Expensive Halfstack or amp?

Question:I have $2000 for a tube amp. I play mostly progressive metal.
should i go half stack or stay with the combos? and which one should i choose?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I have $2000 for a tube amp. I play mostly progressive metal.
should i go half stack or stay with the combos? and which one should i choose?

Depends on your needs.

I prefer the head/stack route myself, as I can then customize to my personal desires.... I feel that at least half of your amp's tone comes from the speakers.

There was a great review in ... Guitar Player I think... this month or last on five different head/stack combos.

If you want portable, get a combo. Otherwise, get a stack.

Some things to keep in mind.... when you're talking tube, they get loud quick. 50 watts is honestly going to be more than enough, volume-wise. Anything more than 100 watts is absurd. The more watts you have, the more you will have to turn up to saturate the power tubes and get that thick, sweet "tube" tone. If you have neighbors or a singer who doesn't like to be drowned out, think carefully about how many watts you pick.

Read reviews for Carvin.... they are pretty decent from what I've heard. The Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier is pretty "dry", but you might be able to swap out the tubes and get a warmer sound. I would avoid the Triple Rec... too many watts, too much volume. One of the other Mesas might be a way to go. The review said Engl was a pretty good amp.

All I can say is to read as many reviews as you can.... go to harmonycentral.com and start reading, reading, reading...

Shop around for different cabs before you buy, because your cab choice will greatly affect your sound. If you get high-wattage speakers, it will be harder to get "breakup". Speaker distortion is a characteristic of a bluesy, classic sound, and can be a great way to add a little grit to your sound... but some artists like to have complete clarity... no breakup means no loss of bass.... Zakk Wylde uses, or at least has used, really high wattage (100w+) speakers, for instance, to keep that really low end clear. Many, many artists prefer Vintage 30's, since 30w speakers will breakup at much lower volumes, and give that overdriven sound we all associate with a raging rock tone.

I'm playing a Mesa TremoVerb head into a Marshall 1960a cabinet with 75w speakers.... i'm not entirely satisfied with them, but they do preserve that low end. I would love vintage 30's....

I'm keeping an eye out for some 2x12's, cuz that would make a lot more sense to me than carting around this 4x12... but it does sound really sweet....

Saul