Top 10 WORST Guitar Amplifiers EVER!

[@machineryman7197]

"I dont wanna own a booger amp" What about Mesa Boogie lol

[@RobertWJackson]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@kristopher6031]

Messy booger

[@FulcrumsEdge]

playing with boogers as long as it has "Mesa" in front of it, which clearly is a sign of bias. the 6262 Infimum is a pretty close match up of the peavey 5150 block letter and of the more recent 6505s, not totally the same, but it is also about a grand less off the shelf for a new 6505 III+. now i can't speak for the 2x12 combo version (maybe why they don't make them anymore? hmmmmm, speakers making an amp and all) but my infinuim 6262 head into a 4x12 Marshall 1960 or even better into my Harley Benton G212V with Celestion V30's *drool* is s friggin' beast of a high gain amp and in my opinion sounds as good or better in some instances than the recent offerings from marshall, blackstar, laney, etc. this point goes even further with anyone else in the same zip code on price alone.

[@RobertWJackson]

Behringer made a lot of improvements on the Infinium series amps. I was referring to the first generation more than anything else in this video. Those first gen Bugera amps were GARBAGE.

[@machineryman7197]

@@RobertWJackson Agreed. I picked up a 333xl infinium and it hasnt given up on me yet. Though it does keep blowing tubes 🤔🤔🤔

[@Angryprometheus]

If you want to make trve norwegian black metal, these are the amps to use.

[@hellraiserharry]

I play classic rock and the toneblaster covers it well I really shocked it made this list

[@sfasfads]

My ears hurt thinking about the last time I heard a Raven. Inducing pain in the listener would be fairly cvlt.

[@guitarsarelikestupid7200]

Don't you mean vse?

[@checkpointcovid8021]

And when you want to make a true Norwegian Black Metal album cover gather a bunch of sticks in a pile.

[@PeterVenkman_666]

@Jon Goat the Marshall Valvestate was my first amp. I bought it thinking, cool now i have a Marshall and a valve amp! What a piece of crap.

[@T25de]

None of my amps on this list Phew 😅 I hope he doesn’t do a top 15 worst 😂

[@RobertWJackson]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@tommymac3029]

Same here...

[@mirjanamilosavljevic3970]

I watched this to see if my amp was on the list but thank god it isn’t 😂

[@Top10-b3z3t]

Mines here

[@elemental3066]

same, just bought a dsl15 on the budget, had some sweat goin

[@Hillbilly_Papist]

I hope more people find this list. We need to keep those Laney prices down.

[@billpepper]

anyone remember crate amps

[@SixShine]

billpepper the Blue voodoo was a cool amp! Their best imo.

[@SDMFTommySick]

There was some very good sounding crate heads. Back around 1987 don't remember what model numbers but I remember seeing a head or two in more than one studio. LMFAO

[@blvckvv999]

those crate solid state practice amps are good for one thing and one thing only. Drenching them in gasoline and watching them burn. Some of the Crate tube amps, however, surprisingly hold up.

[@donanders2110]

Had a G40C gigged with it a lot! Back in the day!

[@vipervidsgamingplus5723]

I have a 1978 Crate CR-1 without distortion or reverb and I need to make some repairs to fix the signal path. 20 watts with a line out and a single channel 20watts, sounds decent just needs some restoration work

[@CizerKedi]

1)Line 6 Spider 2)Line 6 Spider 3)Line 6 Spider 4)Line 6 Spider 5)Line 6 Spider 6)Line 6 Spider 7)Line 6 Spider 8)Line 6 Spider 9)Line 6 Spider 10)Line 6 Spider

[@RobertWJackson]

k

[@christianpoint0888]

@@CizerKedi the Bee Hive !

[@lancetti4843]

Say what you want about Kustom amps, but many Motown artists, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Jackson 5, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, and Roy Clark would disagree. In the 60s, Kustom was one of the better quality makers around. Maybe they just didn't age so well?

[@Bob-tp3nx]

but but but they don't METAL therefore they must suck! LOL

[@johnlawrence7403]

I think people are sleeping on those amps because guitar culture has deemed them to not be "worthy." But, I agree with your point entirely.

[@clemsontigz1]

@@johnlawrence7403 the coupe deville reissue in like 02 or 03 , somewhere in that decade they came back out with the 2 12 coupe deville tuber and shit , I freaking adore mine

[@ExploitTheVibe369]

1960s amps... Kustom vs marshall or Fender, Orange, Ampeg, Gibson, Vox... There is no question Kustom was one of the "Top" amp brands... Laughable

[@barbmelle3136]

The old Kustom amp company is gone. The name is sold to someone else and the amp line really has no links to the originals. That said, the modern Kustom coupe tube amp amp sounds great.

[@diegorodguitar]

How does the Marshall MA sounds with a good cab?

[@RobertWJackson]

Still garbage. Muddy as hell.

[@diegorodguitar]

@@RobertWJackson I was just about to buy it haha thanks for replying man! I'm a big fan of your channel

[@RobertWJackson]

Thanks man!

[@mikeallen5291]

The Kustom Tuck & Roll was around in the late 90's and 00's too

[@doctorizvan2096]

practice amps do not suck if you're a beginner you don't need a massive amp. it makes more sense to have a small one that you can bring around with you

[@goodheartmedia]

The Blackstar ID Core series may be blah, but the original ID:TVP series sounds phenomenal.. I've had pro players come up to me in shock that it was a "modelling" amp (which it's not really - it's modelling power tube types, not specific amps). They've just released the Silverline series which is supposed to be an upgrade to the ID:TVP, but I'm not going to run out and get one just yet as my ID:260 TVP can compete all day long.

[@markbeatty7178]

This guy sux, amp that bob

[@LarryWhite-kw5mj]

I have a spyder 120 & spyder 150.They both sound great on clean green channel.

[@ryanvoshell9722]

The trick to the Spider II was using the footboard with it. The presets were pretty useless, but if you knew how the amp worked (not intuitive) you could dial in useful sounds. The issue then is that you can't really utilize that without the footboard. But there were several hidden features that Line 6 just didn't make people aware of, I guess they didn't need to since the amp sold so well anyway. But I loved the thing, I had a full stack version and a practice amp, just last year I went out and picked up another practice amp at pawn just because everything that I've bought as an "upgrade" in the 15+ years since my Spider II era just never satisfied as much. I think most people just had no idea how to dial in a tone on them, and they were super touchy.

[@David..]

Agree with this; the Spider II is a great first amp as with any modeling/emulating amps from this era you can usually pick one up for about $60 shipped which gives a new player a good taste for different effects.

[@jaypeterson7637]

I absolutely agree with you...the pedalboard made all the difference! Tuning,volume control,wah-wah and the ability to hold 4 usable sounds. It took a while to dial those usable sounds in!

[@therealracer135]

What were the hidden features?

[@ASword-qk4xs]

Im in Australia And this piece of sh... turned me off playing it disillusioned me from finding an amp that had a great tone ..... the music store which was the only one for a good distance around looking back was full of clueless salemans and the amps that were tube i'm positive were horrible sounding as they must of hadtheir tubes woren to the bone . But i digress the line 6 spider as are most non valve amps ...bad but i was sold on the line 6 beautiful design and exterior the great knobs and i guess the great name spider ..and that i never owned an amp before . terrible amp

[@graemehindshaw4221]

I can only assume that you had burst ear drums from it, because I can assure you that to everybody else it sounded dogshit. Have you seen "Mars Attacks"? I would only use one as a boat anchor

[@andrewince8824]

Careful now, I play Kustom, they make great distorted amps. Admittedly I've had mine refurbed and installed a new speaker but it's still a beast of an amp with spring reverb built in.

[@OkFixer]

ALL that John Fogerty/ Creedence stuff was brought to you by the boys in ''Chanute Kansas'' I really like my Kustom, and its 3-12 cab. A lot of them suffered from (as almost all amps) Electrolytic Capacitor failures . Replace those, clean your pots and plug it into a slab of mahogany with p-90's and your ready to ramble tamble to green river as your friends hear it through the grapevine.

[@alexcosentino4649]

dantheglassman642004 John was famous for Rickenbackers though?

[@shoominati23]

The feeling I get is that they probably supplied backlines to bands for next to nothing back in the 70s, as I've seen some pretty big bands using them in the videos from that era. I didn't think their tone was that bad either..

[@OkFixer]

Yes......I don't have a Rick though.... I was referring to my LP junior

[@mulehead2229]

I saw Fogerty live several years ago and he was playing a PRS through a JCM 900. I've seen him playing live in a lot of videos and he uses a lot of different gear. I may be wrong, but I don't ever recall him using Fender guitars. Amps yes, but not guitars. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

[@philrouge3182]

I did not see videos or pictures of it but I’ve read somewhere an interview of Fogerty saying he used a Telecaster.

