Randall Pro-Tube 1000 II Head

This is an early-mid 80's 50w all tube head. It has 5 preamp tubes and 2 tubes in the power section, with a switch for 6L6 or EL34 bias. I have not taken it appart, but I believe it's a fixed bias.

It has 2 channels (footswitch controlled), effects loop. A range of controls with pull switches for different voicings. Built in reverb tank. It is a pretty straightforward amp and easy to get a balsy aggressive sound out of. It has all of the features you need for this.

I use this amp to play progressive metal in drop B tuning. Although it is "only" 50 watts, this head is loud as hell! It blows stuff up! It's ridiculous, and I am used to loud amps (120w Ibanez Thermion head, Mesa Dual Rec, etc).

I purchsed this used but heavily tweaked- it has a mix of Mesa and JJ's/Eurotubes in the preamp section and JJ's 6L6 tubes in the power section. Part of the reason I was sold on this particular head was because of the JJ's in it. I've used them in other applications and they are by far my favorite tube.

It sounds killer running through my Marshall 1960A 4x12 cab. It's a monster for metal- I wouldnt use it for any other style. The aggressive, explosive, crunchy gain channel is not lacking in any way. For $300-400 used and hot-rodded with some good tubes, I'd put this next to any stock $1000+ Marshall or Mesa head.

It's lasted about 25 years so far (2 of which I used it regularly) and has no problems. The Randall logo came loose but I superglued it back on. The markings on some of the knobs are getting a little light. Aside from that, 25yo head seems to have held up great.

I've never dealt with the company and would rather not if I had to! The company doesnt seem to support this amp at all anymore with no schematics available, etc. It is cool how Randall is kind of making a comeback these days, most likely adding value and interest to vintage heads like these.

I have been playing for 11 years and started out with a jam band/alternative type of style, moving on to technical/progressive metal in drop B tuning. I've used a range of amps and various tube amps. I've owned some smaller Randall solid state heads from the mid-90's and enjoyed the crisp clean clean and Tool (Aenema)gain tones on them, which was why I gave this head a shot. If you can find one of these *rare* vintage heads for under $400 it would be a steal. I've only seen this head once on Ebay in the last year.

2 channel 50watt head EL34 OR 6L6, 4 12AX7'S and 1 12at7, one master volume, effect's loop, 1/3 power switch, dosen't do much but suck up the bass, standby switch is a bonus!

I've played with this amp the past 6 month's before posting here, The #1 problem I had in getting a good sound from this amp is the output tube's were way under-biased stock, it didn't matter what tube's I used EL34 or 6L6 it sounded muddy to me, after a quick check of plate voltage "500v on this one" I found the bias way cold, I set the bias to the maximum of 25ma then slowly turned it down untill it started sounding muddy again, I ended up with 20ma at 500v. the good new's is this amp lay's down some major smack!the lowed end stay's solid up too 90% on the bass knob at about 2/3 power, it's masive!! the best I have ever heard, the distortion is unbeliveable I never use more than 50% of it! the tone is unlike any other I've heard kinda a cross between a Marshal and a Mesa Rectofier but more of it. I use a Strat and a Dean ML both loaded with DiMarzio drop sonic's and I got my sound, with the 6L6's the clean channel will serve up a good blue's tone but nothing special. For high gain wonder land with masive amount's of bass, I have yet to hear better so it get's a 10 for producing "my sound"

No major problem's to report except the bias adjustment, there is an adjustment pot on the circut board for this, the chassis has to be removed to get to it and you have to be around some very high voltage's 500v +, I strongly recomend checking or haveing the bias checked, but if your not sure how to do it DON"T!!!! THE VOLTAGE'S ARE LEATHAL!!!!

haven't needed

I've been playing 25+yr's, this is the best sounding Metal amp I have ever heard. I would be looking for another one if this was lost or stolen, I bought it because it has 5 preamp tube's "lot's of gain" and the price was right, I wish it had two master's. this thing is loud !!! for 50watt's! maximum grind!

