In search for a 100w + amp head for Post-Rock / Trance Rock

[sears]

"hatefully loud" also "reassuringly expensive"

[tremolo3]

Hiwatt clones, there's this company that makes them for about $1K. Forgot the name but he's big somehow.
I believed he's from Thailand/Malaysia and also makes clones of other famous amps.

[frigid midget]

I used to have an Orange OR120 from the 70s, and a '72 marshall Superbass. Those would do the trick, though i guess you'd have to look for the next best thing that sounds similar 'cause they're not exactly cheap or easy to come by. Other ones that were mensioned that get my approval too: Hiwatt Custom 100, Musicman HD130, Ampeg V4,...

Solid state (quilter, power amp + pre, JC120, whatever) are great for another kind of 'clean', though I personally have zero experience with that approach for insanely loud cleans.

I think Traynor makes a cheapish head that meets your needs, not sure of the model name. I know it's not the YBA-1. That's the one I have, and with the colume control past noon it starts to growl.

[doommeow]

Hiwatt clones, there's this company that makes them for about $1K. Forgot the name but he's big somehow.
I believed he's from Thailand/Malaysia and also makes clones of other famous amps.

Ceriatone. Their Hey Watt series.

[coldbrightsunlight]

Good call on the speaker consideration allisnoise. Something like a big bass cab or even pa/full range speakers will stay cleaner and chimier than most guitar cabs

[Woolworm]

What kind of pickups are you using?

I had a v4 with 6550s and that had some more headroom to it.

The new Sound City Amps are done by Steve Fryette who is awesome when it comes to amps.

Would check that out and also the Hiwatt.

Single coils for obvious reasons.

[Woolworm]

I use Frenzels for a similar purpose but those default are heads. They will make you a cab though.

I love the Today Forever ep, hope you achieve what you are aiming for

Thanks and yeah, that EP is my teenagehood.

These Frenzel amps look really interesting. Super Deluxe and Super Twin Plexi. Imagining a 100w version of a Fender Deluxe Reverb. From what my ears remember off cab sims in other amps, the Deluxe has better bass tones than the Twin but again, I could be wrong cos I've never owned these amps.

[Woolworm]

Just gotta say real quick, in terms of volume, there is no discernible difference in 80w and 100w.
Granted the amount of available low end and headroom would be increased, but you’d be deaf real quick trying to pick any quantifiable difference at full tilt.
Likewise, the majority of difference you would find would owe more to the topology of the amp than the 20w difference.

Just ask J. Mascis about his Marshall/Marshall/Hiwatt/Twin rig... You’ll have to ask him again though, because odds are, he didn’t hear you the first time.

But a Twin is not a head, and they don’t currently make the Showman anymore, unless you go with a kit clone.
I just don’t want you to pass on a wealth of great gear out there just because you “heard it with your eyes”.
An 80w Twin, or even an Orange OR50 (do they still make these?) would run circles around an AD200 in terms of headroom and non-compressed sparkle.

I wouldn’t roll with a modeling amp like the Katana, either unless you’re ok with all of your tones coming from the amp, because even the cleans are modeled, and they may not respond to your pedals in the same way an OG JC120 would. These are great sounding amps though, and have a ridiculous amount of versatility with all the built in sounds. Bonus points: Alongside the scalable wattage, the Katana head actually has a little speaker built in to use the amp in a quiet/practice capacity.

There are also tons of micro solidstate options out there, like the aforementioned Quilter, as well as the Orange Pedal Baby, and the really cool, impossibly loud Seymour Duncan Powerstage 170 and 700

Me personally, I dig a little sag and bloom with my cleans, and find “bell tones” with a dual rig of a Sovtek Bass Midget and a 63 blonde Bassman. They’re turned up to the point of “saturated but not overdriven” if that makes sense.

But based on what you’ve requested though, Hiwatt/Reeves seems to be your ticket. They’re hatefully loud, and are uncompressed and immediate to the point of being stiff. They’ll make you a better player though... because if you mess up your solo, everyone, including the guys outside the club are gonna know.

And finally... whatever you end up getting, make sure your cab is equipped to handle it! Obviously, it goes without saying not to run a 200w Science Mother into a single 20w alnico 8in, but also, don’t go looking for MASSIVE, UNCOMPROMISING CLEANZZZ and then settle for a sealed 4x12 full of V30s that are purpose built to saturate and compress when pushed. Be on the lookout for a speaker that is high wattage and full range that can handle any signal you pump into it. My vote is the venerable EVM12L, but your ears (and definitely your back) may tell you differently.

Just gotta say real quick...

My apologies for saying this, and then proceeding to do the exact opposite...

