer and a regular on the Sneap forum).

Not that I am some kind of Krank maniac all the sudden but it leads me to wax philosophically on the subject of tone . . .

There are about a million good heavy metal tones, and many fewer that suck so bad that they deserve to be hated - most of those were on Metal Blade releases in the mid 80s (Marshall JCM 800 with no gain, with reverb on 6, recorded in a tin walled storage building), or on the early Tank albums, or on Number of the Beast, or Death's Individual Thought Patterns (uh-oh -there's your solid state cardboard) or Pestilence Spheres (limp dick tone for the ages). . . I still am not convinced that metal tone is that subjective, and I don't agree with the implication that only some oddball guy with weird taste in tone could ever like Krank, but 'we're glad that you like your amp'. I like Marshall tone, Peavey tone, Boogie tone, Soldano tone, Splawn tone, Rivera tone, and others as well, and most tone that I hear on newer CDs is fine too. I don't think it's love or hate, just a slight preference for one or the other. But of course you do hate when you get ripped off and spend a lot of money on an amp that you don't prefer. Maybe this will clarify things.

 

[JJ Rodriguez]

I don't think I could ever buy a Krank based on what I've heard. I'm pretty sure me and Zimbloth have pretty much the same taste in tone because every recommendation he's ever made to me (the Framus Dragon, VHT UL, pickups, etc) has been bang on, so I'm pretty sure Krank wouldn't be for me.

I still want to get my hands on the VHT amps you tried and see what the hell was up with them, or if we just have wildly different tastes in tone

 

[budda]

I think it was a krankenstein I tried once with a schecter of some sort. The amp definitely didn't need a boost, and would have been great at some styles - it just didn't suit my needs at all. I have no beef with krank, or any company. I own gear that does what I want it to do .

My "glad you like your amp!" was not tongue in cheek, I can't speak for any other members.

Secret: I don't actually know what half the bands I listen to recorded with (at least not anymore)

 

[JJ Rodriguez]

You're not the only one Budda. I don't give a fuck who records with what

You can go out and buy all the same amps as the people you listen to but without a studio and post processing you'll probably never sound anywhere near the same. A good engineer will make a 15W Crate practice amp sound brutal as fuck in the studio

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

I've heard that the plus models are a big improvement over the originals. I still own an original Krankenstein and absolutely hate it. I'd consider trying a plus in the future though.

Send it to Krank and have it modded, maybe? Just a possibility.