Hughes & Kettner

The all-tube TUBE 100 amp head is equipped with four Ruby EL34 power tubes (manufactured by SVETLANA), which gives it 100W of power. I replaced these four tubes with ELECTRO HARMONIX EL34. It also had three Sovtek 12ax7wa, which I replaced with Electro Harmonix 12ax7EH. The amp head features two channels, each of which can work in two different modes (A/B mode), an EQ (bass,mid, treble) per channel (two EQs that is), and Presence for both channels. The reverb (with Accutronic springs) is common to both channels. The effects loop input can be attenuated 10dB to adapt it to all multi-effects and it also features a DRY/WET balance accessible on the front panel of the amp head. The output with speaker simulation is in XLR format and features the circuit of the celebrated RED BOX (a well-made speaker simulator). There are three speaker outputs for different impedances or to use two speakers. The cabinet is equipped with four Celestion G12F60 speakers (60 Watt each) for a total output power of 240W into 8 Ohms in mono. IN stereo, it's 2 x 120 W into 2 x 4 Ohms. (it's hard to be so detailed... lol!) UTILIZATION Very clear manual, easy configuration, but be careful not to push the master of channel 2/B, it really howls! SOUNDS It's time for the SOUND now. On channel 1, in A mode, you get an excellent, very bright clean sound, with a nice warmth and powerful attacks (Fender-like). The sounds are nice and shapeable. In A mode there's no gain, so no distortion. On channel 1, in B mode, the first half of the gain knob you get a crunch sound and then a moderately distorted tone with the gain cranked all the way up. It is really melodious with effective mids. The EQ does its job all right. It has that really thick tube sound that no solid-state amp can imitate. On channel 2, in A mode, it produces an AC/DC-like distortion (in terms of the distortion rate) with an awesome tube coloration. Nice lows, quality mids and highs just like they should be (no veiling of the high end, like is often the case with certain amps). Plus the EQ on this channel is very effective. Channel 2, in B mode, is for real metal sounds. From Van Halen to Slipknot and even death metal. It's mind blowing. The sound is full, round, plump, grating, while preserving the attack and intelligibility of each note. The lows are very present, the mids can be pulled back or brought to the fore thanks to the EQ: The sound recalls a Mesa Boogie, to give you an idea. OVERALL OPINION Conclusion A well-equipped and versatile amp head with killer sounds (from jazz to death metal). And, on top of that, it's sturdy (it's German). The combo version called Tube50 is also very good, with less compressed lows, due to the absence of a cabinet. Whatever your style, I recommend you this gear!

This combo is the same amp as the head only in a combo version. You get the same great tone and features but enclosed in a cab and one 10 inch Celestion speaker. This little amp has two channels one dedicated to the cleans one for the distortion. What is great about this amp is the red box feature. I'm not talking about the red box full of blu rays and dvd's at your local shopping mart. I'm talking about a speaker simulated interface that allows you to go direct from the amp into a recording session or the house PA system. This is a great features for those where playing loud can be an issue and you need to silence you loud rocking guitar tones. Another wonderful feature is the self biasing on the back of the amp. This amp will auto bias you tubes so you don't have to shell out $50 to get it done by some tech down the street. This is great for people and allows you to not skip a beat leaving you amp on someone else bench for a day or two. UTILIZATION Channels 2 Power 18 Watts Footswitch/Stageboard FS-2 optional Speakers 1 x 10" Celestion Custom Speaker Protective Cover Soft Cover included Dimensions 395 x 360 x 260 mm Weight 9,4 kg Warm tube tone with phenomenal dynamic range that sweeps from sparkling clean to throaty crunch Harmonically rich tube distortion and the gain reserves to go from edgy overdrive to soaring lead sounds Re-voices LEAD to summon modern high-gain sound that pairs plenty of punch with endless sustain Passive voicing section tweaked to evoke the best frequency response out of each channel Preamp section sporting two 12AX7 tubes Push-pull power amp that pumps out stage-approved 18 watts Oversized transformers with tons of headroom TSC-protected power amp featuring auto-bias and status LED Footswitch connection enabling remote channel switching and BOOST actuation Serial FX loop for adding effects-flavored spice to the sonic stew Quad-stage power soak with silent recording capability Balanced RED BOX OUT with authentic speaker emulation SOUNDS The clean on this amp is pretty solid. Nothing to complain about too much. It isn't as sparkly as I would have hoped but it will do. It still is chimy and sweet but not exactly the perfect clean channel. The distortion channel is pretty good though. The tone is beefy and thick like all the Hughes and Kettner amps have. Having the lead boost kicks up the gain a bit and gets sustaining very well. I really like the tone of this amp and I find it has a similar voicing to the rest of the line of amps. OVERALL OPINION I am not sure what the going rate on these are right now but I would imagine them to be about a few hundred dollars more than the head which sits at $700. I love the tone from this amp and the many features especially on the back side of this amp. The auto bias and the red box is a very great addition to a very great sounding amplifier. I would recommend this amp to anyone who needs a good multiple channel amp that can be playing live or direct in to a recording booth. If you need something under $1000 then this is a good one to go for.

