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So, I've decided to switch to a new setup: one LOUD amp, and one small and super portable amp. I've pretty well decided on the small amp, but I need help on picking the large one.

What I need: an amp that can sound great with bass, guitar, or keys. Other than that I'm not entirely certain what I want other than it needs to get so loud that I could potentially be blinded by sound.

Other things: don't really care about having amp distortion, I like it but it's not really something I ever use, same goes for other built in effects. I'm not sure if I'd rather have a combo or go modular with my amp setup, so suggestions either way would be great.

Budget: under $3000 preferably cheaper if it can be achieved.

Current candidates:
-One of the bassmans. I know there are some cool 100w and even 135w bassmans out there, but I don't know if any are better than others.
-Music Man hd: they make some cool loud heads, but I don't really know anything about them.
-Orange Thunderverb 200w: looks cool, but at that price I'd have to save up for a year or two.
-Verellen Meatsmoke: looks like a pure doom amp to me, which could be all kinds of awesome.

What else is there?

Ampeg V4, preferably an early 70's model. Matching Ampeg cab or get some custom Emperors in any configuration you choose.

Thunderverbs are cool and a Meatsmoke would absolutely rule but for that kinda cash, I'd just go with a custom Dunwich and get exactly what you're after and probably save a few bucks in the end. Then throw those extra bucks at Emperor.

Holy Schnikes wrote:Ampeg V4, preferably an early 70's model. Matching Ampeg cab or get some custom Emperors in any configuration you choose.

Thunderverbs are cool and a Meatsmoke would absolutely rule but for that kinda cash, I'd just go with a custom Dunwich and get exactly what you're after and probably save a few bucks in the end. Then throw those extra bucks at Emperor.

This is what I was thinking too. I've been looking for an amp to use on bass, but that would also work for guitar, and the V4 seems pretty ideal. I need to make that a reality.

Music Man HD 130 has plenty of the volume you need. Fender Super Twin, 180 watts of pure tube clean, will never breakup. V4s have always been a little harsh on the top end to my ears. Anything with KT88s. That's my favorite tube ever.

Yeah, that Super Twin will bowl you over with clean headroom, mind boggling, gut rattling levels of volume. My brother had one but he had the preamp modded to make it more bass friendly. Fenders can be weird sounding with fuzz/dirt too depending on what you prefer but that goes for any amp.

Didn't Fender recently release a new 100W and 300W SuperBass too or something along those lines?

If you don't care about amp distortion, then you really don't need to be worried about tubes. Find an SS amp that has a nice preamp sound to your ears and buy the largest model you can afford.

I've thought about getting a Super Fender, but the 100w Fender Twin I have now is lacking when the frequencies start dropping. And for being a purely guitar amp it doesn't get high-pitched enough in my estimation, lots of nice mids but nothing very rich in the outer frequencies. Dirt does sound weird but I don't think it sounds bad, just weird. Would it be worth it to get a modded super twin, or should I get something else? I'm kinda leaning towards something else where I'm not in love with the way it sounds with dirt.

There are several versions of the ampeg v4 right? Which one would be the most flexible? And what do you mean by harsh?

I really like the idea of getting a Dunwich amp. But with anything more than $1000 is going to take me at least a year to raise funds, and frankly I find the idea of building an amp to my specifications both arousing and daunting. Maybe I'll send him an email and ask what's possible, but I would like to ask cash in hand...

Which ss options should I look at? I haven't played any that compare in volume to tube-power, and I'm inclined to believe the hype from what I've experienced with loud tube amps.

They did release a new superbass, but I don't know if they're any better than the old superbasses or if they're any good for anything but bass.

Get more speakers, for one. A good closed back cab or two. Then, if that doesn't help, buy more.

wfs1234 wrote:There are several versions of the ampeg v4 right? Which one would be the most flexible? And what do you mean by harsh?

There's a few variations, basically the V4 (guitar) and V4B (bass) which are both heads and 100W. The V2 is the 50 watter. There's combo versions of each but we'll leave those out for now. The next big distinction is early vs late 70's models.

As for differences, the V4 has input attentuation for each channel and reverb. The V4B doesn't have input attenuation or reverb, but has a lo boost switch (which i never use since all it does is cut mids). The EQ frequency points are the same and the both work great for guitar, bass, or keys. They're also some of the loudest 100W amps I've ever played/heard/owned and I haven't noticed any harshness with mine, none that bothered me at least...

Early 70's are the ones with silver/aluminum knobs and more straightforward circuit design, leaving off the master volume feature. Late 70's have the black plastic/silver top knobs and add the master volume. Some also had a distortion control. I prefer the sound of the early 70's but both rule!

You can get one from $500-$700, just be sure service is up-to-date and it's had a cap job.

wfs1234 wrote:I really like the idea of getting a Dunwich amp. But with anything more than $1000 is going to take me at least a year to raise funds, and frankly I find the idea of building an amp to my specifications both arousing and daunting. Maybe I'll send him an email and ask what's possible, but I would like to ask cash in hand...

That wouldn't be an issue as the wait list is probably a year out, give ya plenty of time to raise funds haha.

wfs1234 wrote:I've thought about getting a Super Fender, but the 100w Fender Twin I have now is lacking when the frequencies start dropping. And for being a purely guitar amp it doesn't get high-pitched enough in my estimation, lots of nice mids but nothing very rich in the outer frequencies. Dirt does sound weird but I don't think it sounds bad, just weird. Would it be worth it to get a modded super twin, or should I get something else? I'm kinda leaning towards something else where I'm not in love with the way it sounds with dirt.

There are several versions of the ampeg v4 right? Which one would be the most flexible? And what do you mean by harsh?

I really like the idea of getting a Dunwich amp. But with anything more than $1000 is going to take me at least a year to raise funds, and frankly I find the idea of building an amp to my specifications both arousing and daunting. Maybe I'll send him an email and ask what's possible, but I would like to ask cash in hand...

Which ss options should I look at? I haven't played any that compare in volume to tube-power, and I'm inclined to believe the hype from what I've experienced with loud tube amps.

They did release a new superbass, but I don't know if they're any better than the old superbasses or if they're any good for anything but bass.

See, I swear by tube amps, but if you're just looking for loads of clean headroom, than an SS poweramp with your choice of pre is going to be way, way cheaper than 3 large.

OP : Silverface Bassman sounds like what you're looking for

http://www.guitarcenter.com/In-Store-Used-USED-FENDER-STUDIO-BASS-200W-HEAD---CAB-EV-SPEAKER-108618938-i2986259.gc
It's a Fender Super Twin, but geared towards bass!

ALLisNOISE wrote:http://www.guitarcenter.com/In-Store-Used-USED-FENDER-STUDIO-BASS-200W-HEAD---CAB-EV-SPEAKER-108618938-i2986259.gc
It's a Fender Super Twin, but geared towards bass!

Fuck I need to come up with $750 FAST

FUCK ME THAT'S PERFECT. Now I need to find the money TODAY!

Another vote for the V4. Suck wicked amps. Sounds good with everything you throw at it, and fits your description pretty well.
It's also louder than god.