This is where I upload all my metal amp tests.
- Peavey 6505
- Engl Powerball
- Randall MTS RM100
- Laboga Mr Hector mk2
- Blackstar HT-5
- EVH 5150 III -- Metal again
- Mesa Boogie Mark V -- Progressive Metal
- Mesa Boogie Mark V -- Metal
- Cornford Roadhouse mk3
- Line6 Spider III
- Peavey 5150 II
- Bugera 6262 vs Peavey 5150II
- Hughes and Kettner Switchblade
- Axe Fx and Mono Block
- Diezel VH4
- Koch Supernova
- Krank Krankenstein
- Krank Rev Jr
- Dar Forza Quattro
- Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier
- Mesa Boogie Roadster
- Mesa Boogie Road King
- Mesa Boogie Mark IV
- Engl Savage
- Engl Blackmore
- Fortin Natas
- Elmwood Modena M60
- Peavey 5150
- EVH 5150 III
- Framus Cobra
- Diezel Einstein
- Marshall JVM 410h
- Hughes & Kettner Triamp mkII
Also here is a video of all the amps together:
So with so many amps … how does the mark iv stand versus those way huge (and by that I mean huge sound, heavy on the bass) amps like (5150,dual rectifiers, diezel, framus) is it a good amp compare to those ??
With no problem at all. It’s an ultratight amp and together with a overdrive you’re in for a treat!
/O
Hey Ola,
great demos, really like them!
What are your typical od808 settings?
I am especially interested in the tone-knob
cheers, Dom
ola, i would love it if you did a test on the two notes torpedo.
http://www.two-notes.com/en/hardware/torpedo-vb-101/
Hi Ola,
Awesome website.
These two metal shootout videos are really great.
What is that black 7-string with the white PUs?
greets from Amsterdam,
Lars
thanks dude!
It’s the royal blue RG1527 with installed white Dimarzio Blaze.
/O
Oh, ok.
It looks black on the video, I didn’t realize it was the blue RG1527.
Looking forward to more clips!!
Lars
So man I have to ask, out of all of the amps which one is your favorite for either rhythm playing or lead? And of course, which one was the least favorite?
I love all the amps I’ve tried for different reasons, they all have their different qualities and character to them. I’m a Mesa boogie addict so I would probably choose that one for old habits that I know a dual rectifier inside and out. But for my current sound ideal I can’t really choose.
Have you ever played through a KranK amp ? Or any desire to try one out? Hey,Thanks for putting this all together.,,,,,,Tim
We’ll see if a Krank will cross my way anytime. They’re not to common here in sweden.
i hope you can try out a vht pittbull i have one and it is an amazing amp rock on
hi did you try also laney gh series? i am thinking about buyin GH50 for grindcore, maybe it looks not so brutal, but after hearing bands with it it seems to be maybe more tight than 5150! boosted of course.. what about doing demo also of one of these? and what do you think about HD 147 head from line 6? could do good job for my music? i ve tried it and seemed very good to me, but you have better comparision.. thanks and cheers from czech republic!
Brutal tones man. I would love to see you demo a krankenstein. I have the Krankenstein+ id let you demo, but Im in Texas.
Not to common in sweden but definitely want to try one!
I bought a Marshall JVM and am considering sending it back in exchange for either a Blackstar Series One 200, or a Randall V2. Any thoughts? I thought the stock sound was so frigging bland and had no character.
I kinda agree. while it is an awesome amp it’s not really a full blown metal amp. Works great for more rock oriented music though.
Yeah, distorted chords were so well defined, but the amp had no real get up and go. Could be that it was made as a very warm sounding amp, made for those sorts of people that grow up licking Les Pauls and Fenders. Ah well, the Randall I exchanged it for does the job perfectly.
I just took back my JVM after a day playing it and exchanged it for a Randall V2. Yes, the Randall may only be a Hybrid, but for what it is it is just SO DAMN BRUTAL. and this is without any effects pedals. You should have a go at one if possible, Because I’m pretty damn happy with it (Six Band Graphic E.Q really helps) I got a free noise supressor with mine
Fuck it Dual recto wins. Randall’s mid range sounds like some dude that has the worlds most annoying voice. WILL I NEVER GET THE RIGHT DAMN AMP???
You’ve made an amazing comparison! I think I like all the Mesas the best, closely followed by Peaveys, Diezel and also the Framus Cobra. Still not really sure about Engls – they sound different than most other brands. I currently play Engl E530 with a Mesa 50/50 but unfortunately I’m not fully satisfied… guess I’ll be moving when I have the money.