[@gabrielnicolasfariasbravo4753]

So, the problem with line 6 is the high gain sound, but what If i put a distortion pedal in my line 6 spider, can i get a good crunchy sound and the other effects?? Or it still suck???

[@RobertWJackson]

Nope, still horrible. Line 6 Spiders are NOT good pedal platforms at all.

[@gabrielnicolasfariasbravo4753]

@@RobertWJackson wich amp brand would you recomend??

[@Kylora2112]

How about flip it and do the 10 best cheap practice amps? :)

[@RobertWJackson]

That’s a good idea! 💡💡💡

[@yeeyee5117]

The Roland Micro Cube better be on it! It was my first guitar amp and still my favorite practice amp.

[@Mr.Goldbar]

Robert's Guitar Dungeon do tiny tube amps count? like the Blackstar HT1/HT5, Orange Micro Terror and the Joyo Bentamp series?

[@RobertWJackson]

Yep, those count!

[@johnballantyne3458]

I picked up a used Peavey Rage from the early 90's for $20. I was really surprised at how decent the tones were at bedroom levels.

[@GreenDistantStar]

The ID Core is exactly the amp you say you're going to exclude from your list. I have an ID Core and as a bedroom/practice amp, it's great. Also have a 50W Line6 Spider II, and you're 100% correct. The clean channels boosted with a TS9 Tube Screamer can produce an OK sound, the distortion channels are brittle and unusable.

[@randolphstewart7114]

Even some of these amps he doesn't like, he still has some positive feedback. Great tone but a gap in frequency, nice tones but reliability in the jacks etc. Good review techniques, honest and accurate.

[@RobertWJackson]

Thanks man!

[@asamcdaniel5167]

What kinda car did Frank have? Also I had a kustom tuck and roll half stack and it rocked. I mean it wasn’t a marshal, but it cranked.

[@RobertWJackson]

k

[@asamcdaniel5167]

@@RobertWJackson that’s not an answer, dingle.

[@RobertWJackson]

@@asamcdaniel5167 k

[@asamcdaniel5167]

@@RobertWJackson so you don’t know?

[@RobertWJackson]

k

[@WunHitWonder]

I had a Laney AOR head and loved it. But I run EQ and pedals separately so I would have never used that push pull feature. He's right. Excellent tones. But I needed the LP I traded for it more at the time. It was the white Laney Pro AR 100.

[@scampthelazycat9891]

Damn that "music" in the background is dreadful

[@RobertWJackson]

Troll. 🤣🤣🤣🖕🏼

[@scampthelazycat9891]

@@RobertWJackson you are most welcome, but its still shocking "music"

[@RobertWJackson]

I was actually referring to FalconerPhoto.

[@scampthelazycat9891]

@@RobertWJackson lol ah i see

[@DoktrDub]

@@scampthelazycat9891 the guitar and instruments were actually well played and composed, the song itself was rather strange and “used car lot commercial” esque I’ll admit lol

[@OCnStiggs]

Great series! I laughed when I saw the Kustom amps. My cousin in Alabama was a great player and had a series of Kustoms he played his Gretsch through. The tuck-and-roll was great for throwing in his car because it wouldn't scuff up his interior. I bought a 1969 Fender Pro Reverb in 1995 and thought I had overpaid at $725. What a nice sound. Not exactly "portable." Wish I had bought more equipment when I was younger. Time flies. Enjoy it while it lasts...

[@yshnan4627]

Robert, what if I bypass the pre amp on the marshall ma50? They go 300 bucks. Would be worth it just for a tube power amp? Plug straight into the return

[@RobertWJackson]

Why would you buy an all-tube amp just to bypass the preamp section? Seems a little redundant. Look for a used Peavey 60/60 instead. They’re even a little less one the used market if you can track one down.

[@yshnan4627]

@@RobertWJackson I am a multi effect guy. I already do it with my solid state amp. Wondering if a tube power amp would improve the sound comparing to a solid state. I use the jcm800 on my multi effect wondering if a valve power amp with el34 would sound closer to the real jcm800. I Love the videos btw Great content

[@RobertWJackson]

Implementing a tube power amp surely can’t hurt, but all of the processing power is still coming the processors algorithms.

[@SynnUnsworth]

ah the awesome Spider II..... i used to love mine and thought it sounded awesome... but i also couldn't play so didn't realise just how awful it really was.... Couldn't bring myself to sell it and make someone else suffer through that pain... still sat in my garage unused... probably pushing 10+years now... might turn it into a table.... it might look cool then

[@WushuJedi]

That was my first amp... I turned everything up to 10 on the insane channel. I thought I sounded like Zack Wylde...I actually sounded like a dying cat.

[@SynnUnsworth]

hahaha I'm tempted to dig the spider out of my garage, see if it works and see just how bad it sounds

[@joedirt902]

I LOVE YOUR HONESTY. HONEST IS ALMOST GONE WITH THE DODO BIRD. IT IS VERY REFRESHING TO READ YOUR STATEMENT. ROCK ON.

[@SynnUnsworth]

JOE DIRT I wish someone was honest with me when I bought the damn thing I’d have skipped straight over it and gone for the peavey they also had, although was more expensive

[@joedirt902]

HA----I SUCK LONG STORY WHY BUT I WAITED A LONG TIME TO BUY A TC-50 COMBO (BY MESA BOOGIE)AT MY AGE NOW IT WILL BE THE LAST AMP I WILL EVER BUY. THANKS FOR THE LAUGH ALSO HAVE A GOOD WEEK.

[@cornstar1253]

I almost bought wiggy when I saw it in a pawn shop. Just as a piece of furniture. Bought a kemper rack head and ooh man am I ever happy. Edit: I have boogie and fender tube amps as well. And some Kemper profiles blow them away especially for recording.

[@StillLivinginthewoods]

The Bugera 1960 Infinium is a really great sounding amp head. I was VERY reluctant to buy it because I have had several bad experiences with Behringer over the last couple of decades, but that amp is incredible for $400. Plug in a strat, select neck pickup, and you have THAT sound. Does it sound exactly like a Plexi? I doubt it, especially considering that not all vintage Marshall Plexis sound alike to begin with, but it sounds damned good for $400. Of course I am running through a proper British Marshall 4X12 though, I wouldn't touch those Bugera cabinets with a ten foot pole. Don't let a bad experience with a first generation Bugera keep you from this monster.

[@RobertWJackson]

I actually think Bugera pulled their heads out of their asses with the updated Infinium stuff. I have no problem with Bugera whatsoever. (I made fun of their name in the video strictly as a joke. LOL) But That first generation of their amps SUCKED.

[@MrSonis3]

I've got a Booger V22 and V5 Infinium, the lead channel on the V22 is not great but the clean is a good pedal platform. I love them, never had any issues with either.

[@BloodpactORG]

You're just experiencing the Behringer R&D philosophy: wire some random wires together, put it in a box and see what people think. Then go to version 2 and knock it out of the park. I remember the UNFATHOMABLY awful 300W bass head they first came out with, my university were suckered into buying one for the music room and literally every bass player brought their own amps to practice there xD The octave pedal made for a good standup comedy routine though. EDIT: Almost forgot the Orange Micro and Micro Terror, which are almost as good as the Joyos, only reason I don't rate them so highly is the awkward scoop knob rather than a real tone knob, and the lack of cab simulated headphone output (Orange has unusable headphone outs)

[@luisvaladez18]

I got a Bugera 6660 with a Mesa cab with V30's and it sounds good. Currently I play death metal and it sounds good. Regards from Mexico.

[@allstopblue5717]

TheChamp I’ve got the V55 older non infinium version. I love the thing. Such great dimension to the clean sound it’s really nice. I wouldn’t trust it gigging or traveling But it sits in my little studio and sounds really great. Never had a problem with it and I bought it used.

[@thomasr.1677]

I don't understand the problem with the bass knob at #8. Where is the problem replacing the bass tone poti with a Push/pull poti with one of another, more fitting value?

[@RobertWJackson]

Why buy an amp just to have to spend more money on modifying it so that it functions properly?

[@guitarsarelikestupid7200]

Whenever an amp has excessive built-in effects. Stay far away!

[@matthewdonoghue321]

Yes... those effects are always digital and therefore rubbish. Moral of the story... stay away from digital.

[@RobertWJackson]

I don’t agree with that. I love digital delay and digital reverb. The Boss DD-7 is my all-time favorite delay pedal. (No, I have not yet tried the new DD-8.) Analog has its place, but so does digital.