With all these manufacturers getting into the compact low wattage amp game, I figured it was only a matter of time before Kettner got into the fray. But this company always seems to do things their way. They prove that they can take a good idea and put their own German spin on things. This is a small buy fairly well featured amp with an effective 3 channels and power reduction feature for low volume use. It also has the timeless Kettner Red Box on board and ready to go. El84 power tubes of course. On paper this looks like a pretty versatile amp. UTILIZATION The footswitch makes things simple enough. There is an FX loop which is a nice thing to include for guys like me who almost can't live without one. It's not that hard to dial in, the controls are pretty elementary. I haven't had mine long but if my previous HK products are any indicator this thing should be able to survive a 50 foot drop. The tubes don't need biasing...nice to know. Overall I have no complaints here. My footswitch works well. The weight is where it needs to be. SOUNDS The clean channel doesn't break up much from power amp cranking unless you are in a low watt mode. Kettner designed it to work like a Mesa clean channel and rely on preamp gain. I'm not a big fan of these kinds of clean channels but it sounds good enough for me. Kettner is not really known for their amazing cleans. if you want that get a Vox or Blackface. The lead channel is very hughes and kettner. Kind of like a Marshall meets a well mannered Soldano. Those of you who have played a Duotone will have an idea what I'm talking about. It's a pretty refined lead sound. The boost channel is obviously for liquid amounts of gain and it's voiced for heavy rock. Sometimes it can be a little out of control. But to other players this is desirable. Maybe I'm old fashioned. OVERALL OPINION Time will tell if these catch on and compete with the likes of the Tiny Terror and the newer Mesa mini rec series. Some say this market is overflooded but I've tried most of the 18 watt offerings and this is a very appetizing entry for someone who wants all the channels covered. I really like mine and I'm gonna hold on to it and sell my Mesa mini rec I just got.

