Best solid state head you've had

[Golder7]

I had a Trace Elliot V Type (5001 I think), green carpeted hulk! It was big and heavy, which is why I got rid of it. Great sound though, which is why I miss it. 

Now, I rock the Ashdown ABM Evo III, I'd like a 600, but it doesn't feel enough of an upgrade to warrant the spending!

Edited October 13, 2020 by Golder7

[Lozz196]

Have you tried the 600 out in a band setting? On paper it just looks like 2 extra eq frequencies but I found it much more flexible, sharp and “alive”, plus a lot more powerful than the ABM500 I had.

[Golder7]

1 minute ago, Lozz196 said:

Have you tried the 600 out in a band setting? On paper it just looks like 2 extra eq frequencies but I found it much more flexible, sharp and “alive”, plus a lot more powerful than the ABM500 I had.

No, I haven't... That is interesting. I presumed (wrongly) it would be largely the same bit with a bit of an aesthetic update... Now, I need to find more money!

[Lozz196]

19 minutes ago, Golder7 said:

No, I haven't... That is interesting. I presumed (wrongly) it would be largely the same bit with a bit of an aesthetic update... Now, I need to find more money!

Sorry, didn’t want to empty your wallet but you won’t regret it.

[pbasspecial]

Not counting my current ABM500, The amp I bought as a present for my 21st birthday back in 1992 was a Crate BT350.  The only decent bass amp they made. Built in the same factory as Ampeg (SLM) back in the day.  Always got lots of complements from the sound engineers. Still have it.  Very loud 350w, 7 band EQ, built in chorus, bi-ampable, etc. 

Edited October 13, 2020 by pbasspecial
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[Merton]

19 minutes ago, Lozz196 said:

Sorry, didn’t want to empty your wallet but you won’t regret it.

Agreed - the new power section is something else, they’ve changed the valve circuit and it just seems to have more of everything which made the original so good. If my ABM EVO hadn’t been born on my 19th birthday then I’d have probably upgraded by now too, but I’m a sentimental git 😂

Edited October 13, 2020 by Merton

[Jazzjames]

My Ampeg SVP-CL - Warwick Hellborg 500w rig was pretty monstrous. 
 

It was also extremely heavy, so I sold it. If I ever got a roadie, this would be my setup for sure.

[Muzz]

If we're allowing tube pres, then the Walkabout is the best one. It's the best head I've ever owned, period...and it'll be the last one, too...

[paul_5]

Best solid state would have to be the SWR SM400. Could do anything I needed it to. I sold it as I could never seem to get the sound I had in my head at gigs, although it was amazing DIed - turns out it was the cab that I had at the time. Should have kept it.
 

[dave_bass5]

Posted but all mine were class D, never mind 😂.

 

Edited October 15, 2020 by dave_bass5

[Dood]

Hmmm, for someone who reviews amplifiers for a living, this is quite a difficult one to answer. I'll try: Aside from valve amplifiers, D Class and DSP, my current favourite SS amp (that recently knocked another long standing fave off it's mantle) is the EBS 802. It's design is to encompass all that we love in 'lead sled' amplifiers with a really flexible and great sounding preamplifier. 

I do have a few favourite amplifiers, many mentioned in this thread already!

[pete.young]

On 11/10/2020 at 15:20, Beedster said:

Ah, I see tube pres are OK

Gotta be Mesa Walkabout

This. Same one , even 😉

If tube pres are not OK, Euphonic Audio iAmp 350. I've never owned the 800 but I expect that will be pretty good too.

[LukeFRC]

Mesa Walkabout
Thunderfunk 750a
GK 700rb

but after years of searching I went back to the first one I had Hughes and Kettner QT600 - I love it
 

Edited October 16, 2020 by LukeFRC

[Kevin Dean]

For me its the Ashdown Retroglide . I would also put the ABM  up there but It's got a valve in it .

[Merton]

1 minute ago, Kevin Dean said:

For me its the Ashdown Retroglide . I would also put the ABM  up there but It's got a valve in it .

