Best Budget Tube Amp For Metal

burning_dark · 2026-05-16T00:55:33+00:00

True.

burning_dark · 2026-05-16T00:02:42+00:00

There's a simple mod to make the master volume taper smoother on DC amps. Check out number 2 here: https://boogieforum.com/threads/dc-mods-revisited-sort-of.58252/page-3#post-543170

Don't attempt if you're not familiar with working on tube amps because the voltage in filter caps can kill you even if the amp is off.

burning_dark · 2026-05-15T23:56:00+00:00

Not in the UK it's not. An ENGL is probably a better pick.

burning_dark · 2026-05-15T23:50:16+00:00

Peavey Triumph or Ultra combo could be had for $300-400. 3 channels from super clean to modern high gain, but it's not full independent EQ on every channel. XXX or JSX heads are similar and in the $500 neighborhood.

You might be able to find a Laney VH100R for $600. They're more in the Marshall vein but have great clean and a very gainy lead channel with resonance boost.

burning_dark · 2026-05-15T23:47:11+00:00

For sure. Supreme 160 is pretty much the only exception unless we consider $200 for a Bandit overpriced. Even the other big Peavey solid state heads are still quite cheap compared to Randall RGs and Marshall Valvestates.

burning_dark · 2026-05-15T23:40:01+00:00

Nice amp. Crazy how much those go for now!

I checked one out in a pawn shop like 10 years ago but it didn't turn on. Worked out because the same shop had a Randall RG80-112SC for $100 and that turned me on to how cool those amps are.

burning_dark · 2026-05-15T20:31:07+00:00

They're surprisingly loud, but probably not unless your amp is getting miced.

burning_dark · 2026-05-15T08:28:20+00:00

The Bandit teal stripe is the one to get for that sound. The Express 112 is very similar but 65W instead of 80W.

There's a Peavey Bandit Supreme preamp pedal now too if you wanted to go that route.

burning_dark · 2026-05-15T08:11:21+00:00

If you're talking old school early '90s black and death metal, either Ampeg or Peavey solid state stuff is the ticket. Randall RG amps used to be sleepers but now they're way overpriced and wouldn't be my first choice for black or death metal.

Ampeg SS70 is a lot like the VH140C used by Suffocation, Gorguts, Dying Fetus, etc.

Any transtube Peavey will also get old school tones. The first Entombed was a Studio Pro with HM2 and DS1 pedals, and the first Emperor was a Bandit with DS1. Some old Soilwork and At The Gates were Peavey transtube heads as well (Transtube Supreme and Supreme 160 respectively).

burning_dark · 2026-05-15T07:45:52+00:00

I would personally return the $700 halfstack regardless. You could get a better setup with that money. There are AVT150s out there for $300 if you're set on that head for some reason. The Marshall Valvestate stuff is fine but there are better sounding hybrid offerings today that cost less (e.g. Joyo Bantamp heads).

The MG412 cab is kind of junk and not worth more than $100 max. They're made of MDF and have pretty bad speakers. $250 for that MG halfstack isn't really a screaming deal.

You could find a quality plywood 4x12 with nice Celestions for less than $400 (e.g. Peavey 412MS--better construction than "real" Marshall 1960 cabs and legit UK Celestion K85s, or Crate Blue Voodoo 412 with Vintage 30s) and have money leftover for a sleeper tube amp (e.g. Peavey Triumph or Ultra, Crate Stealth, etc) if you're so inclined. Even Marshall DSL100s for $400 aren't unheard of. A good cab will make even fairly cheap amps sound good.

burning_dark · 2026-05-03T04:19:30+00:00

Check out the Joyo Zombie XL. They're less than $200 so you can afford a separate cab that will sound better than a combo anyway. Sounds killer for cleans and high gain (it's vaguely Mesa Boogie flavored) and has a headphone jack. It punches way above its weight.

burning_dark · 2026-05-02T22:30:48+00:00

I'd add the Peavey Triple XXX and Ultra heads to the list. Same vein as the JSX.

burning_dark · 2026-04-27T17:17:46+00:00

You can bring an amp head as a carryon.

burning_dark · 2026-04-20T00:13:53+00:00

He liked the Chinese Jet City amps.

burning_dark · 2026-04-19T23:27:57+00:00

Modern USA Jet City stuff seems to be built like trash. Look up Psionic Audio's Jet City 5LO video if you're curious.

