Best Solid State Amp Head For Metal

[71GA]

Hello i am on budget of 500€ and i would like to buy a 100W solid state amp head for playing

progressive metal & instrumental. Any ideas which amp would suit me well?

Thank you.

[Retrosaurus Rex]

Hey, you mentioned in your other post (about Bugera amps) about lack of experience, which leads me to ask about that. Do you expect to be gigging soon with this amp, or mainly practicing? Will you be recording soon? I'm not an expert on all the gear that's out there at the moment, but these questions would help focus your thinking as to what you really need at this point.

[TajMikel]

You'll kill me but I picked up a Mesa Boogie Dual-Rectifier head for 500$ US. XD Best amp head I've ever played out of, and great for metal. Guttural, throaty sort of tone.

But on that train of thought, have you considered looking into used equipment? You may be able to find some epic deals like I did (pure luck).

I also know that Line 6 has some heads for under 500$ US or so, but not sure if they would really give the sound that you're looking for.

My thoughts: try used Sorry I wasn't much more help. Good luck tho!

[Retrosaurus Rex]

You can for sure get some good deals on used gear, but if you don't have a lot of experience it's good to have someone knowledgeable about amps, or at least electronics, take a look at your prospective purchase. It would suck to lay down good money for a head, then lay down another 30-50% for repairs a couple of months later...

[71GA]

You can for sure get some good deals on used gear, but if you don't have a lot of experience it's good to have someone knowledgeable about amps, or at least electronics, take a look at your prospective purchase. It would suck to lay down good money for a head, then lay down another 30-50% for repairs a couple of months later...

Dang. Used equipment is on ebay for a reason... maybee it is broken? I dont know... what is an average lifetime of good amp? I can hardly believe you found mesa for 500 USD. I dont like mesa amp sound... I really need something for progressive metal, very modern. What do you think of hybrid amps?

Hey, you mentioned in your other post (about Bugera amps) about lack of experience, which leads me to ask about that. Do you expect to be gigging soon with this amp, or mainly practicing? Will you be recording soon? I'm not an expert on all the gear that's out there at the moment, but these questions would help focus your thinking as to what you really need at this point.

I am buying this amp for live performances.

[Nick]

My son bought a Diezel Einstein recently - beats me how a few electrical component can be that expensive. I should hear it in about a month's time when he comes home so I'll see. Quite a loud beast I believe

[Retrosaurus Rex]

Dang. Used equipment is on ebay for a reason... maybee it is broken? I dont know... what is an average lifetime of good amp? I can hardly believe you found mesa for 500 USD. I dont like mesa amp sound... I really need something for progressive metal, very modern. What do you think of hybrid amps?

Most of the gear that people are selling is just due to a change in circumstances... a lot of those people aren't even really serious musicians, gear might be a couple of years old but hardly used. The guy I used to take lessons from made some pretty good coin buying/ selling/ trading used gear... a stupid good deal like a Mesa for $500.00 is mostly a matter of being in the right place at the right time... like I said, if you can't trust your own judgment (and you're wise if you recognize this), get an independent assessment from an expert. What is the average lifetime? Depends on amount and type of use. Gigging is hard on gear, it get moved around constantly, knocking into door-frames, drinks get spilled, who knows? Also, amps generate heat, which wears down the components. If the amp is dirty & dusty the problem is magnified.

I am buying this amp for live performances.

When you say hybrid do you mean tube/solid-state hybrid or tube/ digital-modeling hybrid?

When you say live performance, what type of gigs or venues are you expecting to play? Because in smaller venues you might not need 100w to get the sound you're looking for.

[71GA]

When you say hybrid do you mean tube/solid-state hybrid or tube/ digital-modeling hybrid?

When you say live performance, what type of gigs or venues are you expecting to play? Because in smaller venues you might not need 100w to get the sound you're looking for.

Yes i mean tube/solid-state. I have been looking at Randall T2 if i would get it used that would be a good deal for me. I might be OK with 50W, maybee it is even better for me than 100W. I ve heard from many musicians that less can be more.

[MarcG]

Try to find a nice old Carvin Quad X amp, they were early solidstate quality.

[Steve]

If you intend buying a solid state amp, I would suggest plugging into a few at your local music emporium. This may sound odd being that you intend playing metal, but look for an amp that has a very clean and quite sound. By quiet, I mean not hissy or loads of white noise. I would imagine your sounds will come from foot pedals so a clean sound is what you need! Look for used equipment, you'll probably get some good deals on almost new stuff! Guitar players generally like to have valve amps, and if they start with solid state, they pretty quickly move up to valves and you'll find some some good deals around. I have an old H&H solid state amp that I used to use when I played. I used it for about ten years in various bands, it was pretty well used when I bought it, and I haven't played in a band for over twenty years. It's still here sat under my desk, and it still works perfectly!