The best SOLID STATE halfstack for Metal

[Torment Leaves Scars]

I'm in the market for a new amp and I wanna get a halfstack. I mainly play Metal...the heavy stuff (ex. Susperia, Slayer, Exodus, etc...). It MUST BE a Solid State. I don't want the troubles of worrying about tubes, and I don't have the money, either.

The only halfer I've played and am familiar with is the Marshall MG HDFX 100. I believe the updated version of that halfer is the MG HFX 100. I know there are other good brands out there who are making decent halfstacks, but I'm not familiar with their Solid State offerings, only their names (Peavey, Crate, Mesa). I'd like to cross-shop some other brands before just pulling the trigger on such an expensive purchase.

Here are my requirements. Unfortunately, I can't stray far from them, either because of price constraints, or due to maintenance concerns.

1. $1000 or below

2. At least 100W

3. VERY HIGH gain capabilities

4. Solid State

5. Built-in effects (chorus, reverb, maybe a flanger effect)

6. Built-in pre-amp with capabilities of hooking to a computer if needed (not a deal-breaker, but DEFINITELY a HUGE plus if it has this feature)

7. Good build quality and reliability

8. Something I can play out with if the need ever presents itself
Edit/Delete Message

 

[mayfly]

Randall?

 

[stubhead]

I would think seriously about a rack rig in that situation. My needs were different - CLEANS were important - but I have $350 sunk into a pair of Peavey Black Widow PA speakers, each rated at 350 watts, $500 in my SWR SM500 stereo 500 watt amp (250 per channel...) I already had a 4-space rack and I spent about another $50 on putting together a fan system.

Nowadays clean power amps are getting ridiculously inexpensive, 300 watts for $200, Crown, Peavey, Samson Stewart (my little rig is running a Stewart PA100).
http://www.sweetwater.com/shop/live-sound/power-amplifiers/
Gregg here is using a rack Digitech 1101 preamp, but the same chip and the same basic sounds are in the $150 RP255, just a few less choices. I personally like clean speakers, not speaker distortion, but my little rig I'm running an Eminence Beta-12 PA speaker I got for $70 in a Vox cabinet I found in a dumpster(!) and the other cab is a Fender wedge monitor I got for $50. For me, having the stuff in separate lighter pieces is easier on my 53 year old back, but if you want to sledge around 100 lbs, go ahead. Another place you can get lots of power cheap is in old PA amps, those 400 watt Peaveys are indestructible and under $200 these days. $800 left for speakers and preamp? Easy.

And I also immediately though "Randall", because Dimebag Darrell like their SS units because they sounded even nastier than tubes. arty07:

 

[Torment Leaves Scars]

I would think seriously about a rack rig in that situation. My needs were different - CLEANS were important - but I have $350 sunk into a pair of Peavey Black Widow PA speakers, each rated at 350 watts, $500 in my SWR SM500 stereo 500 watt amp (250 per channel...) I already had a 4-space rack and I spent about another $50 on putting together a fan system.

Nowadays clean power amps are getting ridiculously inexpensive, 300 watts for $200, Crown, Peavey, Samson Stewart (my little rig is running a Stewart PA100).
http://www.sweetwiter.com/shop/live-sound/power-amplifiers/
Gregg here is using a rack Digitech 1101 preamp, but the same chip and the same basic sounds are in the $150 RP255, just a few less choices. I personally like clean speakers, not speaker distortion, but my little rig I'm running an Eminence Beta-12 PA speaker I got for $70 in a Vox cabinet I found in a dumpster(!) and the other cab is a Fender wedge monitor I got for $50. For me, having the stuff in separate lighter pieces is easier on my 53 year old back, but if you want to sledge around 100 lbs, go ahead. Another place you can get lots of power cheap is in old PA amps, those 400 watt Peaveys are indestructible and under $200 these days. $800 left for speakers and preamp? Easy.

And I also immediately though "Randall", because Dimebag Darrell like their SS units because they sounded even nastier than tubes. arty07:

Everything you just said, you may as well have typed it in Spanish.  I totally have no idea about anything when it comes to sound, or knowledge of audio, whatsoever.  :help:

Can you tell me what model Randall that Dime played?  I think it'll be one I'd like to look into.  arty07:

 

[Death by Uberschall]

Line6 has several to choose from.

 

[mayfly]

Apparently Dime used several Randall models:

http://pages.infinit.net/dimebag/setup.htm

 

[Strat Avenger]

Line 6 is the best solid state guitar amplification.

 

[crash]

This is what I had back in the 90's, yes, snakeskin :headbang1:.  Sold it when I was a broke college student.

 

[thebutcher85]

Dude, you should check out the Dean Dime D100 head, it's solid state, and awesome for metal! I played one and it was actually really good. (especially for only $349!)
here's the website:
http://www.dimeamps.com/d100.php

 

[Cagey]

That's one thing the solid state amps have always had going for them - if you could stand how they sound, they're pretty inexpensive.

