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thrashinbatman
Metalhead

Joined: Mon Feb 22, 2010 6:31 pm
Posts: 1534
PostPosted: Thu Jan 10, 2019 2:24 pm 
 

Going used can get you a lot of options. Under $800 you can get almost any of the 5150/6505 amps, the Mesa Mark III and IV appear in that range if you're patient, the Engl Thunder can be bought for around $400-$600 and is a pretty solid head, the Peavey XXX and JSX can be bought real cheap for around $300-$500.

For a cab, I'd recommend getting something good. Used Mesa 2x12 as well as 4x12s can be found for as little as $400 if you keep an eye out. The Marshall 1960 is a great cab that appears used real cheap all over the place. Really, any cab that has V30s or T75s in it will be fine.

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hakarl
Metel fraek

Joined: Sat Sep 29, 2007 1:41 pm
Posts: 8816
Location: Finland
PostPosted: Fri Jan 11, 2019 3:31 am 
 

Marshall DSL 100 is actually close to that price range, even new. I have the older version of that amp, the JCM2000 DSL 100, and it sounds fantastic for any kind of metal, if you have a boost pedal. Without a boost or some mods, it's more of a crunch sound, which might not be ideal for extreme metal. Used Marshalls like mine go for 500€. Paired with a Marshall Vintage cab, you might be able to get a head and a 2x12" cab for that price used. Do not get one of those cheaper cabs without testing them out - in my experience the ones with the Celestion G12T-75 speaker sound rubbish. Celestion Vintage 30 and Greenback are better sounding elements. That's all very subjective, of course.

Peavey 5150 or 6505 is a fantastic amp, because they're high-quality, reliable, great-sounding amps for metal, whose prices in the second-hand market are low because there are so fucking many of them. The reason there are many is not because everyone wants to get rid of theirs, either, but because they're so damn solid that people just buy them a lot. Those are great for anything from classic metal/rock to brutal death metal.

At least in Europe, Engl Fireball 60 is a very cheap amp to buy second-hand. They're not being sold new anymore, but they are quite plentiful in the used market. It's a brilliant sounding amplifier. Unlike most big Engl heads, this one has a brighter, more aggressive tone, more Marshally than Mesa-esque. With Engl, be mindful of the fact that these are relatively affordable amps even new. Don't let anyone tell you that it's the Mesa of Germany, because it isn't. That would be Bogner. Heads like Fireball 60, Thunder, or Screamer, might be about 350€ used.

If I had that kind of a budget, and was looking a head and a cab, I'd probably find a Marshall 1960AV or Engl Pro 4x12" cab used, and either an Engl Fireball 60 head, or save up a little bit more, and find a Marshall JCM2000 DSL100. It would total between 800€ and 1000€ used.

If you have doubts about getting an used amp head, that's understandable, as those are indeed prone to breaking down, especially when there's no way to know if one of the previous owners has somehow mishandled it. Buying a head new is fine. Cabs, though, don't really break down. If you can find what you need, there's no need to get a new one. You can even swap the speakers for new ones down the line, if you feel like they sound worn down somehow.
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