Help picking first tube amplifier.

[mitsuharu]

Hello, within this month or so I want to buy my first tube amp. I have been looking around for the past couple months, but I have not been able to make a solid decision; I mean, I will be dropping a very large sum of money on it. Anyway, I've been recommended several different amps like: Peavey Classic 30, Marshall JCM 2000 DSL 401, something from Traynor, something like a Pignose, as well as various other things. So now I've started looking at the Peavey Classic 30, Marshall DSL 401/201, Traynor BlueYCV50 , and Traynor YCS50.

Styles: I would like to be able to use one amp to play a variety of genres, mainly Jazz, Blues, Metal, and Rock.

Guitars: I currently have a Schecter C-1 Hellraiser with EMG 81/89TW and a Schecter Tempest Classic with Seymour Duncans.

Tone Examples: Here are some example youtube videos of the tones I'm shooting for. I know I won't be able to reproduce them exactly (the groups use very expensive gear anyway) but I want it to be as close as my money can get me.

MintJam Example
MintJam Example 2
MintJam Example 3
Takajii Example
Blues Example
Metal Example
Jazz Example

I am willing to spend up to $650. Thanks for your help!

[Wes Inman]

Well, stay away from the Marshall DSL401. I own one and they are plagued with overheating the bridge rectifier which causes the volume to drop out. I own one and have had this problem myself, I've tried to correct it several times but it never lasts. Good sounding amp, but not worth the trouble. You can get a far more reliable amp for far less money.

It would be hard to beat the Classic 30. It is known to have an excellent clean and overdrive channel. For heavier Metal tones you could use a pedal.

It would be difficult to find an amp that serves as both a Jazz amp and Metal.

You might consider the Roland JC120 amp. This is a famous solid state amp very popular with Jazz guitarists. It has a super clean tone. It does not have much of an overdrive channel. However, it is used by many Metal guitarists who run a high gain pedal or multi-efx pedal into it. Check out this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRQJgZVxRX0

As you can see, with pedals this amp can be used for anything. The only downside is that these amps are extremely heavy. Not the kind of amp you pick up and haul to a friend's house for a jam.

[mitsuharu]

Yeah, that seems to be the general consensus about the Marshall. The heads are what everyone meant, but I wanted to get a combo. That Roland may just be the second amp I buy, if I can find someone selling one around here. I'm going to go for the Traynor YCV50 Blue, but I'm gonna keep the Classic 30 in mind now if I can't get the Traynor.