December 2010 \ Features \ The Monsters of High Gain

The Monsters of High Gain

We gathered 13 of the hottest high-gain amps on the market, brought in ace guitarists Misha Mansoor (Periphery) and Ty Dietzler (Thousand Foot Krutch), and let the cameras roll.
Premier Guitar December 2010
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Whether you’re in the market for a new high-gain head or you just spend your free time searching for heavy riffage on YouTube, you’ll want to bookmark this article for reference. This month, we gathered 13 of the hottest high-gain amps on the market, brought in ace guitarists Misha Mansoor (Periphery) and Ty Dietzler (Thousand Foot Krutch), and let the cameras roll. Listen to both guitarists tearing up each channel of each amp listed below in CD-quality sound, and get a rundown of each amp’s main features. If you’re looking for a stripped-down metal machine or an amp stuffed with high-tech tools, there’s surely a monster for you.


Blackstar Series One 200
Diamond Nitrox

Diezel VH4

ENGL Powerball II

Framus Cobra

Fryette Pittbull Hundred/CLX Master Built

Hughes & Kettner Coreblade

Krank Nineteen80

Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier

Orange Rockerverb 100 MkII

Peavey 6534+

Randall RT 100


Soldano Avenger




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Comments

 (109 comments) display by
UsernameComment
Thrasheraz
on 02/15/2012 		Ha. I Have owned a few of these heads, and to be honest, they don't really sound the same in person as filtered through pro tools. Don't get me wrong, I'm a gainiac and enjoyed this test but If you closed your eyes they just sound the same or not very recognizable to a real roaring Krank, 6505, Recto. The low end from these amps needs to be heard in person.
Michael Graves
on 01/24/2012 		Also I did not like Mishas tone/chords/tuning or playing much although the Ibanez TS9 helped out some but I did like Ty's tone/playing.
Michael Graves
on 01/24/2012 		I was very surprised by the amps that I thought I would love and the actual one's I loved.I think the best overall and most verstile was the H&K,the best gain structure was the Egnator,clear high gains went to the Randall and the Engl and I was a little disappointed with the Mesa,Diamond,Framus and Orange.I was really dissapointed with the Fryette,Diezel,Soldano,Krank and thought the Blackstar and the Peavey could hold their own and probably closer in my price range.
SWalton75
on 01/04/2012 		TS9s and 808s (among other overdrives/boosts) are THE most important piece of gear that any metal/high gain guitarist can buy. If you've been inspired by any guitarists of the relative metal genres, undoubtedly that guitarist has used a boost in front of that amp. 99 times out of 100 no guitarist will record a high gain amp without one. They do not use them in an effort to add a gain stage, but to naturally compress the signal hitting the tubes. It brings out harmonics and overtones while adding chunk to an amplifier. My maxon od808 is THE most important piece of equipment I own. And for the record, I'm not a young metal guitarist...I am 36 and have 24 years of playing experience. The settings on a correctly used Tube Screamer would be: Gain - off, Tone - 12 noon, Volume - Max.
LOLer
on 12/29/2011 		LOl @ shreddyteddy with his King! :-) For those whining about the TS in front of an amp, obviously you do not understand the interaction and what it does. Interesting review of a bunch of nice amps. No substitute for going any trying them for yourself - honestly, anyone who bought any one of these 13 amps based solely on the clips is not the brightest. Grab your own guitar and plug in, discover the characters and nuances for yourself and let YOUR ears decide which you like the most.
LP788
on 12/24/2011 		I'd like to see these amps tried to their full potential without the Tube Screamer - I dont own a Tube Screamer and I dont intending to buy one, but I do intend to buy an amp. Let us hear the amps actual high gain capabilities and stop using the Tube Screamer in the reviews!
Al Swearengen
on 12/10/2011 		Also, ditch the Tube Screamer. If you can't get a better sound than that from the front of a $4,000 high-gain amp (which is basically a $4K multi-channel tube distortion pedal with much better components than a mass-market pedal), hang up your pick. All I notice every time Misha clicks uses it is all the nasty mud it injects into most of the amps. It's like putting ketchup on a steak.
Al Swearengen
on 12/07/2011 		More amps please. Mojave Dirty Boy/Scorpion. Bogner. Marshall. Don't listen to the wankers who think this is some kind of shredding competition, some of us are listening to the amps.
meezyATI
on 10/20/2011 		oh and also @rico. i cant play yellow submarine and m very happy about that fact. the beetles fucking blow. quit being a close minded faggot
meezyATI
on 10/20/2011 		@evhty the 6505 goes great with a bbe sonic maximizer. thats what i use and it sounds brutal



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