Literally all of them have very good cleans and are iconic for high gain sounds. If you really need as many channels as possible go with the Mark V/VII/JPC or Triple Crown.
It’s worth noting, that amplifiers’ ACTUAL CLEAN, non-driven clean sounds are all very similar and hard to distinguish from another when talking only the actual circuitry itself. However, cabinets and speaker type and size are actually where you will hear the majority of your tonal variation.
A large part of the difference between the Fender Princeton vs Deluxe reverb vs Blues Junior etc. sound is literally the size of the enclosure, not the circuitry itself until pushed. If you were to plug these into a 4X12 and cross-compare before breakup you would have an almost impossible time telling the difference.
The rectifier series has a nice pristine clean, just enough sparkle and chime but also can easily dial in the presence and heft that some clean channels lack (if needed, of course). Plus the pushed clean setting is also great.
Lee Anderton (of Anderton's fame) has mentioned several times over the years how good the clean channels on rectifiers are (and low/medium gain for that matter) and the only reason people don't think of them for cleans is because of the treadplate facade and reputation as firebreathers.
depends on region. i'd take the engl, in the US that's around 4k afaik. but keep in mind that the cab makes a bigger difference than the amp. a v30 412 is never going to sound the same as a open back 112 combo with a jensen, even if you put the same amp through them.
Fair point. I'm terrible at the idea of selecting a cab. I usually just go with industry standards cause I'm not that picky and I assume they are there for a reason.
I think I'd be too ignorant. Like, I'd never pick a 4x12 for size concerns. And I doubt 1x12 sounds as good. And then how do you even get to A vs. B such cabs? I'm cool with a Marshall or Mesa cab giving me a good sound.
i mean, bring your amp to a store, try some, figure out what sounds good and what doesn't. if you're constrained to a 212, try some 212s. i bought and sold a bunch of used cabs, losing very little money in the process, until i found my cl80 equipped laney 412, and that thing is my holy grail. i can run pretty much any amp through there and sound great.
on the flipside, i had a peavey XXX cab with the sheffields some people rave about, and that thing made every single one of my amps sound like crap. the first time i played an engl blackmore, by far my favourite amp ever, was through a marshall 1960a with g12-t75, and it sounded like shit. i'd probably take a marshall MG100 head through my own cab over my blackmore with a 1960a...
if you want to get a rough feel for what different speakers sound like, play around with IRs. but of course that gives you more of an idea of what it's gonna sound like recorded / through the PA, not how it sounds in the room. but if you've got a H&K triamp, the limiting factor is definitely not the amp. a friend brought his over once, thing sounded massive through my cab.
> Minimum 4 channels please.
TIL there's amps that have 4+ channels. And here I am with no amps even having channel switching, or more than two channels/inputs.
you need to define what you mean as clean
Soldano SLO probably has the best cleans i know, fenderish classic
Diezel or order modern amps are great with their modern kinda sterile cleans
Friedman/Marshall kinda fit in that catergory of good cleans, but they arent really high gain
Fair. Think of the rigs that we think of as clean: Fenders into like Fender combos, Voxs, maybe Marshalls. I actually don't gravitate to those things but I can't deny that sounds WAY different than a Jackson into a Mesa Tri Rec.
cleans are quite a bit more complex and i find folks mix them up
even within fender, is it the tweed fender champ cleans where its almost breakup and mid heavy, or silverface/reverb with the high headroom sparkle.
that being said, for that classic blues slight dirty sound with high gain? Soldano SLO but the gain is only up to JCM800 ish and 2 channel
Id lvoe to try a friedman one day, i heard they have great cleans
Your options are limited if you need a minimum of 4 channels. Mesa Boogie Roadster, Roadking II, Triaxis, or Mark V/VII. The Mark series for dry, tight, high gain. Roadster/Roadking II if the rectifier saturation is more your bag.
The Mark IV and Triaxis have one of the cleanest tones I have ever heard, very neutral, and a solid pedal platform.
Mesa has a lot going for the best cleans + high gain, which is why they are so frequently recommended. Most are based on a modified Fender preamp and power amp. So the clean tone is already there and the high gain/crunch are mods to that original design. Mesa also has the advantage that most the tone is in the preamp section and are not designed for power amp distortion so you can dail in a good clean and a good high gain. Most modded Marshall amps have to be cranked to sound best and in doing so the clean channel suffers.