It's 2 channel amp with and effects loop, 1/3 power switch and 6L6/EL34 bias switching.

The clean is fairly good. The gain has a really strange voice to it with a strange low mid frequency cut that's hard to get rid of. It has tones of gain on tap almost to the point of it being unuseable. I'm using it with a Boss GE-7 in the effects loop to fix the "missing mids" problem. It configured in the "frown" shame and it changes the amp completly giving it a strange (but very useable) marshall/boogie mix. An eq in the loop is a must for this amp.

This thing is tough!

It's a pretty damn good amp for the price. I run it in stereo with my Marshall JMP 2204 just to add the bottom end and gain the JMP's don't have. This it excells at :)

I wouldn't spend a lot of money on this amp but for the price paid, I really couldn't go wrong.

Manufactured in the early 90s. 2 channels (clean and brutal) and an EQ for each along with a loop and reverb. This beast came stock with 2-6L6s, 4 12AX7s and one 12AT7 as a phase converter. I experimented with several different power and pre-amp tube changes and discovered that the tones really don't change that much. The tone appears to be driven out of the pre-amp stages. It is very loud for a 50 watt amp. I even replaced the 6L6s with THD Yellow Jackets and JJs EL-84 power tubes and this thing still blows you out of the room. I purchased the head with the matching White Randall 4x12 stereo cab equipped with Celestion V30s and it does sound nice.

I play a Fat Strat and Guild Bluesbird(both customized with high output pups). This is a metal amp. I also own a Mesa Triple Rectifier Stack. The gain is comparable but, lacking in sweet harmonics. I replaced the stock 6L6s with THD Yellow Jackets (JJs EL-84s) hoping to drop the volume and to be able to crank up the master at a managable Db. Nope.... This puppy is still as loud as it was before the mod. I definately prefer the Mesa to this amp. However, I only paid $300 bucks for the half stack. Can't beat it. It is my living room amp. I use it to practice on and I play my Mesa Live. My chops have really come a long way with this method. The distortion is brutal but sound almost solid state (unlike the Mesa). I have tried several different pre-amp tubes but, they all sound pretty much the same.

RE: The score... I don't give 10s on anything unless it makes me sound like a GOD. No problems thus far.

never needed it.

Good for Heavy stuff. Good for clean stuff. Just not GREAT for either. It is a jack of all trades but master of none.

I bought my Randall PT-1000 II Head in 1995, for about $500. It was brand new. I traded my 1960 Marshall lead cab straight across for the matching RS412 Straight cab. I play downtuned rap-rock with a touch of world music. I tune down to around A#. The amp definitely fits my music style. I replaced the Randall tubes (both 12AX7s and EL34s) with first Groove Tubes (which I hated), and then settling on Mesa Boogie tubes. I installed the 5 12AX7s and then Mesa 6L6 STR-427 power tubes. I recommend the 427s because the 430 are fat West Russia tubes, and are super low-end in keeping. I have the sound between a Marshall JCM2000 DSL100 and a Mesa Single Rectifier. The Mesa tubes definitely compressed my sound somewhat..perfect for tight rhythms. Overall I love my amp! I dislike the effects loop, as it dampens the basic signal and in particular the low end. I only use three stomp boxes, and with Monster Cable, the amp clearly gets my signal. Nice thick, heavy sound. Great for the detuned stuff. 55 watts is a little low on the power side, but I will correct that soon.

Distortion is hella brutal, although at times my gain control does not even seem to utilize the power efficiently. The amp is not noisy at all, even when using my beater guitar, a Squier Tele with Texas Specials. Clean channel is nice, warm sounding...what you would expect from 6L6s. My main axe is an Epi LP Custom with Duncans, and I use my heavy settings as follows: Bass-9, Mids-4, Treble-7or8. Gain on 8. Nice thick, and when I brought my amp to work to test it through the Randall Warhead 2x15's..it shook the floor more than the Warhead amp!!!!
This amp sounds best when volume is between 3-5. After that it gets kinda cardboard thinner...not like a Marshall. Like I said, it suits the heavy stuff. No blues. Works well with Line 6 POD. I tried my friend's POD through it, and the power pushed the amp models well.