This a German company who designs high quality guitar amps for touring musicians and the average consumer. They guitar amps that range from just a few hundred dollars to several thousand. The have a flagship amplifier and this is it. The Trimap from Hughes and Kettner. Some big names have pickup amps from Hughes and Kettner including Alex Lifeson from the band Rush and Tommy Thayer from the band Kiss. Those two gentlemen have their own signature models but they have used been great artist for this company. This is the amp that is favored by Tommy Thayer. Tommy is best known for his contribution to the band Kiss but he also helped to form the band Black N Blue in the early 80's. This was a hair metal ban that was based out of Portland Oregon. UTILIZATION Channels Clean, Overdrive + Boost Power 100 Watts Poweramp 4x EL34 Preamp 5x 12AX7 Effects Loop parallel Footswitch/Stageboard 3-way footswitsch (FS-Duotone) included Switching Functions Overdrive, Master 2, Boost Special Features 2nd Lead Master built in - they´ll hear your solo! Speaker Outputs 1x 4 Ohms, 1x 8 / 2x 16 Ohms, 1x 16 Ohms Suggested Speaker Cabinet CC 412 A/B 25 Protective Cover included Dimensions 750 x 320 x 250 mm Weight 24 kg/53 lbs External Fuse (Anode) 1x T 1A Fuses 230V: T 2,5A, 120V: SB 4A, 100V: T 4A SOUNDS This amp is the little brother to the Triamp from Hughes and Kettner. This is a two channel amp with an extra boost option. You get a solid clean tone for one channel and even a good crunch in this channel. Next you have a distortion channel which has a option to boost for even more sustain and gain. This amp is a modern classic rock beast. The voicing of this amp is pure classic rock. Even though it can get to modern styles with the heavy amounts of distortion and boost, it still is very classic rock. The tone is a British flavored tone which is right up Kiss's ally. So this amp fits the tone of that Band very well. Use a nice Gibson Les Paul like Tommy and you'll be rocking in Detroit. These amps take pedal very well so the effects loop is a nice convenience for delays and other effects OVERALL OPINION At new these amps come in right around $2700. Not a bad price for a boutique amp with multiple channels. I have seen this amp new at some other online retailers for $2300. So they can be had pretty good for boutique prices. If you are classic rock guy and want the vintage tone with modern twists then this is a great amp to achieve that sound.

The Hughes & Kettner Tube Rotosphere MKII is rotary effect guitar pedal. As the name states, the pedal is Tube based and it has 1/4 inch connections. It is not rackable, as it a foot pedal and is powered by the power supply that comes with it. The pedal is bigger than most, but it is built like a brick and extremely sturdy. UTILIZATION The configuration of the pedal is pretty easy to follow. You've got knobs for drive and output, and another knob for rotor balance with each extreme being HF/LF, its kind of like a tone knob. There are then buttons for bypass, breaker, and to set how slow-fast you want the rotary to go. The end result is a sound similar to that of a Leslie speaker cabinet. The manual for this is well put together and is helpful when learning all the ins and outs of this pedal. SOUND QUALITY I sound quality of the rotary effect on the Hughes & Kettner Rotosphere is the best I have heard when it comes to pedals. It is rich and fat in tone and is an awesome emulator of a Leslie speaker. The tone is clear while the tubes provide for a warm, fat signal. It is easy to get a quick good signal from, and has a good amount of versatility. Overall, the sound quality of this pedal is awesome. OVERALL OPINION I've been using the Hughes & Kettner Rotosphere for about a year and I have found it to be the best rotary guitar pedal out there. It is easy to get an awesome sound from it and the tubes provide a great deal of warmth and fullness. While this pedal is about double the price than the Boss RT-20 rotary ensemble, the sound is much better in my opinion, and I think the RT-20 sound pretty great! While the price will drive most away, this sound quality on this is worth it for professional players looking for an effect like this. Highly recommended to all interested in making your guitar sound like it is being run through a Leslie cabinet!

This is one thing that you don't really hear about in the bass world is the Hughes and Kettner line of bass amps and cabinets. You hear all day long about the guitar stuff and many people successfully use their equipment on an on going basis around the world. Their bass stuff is just killer and it is a shame that they don't put much focus on getting that name out there. I know the company like Ashdown, Ampeg, GK, and Eden dominate the market when it comes to bass rigs but this stuff is quite excellent. UTILIZATION Power 600 Watts Poweramp Dynavalve Preamp TubeTouch Effects Loop serial Footswitch/Stageboard FS-2 included Switching Functions FX-Loop, Punch Special Features Pre/Post EQ switch, Bass Shape & Mid Boost Headphones Yes Line Out balanced Compressor Tube Growl Equalizer 4-Band parallel Tubes 1x 12AX7 Speaker Outputs 1x Speakon, switchable to 8/5, 3/4/2, 8 Ohms Suggested Speaker Cabinet QS-Series Dimensions 550 x 195 x 320 mm Weight 14 kg/31 lbs SOUNDS What I really like about the Hughes and Kettner stuff when it comes to bass is the growl control knobs on these thing. I love when you can get a little gritty on the bass and not so clean. ONe of my favorite bands has to be Iron Maiden. They have three guitars players and a killer grind on all three of their guitar tones. But the bass is sterile sounding. The bass tone has just a basic clean sound and it is way in the mix and probably one of the thinnest sounding bass tones out there. Green Day is another one that just has weak bass tones. I like a bass to have some warmth and color added to it. You need to give it a little growl and little girth. Dirty the thing up a bit and that is what I love about these guys and their bass amps. If there is one thing that I can't get enough of wen it comes to bass is the dirt and the compression. Ashdown features this on many of their amps and heads. This is one of the things that has made them one of the best companies to go to for getting your bass tone done right. Hughes and Kettenr si another one that just does is right! OVERALL OPINION These amps head have long been discontinued. They have circled the used market from time to time but are kind of hard to find now a days. I have no idea what the going rate is for one of these. If you can get it at a reasonable price pick it up but there are other out there that are much easier to get a hold of like Eden.