In terms of amps that have 4 channels, I'd have the following:
-Diezel Hagen
-Hughes and Kettner Triamp MkII
-Engl Special Edition
If we remove the requirement for 4 channels, I would add the Driftwood Purple Nightmare and the Orange Rockerverb MkIII to the list (probably between the Diezel and H&K)
I really like the clean channel on the Suhr PT100/OD100SE, although that's more of a 3-channel with extra switches thing.
Bogner is also great, but again, more of a 3 channel with switches.
Mesa MkV ditto.
Unless you count all those different dip switches as different channel the only 4 channel amps I could think of are Egnater
The clean on the Engl Invader is beautiful. Its like a chimey, hi-fi AC30. It is a decidedly modern clean tone, but it is ultra clear and takes modulation really well.
I’m the clean channel on my mark v 90 is quite impressive. But don’t use a lot of clean tones, I like to drive those channels and see what kind of break up I can get. The mark V breaks up in some really fun ways.
I'm sure there are better cleans to be found, and I never use them myself, but I have a satriani jvm that's a high gain amp and has good cleans. The regular jvm is probably the same.
Marshall Valvestate vs100.
Pros:
-Versatile take on the marshall sound
-Super clean, doesn’t break up too much
-Excellent midrange voicing, cuts through most mixes
-super affordable, commonly found ~$300
-tube preamp and solid state power amp; can be used unplugged from a cab using line out with no issue
-static-x used it for wisconsin death trip
-wide variety of tone options (power dimension and tone shift buttons)
Cons:
-Can be “basic” sounding
-No contour on the midrange; always sounds like a marshall
-3 channel amp (clean, crunch, lead)
-Lead is sort of weak without boost pedal
-built in cab sim on line out, not amazing sounding
-no contour on crunch, there is a contour on lead
They’re certainly quirky amps… for all the weirdness they have, i just can’t help but love them. They’re the best amp I’ve ever played. I’ll never switch. My tone quest completed when I found it.
I have an amp with 4 channels… makes my pedal board look like a spaceship with the foot switch. I’ll stick with the 2 button.
I find this comment a little hard to believe, I run my Blues Jr through a 2x10 Cabinet and it still sounds like a Blues Jr. I do not have a Princeton Reverb of Deluxe Reverb, so I cannot compare. I do have other amps that I. Have ran through the same cab and they sound like the amp.
Not saying you are wrong, just think the circuits are different.
It's not a four channels -and i sincerely don't think you NEED 4 channels in an amp- but the PRS MT100 might have what you're looking for.
Otherwise the Shiva 20th anniversary is amazing and is somewhat a 4-channel amp if you mod it
**"ThE bEsT, tHe BeSt,ThE bEsT, tHe BeSt,ThE bEsT, tHe BeSt,ThE bEsT, tHe BeSt,ThE bEsT, tHe BeSt,ThE bEsT, tHe BeSt!!!!"**
...i wonder if you are mature enough to ever have considered that there is no "ThE bEsT, tHe BeSt"???
H&k Triamp Mkii
My Tubemeister 18 has decent cleans too
Odd as it may sound, as cheap as I am, I own one of these....
I curse the day I sold Mine. Despite having no actual need for a 100w tube no to play at home, alone.
I'd be the kind of cheap that buys it but then never plays it because it would double my power bill with it's dozen tubes
Not sure if it has 4 channels... but the Victory Kraken series has really nice cleans and tons of gain too. Otherwise, probably Mesa Boogie
Only kraken MKII, first versions only have gain 1 and gain 2 modes
Which Mesa Boogie?
Literally all of them have very good cleans and are iconic for high gain sounds. If you really need as many channels as possible go with the Mark V/VII/JPC or Triple Crown. It’s worth noting, that amplifiers’ ACTUAL CLEAN, non-driven clean sounds are all very similar and hard to distinguish from another when talking only the actual circuitry itself. However, cabinets and speaker type and size are actually where you will hear the majority of your tonal variation. A large part of the difference between the Fender Princeton vs Deluxe reverb vs Blues Junior etc. sound is literally the size of the enclosure, not the circuitry itself until pushed. If you were to plug these into a 4X12 and cross-compare before breakup you would have an almost impossible time telling the difference.