Very dependable. In the last 5.5 years I have had this thing, it never faultered at a gig. After I had my Digitech RP10 stolen in 96 was only then when I discovered how potent the distortion was. It has never broken down. Had to resolder the input jack...but that was from someone busting the cable end inside. The Mesa tubes helped though. Use matched, biased, color grouped sets...not single pack Sovteks...they will screw up the amp sound.

I deal with the company from work, but that's all. I have no need to contact them about my amp since the majority of the Randall line is solid state now. They wont answer my e-mails I sent them , though.

I have been playing for about 8 years now. I use mainly Epiphone axes, with Duncans of course. Monster Cable hooked...I have a Phase 90 and a DOD envelope filter. i am not big on too many effects. I had a Rocktron replifex, but that thing was too weird, plus I sounded like some fusion dude. Not my style. I wish my Randall had an adjustable level on the loop...very vital for different sounds.
I am the guitarist for Zero Fingers, a Las Vegas rapcore group. Representin' Sin City in all its glory.

Don't have a clue when it was made...prob early 90's. All the features previously listed except this is the head version. 2 6L6's or EL34's, with a bias switch to select between them. 1/3 power switch which robs ALL of the bottom end when selected. 2 3-band EQ's - One for clean only and one master EQ. Looks like it should have come with a footswitch, but I got this at a pawn shop for $225, so I did not get one. Reverb, effects loop, all the standard stuff...It gets a 9 in features because it seems to have every feature you would want in a head except dry/wet blend, and a headphone jack (which you don't usually get on a tube amp anyway!)

I play every kind of style imaginable, except country or rap. I normally use a mexo-lefty strat with EMG-SA's, and a digitech valve-fx processor. Since I don't need the dirty channel, it suits me fine. As stated by the other reviewers, the dirty channel sounds horrible at low volume, but fills out well when fully cranked. I like the fact that the clean channel goes through two three-band eq's, so you can dial in tons of bottom end to fill out the thinness of single coils. If you want blues tone, get a pedal or processor though, because this one doesn't seem to do it too well naturally. Probably would do country chicken-picken pretty well though. I played this side-by-side with my cousin's 5150 head, and the 5150 blew it away as far as deep chunky bottom end goes, but that amp costs a great deal more than this one, and has over twice the power as well as twice the power tubes. If you can afford it, get a 5150. They sound better than any boogie, marshall, or fender you will ever hear. But if you are on a budget like me, you can't beat the price on this one. It sounds a great deal better after I replaced the stock Randall tubes with Groove 7025's in the preamp, and MESA STR-420 6L6's in the power amp. It originally had those mid-happy EL-34's in the power section. The sound rating is taking the price into consideration...better blues tone and better low-volume distortion and it would have gotten a 10

seems reliable....I don't gig so I can't comment on its roadworthiness. Everything seems to work on it. It is probably ten years old and still had all the original tubes in it when I got it. None of the knobs are scratchy sounding, so that should say something about it's reliability.

Randall is owned by washburn now, and no longer produces tube amps. In fact, I think all they make are the dimebag signature amps and some small cheezy practice amps. I doubt you could get any support whatsoever out of them regarding this amp...

I've been playing off and on for about 5 years. I have a lefty yamaha bass, a peavy tnt115s bass amp, a valvefx processor, and the previously mentioned strat. My cousin also tested this amp with his stock SG, and concurs with me on the sound ratings. Once again, the overall rating relies heavily on the price you will pay for this amp in a pawn shop or from daddy's used gear. If you have more to spend on an amp, I would HIGHLY recommend the Peavey 5150. It blows this thing away in almost every aspect.