Rack Owners- What's your fave power amp??? And why???

[Mattfig]

I've been reading so many comments about people using and loving different power amps...I was just hoping to make a thread dedicated to this topic...Please list your power amp, why you use it, and how much you paid (if you are comfortable doing so) for it...

I'll start:

For the RoD I use the standard issue Randall RT2/50 loaded with Svetlana Winged C EL34s and TAD 6L6STRs...I also have some EH 6CA7s that I use occasionally paired with Tung Sol 6550s...Although that config is rare...

I use it because I like the MIDI switching capability of the amp and find it very useful in the studio...I think it sounds great and have never had any issues with it...And I bought it used for about 625 USD I think...I would consider buying another and keeping a different power tube config available quickly when inspiration strikes...It's kinda lame to stop playing, let things cool down, replace the power tubes, rebias, etc...At some point I plan on a second power amp and the RT2/50 is my front-runner now...But I'm open to suggestions...

Thanks!

 

[GtrGeorge!]

Matt,
I love the sound and options of the RT2/50... and there is nothing else that seems to come close. I tried a Peavey Classic Power amp..YUCK!!
The Mesa seems intice-ing but its 2x more money! I can't go for that.
The Marshall tube power amps look nice but never heard one with an rm4.
my2 cents
GtrGeorge

 

[chuckmehh]

I've only ever had a Rocktron Velocity 100 and now a Carvin TS100. I like the Carvin 100x better; it just makes my sound "fuller" and is a lot more powerful and punchy. It's loaded with EL34s btw, Winged C I believe but I"ll have to check.

 

[drewiv]

My favorite is a VHT 2|90|2, loaded with =C= KT88s. I think it let's the modules do what the modules do. KT88s have tons of headroom and really allow the tone of the module to come through (especially Salvation Mods).

I also like the Peavey Classic 50/50 with EL84s (even with the "YUCK" above). :lol:

Tone is a very subjective thing.

 

[JeffHenneman]

I have had a mesa 2:90 for about 7 years and love it. It makes everything sound so "3-d". I put the quotes cause I used to think the 3-d term was make believe, but after I got the mesa I knew what people meant. The only experience I have had with modules thru it, is running the preamp out from my rm100 into the mesa. My modules sounded great but the master volume on the randall contols the output. I put my randall in the next room so I could hear how it sounded with the mesa but I could still hear the randall, so that experiment wasn't a total success.

 

[disk11]

You guys with big power amps, how well do they work at low/practice volumes? I've been thinking about a Marshall 20/20 or Mesa 20/20 or 50/50 for volume and weight considerations, or waiting a bit longer for a RT 2/50.

 

[Mattfig]

You guys with big power amps, how well do they work at low/practice volumes? I've been thinking about a Marshall 20/20 or Mesa 20/20 or 50/50 for volume and weight considerations, or waiting a bit longer for a RT 2/50.

Despite popular opinion here, I think the RT2/50 (and RM100) sound great at bedroom volumes...But here's the kicker- I use external EQ switched via MIDI...I have my tone banks (switching between RM4s and mods) for live and loud and separate banks for non-recording "bedroom" volume...The EQ compensates pretty well for what you lose in tone...Dynamics are a totally different story- but the loss overall ain't bad...You could simply adjust the Pres and Dens on the RT to taste that way too...

Also, I think attenuators suck and not just tone...I've never heard one (and I've heard many) that sounded better than a good ear making adjustments for the volume manually w/EQ...I'll only say that it can't be super quiet as it needs a certain level of volume to give enough bass to sound tolerable...It isn't a loud tone then, but whisper-quiet it is not...

Everyone has their own rig here though and I've been proven wrong time and again... :wink: So I'm sure there's some guys and gal on here that have some super sweet attenuator that sounds transparent...Good on them...

I can take the RT2/50 to speaking level and it sounds good, not great but good...It kinda takes away from the flavor your power tubes add but if you're practicing at quiet levels anyway, I doubt it matters much...

Just my opinion...So, in short, they work well at quiet volumes.

 

[Msfortin]

A Marshall 9200 dual mono block power amp is really awesome, I've used it for multiple kinds of preamps (rm4, Marshall jmp1, Ada mp1, digitech 2120 etc) and it makes your preamp sound incredible. I have a rm50 combo & while the power section is good, I do like the Marshall power section better for mts stuff. It runs 6l6 tubes in it which is nice. Try it with a RM4 if you get a chance! It is a heavy beast tho, that is a down side. But really good at low volumes also.

