Bad Cat

- 100 watts - Four EL34 power tubes - 12AX7 pre amp tubes - Two channels (accessible via AB pedal or via channel switching) - Class A - Cathode biased - Half power switch - Five way tone selector for the clean channel - Reverb (footswitchable, clean channel only) - FX loop - Three way Midrange voicing switch on gain channel UTILIZATION This is basically the same as the normal 100 version, but you have more options. The most obvious in the name is the addition of reverb. This is footswitchable with an extra on button generic footswitch. You also get a five way EQ knob for the clean channel, a la the Black Cat EF86 channel. In addition, the gain channel gets a little bit more EQing possibilities with the addition of a three way Midrange switch, which scoops the mids, adds mids, or leaves the original mid voicing intact. There is also a tube buffered FX loop. SOUNDS The clean channel still has the bright Vox tone. The EQ knob doesn’t do much to change that, it mostly just slight steps up the low end frequencies. You still have the shared Brilliance knob. The reverb, that works on the clean channel only, is not the lushest or most silent reverb ever, but it's adequate. The high gain channel is left mostly intact, with the exception of the Midrange switch. I can see where this switch can be helpful, but I always preferred the flat mid voicing. The channel switching is nice, however I'd still prefer to use the AB box just to be able to run different pedals to the clean channel to boost it or EQ it a little. It does help in quieting down the noise bleed through from the gain channel, however. I cannot speak to the quality of the FX loop since I've never used it. I had heard mixed reviews, however. OVERALL OPINION Obviously people had suggestions (or complaints) about the original Hot Cat amps and Bad Cat tried to address them. This is done with limited success. For me, the reverb and the FX loop is unnecessary. The extra EQ functionality on both channels and the channel switching is nice, but ultimately not necessary either. If you go for the R version or the original version, you'll still get a great unique amp.

- 30 watts - Two EL34 power tubes - Four 12AX7 preamp tubes - GZ34 rectifier tube - Two channels (accessible via AB pedal) - Class A - Cathode biased - Half power switch - Tube/Solid State rectifier switch - Available in head or combo format UTILIZATION You have two different inputs, one for the clean channel and one for the gain channel. You can emulate channel switching via an AB or ABY box. The R version of the amp does have built in channel switching (I also believe it's available as a custom option, as well). There are some real benefits of this as you can easily separate effects you only want to use with the clean or gain sides. The clean channel only has a volume knob and a shared Brilliance knob. The R version also has a five way tone selector switch. The Hot Cat 30 has the option of either using tube or solid state rectification. SOUNDS The clean channel has distinct Vox sound to it. It breaks up really nicely when pushed and can sound really great. The only problem is the lack of any EQ knobs other than the shared Brilliance knob. The clean channel tends to be very bright where as the gain channel tends to be a little dark. You can tame the clean channel with an EQ pedal. The high gain channel is somewhere between Mesa/Boogie and Marshall territory. You have three different knobs that control the gain. There is a Gain knob that does what you would expect. There is an Edge knob that adds or subtracts the sizzle in the gain. For those who think that the amp is too fizzy, turn the Edge knob down to 3:00. Then there is a Level knob that controls the amount of gain signal. This knob is different than the Master Volume knob. You can get classic overdriven tones but turning them down, or crank them to get thick and meaty modern tones. The Treble knob works as a high pass filter that allows you to get a very shreddy thinner sound. There is no Mid knob, but it's voiced so well you probably won't miss it. With the tube rectifier you get a spongier, more bouncy feel to the amp that is really fantastic. As you'd expect, the solid state rectifiers make it stiffer and slightly more aggressive. The only sound issue is that there is some white noise bleed through if you have the gain channel Master Volume turned up high. OVERALL OPINION Despite the limitations of the amp, this is one of the best amps available. It is a very unique amp in the market place, which is probably why the Hot Cat appears to be the best selling Bad Cat amp.

