Good affordable amps for metal

[Ben Thorpe]

Has anybody here got any good suggestions for good amplifiers for metal music? I have a Line 6 Spider Classic 15 which I haven’t really been a fan of when it comes to its overdrive and distortion settings. It sounds very janky and the notes have a very phasy sound to them on distortion, and I was also thinking about buying a new amplifier to go with my new guitar which got delivered to me recently. Any suggestions for affordable amps that give a high amount of gain that doesn’t sound phasy or dirty? I would like a distortion that has a lot of gain, but doesn’t sound too muddy or dirty. Many thanks!

 

[idssdi]

You can try the Yamaha THR

 

[Luis Noriega]

Marshall Code (if you tweak it right) is an absolute underrated treasure. Boss Katana is also a fabulous option. I highly reccomend those two.

 

[Adin Shepherd]

I have heard good things about the Katana, plan on picking one up myself in the new year.

 

[Tobias Mortensen]

Goshdarn i love steelpanther tho, saw them 1 or 2 days after avenged at the Copenhell festival!

 

[Kevin Kwasneski]

I use the Vox Valvetronix series along with an overdrive pedal https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/VT20X–vox-vt20x-20-watt-1×8-inch-modeling-combo-amp

 

[Hiroshi Nakauye]

What budget are you looking at? And are you playing with people or by yourself?
Because for recording purposes and overall versatility the line 6 helix stomp looks attractive. And plus you could plug it into an amp for live volume. Or sometimes to can find a used 5150/6505 combo for very cheap.

 

[Ed Seith]

I hear nothing but praise for the PRS MT-15 (Mark Tremonti model). Whether you like Mark or any of his bands, his tone slays.

 

[Dominik Gräber]

Maybe you should check out BOSS amps. I have the Katana mini and it is INCREDIBLE – especially for the price of about 100 Euro.

 

[Luke G]

The amp I use for metal is a Crate GX212, which I picked up used at guitar center for $100. Amp is pretty big and I can get a really nice Syn Gates sound out of it by default. I can also plug in my Uber metal pedal and get a nice classic sounding guitar overdrive. If you can find one I highly recommend it.

 

[Joey C]

So for a quick little fix, I recommenced the boss katana mini. Thing is super rad, and super portable. It’s perfect for practicing and traveling. I am constantly traveling and I take this with me everywhere.

 

[Jared Lewins]

Blackstar idcore

 

[Brian Thibodeau]

I’m sold on tubes, so what I would recommend on the cheaper side of things (don’t know your budget):
Bugera 333 (clone of a Peavey XXX) very cheap, check out CSGuitars on youtube, he uses it a lot, great tone.
Peavey XXX
Peavey 6505/5150
Crate Blue(?) Voodoo
Marshall DSL40CR with a tube screamer or other boost (that’s what I run).
All of the above are available as a head only, or in combo format. Be warned though, a tube combo amp is pretty heavy and a pain to drag around. I leave my DSL at our band’s practice location, and practice at home with a POD HD500.
Cheers