[@angelverastigue5848]

Boss katana mk2 50?

[@guitarsarelikestupid7200]

Okay. There are some good digital effects. EH 16 sec delay is good. But on an amp. No.

[@patricksommer3971]

I love my Vox modeling amp, even though i also own a great tube amp

[@pageveazey9874]

I disagree with your assessment of the tuck and roll original Kustom amps. I was there when they came out and our band used the PA system and the huge Bass amp. Never had a minutes trouble with them and they sounded fine and had plenty of power. Then again, we weren't Distortion Freaks back then. I have a K50 from 1970 and I love it. For Jazz and Pop, they are fine amps. For Chainsaw Music, not so much.

[@KimboH55]

Yeah I think you got it right - they weren't distortion freaks back then. Depends what you want from the amp. Creedence used them exclusively on stage - just a good down to earth 100w amp. Each amp has several 'sounds' each different from competitors or they wouldn't sell. I like the sound and found them pretty good - just not as popular as some others. Solid state - pretty good for the day.

[@kirksmith7902]

Hey, Credence Clearwater and the Revivals used (or at least appeared on TV with) Kustom tuck 'n' roll amps. Mine had dual JBL D130 15" speakers in it, the absurd efficiency of which made it LOUD. One night we played a club that had a very narrow stage with a riser that went all along the back so that the drummer went in the middle of the riser and our amps went on either side of the drummer. This had the effect of placing my amp right at ear-level for me. "Dear God!" I thought, "is this what I've been doing to the poor bastards in the front row all this time?" Bad amps, bad music, bad food, sleeping in the van . . . those were the days.

[@RobertWJackson]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@chriscimino7854]

Hello how are you. I am an electronics repairman and I repair old tube amps. Which tube amps are not very good in sound? I don't play guitar very well. I wish I could play as well as I can build or modify one. I have an old Epiphone galaxy 10 that had a burned out power transformer that a friend gave me and I fixed it. It would make a good sounding blues amp but the overdrive gain sounds muddy and a fender champ would blow it away on distortion. I'm thinking of putting a fender champ circuit in it

[@geoc3956]

My all tube Kustom 36 Coupe 2X10 Black Roll and Tuck has served me well for years at small venues. The clean tone is magnificent and the gain is killer. Reverb is deep and rich. Eminence speakers sound great and lots of head room for a combo. I realize you were talking more about the older Kustoms, but I'm here to tell ya, they impressed me with this baby. I just wished you could have mentioned the 36 Coupe 2X10 or 12". Maybe even the 72 Coupe 2X12 combo. Anyway thx.

[@rosewoodsteel6656]

Our Kustoms were solid state amps and they sucked.

[@Mr.Goldbar]

so Raven is the Esteban of amps?

[@RobertWJackson]

I don’t know that Raven are ESTEBAN bad, but they’re pretty bad. LOL

[@MrSICK661]

What about Esteban amps? 🤔😂

[@elliottnunez1057]

Rapture Kicks oh they are definitely Esteban bad.

[@charlesfields5107]

Bar Goldstei

[@gustavomartinez1301]

Robert's Guitar Dungeon 10 WORST... FOR YOU, BAG OF SHIT!! BLACKSTAR RULES!

[@mwyatt222]

When I worked retail in the 80's we had the Jackson/Charvel line and Jackson made a red stack amp that was the worst semi-expensive amp I ever heard and still decades later holds true . It sounded like dead power tubes when they were new , all middle , the bass and treble were useless . I know they belong on that list .

[@captainnuggie1831]

one thing you forgot to mention about Kustom amps is they kinda had a reputation for catching fire. i have a 1972 Kustom charger bass amp that i play guitar through, and it lit up when i turned the volume up too loud

[@josephagnello9335]

YOUR Vocabulary,knowledge of subject,HUMOROUS ANALOGY, voice tone, satirical humor make you one of the BEST VIDEO YOU TUBE PRODUCTIONS !!! Excellent,Robert !

[@RobertWJackson]

Thanks man! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@SciFiArtman]

Kustom amps weren't actually under-powered - they were over-named! Kustom named their amps based on the peak power, as Peavey also did early on. So a Kustom 200 was basically a 100w RMS machine. Once you understood that marketing BS, the Kustoms gave every inch of that RMS power, and reliably, IMO. Don't hate 'em just because they had a stupid naming system, looked funky and dated (even back then), and had limited tone capabilities! :)

[@aidanandtyler5138]

I have had 5-6 different amp over the years (Peavey, Crate), now I own a Blackstar. I find the Blackstar sounds pretty decent - so not sure why you disliked that one so much. Maybe with a super small speaker, they (like the ID Core 10), they don't sound great ? I have the ID Core 40.

[@graemehindshaw4221]

Exactly. Of course it sounded bad, it was just a practice amp. ID did a great job emulating tubes, but not for me purely because of no send return ports so not good for personal pedals, everything is on their proprietory footswitch and software.

[@MuvoTX]

John fogerty toured solo and with CCR using a kustom amp/cab... check out 2-3 songs on his live DVD premonition... not bad sounding at all.

[@ZaktanVR]

I have a Blackstar ID core 100 watt and I love it.

[@Sterflex2]

Atomic Apocalypse same man

[@jaychen2000metal]

Atomic Apocalypse i prefer the id (not core) 150 head. Returned my id core 2×10 which I believe was 100 Watts. Found a Diezel 4X12 for 700 do that otobably helped the tone alot lol

[@tylersaltmarsh9025]

Same

[@dougdixonhull]

I have the Blackstar Beam for home use and I love it.

[@leeburnley]

i have the idcore 10 and with the insider software you can make it sound good, my main amp is a TVP260 but i use the iD10 for pratice as its wayyyy lighter.

[@patramirez5264]

I got a free 4-12 cabinet.it seems built ok.dont know what the speakers are in it but my Hartke piggyback was louder which shocked me.i got an acoustic head which I fixed and its ok.im considering putting some new speakers in the Raven cabinet.cant beat it for free

[@Terminator-ow5oe]

What do you think about the bugera g20 ?

[@RobertWJackson]

I haven’t played that particular model, but all of the Bugera stuff seems to have improved significantly since their initial run. That first run of Bugera amps were terrible. That entire line was notorious for blowing up for no reason. They seemed to have fixed that problem, though.

[@brian770]

@@RobertWJackson blowing up !!!!damn, must have been prototyping for Spinal Tap.........

[@DCWelker]

They caught on fire due to a plastic clip in the non-infinium models located too close to the power tubes and melting and catching fire. They didn't actually blow up. That is bullshit

[@serviceproper]

So as an adult beginner looking to plan metal and jam in my basement so not wanting a little beginner pos but want something I could eventually hook a stack up to what would you recommend ?

[@RobertWJackson]

Take a look at the Randall RD20H. GREAT clean channel as well as plenty of rock and metal tones to be had. Also, the PRS MT-15 is KILLER, and the new EVH LBX Stealth that was JUST released is already getting great reviews.

[@Strato13]

Today, for the price of a months worth of Starbucks coffee, I bought a used Line 6 AX2 212 TubeTone Amp for USD $120, which included the Line 6 Pedalboard, and a DIY hardback binder of the manual, and other printout reference sheets. The Amp itself has like three of four small blemishes on the grill cloth, but the rest of the amp is in pristine condition, and after a few hours with it, works perfectly. I've gone through many many amps, and still have quite a handful of amps and I have to say, this old amp which was made in 1998 or so, sounds better than even my newer modelling amps, and darn near as loud as my all tube Marshall 40 watt combo. A gem of a find. and i have always wanted this amp, too. The amazing thing is, that I did own a Line 6 catalyst, and this 26 year old amp STILL sounds better than some of their newer stuff.

[@hughgrection9439]

Used the kustom 3 15' bass cabinet for death metal vocals at the end of the 80's.Brutal lows

[@Roadking26]

I own 3 Bugera amps. A 45W vintage head. A T50 Infinium, and a V22 Infinium, along with 2x10 bass enclosure. I can afford just about any amp if I wanted to spend the money. I played many amps before buying these, and nothing gave be the sound I was looking for, and the new Infinium technology is the best feature I have seen in and amp. Mix and match tubes if desired, and self biasing. I get more compliments on my sound. More so than our other guitarists very exspensive Messa. He has even borrowed my V22 Infinium, and loved it. He is planning one in the future. Play one, and put aside and amp snobbery, and you will be pleasantly surprised. The V22 is supposed to sound similar to the Vox A 130.

