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The best Randall Guitars reviews

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Randall RM 50 HB

« Two preamp head »
Randall has really taken a hold on the module industry. Them and Egnater have really grabbed the preamp modules and owned the entire market of this industry. You can basically put any type of preamp sound you can think of in this unit, because there probably is a preamp design out there that will do any sound that you want. Now there are builders strickly just for modules. Honestly this has been such a breakthrough design in recent years. Since there is no much musical influence nowadays , many guitars have influences that go from one end of the spectrum to the other. Finding and amp that can do all of that is pretty much impossible. Well until now it has been impossible. This is a two preamp holder head. Which means that you can fit two of your favorite preamps in the slots and you get 50 watts of power. This is the only different from the 100 watt version which can hold three preamps at one time. UTILIZATION Randall RM50HB 50-Watt Modular Tube Amp Head Features: * 50W of power using Ruby 6L6 tubes 2 modular channels for plugging in Randall preamps Master volume, master density and presence controls, and front panel mix control Tube-buffered parallel effects loop Series effects loop Slave out Rear master input (for volume pedal) Rear bias test points World voltage AC input selector 25"W x 13"H x 10"D 32 lbs. SOUNDS This is really a preamp shell. There are no tones at all in this amp. You must go out and buy from Randall or Egnater the preamp voicings that you want. You have three options to put in the slots provided.If you don't like the preamp module you can always dump it and try something else and a minimal cost. Guys on the internet are always buying and selling modules to find that sweet spot in their guitar rig. Randall has built just about any preamp module you can think of. So it can take come exploring and trial and error to find the right one you want for your sound.One of my favorite modules is the Mr.Scary from George Lynch. I really love that module a lot. It is thick and fat sounding and turns even the most ordinary guitar into a shredder. shredder. OVERALL OPINION At new you can pick these amps shell up for right at around $900. Not a bad price for two channel power amp shell that fits two of your favorite modules. I would recommend this to anyone who needs a simple amp that can be ultra customized to fit your tonal needs.

by iamqman 7/30/11
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Randall RM100 Combo Wheat

« Nice compact combo »
This is basically the exact same amp as the black standard. The only dividing factor is simple the wheat brown grille cloth. You get all the same great tone and features from this power amp combo preamp shell. Randall has really taken a hold on the module industry. Them and Egnater have really grabbed the preamp modules and owned the entire market of this industry. You can basically put any type of preamp sound you can think of in this unit, because there probably is a preamp design out there that will do any sound that you want. Now there are builders strickly just for modules. Honestly this has been such a breakthrough design in recent years. Since there is no much musical influence nowadays , many guitars have influences that go from one end of the spectrum to the other. Finding and amp that can do all of that is pretty much impossible. Well until now it has been impossible. Randall RM100C 100-watt, 2 x 12" Tube Combo with Three Modular Preamp Channels Features: * Preamp channels: Three modular channels * Master controls: Volume, Presence, Density * Power amp: All tube, four JJ6L6GC tubes * Power output: 100 watts * Speakers: Two 12" Celestion G12T-75 * Series effects loop * Parallel effects loop * Front-panel effects loop mix controls * MIDI In/Thru * Rear panel tube bias section * World voltage selector * RF3 MIDI footswitch UTILIZATION Details Type Tube Number of Channels 3 Power 100W Speakers 2 x 12" Celestion G12T-75 No Effects No Reverb No EQ No Amp Modeling No Preamp Tubes Power Tubes 4 x JJ6L6GC Inputs 1 x Instrument Outputs 2 x Speaker Footswitch I/O Effects Loop Height 25.5" Width 35" Depth 18.5" Weight 45 lbs. (shipping weight) SOUNDS This is really a preamp shell. There are no tones at all in this amp. You must go out and buy from Randall or Egnater the preamp voicings that you want. You have three options to put in the slots provided. Randall has built just about any preamp module you can think of. So it can take come exploring and trial and error to find the right one you want for your sound. One of my favorite modules is the Mr.Scary from George Lynch. I really love that module a lot. It is thick and fat sounding and turns even the most ordinary guitar into a shredder. If you don't like the preamp module you can always dump it and try something else and a minimal cost. Guys on the internet are always buying and selling modules to find that sweet spot in their guitar rig. OVERALL OPINION One great thin that is offered in this shell is the depth control. I wish Marshall and other amps would start putting this standard on their amps. So much of time I find trying to nail that low end which can be absent from a lot of guitars. The shell has the density knob which is basically the same thing. At new these amps come in at around $1500, which isn't bad for a shell power amp combo. You can pick up modules for around $200 to $300 depending on which one it is. This is the same price as the other version of this amp that features the brown wheta cloth baffle and black tolex covering. The modules are a cool invention. They are sort of about the price of a good stompbox pedal so I guess you could look at it this way. You generally add pedals to an amps so you are adding preamps to your power amp. You can added or take away $200 or $300 pedals to your pedal board.

