Kustom The Defender

its a pretty good amp single mono channel
if things are to change the whole lamp CEST therefore very simple scheme
it is quite lightweight 17kg
I love her well because the sound is clear all the time it heats kan mm
the difference of the other amps
its a twin reverb cousin I would say tt case CEST rather typical fender

voili voilou

UTILIZATION

I lai 4 years
i change the lamp cetait the basic shit
if I use qd I play live away from home

SOUNDS

fender fender fender
I play with a tele japanese + M9 + Tech21 SansAmp + jamman stereo

OVERALL OPINION

very good choice for budget
after c is very very strong
wholesale c is not Lolivier wood
CEST ca pr that it is not as expensive
the materials are a bit cheap but hey it n not alter the sound at all on the contrary
with such materials the sound is very correct

I quote a very complete description, I will not do better!

50W tube amp (EL84), HP 12 "tube preamp (12AX7) preamp circuitry Duo-Mod, 3-band EQ and Presence Control, Master Volume bypass switch, Bright switch, Reverb has jurisdiction.

RMS Wattage: 50 Watts
Speaker: 12 "KEI ™ Epic
Cabinet: All-Pine w / Birch Baffle
Tube Preamp / Phase Inverter: 12 AX7 (x3)
Tone Controls: Bass, Middle, Treble, Presence
Pull Bright Function: Classic American & British EQ
Power Tubes: EL-34 (x2) or EL-6L6GC (x2)
Reverb: Ruby ® Spring Unit
Master Control: Yes (w / bypass switch)
Volume Control: Yes
Dimensions (mm): 502H x 597W x 267D
Weight: 37.5 lbs / 17 kg

For DEFENDER, engineers have developed a new Kustom preamp called exclusive Duo-Mod. Although based on traditional and Master Volume controls, it works differently. Lowering the volume for clean tones, Duo-Mod circuit progressively reduces gain in multiple locations in the preamp. The result is a constant brightness over the entire stroke of the control. Volume levels for mid to high, the Duo-Mod gradually added gain to produce hot rock tones with punch and clarity unique. Equipped with a Master Bypass switch, the guitarist can bypass the master volume and access mordants vintage sounds and dynamic typical of amps without master.

UTILIZATION

The configuration is simple. No need for manual For me, the interest of this amp is to have a really clear sound excellent. The clarity of the sound is crisp, even when you mount the volume. You can get a good overdrive saturating lamps, but I am using only the configuration in clear sound.

The reverb is effective, no need to put a lot.

The grain of this amp is warm, it is the sound that I'm looking and goes perfectly with my gear and my style of play

SOUNDS

I play a Gibson Les Paul Studio and a pedalboard quality. I play funk, pop and rock and this amp is perfect for my style of play What interests me most is the sound quality clear, given that I've pedals for distortion and overdrive.

The clean sound is warm, round, it sounds really good. It gets deep bass and precise playing with the boost and master. And you can get a pretty slamming his presence with the knob (yes, even with a Les Paul).

OVERALL OPINION

I wanted a good tube amp without putting too much money. So I compared several models: a peavey classic 30, a Peavey ValveKing 112 and a VOX AC15. Without appeal, kustom defender wins! (The classic 30 sounded great, but the grain was a little more pronounced, and it still coutait 200 euros).

Big advantage: you can play at low volume, while maintaining the quality of the sound, which is not the case with all amps. (And the neighbors are cool). A knob mutes the master, one obtains a warm, powerful enough. When returned, we get a clear sound softer, which allows you to play fine, no need to push the volume.

Note, it nya virtually no wind on this amp, so that there was the classic peavey 30 and ValveKing.

Stand by the knob lets turn off the lights before turning off the amplifier. It is more that can be found on high-end amps. It increases the life of the lamps.

What I like the least, whether to make a criticism, it is the chrome knobs, it was a little difficult to see the settings.

For me, the value for money is unbeatable given the sound quality of this amp. I remake that choice without hesitation.
I put him 9 out of 10, it outperforms the amps in its class.

Of all lamps (5), 50 Watts. Attention, ca push very very hard!!
Connectors: bare minimum. One guitar input facade and an output to connect a cabinet if necessary.
No built-in effects. And much more! Effects, it is a profession in its own!
EQ 3 levels (Bass, Middle, Treble), 1 and 1 reverb presence.
Boost, Master Volume and course.
1 Master bypass for playing full blast without breaking the windows of the house (flange volume without altering the power).
Config ultra simple then. Simple but effective!
Single channel. As used by a lot of famous guitarists (Slash, ...)

UTILIZATION

So this is the config ...
As mentioned above, ultra simple. Moreover, no manual comes with (you can go retrieve a Kustom on the site).
Knobs can play fine on its native from clean to crunch. Reverb is beautiful.

