What happened to Randall Amps?

[@aaronhiggs]

They priced them self out of the market charging tube amp prices for a solid state amp.

[@solomonicdemons680]

Agree 💯

[@aaronhiggs]

@@solomonicdemons680 I say that as a Randall fan. I had a rg150 in 90s. That was my main rig for years.

[@DeadShred9]

The RG 100's Randall Heads were beasts just a Anvil load of Metal Tones !! I had one and I got to talk about them with Dimebag at several Pantera Houston gig's more then once before Cowboys broke for them . He explained how he dialed in his Tone but large amounts of Alcohol before ' during & after their sets I could never remb . but I was looking for my own sound anyways . But great Amps wish I hadn't sold mine regret it all these yrs later .

[@blackwind743]

Randall and Peavey both declined because a large chunk of their customers didn't appreciate shifting to Chinese production.

[@heut4384]

After I read everyone posted below, your comment is partly correct. There are more companies came into the world and customers started digging these new "modern" sound. Randall and Peavey just doesn't get that current rock sound today. Some years ago, I remembered there were only 8 main amps: Marshall, Mesa Boogie, Laney, Carvin, Randall, Crate, Fender, & Peavey. All of us that don't have too much money, we would only buy either, Crate or Peavey. Lol. Then in the 90s, "Line 6" got into the world. It became the NEW cheap/standard amps. After that, technology got better and better. And these new brands started selling 2 to 3 times $$$ than the regular Marshall tube amps. In the 80s, I do remembered, Randall was never part of the MAIN amps at the beginning. In the 2000s, Randall continued struggling (including Peavey). Now...people started changing their taste for more these Modern sound: Friedman, Orange, EVH, Soldano, ENGL, Bogner, VOX, Revv, and Suhr, etc. This is how business is. Today's taste is tomorrow's yesterday. We just don't know what's going to change tomorrow. I do have my current Randall RD100h...but it's not the best sound for me as well. These days, my Randall's sitting underneath my desk. Lol.

[@SirKevBloMe]

I got a RD1H a few weeks ago and I've been loving it. Got it for 200 Canadian.

[@angusorvid8840]

Great video. I started using a Randall RG75 combo in 1987 and it was a godsend for me. It was one of the best sounding amps I'd ever played, had incredible gain, an affordable price point, and it was built like a tank. I gigged all over Los Angeles and the Sunset Strip during the height of the guitar shred scene. Great memories. Randalls and Crates were the most common solid-state amps on that scene. Otherwise, 98% of the amps you'd see were Marshalls, mostly JCM 800s, and the odd Laney here and there. I would love to see Randall resurrect these old RGs. I don't like their current iterations of these amps. They sound and look terrible. I remember when Randall released their first tube amps in '89. They were loud, had a lot of gain, but were very muddy compared to their solid states. I'd rather play a Gallien Krueger. The Kirk Hammett RG combo sounds like crap too. And I'm not a big fan of most of their tube amps. I think some of the Diavlos are okay, but not great.

[@mattiaswestman3910]

Shifting to chinese production and at the same time increased prices too much (Tube amp prices for Solid state is obviously too greedy). To bad, the amps are great 😢 Let's hope for a Randall brand revival in the future

[@benwil1715]

You got a solid enthusiasm about your gear,plus knowledge!!.. shit,.....im on the fence right now with a Randall cabinet!!!!!

[@bdarknaess1375]

Still use my Randall Vmax 300 top as my primary, and just nothing like it! Bought it since Scott Ian used it.

[@Twy7chTec_Vayper]

Literally just picked up a '05 4x12 Randall R412JX has the Eminence Jaguar Speakers, let me tell ya dude 😎🤘🏻 that goes hand-in-hand w/ my Marshall Head & Rackmount Gear through the Effects Loop💪🏻🤘🏻😈🤘🏻👊🏻 Completely gives ya that "Kick You in the Chest, Stage Diving, Mosh Pitting" mid-90s Metal-Tone. That I PERSONALLY LOVE so MUCH! I've got my studio catering to Metal Players from all Generations late 70s-early 2000s. Marshall Combos, Marshall Heads, Randall 4x12 cab (New item as stated) 2x12 Harley Benton Standard Cab (this little guy shocked me, and most guitar players who use it.) lol, last but not least a 5w Hotone "Heart Attack" Head which is their 98%-100% rendition/version of the Mesa Boogie Dual/Triple Rectifier! What's cool about the Hotone 5w heads(own close to 3 own lol) is they can power up 4x12 Cabs, so you can keep night time jamming to a reasonable level(s). Plus, with their direct out features recording is a breeze & blast lol Apologies for such a ridiculously LONNNGGG response buddy lol but when it comes to talking about gear or guitars 😂🤣 Im like a little kid

[@starscream007]

Answer to what happened to Randall and US Music Corp in general is that after Dimebag left in 2004. they were left almost completely clueless about what to do next. It's as if their whole business model was based on one single artist that they obviously couldn't satisfy anymore. Bruce Egnater then left the picture as a lead amp design engineer and instead they employed Fortin whose amps were, and still are, of very questionable reliability. Another issue is that Randall went head first into making bunch of all tube amps which were clearly not what they were known for and almost completely disregarded their solid state line which had appalling build quality and terrible quality control which lead to many of the RG amps crapping out not long after start of the use. Washburn also suffered similar fate because of lack of vision although they didn't go out of business like Hamer did after Fender bought them in 2007/2008 in order to eliminate the competitor. Hamer came back in 2017 but then got sued by Gibson for V and Explorer body shapes which Gibson didn't patent for over 40 years. A real shame for all three brands to end up like that.