I only miss two more significant metal amps in your vids – Orange Rockerverb (vintage but still used by crushing bands like BMTH or Architects) and Blackstar Series One. I’m pretty sure you’d get insanely good sounds out of these two =)
Hey Ola, let me start by saying thanks for taking the time to make these loads of demos. Have you ever gotten the chance to use a VHT (Fryette) Pittbull Ultra Lead? I have a feeling tons of people (including me :p) would kill for a demo if you e er got the chance. Stay metal \m/
hello you are best idol of metal,
i am in italy
in italy no metal
you have seen a amt pedal?
Ola hello ,
Have you ever tried a triple recto ? Is better than the Dual ?
I f you can , plz make a video with a Triple recto…
Hey, yeah I have tried a triple rectifier. But it doesn’t justify me doing a demo since it’s just the 150 W version of the dual.
You are the master of fine sound of my guitar.
I don’t know what guitar you have but thanks!
Hi Ola,
Excellent site and excellent playing!
I was wondering what the settings was on the JVM410?
Best…Jan
Hi Jan, don’t remember, if you pause in the beginning of the video I think you’ll be able to figure them out.
Cheers /Ola
Great videos man. If you ever get your hands on a Mesa Mark V, try to make a vid! I have a Mark V but I would love to hear it with someone who records it professionally for metal. I do not know anyone else on youtube that gets a more brutal awesome tone. Keep it up!
Yeah I’m desperate to try out a mark V! Can’t find one in sweden though… :/
Hi man, very nice amp tests!
why did you use an OD in front of the mesas?
Isn’t their gain enough?
Thanks dude!
It’s not a question of gain, but a question of input compression. With a OD I can compress the input stage of the amp, with it getting a lot tighter sound.
Hey Ola,
Thanks for your great demo’s and especially on the JVM, you really know your beans man! Can I ask you about using the overdrive & NS2, do you use the overdrive in the NS2 loop? and if i was to use this setup live do you think it would work also running a TC nova system in the loop? Hope you don’t mind all the questions, thanks again.
I used both before the amp itself. Yeah that would probably work good using a nova system in the loop.
Hey Ola,
Thanks for for getting back, can I bug you with one more question, on the JVM demo i noticed your bass was set really low on the JVM, was that how you recorded it or had the dog knocked them Lol!
mmmm input compression…..
so you’r only boosting the volume level than the gain?
I was wondering if you tried that 6262 through IR’s or Recabinet 3, and if so how did it sound?
Haven’t tried that…
Any advise on sound isolation, cabinets, booths to keep neighbors happy?
Hey, Your guitar tones are great. I noticed in one of your earlier videos you used a hotplate but havent seen it since. What didnt you like about it.
Hey Gary,
Nah don’t feel like I needed one, I could always get a satisfying sound without it.
/Ola
AH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You Rock my face off with every single one of your videos.
Awesome Playing man!!!!!!!!!!
Peavey 6505+….. Mesa Dual Rec…Triple Rec… Roadster.. road king… EVH 5150iii…. Engl Savage…Blackmore… Powerball
)
So many good amps =(
Do you think you would be able to tell me which one of these you would prefer to use if you were playing metalcore ?( good tone for fast metal riffs and heavy ass chugs for breakdowns
PS.
Without any post EQ, played live. I’m also most likely going to purchase a MAxon OD808, but if you beleive they can be boosted with a better pedal can you please tell me which?
Thanks so much man, and i love your videos !
NORE
I don’t know man, what’s your budget? what do you need? what are your sound preferences? it all comes down to a lot of that…
That’s kinda the problem… my only sounded prefs are awesomely heavy chugs…and an amp thats REALLY F*CKIN METAL.
Anyway, i do play other types of music, which is why i think that i’ll most likely be going with one of the rectifiers. My budget is around $3,000ish. But i also have to take into consideration that i need to buy a noise gate (from my research, ISP decimator seems to be the right one for me), OD808.
From watching various videos and what i’ve heard, apparently the Triple rec is better than the dual for alot of distortion ( however, your video of it makes the dual rec sound like a f*cking boss). And the roadster sounds awesome as well. The problem is, i’m not sure i know that much about the differences between the three. If you can, could you please tell me what you like/dislike about any of them? or what one of these amps can do better than the others?
