New Guitar: 1988 Kramer Pacer Custom 2 Holoflash

I know I already have a Holo-Crackle Pacer, but I saw this one and found it particularly enticing. It is an aftermarket holoflash job, as the serial number is slightly too early for this finish, and you can ever so slightly feel the texture of the holoflash film on the top (factory holoflash jobs were under enough clear coat that it feels perfectly smooth). That said, it looks great and is a pro job, so I’m pleased.

Another stand out from this one is the neck - I’ve had 12th fret inlay necks many times, but this one is in really tip top condition and as such the guitar plays beautifully. The factory pickup combination of JB + SSL-5’s also sound great, as expected, which makes this a great guitar to just pick up and rock out while looking really awesome.

New Amp: Marshall JCM900 4100DR Reissue

I’ve heard very little in the way of good reviews of the “dual reverb” series of JCM900 amps, but after picking up an SL-X and then later going through multiple Mk III’s, I really just had to find out for myself. I missed the boat on picking up 900DR’s for $300 or $400 on craigslist, but when this one popped up on Guitar Center’s used section - and even better, a nearly brand spanking new Reissue model - for not much more than a 20 year old one, I couldn’t resist.

That said, I’m not afraid of an old amp, and I understand components and suppliers may have changed since the original run, but this amp will sound 95% the same as an original run. I’m not going to pay the $2900 (!!) these cost new, but for 900 bucks, I really couldn’t turn it down.

Okay, so now it’s in my hands… and how to put it tactfully…. I am not a fan of this amp. It’s bright, lacks punchy bass, and just overall falls flat next to the SL-X, 2203x, and 2210 that share the shelf with it right now. What it does do incredibly well however is that raspy 90s punk powerchord thing - which it does nail perfectly. Of course there are ways to make it sound better, such as an EQ in the loop, or a boost pedal in the front and the gain on the amp turned down. I’ve also read that disconnecting the diodes can improve the sound, but I really think from looking at the circuit that it’s more of an EQ issue than anything specific to the diodes - my 2210 is one of, if not my absolute favorite amp and that has diodes too.

Now I don’t want to sound too harsh, it’s a fine amp for that specific sound that it does, it’s just not a sound I would choose for myself. It’s aggressive and bright, but I can see why these were so lamented, especially since I have a 2ch Mesa Recto here too, it’s direct competition at the time, and that amp is superior even for mid-gain sounds, which neither of these amps were really designed for. Still, I’m holding onto it because it does complete the collection - with this amp I now have every main line Marshall head in recent memory, and it’s very useful for comparison and context on how circuit designs changed over time - this was an extremely innovative amp design wise for its time.

New Guitar: 1982 Kramer Pacer Deluxe

Found this one for a really reasonable price, which is getting harder and harder these days as the value of Kramers seems to be finally realized in the market. I expected a good, quality instrument - as I do any Kramer - but upon arrival, I have to say this one really blew my socks off.

The condition is superb, clearly the previous owner really cared about this guitar. It came in the original case, also in great condition, and with the original electronics, pots, and switches inside. The guitar itself has had the pickups swapped out and the coil tap switch removed, I would’ve left it but I have no complaints as I can restore it any time I like.

A few more signs that this was so well taken care of too - the entire control cavity under the pickups is completely shielded with copper tape, and the lower floyd stud (a notorious break point on these Deluxe models) is in perfect condition, the paint isn’t even cracked. Even the fretboard is nicely oiled and one of the healthier looking Rosewood boards I’ve gotten from any used guitar.

It is also equipped with some tasteful mods, like a Trem-Setter and a very interesting pickup arrangement, with a Duncan TB-15 “Alternative 8” and two Fender American single coils. The Alternative 8 is very unique sounding, bright and scooped - a bit different from my usual preference, but I’ve grown to really like this pickup especially with more “congested” sounding amps.

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.

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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.

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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.