Amp Flavors Part 2

Headache

Headache

Ambassador of all that is Heavy
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Drop B. Active pickups. Celestion G12-T75, Shure Sm57, Focusrite Scarlett Solo.

Seymour Duncan 805OD, Isp decimator gate up front.

I used both amps in the mode four part so you can hear that half of the amp as well.

Just for fun. Don't hesitate to voice your opinions please.

 
I liked them all honestly and none sounded alike any point. The closest two that did almost sound alike was the TSL and Mode Four Channel 4, though the TSL had a little more mid range.

The Joyo had a nice early 90s Swedish death metal grind.
The Peavey had a great mid 2000s metalcore sound
The Marshalls, sound like classic hi gain Marshalls over all periods lol


Craziest part to my ears: is the Channel 4 somehow sounded brighter than Channel 2 in this example!
 
I liked the TSL a bit more in this round, as opposed to the last round…same goes for the Joyo.
That little 6505 would probably be an excellent choice for a recording amp for the heavies.
That Mode 4 seems to be a really interesting amp. Still sounds really good. Especially the second part/channel in this round.
 
I liked the TSL the best, it had the best midrange. Then it was a tie between the mode Four and Joyo. Was not a fan of the Peavy at all. It sounded good at first, but when you sped up your playing, it sounded like mud.
 
Clockworkmike said:
Craziest part to my ears: is the Channel 4 somehow sounded brighter than Channel 2 in this example!
Click to expand...

I don't hardly play channels 3 or 4, so it's probably the EQ being different on that side of the amp. It is a bit more compressed and fizzy on amp 2... Cool thing is, there's 3 different voicings over there for those 2 channels. Plus a mid scoop button.... It can cover a lot of distortion style ground.

This is my second mode 4, my first one blew up the first day I bought it... That's when I learned they are fragile beasts..
This one has been a soldier so far..
 
I'll chime in a few of my dislikes on these particular amps:

The Joyo is hissy and noisy when not being played. I'd also like it to have a mid control knob.

The TSL can be very picky and even flubby with the bass knobs/deep switch. Have to adjust it with precision and patience. The crunch and lead channel sound very similar.

The Peavey is a feedback monster, very hissy and hard to control... Kind of like a top fuel dragster... Once it's running, it doesn't like to stay in park....it wants to go!

Mode 4 can feel very compressed at times, it's finicky in how it fights with my noise gate....
 
A few of my favorite things about these 4 amps:

The Joyo firebrand (ENGL copy) sounds very different than PV or Marshall, it weighs nothing and sounds pretty dang good for an amp that costs less than a good distortion pedal.

The TSL is harmonically rich and bridges the gap between vintage Marshalls and new metal kinds of amps. It can really do it all..
The VPR can close down volume without stopping the full cranked tone.
Also, 3 channels!

The Peavey mini head sounds every bit the same as the 6505+ 120w version. It's not a cheap downgraded copy, it's literally the same amp just smaller. Has that great newer metal tone.

The Mode Four has a solo button on the switch which you can adjust the volume gain!
4 channels with so many voicing options.
350 watts can melt bones in your inner ear.
 
Headache said:
I don't hardly play channels 3 or 4, so it's probably the EQ being different on that side of the amp. It is a bit more compressed and fizzy on amp 2... Cool thing is, there's 3 different voicings over there for those 2 channels. Plus a mid scoop button.... It can cover a lot of distortion style ground.

