Need recommendation for amp head

[keithtan]

Hi but may I know why the egnator rebel 20 head is cheaper than its cab that is shown on ebenex's website? :O

 

[seekz]

I find it strange that you're looking for portability in a head/cab setup.
Regardless of whether you drive or not, lugging a small to medium sized combo around is still easier.

 

[carboxymoron]

I intend to use it with venue's cabs wherever possible, but then again, I am not experienced in these things. Should I be looking at a combo then? I actually have an old Laney LC15R that I think will be great for quiet sets but definitely isn't loud enough for even most small venues.

edit: I know, people will tell me the speaker matters as much as the head, or the pickups matter as much as the speaker, or the type of metal used in the screw on my bridge matters as much as the ambient temperature at the venue

 

[J.custom]

I've tried those amps you mentioned, and with the exception of the dual terror, most of your recommendations don't have enough clean headroom to keep up once you introduce a drummer into the mix. The Lionheart is only 5w and I hardly think the 20w version is worth the money- I can buy 2 rebel heads with the cost of one and still have more clean headroom to spare at gigging volumes. I haven't tried the dual terror but I prefer using most Orange amps the way they'r originally intended for - tube driven amp gain.

Well then again that depends on what guitar you're using as well. I believe Justin is using a tele? I've tried the ac4 at gig volumes with a strat at gig volumes and it didn't break up. The cub 12 being a 15 w amp should have enough clean headroom.


Another thing to consider is how many gigging places in singapore actually use a head and cab config? Apart from big gigs , the only other place I've seen is timbre.

I have to agree with seekz about carrying around a small to medium combo. Plus you get more consistent tone

 

[seekz]

Then try a VC30 or a LC30 for smaller combos, or blues jr
medium combo would be your deluxe reverbs ac15's

 

[dezng]

Dezng- that clip sounds totally sick, what poweramp you'r running it through? Cab and speakers? Thanks for the offer man you peaked my interest there. So far the people I know who are using it here are only running it through studio monitors, while sounding good and will probably work well live, lacks the moving thump of serious air being pushed through a speaker cabinet. Your setup I assume will naturally combine the best of both worlds.

As for the trying bit, I will drop you a PM. I've got something big coming in myself and maybe it would be cool if we could do a through A/B for gear trying's sake!

The clip was done direct, no amps, no cabs, no mics. Just direct Axe Fx II USB out into my MacBook Pro running Reaper. No mixing, no post EQ, just plug, record and render. I also tweaked this patch using studio monitors. Even with running FRFR the Axe Fx II with the new fw5.0 is able to produce really "real" tube tone and dynamics. Nevertheless, I also set-up my Axe FX II through a Matrix GT800FX power amp through a 2X12 Marshall Cab with G12H30/V30 speakers for the sake of moving air when I need it. It's perfect!

 

[Ized]

Hi but may I know why the egnator rebel 20 head is cheaper than its cab that is shown on ebenex's website? :O

The value is read as minus off the list price, not the other way round.

 

[Ized]

Well then again that depends on what guitar you're using as well. I believe Justin is using a tele? I've tried the ac4 at gig volumes with a strat at gig volumes and it didn't break up. The cub 12 being a 15 w amp should have enough clean headroom.


Another thing to consider is how many gigging places in singapore actually use a head and cab config? Apart from big gigs , the only other place I've seen is timbre.

I have to agree with seekz about carrying around a small to medium combo. Plus you get more consistent tone

Well I tried to use my AC4tv at the demo booth at baybeats and even though it wasn't a gig, the clean headroom totally couldn't cut it. I was using an American standard HSS strat. But then again, depends on what your definition of clean headroom is. My definition is it must be really clean with no break up (lol at gearmandude), loud and full sounding. It should also be able to work well with a picky high gain pedal like the seventheaven or a wampler pinnacle. One good example of which would be the Roland JC120.

I've tried the laney cubs when during the time I worked at a certain music store, and while they were nice at the tube breakup kind of thing, I wouldn't really consider them to have clean headroom - unless you consider anything above below 12 o'clock, which was already having a slight tinge of grit to it. I can imagine it taking an overdrive to push it to more distortion but any higher gain pedals it'll flub out.

