New Amp: Bad Cat Cub 40R Player's Series

So I had a few hundred bucks in Musicians Friend credit that had to be spent on something - I acquired this by buying used gear from GC via the MF website, but they caught on to that and stopped awarding points for used gear, and to make matters worse, I couldn’t use my points on more used gear. I don’t buy many brand new things, so I had some trouble deciding what to do, so I started skimming the Open Box equipment at MF.

I had previously been interested in Bad Cat amps, after trying to buy one on three separate occasions from GC, all of which were cancelled without notification (seems to be a common move by GC). I’d also considered just hunting down a VOX AC15 or AC30 - I really just wanted that classic, British flavored clean amp that wasn’t another Marshall.

This Bad Cat 40R popped up on open box for a good discount, and after watching some reviews and reading about them online, I decided to pull the trigger. The amp arrived, with the only clear damage to the front plexiglass logo which was coming completely off of the amp.

I try not to get overexcited when it comes to good gear, in the same way that I try not to be overly critical of gear I don’t like, but this amp deserves a lot of praise. The quality, fit, and finish is all excellent, and even the digital reverb sounds fantastic. The amp itself has both a traditional 12AX7 as well as a unique EF86 preamp (much like famous VOX and Matchless amps, as well as other boutique makers), and this can be footswitched. There is also a fat mode, also footswitchable, which can be used on either preamp mode. So even though it is not technically a channel switcher, the underlying texture and feel to the amp can be adjusted via footswitch very well - I’d consider the EF86 with Fat Off to be one of the best clean to mid-gain tones I’ve ever heard out of an amp.

The fat mode is very interesting because it also adds quite a bit of treble brightness that cuts - really good for a lead line or a snappy rhythm tone. I think one of the best things about this amp is that it really makes pedals in front sound incredible. At the moment, I have a daisy chain of overdrives - an Ibanez TS7, Boss SD-1, Klon Centaur clone, and a Fulltone OCD clone, and each of them has an awesome rendering through this amp. On top of that, switching between 12AX7 and EF86, and fat mode on/off, changes that core texture to the tone which is then accentuates whichever overdrive is turned on. Every good tone needs a good foundation and it is hard to think of many amps that do this better.

I also think it’s worth mentioning that I called Bad Cat one afternoon after the amp arrived and actually spoke to John Thompson, the designer and founder of Bad Cat Amps - he just picked up the phone like it was any other day. That’s impressive for a company that has grown in size and success, I’m not sure if even I would do that if I owned a company. He and I talked about tones, interesting albums, and how great I thought his amp was and some of his thoughts behind the design of it - really just an enjoyable conversation. I asked if I could buy a replacement logo to fix mine, and they actually sent one out to me free of charge, something I really didn’t expect and I would’ve happily paid for the logo piece or at least the shipping - really above and beyond as far as interactivity and I’d point to Bad Cat as one of the premiere examples of a company that is really in touch with their customers both before and after the purchase, something that seems less and less common these days. So hats off to John and his team at Bad Cat for the great experience, and on top of that a truly superb amp that completely exceeded my expectations, all I really wanted was a VOX-y clone and it is so much more than just that. John also mentioned he has a few vintage Marshalls - and I’ve heard some clips of amps like the Lynx and Hot Cat, and I have to admit those are very much on my radar at the moment, if they are half as good as this one they will be top tier amps.

New Amp: Orange OR50 - Wow!

I’ve had the Thunderverb, Rockerverb, and Dual Dark for a while now - each has its own thing going, all are pretty modern sounding flavors and I love having the option of playing any of them. People have been telling me to try a single channel Orange like a recent OR50/OR100, or a vintage OR80/OR120. I thought to myself, “how much better could they be?”

Well I am here to say that now that I have gotten an OR50 in my hands, I can’t understate just how good this amp is. I thought the Thunderverb was my favorite of the bunch before, because it did classic tones better. That’s still true, but the OR50 just knocks that one out of the water. Like other single channel, no compromise amps, it lacks a lot of comforts that modern channel switchers have, no effects loop for example, but it certainly makes up for it in tone.