This is my second mode 4, my first one blew up the first day I bought it... That's when I learned they are fragile beasts..
This one has been a soldier so far..
Click to expand...
Lol i did too: blew one up within 15 minutes of bringing home the month they came out. Blew the 2nd ( and current one I own) about 3 months after owning it. But this time I learned a few things:

-The cabs I bought at the store ( 2 MF400B cabs) were causing an impedance mismatch as the Mode Four is only capable of running one 8ohm MF400 cab ( K100s) or 2 16ohm MF280 ( Vintage 70 cabs). I was running 2 8ohms and it blew it.
-When it was sent off to be repaired by Marshall, the tech at Gallagher Music who was authorized to fix it; modded it for me to actually run the 2 MF400s but I have since went to back to a halfstack and use the other cab under a JCM2000 50w
-Each time I blew it, it was me pushing it to the max then hitting the Solo boost, so i dunno if i overpowered it or what lol

Its still an awesome amp and a favorite to play with. Until a few years ago, it was one of the best kept secrets in the Marshall line as no one paid attention to them and you couldve scored one for literally $250. Now they are back in the $700-900 range pending on condition. I unfortunately paid more when they came out new lol
 
Clockworkmike said:
Lol i did too: blew one up within 15 minutes of bringing home the month they came out. Blew the 2nd ( and current one I own) about 3 months after owning it. But this time I learned a few things:

-The cabs I bought at the store ( 2 MF400B cabs) were causing an impedance mismatch as the Mode Four is only capable of running one 8ohm MF400 cab ( K100s) or 2 16ohm MF280 ( Vintage 70 cabs). I was running 2 8ohms and it blew it.
-When it was sent off to be repaired by Marshall, the tech at Gallagher Music who was authorized to fix it; modded it for me to actually run the 2 MF400s but I have since went to back to a halfstack and use the other cab under a JCM2000 50w
-Each time I blew it, it was me pushing it to the max then hitting the Solo boost, so i dunno if i overpowered it or what lol

Its still an awesome amp and a favorite to play with. Until a few years ago, it was one of the best kept secrets in the Marshall line as no one paid attention to them and you couldve scored one for literally $250. Now they are back in the $700-900 range pending on condition. I unfortunately paid more when they came out new lol
Click to expand...
I remember this story! Ya I was just clicking my solo boost button in on the back of the amp, low volume, nothing crazy, sparks flew and I heard all hell break loose in there.
I ordered the 4 chips, had a tech solder them in for me. Turns out whomever had done it before had put way too much heat grease between the chip and the heatsink.

That's All it takes, for those babies to heat up once and boom!

I've heard of them blowing up just by turning them off, plugging in a different cab, and turning them back on. Gotta let all the stuff die out inside before changing anything.

Luckily, this one has been holding up very well. I truly love this amp. Hard to pick favorites, but it's probably this one.
 
Robert Herndon said:
All of them sound great - and virtually identical - in a live venue.
Click to expand...
This is so very true. Often times dirt is dirt when you're on stage, whether your amp reads Marshall, or Engl, or Mesa, or whatever.

Add a Little more mids to cut through and that's about all anyone will ever notice.
Granted, in an audience of 100 people, 15 of them may really play guitar, and only 2 of those may really experience and evaluate your tone... That's my thoughts on that.
 
Headache said:
This is so very true. Often times dirt is dirt when you're on stage, whether your amp reads Marshall, or Engl, or Mesa, or whatever.

Add a Little more mids to cut through and that's about all anyone will ever notice.
Granted, in an audience of 100 people, 15 of them may really play guitar, and only 2 of those may really experience and evaluate your tone... That's my thoughts on that.
Click to expand...

Exactly!!!!!
 
I tend to favor the Ernie Ball skinny top Beefy bottom, I think they're 10-54.
Don't need to widen the nut, and still plays tight enough, for me anyhow.
 
Thatbastarddon said:
I liked the TSL a bit more in this round, as opposed to the last round…same goes for the Joyo.
That little 6505 would probably be an excellent choice for a recording amp for the heavies.
That Mode 4 seems to be a really interesting amp. Still sounds really good. Especially the second part/channel in this round.
Click to expand...
Just like round one, I'm pretty well aligned with Don's thinking. They all seemed to be in the same league this time around, but still think the M4 and 6505 won.

And, I still think you need to do a shootout with all the Joyo amps.
 
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