[@0o0oo0o]

Thanks for the info. I am looking to buy an amp, mostly for louder music with dirty distortion. I am looking at a Bugera T50 head with 2x12 TS cabinet, or a Buger v55 infinium (head only). Any thoughts on these? This guy says the 6262 is trash, but I also see a 6260 combo for sale in my area. Worth a try, do you know? Cheers

[@RobertWJackson]

I said the ORIGINAL 6262 is trash. The newer Infinium series amps seem to be fine. Lots of people love them.

[@0o0oo0o]

@@RobertWJackson gotcha. Any advice on the 6260 120w 2x12?

[@lhall5167]

I like them because they make me money when I have to repair them :)

[@RobertWJackson]

@0o0oo0o Yeah, make sure it says “Infinium” on it. LOL

[@dougpowell7157]

Just found your channel. I have to add to this the Crate GLX1200DPS and it’s little brothers , the GLX 212DPS and the GLX80DPS. The channel relays were terrible and the electronics were not built for dragging the amp around to gigs. My experience with these amps have been the same: channels trying to switch back and forth or getting “hung” in between channels, and the DPS channel over time gets a terrible hum in it that seems to come from the phaser channel. Also the DPS selector knob would be on one setting but the amp would be playing another. Terrible experiences with these particular Crate amps and probably the reason I stopped using Crates which was shortly before SLM stopped making them. Good Video man!

[@RobertWJackson]

Thanks man! Glad you enjoyed the video. I’m actually surprised to hear your about bad experience with Crate amps. I’ve owned several over the years (I currently own three of them as I write this) and I’ve never had a single problem with any of them. And that includes lugging them to gigs and practices all over town. I’m a big advocate for Crate amps to this very day.

[@gordondills2773]

I have a Line 6 Spider Jam amp. I bought it after a friend of mine demonstrated all the backing tracks it came loaded with and the recording capabilities it has. It's fun to fool around with and practice with, and I have used it at a few like small gigs where room was a problem, (like coffee shop setting) so I could also use it as a PA, but I always just used the clean channel with my guitar because the modeling or effects don't sound that great. So, anyway my point is--yes the Spider amps are good but a lot of the effects/modeling stuff are not that good--fun for practice in MHO, but kind of sucky for dialing in that tone you might be looking for.

[@charlieluna7237]

I remember years ago having a Marshall MG 102 solid state. It was my first "Proper amp" it was a 100w solid state 2x12 combo and it was an absolute peice of shit on the dirty channel. Cost me nearly £400 which is alot of money when you're about 16-17 and I saved for ages. It was only good for the clean channel and it hated pedals. I don't know what the newer ones are like but it was absolute pure junk. It would just randomly stop outputting sound and you had to reset the amp which was apparently a common problem. The fan keeping it cool would stop randomly and the god awful distortion was a noisey mess. Don't even get me started on the speakers.

[@JodyParsons]

So the trick with my particular Laney AOR 50 series 1, an 8 knob in specific, is to pull out either the treble or mod pot and dial in presence medium to high. Through an orange cab, it seems to bring it to life.

[@djmcc83]

So what if you come across a raven 4x12 cab? Those suck too or was the cab at least decent?

[@RobertWJackson]

Yep, those are also terrible. LOL Seriously, the speakers in those are complete garbage.

[@BRLaue]

Have to put a kind word in for Bugera. Their quality has vastly improved in the last ten years. I own the V-22, the dreaded blue light model. I’ve had it for ten years and no issues. It has a beautiful lush clean tone and is a very good base tone for pedals. Add a Wampler and you get the best Marshall sound outside of a plexi. I also own a Bugera 5W and I play it as much as I do my Fender ‘57 Champ reissue. Best tube practice amp for the money, IMHO. YMMV, but Bugera does not deserve a lot of the hate sent its way.

[@BRLaue]

KillingerDOOM I had the tubes swapped soon after I bought it. Knock on wood as far as the capacitors are concerned.

[@chadwickwright2833]

Garbage

[@maxhammer248]

Traded in the 200 watt Black Star half stack for a Bulgera xxl combo 2 x12 tube 100 watt after playing it for almost an hour. Not only is it easy to dial in it fits in the car and keeps up with the big boys. Thats was 2014 havnt budged either since. I bought used at GC $330 USD now a days $450 and up easily.

[@nissansilviakouki]

I've had the 6262 infinium combo and loved it..

[@louaguado995]

I've been playing a Bugera g20 into a Marshall 212 for years. No issues and it sounds great, plugged straight in, no pedals needed. 😊

[@alexanderguesthistorical7842]

I've got the Line 6 Spider II head. It depends how you set it up, but you can get some good sounds out of it (if you can figure out how to do it). So it must have been a poor speaker in the Combo.

[@guitardude1230]

The ID Core is a great amp! The stereo speakers make the effects sound huge! The models are decent and it is a great practice amp at 99 bucks. Probably the best at that price infact.

[@joshuamunson5841]

I have the 100 watt head version and it sounds decent. It's not a tube head that's for sure, but good for shows due to its light weight.

[@tmduncan75]

He said ID series but I think he was referring to the core line. I've never played one so I cant say how they sound, but the ID TVP series solid state amps sound very good. It doesn't have tube feel, but the tube modeling concept is very cool. It does give you an introduction into how different tube produce headroom. And I get great tone out of it. Not a tube amp but for the money the TVP's are great solid state amps imo.

[@Duster5000]

Yes! You have to get one with the stereo speakers in it. It’s sounds really good for a small practice amp

[@melvined]

i have an id core that i picked up on the secondary market so i can play in my apartment. i thought it would be worse, but its ok with headphones on. that said, i replaced it with a UA Ox Box. lol! one extreme to another.

[@maxhammer248]

Makes a great DI to Pro Tools to. Sounds kinda like Marshall after a few adjustments. if you layer the tracks its pretty beefy to the average listener as well.

[@nu-agegamer3548]

For Rock & Metal, what amp do you suggest? I have a Vox Pathfinder 10 and it's good, but I'm getting better and the distortion isn't high enough even when I crank the gain. (No Modeling Amps because im sick and tired of effects I never use)

[@RobertWJackson]

Man, there’s SOOOO many of them out there these days. Determine what your budget is and what features you’d like to have on it, and then go down to your local shop and try some things out, as well as check out some demos on those amps on KZbin.

[@nu-agegamer3548]

@@RobertWJackson My budget would be around $150. I was thinking, for hard rock and heavy metal, maybe I could do the Orange Crush 20RT. Any other ones besides that?

[@martinhroch344]

I recommend to save up about $100 more and buy a Boss Katana. It's a "modelling amp", but in a different sense of the word than Line 6 or Vox VT series. It's more along the lines of Kemper or Bias. You can download presets made by random people, the company itself or even famous players. And they mostly sound very good. You can also plug it into a PC and record directly into a software. In my opinion, it has everything for anybody. But if you want something cheap and simple, then the Orange is a good starting point.

[@nu-agegamer3548]

@@martinhroch344 I'm not good enough to justify buying a 50 watt amp yet.

[@martinhroch344]

@@nu-agegamer3548 You can also look on the used market for an old (90s) Peavey Rage, they sound amazing. Anyways, good luck on your path.

[@ArielsSmartyPants]

Say what you want about line6 but my hd500 has been rock solid and if Steve Howe uses one live it's good enough for me.

[@Mr77pro]

ArielsSmartyPants He was referring to the spider series...check out my reply

[@tonysouthdakotaha8728]

ArielsSmartyPants Not that I give this guy any credit as an authority on what sucks and what doesn’t suck, he didn’t criticize Line6, he only criticized the Line6 Spider2. I had a Spider3 75watt practice amp, sounded pretty good but the motherboard fried after only a year or so and rendered my $300 lost forever, shoulda bought the warranty. Total loss. However, my Line6 4x12 half stack is awesome, great tone, running strong after 4 yrs, i would put it up against a Marshall any day.

[@fredriksvard2603]

Tony South Dakotah anything is better than marshall

[@imvandenh]

Fredrik Svärd do you mind if I ask.. what do you dislike about Marshalls? I had to have my JCM 900 modified for more gain but have had it for years and love it.

[@rickleblanc8900]

@@realtruenorth 70's 50 watt Marshall head is hard to beat. The VS 100 head is underrated and surprisingly great, and can be bought used for very cheap

[@robertallen3031]

The only thing I disagree with you is the old kustom amps. Great for stoner rock!!!!! Cheap solid state 60's and 70's amps are the best.

[@chrisw5742]

I used them with a classic metal soundtank and when I played out I had people coming up to me raving about my sound saying my sound was way better than the other band who had Boogie Tri Rec amps.

[@robertallen3031]

I have a great collection of solid state amps that people say suck. I can match tones of some of the greats without a single tube. You would be surprised on clean tones as well. You just have to learn to use solid state.

