AMT Stonehead - anyone have any experience with these?
I'm late to the party, but I just saw these. I really wanted a solid state amp (reliable and smaller - in general at least) and was recommended the Peavey Bandit Transtube and the Marshall Mosfet. But this one has popped up and appears to offer a lot of decent sounds. I was wondering if anyone had any experience with them? On the video, on the crunchier sounds, it sounds like it responds to picking dynamics and cleans up well. I know it probably doesn't sound quite the same as a valve amp, but it might be a very nice rehearsal and gigging solution for someone who doesn't want to worry about valve replacements and matching, as well as other typical issues with valve amps.
Sadly, most demos are just CHUGGACHUGGADJENTARIFF stuff, so it's hard to tell what else it can do. As such, everyone has used it with humbuckers and detuned guitars (sans the website demo, in more normal tuning). It still sounds exciting though.
EDIT: They do some preamps, too. This is my fave, along with the Bogner one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5kuEQ7AkOc
Sounds incredible. In fact, I'm going to get one soon. I need either a simple valve power amp or an amp with effects loop. Or just run it into the front of my amp with the gain low. IMMENSE.
Last edited by paultheoneyoulove; 10th March 2013 at 03:28 PM.
Top of my list of Interesting Amps To Try as well. They seem very rare over here.
I don't mind that it gets mostly demo'd with chuggachugga stuff - so does my favourite valve amp (Mesa Trem-o-verb - basically a Dual Rectifier in Twin's clothing), and it sounds amazing for less gainy sounds and cleans. All my favourite amps have that thicker, crunchier type of sound really, so anything that works for detuned rraaaaaaaaahhhhhh is probably going to be just fine for what I want.
"Just because I don't care doesn't mean I don't understand" - Homer Simpson
http://www.facebook.com/TheAngelConversations
"detuned rraaaaaaaaahhhhhh" - love it. I listen to plenty of raaaargh stuff, but I don't enjoy playing it (despite spending 5 of my 6 years of playing learning mostly that...). It's all about groove and funk, baby!
Yeah, it really does seem different, and 4 channels is impressively functional. The preamps they do have mixed reviews. I've heard clips, and they seem at least as good as the tech 21 ones, which is pretty good all things considered, though the Marshall one and the mesa had a bit of a sharp high screech quality. The soldano one is another impressive one. If they've put that much thought into the stone head, it's a winner.
Thomann have these in stock, just wish someone on here would buy one, so I don't have to be the guinea pig
FS Marshall 2266c, TC Nova System
I've been GASing for one too. I love the look of the thing, and the features sound fantastic. A lot of negative reviews of their preamp pedals seem to be written people running them into the front of amps, a lot of the positive reveiws tend to be by people who run it into the FX return...
I heard a demo where the guy was playing the crunch channel and I thought it sounded FANTASTIC. It was a youtube demo, and we all know how deceptive they can be but I thought it was really, really good sounding. Sometimes I do crave that solid state vibe, especially for the heavy stuff. I imagine the cleans age going to be pretty pristine on the AMT, be interesting to see how well it takes pedals too. The switching on it is really versatile, I think it looks like an all around winner!
Just can't quite work up the courage to drop £400 or so on it yet...
Go on, think of it as a public serviceOriginally Posted by ragingben
FS Marshall 2266c, TC Nova System
+1
I have seen a demo of every preamp they do and most of them sound excellent. If anything, It might be possible to run a couple of those into the power amp. The only problem with that is there are much cheaper power amps out there than that...
Still, I'm glad there is research into solid state. Valves sound great, but they really are expensive, bad for the environment, unreliable...
It's a shame the mg amps don't really sound great for crunch. If I was at Marshall and knew anything about amps, I'd prioritise that sound over any other.
Given a lot of what has come out of Marshall in recent years - both from a sound point of view and from a build quality point of view - if you were at Marshall and knew anything about amps, you'd be alone
Perhaps a little unfair, but really some of their modern stuff has been total junk, and I really wonder whether anyone in R&D really listens to the old amps, considering they seem to think things like the DSL actually sound like a Plexi.
To be fair (really) the new MG series can't be that bad - I haven't seen a single dead one yet, and it's been three years and more. I was getting fried MG100DFXs and AVTs so often that I've pretty much stopped accepting them for work - because they can't be guaranteed.
"Just because I don't care doesn't mean I don't understand" - Homer Simpson
http://www.facebook.com/TheAngelConversations
Yeah, I've heard the new mg series is an improvement, but after trying one out, the tone didn't impress me the same way a peavey bandit does. Perhaps it's a matter of taste.
One thing the new mg did do well was a yjm type tone - wind the gain up and use a strat, and it's pretty much there. I don't really like that, though...
Edit, just remembered the mode 4. 350 watts of unreliable solid state with 4 channels but only a couple of usable sounds.
Last edited by paultheoneyoulove; 11th March 2013 at 01:01 PM.
With my last band, we had quite a few "backline is provided" gigs...it occurred to me that AMT pedals would be perfect for that. A programmable loop pedal (or even just an A/B/C looper) would give you a multi-channel setup which would be as versatile as is possible - especially with the three simultaneous outputs on the LA-2 series (power amp, clean guitar amp or cab emulated line out).
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