I need a cheap'ish 100w tube head and have it narrowed down to these..

Bob Zaod

Bob Zaod

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Main functions will be backlining metal shows and leaving at a buddies jam spot. I have a line on one or more of every one of these below all for 500 or less. if you can think of another 100w tube head in the 500 dollar range with a hard stop at 600 that would work for classic metal and hard rock I'm all ears.

Carvin X-100B
Blackstar Series One 100w EL34
jet City JCA100H
MKI Peavey Valveking
Crate Blue Doodoo 120

or..?
 
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la szum said:
On reliability I would lean Carvin. On reliability I would disqualify the Crate. :LOL:

On tones alone I would go Blackstar or Jet City. Both sound killer!

I have owned all but the Valveking in the past.
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I had em all except the Series one at different points in time. I used to flip gear for extra income. I have a soft spot for just about anything Carvin but I am trying to keep focused on whats best for using it for backline. The VK and the Carvin both have great clean channels but the VK has a tight liquid gain similar to a 6505 with the right tubes. The VK also leaves me an extra 250 or so to grab something else if I wanted so I dunno I'm flip flopping now..LOL
 
RaceU4her said:
theres a bunch of DSL's on my craigslist for $500, id be way more thrilled to see one of them in a backline than any of the ones listed if i was in a band.
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I wish there was in my area. I see GC has one for 500 but after my state tax and shipping puts me over the 600 plus every used amp (2) that I have ever had shipped to me from a GC didnt survive the trip. One was smashed to bits literally.
 
JiveTurkey said:
Jet City would be cool. Carvin is always gross and the Peavey would just make me want a good old 5150.
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I really like the higher wattage Jet City heads. Very moddable too. I had a JCA50 combo and did the depth mod and fx loop mod and it was easy as pie to do. I guess getting them to 95% of a SLO is not that hard either. I have had many great convos with Doug White about the Jet City amps. I lust for an Amelia but I wont find one in that price range.
 
Bob Zaod said:
I really like the higher wattage Jet City heads. Very moddable too. I had a JCA50 combo and did the depth mod and fx loop mod and it was easy as pie to do. I guess getting them to 95% of a SLO is not that hard either. I have had many great convos with Doug White about the Jet City amps. I lust for an Amelia but I wont find one in that price range.
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For the sake of context; I owned an MTS3200. Crackly piece of terrible sounding gainless garbage. I owned a ValveMaster. Boxy sounding classic rock honkfest that sounded like shit. And I briefly owned a V3 which was like the worst chainsaw distortion wanting so bad to be a Recto or 5150 or ANYTHING resembling a high gain monster of an amp. The X100 might be great but I got burnt3 times and with that; my Carvin GAS was permanently exinguished.

The JC stuff is cool but I can't remember if that JC has a normal loop or old school (aka ugh Soldano) loop? Buying any tube head on the cheap right now is ridiculous. Ugh.
 
JiveTurkey said:
For the sake of context; I owned an MTS3200. Crackly piece of terrible sounding gainless garbage. I owned a ValveMaster. Boxy sounding classic rock honkfest that sounded like s**t. And I briefly owned a V3 which was like the worst chainsaw distortion wanting so bad to be a Recto or 5150 or ANYTHING resembling a high gain monster of an amp. The X100 might be great but I got burnt3 times and with that; my Carvin GAS was permanently exinguished.

The JC stuff is cool but I can't remember if that JC has a normal loop or old school (aka ugh Soldano) loop? Buying any tube head on the cheap right now is ridiculous. Ugh.
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OMG dude you just rifled off the 3 worst sounding Carvin amps ever made LOL. I have owned all of them and 100% agree. The last one was a V3 and I could not coax a good tone out of it if someone put a gun to my head. X100-B has a terrific clean channel and a dirt channel that sounds like it's trying to be a hot rodded 2203 JCM800 but doesnt quite get there. With a good ol' TS9 though it get's there. It's a fire breather if you add a good OD pedal.
 
Bob Zaod said:
OMG dude you just rifled off the 3 worst sounding Carvin amps ever made LOL. I have owned all of them and 100% agree. The last one was a V3 and I could not coax a good tone out of it if someone put a gun to my head. X100-B has a terrific clean channel and a dirt channel that sounds like it's trying to be a hot rodded 2203 JCM800 but doesnt quite get there. With a good ol' TS9 though it get's there. It's a fire breather if you add a good OD pedal.
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la szum said:
I thought the X100B was legit. :idk

Just need to source one that doesn't have that 80s indoor/outdooor carpeting on it.
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Maybe that 4th time would be the charm for me? :rofl
 
Hmm I wouldn't get any of those (maybe the jet city out of what you listed)

Peavey ultra, or boosted VTM might be worth searching around for, XXX and JSX still go for 5-600 sometimes....

DSL probably best if you're able to find one
 
I got a used 6505 head for dirt cheap a while back on gc used.

party cannon plays a valveking so thats the one i would pick from the list.
 
la szum said:
On reliability I would lean Carvin. On reliability I would disqualify the Crate. :LOL:

On tones alone I would go Blackstar or Jet City. Both sound killer!

I have owned all but the Valveking in the past.
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Solid advice IMO.

I was also going to mention the DSL too but BZ already said no go.
 
Bob Zaod said:
I had em all except the Series one at different points in time. I used to flip gear for extra income. I have a soft spot for just about anything Carvin but I am trying to keep focused on whats best for using it for backline. The VK and the Carvin both have great clean channels but the VK has a tight liquid gain similar to a 6505 with the right tubes. The VK also leaves me an extra 250 or so to grab something else if I wanted so I dunno I'm flip flopping now..LOL
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From flipping to flip-flopping. :LOL:
 
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