by iamqman 6/25/11
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Randall RM100 Combo

« Great combos, but better heads »
Randall has really taken a hold on the module industry. Them and Egnater have really grabbed the preamp modules and owned the entire market of this industry. You can basically put any type of preamp sound you can think of in this unit, because there probably is a preamp design out there that will do any sound that you want. Now there are builders strickly just for modules. Honestly this has been such a breakthrough design in recent years. Since there is no much musical influence nowadays , many guitars have influences that go from one end of the spectrum to the other. Finding and amp that can do all of that is pretty much impossible. Well until now it has been impossible. Randall RM100C 100-watt, 2 x 12" Tube Combo with Three Modular Preamp Channels Features: * Preamp channels: Three modular channels * Master controls: Volume, Presence, Density * Power amp: All tube, four JJ6L6GC tubes * Power output: 100 watts * Speakers: Two 12" Celestion G12T-75 * Series effects loop * Parallel effects loop * Front-panel effects loop mix controls * MIDI In/Thru * Rear panel tube bias section * World voltage selector * RF3 MIDI footswitch UTILIZATION Details Type Tube Number of Channels 3 Power 100W Speakers 2 x 12" Celestion G12T-75 No Effects No Reverb No EQ No Amp Modeling No Preamp Tubes Power Tubes 4 x JJ6L6GC Inputs 1 x Instrument Outputs 2 x Speaker Footswitch I/O Effects Loop Height 25.5" Width 35" Depth 18.5" Weight 45 lbs. (shipping weight) SOUNDS This is really a preamp shell. There are no tones at all in this amp. You must go out and buy from Randall or Egnater the preamp voicings that you want. You have three options to put in the slots provided. Randall has built just about any preamp module you can think of. So it can take come exploring and trial and error to find the right one you want for your sound. One of my favorite modules is the Mr.Scary from George Lynch. I really love that module a lot. It is thick and fat sounding and turns even the most ordinary guitar into a shredder. If you don't like the preamp module you can always dump it and try something else and a minimal cost. Guys on the internet are always buying and selling modules to find that sweet spot in their guitar rig. OVERALL OPINION One great thin that is offered in this shell is the depth control. I wish Marshall and other amps would start putting this standard on their amps. So much of time I find trying to nail that low end which can be absent from a lot of guitars. The shell has the density knob which is basically the same thing. At new these amps come in at around $1500, which isn't bad for a shell power amp combo. You can pick up modules for around $200 to $300 depending on which one it is. They are sort of about the price of a good stompbox pedal so I guess you could look at it this way. You generally add pedals to an amps so you are adding preamps t your power amp.

by iamqman 6/24/11
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Randall KH15

