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4.5/5(7 reviews)
57 %
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RitonkeuponIt's loud, simple and effective
Published on 03/25/14 at 15:54The amp has an ordinary design (the grill cloth on the front panel is identical to blackheart amps). While not beautiful, it seems pretty solid.
I changed the knobs, they weren't readable enough, in general (specially in the twilight onstage), so I replaced the chrome caps with good old black and white ones (the design is even more basic).
Power: 50 watts, the right amount to take the best out of the tubes (...as much as a super lead or a 5150 with the master set to 0.50 or 1).
USE
Very easy to use.
The amp features two channels, lead and clean. The second OD offers at least a "third" channel (only switchable with the footswitch).
Each channel features a bright switch (but...…
I changed the knobs, they weren't readable enough, in general (specially in the twilight onstage), so I replaced the chrome caps with good old black and white ones (the design is even more basic).
Power: 50 watts, the right amount to take the best out of the tubes (...as much as a super lead or a 5150 with the master set to 0.50 or 1).
USE
Very easy to use.
The amp features two channels, lead and clean. The second OD offers at least a "third" channel (only switchable with the footswitch).
Each channel features a bright switch (but...…
Read more
The amp has an ordinary design (the grill cloth on the front panel is identical to blackheart amps). While not beautiful, it seems pretty solid.
I changed the knobs, they weren't readable enough, in general (specially in the twilight onstage), so I replaced the chrome caps with good old black and white ones (the design is even more basic).
Power: 50 watts, the right amount to take the best out of the tubes (...as much as a super lead or a 5150 with the master set to 0.50 or 1).
USE
Very easy to use.
The amp features two channels, lead and clean. The second OD offers at least a "third" channel (only switchable with the footswitch).
Each channel features a bright switch (but unfortunately it can be engaged with the footswitch).
The master and 3-band EQ (as attenuators) are common to both channels.
The Caiman is very easy, you can master it in no time.
SOUND
The Caiman is versatile, it excels at nothing but is great for anything!
It works perfectly with pedals (especially distortion ones) and it's a real plus. We have a champ here, no more struggling with bee swarms or electric blades.
The character of the clean channel is rather exquisite, without overdoing it, with a good headroom, very rock, '70s hard rock. I prefer to add to it a shredmaster or EQ it with a Boss HM 2 to get a dirtier and coarser sound.
The clean sound is clean, a bit dull. With Bright engaged, it's a treat, with single-coils and a reverb (what it lacks most, in my opinion), you are taken back t the '60s surfer scene.
The EQ is effective, the Caiman goes low deep. However, it cuts easily through the mix, the mids are present and it's a big advantage.
Your playing and the guitar's character are respected, the Caiman lets it all through. This amp gives me a sense of "constancy," it's the kind of gear that allows me to make the best of my playing, I'm not frustrated by a clichéd or borrowed sound (in the sens of "No matter what I do, I sound like...") Without having a particularly subtle playing, I immediately appropriated this amp.
OVERALL OPINION
I've been using it for almost a year.
I've had several amps and have tried quite a few, but it's the first time that I'm satisfied with the "factory" version (without tinkering with it). In any case, it's an awesome deal due to its versatility, power, ease-of-use, and price.
I changed the knobs, they weren't readable enough, in general (specially in the twilight onstage), so I replaced the chrome caps with good old black and white ones (the design is even more basic).
Power: 50 watts, the right amount to take the best out of the tubes (...as much as a super lead or a 5150 with the master set to 0.50 or 1).
USE
Very easy to use.
The amp features two channels, lead and clean. The second OD offers at least a "third" channel (only switchable with the footswitch).
Each channel features a bright switch (but unfortunately it can be engaged with the footswitch).
The master and 3-band EQ (as attenuators) are common to both channels.
The Caiman is very easy, you can master it in no time.
SOUND
The Caiman is versatile, it excels at nothing but is great for anything!