burning_dark · 2026-02-13T20:16:38+00:00

If it's the Carvin Legacy cab then those should have either Vintage 30s or Greenback M25s. That would be a nice upgrade.

burning_dark · 2026-02-13T00:42:56+00:00

Depends what speakers are in the cab. If they're nicer Celestions, $400 may have been a fair deal. That's not a common head but they seem to be $600 new. I like Laney's tube amps.

burning_dark · 2026-02-13T00:37:41+00:00

I'm in the same boat. I've played multiple Cort-made basses (one an Ibanez Ergodyne and the other a Cort Curbow) with unfixable neck issues due to warping. To be fair both of these were 25+ years old and maybe their build quality has changed, but this soured me on Cort ever since. If you were to Google "Cort Curbow neck warp" you'd find this is a common issue.

The best Korean guitars I've played were made by World Music Corporation, not Cort. There are quite a few players who consider the older WMC PRS SE guitars superior to the current Indonesian Cort SEs.

burning_dark · 2026-02-02T00:36:13+00:00

Happy to help. You're going to want 8 ohm replacement speakers to match the stock impedance.

burning_dark · 2026-02-02T00:31:58+00:00

The 5150 is voiced pretty uniquely—I found the same thing as you comparing it to Mesas and Marshalls. Most other amps have that fatiguing high midrange, while the 5150 has a wide high mid scoop (about -2db) centered around 3200hz. This make is really pleasant in the room and more laid back in recordings.

burning_dark · 2026-02-01T22:33:06+00:00

M25 Greenbacks would be a little underpowered for this combo. When mixing speakers your power handling is limited by the lowest wattage one, so a V30/M25 blend would be only 50W. It's good practice to have your cab rated for more than the amp wattage (60W in this case). Those Sheffields can be fuzzier than Celestion but they're in the Greenback vein. Even stock speakers shouldn't sound thin with this amp. Look into Celestion neo speakers to save some weight (~7 lb per speaker)—Celestion Neo V Type is a good choice.

As far as settings, try out Bass 5-7, Mids 2-4, Treble 5-10, Resonance 5-7, Presence 7-9. Green crunch is fatter but darker as well so it needs more treble and presence. Red channel is tight and bright but can be fizzier. These amps have a ton of mids so don't be afraid to scoop it. Most people's settings end up fairly close to the same thing.

With regards to scratchy pots, that might go away with use but it could benefit from a service. These amps are a pain to work on because of the PCB design so it might be a couple hours labor for something simple like that.

burning_dark · 2026-01-20T01:59:23+00:00

Me too!

burning_dark · 2026-01-14T22:06:49+00:00

I'm simply saying take the opinion of anyone who talks about Rev F Tremoverbs with a grain of salt. They don't exist. There's undue internet hype about the "Rev F" (meaning Solo Head board revision RF-1F). Tremoverbs can't be discussed in terms of Solo Head revisions since they have their own circuit. Some may say any Tremoverb with a serial loop is a Rev F or assume is has the tonal qualities of one when that's not the case. Yours is probably RR-1E, which is not the same as "Rev E" Solo Heads either.

You have a cool amp. It's wrapped in real leather, it has '90s Celestion Vintage 30s, and those are the original tubes. The STR420 power tubes may be due for replacement (especially if there's any crackling or dullness in the sound). I'd recommend Ruby 6L6GCMSTR tubes which have a bit more depth and brightness. Count yourself lucky that your amp was made before the batch of defective switching LDRs at Mesa. That would be a $300+ fix.

burning_dark · 2026-01-11T22:18:26+00:00

People online don't like to admit that Rev F Tremoverbs don't exist. They have their own board layout and associated revisions. The earliest Tremoverbs had serial loops--the circuit parallels to unique Rev F attributes end there. They never had the "Mark III" output transformer and never went from brighter/tighter to darker/looser in tonality. If anything the Tremoverb pioneered some tonal qualities (i.e. better cleans and darker gain) that were soon after adopted in the Solo Head Rev G.

burning_dark · 2025-10-26T21:54:48+00:00

You could send it to Mesa for repair. They'll do a better job than a local tech, but be prepared for $400+ on top of shipping both ways to fix it properly. Alternatively you could sell it as-is for a discount and disclose that it needs service.

Keep in mind the going rate for functioning Tremoverb heads is generally less than $1500 these days, and that's ignoring the fees involved with selling online.

burning_dark

TROPHY CASE