This a German company who designs high quality guitar amps for touring musicians and the average consumer. They guitar amps that range from just a few hundred dollars to several thousand. These amps have a loyal following from many varies musical genres. This amp is a cross between a Triamp and a Coreblade. You get the same channels and features of the Triamp with the voicing, but also the versatility of the Coreblade. What this means is that you have a midi 128 presets that can be store within the amp itself. You also get the effects like delay, modulation and reverb built into the amp. Plus you have TSC technician on board that will bias your amp and also let you known if you are experiencing tube problems. This is the same amp as the head version but just in a combo. You get all the same great features and tone as the head but a 2x 12 inch speaker combo. UTILIZATION Channels Clean: Californian, Crunch: Classic British, Lead: British Hi-Gain, Ultra: American Hi-Gain Power 100 Watts Poweramp Shipped with 4x EL34, but also 6L6GC applicables Preamp 2x 12AX7 Modeling No Effects 3 independant Digital-FX processors: Reverb, Delay, Modulation (Chorus, Flanger, Tremolo) Effects Loop serial/parallel MIDI built in Footswitch/Stageboard MIDI-Board FSM-432 included Switching Functions 4xPreset, Bank up, Bank down, Tap Delay Special Features Tube Safety Control (TSC) ;all Controls are fully programmable, included MIDI-Board Presets 128 user presets Speaker Outputs 1x 4 Ohms, 1x 8 Ohms or 2x 16 Ohms, 1x 16 Ohms Speakers 2x 12'' Eminence Rockdriver 60 Dimensions 647 x 500 x 285 mm Weight 30,3 kg/67,2 lbs SOUNDS This amp has the tone of the Triamp and the versatility of the Coreblade. So if you need something that covers a lot of ground then this a great amp to start. This combo is going to sound a little different then the head unless you have a mathcing cab with the same speakers. Speakers are like filters and they change the amp's character a bit coming out out o the cab. So if the amp is voiced to those speakers then you have exactly the way is was designed. This amp also has some effects build right into it. You have the option of some delay, chorus, flanger, phaser, and tremolo and also some added reverb to help color your tone a little bit. You also have a button on the front of the control panel that allows you to click in the effects loop and then even more versatility by clicking in the serial effects loop. This amp has three channels and six modes. Each channel has two different modes of operation. For the clean you can get a nice Fender like clean and click the next mode you'll get a British style clean much like a Marshall plexi. On the second channel you have a crunch channel. The first mode is a classic rock tone from a Marshall style voiced amp. Next you have then a hot rodded tone from a Marshall style amp. This gets you great vinatge classic rock tones for music such as AC/DC or Led Zeppelin. The third and final channel you get over the top gain and distortion. The first mode is a hot rodded British gain for most hard rock and metal. Then to top it all off you have an insane amount of gain for the second mode. This mode is for modern playing or dripped tuning. Great for modern metal and hard rock. OVERALL OPINION I have seen these amps as low as $1459 for a new one, which is a great price for an amp this versatile. It is a mix of tub and digital so if you can't handle a digital amp the this is a miss for you. I would recommend this amp to anyone who needs a good gigging amp that can get a lot of work in and be extremely versatile for covers songs and a 2-3 hour set list.