It works perfectly with pedals (especially distortion ones) and it's a real plus. We have a champ here, no more struggling with bee swarms or electric blades.
The character of the clean channel is rather exquisite, without overdoing it, with a good headroom, very rock, '70s hard rock. I prefer to add to it a shredmaster or EQ it with a Boss HM 2 to get a dirtier and coarser sound.
The clean sound is clean, a bit dull. With Bright engaged, it's a treat, with single-coils and a reverb (what it lacks most, in my opinion), you are taken back t the '60s surfer scene.
The EQ is effective, the Caiman goes low deep. However, it cuts easily through the mix, the mids are present and it's a big advantage.
Your playing and the guitar's character are respected, the Caiman lets it all through. This amp gives me a sense of "constancy," it's the kind of gear that allows me to make the best of my playing, I'm not frustrated by a clichéd or borrowed sound (in the sens of "No matter what I do, I sound like...") Without having a particularly subtle playing, I immediately appropriated this amp.
OVERALL OPINION
I've been using it for almost a year.
I've had several amps and have tried quite a few, but it's the first time that I'm satisfied with the "factory" version (without tinkering with it). In any case, it's an awesome deal due to its versatility, power, ease-of-use, and price.
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JULIO MOURIEROGreat!
Published on 04/12/12 at 08:20• 50W output power
• Tubes: 4 x EL84, 2 x 12AX7
• 2 channels: Clean and Overdrive (switchable)
• Clean channel with separate gain control
• Overdrive channel with separate volume control and 2 footswitch-controllable gain controls
• 1 master volume control
• Independent bright switch for each channel
• Controls: bass, mids, treble
• Footswitch included to change channels, as well as between Gain 1 and 2
• Insert: FX-loop
• Speaker output: 4 Ohm, 8 Ohm, 16 Ohm
USE
Very easy to dial in.
You get quickly what you want.
I needed 1 hour (or roughly 5 beers).
SOUND
It suits me perfectly.
To play hard rock clean guitar.
With an ESP eclipse II...what can I say,
I'd rather just listen.
• Tubes: 4 x EL84, 2 x 12AX7
• 2 channels: Clean and Overdrive (switchable)
• Clean channel with separate gain control
• Overdrive channel with separate volume control and 2 footswitch-controllable gain controls
• 1 master volume control
• Independent bright switch for each channel
• Controls: bass, mids, treble
• Footswitch included to change channels, as well as between Gain 1 and 2
• Insert: FX-loop
• Speaker output: 4 Ohm, 8 Ohm, 16 Ohm
USE
Very easy to dial in.
You get quickly what you want.
I needed 1 hour (or roughly 5 beers).
SOUND
It suits me perfectly.
To play hard rock clean guitar.
With an ESP eclipse II...what can I say,
I'd rather just listen.
Read more
• 50W output power
• Tubes: 4 x EL84, 2 x 12AX7
• 2 channels: Clean and Overdrive (switchable)
• Clean channel with separate gain control
• Overdrive channel with separate volume control and 2 footswitch-controllable gain controls
• 1 master volume control
• Independent bright switch for each channel
• Controls: bass, mids, treble
• Footswitch included to change channels, as well as between Gain 1 and 2
• Insert: FX-loop
• Speaker output: 4 Ohm, 8 Ohm, 16 Ohm
USE
Very easy to dial in.
You get quickly what you want.
I needed 1 hour (or roughly 5 beers).
SOUND
It suits me perfectly.
To play hard rock clean guitar.
With an ESP eclipse II...what can I say,
I'd rather just listen.
OVERALL OPINION
I've been using it for one year.
With the 212 cab.
• Speaker: 1 x 12" Celestion Vintage 30 & 1x12" Celestion G12T-75
I love the possibilities it offers. All in all, it's an excellent value for money.
I have tried out several tube combos before: ENGL, LANEY.
I finally found what I needed!