The thing that surprises me the most about this one, is that its core tone and voicing is surprisingly similar to the Dual Dark, when the DD’s mids are turned up. Although the OR50 has a bit less gain, it still has a ton - much more than the Thunderverb - but it also cleans up better than any of the others. Putting the gain right at noon is an amazing edge of breakup sound, one or two notches higher and we’re in classic rock territory. One or two notches lower and it’s crystal clear clean - truly amazing. In fact, I wish I had two, with an ABY switcher, because that would be an incredibly rig all on its own.

I have to mention one of the things that gives this amp so much depth is the “punch” control. This behaves like a presence control but it’s hard to describe, because it doesn’t feel that simple. Maybe it’s a placebo effect or I’m just hearing things, but it sounds like there is more going on - without adjusting the gain at all, even the tiniest adjustment to this control, especially in the mix, can make a tone go from smooth, muted, sludgy, or bright, clear and cutting. With the gain turned up high, this control alone can turn this amp into a 70s fuzz monster, or the turned the opposite direction, into a cutting modern metal tone - and it has a 3-band EQ after that for even further adjustment. I’ve tried some non-traditional settings - ex. turning the treble to max but the punch way down - and gotten some truly incredible sounding and unique tones that I just can’t wait to use for something.

I know it’s still no classic OR80/120 sound, but I really didn’t think it got much better when it came to Oranges until I got this one. This has become one of my most played and most treasured amps - one of the last ones that will ever leave my collection that’s for sure. Next, I need to get my hands on an AD30…

New Amp: Hiwatt DR103 Reissue in Red Tolex

I’ve always been curious about the Hiwatt sound - like many others, I’ve heard it constantly on famous rock records and it’s hard to talk about Hiwatt without also talking about Led Zeppelin. These amps are famous for being extremely loud, and clean - really with a unique tonestack and circuit design that gave them very interesting overdrive characteristics.

My first introduction to HIwatt in person was actually a Lead 50R from the 80s. I was pretty new to playing guitar back then and wouldn’t know good tone if it slapped me in the face, but I remember liking the sounds I got out of that amp’s lead channel a lot. There’s quite a bit of fog surrounding Hiwatt going into the 80s era, and sadly I have yet to play another Lead 50R for comparison.

My understanding however, is that the Lead 50R is not the true Hiwatt sound - so I hunted down DR103’s and DR504’s until I came across this very interesting one. This amp was made by “Music Ground” in Doncaster in 2005, and there is some dubious history around this era. Apparently, Music Ground was caught selling and storing stolen guitars, along with rampart rumors of counterfeit amps and so on. That controversy aside, this DR103 sounds, plays, and feels just like a Hiwatt should.

I’ve been told that Hiwatts are loud, I really didn’t expect it to be quite like this - I’ve been told that JCM800’s are loud, yet I can sit here and play my 800 in comfort all day in my home studio. This Hiwatt however can really not be tamed, even with the built in master volume. That true Hiwatt sound - power tube distortion in its purest form - is just not achievable in my tiny space, which is too bad. That said, I can see why these are so well loved - it’s one of the most clear and neutral pedal platforms I’ve ever played through, and the one change I had to really open it up (I stood down the hall with a long cable) I could hear that great, classic tone. Perhaps an attenuator is due to really experience all this amp has to offer in a studio setting - probably required for playing out too at least at any normal sized venue.

New Amp: Marshall Vintage Modern 2466

These always intrigued me, but having owned a “real” plexi like the 1987x and choosing that over the JTM45 type Marshalls, I never made this amp a priority. Well that was a mistake!

I expected it to only do a JTM45/100 approximation, and a mediocre one at that but I am pleasantly surprised. The body and detail controls allow a lot of fine tuning to the sound - just like jumpering the inputs of a Plexi or JTM - but in “high dynamic range” mode engages another pair of tube gain stages what push it into that coveted “modded” territory. While it’s no modern ultra-high gain monster, it’s surprisingly aggressive sounding, the mid boost is very effective at thickening it up for classic sounds, and like all bright Marshalls it excels when boosted too. Of course, it is still focused on the more classic JTM style sounds, so its voicing lends itself more towards those tones and it can be very loose in the bass response compared to more modern cascading gain designs. That means it isn’t a replacement for a high gain Marshall style amp on its own, since it requires pedals to get there, but it excels at classic low to mid gain rock and gets dirty enough for early metal styles too.

