AX84 Lead II & UberSEL

[katopan]

The obvious gap in my "keeper" flock is a good brutal metal amp for the Drop B stuff I seem to be playing more of these days. At the moment I've broken out the old Zoom G2 modeller but over time I'm noticing something about it that's starting to grate on me. I do have an almost finished Upper Decker pedal project (early Triple Wreck clone) which I should probably complete and see if that delivers the goods. But thinking ahead if it also falls short, the valve amp purist in me can't help think a new amp build for the first time in quite a few years might be on my horizon.

I still have all the old AX84 files and demo clips and have always been interested in the Lead II variants by Brian Schmittling, John Haynes and Mason Atom, as well as the Merlin/Mason UberSEL.

After all these years did anyone build either a Lead II or UberSEL and can provide an opinion? If I do go ahead with a new amp build I'd be weighing up one verses the other verses a lower power single channel clone of a commercial amp known for these sorts of tones, SLO, Triple Recto, 5150, VH4, etc.

[Colossal]

As far as my memory goes (which might not be saying much), depending on which version of the Lead II you go for, the tones, as I recall were more in the hot rodded Marshall vein, where the UberSEL was more of the stoner rock/Orange "drier" sound with a KT88. That perception just may be based on the demos I heard and the guitars and cabs used for them, as well as the KT88. The UberSEL was set up for a very tight power supply with the cap multiplier. I don't think you could go wrong with either amp for drop D tuning. Drop C or 8 string stuff, I would probably go with the UberSEL. I played Cliff Chappell's SEL back in the day, and it was a fun amp. I think was Brian that had a really good version of it which became the Lead II. Mason had one he dubbed The Atomsmasher and that is probably the UberSEL variant I am remembering. It was very tight but had a "harder and drier" sound, as I recall.

[katopan]

Mason's clips sound heavier than Brian's and John's and obviously all three preamp versions are different, but I don't know if it's also just his playing style and guitar that makes it sound like that. Brian's blues clip is all EVH blues riff but doesn't mean his amp wouldn't chug like a monster with the right tuned down guitar. One of Mason's clips has Lead II in the file name but the track title comes up as Atom Smasher, and like you I thought the Smasher was the Uber. Then there's Mason's set of TMI amps clips which I couldn't remember if they were the Uber or Lead II.

Checking the boxes of parts I don't have any 12AU7s to try out the Lead II preamps anyway. I have an amp test chassis set up and could wire up the UberSEL and a SLO derivative preamp one after the other to compare. That might be the way forward to committing a final build to either.