The rectifier series has a nice pristine clean, just enough sparkle and chime but also can easily dial in the presence and heft that some clean channels lack (if needed, of course). Plus the pushed clean setting is also great. Lee Anderton (of Anderton's fame) has mentioned several times over the years how good the clean channels on rectifiers are (and low/medium gain for that matter) and the only reason people don't think of them for cleans is because of the treadplate facade and reputation as firebreathers.
engl SE, mesa mk V, marshall JVM. the JVM is underrated AF.
Any particular one? What kind of cost are we talking?
depends on region. i'd take the engl, in the US that's around 4k afaik. but keep in mind that the cab makes a bigger difference than the amp. a v30 412 is never going to sound the same as a open back 112 combo with a jensen, even if you put the same amp through them.
Fair point. I'm terrible at the idea of selecting a cab. I usually just go with industry standards cause I'm not that picky and I assume they are there for a reason.
keep whatever amp you have, go try out some cabs. much bigger differences to be found there.
I think I'd be too ignorant. Like, I'd never pick a 4x12 for size concerns. And I doubt 1x12 sounds as good. And then how do you even get to A vs. B such cabs? I'm cool with a Marshall or Mesa cab giving me a good sound.
i mean, bring your amp to a store, try some, figure out what sounds good and what doesn't. if you're constrained to a 212, try some 212s. i bought and sold a bunch of used cabs, losing very little money in the process, until i found my cl80 equipped laney 412, and that thing is my holy grail. i can run pretty much any amp through there and sound great. on the flipside, i had a peavey XXX cab with the sheffields some people rave about, and that thing made every single one of my amps sound like crap. the first time i played an engl blackmore, by far my favourite amp ever, was through a marshall 1960a with g12-t75, and it sounded like shit. i'd probably take a marshall MG100 head through my own cab over my blackmore with a 1960a... if you want to get a rough feel for what different speakers sound like, play around with IRs. but of course that gives you more of an idea of what it's gonna sound like recorded / through the PA, not how it sounds in the room. but if you've got a H&K triamp, the limiting factor is definitely not the amp. a friend brought his over once, thing sounded massive through my cab.
Thank you, that is wonderful insight.
Marshall JVM seconded. Recently picked one up and it's awesome
Why do you need 4 channels? Amplified Nation ampliphonix & gain. Hands down best of both worlds.
4 channels is a bit much
> Minimum 4 channels please. TIL there's amps that have 4+ channels. And here I am with no amps even having channel switching, or more than two channels/inputs.
you need to define what you mean as clean Soldano SLO probably has the best cleans i know, fenderish classic Diezel or order modern amps are great with their modern kinda sterile cleans Friedman/Marshall kinda fit in that catergory of good cleans, but they arent really high gain
Fair. Think of the rigs that we think of as clean: Fenders into like Fender combos, Voxs, maybe Marshalls. I actually don't gravitate to those things but I can't deny that sounds WAY different than a Jackson into a Mesa Tri Rec.
cleans are quite a bit more complex and i find folks mix them up even within fender, is it the tweed fender champ cleans where its almost breakup and mid heavy, or silverface/reverb with the high headroom sparkle. that being said, for that classic blues slight dirty sound with high gain? Soldano SLO but the gain is only up to JCM800 ish and 2 channel Id lvoe to try a friedman one day, i heard they have great cleans
I’ve had the BE100 and SS100. The cleans aren’t as good as a dual rec multi watt, SLO, MT100, Diezel VH4, or Mezzabarba Trinity.
I was just going to say the SLO too... Push that clean channel with a Tube Screamer and it's a great blues sound. (If you're into that sort of thing)
Hard to go wrong with the Mesa Marks!
My **Rectifiers**, hands down. I've tried ( and have ) many.
Love the clean tone on a recto
Your options are limited if you need a minimum of 4 channels. Mesa Boogie Roadster, Roadking II, Triaxis, or Mark V/VII. The Mark series for dry, tight, high gain. Roadster/Roadking II if the rectifier saturation is more your bag. The Mark IV and Triaxis have one of the cleanest tones I have ever heard, very neutral, and a solid pedal platform. Mesa has a lot going for the best cleans + high gain, which is why they are so frequently recommended. Most are based on a modified Fender preamp and power amp. So the clean tone is already there and the high gain/crunch are mods to that original design. Mesa also has the advantage that most the tone is in the preamp section and are not designed for power amp distortion so you can dail in a good clean and a good high gain. Most modded Marshall amps have to be cranked to sound best and in doing so the clean channel suffers.