[@chrisdaviesguitar]

I still have my old solid state H|H IC100S, bought it in the late 70's, still going strong. Fuck all wrong with it.

[@stephengaren2219]

Used a Tuck and Roll in the 80s for a solid year of weekend gigs. Never an issue, loud as needed, sounded great clean/with pedals. Amp is still alive and well. Never an issue, aside from the reverb tank. Made in the late 60s. Never used the reverb anyway. Have a Kustom Coupe as well. Designed by the guy who helped design the 5150 amp.

[@robertallen3031]

Frater Simon Any of the Kustoms. Traynors, sunn,Hell even kasino bass heads are great for stoner rock. Try bass heads for your stoner rock sound. Dive into old solid state. I even have the zz top legend.

[@westendmotel1989]

No Crate 2x12 Amp on the list?

[@RobertWJackson]

Nah. The Crate solid-state amps were the Line 6 of my generation. That’s what we ALL learned to play on as teenagers in the late 80’s and 90’s.

[@westendmotel1989]

You have a sentimental heart... Crates mostly sucked. :) your list is really good though -Roland Jazz Chorus and Fenders are the GOATS for clean tone for sure - AC15/30 has a mid range sizzle that makes it somewhat unique as it's not really clean clean -it's it's own 'kinda' clean -and I love it. Nice work

[@RobertWJackson]

Thanks!

[@jameswilkins4motion]

Was honestly waiting for crate to be at number one

[@westendmotel1989]

Was expecting the same -Crates were just louder uglier versions of a Peavey Bandit

[@elliotmorley9075]

Is a Marshal DSL100H over a JCM900 1960's a good combo? I have one and love it but wanna hear from the marshall guy over here!

[@RobertWJackson]

Yep, I’d eat it.

[@grantkoeller8911]

I'm totally crushed now. I'm 56 and my whole life has been spent trying to find a Kustom Bass stack!!! 1. for the collectibly, 2. It's so cool, 3. they were bad ass, 4. so retro, 5.classic styling, 6. great tone, 7. total punch, 8.tons of raw power. Now you got me thinking i'm heading down the wrong path.....

[@RobertWJackson]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@RobertWJackson]

Don’t second guess yourself just because I don’t like them. If you dig them, get one! Although, I don’t know how collectible they really are. They’re not really very expensive at all on the vintage market.

[@Caged63Man]

Don't be. His hate on Kustoms, is lack of knowledge and his personal opinion only!

[@jeffseven2194]

Kustom actually a good bass amp, guitar not so much

[@KPBC-n4q]

Your not. They are great amps…I have both a 69 and 70 heads and 2 speaker 15” cab and it still sounds great. Bought when I was about 15 and yes they take pedals well….and true not for medal….Not a problem because I’ve never cared for that music. And I love the look of that black tuck n roll….,

[@SuperScitty]

My Crate got me through a lot of gigs back in the day... until it started cutting in and out during shows... had to get rid of it.

[@DaisyHead666]

Crate amps kick ass! Especially the 90's era of crates. Newer ones i have no idea how they are but the old ones are great.

[@DoktrDub]

What was wrong with exactly to make it cut in and out? I’ve had good amps cut out because the input Jack came loose over time and use

[@DaisyHead666]

@@DoktrDub My old crate did that too! all i did was open it up and the lil leads that touch the end of the guitar cable will get loose after thousands and thousands of times of plugging them in and out, you just have to bend the leads back a bit so they make a better connection with the cables end. And make sure to tighten the hell out of the port so it doesnt come loose.. If that doesnt work then just replace the input jack. Too bad mine blew up cuz it got overheated after a long time of full blast signal one night.

[@charleswilson9654]

I'm really impressed that Robert does know the nuances. I owned a Laney AOR series and got rid of it for the very reason Robert stated. When the bass knob was pulled out, the bass was so loud, it startled people who yelled "turn it down", when I pushed bass knob in, then I couldn't get enough bass vol. Robert knows his stuff about amps and I have ALOT of them. Very impressed with his knowledge.

[@RobertWJackson]

Thanks man!

[@colinlizc4603]

I’m no guru, but my guess is that a tech could substitute in a different value resistor (? and/or capacitor) to change the bass response. Yes, a modification (like our host said) but not a biggie. If the rest of the amp is ok, this might be an easy path to a cheap, good amp.

[@jimgyorfi1984]

I HAVE A 1966 AMPEG B 15 WITH TUBES. ALSO I HAVE A HAGSTROM BASS FROM 1966. THEY SERVED ME WELL PLAYING INA ROCK BAND BACK THEN.

[@277southtombob]

I like the AOR Laneys! I'm a single coil guy so the big bass is good for me, singles stay clear with more bottom. I also think the Bogner Alchemist sounds amazing, they remind me of the Steve Via Carvin Legacys. The first ones might have had reliability issues but they fixed that. The 2x12 is a great sounding amp with one of the best clean channels on a channel switching amp. I had a Line6 spider and I agree it sucked, the MA Marshall does too. I agree with most of his list, I've never owned one but playing through them those "Booger-a" :-) amps seem to have improved a lot although I wouldn't buy the 6262, maybe a V55 or 1960 head if it was a good price. I actually have thought about picking up a Bugera 1960 for a modding platform if 1 it was a later infinium model and 2 it was a really cheap price.

[@JodyParsons]

I sold my AOR for a Traynor YBA-1. I miss my 50 watter in a sense because it’s such a unique tone. I could totally see this being a amp for single could. It played nice with my P90s.

[@wildbillhackett]

You're the first person I've ever heard say that Kustom amps were poorly made. A lot of people hated the sound of them, but the general consensus seems to be that they were one of the best made amps from the 60's. Search for Uncle Doug's video on his. (He's an amp repairman.)

[@RobertWJackson]

There’s probably some truth to what he’s saying, but when I was still working on the retail side, I lost count of how many Kustom Tuck ‘N Roll amps I saw come through that had something wrong with them.

[@budandbean1]

I have agree with the video somewhat. First, I love the Kustoms but I’m an older guy that came up in the 70’s and they were a big thing in Florida where I am from. They were a big thing on the East Coast also. I don’t think they were made with quality materials because there are many that do need repairs and if you get into one, they seem to have a lot of the same issues. Nowadays they have the same issues as the older tube amps, bad capacitors, those have to be changed first. But then, bad solder joints are really prevalent throughout. Some of the problems are also early types of solid state electronics that over the years have also gone bad. In addition the Tuck and Roll, which I fell in love with when I first saw it, doesn’t take the abuse that tolex does and they have gotten pretty beaten up. But, I still love them and will buy and fix all I can find but some folks want a fortune for them on eBay.

[@who7950]

When you find your amp here 😔

[@festushaggen2563]

When you find 2 you've had here. 😔😔

[@mississippi-son]

If you believe in your amp and have talent; either God given at birth or acquired over time, then most likely others will too.

[@RazorChrist]

15:25 I actually bought a Raven RG100H from a pawn shop the other day for $90. Got it home and hooked it up and Channel 1 had a nasty hum to it, like it was blown or something. Channel 2 was clean at first. Kept it overnight to see if I could get the gremlins out of it. By the next day, Channel 2 now had just as bad a hum to it as Channel 1. The whole thing sounded like it was about to die. So I took it back and got my money back. Ended up getting a Behringer GMX212 modelling amp and hooking it up to my Kustom KPC12 4x12" cab. Sounds amazing.

[@n.h.moreno]

I bought a used Raven 4x12 and a Behringer V-Tone. The 4x12's in the cab are TOTAL shit.... They're paper and generic as hell. I replaced EVERY 12" with Celestion 50 Rockets (8Ω) speakers. The Behringer is not the best, nor worst, but it sounds a LOT better than a RAVEN Head. But, how strange that we have similar purchases---keep on rockin'! Celestions or EMINENCE Man O' War 12"s are good, too.

[@kylewest3095]

I’ve got a Marshall Valvestate 8100 and I love it for metal! The cleans are pretty decent on it only obstacle with this amp I find is the boost/high gain channel has a tendency to sound like a swamp in the distance or sounding overly contoured, it’s my first stack so I’m enjoying it. I look forward to getting a better amp and cabinet.

[@redeyeify]

Use the Valvestate clean with your gain pedals and when you use the gain from the amp use a BBE Stomp

[@t-boog2173]

Good list but the Kustom Tuck & Roll sure served Fogerty well. It also gave him a more unique tone than using a Marshall, Vox or Fender. Btw, I saw him live in New Orleans about 20 years ago and he still had his old Kustom half stack front & center and it sounded awesome. Bottom line, I don't think anyone has ever turned off a Creedence song because they thought the guitar tone sucked. But I do agree that most players wouldn't like the Kustom. Cheers & Rock On!