I’m looking forward to doing a few more comparisons between this and my 1987x, and 2203. It’ll be interesting to see which I like the most.

New Amp: Splawn Modded 1987x Plexi

I’ve always loved my Splawns - starting with the 2008, then adding a 2018. Once I got the 2006 though, I was blown away, and I was much more interested in trying out some of the older revisions of the circuit. I happened across this Marshall 1987x modded by Splawn, dating to 2003, and I had to find out.

The core tone is classic Splawn, with thick mids, and it retains the same bright cut as my 2006 Quickrod. It does have noticeably less bass response compared even to the 2006 - which itself is less bassy than the 2008 and in turn the 2018’s I’ve had. It’s cool to see how over time, more and more bass was added to the tone as players tune lower and lower.

Despite lacking the modern super-deep bass thing, it does have a killer core tone, perfect for 80s hard rock and metal. It has a footswitchable rhythm mode and solo boost, but lead is obviously the focus of this amp. The only negative I can say is that just like all of my other Splawns, the gain control is really more of a “suggestion” and panning it from 3 to 7 is hardly any different, adding a little more compression but not drastically affecting the tone. Couple that with the somewhat odd, Splawn signature mids voicing and it’s really not able to cover classic plexi crunch tones, despite what the head shell might indicate.

New Amp: Ceriatone King Kong 50

I’ve been looking for one of these on and off since the Chupacabra first hit the scene almost a decade ago. I really should’ve ordered one way sooner - but something about waiting 6-8 weeks bothered me. That was a pretty dumb attitude to have because I waited far more than that to get one, and I frequently saw them listed for sale for nearly brand new prices.

I finally located one - priced less than a brand new one - so I jumped on it. I have to say, I am extremely impressed. This may be one of if not the best amp in my entire collection. It can be dialed so many different ways and can really authentically capture classic Marshall tones, flip a few switches and it’s into 80s metal territory or further which is perfect for me. I’m very impressed with this amp and it is certainly a keeper. I think it’s time I looked at a few other Ceriatone models - the DZ30 and AH50 Deluxe both really pique my interest.

New Amp: Marshall 2555x Silver Jubilee Reissue... again

I felt that I didn’t really give his amp a proper chance, so here I am trying it again… and at a better price than I paid for the first one as an added bonus!

My first impression is that it’s very meh through my vintage G12T-75’s, which I love for most things. However, it comes alive through Vintage-30’s…. no surprise there as it was designed with that speaker in mind and Jubilee cabinets come equipped with those from factory.

I’ve since rewired my cabinet so I no longer have the G12H-100 connected that I initially played this amp through the first time I had one. I still think that’s a great speaker and I’ll have to try it back to back with the V30’s and see how it performs with this amp. The more I collect amps, the more I am finding that certain amps just don’t get along with certain speakers.

New Amp: 2x Marshall JCM900 Mk III - 50w and 100w

Two lovely new Marshalls arrived this week - a pair of JCM900 Mk III’s. I have had the model 2501 for a while (50w Mk III 1x12 combo), and love it, but I’ve been trying to get away from combo amps and keep the heads instead. I spotted a Mk III for a good price on Guitar Center’s listings, so I pulled the trigger. Then the very next day, another one, this time even cheaper! I figured I could return the other one if necessary, so I ordered that one too.

The first one arrived and ended up being a 2500 model, 50 watter. It’s in pretty rough shape both externally and has a loose tube socket rivet, which makes it a big question mark even at the price I got it for… I have some time in the return period to decide. I’ve already spent some time cleaning it up and it does sound great, however.

The second arrived a day later, a 2100 model, 100 watter. I have no preference between 50w and 100w, but since I have the SL-X and a 100w JCM800 2203, I think it’d be cool to have all three of them in 100w form, even if just for the sake of comparison. This one is much cleaner condition wise - hardly any rust at all. On a closer inspection, this head shell has been recovered - a few spots lifting on the back but overall a quality tolex job though it doesn’t match the factory Marshall material. The main pause on this unit is the grid resistors for the power tubes clearly burned out internally - there are some burn marks on the PCB and it has had a professional repair internally - the resistors are now mounted directly to the power tubes like a vintage Marshall would have done. A fuse was also moved to a holder for easier replacement - overall good modifications though I wish the scarring inside weren’t so visible, just for the sake of possibly selling it on later.