• Tubes: 4 x EL84, 2 x 12AX7
• 2 channels: Clean and Overdrive (switchable)
• Clean channel with separate gain control
• Overdrive channel with separate volume control and 2 footswitch-controllable gain controls
• 1 master volume control
• Independent bright switch for each channel
• Controls: bass, mids, treble
• Footswitch included to change channels, as well as between Gain 1 and 2
• Insert: FX-loop
• Speaker output: 4 Ohm, 8 Ohm, 16 Ohm
USE
Very easy to dial in.
You get quickly what you want.
I needed 1 hour (or roughly 5 beers).
SOUND
It suits me perfectly.
To play hard rock clean guitar.
With an ESP eclipse II...what can I say,
I'd rather just listen.
OVERALL OPINION
I've been using it for one year.
With the 212 cab.
• Speaker: 1 x 12" Celestion Vintage 30 & 1x12" Celestion G12T-75
I love the possibilities it offers. All in all, it's an excellent value for money.
I have tried out several tube combos before: ENGL, LANEY.
I finally found what I needed!
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00
»
pic&pulseA well-achieved lead channel
Published on 02/18/12 at 15:23Very good finish. It's made of (solid) plastic, the controls are pleasant to the touch and don't feel cheap.
The common EQ for both channels is a compromise, given the price, but it forces you to make compromises.
Technically speaking, half of the V1 tube is dedicated to the clean channel, while the remaining half plus a half of the V2 tube are consecrated to the lead channel. The last half works as a rectifier. Two transistors (I'll come back to this later) are found after the effects loop to split the signal and send it to a negative feedback circuit and then to the power amp.
USE
It's comfortable to use, given its simplicity: You make a compromise with the EQ and play, and then you...…
The common EQ for both channels is a compromise, given the price, but it forces you to make compromises.
Technically speaking, half of the V1 tube is dedicated to the clean channel, while the remaining half plus a half of the V2 tube are consecrated to the lead channel. The last half works as a rectifier. Two transistors (I'll come back to this later) are found after the effects loop to split the signal and send it to a negative feedback circuit and then to the power amp.
USE
It's comfortable to use, given its simplicity: You make a compromise with the EQ and play, and then you...…
Read more
Very good finish. It's made of (solid) plastic, the controls are pleasant to the touch and don't feel cheap.
The common EQ for both channels is a compromise, given the price, but it forces you to make compromises.
Technically speaking, half of the V1 tube is dedicated to the clean channel, while the remaining half plus a half of the V2 tube are consecrated to the lead channel. The last half works as a rectifier. Two transistors (I'll come back to this later) are found after the effects loop to split the signal and send it to a negative feedback circuit and then to the power amp.
USE
It's comfortable to use, given its simplicity: You make a compromise with the EQ and play, and then you make a big smile because it sounds great.
The manual informs you of several precautions to consider with tube amps (impedance, pre-heating of the tubes), and it even indicates the position of the preamp tubes.
In terms of the controls available, the EQ frequencies don't suit me too well: The lows act too low, the mids are centered around the low mids (I would've preferred them a bit higher, but I must admit that it provides a good foundation), highs are not bad, and the bright controls are really effective (too much on the clean channel). As a consequence, I insert an external EQ to be truly satisfied and leave the one on the amp almost flat (with slight retouches to adapt it to the different speakers used).
It's hard to find a balance between channels at first, since it varies depending on the master volume (the negative feedback affects only the clean channel), and you'll necessarily have a level difference on the two "semi" distorted channels.
SOUND
The target market is made up of rockers in every form, the gain headroom available is pretty large.
The clean channel can crunch, it's very sensitive to playing nuances and respects well the guitar's character.
The lead channel is pretty raw, with lots of mids and full across the entire frequency spectrum, which gives it a huge presence and cuts easily through the mix.
On the other hand, it's hard to use it at low volumes, because the transistors I wrote about before distort pretty easily and the sound becomes then less flattering. At higher volumes, the sound becomes nice again, thanks to the negative feedback, according to my favorite guitar tech.
