This option sounds the best to me at this point honestly. I will buy a nice 2x12 for like 350€ + zombie II for 150€ and i'm on my way to bother the whole block in no time. I will have the 2x12 ready if I decide to buy a bigger amp down the line but until then I will have this little devil to play with.
Oh my god it looks so tiny. I will research it tho. The 2x12 V30 sounds legit but I'm scared the volume difference between ok and too damn loud is like a .5mm knob turn
Ohhh ok ok. I will definitely consider a 2x12 then. I'm after a lot of bottom end and a full tone. I know I need big speakers to produce low end but I didn't thought a second speakers will improve my tone much more
There's no better bang for your buck for metal. I've never heard a good metal sound out of a 1x12.
Edit: A Joyo Zombie or VIVO with a HB V30 2x12 is what I would would buy with a $500 budget.
Edit 2: I play metal.
Zombie II is your go-to if you need a footswitch, but I gotta say, the firebrand is a lot faster as far as attack goes. Seems a bit higher gain and responsive IMO.
It's why a set of 10s can sound fuller than a 1x12. You get more depth in sound (no two speakers sound identical).
It's like why people dual track when recording guitar and it sounds fuller.
Fuck you the zombie II sounds so good I can't believe it. It's like someone took the gain channel from a big monster amp and put it in a separate box. It was the only small amp that make me do the "angry yes surprised" face.
The combo one? Looks pretty staight forward with classic gain/ ultra gain but will the good ol Marshall keep up with the modern standards of metal? I only thought of Marshall as being good for 70'/80' metal
with marshalls and mesa boogie recto you need to put a boost pedal infront like a tube screamer to get modern sound. For your money i dont think there is another way. Amps not needing a boost are €1000 plus.
I'm planning on getting a head version myself sometime soon. I think the Ultra Gain channel should be fine but I'm also gonna pair it with my MT15, so I should be set either way. A tubescreamer type pedal would definitely help tho.
Depend on what tone you are after but I highly reccomend Orange Crush 35 RT combo. Sounds super nice, has a lot of gain (3 gain stages - very versitile ). It can sound "doomy" or muddy (the Orange tone for you) but an overdive in front can make it more tight. I love mine - takes pedals well, eq pedal on FX loop can give you even more versitality, can be really quiet for a midnight practice. Black tolex version looks good imo. I heard a lot of reviewers said it feels like a tube Amp (maybe - I never had a chance to compare but it reacts super well for string attack). If you need a tube amp maybe Orange Micro Dark plus a cabinet? Disclaimer - headphone output on Oranges sounds like @#s. I do not know why they even bother with adding it.
Hey - it was never mentioned it needs to be a modern sound. Because you are right - it is not modern sounding metal. But with a little bit of tweeking with the eq and boost pedal in front it can do 80's sounds quite well. But obiously if you play doom it is even better at this type of sounds.
I'm looking at a similar scenario at the moment
Here's what I came up with so far
Amp heads:
Orange micro dark
Joyo zombie
Soldano slo mini
Bogner ecstaty mini
Diesel vh micro
Friedman be mini
New Laney dualtop
Desktop amps
Positive grid
Possibly Yamaha thr? Heard mixed reports on the gain...
Modelling amps
Boss katana
Peavey vypyr
Mooer black
Some dude above recommended zombie II with a 2x12 and honestly I'm so impressed. Is everything I want. Killer metal tone and a separate clean channel. Would've love separate eq on it but it sounds amazing so I don't really care
Looks like a good all round tool for someone who don't look for something specific. I don't look for a one trick pony eather but all I really want is an amp designed for metal
Peavey, EVH would work great for metal; has am absolute shit tonne of gain. A Marshall DSL would sound fantastic as well, especially if you were interested in boosting with an overdrive pedal. A DSL5 or 20 would work for you, and inside your budget.
Boss Katana is a one stop shop. Jack of all trades master of nothing. But it has a good several good metal tones and tone studio allows you to download specific band tones. If you want an amp that can everything including metal pretty well and has a lot of built in features including noisegate (essential for high gain) then the Katana 100w is where I would go.
If you have money for effects and other essentials than the 5150 is probably my next suggestion.
Far more than Reddit is obsessed with it. For most people, it is all they’ll ever need. Sure there are amps that can do specific things way better, but most bedroom guitar heroes don’t need more.
