Various rig phases over the last few years!

I'll throw in my evolutions over the years. Ignoring the practice amp I started with...

Dodgy picture I know, but this was an Engl Thunder 50 with a random Crate 2x12 cab. I never bothered to open up the cab so I have no idea what speakers were in it. It actually was a nice little 2x12, far from the abomination it should be for having Crate written all over it. This was my live rig in my first band for all but the last few gigs of it.


This was the rig but with the G Major I always used (for effects and relay switching) and the Mesa 4x12 I had which was heavier than the core of the Sun. The Ashdown Fallen Angel combo was a bit useless, it always had an issue in terms of sounding like there was some soundproofing in front of it, it was stripped and binned many years ago.


This was with the Engl Invader, the Engl 4x12 standard cab and the rack I used to run. This was my main rig in my old band, but the rack was always stupid to move...


I had a Peavey Ultra 120 for a while, it was a great amp but just didn't fit me at all. I'm an EL34 guy at the end of the day, so an archetypal 6L6 tone just doesn't work for me.


This was the interim of when I bought the JVM and the Ultra was on its way out. Included is the Zilla 2x12 Fatboy (Eminence Legend and Swamp Thang) that is now my main live cab.


I had a brief flirtation with a Blackstar ID:100 which I got in trade for a guitar I wasn't using. Needless to say, within 2 weeks it was gone and I used the money to finish off paying my credit cards instead. Decent cleans, the rest is balls.



My rig as it stands for live use is the Engl Invader 150 with the Zilla 2x12, with a POD HD500 for effects and control. The same is true of my second band, except using the JVM instead of the Invader. The second rig will probably change a bit as far as effects and control go eventually, but right now it works fine for me.

I'm kind of glad I don't have the pics. It goes something like

TSL602

Surely its got to get better than this? But it was 2003 and I was more bothered with playing than gear, and it was my first valve amp before it seemed to be completely normal to have one. Also, being a poor student with a valve amp ruled. Being the only one I knew with one doubly so, so I tolerated the fact it didn't make me sound like the black album.

Engl screamer.

Slightly better. still deeply flawed.

Powerball (still have) and Ubercab (now sold)

Now THIS is more like it. Happy Mark. Much chugging.

Sold screamer and TSL.

Tone can still be more betterer. Buy more amps.

VHT CL100.

FUCKING YES. Still main amp.

JVM410H

FUCKING meh. I think I never had it set up properly valve wise, but while very versatile and pretty good sounding, the VHT was equally versatile and better. Also, it seems I only really like 'the marshall sound', even done well, every now and then.

Sold 410H

6505+. The very one above, because fuck it, may as well.

Bought mesa rectocab, sold ubercab. The mesa is just awesome, tight, clear punchy and smooth in the room, and the mesa v30s mic up SO much more easily than normal ones its not even funny.

Edit: And I had an orange 2x12, that was black and terrible sounding, which I sold, and an MJW roadster 18 that I traded for the orange cab. 

Edit 2: I just realised this is in the gallery bit, and here's me wilfully not posting pictures. If only there were a mod around.

Ban the heretic! Or something.

Pardon the old crappy pics, too much effort to walk into the music room and take new ones.

Rack 1

• Roland GI-20 guitar to MIDI
  
• Roland JV-1010 synth module
  
• Used to be the Quadraverb, that's gone in the bin and been replaced with a Lexicon
• Patchbay
  
• Rockman Guitar Compressor
• The legendary ACT MP-100T MIDI tube preamp
  

Rack 2

• Old Marshall 9040 200 Watt a side power amp, used to be my main power amp until I bought the ...
  
• Marshall EL34 50/50 power amp full of Tung-Sols and Winged =C= valves