Ninja EQ

The Ninja's tonal forte is its dual EQ section. You'd benefit from this amp by setting both sections in neutral markings as a start. Work with any one of the EQ sections first, boost/ cut whichever frequencies to your fancy. Use the other section as a flat booster, ie. raise or lower all frequencies together/ simultaneously & hear how marked the tonal changes are. You can also replicate one section's settings in the other, to hear more of what you fancy. I just wish this amp has reverb to make it sound more lethal not that it's a tame puppy to begin with.

Ninja encounter

Randall's Ninja Combo is a great low wattage (35W) amp to own. If you are a distortion fan, the Ninja will reward you with that intense on-board distortion. If that isn't enough (to some of us, it isn't), the ready drive booster there is akin to adding a mild drive type booster to beef the tone up- I absolutely favour this feature. It would mean I can plug in straight into the amp, no other pedals necessary. Note: The amp comes with a 3-pin plug version.

The other important feature here is the amp's closed back cab, meaning- you'd hear a full, low-end enforced tone with humbucking guitars. I have always considered this amp to be one of the best value-for-money combo. Ignore the Mike Amott association as he's no longer the brand name endorser. The other implication here is the fact that the Ninja is discontinued. The last time I enquired, this amp was out of stock. I believe this is the last batch of Ninjas here so it's no turning back for me.

Randall Ninja (discontinued)
Product availability: Davis GMC
Nett: $250

Recommendations: Solidstate amplifiers

Greetings friends. Perhaps we are starting out & we need a good amplifier to serve us both in clean & overdriven modes, we are not one to compromise our tones & settle for a mournful practice unit. Or perhaps we are looking for that alternative tone to our tube amps, not because we are forsaking them but we just enjoy a solidstate fling every now & then, to prove to the world we are appreciative of good tones, regardless of the technology. Here we go, in no particular order of merit...

I love the Peavey Bandit in all its manifestations (the pic above is its latest design), it's the splendid overdrive- very saturated & heavy. More importantly, it doesn't mud-out.

I thought there was no formidable alternative to the Bandit but until recently (if you deem 2 years ago, recent...) Sound Drive's SG612R did very well to prove just that. I just can't exclude the creamy yet defined overdriven tones on board. Highly recommended.

Randall's Ninja combo is the most affordable on this list (at entry time, it lists for <$250). Let's put aside the Mike Amott influences here (it's his signature amp, anyway...) & hear how good this one is. I just wish the manufacturer would include a reverb option in time to come to make it more expansive, not that it's loathsome as it is. The Ibanez TBX range is the revised edition of the manufacturer's TB models. The amplifier has a dual midrange control which is very much its strength in retaining clarity. I would advise you to consider at least the TBX30R if you have your mind set on an Ibanez amplifier, I cant accord positive remarks to the smaller versions simply because of the different overdrive/ distortion tone-to-volume manifestation in use.

Marshall revised their MG series in 2009 (these are now known as the MG4 range). Do they sound much better than their previous incarnations? I'd say they sound more organic, alluding to the manufacturer's tube type voicings rather than being the coarse sounding amplifiers they were known to be. Selected MG models feature minimum on board effects for your tweaking pleasure.

The places where you can check the above amplifiers out:

• Peavey/ Ibanez: Swee Lee Co.
• Sound Drive: Standard Value
• Randall/ Marshall: Davis GMC
  

Randall: Ninja combo

For many of us, owning an amp which is beyond 30W is strictly a NO, due to volume concerns. Well, I played the Ninja V2XNM 1x12 combo recently & I'm very impressed with the performance in relation to tones.

This amp is a budget version of Mike Amott's Ninja stack. The first thing to note here is Randall's wise decision in equipping the combo with a superb driver- Celestion's Rocket 50. As such, the cleans are definitely above average.

Drive-wise, if you are looking for one of the best default distortion/ drive because you wish to remain pedal-free, this is perhaps one of the most gratifying solidstate tone for the money. The dual EQ feature here is indeed the key component of what makes this amp good to the ears. The amp has a boost feature for that much needed saturation for us distortion overdose dweebs. However, I personally feel some reverb would propel this amp into greatness. Highly recommended. (Absolutely love the price!)

• Product: Randall V2XM (30W, 1x12") combo
• Availability: Davis GMC
• Price: $215.00 (NETT)
  

ESP: Ninja

This guitar is available here, the FR version. If you don't already know, Mike Amott parted ways with ESP... Didn't get to try it as the store was crowded.

Product availability: Davis GMC
Price: $2,960