Considering the Nitro

[mikeb]

Hey all,

It's been a few years since I've owned an all-tube amp (last was a mid-1990s 5150 head); after months of research and playing I'm on the verge of choosing a new one. I have a fairly short list, and have recently stumbled across Splawn amps. I like what I've read and am impressed with the sound clips I've heard--glad that there are so many high-quality samples out there.

Although there's no substitute for playing the real thing, unfortunately there are no Splawn dealers in the Seattle area. I'm willing to take a chance on something with a good rep, however, though I have a few questions that hopefully can be answered here. (Posting on the Nitro board because it may be the amp that best suits my needs.)

Of the three Splawn “flagship” heads (Nitro, Quick Rod, Pro Mod), which has the cleanest clean channel? I understand that Splawns aren’t known for their cleans, though based on my readings and listenings it seems that the Nitro might be the best. I’m not looking for a Fender Twin Reverb clean, just something reasonable for soft intros, jazz/classical, and pedal-friendliness.

I’m also curious which of the three flagship heads has the most flexibility/range as I enjoy a wide variety of tones (Floyd, Sabbath, VH, Megadeth + jazz, blues). I play single-coils and humbuckers but never use active pups.

Thanks!

=mike=

[snappinnecks]

All of the cleans are not that different on Splawn models. The clean channels are really good and with some verb, delay, and chorus added they sound awesome.
If you want versatility-Quickrod or Pro Mod
If you want a more "modern" voiced amp with less versatility-Nitro
Do some research on other posts for the tone differences in the amps.
Quickrods, Pro Mods can cover a lot of ground from classic rock low gain tones all the way to the drop B tones of Slipknot and Sevendust and do all of them really well.
Nitros will cover a lot of ground also, but has less gain/voicing choices since it has no gears.

[banenis]

The nitro only offers cleaner cleans when equipped with KT88 power tubes, which give a lot of clean headroom.

The nitro is probably the least versatile but it is the only amp in my live rig and between it's own od channel, clean channel and a couple of dirt boxes (a tubescreamer and a tc electronic nova drive) I manage a wide variety of cover tunes quite convincingly.

[rocknrolla]

My Nitro is THE amp for me. It is a one trick pony (without pedals anyway) but that one trick is the only one I need. If you'd like something with more flavors then the QuickRod may be more up your alley. Hell, I may even break down and buy one just for variety's sake.

[banenis]

Yeah I'm always right on the virge of buying a QR.

[mikeb]

Okay, thanks for the info. I've been impressed with the QR sound samples and its feature set; could be just what I'm looking for. Seems like an astounding value considering everything. Tough to believe that these amps are made by a team of only four guys!

[stompboxfreak1972]

I think a lot of ppl have this dilemma. I did. Ordered a QR and changed my order at the last minute. I love my Nitro but still wantedva QR. I ordered a QR a year later. It really comes down to what kind of player you are and what voicing you prefer. I like the added low end of the Nitro so I never used my QR. The QR was way more versatile but my ears wanted a modern voiced amp. I dont know that the Nitro is a one trick pony but I know that when I plug into it it is like going home. It just feels right.

If you are playing 70's to 90's rock than the QR is king. If you want modern tones the Nitro does it better. YEMV