(sorry for the really long message.)
Thanks so much,
Nore \m/
The main difference between the triple and dual are only wattage. the triple = 150W, dual = 100W. Tonally not a whole lot of difference. The roadster is like a more advanced dual rectifier with more switches and modes.
I would say you would come really far with getting a dual, but if you get a good deal on the other two why not.
Alrighty man, thanks so much!
It seems i will be going with the roadster then….. i just need to get a brutally badass tone like the one you used to make that video. you are the F*cking man!
Nore
all this is fucking amazing.
What would you suggest me about road kind/roadster/dual rectifier over engl/everything other?
I’m quite attracted to mesa amps, i would use them to play hard rock, progressive rock/metal, up to nevermore shit and something like that.
I would in particular avoid to use too much pedals and external od, just a delay for the solos
thank you man
yo?
I’m trying to decide on an amp to come as close as I can to your sound. The guys at Guitar Center had me try a Peavey 6505 and Mesa Mark V. I liked them both but I preferred the Mesa. The 3rd channel on extreme just sounded tighter and cleaner then the Peavey’s lead channel.. Plus the vesatility of the Mesa was a strong point. The clean channel on the 6505 was lacking something to me. What’s your opinion? Is the bigger price tag really worth it?
5150 is a loose amp compared to a Mark 5 that’s for sure. But yeah justifying the 2000 dollars extra is hard dude. You really have to like the amp man if you want to get it- If it didn’t sound right for you on the spot, don’t get it.
/Ola
hi, ola!
i love your videos where you play all that amps, great!
i was wondering can you do a nice video with peavey 6505+, I just bought it and i wouldl like see you playing with it! metal all the way
hails form banja luka, srpska republic.
ps.
here’s a link for my bands EP, we just self relesed it.
hope you like it.
Hi ola excellent videos. One question Do you calibrate and setup your guitars or you have personal luthier for this ? Regards
THanks. I setup my guitars myself…
Can you make a tutorial for this or you have a videos that can help me with this?
Hello!
First congratulations for the beautiful site ..
I would ask you one thing about Framus Cobra: how does it sound at low volumes (bedroom)? loses all of its beauty?
thanks
bye
Thanks, well it doesn’t shine until you put some volume to it.
Just droppin by to say you still rule man!
Hello Ola,
It’s quite a nice site, showing us the characteristics of several amps. Congratulation and many thx for it!
I use an ENGL Pro 412 cab with Celestion V30s and I would have a question for the next step: Have you ever played on an ENGL Screamer 50 Head? Which one do you think is more suitable for death metal (dropped and high-gained) music: the Peavey 5150 or the ENGL Screamer 50 ?
Thanks for you answer in advance!
Regards
And there’s another potential head I’m thinking to buy: The Peavey Triple XXX. The question is the same as above:)
Thx
Joco
The XXX is a cool amp but maybe a bit mediocre sounding. It’s like it doesn’t have it’s own character.
I have played the Screamer and for death I would probably get the 5150 before that, if you could consider a more expensive engl definitely check out the savage if you want a sound perfect for death metal.
Thank you Ola.
Rock on:)
Question for you regarding ENGL amps (Fireball mainly) vs. 6506 +
I have a JSX right now, great amp and very versatile but I want something even heavier. A lot of people compare the 6505 + to a Fireball for heavy sounds. Could you compare them both for me? I guess what I really want to know is since I live in the U.S., the ENGL’s are very expensive and rare ($1400 – $1700) whereas I could pick up a 6505 + for about $650. Is the ENGL worth the extra money for the sound? I want it to be tight and heavy which I think I’ve heard the 6505 do but I also want the sound to be what I hear in my head
You Rock Man, thx
it depends man, the engls sound great but the pricing over in the us is just crazy for those heads. But if you like the sound then at least give one a try.
Nice stuff you got going here. I like the guitar tones you get. You’ve test run some pretty awesome amps. But you need to get your hands on a VHT Pitbull and show everyone what that amp can pull. It’s got such a tight distortion!
Would love to hear an Engl E530 if you get chance.
First of all, congratulations for sharing with us such great testings… i have 15 years of experience playing metal and rock, and i want to ask you , have you find any cabinet that get close to Mesa 2×12 with v30? I live in Brazil, we don~t have this cab here, an used one its about U$2.000… And i notice that most of the sound quality came from the cabinet.. that´s the reason that some head sound very very similar… Cheers from Brazil and keep on with the reviews!
