Warhead Combo Review

Warhead Combo has all the same bone-crushing features of the Warhead stack in a ready to roll 2x12" combo. With 150 watts, this combo still has enough power to handle any size performance.

Features:	9
Sound:	8.5
Reliability:	9.5
Impression:	8.5
Overall rating:	8.9
Users rating:	9.9
Comments:	8

overall: 8.8

Reviewed by: None_More_Black, on april 14, 2008

Purchased from: Dean forum member

Features: This amp is pretty hard to come by these days, but if you docome by one, you're lucky. Of course, this amp is mainly for metal lovin' gainheads, but it's got a real ballsy classic rock tone too. The clean channel can get anywhere from Pantera's Floods to Dire Straight's Sultans of Swing. It has two channels, one clean, one dirty, an effects loop which is always on, and 16 built in effects. It comes with a footpedal for channel switching and built in effects on/off. the combo has 150 watts of friggin ballsy power, so be sure to crank that mutha when you can. But, it is solid state, so don't think putting the master on 2 or 3 is going to majorly affect the overall tone. The gain channel has the usual: high, mid, mid level, low, level, and gain. The clean channel has high, mid, low, level, and presence. Now, the effects (not to be mistaken for effects loop). These aren't your regular forget-about-em built in presets. There's 16 of them, including chorus, delay, and flanger. There's also a knob for how loud you want the effect to be. Lastly, we've got a verrrry touchy onboard EQ with 9 bands. I have to say, if you are disappointed with the metal tone of this amp (maybe not enough gain), try moving the EQ around. Works wonders for me. // 9

Sound: Okay, I've got a Dean ML with a high output Dimebucker, and I play mostly metal like Pantera. If you're looking for metal tone with this, you'll get it very quick. No, it doesn't have that high mid, fuzzy Slayer tone to it, it's got a more low end, ball punching crush to it. Now, I'm not saying you couldn't get high gain with it, but it's used best with EQ's and boosters (Dimebag style, anyone). Noise? Not an issue at all. One time I got this loud as hell high pitched scream from it, but because I was using the wrong adapter to my Jimi Hendrix pedal. Yup, I play Hendrix on this thing. Versatility Rocks! At high volume, with the right settings on the clean channel, you can get a distorted AC/DC tone. But, make the eq a lil more subtle, and you'll get perfect shimmery tone with, I'll admit it, a little break up. Oh well. What can ya do. Well I'll tell you one thing you can do. Put on just the right amount of chorus with the built in effects and you'll be in old school clean heaven. Even a Metallica-esque clean style, what with the chorus and all. The distortion kicks your ass! Seriously, with the right EQ, again, you can get Vulgar tone from pantera. Sabbath tone is verrry easily achieved. If you tune down to D or C# the gain will get a lot heavier and just deeper and more crush. Trust me on this one, and you'll be golden. // 8

Reliability & Durability: Built like a tank! trust me, at 60lbs, it's one helluva tough cookie. Don't worry, though. It's got it's own wheels for gigging. Mine has never broke down. Why would it? // 10

Impression: A good style of music for this amp? Metal, hard rock, hell, even soft rock to jazz blues (or blues jazz) stuff if you are really versitle like I am. I've got a Marshall mini stack, and this smokes it! I thought my mini had good tone (my guitar playing uncle mistook it for tube) but when I got this my Marshall sounded fuzzy, bassy, and just overall suckage. If I lost it, it would be hard as hell to find another one. To compensate. I'd probably get one of the newer Randalls, because it's the next best thing. I love everything on this amp. Only thing I hate? The endless tone possibilities! Days of tweaking will get you to tone heaven, believe me. Only thing I wish it had was a closed back for more air flowing through the front end. That's about it! // 8

overall: 9

Reviewed by: serbusfish, on january 13, 2007

Purchased from: good old ebay

Features: The Randall Warhead Combo is the slightly smaller version of the full blown warhead rig, and although it's not quiet as powerful as its big brother, it still packs plenty of punch. The combo boasts 150 Watts of pure solid state power. It has 2 channels, clean and overdrive (overdrive being an understatement) and also has a handy built in 9 band parametric EQ. On the rear of the amp there is an effects loop and a footswitch jack (I didn't recieve a footswitch but the amp originally came with one) and it features 2 celestion 30 speakers. It comes with wheels, so it's easy to move around (it's very heavy). The amp was made somewhere between 2000-2003. // 9

Sound: I'm running a Dean ML X guitar with a Bill Lawrence L-500XL bridge pickup with the warhead. Basically if metals where your at then the warhead is perfect. It takes a while to find your tone, but the built in EQ helps a lot. I play stuff like Slayer, Metallica, In Flames, pantera, etc etc and the amp can handle it with great ease. a few downsides, it can be noisy with the gain cranked, so I'm planning on buying a noise reducer at some point, and there is no headphone jack. This amp can get seriously loud, but as it's solid state it sounds just as good at lower levels too. I know usually tube amps are far better than solid state, but this amp was built for gigs and is quite capable of keep up with any tube amp in terms of sound quality and volume. // 9

Reliability & Durability: I haven't had it long enough to comment, but it looks very durable. It looks very strong and I wouldn't think it would damage easily. If gigging I would rely on this amp alone and would not need a backup. I bought the amp from the USA (I live in the UK) and when it arrived the box was basically destroyed, but the amp was perfect. // 9

Impression: I have been playing 2 and a half years and I've finally found an amp I like. I play heavy stuff mostly, and the warhead can handle it easily. This amp was built for metal! But with the right kind of pedal, it can be made to play any style of music you'd like, thanks to the clean channel, but to be honest, you don't have a warhead on stage to play anything other than metal do you? If it was lost of stolen I would cry like a baby then track down another one, but to be honest I don't think it's possible to lose it, and someone would have a hard time nicking it! // 9

Comments

[serbusfish]

a few things I forgot to add, the eq is actually graphic, not parametric, and the amp also comes with 16 built in effects

[RG_FANMAN]

didn't Dimebag use a Warhead stack? Does the combo compare?

[serbusfish]

yeah the only difference is the combo is 150 watts whilst the head version is 300 watts. the combo still has everything the head does in terms of features

[metallirock08]

How much do you think this amp costs?

[HELLSHREDD]

solid state sucks

[blazerok]

HELLSHREDD wrote:

solid state sucks

have u tried THIS ONE(!) yet?

[HELLSHREDD]

No , but i could be wrong so sorry 4 the blurt folks.

blazerok wrote:

HELLSHREDD wrote:

solid state sucks
have u tried THIS ONE(!) yet?

[HELLSHREDD]

I want a warhead , does it have reverb & how would it sound with EMG-81?????