[@ericdryden616]

I love my Kustom to be honest, it's my go to at home. For live shows, not so much. Just didn't seem to cut through the mix as well as my others.

[@bucketofham8470]

Did you know in the studio he actually used a fender?

[@bobbystereo936]

Credence also used a vox conqueror. Solid state.

[@scottgammon6584]

Amen! Listen to CCR live, John’s Kustom amps clearly cut it! I have several SS Kustoms, some I bought in the ‘70’s and they work fine. Vox Conqueror amp? Show me a photo of CCR using a Vox amp.

[@bobbystereo936]

@@scottgammon6584I read it was available for them to use in the studio. Alot of bands used the vox super beatle at this time, it was very common.

[@zanejones831]

i was surprised the valvestate wasn't on here. As much as i love death that amp is the most harsh and scooped amp I've ever heard. There's nothing more shrill and artificial sounding.

[@dystopiagear6999]

For a few years in the 90s about half the rock & metal guitarists I knew got Valvestates because it was the only "real" Marshall they could afford. Every one of them sounded like utter garbage no matter what they ran through it. This means of course that any day now a new generation of hipster dipsticks will suddenly decide that "tone" they had is "classic" and they'll become hugely popular and highly sought-after. So if you have one collecting dust in your basement, just hang onto it for a while and maybe it will be worth something again one day. ;)

[@Caged63Man]

I have the 265 Valvestate Marshall and it sounds killer, but when I bought it used, somebody had switched out the origin Marshall Gold speakers, and put in quality 'warehouse 12et 65 watt speakers'..and sounds better than Marshall JCM900 AMPS....my buddy did a comparison with his and realized the Valvestates are sleeper Marshall amps, with the right speakers in them. Plus if you turn up the loop knob control, you get all that 12ax7 preamp tube tone... I think you guys don't know how to work amps

[@rbagel55]

I will agree with you. I have a friend that owns 2 of them. I played through one when we had our last jam session, and I couldn't get a decent sound out of it

[@cyrilst-m9890]

@@Caged63Man aha a vs that sounds better than a jcm ? I Hope you're joking or trolling. Valvestate amps make an horrible white noise when you crank up the volume (when they work properly, which is rare), you only hear the mids, no bass, no trebble..

[@richardbinder9662]

Maybe Chuck Shuldiner go a really good one. Naw, it was probably just like all the rest except you had the man Chuck playing.

[@sparkyguitar0058]

All I can say about Kustom tucks were great in the day. But it didn't last.

[@rwj1313]

I've been re-tubing Marshall style tube amps since about 1982 or so. I've only ever used Groove Tubes. I learned how to rebias "American" 6550 Marshalls so that they could run EL-34's from Aspen Pittman's "Tube Amp Handbook". Most of the guitar players I know use some variation of either a 50 or 100 W Marshall style head and a 4x12 cabinet. I did run across a Kustom TRT 100 about 8 years ago. The guitar player that owned it brought it to me to see if we could do anything to improve the way it sounded. At the time GrooveTubes was still owned by Aspen Pittman, not Fender. There is a guy named Myles Rose that is the guitar amp tech to the stars and he ran GT's Special Applications Group department. I delt with Myles pretty regularly and hit him up for suggestions on the TRT 100. The TRT 100 actually has 2 switchable tube preamp sections. We ended up putting a SAG Marshall High Gain kit in one of the preamps and a SAG Fender Soft Touch kit in the other preamp. We put a quartet of "S3" 6L6 tubes instead of EL-34's into the output section. To this day that was the best sounding "Marshall" style amp, I have ever heard. When I was testing it I was running it into a 4x12 cabinet from the mid-seventies that had original 25W greenbacks in it. The amps owner had a Peavey 4x12 cab that had 65W speakers and the amp sounded terrible with that cab.

[@rawdawg3234]

“I’ve only ever used groove tubes” is like saying “I only eat out of trash cans”

[@rwj1313]

ryan heinrich stated "“I’ve only ever used groove tubes” is like saying “I only eat out of trash cans”" I'm not sure if you understood what I was implying but it sounds like you think Groovetubes are trash. That's funny. It sounds like you don't know as much about tubes as you think you know. I've tried dozens of brands of tubes. I've tried brands like JJ, EH, Sovtek, Svetlana, JSC Voskhod, Reflector and other Russian tubes with names I don't recall, a bunch of Chinese tubes and many NOS GE's and Mullards. GrooveTubes bought the dies and the equipment and remaining stock of materials used to manufacture Mullard 12AX7's and some GE preamp tubes. GT sells a new 12AX7 Mullard style tube (GT-12AX7-M) made with this equipment so that they can guarantee the quality of the tube. GT also manufactures the GT EL34 which is based on the original Mullard EL34 of the ‘60s - the stock tube in all early Marshall and Hiwatt amps. Mullard produced it for about 15 years, and this is a faithful reproduction of the classic XF2 dual-getter version. I have certainly purchased some NOS tubes that sounded fantastic but they are very expensive and you can't always find them. I can get GrooveTubes and they are always consistent. I only buy and recommend GrooveTubes from the Special Applications Group (SAG). Just slapping a random set of GrooveTubes in a guitar amp will not make it sound better. You have to choose the right tube for the amp and right tube for the sound and style of playing you intend to get. Top guitar players and top builders use GrooveTubes. Myles Rose of Guitaramplifierblueprinting.com has been using GT for decades. He is the person responsible for starting the SAG at GT. I would love to know who you think supplies better quality tubes. The following artist and this is a very small portion of the full list, make enough money to choose any tube they want and they use GT. Maybe you should let these artist know about your "trash can" discovery. Aerosmith, Bryan Adams, Warren Hayes and Dicky Betts of the Allman Brothers, members of Dwight Yoakum's band, Alabama, Ted Nugent, Tommy Shaw, Chuck Berry, Steve Stevens, Buddy Guy, Mike Campbell, Vivian Campbell, Eric Clapton, Robert Cray, Ry Cooder,George Thorogood, David Gilmore, Billy Gibbons, Jeff Healy, Alan Holdsworth, Dan Huff, Tony Iommi, Eric Johnson, Kiss, Krokus, George Lynch, George Massenberg, Metalica, Steve Morse, Little Feat, Motley Crue, Judas Priest, Prince, Bonnie Raitt, Lee Ritenour, The Scorpions, Brian Setzer, Lynard Skynard, Talking Heads, Tesla, UFO, Joe Walsh, Hank Williams Jr., Steve Vai, Brad Paisley,and Eddie Van Halen.

[@Bourbon-Canted-Ky-Windage]

Guitar World had an article, may be 1990 or 19991, talked about Mullard and a couple of the American tube machines were sold to China. EPA rules put the American tube industry out of business as it had US Steel. The industry did not die from a lack of interest in the product. May be Guitar World got it wrong. I don't know. Tube machines feed parts and material to a person running the machine. Each tube is built by a person guiding the machine. One machine has multiple stations. Multiple people build multiple tubes at the same time. Tube building/construction is NOT an automated process. The list of players you list as GT users simple means that GT supplied them with tubes at some point in time, which allows GT to say those players use them. Thats Marketing 101. Groove Tubes, Tube Amp Doctor, Ruby, Mesa, Marshall and others grade and re-lable tubes. They often contract for certain tubes to be built to certain specification, but they do not build their own tubes. These companies buy JJ, EH, Genelex Gold Lion, Soviet and others in huge lots, test and grade to their standards the re-label the tubes to their brand name. JJs are usually re-labled and marked with CZ. GT-E34Ls are obviously JJ. GT EL34-Ms are copies of the old Mullard XF2 EL34s. TAD contracts for an EL34 that has elements of XF2 and XF4 old Mullards. New Mullard EL34s are copies of XF4 old Mullards. Tubes that fail testing, are thrown out if dead, or resold cheaply back into the open market. There are companies like Doug's Tubes and Tube Depot that do testing and grading but do not re-label. I really like the GTs in my Fender Blues Deluxe. I use highly tested new Mullards in my JCM 2000 100watt Marshall TSL. I use TAD EL34s in my 410HJS 100 watt Marshall. I want to try the GT-EL34-Ms one day. I suspect they won't disappoint me!