This amp is going to get a 10 out of 10 across the board. I am a big fan of the band Rush and even a bigger fan of Alex Lifeson. This is Alex's signature guitar amp. He was such a big fan of the Tramp from Hughes and Kettner that they decided to do a signature amp. The only different I can find is that you get a crocodile tolex covering and the light that lights the whole amp is purple rather than blue. Plus his name is on the box as well. One more thing that impressed me was that Alex doesn't take any money for the royalties of this amp. He donates them to his favorite charity. That is a very noble thing and shows a humility to the man in the best Canadian band in history. UTILIZATION Channels 1A: Vintage Californian Clean, 1B: Vintage British Clean, 2A: Classic British Rock, 2B: Vintage British Rock, 3A: British Hot Rodded, 3B: Modern Californian Hi Gain Power 100 W Poweramp 4x EL34 Preamp 9x 12AX7 Effects Loop seriell/parallel MIDI built in Footswitch/Stageboard 7-way Stageboard TriAmp included Switching Functions 3x Amp, 3x Channel, 1x FX Special Features RED BOX built in, crocodilestyle covering Speaker Outputs 1x 4 Ohms, 1x 8/2x 16 Ohms, 1x16 Ohms Suggested Speaker Cabinet CC 412 A30/AL Edition Protective Cover included Dimensions 750 x 340 x 256 mm Weight 22 kg/49 lbs External Fuse (Anode) 1 x T 500 mA Slo-blo Fuses 230V: T 1,6A, 117V: SB 3,15A, 100V: T 3,15A SOUNDS Tone wise there is no difference in this amp then the regular Triamp. Still a great amp and you get all the same great features. This is a great tonal masterpiece. This amp has three channels and six modes. Each channel has two different modes of operation. For the clean you can get a nice Fender like clean and click the next mode you'll get a British style clean much like a Marshall plexi. On the second channel you have a crunch channel. The first mode is a classic rock tone from a Marshall style voiced amp. Next you have then a hot rodded tone from a Marshall style amp. This gets you great vinatge classic rock tones for music such as AC/DC or Led Zeppelin. The third and final channel you get over the top gain and distortion. The first mode is a hot rodded British gain for most hard rock and metal. Then to top it all off you have an insane amount of gain for the second mode. This mode is for modern playing or dripped tuning. Great for modern metal and hard rock. OVERALL OPINION At new these amps come in at around $3250, which is a great price for a boutique quality amp with three channels of operation. This is a bit higher than the regular Triamp, but this one is the signature so sports little higher price. I would recommend this amp to anyone who needs a good versatile amp for gigging or practicing at home. If you do a lot of cover songs then this is the perfect amp for those needs.