[@mazklassa9338]

Good research!!

[@claesvanoldenphatt9972]

What Fneerd and Gnosbi did to Hamer is a disgrace. Hamer is a classic luthierie with legendary builds far in excess of ‘authenticity’ Gbison claims. Their lawsuits show particular ‘rent-seeking’ decadence of late capitalism. Hate for Gsonib forever!

[@starscream007]

@@claesvanoldenphatt9972 It really is a disgrace what they did to them. I liked Hamer and still like them but it's so sad that they can't produce Vector or Standard models which pretty much killed them as a company at this point which even Fender wasn't able to accomplish in 2007.

[@AAAA-lt9hq]

Some thoughts: George Lynch was an early user of Randall, something many don't know. For those who doubt a solid state can have good tone, just listen to George's beautiful solos. Randall's main endorser, Dimebag Darrell, went to Krank (which was a trendy company for a time) then he passed away. He was the face of Randall/Dean/Washburn. Kirk Hammett's fairly recent endorsement is...I don't know why it exists. Metallica uses Fractal Axe FX III preamps and Matrix solid state power amps live. Unless Kirk just uses his Randalls in the studio, I don't know why he is associated with them. It has to be expensive for Randall and Kirk would get little out of it save a custom piece of gear he doesn't need. Metallica has millions of dollars of gear in the studio and doesn't need endorsements. Even if they did still use tube amps, everyone knows Metallica is going to use their Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier type sound blended with a Mesa Mark and maybe a boutique amp like a Diezel, Bogner, or Engl. Randalls also aren't very versatile. I have a Randall Cyclone with 2x15 Warhead cab (the head right under the original Dimebag Warhead signature amp in the late 90s/early 00s lineup). Solid state Randall amps tend to make only one sound: mid scooped, heavily saturated metal. The Cyclone has nice features including a graphic and parametric EQ so you can really sculpt out those mids. It's also rugged, reliable, heavy (physically), and durable. But it is noisy due to all the distortion and requires a noise gate. Randall's tube heads have become Mesa Boogie Road King level of complexity. Good luck finding a tech to work on them. All of this new Randall tube head complexity comes at a time when modeling preamps like the Axe FX and Kemper produce more sounds more reliably than a complex tube head and so have partially made tubes obsolete--at least for live situations. *Most importantly, why would anyone choose a new Randall when they can buy a Mesa Dual Rectifier, Peavey 5150, or a boosted Marshall JCM800/900/DSL TSL 2000 on the used market? Lower priced tube alternatives like the Peavey XXX/Ultra are also good options.* *In short, Randall amps make one sound very well. You either like the sound or you don't. And there are better regarded alternative brands to get the same sound as well as other sounds Randalls don't do.* Randall's one advantage is their solid state models are most likely more reliable than highly sought after vintage late 80s/early 90s high gain tube heads. For those who want the simplicity of a tube head, the reliability of solid state, and a thick, tight, bright, crunchy, scooped tone, Randalls are a good choice. The old used RG100ES amps still sound good. Newer models like my Cyclone have the same basic overall tone but add more features.

[@TheMountainDemon]

I got an open-box deal on a RD45h back in 2018 for $250 (I think they were normally around $599 or something). After covid, Randall started charging $1200 for the same amp and the prices for new haven't changed. The used ones are just now starting to come back to normal levels. But, you can't expect people to pay over twice the amount for an amp that just isn't worth that. It was a clear money play and it's bitten them in the ass.

[@AkiraSpectrum]

Great video. I just got a new RD20H (awesome amp by the way) and I noticed they no longer have the 'demon' head on the front of the amp.

[@solomonicdemons680]

Hi thanks for the update. Indeed the new Generation is just called RDs no more Diavlos. Maybe 🤔 it was Fortin Idea or who know But it seems to be the same circuit. Anyways its a great Amp hope you did got a good deal on yours.

[@AkiraSpectrum]

@@solomonicdemons680 Yeah I was told by the store that they recently started removing the demon on the front due to customer feedback. Same head and everything, just the aesthetic change by removing the demon image. Actually got a great deal! For the price of the head I got the matching 1x12 cab (w/ v30) for free!

[@rolnstone]

They should do a Kirk Windstein Signature Head with build in Metal Zone

[@Lucas-nu8ur]

Only got to know Randall because dimebag. Before I was a Pantera fan , I'd never heard of randall

[@eguitarplayer6689]

Thanks for the content. It was very informative.🔈🤘

[@solomonicdemons680]

Thank you 😀

[@soundsolutions]

My Randall RG100 G3, shit itself while I was practicing at an average volume output of 4 with gain at 8. No pop, bang or squeal... just went dead (no sound). A local technician couldn’t find the problem after having it for 3 months. I'm so disappointed as it was a great sounding twin, a bit heavy to carry but very versatile. Anyone got any solutions for me? I don't want to trash it.

[@Pazuzu-]

Love the channel name

[@benwil1715]

Damn,you got quite an interesting setup!!... Long live DIMEBAG!!!!;

[@lordpickle8424]

Hmm, I seem to recall that in certain amps they had these little removable 'channel/circuitboard' or whatever that you could take out and replace with any other one of your choice. I used to read guitar magazines from the early-mid 90s until roughly 2005-2010 or so when 'adult life' took over and I couldn't devote a good chunk of my day to guitar anymore. Back in the day 'dime' was like god to me... but then I grew up, lol.

[@starscream007]

The amps you are speaking about are modular RM100/RM50 amps designed by Bruce Egnater who designed most of the amps between 1997ish and about 2008 for Randall.

[@MrBikboi]

Bloatmaxxing I see