 

[eyeball987]

I have read tons of favorable reviews of the VHT and Marshall poweramps. Jerry Cantrell used a Mesa power amp with his Fish as his main rig for years and his tone is legendary.

I can't say that I have heard any negative reviews of the Carvin T100 but I have always been intrigued with the Randall RT.

Either way, sounds like an expensive venture to try the VHT. Not quite as much with the Marshall on the used market and much less to try the Carvin. YMMV.

 

[hunter]

not that I owned any of these (I owned a VHT2502 some two years ago though), but as you ask for the favourite would be poweramps, I guess #1 would have to be two of these:

followed by this one as #2:

 

[m0jo]

You guys with big power amps, how well do they work at low/practice volumes? I've been thinking about a Marshall 20/20 or Mesa 20/20 or 50/50 for volume and weight considerations, or waiting a bit longer for a RT 2/50.

Despite popular opinion here, I think the RT2/50 (and RM100) sound great at bedroom volumes...

Actually, that seems to be the public opinion The Randalls sound very, very good at low volume! Something that contributes to that is the prescense and density, allowing you to tweak to those lower volumes (as your ears want more highs and lows at lower volumes).

The RT2/50 sounds great at practice volumes, there won't be a whole lot of difference between a 20 watter and a 50 watter at that volume I think.

It's heavy, but it's worth it

 

[Whoopysnorp]

I only ever used this power amp with my Mesa Studio Preamp, but I used to own a Mesa Simul 395, and it was ridiculous. Keep in mind that it was a simulclass power amp, so it had some tonal qualities that other power amps don't have. This may or may not have worked very well for MTS, because it was specifically geared towards Mesa type tones. I snagged it used (and requiring a retube) for under $500, and eventually sold it for about the same amount. The only reason I sold it was that I only ever used one of the two sides, and I didn't see the point in lugging around a whole extra transformer and other hardware that I never took off of standby. Side note: I wish somebody made a single mono tube power amp!

 

[m0jo]

Side note: I wish somebody made a single mono tube power amp!

I've been wishing this for a while, why they assume everybody with a rack rig is running a stereo setup is beyond me.

 

[hunter]

Side note: I wish somebody made a single mono tube power amp!

I've been wishing this for a while, why they assume everybody with a rack rig is running a stereo setup is beyond me.

Look a few posts above, the Soldano SM100 is just an SLO power section. Mono.

 

[m0jo]

Side note: I wish somebody made a single mono tube power amp!

I've been wishing this for a while, why they assume everybody with a rack rig is running a stereo setup is beyond me.

Look a few posts above, the Soldano SM100 is just an SLO power section. Mono.

Yeah ... and bigger/heavyer than the death star
A 50 watt mono poweramp would be just right, but maybe I'm being picky. It just seems like a huge gap in the market.

 

[chuckmehh]

After using the Carvin TS100 longer, I'm nothing but pleased. It sounds awesome even at low volumes and seems to be a solidly built unit thus far. No complaints here .

It doesn't seem to color the tone much either, which is great for me.

I'd recommend one if you're looking for a tube power amp and wanna save some $$$.

 

[Whoopysnorp]

Look a few posts above, the Soldano SM100 is just an SLO power section. Mono.

Yeah, and those are extremely rare and cost an arm and a leg IF you can find one. I want a mono rack power amp to actually be in current production, by several different manufacturers if possible.

 

[nomad100]

If your tech savvy at all Tube power amps are very easy to build.

 

[Mattfig]

If your tech savvy at all Tube power amps are very easy to build.

Just curious, do you buy kits somewhere? Or are you advanced enough to just build one on your own?

 

[iekobrid]

After using the Carvin TS100 longer, I'm nothing but pleased. It sounds awesome even at low volumes and seems to be a solidly built unit thus far. No complaints here .

It doesn't seem to color the tone much either, which is great for me.

I'd recommend one if you're looking for a tube power amp and wanna save some $$$.

I was tempted to bid on a TS-100 on Ebay this weekend. Only decided against it because I'm currently awaiting delivery of a top secret combo amp I plan on converting to a head that'll serve as my RM-4 power amp, and want to give that Plan A a proper chance to fail before I throw more money at a Plan B. (Not that I would pass up a great deal on a VHT power amp if I should trip over one!)