Best guitar amp to get the following sound....

[danbronson]

Originally Posted by ryanformato

I am both an instrumental guitarist and in a punk/rock emo band. My current setup is as follows:

Digitech 2120 ---> Mesa Boogie 50/50 (Tube power amp) ---> Mesa 4x12 Cabinet.

This setup gets me an awesome instrumental guitar sound (although it is a bit "fake"and "Digitechy" sounding...but I cannot achieve an in your face sound like in the chorus of the mp3 provided.

I have been looking at a few options but am open to all suggestions. I am thinking of getting a Mesa Triaxis but there are no stores that carry them and I would have to buy it "blind."

I would even consider going the head/cab route over the rack if I am able to cover both sounds. Thanks for your help. Any other opinions would be greatly appreciated. Here is the link to the song I would like to be able to sound/record like.

It is Taking Back Sunday's hit song MakeDamnSure.

From the sound in that clip I'd go with all-tube Orange or Marshall. If you get a Marshall, retube it and make sure the bias is correct. The Orange may need this as well but they tend to be made better and set up from the factory better (I'd take new Orange over new Marshall anyday, vintage is different though).

Ditch the Digitech, sell the Mesa 50/50 (though it's a quality piece of gear) and keep the Mesa 4X12. That's what I'd be doing anyway.thumbsup

[vernier]

Yep, "MakeDamnSure" has a clean amp folded in.

[Dan Gallagher]

They call the Soldano SLO100 the "voice of god" for a reason... it is expensive but worth it!

[Stratfreak]

There's a wrong and a right type of distortion which you're probably aware of.

The Marshall JCM800 (even the reissue) has the right distortion sound, but can't let you get the clean sound, as it has no channel switching abilities.
You's need another amp for clean and an A/B box.

The Marshall DSL 100 can get very close to the JCM 800 distortion sounds and can get a deeper sound (similar to Mesa Boogie...I said similar) AND get you the clean sound via a footswitch. There's a you tube comaprison. I've purchased Marshalls almost every 3 years since 1976 until now.

I tried the Mesa Boogie Dual and triple rectumfryers and even the little combos. Lots of people would say, "did ya try the Mesa Boogie". I got tired of hearing it. I tried em. It's the WRONG type of distortion in my opinion.

Marshall has the right distortion type tone in my opinion. Don't know about the vintage moderns, but the amp needs to be tubed with at least 4 power tubes and 3 preamp tubes or else I wouldn't bother.

Rack preamps= no tone, last 100 times i tried.

[guittarzzan]

Originally Posted by ryanformato

I am both an instrumental guitarist and in a punk/rock emo band. My current setup is as follows:

Digitech 2120 ---> Mesa Boogie 50/50 (Tube power amp) ---> Mesa 4x12 Cabinet.

This setup gets me an awesome instrumental guitar sound (although it is a bit "fake"and "Digitechy" sounding...but I cannot achieve an in your face sound like in the chorus of the mp3 provided.

I have been looking at a few options but am open to all suggestions. I am thinking of getting a Mesa Triaxis but there are no stores that carry them and I would have to buy it "blind."

I would even consider going the head/cab route over the rack if I am able to cover both sounds. Thanks for your help. Any other opinions would be greatly appreciated. Here is the link to the song I would like to be able to sound/record like.

It is Taking Back Sunday's hit song MakeDamnSure.

My two cents: Sell what you can live without, especially the Digitech, and get one of these: Products - Fractal Audio Systems / Atomic Amplifiers

It's everything the Digitechs and Line 6's wanted to be, but didn't have the technology or budget to do it. It's amazing and easily holds it's own up against my Egnater M4 and Engl preamps. The effects are decades ahead of anything Digitech and easily in the realm of Eventide's stuff. If you go that route, get the ULTRA as the newest firmware, which sounds incredible, gets pretty dsp hungry if you're using a stereo set up with two amps, cabs, reverbs etc. If you'll only ever use one amp at a time, then the Standard will suit you fine.

cheers.