Archon vs. Diezel Einstein

[elvis]

I recently picked up an Einstein in a trade. Like the Archon, it's unlikely that I'd ever see one in the wild.

It definitely has its own tone and I really like the raw, under-compressed character. The modes on channel 1 are fantastic.

The Archon, by comparison, is much more compressed and low-end heavy. Hard to push through the mix, as not as buzzy/aggressive.

Or so I thought.

Recently I had altered the tone controls on my Archon and Shiva to dial down the lows.

When switching from the Diezel to the Archon, I found that without even working the tone controls, it was a lot closer to the einstein than I had expected. It's a really aggressive amp. All the stuff I loved about it came forward.

The Archon is a really great amp. It holds up well against all the Titans I throw at it. If it has a shortcoming here, it would be the lack of the Einstein's Texas mode. Not that it can't get there, but it's only a two-channel amp. (Full disclosure, my Einstein was modded to make all the modes accessible via footswitch, so it's effectively a 4-channel channel amp like the VH4).

 

[bodia]

Samples?

 

[elvis]

I hope to get to that next week end

 

[László]

I love that a guitar amp got named after a physicist who most famously played the violin while he conducted thought experiments about the universe in 1905.

I still think there should be an amplifier called Les. There coukd be a boost switch labeled, “More.”

 

[elvis]

Didn't think about it until you put it in those terms.

Are you sure a Les amp wouldn't have a "most" button?

 

[rugerpc]

My amp would have a “bore” switch...

 

[László]

My amp would have a “bore” switch...

My brain has one. But it doesn’t work any more. It’s stuck in the “on” position.

 

[elvis]

My amp would have a “bore” switch...

I presume you mean for boring through rock. That's metal, bro! Turn on the bore switch and god have mercy on anything on your path.

 

[rugerpc]

...unfortunately I mean boring as in putting the few audience member that didn’t escape to sleep.

 

[Deleted member 5962]

I'd still like to try an Uber, 101B, a Splawn or two... but I'm not looking for a replacement of the Archon. Just wanting to try some of my other dream amps while I still have enough chops left to enjoy them. Archon ain't goin' nowhere!

 

[elvis]

...unfortunately I mean boring as in putting the few audience member that didn’t escape to sleep.

Or...

Did you knock them COLD with your massive riffage?!?

 

[elvis]

I'd still like to try an Uber, 101B, a Splawn or two... but I'm not looking for a replacement of the Archon. Just wanting to try some of my other dream amps while I still have enough chops left to enjoy them. Archon ain't goin' nowhere!

Exactly. I'm comfortable that I have more money than talent. I want to try the 101b and the BE100. And...

 

[László]

I had an Ecstasy 101B in my studio for a bit. It was nice in a lot of ways, but at the time I had a Two-Rock, and the clean tones didn’t have the cut or open quality of the Two-Rock.

The Bogner Metropolis, on the other hand, had clean tones I loved, and I cut a lot of tracks with that amp, but the crunch and beyond sounds didn’t float my boat. The TR had both, and was my main thing at the time. I had a Bad Cat Hot Cat 30 at the time that also had nice clean sounds; it seemed a more 3D amp than the 101B or the Metro at the time.

YMMV. Everyone looks for something different.

I’m into the PRS amps now, anyway.

 

[elvis]

What made you ditch the TR?

 

[László]

What made you ditch the TR?

I started off with their Onyx and Onyx Sig models, that were more rock and roll amps than most of their stuff at the time. But I got excited about the Custom Reverb Sig when it came out, and sold my Onyx Sig to get one.

I kinda missed the rock and roll quality of the Onyx, but they weren’t making them any more. So I sold the CR and got a Mesa Mark V - honestly, it’s a fantastic amp but wasn’t quite what I was hearing in my head.

When PRS came out with the HXDA, I heard the demos and flipped! “That’s the Live At The Fillmore sound!”

I’ve loved that sound since forever, so I got one, and it worked out really well. Then I added the DG30, and kinda put TRs on the back burner. I still like the TR sound, they’re great amps. But I feel really good about what PRS is doing in the amp world, and will almost certainly go JMOD over one of the new TRs.

 

[elvis]

Interesting. JMOD sounds cool, but a one trick pony I think. Of course if that's the trick you want, probably it's the best at it.

 

[László]

Interesting. JMOD sounds cool, but a one trick pony I think. Of course if that's the trick you want, probably it's the best at it.

A great single channel amp is never a one trick pony! Because the character of the amp changes with more or less drive, gain, etc., it’s an infinite trick pony.

Besides, the JMOD has a switchable drive circuit, if I get bored for some reason.

I ain’t skeered!

 

[Phil M]

I'd still like to try an Uber, 101B, a Splawn or two... but I'm not looking for a replacement of the Archon. Just wanting to try some of my other dream amps while I still have enough chops left to enjoy them. Archon ain't goin' nowhere!

You have good taste.

I’ve owned multiple Splawn Quickrods as well as one Pro Mod, and played these between 2007 and 2017. I also owned a Bogner 101B. These are FINE amps, among the best I’ve ever owned or played though. But make no mistake, the Archon is right there with them in terms of sound quality. In fact, for certain things I would prefer the Archon. Add in the fact that it sells for under $2000 new ($800-$1000 used) - the Archon is as high quality and as much of a bargain as one can find in today’s market. I definitely would like to get my own.

 

[elvis]

You aksed fer it

The Einstein clean tone suffers a bit, as it's a shared mode with Mega. I had to choose between clean and Mega for settings. Guess which won...

The Archon has a much cleaner clean.

 

[elvis]

And another, with tone and volume leveled out a bit, plus some backed-off volume knob action.

EDIT: I got them even closer in tone after this vid, but I'm tired of uploading. Slightly different dynamics, but awfully close.