The Hughes & Kettner Switchblade 100C is a 100-watt all tube 2 x 12 combo amp with on-board digital stereo effects. The "all-tube" status of the Switchblade 100C has been hotly debated over the years as some believe there's no way Hughes & Kettner can get that much gain with only two 12AX7 preamp tubes. They can and they have--without getting into deep electronics, a 12AX7 tube is actually a dual triode: two tubes in one. The amp gets its 100 watts of power from four EL34 valves. The speakers are Eminence Rockerdriver 60 speakers and complement the amp extremely well. The amp has four channels: Clean, Crunch, Lead, and Ultra. The gain and channel volume are controllable and MIDI-programmable per patch, and each channel has a uniquely-voiced gain boost accessed by turning the gain knob to the maximum. The "boost" LED will illuminate when the boost is engaged on each channel. The amp can go from sparkling, crystal cleans with lush chorus, delay, and reverb, to straight-ahead 70's rock 'n roll, to 80's hair metal, to full-force punishing levels of gain for the heaviest music. The channels all have specific voices to match classic amps: The clean channel emulates the "California" clean sounds, the "Crunch" channel is classic British, the "Lead" channel is British high-gain, and the "Ultra" channel is American high-gain. I'm sure you can figure out what the intent with each channel is. The Switchblade 100C is fairly simple in its design. There is an input jack for the guitar on the front with the controls (which we'll cover in a few). The rear panel has the remainder of the connections, including an effects loop send and return that is MIDI-programmable for on/off and series/parallel per patch, taps for loudspeaker outputs (the internal speakers are connected to the 16-ohm jack) and there are two 8-ohm jacks, and one 4-ohm jack, and the MIDI connection for the included controller or any compatible MIDI controller. The effects loop also has a +4/-10 control to accommodate pedals or rack gear, although with the on-board effects I can't see needing much more. The amp has on-board digital effects that are divided into three sections. There is an independent reverb control, an independent delay control that includes delay time and level, and a modulation section that allows you to select between chorus, flanger, and tremolo. The effects are good and are independently configurable and saveable per patch. The great payoff with the MIDI patch capability is that once a patch is saved, the knob positions can be changed but when the patch is recalled the settings will be recalled exactly as they were when the patch was saved, regardless of the current knob position. You can always find the original knob position--just turn the knob until the "Original" blue light illuminates. This will tell you where the knob was when the patch was saved. Saving a preset is as simple as a two-button press on the face of the amp, or one on the amp and one on the foot controller. The effects are all good--they're not the best reverb, delay, and modulation you'll ever hear, but they'll get the job done without having to carry a ton of extra gear. Each modulation section goes from subtle to extreme before moving on to the next effects section. The amount of different tones you can get with the on-board effects and four different channels can cover virtually any gig. There's also a good amount of overlap in the channels. The clean channel with the gain boost on can deliver a good amount of bluesy crunch, overlapping with the Crunch channel with the gain set low. The Switchblade 100C is deceptively loud and can deliver the goods in any venue; on its own in a small-to-medium sized venue, or with an extension cab or cabs for a larger venue. I've played this amp by itself, in combination with an extension 2 x 12, or with the internal speakers disconnected and two extension 4 x 12 cabinets connected. UTILIZATION One of the trademarks of Hughes & Kettner amps is that the controls are extremely sensitive and while you can coax pretty much any tone out of this amp you need to take the time and put in the effort dialing in the specific tones desired. The amp is easy to understand and operate so I'm not sure a manual is needed, but it is available, clear, and concise. If you can't get a good sound out of this amp, I kind of don't know what to tell you. The amount of functionality, flexibility, and control built into this amp affords the player an almost infinite tonal palette with which to create. I previously owned a Switchblade 100 Head and regretted selling it. Getting the Switchblade 100C cured my seller's remorse and provided me an outstanding amp where all I need is a power cable, guitar cable, and the controller and cable, and I can play any gig. SOUNDS I can play any guitar through this amp and get good tones. I mainly play Neal Moser guitars with Dimarzio pickups (Super 3 bridge), but also play similarly-equipped Ibanez RG and S series guitars, as well as Les Pauls. I've never plugged any guitar into this amp that didn't sound phenomenal. That said, this amp, and I've found this to be true of most Hughes & Kettner amps seem to respond more prominently to treble frequencies than others. The amp has an extremely "hi-fi" quality to it--great low-end tightness and great string-to-string separation. The amp has a great mid-range grind and top-end that is full but not too bright or "ice-pick" type. Again, the amp has a wonderful amount of control that allows you to get YOUR tone. OVERALL OPINION Hughes & Kettner amps have a great reputation for quality of both tone and craftsmanship. I've always had great experiences with my Hughes & Kettner amps and the Switchblade 100C is no exception. As noted in the review title, this very well may be the perfect grab 'n go amp for just about any gig. Obviously, an all-tube 2x12 combo is going to have some heft to it, weighing in at just over 67 pounds, but is still easier than carting around a head, cabinet, and pedal board, along with all of the cables necessary to connect it all. As I noted, I previously had a Switchblade head, regretted selling it, and purchased the Switchblade 100C so now I have the best of both worlds. If anything happened to my Switchblade I would replace it without hesitation. I've tried other combo amps that have on-board effects and none come close to the Switchblade 100C. If it's too heavy and you don't need the stereo capabilities, the 50-watt 1x12 is an excellent alternative. At retail price the amp is still well worth it, but they can also be had on the used market at a steal. Try one and you'll see.