 

[Torment Leaves Scars]

Dude, you should check out the Dean Dime D100 head, it's solid state, and awesome for metal! I played one and it was actually really good. (especially for only $349!)
here's the website:
http://www.dimeamps.com/d100.php

I'll check it out, even though I have a really hard time with being biased the whole "Dime" thing.  It seems like Dean is all about "Dime this, Dime that," and it's just come to the point that I just roll my eyes.  I can't help but think, "When's it time to quit making money off somebody's death?"  Not to mention, I don't know why, but I just get the impression that Dean makes really crappy products, regardless the price range.  I've played $800 Korean models, and played $4000 American models, and IMO, they both feel equally crappy.  :icon_scratch:

I've always kinda written off that "Dime" stuff, but as I mentioned, if it's a good product, I guess I can look beyond it.  I just feel like if I were to buy something like that, I'd feel like a 15 year old trying to live the wet dream of being Dimebag Darrell. 

 

[Torment Leaves Scars]

That's one thing the solid state amps have always had going for them - if you could stand how they sound, they're pretty inexpensive.

I think they can sound pretty decent, but I do prefer the sound of a tube amp, but I just want a "worry-free" playing experience.  I don't want to worry about issues every time I go to plug in.

I would look at Crate amps, as I own one, but I think they've kinda gone the way of the doe-doe in terms of quality and being at the top of their game...

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

Rather than going the half stack direction, there are a lot of 2x12 combos out there.  Many are over 100 watts and have built in effects and modelling.  For $1000, you might could get 2.

 

[Jusatele]

This is what I had back in the 90's, yes, snakeskin :headbang1:.  Sold it when I was a broke college student.

hey, I had a RG120 2/12 in snake skin I let get away from me, that was the sweetest Solid State amp I ever had
and the fuzz, man I called it the Randall Soak, it was so friggin soaking while the tone still came through, that was a great amp. If I could find one today, it would be mine.

 

[stubhead]

Yeah, even if you don't go for a rack rig where each component is separate - speakers, preamp, and power amp are all bought separately - I think you might want to consider getting a good loud CLEAN amplifier and adding your metal overdrive and distortion with pedals. You might be convinced you're going to rock till you drop, die young & leave a pretty corpse and all that, and then you're going going to meet* a sweet young girl folksinger who wants to know if you'll back her up - and all your amp can do at low volumes is buzz and hiss... :sad1: :sad: :-\ :tard:

:laughing11: :laughing3: :headbang1:

For example, one quite well respected line of solid, reliable, good-sounding clean amps was the Yamaha G100's. They came in one twelve and two twelve inch speaker variants. And, they're practically GIVING THEM AWAY on Ebay:

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=yamaha+g100&_sacat=10171&_odkw=&_osacat=10171&_trksid=p3286.c0.m270.l1313

That $89 local pickup, dang I wish I needed one, that's worth the six-hour drive to NJ for me... It'll probably sell for under $200. You'd be best off trying to find a local one anyway, at those prices you could afford to pay a tech to look one over. And still have $600 left to buy a few fuzzboxes, which really, really would be sufficient. It's ALWAYS easier to make a clean sound nasty, than vice-versa.

Here's the completed listing search:
http://www.ebay.com/csc/Electric-/10171/i.html?rt=nc&LH_Complete=1&_nkw=yamaha%20g100&_fln=1&_trksid=p3286.c0.m283

I think your initial list was pretty good, too - Crate, Peavey, and add Randall and LIne6... another line of amps that's consistently gotten good sounds and reliability ratings are the Roland Cubes. The new Cube 80 is supposed to be a giant-killer, and if you went that way it's at least starting under warranty until your friends start pouring beer in it.
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Cube80XL/
I don't believe Mesa Boogie made any SS combo amps, even their studio preamp was tubes. Harmony Central is a great place to find equipment reviews, although it can take a lot of picking out the floss - just about everybody thinks that when they stand in front of their amps and go

BRRRANNNG!!!

they sound like, fuckin' GREAT. Weird, isn't it? But you can pick up trends from Harmony Central.

http://www.harmonycentral.com/user-reviews

*(the first time through i misspelled this "meat" - Freudian? :evil4

 

[Jusatele]

If you go with the Randall SS, get the ones from the 80s and way early 90s, they are nice, after that they kinda went sucky for a decade or more.

 

[Volitions Advocate]

I have one of these and I think it's an amazing amp.  Either that or if you have nothing against marshalls, try a Mode Four.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Crate-Shockwave-GT3500H-Guitar-Amp-/260865825738?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cbcd09bca

This is actually half of what I paid for it,  They're hard to find because they were discontinued awhile back.  I'd say read some reviews if you like and if you find it agreeable, snatch this up before somebody else does, because its a killer deal.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Crate-Shockwave-GT3500H-Guitar-Amp-/260865825738?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cbcd09bca

Here it is in my setup:

 

[kboman]

I had one of these on loan for a year: http://www.ebay.com/itm/YAMAHA-DG-100-2-12-combo-/190581539833?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c5f8b83f9

Sounded fantastic, solid state/modeling with Celestion V30s. Heavy bugger to move around though, good thing they come on wheels!

 

[Torment Leaves Scars]

How long do tubes last in a tube amp...with heavy use?

 

[Jusatele]

How long do tubes last in a tube amp...with heavy use?

what do you consider heavy use
weekend gigging or nightly gigging?