« A big miss »
This thing sounds like garbage. Randall makes some decent sounding practice amps and this isn't one of them. The Nuno amp actually sound very good for being a mini practice amp in solid state. This one sounds exactly like most solid state amps sound like....trash. Randall KH15 Kirk Hammett 15-watt Combo Features: 15W RMS 2-channel (Hammett Clean and Hammett Overdrive with boost) Bass, Middle, Treble, and Volume controls Tape/CD input Headphone out 6.5" Randall Jaguar speaker UTILIZATION Details Type Solid State Number of Channels 2 Power 15W Speakers 1 x 6.5 Randall Jaguar No Effects No Reverb EQ Bass, Middle, Treble No Amp Modeling Preamp Tubes No Tubes Power Tubes No Tubes Inputs 1 x Instrument, 1 x Tape/CD Outputs 1 x Headphone (1/4") SOUNDS I can't express how terrible this amp sounds. They have the audacity to slap a signature stamp on it and get people who are Metallica fans to put up the cash t o sound like Battery. This amp doesn't sound anything like KH. In fact it should be just throw in the trash real quick. If I was KH I would be embarrassed to have my name on the outside of this amp. Randall does have a tendency to slap signature stamps on amps that sound like garbage. The NbKing is another amp that sounds terrible and very inconsistent between the models. OVERALL OPINION Do not buy this amp! You are wasting your money that could be spend on finding a better tone. Randall this is a big disappointment and you should be ashamed of yourself. At new these amps come in at around $120, which is about $100 overpriced. The Vox miniplugs sound much better than these amps.

by iamqman 6/9/11
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Randall RS 412 W Warhead

« A Quality 4x12 Cabinet »
This is a great looking very solidly built cabinet, built with tough stainless steel cosmetics, a metal grill, sturdy handles on each side and solid jacks (not flimsy like some other cabs) - very rugged and very gig worthy. This is a heavy oversized cabinet that was designed to handle 280 watts at 4 ohms stereo or 8 ohms mono, and comes equipped with casters and metal corner protectors. This cabinet continues Randall's legacy and reputation of building high quality guitar cabinet. I'm not sure what speakers came with my particular one. I am pretty sure it was Randall Jaguar speakers but almost everyone else who has one seems to think they came stock with Celestion V-30's. I also don't recall the standard price I paid for it many years ago. It was worth the price. I bought this with the accompanying Randall Warhead and it was my first half stack. The cab actually made the head sound good. It had a nice full sound across the frequency spectrum. I can only imagine that it would preform and do an excellent job with better higher quality tube and solid state heads. I did do some novice type recording with this cabinet, and with bad mic placement and lack of knowledge, it recorded very well and pretty easily. It had a nice thick sound, perfect for metal of all types. I ended up selling them as a pair because the head just didn't work for me and the buyer wanted them both. Otherwise, I would have kept the cab and used it with all of the other amp heads I ended up buying through the years. It is a shame I wasn't able to try it with other amps to see what it could really do. Knowing what I know now I would have bought it again. Overall, this is a good quality oversized cab that helped make a crappy solid state head sound useable.

by drkorey 4/15/11
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Randall RM100KH

« MTS Aggression »
This is an all tube 100 watt head. The power tubes have external bias points and allows the user to swap out to almost any power tube available such as el34, 6L6, 5881, KT66, KT77, KT88, and so on. I have zero tech skills, but with a $20 meter from radio shack, even I am able to swap tubes in and out with ease. One can set the bias "cold" or "hot" or anywhere in between. Matching tubes are not necessary, as each tube has separate bias controls for adjustments (unlike the rm50, rm20, or rt2/50). There is Presence and Density which yield hi end sizzle and low end thunder- very cool features. No built in reverb, but for me that is an acceptable omission. Loops available are series or parallel. Be aware, one must use a line level pedal in these loops. There is midi in/outs to communicate with most modern fx units. This amp is loaded with modern features. UTILIZATION Depending on the modules, the amp can sound Gain-Glorious to Misunderstood Mud. SOUNDS I am fortunate to have many guitars at my disposal; my favorite ones include a Gibson Les Paul Gothic studio, a 7string Epiphone Gothic LP, a Gibson Carved Top SG, and an Yngwie Strat. Modules are interchangeable. I've owned/played through the KH1,2,3 as well as most of the stock modules available. The best results come from the professionally modified modules emulating Cobra, Marshall DSL/800/JTM, Mesa Mark/ Rectifier Red & Orange, Orange Rockerverb, Fender Deluxe/Blackface/Bassman, XTC, Diezel, 5150, Engl,..... Depending on the modules, the amp can get mixed results. OVERALL OPINION The rm100KH is a fantastic amp. It is said to be similar to the rm100, but with added low end. I’ve had both amps and noticed the difference between the heads is not huge- especially when you can control low end thunder via the Density controls. I love having the ability to change out tubes. A quick swap of power tubes can change the whole vibe of the sound. Some may see this piece as only a Metal Amp, but don’t be fooled. Many times I’ve thrown in a Tweed module, grabbed a strat and enjoyed the bluesy tones that are delivered. The JTM provides a great jazzy tone. Metal? Yes, it’s there in spades. I’ve become spoiled by modded modules though- the module emulating Framus Cobra just flat out screams in this head. The stock modules give mixed reviews. The KH1 is a great “crystal” clean module- yet very clean; I don’t like the dirty cleans that come from this mod. The KH2 is old school 80s, throw an OD pedal in front and enjoy. The KH3 has lots more gain and plenty of low mids. A little too wholesome for my rhythm tastes, but makes an excellent lead module for solos. It has a splash of Mesa Mark in it- not a lot of chainsaw, but more smooth mids. If you’re buying an mts amp, the rm100KH is a great choice for aggressive rock/metal players. However, the increased cost of the head compared to an rm100 may not be worthwhile, as I find the heads to be very similar. In the end if you get some great modules, this amp will deliver the goods….just be aware that the stock KH mods may not be the best mods on the market.

