Help Finding an Amp Please?

[Jon]

Hello everyone.  I have been looking around for an amp to go with my Warmoth for some time now, and have recently gotten the okay from my dad.  I need something that will be loud enough for small gigs, or at least keep up plenty well with a drummer, but still be playable for reasonably loud bedroom use.  I have mostly been looking at combos and small heads, although I have been looking a lot at the Mesa Recording Pre, but I don't know what I would use as a power amp with it.

Anyway, what I'm asking for is if any of you have some advice as to which amp I should consider/get.  I play mostly Metallica type stuff,  but i hate using pedals, so preferably, I want 2 channels, but it at least needs to be able to be clean to pretty heavy distortion without help from pedals. Oh, and all tube definitely.  My budget is around $1000, and I am probably going to buy used. 

I have been reluctant to post this, because I thought I knew what I wanted, but turns out I don't really.  Any advice is greatly appreciated!

 

[dwayneed]

You might be able to find a Mesa Express for around 1000$. That should get you all the tones you want.

 

[mayfly]

Yep, any two channel Mesa sounds like it will work.  BTW, you won't need any more than 50 Watts, and combos are easier on your back than those big half stacks.

 

[DocNrock]

Look at the Marshall JCM2000 DSL 401.  Great sounding double channel tube amp for cheap.  You will likely need to retube it and put in a different speaker, but you'll still be under budget.

I have the DSL 201 (20 watt model).  It sounds great with a Groove Tube job and a Celestion Vintage 30.  And then, if you ever get a 4x12 cab, this thing sounds awesome plugged into a 4x12! 

 

[rockskate4x]

If you are doing metallica, get the randall kirk hammett half stack. It's got three channels, so no need for extra pedals there, and it's all tube...

 

[thumb55]

the Randall half stack that's under $1000 dosen't have a tubes.  Nothing wrong with transistor amps though.  If you want tubes I'd look into the Mesa Rect-o-verb or if you wanted a Randall they have some cool combos with preamp modules you can expand on.  The Line 6 stuff is nice because it would do what you want and not lock you into one sound, things like the Spider Valve would be cool.

 

[Volitions Advocate]

It might be a bit expensive, but I dont really know how much it costs.

This amp would be perfect.

http://www.rivera.com/products/knuckle/ktre_combo.php

the K Tre has the wickedest crazy hi-gain distortion I"ve ever heard in a guitar amp.

EDIT: if you're curious who uses these amps (because I had never even heard of  them before I bought mine. : http://www.rivera.com/artists.php)

wow... I didn't realize you could use the FX loop as an attenuator... thats cool...!! I have to try this on my amp!

 

[Death by Uberschall]

I bought my Rivera Knucklehead Tre' head for $960 used. Very nice amp, but not a combo.  :headbang1:

Mesa Studio22 Combo

Mesa Rect-O-Verb Combo

Mesa MK III Combo

Don't forget this, for the money it's a great deal.
Carvin Legacy Combo

 

[Jon]

Thanks everyone for the advice, but I really should have been much clearer about what sound I like (sorry).  I do play Metallica stuff, but mostly with...I want to say Slash style distortion/gain, so, not crazy high gain distortion, more of a "crunch" (I don't really know how to describe it too well...). 
I was wondering if anyone has tried the Orange Tiny Terror, and if it would be able to do something like this?

 

[tfarny]

http://www.tdpri.com/phpclassifieds/showproduct.php?product=12815 Not mine.

 

[thumb55]

check ebay for a Mesa Rect-O-Verb.  you should find one for $800-1000.

 

[exalted]

The Orange Tiny Terror is ALL crunch. There's no clean headroom, so even at low levels, you have overdrive.

I had one for a few weeks, and it sounded absolutely amazing, but ultimately I decided I needed a good clean channel, and unfortunately the TT just couldn't manage it.