5 Amps Metal Guitarists MUST AVOID (And What To Buy Instead!)

If you’re like me, you’ve probably spent way too much money buying and then selling gear. I’ve bought so many amps that promised crushing metal tone only to find out they sounded weak, flat, or they were just straight up useless in a live setting. And trust me, over the last 20 years, I’ve wasted thousands on gear that I ended up selling cuz it wasn’t good enough for me. So, in this video, I’m breaking down the five amps you need to avoid if you want to play metal. Some of these I personally owned and regretted, and others have just been letting down so many metal players for years and years. And don’t worry, I’ll also tell you exactly what you should buy instead, so you don’t end up wasting your money like I did. So, straight in at number one, the Line 6 Spider 4. Now, if you’ve ever walked into the guitar shop as a beginner, chances are you’ve seen one of these just sitting there waiting to lure you in, especially with its shiny built-in effects and metal presets and the insane setting. And look, I get it. On paper, sounds like you’re getting a pretty good deal. You get a ton of amp models, effects, and presets all in one amp. But here’s the problem. The gain on this amp sucks for metal. I said it, it sucks. It’s fizzy. It’s thin and it’s completely lifeless. Might sound okay when you’re playing in your bedroom alone at home, but the moment you crank it up, try and use it live with a band or record it and put it in a mix, it completely falls apart. The distortion just turns into a digital mess with absolutely zero punch and zero depth. And don’t even get me started on the built-in effects. Half of them sound like they belong in a sci-fi movie, not in a metal mix. What to buy instead? Now, if you’re looking for a good affordable alternative, I’d go with the Boscatana Gen 3. It still gives you all the versatility, but the gain structure is much tighter and actually definitely usable for metal. In at number two, the Orange Tiny Terror. Okay, I see this one get recommended all the time and I just don’t get it. The Orange Tiny Terror is one of those amps that people just assume must be great for metal because, you know, Jim Root, Slipnot, he used orange amps, right? But here’s the thing. Gym Root did use an orange amp, but it wasn’t the Tiny Terror. It was the TTJR15, a completely different amp that was actually designed for metal. The Tiny Terror is not a metal amp. It’s flubby, it’s loose, and it completely falls apart when you try and tighten it up for the chugs. Even with a boost, it just doesn’t have that thick, aggressive, high gain tone that you’re looking for. what you should buy instead. If you want something at a similar price point but completely designed for metal, then you should get the EVH 5153 15W LBXS, which stands for lunchbox. Don’t know what the S stands for, but LBX is for lunchbox. It’s little, maybe it means small. It’s a little monster amp that absolutely rips. And it gives you that tight, modern, high gain tone right out of the box, even without a boost. Or if you want something in the same ballpark but with a little bit more headroom, then you should get an EVH 5150 Iconic. It’s got more gain on tap and it’s actually totally made for metal. In at number three, the Marshall MG series, the Marshall MG series. I feel like every guitarist has tried or at least owned one of these at some point. I did. I had the Marshall MG30 DFX and the Marshall MG 100 DFX. As I’m sure you can tell, I have sold both of these amps. It’s like a right of passage. Everyone has to have one. And for some reason, people still recommend them to beginners when they tell them they want to play metal. But here’s the truth. The Marshall MG only really does one thing, and it doesn’t even really do it that well. When I had one, I basically used it as a pedal platform just to put distortion pedals into it. That’s why I got rid of it. I got an actual amp that can do it already. The distortion in the MG series sounds flat and uninspiring, and the EQ barely does anything. It also lacks any real versatility. Like I said, it only really does that one thing. Doesn’t really do many sounds, just the one sound. And let’s be honest, most people like me who get these amps, they pretty much outgrow them in 6 to 12 months and then end up selling it for something else. But what you should buy instead, if you’re a beginner and you need a good practice amp, you should get Positive Grid Spark. It’s a smart amp with loads of great tones and you can actually get some solid metal tones out of it, even with the presets that come built in. And there’s like an app on your phone and you can change it all on the fly. It’s incredible. Or if you’re looking for a budget friendly real amp instead of a digital one that also actually sounds good, try the PV Invective MH. It’s a proper high gain amp that can handle metal without sounding thin like a cardboard box. In at number four, the Blackar St. James, but very specifically the 50 W version, not the 100 W version, because this one might surprise some people, but I’ve got to say it. The Blackstar St. James 50 watt is just not a great metal amp. On paper, it looks great. It’s lightweight. It’s got modern features. And yeah, Blackstar make plenty of good modern metal amps, but this isn’t one of them. The game doesn’t have that tight, aggressive punch that you need. And even when boosted, it still sounded flubby and it’s more suited for hard rock. I was sent one before and I didn’t really get on with it. I felt like it lacked a lot of treble and presence, which is why I’m saying specifically the 50 watt one isn’t great for metal because I’ve since played the 100 watt and that one was great. But the 100 watt one is $1,000 more expensive than the 50 W one. So, if you’re playing things like AC/DC or classic rock, then the 50 W one is fine. But if you’re after tight chugs and crushing tone, you’re going to be very disappointed. What you should buy instead. If you want a lightweight tube amp that actually delivers for metal, go for the PRS MT15. That thing is an absolute beast and it handles high gain tone way better than the Blackstar St. James 50 W. Or if you want something more versatile, but still tight and modern, then the EVH5150 Iconic is a no-brainer. Number five, the Quad Cortex. All right, now for the controversial one, the Neural DSP Quad Cortex. Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s a powerful unit. It’s fun to play around with. It’s easy to use. But here’s why I sold mine and why I don’t think it’s the best choice for metal guitarists. First off, it’s really expensive, and for the price, you’d expect it to be an all-in-one solution. But honestly, the high gain tones feel weak compared to things like the AX Effects 3 or even some of NeuroDSP’s own plugins. It just doesn’t have the same attack and response as a real amp. Also, if you want to plug it into a speaker and actually play it out and hear it for real, you need to buy a power amp or a power amp pedal. And those are more expensive and that adds another expense when really you could just buy an amp for a lot less and not have to worry about it. But then here’s the biggest issue with things like this. Digital gear just doesn’t last. It has an expiry date on it. A 5150 or a Mesa triple rectifier could last you 30 plus years, but in 5 years the quad cortex might be obsolete. And then if Neurodsp stops updating it, it’s just then a really expensive paper weight. What you should buy instead. If you want a better digital unit, go with the Fractal Ax 3 or the FM9 Turbo M2, which is what I have. It’s been dominating metal for years. I mean, it says a lot that bands like Metallica use them. That was the main reason why I decided to get one after I sold my Quad Cortex. Or if you want real amp tone that will last decades, get yourself a PV6505, 6505 Plus, or an EVH Iconic, or even an EVH5153. These amps are built to last. I’ve got a collection of amps here. I’ve even got a PV X down here that you can’t see. If anything goes wrong with it, I can just take a tube out and get it fixed or take it to a trusty amp repair person. If my new DSP Quad Cortex goes wrong, have to send it back to them. And there’s also a chance they can’t fix it and you may just have to pay money to buy a whole new one. And then the final point, these amps can go up in value cuz they’re like a collector’s piece. Everyone at the moment has a new DSP quad Cortex. How many people have a PBX? How many people have an original 5150 block letter? Those things are now really hard to find and really expensive to buy because they appreciate in value. I don’t think things like new DSP quad cortexes will have that same effect because everyone’s going to just now be waiting for the next one to come out, which makes the older one redundant and basically useless. Now, I know what some of you are thinking. Jamie, I love the sound and the feel of a real tube amp with lots of headroom and loads of gain, but I can’t crank them at home without annoying the neighbors or getting kicked out of my house. And yeah, that’s a fair point. A lot of these amps and the amps I’ve been recommending, they really sound best when they’re pushed to 11, but then that’s super loud and it’s not always practical, especially if you’re playing in a small room like I am, or you want to do some late night recording and you don’t want to bother anybody else. That’s where something like the two notes Captor X comes in. I’ve got one. It’s an attenuator, which basically means this thing handles all the volume. So you can turn your amp up to 11 and then this allows you to change the volume and make it really quiet and it has a switch on the back so you can have low power, mid power or high power. And you can plug headphones into it. And the best bit, you can plug this directly into a computer and then load impulse responses. So you don’t need a cab at all. You just need the head and you can play quietly with headphones or speakers and you won’t have to worry about bothering everyone. And you still get the super loud cranked tone of your amp without the super loud volume. And because you can load your own impulse responses, it means you don’t have to worry about messing around with mking up cabs, which makes this an absolute must-have. So, if you’ve always wanted a 5150 or a dual wreck or a huge Marshall amp, but you thought they’d be too loud for home use, this solves that problem. I’ll leave a link in the description below if you want to check it out. Also, there’s a cheaper alternative to this one cuz it has loads of extra features, like I said, headphones and impulse response loaders. But if you want a more affordable option just to play quietly in your bedroom, then check out the TwoNotes Captor, not the Two Notes Captor X. Also, link in the description below. I use one myself and honestly, it’s an absolute gamecher. It makes reviewing amps and playing amps such an absolute breeze and I don’t have to worry about annoying the neighbors or keeping people up at night, especially when you want that huge amp tone without shaking the walls. All right, so those are my picks. If you own any of these, let me know what you think in the comments. Do you regret buying any of those amps? And if you think I missed an absolute terrible one, drop it in the comments below. And also check out the link down below where I recommend the amps in this video that I think you should buy. And let me know in the comments what’s your favorite metal amp of all

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