After some extensive A/B testing, the 50w is brighter but punchier, but overall I think the 100w has a slight edge on the tone - but that might also be related to the replaced/new components internally (it also has several new caps - I checked the values and they are the same as the factory schematic) which warm it up a bit more. The jury is still out on these two but I’m leaning towards keeping the 100w and sending back the 50w, and someone who appreciates these will get a good deal on it.

New Amp: Kasha Rockmod 50 Head

I spotted this online for what seemed like an incredible price for a USA made boutique amp with top of the line components. I’ve had a few smaller name amps and been really blown away by them (PWE) and some that were awful (Kruse) so I really didn’t know what to expect here.

I know it’s a cliche, but all I can say is “wow!” This is a great sounding amp, really amazing tones. Channel 1 is a very full sounding clean tone, not too sparkly but reminds me the Normal channel on a plexi. Channel 2 is crunch, and with the gain about half does a great single channel JCM800 impression with a lot of brightness and grit just like the real one sitting only a few feet away. Channel 3 is the highlight for me, of course, as a fan of high gain tones. It keeps the same core tone going from the previous channel, but now you have a standard “gain” control as well as one titled “post” which effectively is a saturation control. Tweaking these two controls back and forth already results in a variety of great tones before even touching the EQ. Count me a big fan of this amp, and it looks great with so many tubes inside through the mesh front panel, and the HUGE Mercury Magnetics transformers inside.

Another really awesome feature, which I can’t wait to play around with more, is a switch on the front panel called “OT,” short for Output Tubes. It allows you to select from A or B right on the front panel - and all tubes are running so you can switch while playing and really hear the differences between them. Basically, you can put in two different pairs of power tubes, say 6L6 and EL34, and swap between them. Currently, it has a pair of 6550’s and a pair of EL34’s, and it’s very cool to hear the differences between those. This is what I expected from the Egnater Renegade, but was disappointed in the preamp section of that amp even though the blendable power section was cool. While the Rockmod doesn’t allow me to blend the two tube types, the preamp section is fantastic so I’m totally happy with this feature.

New Amp: Mesa Triple Crown TC-50 Head Gold Tolex

I’ve been occasionally looking for good deals on Mesa amps to add to my collection lately, and after acquiring a Mark V (and being thrilled by it) I started to look at some of other models in the range. I’m covered on Rectifiers, but I have little to no experience with the Electradyne, Royal Atlantic, and Triple Crown models. From what I understand, these share a similar architecture and design ideology.

After spotting a TC-50 on Guitar Center’s used listings for a very good price - and an interesting color I couldn’t quite place (it looked creme to me in the pictures), I snagged it.

Instead of creme or tan like I expected, it’s GOLD tolex! Combined with the carbon fiber front (both top and bottom) and gold piping, it’s quite the striking look. I’m pleased that it’s a bit of a darker gold, so its not too flashy or bright like “gold tolex” would lead you to believe.

I’ve already spent some time dialing it in and my first impressions are good, but not mind blowing. As with any amp, I think it’s important to spend some time with it, try different speakers and settings, as well as guitars, so anything I say below could change as I get more time with it. The spring reverb is fantastic though - no complaints there.

The drive channels sound a bit like a Mark series amp, especially with the “tight” switch turned on, but the EQ structure is different - more like dialing a Marshall amp. Set to the “normal” setting, it gets a little flubbier in the bass but also fuller - really akin to a rectifier style amp. The “tight” switch does not only affect the bass though, it adds some hair and midrange grit to the tone as well - it’s really more accurate to call it a “voicing” switch than anything else. The tone flows nicely from Channel 2 to 3, you can keep the same core tone and change EQ, gain, or volume and it still sounds like the same amp, which is a plus. The Mark V can be a bit of a “3 amps in one box” whereas the TC50 is definitely just “one amp with 3 gain levels.”

The Cleans and “drive” mode on the clean channel are superb right off the bat - it’s the drive channels that will take a little more time to get along with. With the presence dialed back, or alternatively the treble down and presence up, it is easy to dial a great classic rock crunch on this channel, or a full sounding dirty clean.

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