[@rwj1313]

Groove Tubes does not build ALL of their tubes but they do in fact build some models of their tubes. I have provided links below that describe the equipment and materials GT acquired to manufacture some models of the tubes they sell. Click on the link below titled "Making tubes in the USA at Groove Tubes." If you are a guitar player and really care about how tubes affect your tone, download and read the Tube Primer. It is split into 2 documents. www.guitaramplifierblueprinting.com/Tubeprimerandselection330.pdf www.guitaramplifierblueprinting.com/Tubeprimerandselection320-2.pdf This is the main page for Myles Rose's website: www.guitaramplifierblueprinting.com/index2.html From Myles Rose of guitaramplifierblueprinting.com Over time I have heard comments in regard to the higher cost of Groove Tubes own tube offerings and comments that they sell the same tubes as everybody else and just stick their name on them. In some cases, they do sell the same tubes, but the GT logo does not go on the tube until the tube goes through their own unique testing process. If you think all of this is hype and does not matter, that is your opinion, and either you are open to additional information or not. There are tubes like the new USA GT 6L6GE, that whether you think it is great or not, you may want to give it a listen before you jump on the word of some lone individual. Perhaps look to see what tube folks like Eddie use in his 5150s. Whether you like his music or not, its hard to miss that he has either a firm understanding of tone and a matched output section or he is pretty darn lucky. He can get his harmonics and sounds anywhere on the fretboard. On the subject of the same tubes, there are differences worth noting. Many tubes are made by the world's tube factories to specific GT designs and specifications. Some of these are the KT-66HP (which at first glance looks much like the Chinese variant, but is not made in China), the GT-E34LS which comes from the JJ factory but is not the same tube as the JJ E34L (look at the plate assembly), notice the heat sinks on the plates of the GT version), and other tubes such as GT's own, USA self-made 6L6GE. The KT-88SV is a different tube in regard to plate assembly as another example. These are all tubes built off GT developed and produced tooling. This article references the reissue of the GT6L6GE which is a faithful reproduction of the famous General Electric 6L6 "clear top" power tube. In 1998, Groove Tubes purchased from Richardson the original critical materials and machines GE used to produce both the GE6L6 and GE6CA7 (aka EL34), along with the original production processing formulas. In other words, Groove Tubes was able to acquire the recipe, the original ingredients, and the kitchen too! Next, several original GE vendors were enlisted to faithfully reproduce many of the internal components. For example, the company who made the original mica insulators has provided the identical part, on new tooling from original GE drawings. Also, the special plate designs are made on the same vintage 4 slide machines and are identical to the original parts, using the original GE plate material that is no longer in production. GT was able to purchase enough original GE plate material for many years of production. This special multi-layered alloy formula appears a soft dull gray after heat processing and gives this tube it's soft, warm tone...as well as contributing to its superior power performance. Full article here: www.guitaramplifierblueprinting.com/groovetubes.html Making tubes in the USA at Groove Tubes. Pictures of the original machines used by GE and purchased by GT www.guitaramplifierblueprinting.com/gttubes.html Preamp tubes and the importance of matched phase inverters (MPI) www.guitaramplifierblueprinting.com/GTlink.html

[@stevej.1428]

I've used GT's ever since the mid-80's as well when they were the go to selection for most and that's what the stores stocked. IMO they are/were the Budweiser of tubes tonally and very popular because of the early branding and marketing, but IMO they fail far too often (especially for the price), are tonally bland (see Budweiser comment), and my most recent dealing with them, were poorly matched. I've been using JJ's since the early 2000's (GT repackages these same JJ Czechoslovakia built tubes as theirs for some tube types as well, but don't select and match them as well as the main JJ supplier does) and my experience with them at every level is superior to the old GT's which I still have a few lying around. The JJ's have thicker glass and just a much more robust build structure and quality and typically handle a bit more power. The 6L6's, 6550's and especially the KT-88's are tonally awesome. By comparison, the old GT's looked like they break if a farted on them. Now, there are some old obscure NOS tubes out there that are real nice as well (if you can find them and afford them) that are also tonally superior to GT's depending on the sound you're looking for of course. BTW: Grove tubes hasn't made tubes since 2008 when the San Fernando factory closed, so if you think they still making any you are mistaken. They are simply a middleman business owned by Fender that only tests, grades and matches tubes from sources in, Europe, Russia and China.

[@chump5101]

The early 200 Kustom amps were the most reliable I ever owned.

[@REX-ks1os]

I Have played a 70's kustom twin that kicked ass(sounded like a early twin reverb to me) I thought i was the only one who realized how good these amps are but then i heard Phil Mcknight talk highly of the early 70's models when he went to germany and over there the early kustoms are sought after and go for heavy cash..

[@perfectfan2006]

we have a speaker cab circa 68..we owned it 40 years now got it used,, still works and sounds great we used it for guitar ,,bass,,keys,,even as a sub one night when we blew our 18 we plugged it right in that spot and went right back on the 2/15s did a better job and no issues.. my husband used one of them amps for years to no issues good sound

[@RMartin631]

This guy isn't old enough to have sold Kustom amps when they were owned by Bob Ross. Reliability was their forte. A lot of front line acts used Kustom equipment. This guy was selling the chinese made Kustoms.

[@RobertWJackson]

So I couldn’t have possibly come across a used one or two in my day, right?

[@mcount8]

to add to this some small little guitar band from cali, Creedence Clearwater Revival, notoriously used kustom tuck and roll amplifiers..........and they don't sound half bad.

[@medic2807]

I like the sound of the kustoms. Born on the Bayou, dude! I heard if you have it rewired, and have an early one, they are reliable.

[@johndillon4349]

Do you have an opion on the hughes and kettner grandmaster 40?

[@RobertWJackson]

Awesome amps, I’d love to have one. I’m pretty luke warm about the Tubemeister series, but the Grandmeisters are badass.

[@johndillon4349]

@@RobertWJackson ive only seen reviews from namm. Im interested in the processors. Im still a beginner

[@RobertWJackson]

If you’re willing to spend the money (because they’re real cheap, especially by the time you add on the footswitch, which is a MUST for those amps), I say PULL THE TRIGGER DUDE!

[@johndillon4349]

@@RobertWJackson thanks bro!

[@trevormoffat4054]

My first guitar amp was a “Gorilla”. I don’t know the model, but it was a little white 15watt combo with a blown out speaker I bought it off a kid at school for $30. I swapped out the speaker myself for a cheapo car speaker from an electronics shop and boy, did that amp crank! It sounded very cheap, but for the size and cost it certainly didn’t sound bad.

[@ridwanwimaswaramaulanafaja9805]

How about randall rx120rh? is a bad amp too? It's sounds rock? Cause it's cheapest than the other amp

[@redmuun519]

One of the absolute worst sounding solid states is those small Orange Lunchbox amps, those sound god awful. They had so much potential

[@arbitermatt]

Tiny terror - aren't they all valve?

[@redmuun519]

arbitermatt pretty sure they have like a valve preamp, don’t quote me though. They’re not impressive. Joyo has them beat with their line of mini heads

[@RobertWJackson]

The Tiny Terror and Dark Terror are all tube. The Micro Terror and Micro Dark are tube preamp and solid-state power amp.

[@redmuun519]

Robert's Guitar Dungeon I’m glad you of all people corrected me. Keep up the good content man! Been watching you for a good year now, love these top 10 style videos

[@jimapperson6537]

I used a 4 10 combo kustom amp playing gigs for 8 years. Yes, I had to go thru the internals and redo a lot of solder joints. I was fixing consumer electronic for a day job . Most of the trouble was the pcb mounting had no shock protection, mounted direct to the chassis, which was screwed tight to the cabinet. Any real jolt would be problematic. Clean headroom on my 150 watt combo was good. This was 72 til 80. I used a wan, dynacomp, early univox fuzz, and a foxx tone machine volume overdrive. Sounded great

[@callofthewild9548]

I had a long winded and tactful response pertaining to how you may be wrong about the Wiggy, Kustoms and the Laney amps... But you seem a bit biased, which is fine because this is your channel, not mine. BTW I 100% agree and applaud you for the Marshall you added to the list.

[@stephenbaldassarre2289]

I have a Kustom 250-4 that I use as my one and only bass amp along with an Ampeg SVT 15" cab. The tone circuit is precisely similar to Fender and a lot of people have borrowed it from me, all of whom offered to buy it.

[@KK-xr3qf]

wiggys rule, owned several, dont anymore but if i could i would.

[@kevinnightmareszzz6140]

I actually think the blackstar id cores can sound pretty good, but I think quality control is an issue, my Blackstar Id core 20 was fun and it had a ton of features and effects and didn't sound bad with the right settings, however the darn thing just stopped working from one day to another

[@toneconsultant]

He’s high! The Blackstar ID core amps are awesome! For $80-$140, you get an amp that doesn’t require any pedals. I’m talking about to play metal. Tight, tight tone. Dimebag would be proud of those amps. You simply have to plug it into a computer to set it up. My Randall W/overdrive pedal in front sounds better, but not straight thru. A pedal is needed. P.S. I modded mine to have an external speaker speaker outlet. Into a 4x12, it’s huge.