Class D though, not A/B haha  😛

[thodrik]

For purely MOSFET no preamp tubes, I really like the EBS HD350,  the old Aguilar AG500 (dual channel with overdrive) and the GK 1000rb, slightly more than I like old MOSFET Trace Elliot heads. I would think that the new EBS 802 would be top of the list but I haven't tried it and probably wont. Some of the old 80s/90s Peavey heads look really really ugly, but are actually pretty good as well. 

To me tube preamp, MOSFET power section is a different type of amp again, and when it comes to that I am really partial to Mesa's M-Pulse range, particularly the Walkabout and Big Block 750. 

[EBS_freak]

EBS HD350 - I don't know why but it sound slightly sweeter than the TD650.

Bags of attack, sparkly, airy highs and a bit of drive brings in the warm and grit if required. Despite it's modest output, it's plenty loud of enough with loads of headroom due to the shelving of the subby mess in the low end. Use one in a band and you'll see what I mean.

Old school maybe - but they aren't too big and heavy.

The only thing I like better, is the HD350+ which is effectively the front end of the HD350 with the power amp of the TD650. Never was commercially available - but was commonly used by the likes of Marcus Miller.

[cetera]

Original Gallien-Krueger 400RB and/or 800RB.

I played every head under the sun for years looking for THAT tone (authoritative, punchy, full, piano-definition, harmonic edged, grindy) and finally found it in these heads. They're built like tanks too and as a result were industry standard live-hire heads for a couple of decades....

[Chezz55]

Also with the proviso that valve front-ends are OK, my two choices would be:

MESA Walkabout - 'nuff said.

 A very early Genz Benz Shuttle 6 (into a Schroeder 410L) - I really should have kept this rig, it was fairly easy to move and sounded awesome.

[Steve Browning]

If we're widening the net then M-Pulse 600 with Walkabout a hair's breadth behind.

[The fasting showman]

3 hours ago, cetera said:

Original Gallien-Krueger 400RB and/or 800RB.

I played every head under the sun for years looking for THAT tone (authoritative, punchy, full, piano-definition, harmonic edged, grindy) and finally found it in these heads. They're built like tanks too and as a result were industry standard live-hire heads for a couple of decades....

Sniff sob...I used to have an original 800rb as you know Gary!

Totally agree, I have used a 700rb ii for the last 5 years and it sounds great to my ears. I've recently dropped on a 400rb iv and it's good in a different way. Just wish they looked as cool as the old ones. As you have said, they are the amps I've settled after years of chopping and changing.

Martin

[casapete]

33 minutes ago, The fasting showman said:

Sniff sob...I used to have an original 800rb as you know Gary!

Totally agree, I have used a 700rb ii for the last 5 years and it sounds great to my ears. I've recently dropped on a 400rb iv and it's good in a different way. Just wish they looked as cool as the old ones. As you have said, they are the amps I've settled after years of chopping and changing.

Martin

I’ve had a fair few GK heads, including 800RB, 700RBii, 1001RB , MB2000 and MB800. Really got on with them all, but the 800RB is my favourite (which I still have). Used the 1001RB as my main amp for years now and has been 100% reliable and my go to sound.

[MacDaddy]

'Best' for me is a combination of factors, including weight.

The PJB M-500 was hands down the best sounding solid state amp I've owned (as long as it wasn't going through PJB speakers), but my TechAmp Puma 500 does the job and is a lot lighter and quieter.

My favourite however, is the 100w amp in my Peavey Vypyr VIP3, which contains Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Acoustic guitar amp models, and is actually loud enough to do a large pub sized gig on bass.

[Woodinblack]

On 16/10/2020 at 09:58, Dood said:

Aside from valve amplifiers, D Class and DSP, my current favourite SS amp (that recently knocked another long standing fave off it's mantle) is the EBS 802. It's design is to encompass all that we love in 'lead sled' amplifiers with a really flexible and great sounding preamplifier.

Funny, if you don't know what that is, and you google it and go to the manufacturers site, there is a video on their main page by someone that has a really similar name to yours

 

[Dood]

7 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

Funny, if you don't know what that is, and you google it and go to the manufacturers site, there is a video on their main page by someone that has a really similar name to yours

 

EBS have been so kind, they've shared a few of my EBS reviews on their website; quotes and the like.