by crankyrayhanky 3/20/11
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Randall RG50TC

Audiofanzine FR's review
(Originally written by davidsouslinux/translated from Audiofanzine FR) All-tube amp. 50 very loud watts. FX loop, two speaker outputs (4 and 8 ohms). Independent EQ per channel. Reverb... Two channels: clean plus dual lead (two very different sounds). Great if you like a big sound! I bought it in 2006... UTILIZATION You'll easily get a great sound! I never had such a good sound. No user's manual. Review from 2006... I've found better. But I like it anyway. SOUNDS Good amp for death and thrash metal, rock and grunge. The clean sound allows you to play jazz and blues... You can play everything with this amp from crystal-clear to extremely distorted and crunch and mellow overdrive. In short: perfect! I love every sound. The reverb doesn't have the same quality but it's enough to have fun. Update from 28 September 2007: This amp doesn't sound good with every effect pedal... I own a HM-2 and it sounds good only in the FX loop... Which is normal, the clean channel is not amazing... A bit dirty and the more I play it, the more I think about buying an amp with a better clean sound. But considering the price, this amp was an excellent choice, especially for a metal freak. Update, 2009: Don't expect a miracle... It's a good amp but it has a very typical Pantera sound and I would prefer a small JCM800... Oh and I heard it has a reverb somewhere...?! I'll keep looking... It's almost impossible to play jazz with this amp. But if you're not old and embittered like me, this amp is good to have fun playing Pantera^^ OVERALL OPINION I bought it June 2006. I've been owning it for few days and it's a true delight. I like everything about this product! (I would prefer a metal grid to protect the speaker better). I tried out a Marshall Valvestate, two Vox (AD50VT and AD15VT) and a Marshall MS-2. This morning I played an RG Prestige with a Marshall AVT 100W stack. And I received this amp this evening. I plugged my ibanez with SH8 pickups into it... and surprise: The sound was much better! (and my Ibanez looks more beautiful). A delight! Compared to Vox models, this amp sounds twice as better. Compared with the Marshall models it's ten times better! I'm very happy. Excellent value for money: you get tubes for the price of a solid-state amp. I love the warm and dynamic sound of this combo! I wouldn't hesitate to buy it again... If I had more money, I would buy a Randall stack... Scott Ian's stack for example... 28 September 2007: The amp broke and I'm not sure about it's reliability. It's pisses me off because I'm a fan of this amp (see my highly praising review) but I can't recommend it if it's not 100% reliable... Perhaps I'm unlucky. I will decrease the mark because of this. Update: I finally replaced the high-voltage fuse of the reverb tube and the amp worked again. I was worried without reason. So this amp seems to be a good deal... Good distortion. It's a bit like a 5150: fat distortion, crunch and average clean sound. The distortion sounds a bit British. I usually tune in B and this amp matches it perfectly. Update: This small Randall is only ok! I'm thinking about buying something else (quite normal after 5-6 years). It's ok if you want to have fun and play two gigs per year. If you want to record albums and play lots of gigs and if you have many fans, you'd better look into something else... A Marshall Plexi, a JCM800 , a Rectifier, a Peavey XXX, etc. Avoid losing your time with a small combo...

