I need a Power Amp - Any suggestions?

[Sevenstringer]

I am looking to purchase a Power Amp. What have been your experiences? Any suggestions???

[ScottB]

For quality to price ratio, Carvin has the best product available IMO. There are always some used ones available on ebay at any given time. Check out their website at carvin.com. Their prices on new gear are more than reasonable for the quality product you'll be getting. You can save $$$ when comparing a $539.99 Carvin DCM2000 to a Crown, QSC, Peavey, or Yamaha. Check out their artists section and you'll see dozens of pro musicians who agree with me. (SSV included).

My band has been using 2 - DCM2000 for our mains and 1 - DCM2000 for monitors for the past 3 years and we've never had a problem.

(Knock on wood)

[gkelm]

Guitar rig or PA?
Greg

[Sevenstringer]

Guitar Rig. Thanks

[gkelm]

If you're on a tight budget, look into a PV Classic 50/50...all tube and about $200-300 on the used market. *Really pleased with mine.
Greg

[JESTER700]

Of course, you CAN use a PA amp in a guitar rig, IF you get the sound you want from the preamp and don't need any more color. *PA amps are designed to be clean. *And a smaller Carvin (I agree - they're good) or QSC would likely be cheaper than an equivalent guitar power amp.

But if you want more tubes to modify the sound, yeah - go with a guitar design.

[The Dark Wolf]

gkelm, thanks for the info! I'm interested in maybe getting a tube power amp myself, run into a Behringer 4x12 stereo cab. I will either go with a small Carvin amp (DCM 150. 75W per side) or now that I know about the Peavey, maybe the Classic 50/50! I would agree with the rest, Sevenstringer. A Carvin, like the DCM, is a great deal. $229, and lots of clean power. For a guitar rig, however, a tube power amp most likely would sound really good. I would also suggest, if money is no object, either one of the Mesa/Boogie amps, like the SimulClass 2:90 (or 20, or 20, or 50. Depends how much power you want. Just remember double the wattage rating does NOT mean double the volume. 20 watts stereo would probably be loud enough for almost any small to medium gig, esp. considering if you're mic'd into a PA.) VHT makes a nice stereo tube power amp, too. MArshall makes two of note- 1 solid state and 1 tube. The solidstate is the 8008 Valvestate power amp, 80W per channel, babycakes! (Anyone remeber that old commercial? Lol) and the tube amp is the EL34100/100 Dula Monobloc amp, 100 watts per side. Hope this helps. Carvin makes, alas, no tube power amps at this time.

(Edited by Wordwolf at 8:13 am on Jan. 28, 2002)

[Sevenstringer]

Thanks everyone. Your help is much appreciated

[Scott of Actual Time]

i think the Boogie 50/50 is a great mid-size power amp - plenty of clean headroom at stage volumes, plenty of low end chunk, and not as big or as expensive as the 2:90 or a VHT 2/50/2.

the 6L6's will give you more beef and low end than the EL84's in the Peavey 50/50, and a used Boogie will only run a little bit more [$300-400]. *