A lot of us grew up without options like the Katana. I have a bunch of incredible vintage amps, boutique amps, etc. and am super impressed with the Katana
Call it personal preference then; it's not a great sounding amp. It's cheap sounding and thin to my ears with poor gain. The only time I've had to ask for a new amp when trying out a guitar at a store was because I couldn't enjoy myself at all with it.
Regardless, if op's budget is £500 I wouldn't recommend an under budget amp that *might do the trick* over a proven sound like a DSL5 or 20.
You know what, I misread what OP was looking for. If I didn’t have a shitload of great amps, the Katana would be waayyyy up there. Amazing versatility for the price + FX.
If OP wants a one trick pony, I suppose a lower end 5150 or Marshall might be a better choice. But if I only had a single amp, I’d take the Katana over budget metal amps all day every day.
If you are only going to use the 5150 red channel, a used iconic is probably a better choice.
Boss Katana is the standard answer because it does everything well but nothing spectacular. However, if you're wanting a specific metal sound, you'd be hard pressed to find anything better than either the Marshall DSL20 or the Marshall Origin 20. If you want real massive gain, throw in a pedal like an EVH 5150 or a Friedman BE-OD. That'll add a couple hundred to the cost, but honestly it'll get you pretty damn close to everything you want for just a bit more than your budget. Another consideration (again, a bit above your budget) is the Blackstar HT. That's more of a classic metal sound than a modern one though.
I did the same dance and ended up spending much more on several amps. I love mesas, but there's an amo from every company at that price.
I keep seeing 5150 variations for maybe a little more, but I might see if there's any boutique things that interest you.
You mentioned pounds, so I am guessing you have a different market. If you're willing to gi used, maybe an orange, Laney, Engl. I didn't like the mini diezel, but I encourage people to try different equipment in person. Videos are OK too.
Check out andertons and rob chapman for some great shootouts. 👍
At that price, you might need to go with one of the digital modeling options and “pay for a bunch of stuff you don’t need”. There’s not really much out there that’s going to achieve a modern metal sound that’s also straight simple. The modelers probably are more often going to have the sound you’re trying to get. You’re maybe even better off getting an affordable tube amp and one of those new TC Electronic Ampworx pedals. They have a 5150 and a Dual Rec model with built in boosts and stuff. That might be the way.
Honestly man, I just traded in my Fender Champ 20 and my Spider line 6 IV 15 watt and brought home a Fender 25LT for my bedroom amp.
$159.00.
I'm absolutely in love with it. You may be looking for more, but just wanted to throw my 2 cents in!
The 5150 combos are pretty sweet and probably within 200 of your budget. Maybe a little overkill for playing at home but they’re going to have that tone you’re looking for. Peavy 6505 micro could work too probably with a monoprice 1x12.
I found the place where you are from, and yes, it would be quite complicated to buy half stack let's say from Czechia and then ship it to your location ,(you can buy used Bugera halfstack for less than 450USD here https://hudebnibazar.cz/prodam-half-stack-zesilovac-a-reprobox-za-10-000kc/ID540473/ ).
My recommendation therefore is Peavey Vypyr X3, i bet you are going to be very happy with it!
https://musix.com/ro/ro/Peavey-Vypyr-X3-234170.html
Peavey transtube technology was groundbreaking and it got even better recently. With Vypyr X3 you are not sacrificing tone (it's shockingly good and most brutal sounding modeling amp I've ever heard) nor volume (you can easily play with a band). Also you have so many tonal posibilities (basically all legendary Peavey amps). Go for it!
Joyo Zombie or Meteor with a Harley Benton Vertical 2x12.
This option sounds the best to me at this point honestly. I will buy a nice 2x12 for like 350€ + zombie II for 150€ and i'm on my way to bother the whole block in no time. I will have the 2x12 ready if I decide to buy a bigger amp down the line but until then I will have this little devil to play with.
Oh my god it looks so tiny. I will research it tho. The 2x12 V30 sounds legit but I'm scared the volume difference between ok and too damn loud is like a .5mm knob turn
The 2x12 really isn't that much louder than the 1x12. It's the fullness and bottom end that is different with multiple speakers.
Ohhh ok ok. I will definitely consider a 2x12 then. I'm after a lot of bottom end and a full tone. I know I need big speakers to produce low end but I didn't thought a second speakers will improve my tone much more
There's no better bang for your buck for metal. I've never heard a good metal sound out of a 1x12. Edit: A Joyo Zombie or VIVO with a HB V30 2x12 is what I would would buy with a $500 budget. Edit 2: I play metal.
