Are there any good solid state heads for gigging?

[Clifdawg]

I just got a Peavey XXL combo, the heads seem to be easier to come by though. It’s an awesome amp. Don’t know if it’s much lighter than a tube head, though…

 

[saxon68]

Katana.

 

[Peter McAteer]

quilter amps

This^^ is good advice. They're small, light, powerful, reliable, and sound good.

 

[ricksdisconnected]

This^^ is good advice. They're small, light, powerful, reliable, and sound good.

at least somebody saw that lol.

 

[Peter McAteer]

at least somebody saw that lol.

I could add that they have awesome customer service. Twice I've emailed them with questions about my 101 Mini, and both times I've been answered by Patrick Quilter himself. Colour me impressed.

 

[Thunderslug]

I have a Matrix Elements VB800 that I’ve gigged with and also carry as a back up as it’s ridiculously light, compact and powerful. Based on a JCM800 and sounds excellent.
Only a single channel though so depends on if you can live with that or use it as a pedal platform.

 

[ssolo8]

Boss Katana MK2 100 watt head, is pretty loud on a 412.
Gets pretty close to certain tones too. A few of your fave pedals , and a tube screamer on the clean channel can get you close. Downladable patches and global eq for tweaks. The clean channel sounds quite loud and clean.

That's all I've been using for the past 3 years, while my tube monsters remain sleeping Giants on the back wall. I still love them but these Kats are so handy and Powerful. You can also commandeer the power section through the effects Loop!

 

[Metroman]

For sale on Reverb.

Same amp Clapton used live with Derek, and the Dominoes.
Jeff Beck also ussed them. Best solid state head ever made IMHO.

 

[ricksdisconnected]

For sale on Reverd.

Same amp Clapton used live with Derek, and the Dominoes.
Jeff Beck also ussed them. Best solid state head ever made IMHO.

their choices were so limited back then though. bet they wouldnt choose one of those today

 

[Metroman]

I love mine. Also came with 8 JBL D120S. Had it since 1976

 

[ricksdisconnected]

I love mine. Also came with 8 JBL D120S. Had it since 1976

in the end thats all that matters indeed.

 

[ricksdisconnected]

had a Sunn 1x12 back in the mid 80s. i havent seen one like it since and cant remember the model.
omg i couldnt wait to get rid of it. if ed's tone was brown, this this was a silver as it could get.
made your ears bleed it was so thin sounding. nothing you could do to fix it either.
any sunn experts on here that can help me find that amp some how on line? would love to read up on it now
to see if there are any other opinions out there on it now. its was brand new in like 84ish.

 

[Clifdawg]

had a Sunn 1x12 back in the mid 80s. i havent seen one like it since and cant remember the model.
omg i couldnt wait to get rid of it. if ed's tone was brown, this this was a silver as it could get.
made your ears bleed it was so thin sounding. nothing you could do to fix it either.
any sunn experts on here that can help me find that amp some how on line? would love to read up on it now
to see if there are any other opinions out there on it now. its was brand new in like 84ish.

I had a Sunn SL60 2x12 for a while I pulled off an FB ad for a hundred. Found very little about it online, but an internal QC sticker indicated it was from ‘83. Emailed Fender to see if they had any information on it and they didn’t even know anything about it. Didn’t sound all that amazing, although the speakers themselves were fantastic. Wondering if yours might be a 1x12 version of that line.

 

[ricksdisconnected]

I had a Sunn SL60 2x12 for a while I pulled off an FB ad for a hundred. Found very little about it online, but an internal QC sticker indicated it was from ‘83. Emailed Fender to see if they had any information on it and they didn’t even know anything about it. Didn’t sound all that amazing, although the speakers themselves were fantastic. Wondering if yours might be a 1x12 version of that line.

holly crap lol. i bet it was the 160. damn they look close. gotta find a pic

 

[ricksdisconnected]

roflmao. BINGO!
man what a terrible amp.
https://reverb.com/item/6029642-sunn-sl-160-guitar-combo-amplifier-rare

 

[ricksdisconnected]

do not hit that bright switch. look where he has the bass at in the pic.
nothing good at all to say about this amp.
i cant believe i found this hunk O'crap after all these yrs just now.

 

[ricksdisconnected]

at the end dude says "vintage sunn, all the way".
you just couldnt do anything to makes these things sound good.
in the video the guys says "lush reverb" roflmao. this amp w/o question
was the biggest poS i ever owned.

 

[DreamerDeceiver]

Gk
In the 80's these were the shiz. $$$$ too.


Difficult trying to find a pic of one. Apparently they only made guitar amps for a very short time in the 80s. Just bass now I guess.
They were fairly popular in the day. Saw one on ebay a few back and was tempted.

 

[Clifdawg]

you just couldnt do anything to makes these things sound good.

I didn’t hate it that badly, but it had very little bass and very little treble (unless you pressed that awful bright switch, in which case it was all treble lol). But! I took it outside once and cranked it to about 75% of its volume (which the aging hardware didn’t seem to appreciate much, it started making a popping sound) and hit it with a Boss DS-1. At that point it really was pretty doom-y, if that’s what you’re into.

 

[ricksdisconnected]

I didn’t hate it that badly, but it had very little bass and very little treble (unless you pressed that awful bright switch, in which case it was all treble lol). But! I took it outside once and cranked it to about 75% of its volume (which the aging hardware didn’t seem to appreciate much, it started making a popping sound) and hit it with a Boss DS-1. At that point it really was pretty doom-y, if that’s what you’re into.

ive never hated a object so bad in all my life.