Bad Cat Hot Cat 15

15 watt Class A all-tube, including rectifying (rectification)
Hand-wired
2 channels clean and gain, with separate entrances.
1 HP Celestion 12 "Amended
Settings:
- Volume for clear channel
- Gain for channel gain
- Edge to the channel gain
- Level for the channel gain
- Bass for channel gain
- Trebel for channel gain
- Brilliance for 2 channels
- Master the channel gain
- Switch Stanby
- Switch On / Off
No effect or integrated effects loop.


UTILIZATION

There is no switch to change channels, so you have to be changed manually, or have an AB box (which provides a link between two entries, creating a third channel).

The clean channel is intuitive (2 knobs: volume and brightness).
Cons by the channel gain has 7 different settings buttons, which gives them many opportunities, but also makes the beast a bit difficult to tame.
In addition some of these buttons are not very common as Edge (which acts on the midrange and high-high) and Level (which sets the input level of the signal in the output stage, regardless of output level preamp!).

The manual is brief but enough if you understand English (no French version).


SOUNDS

I play mostly blues, rock 'n roll and a little hard rock on Tele 52, Danelectro 59 (mainly in slide) or with my Fender P90 TC90.
The clean sounds are probably the best I've ever released, and yet I have long played a major Hiwatt year (1976) which is a reference in terms of its clean sounds.

The distorted sounds are extraordinary, but obviously with a much more adjustability.
Warning: this is not really a high gain. He leaves huge crunches and beautiful creamy distortion while remaining well defined, but it is not well suited for metal in my opinion.
It gives especially in vintage sounds, the limit of British and American sounds.

The straightening tube, gives the 2 channels on one side a little spongy, like a kind of chorus / tremolo very light that we know the amps of the 50s and 60s.

The output volume is truly impressive (because of its dynamic hell), but like any combo only 1 HP, it is very directional.

It is moderately "pedal friendly" (because of the lack of effects loop) but my Big Muff, Cry Baby my delay and my (short) out impeccable, plain or supervisory status. Also occasionally with a tremolo.
It is the former, while the front!

OVERALL OPINION

I play almost exclusively on it for a year and a half, and it is certainly the best sounds I've ever gone out to my style of music. And in 30 years I played on lots of different materials.
With all possible settings on the Gain channel, it is better to note its settings, because it is not always easy to find the same sound from one session to another.

It is essentially an amplifier for sounds vintage, but with a gain channel that provides access to the distortions without having to push the volume. What really allows great flexibility of use.

Obviously it is expensive. Do not seek value for money but excellence for blues, rock, hard rock or pop.