SOUNDS

I play blues to pop / rock. No metal.
This leads me to Southern rock to Molly Hatchett / Lynyrd Skynyrd to Metallica / ACDC. Or the blues (Mississippi Delta, Clapton ...). Fairly wide range so in the end ...
Natively, this amp allows you to enter the clean and crunch. In any case the distortion.
My philosophy (after my experiences) is to focus on the raw amp and consider the effects as "add on" independent.
Now insert a disto (DS1) in the beast ...
And I say ... Yesssss!! The wonderful crunch / clean is transformed into equally magnificent in its fully saturated! The single channel clean so clean that your belongings are sublimated by the beast.
I use a Fender Reissue 57 and stato Indie equipped with micro Gibson 57 and 57 +. 2 guitars in their respective genres found their mark.
I have a Marshall Valvestate hybrid. The whole lamp is truly and definitively radically different in terms of its cleanliness! The sound is "natural" does not scream like a sound from transistors.

OVERALL OPINION

I had a Kustom in my youth and had excellent memories.
Willing to invest in an all-tube, I went in search of the Holy Grail. I tried one Vox (lamps), 1 H & K (lamps) and Kustom Defender that stroke of luck was in my music shop expo preferred.
The Vox and the H & K amps are very good lights. Their prices are cons ... how to say .... quite prohibitive. The H & K had her built-in effects. But as always, the integrated effects are worse than the pedals dedicated to it. No need to pay a higher value for the less ...
Difficult to get opinions on Kustom is a brand that is quite confidential. Some tests on YouTube, however visible.
It is now about 6 months using my Defender. I am still under the spell. The original sound is so clean that the effects go beautifully goods. The beast battery cover without worry.
The quality / price ratio for any lamp is simply unbeatable (made in China necessarily, but like almost everything).
If I had to make a choice of lamps amp, I will return without hesitation a Defender! This is really very good. Simple and pretty darn effective.

Single-channel amp lamp team of three 12AX7 tubes in power and two EL34 tubes and prampli.
A power of 50W which dpotent well, a speaker 12 ".
Possibility of adding a baffle deuxime guitar and XLR output.

Rglages level, average, one Master, one volume, and a classic EQUAL (trebble middle bass). There are also a reverb, an SETTING THE prsence, and an adjustable boost, and that 'can be activated with a footswitch otpionnel.

Not ngligeable body weight of 17kg.
This is perfect unless you have no pedals to get into it, and you will be limited sound clean, crunch see playing on the balance between the master and volume.

UTILIZATION

Very simple configuration, a ring right away by a well with clean warm and well rond.Ensuite the little extras such as reverb or prsence ringing immediately without any need for more rglages .
When equal, it is very simple but well ragissant trs, trs to obtain quickly a good son.Attention all times, even when it ncssite that 'you look above, the habitus of least effort "low trebble 10 10 0 middle" may be due.

Level using a pity that the footswitch is not a two votes needed to enable or disable the reverb.

SOUNDS

First my style of music I play mostly hard rock and heavy metal, and unlike what one might think, this amp fits perfectly rle in these styles! Sometimes I also play blues or [/ b] blues rock [/ b], and reggae, and this amp is really in my opinion the cream of versatility, in that it accepts pedals perfectly.

I use a Epiphone Les Paul pickups mounted in Gibson, Ibanez RG527 and a MIJ. In terms of effects, two small Boss pedals, the DS1 and MT2.

Using the DS1 well I get a vintage hard rock, impeccable playing in influences as Guns n 'Roses, Deep Purple, Led Zep ....
The MT2 allows me to go into more extreme metal sound, the first Black Sabbath until Slayer not passing speed of heavy Dragonforce and Metallica.
Using no pedals, the sound clairest well rounded and warm, which can become trs edge by pushing a little Aiges, trs deaf or with graves.La gives reverb depth for the perfect clean.

I put 10 on the sound so everything seems perfect.

OVERALL OPINION

J'utiliste this amp for 6 months every day, in RPET and concerts, or not taken on the sound system, power is often enough.
Deuxime the guitarist in our group is also used, and moving a little equal, we get along perfectly sound both, without being shuffled but remained harmonious.

I tried many before MODELS, particulirement in Half Stack (Ultra + Peavey, Vox Valvetronix, rack JMP1 + Valvestate 8008, Fender FM ...) but also combos (MG Marshall, Peavey ValveKing , fender FM, Line 6 ...).
Halfs level stack, used by the peavey ultra +, nothing was worth the kustom Defender.Quand ultra +, its clean n'tait not good enough, and the half stack was not quite convenient.
As for combos, as long as you check one or two pedals distos to put in it, no receiver did arrive ankle ...

The ratio quality price, an all-tube amp of this quality less than 400, need I say more ...
+: _The Its clean
_A Amp which accepts pedals perfectly.
_A Weight for easy transport (17kg)
_A Reverb trs well.
_The Price, perfectly accessible to a quality approaching trs strong combos in 800 or 900

-: _No CONTRL of the reverb footswitch.
_Difficile Find something else ...
With experience, I would do this choice, and even I would recommend this amp any guitarist who wants to play in groups, or make small concerts without hsiter!