Krank Amplification

Two channel, footswitchable 120W head (4) 12AX7 tubes in the preamp (4) Sovtek 6550 tubes in the power amp Separate volume and 3 band eq sections per channel Footswitchable Master 1 and Master 2 controls Gain & Sweep control on Krank channel Global presence control, active effects loop, worldwide voltage use, ohm selector “Boost” on Kleen channel Footswitch included Custom tolex and grille options available UTILIZATION Unlike the original Revolution amp by Krank, the Rev+ is a lot easier to dial in. While the Krank channel is a little more tricky (due to the Sweep knob's interaction with the rest of the EQ), the Kleen channel is very straight-forward, and getting an awesome clean tone here is quick and easy. With the over-sized transformers and upgraded power section (5881s in the original to 6550s in the + version), this amp packs a HUGE punch. SOUNDS Having owned a ton of amps over the years (a few of them being Kranks), I can confidently say that this amp has the most unique sounding gain channel I've ever heard (in a good way). Honestly, I have no idea how to even begin describing this amp in terms of another, it doesn't really sound like anything I've heard before, which is great! If you want a unique sound, this thing definitely delivers with a whole different take on a mid range voicing! Krank seems to get a bad rap a lot online, but their newer series of amps they're putting out sound great! The biggest factor in getting a good tone out of the high gain Krank amps, is learning how to use the Sweep knob. The Sweep knob is the most powerful knob on Krank amps, and will make or break your sound. Usually, I keep mine at about 9:30 (on the o'clock scale), as I find that's the sweet spot for what I want out of it; however, the range of sweep on the Sweep knob (no pun intended!), is much more minimal on the Plus series, and the changes aren't nearly as drastic as they were in the previous version. This allows you to dial in a nice tone much quicker, with less settings resulting in a horrible tone. I'm a huge fan of 6550s, and they REALLY bring this amp to life. The Rev+ is clear, with an aggressive upper mid range and can just get downright brutal on the Krank channel. The voicing of this channel allows you to keep the gain set low, while still sounding ridiculously heavy and saturated, which in turn gives you masses of clarity. However, if you like tons of gain, it definitely has more than anyone could ever use on tap. Generally, I like to boost my amps with a Maxon OD-808, but usually only end up keeping the amps that sound great without it, this amp passes that test! While it does sound awesome with the gain rolled back and a boost up front, it's not needed, like it would be on something like a 3 Channel Mesa Recto, that will just sound like a sludgy mess if it's not boosted. The Kleen channel on the Rev+ is simply beautiful. While I kinda wish there was some reverb in the amp (it sounds a bit sterile by itself on the cleans), for the price this amp costs new (and used), it is probably one of the best, if not THE best, clean channel I've heard for a high gain amp in its range. Add some reverb in and you have a clean sound that rivals the best of the best. Kick in the Boost on this channel, and you get a nice grind to it that's great for mid gain tones! OVERALL OPINION Overall, the Rev+ is an awesome amp. While the Sweep knob may take some getting used to, it's certainly capable of some great, unique tones. I've actually owned (2) of these amps before, the original was shipped with 2 bad preamp tubes (I bought it used), and I initially hated it. Once I figured out that the reason it sounded under-gained and grainy, was because 2 of the tubes were dead, I replaced them, and it quickly became one of my favorite amps of all time. For anyone looking for a great high gain amp that's versatile, but doesn't compromise on the clean or lead channels, I would definitely recommend this amp!

