Randall Century 200 Head

One of the older Randall solid state heads, I'm guessing from the late 80's, early 90's. It's got 2 channels with a sustain boost switch and a mid boost pull/push knob with reverb and a master volume. The footswitch is apparently hard to get ahold of, but I was lucky enough to have one. It has either channel 1 (clean, or slight dirt), channel 2 (heavy gain) or both channels.

Well, let me tell you first off. I bought this amp with the intentions of getting some Pantera/White Zombie tones. The clean channel was usable, but sterile to say the least. I threw a CH-5 Chorus pedal in the loop and it sounded great after that. As for the gain channel, it was ok, but not what everyone hyped this amp up to be. It had somewhat (very little) boosted mids to begin with, and the sustain boost switch just scooped em more and thickened it up to what I thought it should have sounded like (kickass), but that's where most amps today start off and it was just totally unacceptable. I A/B'd it with my RG150 head (compared the two because both SS) and hands down the 150 sounded much more brutal. It's the one with the onboard graphic EQ, which helped shape the sound, plus a mid knob and a mid lvl knob, so I could scoop the mids a bit but keep the vol high enough to cut through, which this amp didn't have. But again, it was good, but there is a reason Dimebag had to use all that other crap with it, because by itself it didn't do what he needed. Modern amps or even amps made a year or two after this one sound much better if your on a budget. I read the other review someone posted and it sounds nothing like it. This is the Century 200, not the II, but some people just get sucked into what they hear is a great amp and like it no matter how it sounds.

Got it from the previous owner in ok condition. I had to change the jacks (very flimsy) and clean the pots, but other than that she was in great working order.

Never called em about this one, and I doubt there's much they would be able to tell me about it if I needed it fixed.

I've been playing for about 7 years now. I've gotten way past the point where I wanted to play the same amps my hero's played, but I also like that SS chunk, so I got this thinking it would do it. It's a good amp, but there are a LOT better options out there for the money. I got my RG150 at the same time and liked that one to the Century 200 hands down. It was far more brutal, which is why I got these SS heads. To those of ya who put this one on a pedestel because Dime used it, remember, he wouldn't have needed all those EQ's and pedals if this amp had sounded great right outta the box. I assume if you have all that other stuff you'll get a closer sound, but I don't have the energy to get all that other stuff. The newer Randall MTS stuff and even this RG150 head I have sound incredible without needing the extra stuff. I checked out my local Randall dealer and they had enough cool stuff to get me a real amp. The new stuff is better than ever and has that razor gain to it that it didn't have since the early 90's. Check him out @ www.guitarmanny.com

Not sure on the year, but this thing is awesome...the 200II could NEVER measure up to it! 150 Watts Solid State. Presense & reverb controls, two footswitchable channels which can be used seperately or TOGETHER, both w/ gain, master control, & Sustain Boost, & there own seperate 3 band EQs. One gain knob pulls out to add brightness & the other for a mid-boost. 0db & +6db inputs on the front. Two 8 ohm speaker jacks, line out, effects loop, & reverb footswitch out.

I never use the mid boost on Gain 2, but I always use the two channels combines because it adds SO much body. Also never use the reverb because I have outboard units for that.

I use Ibanez RG570s w/ Bill Lawrence XL500s & Seymour Duncan SH-13s as well as Duncan '59s in the necks. I plug this head into two WH-4x12s.

For metal, this amp is King. You can also use the Gain 1 channel for very laid back overdrive. Gain 2 is naturally more distorted. Put them together & you've got a monster full of tone & air movement.

The "clean" (if you wanna call it that) channel can naturally distort using the gain knob as this is what it was designed to do, but I never use this amp clean...I combine the two gains & it sounds fantastic!

The distortion is just what you need to shape a brutal yet clean sound using PQ4s & other outboard signal processing. PLENTY of bottom end. The highs leave a bit to be desired but w/ a PQ4 & MXR 6-band, EVERYTHING on this head sounds beautiful. The distrtion is amazingly quiet for such high gain.

I just bought this head so I can't give an honest opinion on this as of yet.

It all depends...I've found two guys there that are extremely helpful to me...aside from them, everyone else there is just trying to make a sale. W/ the exception of the previously mentioned two guys, they all try to say that since the buy-out there products are even better.

This head proves otherwise...I've NEVER played another Randall, or any other brand for that matter, that can compare to the lethality this machine offers.

I've been playing for 13 yrs. & have way too much other gear to mention here.

I would kill if it were ever stolen.

I can't say I hate anything about this amp...other than the fact I have to replace the vintage logo w/ a new silver one just to match our onstage color scheme..lol.

I've tried every Randall head to date w/ the exception of a V-Max & X2...this thing beats them all IMO.

THIS is the head Dime used to record VDP & FBD...not the 200II which many people believe...I believed it myself, then I bought a 200II & it was wretched. IT sounded like it ALWAYS had a mid boost on...

...but the Century 200 has renewed my faith...at least for models made before the Oscar Schmidt/U.S. Sound take-over, I know that Randall cannot be beat for brutal old-school metal.