The Bad Cat Mini Cat II is a small practice guitar amplifier with a big sound. It's also a really simple amplifier in terms of it's characteristics. It's got a single 1/4" input for your instrument in the front, and the preamp contains a 12AX7 tube. It's got a single channel and a single 12" speaker as well. It's also got a small handle on top, making it easy to carry from place to place if necessary. The amp only has 5 watts of power, but it's definitely a powerful 5 watts. UTILIZATION Using the Bad Cat Mini Cat II couldn't really be any simpler. It's got only basic parameters to work with, containing knobs for volume, bass, treble, and master volume. It's also got a ohmage selector in the back of it as well. It's pretty easy to tell that there isn't too much to know about the amp, so I don't believe users will need a manual. SOUNDS For an amp this small with only five watts, the Bad Cat Mini Cat II has a truly amazing sound. It packs much more punch than I was expecting it to when I used it in a recording studio setting. I don't know if I'd bring it out for a live show unless you're playing a smaller venue, but for recording at a low level and for practicing, this is a flawless amplifier. I've used it with a Fender Stratocaster and without any effects, but we did have it up pretty loud to get some overdrive from it. The sound we got on the recording was just about as good of a sound as I've gotten from most amps, let alone one with only five watts of power! The clean tones ended up being better than the dirty ones, but across the board we all were extremely pleased with the results. OVERALL OPINION I don't have a plethora of experience with the Bad Cat Mini Cat II, but really all it took was one listen to know that this amp is the real deal. It's definitely much more expensive than you'll pay for other amps for this size. In fact, it will cost you as much as many larger amps will! However, if you're looking for the ultimate portable/practice amplifier, look no further than the Mini Cat II.

This is a small, practice combo amp. It is only 5 watts but it gets surprisingly loud for an amp of its size and wattage. There aren't much in the way of controls, there are simply volume (gain), master volume, and treble and bass knobs. It has one 1/4" input, and it has the ability to be connected to a larger external speaker via a 1/4" speaker cable. UTILIZATION This is an amp for a very particular type of sound. Don't expect to find effects on this amp, it's a pure-sounding amp if ever there was one. The sounds that you can get out of this thing are only as versatile as the electric guitar you are using. The manual explains next to nothing, as there's nothing to really explain, just some troubleshooting and warnings. SOUNDS As I said previously, this amp is only about as versatile as the guitar you use it with. The sound that you can get ranges from a smooth clean tone to a warm overdrive. I find more often than not that the best way for me to play it is to crank the volume as much as I can (in order to get a good overdrive tone), and set the master volume at the appropriate level. Then I roll back the volume on my guitar to get a nice clean tone when I need it. I think that this tone would be ideal for anyone looking to practice, as effects and distortions are not needed for practice. Beyond just practicing, the tones sound good for blues and lighter rock styles of playing, as well as country and folk-rock styles. Anything heavier than the MC5 would probably not work very well with this amp, unless you are adding your own pedals. OVERALL OPINION I like the fact that this amp is not one that I constantly have to adjust. More often than not, it responds to the way that I play my instrument. It also highlights the flaws in my playing, which makes it great for practice and not for playing live. It might not be a great practice amp for beginners, as the flaw-highlighting qualities that I just mentioned will discourage newbies. People who are constantly trying to improve will be satisfied with this amp. It's not too heavily priced, and it sounds pretty good. It's better than most practice amps I've encountered. Highly recommended.

This is a pretty high quality attenuator. The cool features on it include the impedence selector, which will let you optimize the sound for your amp situation (and prevent an amp blowout). There is an amp in, which takes the signal from the amp, and two cabinet outs, which will take the signal to the cabinet after the Leash provides its volume reduction. There is also a switch for bypassing the unit, and a fan to release some of the energy. The unit's only real delicate control is the large volume knob on the front, which is simply a level adjustor. The concept behind this type of device is interesting to me. The idea is that the box will allow you to achieve the desired tone on your amplifier, and then adjust the volume so that you maintain the character and tone that you desire without having to pierce your eardrums. This is often hard to do, as most good tube amps don't sound their best until they are really cranked to the max. For small clubs and rehearsal rooms, this can be a problem, as a good tone might mean that the guitar is all you hear. There have been a few attenuators made over the last decade or so, and they've all had various degrees of effectiveness. Because people either didn't know how to use them or weren't aware of the impedence levels appropriate for their setup, they often blew out speakers on a regular basis. This model is one of the better ones that I've heard. I'm actually quite impressed with it. I've tried it with a Fender Twin, and I've been amazed at how well the raw power of the roaring twin was brought down to a reasonable level for practice. I've tried it briefly on a Marshall and was similarly impressed, the roar of the stack was tamed for practice-friendly volumes. This is a good thing for people who play in smaller confined spaces, or have roommates. This way, the tone can remain the way you want it, at any volume. Great for musicians who play small rooms or have volume limits.