by Audiofanzine FR 3/16/09
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Randall RH 300 G3 Plus

Audiofanzine FR's review
(Originally written by hugues blanchon/translated from Audiofanzine FR) - Hybrid amp with one 12AT7 tube and mosfet circuitry. http://www.randallamplifiers.com/about/news/valvedynamic.asp (for more information) - This solid-state amplifier head produces 300 watts of power. - Connections: adjustable FX loop, line output and 4-input Midi footswitch. - Two separate channels plus master: - Claen channel: 3-band EQ (mid/bass/treble), boost, reverb control, volume control. - Lead channel: 3-band EQ plus sweep control and voicing switch, volume control, two gain controls (switchable). I give it an 8 because a perfect amp would have a third channel to get a good rock'n'roll crunch. UTILIZATION - The settings are not very easy for a beginner. With the sweep control, all the voicing possibilities, and the master and channel level controls the amp it can be a real pain in the beginning. - You'll easily get a good sound but to get an optimal sound, you'll need time... It has a pretty exaggerated low-frequency response so you'll have to control it (2-3 for clean sounds and 5 for distortion sounds... Otherwise, just play bass guitar...) Average dynamic response. I guess that has to do with the low-quality speaker... SOUNDS - I play in a black and death metal band and this amp is perfect for this sort of music... - I play a mahogany LTD Eclipse 500 with EMG pickups. I had the opportunity to try out the amp with a Schecter Hellraiser and the sound was also very good (even better in certain cases...) - The clean sound is well-defined and crystal-clear. Even though you don't get the character and warmth of a tube amp I still like it, but do enable the boost otherwise you'll get a poor dynamic range. - The distortion sound is good but difficult to shape: First of all, avoid "V" EQ settings if you want to cut through the mix, it's not a tube amp. For distortion sounds I set the high and mid controls to maximum (same sweep setting) and the bass and distortion controls to 5. With these settings I get a full and heavy sound, accurate and sharp for rhythm parts. The lead sound is clear and accurate but with a low dynamic range. - The amp is not versatile at all, it's conceived for heavy metal and nothing else. Don't except to get a typical ACDC or Guns and Roses sound, nor a good blues rock sound. The response is too clean and with a high-gain... - I hate hollow sounds with imposing lows (and this amp can produce enormous lows, especially using the voicing switch). I hate that heavy sound with no dynamics and nuances! - The main disadvantage of this amp is the lack of dynamics but that's due to the low-quality speaker... which I will replace with a good one! I give it a 7 because the amp is just alright, average. I will update this review when I change the speaker to solve the dynamic range problem. I will make another update after my first live gig with it... Update, 9 March 2009 It's a good idea to use a distortion pedal, the result is great. I wanted a less metallic sound, more vintage with stronger mids and character (I play in a melodic death and black metal band and the amp sounded too much like modern thrash metal or hardcore). I used it with my Electro Harmonix Metal Muff and the sound became more precise and clear (no more overemphasized lows), well-articulated, very accurate and with more warmth and character. I used the pedal with the clean channel so I could boost solo parts and strong passages for some songs. I haven't tested this setup with my band yet... OVERALL OPINION - I bought it in August 2008. - I like the sound character and the comprehensive controls even if some settings are useless. The amp has a poor dynamic response compared with an all-tube amp. - I previously tried out several other models: Randall RG50 (yuck!), Randall G2 (very good but discontinued), Randall RX (nice budget product), Peavey Valveking (I don't like the distortion sound), ENGL Screamer (amazing distortion sound but only one EQ section for both channels so it's impossible to get good clean and distortion sounds...) - Virtually unbeatable value for money in this category, especially if you need a good clean sound. - I don't know. If I had had more money I would have bought the Randall V2 amp head and a cabinet with V30 speakers!!!

by Audiofanzine FR 3/9/09
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Randall KH120RHS