The Hughes & Kettner Triamp MK 1 is a complex, feature-laden amp that still boasts an all-tube signal path. Sporting a 100W power section with 4 EL34's or 6L6GC's, along with 9 - count 'em - NINE 12AX7A's, spring reverb, also an optional MIDI control module, buffered FX Loop with db pad switch, H&K's Famous RED BOX DI, Line Out, selectable mains voltage, and Power Tube Failure indicator. On the front panel, Three individual channels, each with two dedicated modes, dedicated EQ, Gain (one for each mode per amp - a total of six!) and Volume controls are topped off by a global master volume, Presence, and FX Loop Level control. Each channel's modes are switchable via push buttons on the face panel, or heavy duty footswitch. UTILIZATION The Triamp is a massive, heavy beast of an amp head, using only the best chassis material and components. A peek inside reveals a landscape of precision resistors, F&T and Vishay capacitors, as well as expertly laid ribbon cabling. The transformers are some of the largest I've ever seen in a 100 watt amp. The EQ is responsive across all channels, and there is plenty of gain on tap for every need. SOUNDS The problem with the Triamp, in my opinion, is that it relies too heavily on low frequencies generated early in the preamp, especially when it comes to its high gain sound. AMP 1 is the clean channel. Mode 1 gives a very spanky, ballsy clean that can get slightly hairy with the gain turned up. Very touch responsive. About as close to a Fender clean as I've heard in a non-Fender amp. Kicking it into Mode 2 ups the gain and the lowend response, achieving a more Vox-like clean tone which overdrives quite well with a pedal. Not as bright as Mode 1. Amp 2 is voiced for classic plexi-style tones. Mode 1 offers up a very thin, bright sound. I found that it lacked a lot of lowend response, even with the Bass control maxed. I honestly didn't find this mode very usable. Mode 2 ups the gain, and thankfully, the lowend. Great classic-rock sounds are found here, with plenty of midrange grind and fuzzy Marshall highs. Amp 3 is voiced for high gain. This channel has a very strong, tight low-mid emphasis, which is typical of German high gain amps. Mode 1 produces a bright, tight grind that is great for chugging. Mode 2 goes all-out, adding even more gain and thunderous lowend response. The FX Loop is great, allowing pedals to be implemented without much loss or coloring to the overall tone. The Red Box DI was useful for running a line to Front Of House and allowing the engineer to mix that signal with the signal mic'd from my speaker cabinet. OVERALL OPINION A resounding quality of the Triamp to my ears was a muddy bass response, which, along with its size and complexity, ultimately led to me selling the amp. Moreover, the lack of bass response in Mode 1 of both AMP 2 and 3 rendered them barely usable. With some dedicated tweaking and playing, there are numerous top-quality tones to be found in the Triamp MK 1, but in the end there are other amps that do just as much tonally with less bells and whistles, and less fuss. That being said, you'd be hard pressed to find a more durable and well-made 3 channel amp for the used prices (800-1000 bucks) that the Triamp MK 1 fetches.