I called Krank (www.krankamps.com) and talked to them about the new amp. I wanted a custom-made high-gain amp. I also got a custom-made 412 cabinet made out of solid wood. I had them both made for $2,000. That is an insane price for a boutique hand-made amp!!! 2 channels (Krank and Kleen). The Kleen channel is truly a clean channel, regardless of how loud you crank it up. Trying too hard will result in some serious hearing loss. Enough of the sissy stuff! The Krank channel is where it is at!!! This channel has 2 volumes. That means you can get rid of that boost pedal you were using for your solos. With the tone you get out of this channel, you won't want to use a distortion pedal of any kind! Each channel has its own FX loop. Just an added bonus:-) The cabinet is pretty heavy??? I can't think of anything I don't like, besides the weight. HIGHEST of QUALITY!!! I hear alot about amps being built like tanks. If that is so, I guess this amp would crush a tank. Built out of solid wood. Has a chrome grill on the head, as well as the cabinet. I play a variety of guitars, such as a LP custom, LP studio, Fender telecaster, Fender strat, Carvin DC400, Hamer Echotone, and many more. Each guitar has its own characteristics, and the Krank channel will definitely let them shine. I play music that covers every genre from dance-pop-punk-modern rock. Those of you who think Mesa Boogies are the amp of choice...you NEED to check this amp out. That is all that needs to be said! This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

The Krank Krankeinstein is Krank's flagship amp. It was originally made in conjunction with Dimebag, but he never truly used this on any recordings, if I recall correctly. They made a big deal about him using this and sent out all kinds of stuff to start some sort of viral ad campaign to get people to buy this and failed pretty horribly. The amp features four 6550 tubes and four 12AX7 tubes, has two channels, features separate EQs, an effects loop and a few other special features like footswitchable masters. UTILIZATION The amp takes a LONG time to dial in a decent tone. And when I say decent, I really mean usable. That's the key word with this amp. The presence knob on this thing goes way too high, and the gain is nearly unusable at certain points. It's also kinda noisy, so you'll want to run a gate with this. Be aware of certain super positive ads with these amps as some of them may be from Krank employees. There was a big scandal on a certain forum where people found out Krank employees were writing false reviews to get people to buy these amps. SOUNDS The sound is awful. Really, it's that simple. You have to play with this thing a ton to get anything decent out of that, and you're better off spending your time playing through something else. The gain on this amp is stupid in that it goes so high that you can't even fully utilize all of it. The knobs also tend to all turn too extreme. Keep the presence and whatever else knob it was fairly low, and you can get a usable tone out of it. The clean channel is also nothing to brag about. OVERALL OPINION This is one of the worst amps I ever played. It was super buzzy and sounded just like they used to describe it -- bacon sizzle. It's thin, harsh and noisy. I recommend people avoid this amp like the plague as it sounds nothing like Dime's sound and really can't do a great tone to save its life.

The Krank Chadwich is Krank's take on the JCM800. It's a two channel amplifier that has a dedicated tone stack for each channel and a few mini push switches to help change its voicing. It also features an effects loop, optional ohmage for certain cabs, comes loaded with 5881 tubes and has a few 12AX7 tubes. UTILIZATION The tone stack layout and everything is laid out nicely. Anybody can plug into this and get a decent sounding tone right away. The layout is intuitive, and the switches help extend the versatility of this amp. There's no manual needed for these as it's really self explanatory. However, I'm not a fan of the way Krank markets things and has people do their reviews for them. Be aware of certain reviews that aren't telling the truth about their products; the company has been known to have employees write reviews. SOUNDS The sound is honestly mediocre. The clean channel is decent, but it lacks some good character that so many other amps have. The mini toggle switches help give it some versatility, but it needs something more. The gain channel doesn't have much gain for a Krank, and it's kinda thin sounding. When you boost it, it starts to sound a lot better, but it still doesn't sound anywhere near as good as a JCM800. If you're looking at one of these, you're probably better off checking out some sort of actual Marshall OVERALL OPINION If you're thinking about buying one of these, at least check it out in the store first. Some people might assume that, because it's a Krank, it'll have tons of gain. It really doesn't, and the sound isn't nearly as good as a cranked JCM800 is. The clean channel is mediocre, and the gain channel is just as mediocre. That said, it's probably the best sounding Krank out of their entire lineup.