Hi Ola,
Just last few days watching your videos of amps testing and have to say really nice videos.
I really like some of the riffs you play and best riffs/amp sound on Koch Supernova video / Messa boogie Mark IV / Roadking !
Continue doing good job !
Regards
Petr
CZE
Thanks man!
Awesome stuff man! What tubes do you prefer for your Dual Recto?
Thanks,
Rob
not into any special brands, I really like EL34 !
Killer videos man! Curious about your tube preference for your Dual rectifier. I’m due for some new ones in my Tremoverb.
Thrash on!
Rob
I’m not that into what brands to get, but if you have a chance try going for some EL34 tubes instead of the 6L6. Adds a little harsh growl to it!
Your guitars sit so wonderfully with the bass and other instruments in a mix. Are there any specific frequencies that you tend to cut or boost?
well easy way to make them sit in the mix is to highpass and lowpass filter. I usually Lowpass around 7000hz and use highpass when needed(not to often). Thanks bro!
Have you ever played with a Traynor YCS100H, or a Carvin V3M? Have you heard anything good or bad about either of them? Considering selling off the Peavey 6505+ and I am considering these amps as a replacement to it. I need opinions about them because there is absolutely no way to “test drive” them before purchasing.
Thanks for any info you can give on either of these amps?
Ola!!! Love your vids..
The Feared song you are playing in the Mark IV Vid is awesome! What tuning is it in?
Cheers.
Good stuff Ola, really enjoy the shreds as well. In the dual rec demo, was it loaded with 6L6 or EL34′s?
hey Ola,
I really appreciate your music and everything you do for the metal community ;D. I was wondering if you could give me some advice on pedals for my Mesa Mark 2B? Im attemptng to obtain a tighter sound than the raw amp sound can provide. Do you have any pedal recommendations for me? thanks for you help
Hi
In some of your vids you using a OD808 i wonder if you could tell me how much “tone” you got on the pedal?
Btw awesome job dude and brutal amp tests;-) Thumps up \m/
Hi Ola,
As i just bought one and LOVE your sound, I’d be interrested in your OD808 settings aswell.
I hope you can help us and have a nice evening,
Thomas
Hi,
I see your metal with the Blackstar HT-5, I have this amp, your lead sound is very nice, you use OD ! But what settings to use for EQ ?
My favorite sound is the Peavey 5150 II
Very big sound bye
Hi Ola! I have noticed you don’t have any Engl Invader stuff going on in the shootout. Is that due to some reason like (rather difficult to acquire) or is it because you don’t consider it to be a very good amp?
Hi Ola,
I’ve been watching ur demos since the early youtube days, and I’ve always referred peeps to ur videos for tone examples of amps. Ur mark v tone is great, I was just wondering if you prefer pentode or triode on extreme mode? Also, whats your take on active vs. passive pickups for the mark series?
Förstärkarkungen! Kör på med detta bara, Ola!
Har en liten request om man kunde lämna det här.
Du borde testa peaveys vypyr 120 topp, en helrörs modeling förstärkare borde få sig en chans att mäta sig med dom stora pojkarna! Om du kommer över en så vore det grymt om du kunde A/B testa den mot dom riktiga modellerna som t.ex. rectifiern och 6505:an!
Fortsätt med dessa goa grejjerna!
Ever tried a Peavey Ultra Plus 120 head, I think they sound pretty nasty, without the 5150 sizzle. Be interested on how good you could get one to sound.
Thx,
Rob
Hello ,Ola. I have adressed you with some other questions on some youtube videos as well(under the name UnafraidCookie , if you would be kind to answer) , but: Do the Blackstar ht-5 / Engl gigmaster / Krank rev jr keep up with the other amps you have tested? I need a little amp and these are my only candidates mostly, or maybe I could get an ENGL e530 with some poweramp. So I need some rocksolid pros/cons between these amps, and I know you had an e530 so I would appreciate if you could include the pros/cons of it too.
I hole-heartedly wait your response.
oh and have you ever played on a peavey xxx?I’m interested in that one too
sorry for all the replies, but I think I’m gonna get a peavey 6505+ . Hehe.
Hi Ola,
I’ve read here and on youtube that you use the stock pickups on your ibanez’s. How come? Why not use higher output metal pickups like Dimarzios or Duncans? What are your thought’s on that? Thanks and keep on rockin!
hey man!!
