Guitar Gear Forum

Just thought it'd be fun for everyone to give their top tube amps they've had.
1a. 1972 Marshall JMP
1b. 1981 Mesa Mark IIB+(loop modded) supposedly Princes #1 on Purple Rain tour according to Mike B.
2. Mark Cameron moded Mig
3. Peavey 6505 stock
4. JCM800 50 watt vertical input
5. Splawn Competition
6. Engl Blackmore
7. Peavey Triple XXX
8. Mesa Mark IV
9. Mortatone Mortatrem
10. Mesa Electra Dyne

The very best:

Dr z mazerati 30th
Dr z carmen ghia
Egnater seminar amp
Bogner fish - rivera tbr3
Egnater ie4 - rivera tbr3
Egnater m4 - rivera tbr3
Groove tubes trio - rivera tbr3
Mesa quad - Marshall 9100
Mesa triaxis - Marshall 9100

This is close enough. I'm going to state my least favorite thing about each.


PRS MT15 lead ch is way mid heavy, noisy design
Peavey JSX can be fizzy, active eq is polarizing (same goes for the UP & XXX below)
Peavey Ultra Plus dull clean ch, no presence
Peavey Triple XXX no mid gain, weird damping switch instead of pots
Mesa Boogie Mark V too polished, needs lows, hot loop
Mesa Boogie Mark III shared eq
Marshall 6100LM ch 3 cocked wah
Marshall JCM 800 2205 needs bass, bland ch 1
Marshall JCM 2000 TSL 60 parallel loop
Marshall JCM 2000 DSL 100 shared eq
Mesa Boogie Rectoverb 112 parallel loop,loose lows, needs to be loud
Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier parallel loop, loose lows, needs to be loud

Top 5:
1. 73 Sunn Model T
2. Bad Cat Lynx
3. Bad Cat Hot Cat 15
4. Gibson GA-30RV
5. Bogner Shiva Silverback

Suhr Badger 30
Soldano SLO100
Marshall SLX
Marshall DSL100H

And currently, Laney GH50L. This so far has been the closest to the sound in my head. Functionally like an improved 800, but tonally closer to a Plexi than JCM 800s are, but with more gain than you can get out of either.

Fryette CL50
Mesa Triaxis/Fryette Power stage
Peavey VTM

i must have sat here for an hour thinking this over only to come to the conclusion i cant possibly rank them all the only one that i just dont care for is my 6505+, all my others though id say get a very similar amount of playing time and equal enjoyment when im playing them

Soldano Hotrod 50+
Splawn Quickrod
1984 Marshall JCM 800 2204
Ceriatone 2204HW
Mesa/Boogie MKIV Rev B long head
90's Fender Blues Deville 4x10

Sunn Sentura II
Sunn Solarus

These are tied for third place (in no particular order):
Hi-Tone HT103
Marshall 2555x Jubilee
Randall Diavlo
VHT D50
Ceriatone Model Tee

I try to think about this as amps I would own again if I could own unlimited amps.

Mesa Mark VII
Mesa Mark IV (I am not sure if I liked my IVa or IVb better)
Engl Fireball
PRS MT15
Peavey 5152
EVH 5153 100S
Peavey 5150 212 combo
Mako Mak4

There are still a couple of amps on my list of amps I gotta try for myself...like the UL and Uber. One day lol.

I may be overthinking this but top amps we've owned or amps we've owned and still own?

Top 3:

Metropoulos Metroplex
Boogie Mark IVA
Fryette Deliverance 60

I only have one of these. I’d love another Deliverance or Mark IVa. Both were amazing.

Other favorites:
Egnater Seminar 50 watt Amp.
Peavey 5150 (sig letter model. 120 watts, shared EQ)
Marshall JCM 2000 DSL 100
Orange Rockerverb 50 Mk 3
Mesa Tremoverb
Fender Vibrolux Reverb

I still have the Seminar amp, Rockerverb and Vibrolux. I’d love to have another proper high gainer like the 5150 again. I love Rectos but I’ve had 5 of them and don’t really feel the need to have another. A Peavey 5150 or even EVH 5150 would work. If I didn’t have the Egnater and Metroplex I’d have a DSL still. My JCM 2000 was awesome.

I'm only listing amps that I feel defined my sound. I've owned a lot of great stuff, not all of it was "me", and most of it I'd never buy again.

Mesa Dual Rectifier
Mesa Mark III
Mesa Triple Crown
Electric Amp 120w MV

That said, I kinda miss the Laney GH100TI. I was more into the Mark III at the time, but that was a great amp that doesn't get mentioned very often.

Fender Pro Reverb
Laney GH50L
Marshall Jubilee

screamingdaisy wrote:
That said, I kinda miss the Laney GH100TI. I was more into the Mark III at the time, but that was a great amp that doesn't get mentioned very often.

This is why it’s hard for me to rank, im not gonna say my laney is my favorite amp.. until that day im in the mood for some sludgy sabbath jams and then it is my favorite amp. My list could change literally by the hour lol

In no particular order


Marshall DSL100 (either the JCM2000 or the H)
Marshall 1987x
Laney GH100L
Soldano Avenger
Friedman Runt 50
Peavey Ultra Plus
Mesa F-100
Mesa Mark III

Honorable mention to the 5150 amps, either Peavey or EVH I wouldn't say they're top amps but they always deliver and are rather affordable

RaceU4her wrote:i must have sat here for an hour thinking this over only to come to the conclusion i cant possibly rank them all the only one that i just dont care for is my 6505+, all my others though id say get a very similar amount of playing time and equal enjoyment when im playing them

I love the OG 6505, but also dislike the 6505+

ibenhad wrote:I may be overthinking this but top amps we've owned or amps we've owned and still own?

Any you have ever owned. I still only Have the JMP and an unranked but decent Carvin MTS3200 that I can't sell because I only have $150 in it and the Twin like clean channel alone is amazing.

Yeah the MTS has an amazing clean channel. The drive channel
can be dialed in to sound good with some weird settings If I remember correctly you max the mids and keep the bass and treble low. I haven't played one in 20 years but I think that was it.

Top 5
1. Mesa Mark IV
2. Mesa Mark III
3. Mesa Express 50:5+
4. Marshall DSL 100
5. ‘65 Fender Bassman

Ten people mentioned mark flavored mesas.

Interesting. I’ve been missing my quad and triaxis for quite some time.

BroSlinger wrote:Ten people mentioned mark flavored mesas.

Interesting. I’ve been missing my quad and triaxis for quite some time.

I’ll be 11, my iic+ and Cameron mig I’d say are my 1a and 1b if I absolutely had to choose

Welp, just looked at used mesa marks/quads/triaxes/studios/etc.

Damn. Prices are high on used mesas right now. Especially considering the shear number of them floating around. Looks like i need to be happy with my current stuff. Sort of forgot I bought a synergy iicp. It sounds badass, but i never have a power amp or fx loop equipped amp at my office. That needs to change.

VHT Deliverance 60

Sound City Master Lead 50

Fender Prosonic

VVT Simo-Plex

Peavey VTM60

Peavey 5150 2x12 combo

Amps I still own:

1987 Marshall Jubilee
1968 Pro Reverb
1968 Bandmaster

Amps I regret selling:

Mesa no stripe Mark III
Marshall 1987x