Audiofanzine FR's review
(Originally written by Hantar/translated from Audiofanzine FR) First of all, I hesitated a long time before writing this review. Why? Because I read everywhere "solid state is bullshit, you're not a man if you don't use tubes"... My response to that would be "perhaps not"... It's only a question of what you are expecting and how much money you have. Indeed if we all had big salaries we would most probably buy a Mesa Dual Rectifier or Diezel amp. Having said that, I'll concentrate now on this 100-watt solid-state amplifier head and its 4x12" speaker cabinet (only sold together). UTILIZATION The clean sound is not bad and when you play loud enough with an adequate EQ setting it can also produce slightly overdriven sounds. Yes, you get a light crunch sound. It's a pity but both distortions are identical: same EQ, same volume, same presence. However, using the gain control you can achieve settings that produce very powerful sounds. The EQs on both channels are very effective and allow you to create richer sounds. Presence: not bad but it could (always) be better! The master volume control is very effective (in my apartment I don't turn it beyond 2.5) and the reverb effect is ok. Update about the footswitch: Contrary to what I had written before, it does allow you to switch between channels but it wasn't very clear to me in the beginning. The rear panel has two connectors labeled "OD1/OD2" and "Channel Reverb". I thought the second channel only allowed you to switch the reverb effect on/off (as its name implies). I was wrong. Plugging the footswitch into this connector gives you the possibility to control the reverb and to toggle between the clean and OD channel you previously selected. You can connect an additional single footswitch to the OD1/OD2 connector to toggle between both OD types (distortion channels). The manual doesn't have any information about this and I had to send an email to Randall to get an explanation. I'm not a beginner in the amp world but in this case I believe it wasn't very clear! The amp head has connectors for a 4 or 8-Ohm speaker. Ground Lift switch. FX loop (not yet tested), external input for playback sources like a MP3/CD player (not yet tested). The speaker cabinet is well manufactured and it is equipped with 12" Celestion Rocket 50s. I know they are not he best, but for this price you can't expect Celestion's top-range products. Nevertheless the sound is clear and they make a good impression. And with 200 watts you've got more than enough power. SOUNDS Some of you have compared it to a Laney in the same range. I tested it recently and found the KH-120 sounds definitely better, but it's all a matter of taste. FYI I'm playing with EMG 81/85, 81/81 and EMG-HZ active pickups and they give me a wide palette of sounds. I'm currently on the quest for a tube distortion (Blackstar), a MXR EQ and an ISP noise gate to get a more powerful sound and to warm up my transistors. A comprehensive set of effect pedals is good for those who don't want to get a multi-FX processor but still want to get a good sound either with headphones (yes this feature is rare on all-tube amps but it's very useful) or a speaker for rehearsals with a band. OVERALL OPINION I recommend all skeptics to test this amp... And I would be more than happy to receive anyone from Audiofanzine at my place (Denfert, Mazal) so that they can test the amp and I can get the opinion of a pro. For the money I paid it's very good and I think this Randall amp is a great tool to practice and have fun.

by Audiofanzine FR 1 11/4/08
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Randall RM 20 B

Audiofanzine FR's review
(Originally written by Cko74/translated from Audiofanzine FR) 20-watt all-tube amp. Connections: FX loop, Line Out, Footswitch Boost, External Speaker 8/16 Ohms, Guitar Input and a clever system to allow you to set the tubes bias. Controls: Gain, Volume, Boost Gain, Boost Level, Presence, Density, Treble, Middle and Bass. 3-way standby selector: Silent, Off, Live (I don't understand the difference between off and silent). On/Off switch. No effects, only one channel. This amp works with different preamp stages so you can exchange it in a few seconds. This model has only one module slot. I own the Ultra Lead module, my guitar is a Custom 77 China Girl CS2 (SG type) UTILIZATION Easy setting: just turn the controls to find your own tone. It was hard for me to find a "good sound" and I'm not totally satisfied yet. No user's manual was provided with the amp. SOUNDS The amp suits all styles from hard rock to heavy metal. The amp has no real clean sound even if you turn down the knobs on your guitar. It always has a hint of crunch (which I love ^^) and it is perhaps a bit too "fat" for blues. But I already knew I'd only have one channel when I bought it. I like the sounds of the preamp stage but would prefer a more bluesy tone. OVERALL OPINION Very good amp! Only critic: it's price. It's expensive even without preamp module! I recommend it if you have the money.

by Audiofanzine FR 11/4/08
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