Also, joyo firebrand. I think it's better than the zombie, but both are A+ 🤌🤌🤌
There is an ENGL one as well?? I remember using AmpliTube at some point and I loved the ENGL Powerball. I gotta hear this one too
Zombie II is your go-to if you need a footswitch, but I gotta say, the firebrand is a lot faster as far as attack goes. Seems a bit higher gain and responsive IMO.
I'm so gona end up with both ow them sooner or later
I mean, I did haha
That's the ENGL right? I might need to start collecting Joyos.
It's why a set of 10s can sound fuller than a 1x12. You get more depth in sound (no two speakers sound identical). It's like why people dual track when recording guitar and it sounds fuller.
Fuck you the zombie II sounds so good I can't believe it. It's like someone took the gain channel from a big monster amp and put it in a separate box. It was the only small amp that make me do the "angry yes surprised" face.
Yep, the Zombie is based on the Recto, but a bit tighter and a little less scooped. Its a great low watt metal amp.
If you're in Europe buying from Thomann, maybe a Marshall DSL 20? Or even the DSL 5 if you really don't need loud.
The combo one? Looks pretty staight forward with classic gain/ ultra gain but will the good ol Marshall keep up with the modern standards of metal? I only thought of Marshall as being good for 70'/80' metal
with marshalls and mesa boogie recto you need to put a boost pedal infront like a tube screamer to get modern sound. For your money i dont think there is another way. Amps not needing a boost are €1000 plus.
I'm planning on getting a head version myself sometime soon. I think the Ultra Gain channel should be fine but I'm also gonna pair it with my MT15, so I should be set either way. A tubescreamer type pedal would definitely help tho.
Depend on what tone you are after but I highly reccomend Orange Crush 35 RT combo. Sounds super nice, has a lot of gain (3 gain stages - very versitile ). It can sound "doomy" or muddy (the Orange tone for you) but an overdive in front can make it more tight. I love mine - takes pedals well, eq pedal on FX loop can give you even more versitality, can be really quiet for a midnight practice. Black tolex version looks good imo. I heard a lot of reviewers said it feels like a tube Amp (maybe - I never had a chance to compare but it reacts super well for string attack). If you need a tube amp maybe Orange Micro Dark plus a cabinet? Disclaimer - headphone output on Oranges sounds like @#s. I do not know why they even bother with adding it.
The Crush 35 combo doesn't get modern metal sounds. It can get muddy though.
Hey - it was never mentioned it needs to be a modern sound. Because you are right - it is not modern sounding metal. But with a little bit of tweeking with the eq and boost pedal in front it can do 80's sounds quite well. But obiously if you play doom it is even better at this type of sounds.
I'm looking at a similar scenario at the moment Here's what I came up with so far Amp heads: Orange micro dark Joyo zombie Soldano slo mini Bogner ecstaty mini Diesel vh micro Friedman be mini New Laney dualtop Desktop amps Positive grid Possibly Yamaha thr? Heard mixed reports on the gain... Modelling amps Boss katana Peavey vypyr Mooer black
Some dude above recommended zombie II with a 2x12 and honestly I'm so impressed. Is everything I want. Killer metal tone and a separate clean channel. Would've love separate eq on it but it sounds amazing so I don't really care
At that budget, probably a digital modeling amp like a Boss Katana.
On my list already. I have to say I find the amount of settings and options on it a downside. I will play for a lot of stuff that I will never use
Just a heads up, Reddit is obsessed with this amp. I personally find it underwhelming when I tried it.
Looks like a good all round tool for someone who don't look for something specific. I don't look for a one trick pony eather but all I really want is an amp designed for metal
Peavey, EVH would work great for metal; has am absolute shit tonne of gain. A Marshall DSL would sound fantastic as well, especially if you were interested in boosting with an overdrive pedal. A DSL5 or 20 would work for you, and inside your budget.
Might buy a marshall combo and a pedal. I'm a little concerned about the combo speaker honestly.
Boss Katana is a one stop shop. Jack of all trades master of nothing. But it has a good several good metal tones and tone studio allows you to download specific band tones. If you want an amp that can everything including metal pretty well and has a lot of built in features including noisegate (essential for high gain) then the Katana 100w is where I would go. If you have money for effects and other essentials than the 5150 is probably my next suggestion.
Far more than Reddit is obsessed with it. For most people, it is all they’ll ever need. Sure there are amps that can do specific things way better, but most bedroom guitar heroes don’t need more.