I’ve been listening to your samples for a while and they are all amazing!! I wanted to ask your opinion of the Engl fireball 60 watter. I have the opportunity to buy one and I was wondering if you could give me some insight?
thanks!!
Hi Ola! I really like your dark and heavy tone! In my city there isn’t Maxon 808, so, which other pedal can you recommend to me? what do you think about mxr zakk wylde?
I absolutely love your site.
I read through hundreds of Q&A and couldn’t find the answer I seek.
If you could be so kind as to let me know what tubes you’re running in your Mesa Dual Rec, I’d really appreciate it.
6l6 or EL34?
And what combination (brand / type) of 12×7′s?
Thanks so much in advance…
Hey, I have a original Krank Revolution 1 with A Rivera Cap with Celastion T 70s.
How do you think my gear compares to other gear for metalcore,deathmetal, and finnish metal.
I dont use any pedals.
But what do you think about krank.
Howdy Ola.
I’m thinking of buying a new amp mostly to use for my new band (which i guess is a melodic metalcore band without the nades. However, i do try to learn and play every kind of music i can.) I want an amp which i can hear every note in my chords crystal clear but can still deliver the punch i need even with my distortion turned up. I’ve narrowed it down to a few amps i’ve really liked so far, but could use a little more info on.
- Mesa Roadster
- Engl Powerball
- Blackstar Series One 200
- Hughes & Kettner Triamp MkIII
If possible, could you please provide any extra info which might influence my decision?
Thanks again and stay metal!~ \m/
Nore
P.S.
I apologize for writing this much, but i do have one more question about cabs. Does that brand of the cab really make a difference? Or just the type of speakers? ( Example: Does every cab with (let’s say) Black shadow speakers sound the same?)
Thanks again!
Yo! I like all of your amptest! I got a JCM800 Copy. I build it. You should make a JCM800 METAL video. I tried with Boss MT2, sounds metal, but i dont have 808 Pedal to overdrive the Marshall’s Hi gain Channel. And you can create awesome test songs. My favorite is the Randall Metal!
Here is a video about the half complete marshall.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbDOAJcQpvk
Now i got a 4X12 and i finished the marshall. A bit looks like an Orange TT.
First of all great job and thanks for sharing all this treasure with the world!
I’m trying to decide what 2×12 cabinet would be good to go with the Engl Savage 120. I can see you use the Harley Benton most of the time. What model is it exactly? Do you recommend it for band practice and medium sized gigs?
Thanks a lot dude respect! \m/
Hi!
Great stuffs, great job! Your work should be declared as a public interest!!!
I’d love to see you test those amps:
Fryette Deliverance (my amp, that I use with a Xotic BB preamp)
Bogner Uberschall (my dream…)
Did you ever try those (maybe you didn’t a vid but ever tried)? What do you think about?
Anyway, thanks a lot, even if you have the talent to make sound greatly every amp (which doesn’t help all the time)!!!!
Cheers!
Hey i wanna now something
i want to buy a head from engl, what is the head/top that give me a real lamb of god sound
on this moment i use a cheap effect pedal (Boss me-25) and that give me a sound that not so real metal is you now
and i wanna now something else
when i play on this moment with my boss-me 25 how do i get a really metal sound
i prefer memory number 42 with a lot of gain but it is not real metal
ind i have also made my own effect on my effect pedal but that sounds very stupid
can you give me a few tips or other things that helps me to play real metal
i would to thank you as you will help me a lot
Derrey!
Hey Ola on your “orange rockerverb” vid you used a “tascam us 122″ … How was it to record with it, because i want to get an interface and i´m completely unexperienced with this things… would you recommend using it, or which ones would you recommend for win7?
Thanks alot and keep on with the vids! \m/
Could you test a B52 AT-100 using only amp distortion and show the parameters set?
Please, I need to get a very nice metal tone with these amp and i could not find it yet…
Grettings…
Hei,
Jag undrade om du skulle kunna göra inspelningar också utan overdriven, om det inte blir för besvärligt
Några playthrough videon har du ju nog, men helt med backingtrack osv. Människorna tycks inte ta reda på saken själv. Det skulle kunna vara nyttigt att de får höra den ursprungliga signalen och modifierade signalen separat. Utvecklings idéer 
Ursäkta min dåliga svenska ?
Hello!
First of all – you rock man! Have you ever tested Engl Special Edition E670 (with EL34) or Engl Invader?
Best Regards, Primoz