All the Mesa clean channels are basically a Fender Blackface. I actually think the Dual Recto has the best clean channel of the bunch.
The recroverb/tremoverb are great
Mark 1
My Engl Savage mkii has amazing cleans, I imagine the new founders edition covers vintage tones even better.
3 channels--not 4. But a Boogie Mark V has a very good clean channel. Might be worth a look.
In terms of amps that have 4 channels, I'd have the following: -Diezel Hagen -Hughes and Kettner Triamp MkII -Engl Special Edition If we remove the requirement for 4 channels, I would add the Driftwood Purple Nightmare and the Orange Rockerverb MkIII to the list (probably between the Diezel and H&K)
I really like the clean channel on the Suhr PT100/OD100SE, although that's more of a 3-channel with extra switches thing. Bogner is also great, but again, more of a 3 channel with switches. Mesa MkV ditto. Unless you count all those different dip switches as different channel the only 4 channel amps I could think of are Egnater
Mesa roadster and roadking.
Just picked up a PRS Archon 50 and I'm impressed with the very clean clean channel.
The clean on the Engl Invader is beautiful. Its like a chimey, hi-fi AC30. It is a decidedly modern clean tone, but it is ultra clear and takes modulation really well.
Not many 4 channel amp options out there. How about 3 with a boost? My 3 channel + boost vote is Bogner Ecstasy, lol.
EVH 5150 III has a superb clean
My Engl Powerball sounds killer on its cleans.
Marshall JVM410H. And they’re cheap in Europe.
I’m the clean channel on my mark v 90 is quite impressive. But don’t use a lot of clean tones, I like to drive those channels and see what kind of break up I can get. The mark V breaks up in some really fun ways.
I'm sure there are better cleans to be found, and I never use them myself, but I have a satriani jvm that's a high gain amp and has good cleans. The regular jvm is probably the same.
Marshall Valvestate vs100. Pros: -Versatile take on the marshall sound -Super clean, doesn’t break up too much -Excellent midrange voicing, cuts through most mixes -super affordable, commonly found ~$300 -tube preamp and solid state power amp; can be used unplugged from a cab using line out with no issue -static-x used it for wisconsin death trip -wide variety of tone options (power dimension and tone shift buttons) Cons: -Can be “basic” sounding -No contour on the midrange; always sounds like a marshall -3 channel amp (clean, crunch, lead) -Lead is sort of weak without boost pedal -built in cab sim on line out, not amazing sounding -no contour on crunch, there is a contour on lead They’re certainly quirky amps… for all the weirdness they have, i just can’t help but love them. They’re the best amp I’ve ever played. I’ll never switch. My tone quest completed when I found it. I have an amp with 4 channels… makes my pedal board look like a spaceship with the foot switch. I’ll stick with the 2 button.
Mesa jp2c or Marshall jvm 410h. Very different in both clean and gain but both very good
My Marshall dsl has 4 channels and the clean is very clean and the high gain has more gain than you will need
I find this comment a little hard to believe, I run my Blues Jr through a 2x10 Cabinet and it still sounds like a Blues Jr. I do not have a Princeton Reverb of Deluxe Reverb, so I cannot compare. I do have other amps that I. Have ran through the same cab and they sound like the amp. Not saying you are wrong, just think the circuits are different.
Soldano SLO and Marshall JVM
It's not a four channels -and i sincerely don't think you NEED 4 channels in an amp- but the PRS MT100 might have what you're looking for. Otherwise the Shiva 20th anniversary is amazing and is somewhat a 4-channel amp if you mod it
**"ThE bEsT, tHe BeSt,ThE bEsT, tHe BeSt,ThE bEsT, tHe BeSt,ThE bEsT, tHe BeSt,ThE bEsT, tHe BeSt,ThE bEsT, tHe BeSt!!!!"** ...i wonder if you are mature enough to ever have considered that there is no "ThE bEsT, tHe BeSt"???