Preamp junkies : I need you...

[MFB]

OK, so I've yet to test out the seperate EQ in front of my Mark III but for now I wanna look into some preamps in case that scenario DOESN'T work. The main ones I've been looking into have been the GSP1101 and the Rocktron Prophesy II. The 1101 seems to be really great and just from what I've heard on the Digitech site it seems the presets are pretty close to what I like/want and it's got effects already built in (definitely a plus). But I've yet to really hear it in a live band situation. I know Ralph Santolla has used one through out his career and we known he's done some different tones like Obituary (Recto mixed with JCM800 or so I've seen) and then stuff like Deicide - so that shows it can cover some different tones. But again, how's it handle for live stuff? (Shannon, care to chime in )

The same thing goes for the Rocktron, but it seems to be a little more gear junky and also close to double the price I believe, ($1350 for PII, not sure what the 1101 is currently). It's got some nice artist presets like the Hoey stuff and some Cooley stuff, but it seems like for what you get, you could use the 1101 for the less money?

I WAS considering the TriAxis for a while but I want more than the Mesa sound + I really do need effects and for $950+ for just a preamp it's getting a bit pricey. I'd still need to add in a G-Major, a good Power Amp and a Power Conditioner and that'd cost my rack to be up around...probably $1600 which I can't do at the moment

I'm gonna see if my Daddy's in Salem can ask for the Portland, ME store to ship the used 1101 down here so I can give it a run through but I have a feeling a store run through won't be the greatest but still a good idea?

Opinions

PS : Don't give me shit since there's already one other 1101 thread, this is more of a Preamp vs Preamp kind of thing

[Humboldt Squid]

Originally Posted by MFB

I know Ralph Santolla has used one through out his career and we known he's done some different tones like Obituary (Recto mixed with JCM800 or so I've seen) and then stuff like Deicide - so that shows it can cover some different tones. But again, how's it handle for live stuff? (Shannon, care to chime in )

I dont know if thats a fair comparison. The 1101 came out in late 2007. Deicide's Stench of Redemption was released in '06, i saw them live right before the album came out and there were no 1101's to be had. Jack Owen had a 2120, but thats not an 1101, and he's not Ralph Santolla.

[MFB]

Hmmm, he's done some stuff saying he uses Digitech, and I assumed the 1101 was a smidgen older than 'late 07' so I wonder what the fuck he used before? Even still, he's probably replicated his old tones on the 1101

[Humboldt Squid]

Im sure he's used some digitech shit at some point in his career. Im not sure what they used on Til Death Do Us Part, but that came out in 08. He could've used it on there. I'll check the liner notes later. But i know for a fact the only digitech used on Stench is Owen's 2120.

[MFB]

for only 2120 being used, granted there is a 2120 for the same price as an 1101...

Damn you Ralph and you're somewhat misleading statements