Since we'r on the topic of combos- this may be a viable alternative. Although it aint tube, but its light and powerful. 200watts packed into that little box. And from what I've heard, it takes pedals well too.

And if the venue provides a external cab you can hook it up to that, no problem.

 

[CyanideJunkie]

+1 on the ZT. Funny how it takes 3 pages before it pops up lol.

 

[MadWerewolfBoy]

for you case, i think 20 watters are good, cause they're light enough to carry around and has enough headroom to remain clean if they're mic'ed up correctly. i have no 20 watter so i shall not comment! haha just know that my ht-5 has not enough headroom for cleans for stage volume and my bh100 is too loud, too heavy. :/

edit: but i've heard many many good things about the line 6 DT25. everybody seems to be happy about it, incl those who're not using modellers. mainly cause of the versatility i guess, but it costs a premium
http://line6.com/dt25/

 

[carboxymoron]

Anyone know anything on when the ZT Lunchbox Jr is coming?

Although in terms of cleans, the larger Club sounds way better than the Lunchbox.

 

[Ized]

You can give woodworkz a call, I believe they are the authorised dealers although I tried the lunchbox at Ebenex. It has already been sold since then.

 

[Godspeed64]

Honestly speaking it is hard to find a PORTABLE head with high headroom. I bring my NT sometimes to the studios and stuff, but it is crazy heavy to carry that plus my effects and guitar; hence the reason I only bring it when I drive.

Your best bet:

EDIT 1: Do you require it to be tube?
EDIT 2: If you're ordering from eBay SMS me haha

 

[MadWerewolfBoy]

i wanted to post the d-class solid state crate too. was wondering if the 200 small form factor amp was a d-class ss. heard these were good, but don't know why they discontinued it!!

 

[Ized]

The NT 15W got enough headroom?! Wah your drummer must be damn good....haha kidding.

Unless you crank and use the amp's gain all the way....but the NT dosent have an FX loop right?

haha that crate 200W brings back memories of the days I tried that back then (like 5 years ago) at music theme....that thing is a beast. It's freaky loud, sounds great and takes pedals well.

That being said, I wouldn't recommend it if you'r dead set on a tube amp's feel and dynamics however as it sports a tight solid state feel and lots of low end- great for palm muted metal chugga chugga.

 

[Godspeed64]

How can the NT have not enough headroom? In a jamming studio 15W tube should be more than sufficient.

 

[Ized]

How can the NT have not enough headroom? In a jamming studio 15W tube should be more than sufficient.

When I jam at epic studios, sometimes even the orange rockerverb 100W there cranked to 10(both volume and gain knobs) isn't enough for some people....just ask dudelove...

EDIT: my ears were ringing for a week after that though

 

[carboxymoron]

A little update, I unexpectedly ended up with the ZT Lunchbox + extension cab

From what I understand it uses a unique mix of analog and digital signal processing and lots of proprietary R&D has gone into it. It doesn't try to sound like anything else, but it does sound much bigger than anything you would expect from such a small speaker... Even at very low volume it maintains some "body" to the sound, and doesn't get thin very quickly. Lots of headroom, very loud, takes pedals well. My only complaint is it is a bit mid-heavy and could use a mid knob / 3-band EQ rather than the tone knob, and because of this the "ambience" (meant to simulate short reverb from an open-backed cab) isn't very usable - the mids get quite muddled when I turn the ambience up.

It won't replace a nice big amp, but I'll definitely bring it to jams/gigs that only offer those Marshall / Vox valvestates/hybrids. All in all I'm blown away. Did not expect this much headroom/volume when listening to the demo clips.

 

[loldude333]

To TS: Mind sharing where you got it from and how much you paid in total?

 

[carboxymoron]

Nothing much to share, I got a lucky deal from a nice guy on here and paid very little indeed

Looking at the normal list price now, I would say it is still worth it, although I'd definitely recommend trying it out first because it has a different but still undeniably solid-state sound.