Hmm, didn't consider the speakers til your post. Whats cabs use the EVM12L or would I have to make one myself? Should it be just EVM12L's or should I pair it with other speakers? And which speakers! Had a look through on Celestion's catalogue, what do you think of the Neo 250 Copperbacks? Apparently its their neutral speakers. And lightweight.The G12H-150 Redback's it says are balanced clean speakers as well. The F12-X200 is full range from 20-20k, daaaamn.

[Woolworm]

It might be worth checking out the Quilter 101 and 201. I have a 201 and it is certainly LOUD and CLEAN. Great amps plus they're super portable which is nice.

I was coming to this thread to say this. The 101 and it's a shame cause OP just missed a great fucking deal on the Stupid Deal of the day!!!

Sorry @woolworm. Just trying to look out for you. That said, ILF User Ibarakishi plays similar music to what you're describing. He rocks this pedal size power amp, and is very happy with it. It's an ISP STEALTH 180 POWER AMP. Might be a path worth exploring. He got his on a really good deal. You can read his post here.

Thanks. This is useful cos when recording atleast, maybe not live but maybe also, I want to also run my signal DI into the audio interface along with a mic'd amp. So some preamp / poweramp info and recs help as well.

The only thing I have with only having DI live is if the mixer is a dick and turns you down. Atleast if he turns you down you still have your amp blasting on 11.

[Woolworm]

Just a get a science 200 watt mother and dont look back.

Yo thanks for the rec. So going through their portfolio, they have two amps they describe as loud and clean. The Mother and Street Sweeper. The street sweeper I think is one channel and the mother also has a second crunch channel. Both are available in 200w and 100w, but do I want 200w? Is it even possible to use it for recording in 200w? (with guitar atleast).

[Woolworm]

An 800 won’t stay clean enough for you, but a Plexi probably will. The DSL and JVM aren’t worth looking at for what you’re doing. Rockerverbs don’t stay clean so scratch that one. HiWatt to me sounds like what you’re describing? I’ve owned several V4’a and even well taken care of they break up pretty quick.

By breakup do you mean breakdown?

You would not rate the JVM's, DSL's, or the Rockerverb's clean channels? So they do compress and color the freqs and distort?

[qersty]

I think Traynor makes a cheapish head that meets your needs, not sure of the model name. I know it's not the YBA-1. That's the one I have, and with the colume control past noon it starts to growl.

You mean the traynor ygl3? they are neat, i think ts a twin preamp into a 50 watt marshall powerstage

[coldbrightsunlight]

It might be worth checking out the Quilter 101 and 201. I have a 201 and it is certainly LOUD and CLEAN. Great amps plus they're super portable which is nice.

I was coming to this thread to say this. The 101 and it's a shame cause OP just missed a great fucking deal on the Stupid Deal of the day!!!

Sorry @woolworm. Just trying to look out for you. That said, ILF User Ibarakishi plays similar music to what you're describing. He rocks this pedal size power amp, and is very happy with it. It's an ISP STEALTH 180 POWER AMP. Might be a path worth exploring. He got his on a really good deal. You can read his post here.

Thanks. This is useful cos when recording atleast, maybe not live but maybe also, I want to also run my signal DI into the audio interface along with a mic'd amp. So some preamp / poweramp info and recs help as well.

The only thing I have with only having DI live is if the mixer is a dick and turns you down. Atleast if he turns you down you still have your amp blasting on 11.

The quilters have an ok sounding DI output that you can use alongside the amp. Which is nice.

An 800 won’t stay clean enough for you, but a Plexi probably will. The DSL and JVM aren’t worth looking at for what you’re doing. Rockerverbs don’t stay clean so scratch that one. HiWatt to me sounds like what you’re describing? I’ve owned several V4’a and even well taken care of they break up pretty quick.

By breakup do you mean breakdown?

I'm guessing he means they get distorted when you turn them up a bit. Which backs up what I've seen from v4s on stage though I've never played one myself

[fuzzisokiguess]

Traynor YGL-3A are available as heads- plenty of clean and can throw plenty of treble (def speaker dependent). Fenderish pre, 4xel34. Largest transformers I’ve ever seen

Don’t pass up a cheap Plush, basically a Bassman or Showman

And holy shit, the V22 will destroy your hearing before distorting, IME

You’re def describing a Hiwatt tho.

[cantremember]

Just a get a science 200 watt mother and dont look back.

Yo thanks for the rec. So going through their portfolio, they have two amps they describe as loud and clean. The Mother and Street Sweeper. The street sweeper I think is one channel and the mother also has a second crunch channel. Both are available in 200w and 100w, but do I want 200w? Is it even possible to use it for recording in 200w? (with guitar atleast).

Well probably not but I suggested 200 watts for that ultra high headroom! I have the 100 watt version and have plenty of headroom tbh. The street sweeper would also probably be a good choice. I forgot about that model haha