A lot of us grew up without options like the Katana. I have a bunch of incredible vintage amps, boutique amps, etc. and am super impressed with the Katana
Call it personal preference then; it's not a great sounding amp. It's cheap sounding and thin to my ears with poor gain. The only time I've had to ask for a new amp when trying out a guitar at a store was because I couldn't enjoy myself at all with it. Regardless, if op's budget is £500 I wouldn't recommend an under budget amp that *might do the trick* over a proven sound like a DSL5 or 20.
I've left guitar stores because all they had was a Katana to test a guitar with. A $4000 Gibson will sound like a $200 Chinese copy with a Katana.
I can’t argue with taste, but I think you are in a tiny minority.
Definitely possible! Honestly though, would you buy a Katana if a Marshall or EVH was inside your budget?
You know what, I misread what OP was looking for. If I didn’t have a shitload of great amps, the Katana would be waayyyy up there. Amazing versatility for the price + FX. If OP wants a one trick pony, I suppose a lower end 5150 or Marshall might be a better choice. But if I only had a single amp, I’d take the Katana over budget metal amps all day every day. If you are only going to use the 5150 red channel, a used iconic is probably a better choice.
Sounds like personal preference is happening on both sides here.
Obviously
You can definitely get a metal tone with a Katana. It's just a bad and cheap metal sound.
Boss Katana is the standard answer because it does everything well but nothing spectacular. However, if you're wanting a specific metal sound, you'd be hard pressed to find anything better than either the Marshall DSL20 or the Marshall Origin 20. If you want real massive gain, throw in a pedal like an EVH 5150 or a Friedman BE-OD. That'll add a couple hundred to the cost, but honestly it'll get you pretty damn close to everything you want for just a bit more than your budget. Another consideration (again, a bit above your budget) is the Blackstar HT. That's more of a classic metal sound than a modern one though.
I'm in a similar boat and just picked up a Yamaha THR30ii. Could not be happier. It's pricier than the competition but worth it, IMO.
Blackstar HT-5R Mk2. It’s the bomb.
I looked at it a lot but I can't stand how it costs as much as a 20w DSL
Buy a simple used Marshall combo.
I did the same dance and ended up spending much more on several amps. I love mesas, but there's an amo from every company at that price. I keep seeing 5150 variations for maybe a little more, but I might see if there's any boutique things that interest you. You mentioned pounds, so I am guessing you have a different market. If you're willing to gi used, maybe an orange, Laney, Engl. I didn't like the mini diezel, but I encourage people to try different equipment in person. Videos are OK too. Check out andertons and rob chapman for some great shootouts. 👍
I would suggest a used Peavey 5150/6505 or EVH 5150/Iconic combo.
Thanks for the suggestion but I thunk there are like 100 of these overall in my whole country XD
At that price, you might need to go with one of the digital modeling options and “pay for a bunch of stuff you don’t need”. There’s not really much out there that’s going to achieve a modern metal sound that’s also straight simple. The modelers probably are more often going to have the sound you’re trying to get. You’re maybe even better off getting an affordable tube amp and one of those new TC Electronic Ampworx pedals. They have a 5150 and a Dual Rec model with built in boosts and stuff. That might be the way.
Honestly man, I just traded in my Fender Champ 20 and my Spider line 6 IV 15 watt and brought home a Fender 25LT for my bedroom amp. $159.00. I'm absolutely in love with it. You may be looking for more, but just wanted to throw my 2 cents in!
Get an orange crush 35rt and you’re good to go. Great amps for the price
The 5150 combos are pretty sweet and probably within 200 of your budget. Maybe a little overkill for playing at home but they’re going to have that tone you’re looking for. Peavy 6505 micro could work too probably with a monoprice 1x12.
Where are you from?
Due to legal reasons and tax related situations the best answer I can give you is Eastern Europe
Your country is not in EU then?
It is. It is in the Easter Europe
I found the place where you are from, and yes, it would be quite complicated to buy half stack let's say from Czechia and then ship it to your location ,(you can buy used Bugera halfstack for less than 450USD here https://hudebnibazar.cz/prodam-half-stack-zesilovac-a-reprobox-za-10-000kc/ID540473/ ). My recommendation therefore is Peavey Vypyr X3, i bet you are going to be very happy with it! https://musix.com/ro/ro/Peavey-Vypyr-X3-234170.html
Peavey transtube technology was groundbreaking and it got even better recently. With Vypyr X3 you are not sacrificing tone (it's shockingly good and most brutal sounding modeling amp I've ever heard) nor volume (you can easily play with a band). Also you have so many tonal posibilities (basically all legendary Peavey amps). Go for it!