Barricade_28

I'm deciding which one of these these I want. I'd likely swap the stock Valveking speaker with a Celestion 30 Vintage speaker.

I play just about everything, including metal (mostly thrash, but not much that's ridiculously extreme). So I want enough gain but want decent cleans too for other types of music, and I've heard that the 6505+ 112 combo doesn't have the best cleans, but how does that compare to the Valveking 112 combo cleans (stock and w/ mods)?

Looking for an amp for home practice, jamming w/ full band, but also with enough low end to help somewhat sub for a bass player when I jam/practice metal just with my drummer buddy (which is often).

note: my budget is up to about $1000 but obviously the less the better!

Offworld92

Valveking has way better cleans. But it's not a metal amp. You have to compromise somewhere.

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HUMANIZER

This isn't 1968. Use the volume knob.

Main Rig
Ibanez | S420 |
LTD | EC-1000 |
Peavey | 6505 | MS412 |
Boss | TU-3 | CS-3 | GT-10 | SD-1 | NS-2 |

311ZOSOVHJH

Pretty much that.

The VK can do Thrash just fine with an OD and EQ pedal. That is after the crap speaker is removed. For the VK - I'd actually go with a warehouseguitarspeaker.com Veteran 30 (V30 clone of the Celestion).

But for low end and versatility I like the Vypyr 60 even better.

Better yet, there is Sticky that might help you craft a better 'What Amp' thread.

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evmac

I use it for metal all the time. You can check out my band where i use the Valveking as my main amp. I don't play modern metal, but it has a decent amount of gain. The cleans are really nice IMO but I'm no clean tone aficionado.

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Carl21221

The 6505 doesn't have bad cleans when dialed in properly. I don't know why so many people dislike its cleans so much. The vlavekings cleans are most likely better though.

Do you have to choose between those two? Maybe take a look at the peavey XXX/JSX? Much more versatile IMO.

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Peavey 6505+ 112
Roland Cube 30X
Line 6 PODxt Live

trashedlostfdup

6505's cleans are far inferior to the valveking.

however i agree that an XXX or JSX would do you much better. one of them comes into a combo if you are looking for that, but i don't remember which one or if both did.

the right tubes are a big thing and peavey's speakers are terrible. as 311 said be prepared to swap.

for a little bit more money i would look for a 5150 2x12" combo again if not looking for head/cab setup.

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Offworld92

I assume a JSX is out of your budget, but if not go for that. Cleans absolutely destroy the ValveKing and the 6505, and the quality of the dirt is on par with the 6505 - it just has a quite different character. It's be way more suited to what I assume you want to do, actually.

The combos are relatively hard to find though.

__________________
In your mind, you can fly.

HUMANIZER

This isn't 1968. Use the volume knob.

Main Rig
Ibanez | S420 |
LTD | EC-1000 |
Peavey | 6505 | MS412 |
Boss | TU-3 | CS-3 | GT-10 | SD-1 | NS-2 |

Barricade_28

Thanks for the advice everyone. The XXX/JSX are not made anymore right? Are they the exact same amp (inside)? I'm worried that the 120w head is a bit of overkill for me, since most of the time I probably wouldn't have the amp volume above solo basement practice or band jam levels. Would my tone/distortion/bass sound good at lower volume levels? I could just go for a 2x12 cab.

p.s. a closed-back cab will likely increase/improve my low end, correct?

losing battle

Used jsx should get you what you want from an amp. A used jsx should be in the same range as a new valveking/used 5150.

Edit. The 6505/Jsx/valceking are all going to be loud as hell if your concerened about volume levels that much I would look at the vyper tube 60 because of the headphone inputs.

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Offworld92

The JSX and XXX are different. The JSX is a modified XXX, basically. It has a way better clean channel (it's designed to be close to the Peavey Classic), and the crunch and ultra channels are both less abrasive (smoother). It also has a built in noise gate which is kind of nice just as an extra.

I haven't spent a lot of time with the XXX, but one of the main reasons I got my JSX is that it sounds excellent at bedroom volumes, which most tube amps don't. I've owned a 5150 in the past, and it is definitely not a bedroom amp in any traditional sense. It's loud as balls.

I agree that the Vypyr 60 would be a better overall option if this is a bedroom amp. It is obviously far more versatile, and sounds quite good in it's own right, while maintaining a consistent tone regardless of volume, whisper to venue.



Oh, also the JSX is the same amp as the XXX II, and the XXX is the same amp as the 3120. Don't ask why they did that, I don't know.

__________________
In your mind, you can fly.

HUMANIZER

This isn't 1968. Use the volume knob.

Main Rig
Ibanez | S420 |
LTD | EC-1000 |
Peavey | 6505 | MS412 |
Boss | TU-3 | CS-3 | GT-10 | SD-1 | NS-2 |

Kevin Saale

Satch is with marshall now, so they took his moniker off the amps. Same thing that happened to the 5150 when EVH switched to Soldano (I think it was to soldano, either way hes with Fender now).

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Offworld92

I understand why they changed the name, I'm saying I don't understand why they renamed the JSX the XXX II, but renamed the XXX the 3120. It's just confusing. It would have been smart to name the XXX the 3120, and then named the JSX the 3122 or something like that.

__________________
In your mind, you can fly.

HUMANIZER

This isn't 1968. Use the volume knob.

Main Rig
Ibanez | S420 |
LTD | EC-1000 |
Peavey | 6505 | MS412 |
Boss | TU-3 | CS-3 | GT-10 | SD-1 | NS-2 |

evmac

Random question, why did they name it the 3120? I know XXX is a stupid name but what's the meaning behind the new one?

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Dave_Mc

+1

also a v30 wouldn't be my choice if i wanted nice cleans.

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trashedlostfdup

three channel and 120 watts maybe.

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311ZOSOVHJH

^actually that makes sense


i always wondered myself

their new names made no sense to me

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ihartfood

I'm naming the first amp I make the 1234.

1 channel, 234 watts. duh.

I second/third the JSX. I prefer their distortion over the 6505, it's not as dry and I suppose it has more character if you will. cleans rape 6505 cleans too. and crunch doesn't start at Van Halen

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