[@simonevs020]

I noticed the picture he used was for the ID tvp series, which is not quite the same thing....at all.

[@michaelgalanos981]

@@toneconsultant agree dude I bought a Id core 20 for my nephew before I bought I got the store staff guitar player to put through all paces and it sounded good to my ears but quality control is an issue with them the power cord came loose

[@XMetalChefX]

Just a correction, the spider 2 was NOT the first foray into modelers for line 6. They had axsys/axsys2, flextones, etc.

[@fredflintstone2077]

This guy talks rubbish.

[@removedot]

He said "one of"@@fredflintstone2077

[@Raikkonen73106]

Yo Rob my dad just bought me an amp is a Marshall MG15CFR good for a beginner?

[@RobertWJackson]

Yep, it’ll get the job done.

[@Raikkonen73106]

Robert's Guitar Dungeon Sweet! Thanks dude

[@twootters7433]

I love my little "cheap" Orange Crush 12 amp that "sucks". Not only good for practice but mic'ing for recording too.

[@broed731]

Same I've had an orange crush for 10 years now and its still the best sounding amp I've played through at low volumes.

[@twootters7433]

@@broed731 It's great for home recording. Surround it with sound panels and mic it. Love my Orange Crush.

[@holdenwill]

ID Core is a great practice amp. I have the stereo version and it’s small. Have to disagree.

[@21stcenturymetal31]

I have a ID core as well perfect for a bedroom and messing around with I have no issues.

[@sixpenske1940]

Love my ID Core its awesome for bedroom playing and quick recording the library of tones online is also awesome.

[@symptomoftheuniverse1261]

Love my id core 20 v2. It's Great for practice

[@guitarandgames1386]

He probably meant the earliest versions which weren't the best. But some of the new ones are good

[@Fogeyspasm]

The Blackstar in the picture is the ID TVP260 which I don't actually think is in the "core" range but I've got one and I can assure you it sounds extremely impressive. Had several people actually look at buying one after hearing it live.

[@RobertWJackson]

k

[@JRs-guitars]

Agreed. I have one and it's one of the best modeling amps I've ever owned. Even the Core series isn't bad.

[@edwardcarbonaro1492]

What do you think of rolland Amps I play with a bolt 60 what do you think of these Amps

[@RobertWJackson]

Do you like it?

[@stevesampson6566]

Want to share a story. I've been hitting the stage for almost 40 years. I am a seasoned pro. I have owned some of the BEST amps ever made. Back in 2017, my amp blew a transformer. I was told, "it will cost more to fix it than it is worth." I did not have 1200 to 2000 bucks to spend on a new amp. So i go to GC with 150.00. Had to get something cheap to GET ME BY for a few months. Over a year later, I'm STILL using that amp! 😆 last gig was the Viper Room in Hollywood on 5/3/18. When we finished, 4 other guitar players DEMANDED to know what model of Marshall i was using. When i told them it was the MC100HCFX, their jaws hit the floor and simultaneously they yelled NOOOO!!!! A SOLID STATE?!!! You're not supposed get THAT kind of TONE from a solid state!!! I was quick to agree! But ya know what? If it ain't broke, don't fix it! Best 140.00 i ever spent 😆😆😆😆😆 still can't believe it 😆😆😆😆sometimes we think we've got it ALL figured out..... Then LIFE smacks us in the face and says, "SHUT UP ASSHOLE" !!!!!!😆😆😆😆😆

[@RobertWJackson]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 That IS a great story! Thanks for sharing!

[@stevesampson6566]

Robert's Guitar Dungeon thanks 😁 it actually happened 😆😆 i knew somebody out there would enjoy it 😁😁

[@stevesampson6566]

Robert's Guitar Dungeon where is your shop located? I would love to see what you have 👍

[@RobertWJackson]

LOL I don’t have a shop. All of these videos are filmed from my house.

[@stevesampson6566]

Robert's Guitar Dungeon oh ok 😆😆 it looks like an actual guitar shop! Impressive most impressive 😁😁👍👍 wish my house looked like that 😆😆 have a great day 😎

[@Saori-chan74]

i know a few stoner doom bands who wouldn't turn down that Laney lol

[@Nightingale1887]

Clearly seems to work for Sleep. Notably in the Dragonaut clip it's visible.

[@drpibisback7680]

I believe Tony Iommi used a Laney as well (might be why Sleep got into them, knowing their general appreciation for Black Sabbath). The bass control probably wasn't much of a problem for Iommi with his use of a treble booster.

[@alexlogan124]

@@drpibisback7680 I remember reading somewhere that he turned his mids and treble all the way up and the bass all the day down on the amp, on top of using the treble booster. Them old Laneys sounded darkkkk

[@MyMotherTheCar]

Gotta disagree about the Laney AOR. Maybe the 100 watt is different, but the 50 is a fantastic hard rock amp. It's essentially a JCM800 with an extra gain stage and active tone controls. AORs are also very well designed and built, with the exception of those enormous, shitty particle-board cabinets. Having said that, the single worst amp I ever owned was a 1x12 JCM800 combo, the later one with the effects loop and channel switching. At lower volumes it was somehow muddy and piercingly shrill at the same time. At high volumes it sounded generic, like a beer commercial. There just wasn't a Marshall anywhere in it.

[@tubaljohn1]

I have a question for you about an EVH 5150 head. We have talked before. I'm the Hobart IN guy. I just need advice.

[@RobertWJackson]

Okay... What’s the question?

[@tubaljohn1]

@@RobertWJackson It went way up in value. I'm thinking of selling it and getting a used Mars, or Peavy. Opinions please?

[@tubaljohn1]

I'm also, not a guitarist. I just play for fun.

[@RobertWJackson]

The EVH head went up in value? Which one is it specifically?

[@johnpick8336]

One time in the late 60's I played a gig using Kustom Amps because a store donated them for us to use and buy you are correct these are the worst amps I have ever heard or played thru !!! Garbage Amps

[@DoktrDub]

At least you got them for free lol

[@brentgilbert4208]

Yep! I had a black Kustom 200 tuck and roll amp back in about ‘69 or ‘70.... Expensive, and not worth the money!

[@eazyrider6122]

You can buy a great mighty15DFX NUX for around $200 for a tight low budget. I recommend them for a beginner amp as im supprised how many functions it has and the sound, Volume that you get out of such a small amp, Or great practice amp. Mid range i think a Marshall valvestate is great if you can get a second hand one at a good price around $400 AUD

[@acadiamusic4987]

We had a Wiggy at an old shop I worked at and I really liked the tone I could get out of that thing once I actually spent some time work it and understood it better. I would have bought it, it had been there forever, but the boss didn't wanna cut me a deal to just get our money back on it at least. Shame too... if I were to come across one in the wild, I'd probably pick it up.

[@davidpartlow1623]

I have one, near mint condition..

[@n.s.2690]

Anyone else watching because they're actively looking for bad amps to buy? I'm going for a rough 80s/90s sound

[@RobertWJackson]

Just get an HM-2 and whatever your cheap solid-state amp or choice might be. Or pretty much any fuzz pedal. That’s about the shittiest tone out there. You’re welcome!

[@OneFlewCuckoo]

@@RobertWJackson ^^ this but they gotta add a nice digital chorus pedal somewhere in the mix lol its the rules of the era lol

[@x00p3]

Didn't John Fogerty use Kustom amps?

[@RobertWJackson]

Yep, he sure did.

[@RobertWJackson]

Hardly. Name any other well-known guitar player who used them. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@rxpceh2]

Endorsement deal. That cat back lined with Twin Reverbs and we all know it.

[@x00p3]

@@rxpceh2 LOL

[@brendanlucero8585]

I personally really liked the Spider series. When i was a kid and first learning guitar, I received a Spider 2 for Christmas and i was in hog heaven. It makes for a pretty cool practice in my opinion. Don't get me wrong. Does it sound like my Fryette Pitbull Ultralead? Hell to the no, but i have a nostalgia spot for em.

[@TheShachattack13]

I love how you put the links to purchase the amps in the description

[@RobertWJackson]

🤷🏼‍♂️

[@Sylkis89]

I used to have an Ibanez TB15R - a small 15W 8" practice amp combo and I remember loving the sound. I'm kinda thinking to find one somewhere online and take out its preamp and turn it into a pedal. There's also a ton of videos nowadays saying what a hidden gem the 100W head was that a lot of people sell for next to nothing nowadays on used markets that they're a great thing to grab.