Class A tube pedal by Bad Cat...'nough said... UTILIZATION Channel 1 – Here you get clean to crunch (think Plexi). The basic sound is quite aggressive, hard and contains a lot of added highs. Channel 2 – In channel 2 you get endless tube gain. This suits almost any guitar and produces a nice, singing lead sound. SOUNDS ...in my opinion this Pedal only sounds really good when played over a Vox or a Badcat amp – amps with a lot of mid range so to speak. If you play it through a Fender or Marshall amp this pedal just sounds too harsh. It also has a lot of output – this can be an advantage as much as a disadvantage. OVERALL OPINION The construction of this pedal is of course flawless (or should I say matchless...). Very clean manufacturing, perfect positioning of the components…surely built to last the next 200 years…

This is bad cat's high gain tube preamp pedal. 2 modes (from the website): Gain Boost Stage 1: Provides transparent volume matching of the effect IN/OUT to your amplifier's output level, complete interactive tone bass + treble operation with ample clean headroom and generous smooth gain boost. Gain Boost Stages 1 + 2: Provides additional crunch to the gain boost stage for a dramatic increase and thickening of the overdrive gain. This mode allows independent manipulation of the layered gain stages. Knobs: Gain, Edge, Level, Bass, Treble, Master. UTILIZATION Very simple layout. One strip of control knobs and 3 different colored lights. The EQs are shared even though they tonally sound different from each other. Gain 1 is more like a slight overdrive to mild crunch, while gain 2 is higher gain for rock etc. SOUNDS What kind of sounds do you expect? Nothing less than the preamp of a bad cat amplifier! Pretty much does it justice! Sounds like a brighter marshall without the fuzz and fizz that one would usually get, yet it's thick at the same time, a lot of upper mids I think. So I wouldn't recommend this for high gain metal players cause it's probably too smooth and too thick, it'd make all the complex chords and riffing unclear and muffled sounding. But if you like that badcat tone, you'd definitely like this pedal. Very true to its sound and has a very natural sounding distortion! OVERALL OPINION Good pedal, a bit heavy and big but it delivers the sounds it says it will. That classic bad cat tone! Plenty of gain to rock out with! Again, probably not tonally tuned for the metal head but plenty of gain on tap to do anything else! Sounds good paired with a tube amp of course. Not sure how it'd sound with a solidstate amp, but probably wouldn't recommend it, might be too bright and you won't get the full experience of this pedal's abilities!

- 100 watts - Four EL34 power tubes - Four 12AX7 pre amp tubes - Solid State rectified - Two channels (accessible via AB pedal) - Class A - Cathode biased - Half power switch - Point to point wired UTILIZATION You have two different inputs, one for the clean channel and one for the gain channel. You can emulate channel switching via an AB or ABY box. The R version of the amp does have built in channel switching (I also believe it's available as a custom option, as well). There are some real benefits of this as you can easily separate effects you only want to use with the clean or gain sides. The clean channel only has a volume knob and a shared Brilliance knob. The R version also has a five way tone selector switch. SOUNDS The clean channel has distinct Vox sound to it. It breaks up really nicely when pushed and can sound really great. The only problem is the lack of any EQ knobs other than the shared Brilliance knob. The clean channel tends to be very bright where as the gain channel tends to be a little dark. You can tame the clean channel with an EQ pedal. The high gain channel is somewhere between Mesa/Boogie and Marshall territory. You have three different knobs that control the gain. There is a Gain knob that does what you'd expect. There is an Edge knob that adds or subtracts the sizzle in the gain. For those who think that the amp is too fizzy, turn the Edge knob down to 3:00. Then there is a Level knob that controls the amount of gain signal. This knob is different than the Master Volume knob. You can get classic overdriven tones but turning them down, or crank them to get thick and meaty modern tones. The Treble knob works as a high pass filter that allows you to get a very shreddy thinner sound. There is no Mid knob, but it’s voiced so well you probably won’t miss it. The only sound issue is that there is some white noise bleed through if you have the gain channel Master Volume turned up high. OVERALL OPINION Despite the limitations of the amp, this is one of the best amps available. It is a very unique amp in the market place, which is probably why the Hot Cat appears to be the best selling Bad Cat amp. My only wish is the Hot Cat 100 were tube rectified like the Hot Cat 30.