This is the Statesman amp series from Hughes and Kettner. These amps have a polished bluesy rock quality to them. These are not the super high gainers that most of there amps lean towards. These amps have a mild voicing for classic rock and blues based music. This is a four channel or two channel amp depending on how you look at it. You get a clean with a twang boost and then the overdrive channel with a boost. So to me this is a two channel amp with four settings. This is a 60 watt amp that has a spring reverb unit inside and three band EQ. If you play classic rock or just need an amp with a good overdrive but not a hot rod tone then this is a great amp to have. This amp houses 6L6 power tubes and it gets a better clean sound and less of a midrange boost. This is the same amp as the black version but just a cosmetic change. You get a n oxblood red/brown tolex covering. Very cool color and matches the tone of this amp much better than the black does. UTILIZATION Channels Clean + Twang, Overdrive + Boost Power 60 Watts Poweramp 2x 6L6 Preamp 2x 12AX7 Effects Accutronics Spring Reverb Effects Loop Serial/Parralel selectable Footswitch/Stageboard 1x FS-3N included, 2nd FS-2 as an option Switching Functions Channels, Boost, Second Master; with 2nd FS-2: Reverb, FX-Loop Special Features Second Master, Twang and Boost Mode, adjustable Reverb Balance Equalizer 3-band EQ per channel Speaker Outputs 1x 4 Ohms, 1x 8 Ohms/2x 16 Ohms , 1x16 Ohms Speakers 2x 12'' Eminence Rockdriver Cream Suggested Speaker Cabinet STM 212 Protective Cover included Dimensions 685 x 559 x 266 mm Weight 27 kg/59,4 lbs SOUNDS Very cool looking and sound amps. Built for the mild gain players and the country twang players. This amp sounds great with the 6L6 power tubes. You will get more low end tightness and less midrange growl than the El34 power tubes. You will also get a better clean tone with the 6L6 power tubes. The tone is more of a dry tone that takes pedals very well and has a great switchable effects loop. The overdrive channel is a good overdrive for classic rock, pop, country, and jazz. This is a good channel for the guys who just need a little gain that will compliment their guitars rather then a distortion that is just screaming. These are great amps for the simple player who loves tone. What I like about this amp is that the EL84 tubes makes this amp fit better with the voicing of the amp. The clean is very twangy and fits for pop or country picking. Use a Fender Telecaster with this channel and you feel some great quick lead plucking. Then you click on the twang boost and then you get a nice boost in the highs and there you have perfect sparkle tone that doesn't just go with country but any style of music. OVERALL OPINION At new these amps come in right at around $1000, which is a great price a very good quality build and sounding combo amplifier. This is a great two channel amp that has some good features but not too much going on that clouds the natural tone of the amp. I I would recommend this amp to anyone who need a good combo for light rock, country, or pop music.

Hughes and Kettner have built some of the world's best amplifiers and most of that is from the guitar market and to much talk over the bass stuff. Even though they have a good reputation of having high quality products sometimes they can miss it. Their Quantum stuff for basses are very good. The tone is very well balanced and the design is extremely user friendly. This stuff not so much. Not that this combo is bad but just in comparison to the Quantum this is a bit of a downgrade. UTILIZATION Power 100Watts Poweramp Dynaclip Preamp solid-state Effects Loop serial Line Out Yes Equalizer 3 Bands Speakers 1x 15" Power Pro, 300 Watt, 4 Ohm Dimensions 496 x 547 x 420 Weight 24 kg /53,5 lbs SOUNDS This little combo doesn't put out a whole lot of power for bass but enough to have a good little combo to practice with at home and in a small gigging setup. This combo ha a nice 15 inch speaker that puts out some good tight low end thump. The solid state tone pretty decent for a solid state, but I wish it had at least one preamp tube in the mix so that you could get a good tube tone in the voicing of the amp. You need to solid state power section to get this amp up gigging volumes and power. The bass needs a lot more power than a guitar amp does. So you must have the solid state unless you have some KT88 power tubes in there and at best you would get around 300 watts of power. With the solid state you can get a whole lot more wattage. Either way you get a lot of of this simple amp. There isn't a whole lot of tone features and not a lot of options but just a basic setup and a good workable bass amp. OVERALL OPINION The tone is a great tone for what it is. This is a great practice amp for someone who is on a budget and you can find these for not a whole lot of money. They are good amps for what you get. These amps have been discontinued for a while now so the used market is the only way to get this combo at this point. I have no idea what the going rate for these are but I cannot expect them to be outrageous of anything. I would recommend this amp if you can get a good deal on it and that being around $100 or so.