The balance between channels changes: The more you increase the volume, the more the relative volume of the lead channel increases in relation to the clean. Consequently, I had the amp modified so that the negative feedback affects both channels all the time: That way the balance is constant regardless of the master setting and I even won some thickness on the lead channel.
I tested the output of the preamp (the send of the effects loop) with an external power amp and the sound is simply huge.
OVERALL OPINION
I use it with a 2x12 home-made cab equipped with V30s. I also plugged it into a G12H30 and the unavoidable Marshall 1960, I prefer it with the V30s.
Little noise, fat sound, lightweight and compact, original. To me, the 50W of the tubes are the usable upper limit. Half would've been largely enough.
It's not my first amp and I have tried a lot of them, but it's the first one that gives me as much satisfaction. Just like peerk, I don't have the need to go looking any further. It's a very seducing amp (especially due to its lead channel).
Excellent value for money, given the sound and build quality.
I approve of it.
The common EQ for both channels is a compromise, given the price, but it forces you to make compromises.
Technically speaking, half of the V1 tube is dedicated to the clean channel, while the remaining half plus a half of the V2 tube are consecrated to the lead channel. The last half works as a rectifier. Two transistors (I'll come back to this later) are found after the effects loop to split the signal and send it to a negative feedback circuit and then to the power amp.
USE
It's comfortable to use, given its simplicity: You make a compromise with the EQ and play, and then you make a big smile because it sounds great.
The manual informs you of several precautions to consider with tube amps (impedance, pre-heating of the tubes), and it even indicates the position of the preamp tubes.
In terms of the controls available, the EQ frequencies don't suit me too well: The lows act too low, the mids are centered around the low mids (I would've preferred them a bit higher, but I must admit that it provides a good foundation), highs are not bad, and the bright controls are really effective (too much on the clean channel). As a consequence, I insert an external EQ to be truly satisfied and leave the one on the amp almost flat (with slight retouches to adapt it to the different speakers used).
It's hard to find a balance between channels at first, since it varies depending on the master volume (the negative feedback affects only the clean channel), and you'll necessarily have a level difference on the two "semi" distorted channels.
SOUND
The target market is made up of rockers in every form, the gain headroom available is pretty large.
The clean channel can crunch, it's very sensitive to playing nuances and respects well the guitar's character.
The lead channel is pretty raw, with lots of mids and full across the entire frequency spectrum, which gives it a huge presence and cuts easily through the mix.
On the other hand, it's hard to use it at low volumes, because the transistors I wrote about before distort pretty easily and the sound becomes then less flattering. At higher volumes, the sound becomes nice again, thanks to the negative feedback, according to my favorite guitar tech.
The balance between channels changes: The more you increase the volume, the more the relative volume of the lead channel increases in relation to the clean. Consequently, I had the amp modified so that the negative feedback affects both channels all the time: That way the balance is constant regardless of the master setting and I even won some thickness on the lead channel.
I tested the output of the preamp (the send of the effects loop) with an external power amp and the sound is simply huge.
OVERALL OPINION
I use it with a 2x12 home-made cab equipped with V30s. I also plugged it into a G12H30 and the unavoidable Marshall 1960, I prefer it with the V30s.
Little noise, fat sound, lightweight and compact, original. To me, the 50W of the tubes are the usable upper limit. Half would've been largely enough.
It's not my first amp and I have tried a lot of them, but it's the first one that gives me as much satisfaction. Just like peerk, I don't have the need to go looking any further. It's a very seducing amp (especially due to its lead channel).
Excellent value for money, given the sound and build quality.
I approve of it.
See less
00
»
peerkMy quest stops here!!
Published on 06/17/11 at 07:3950W all-tube amp (two 12ax7 and four el84)
2 channels: 1 clean/crunch (with volume control)
1 overdrive /overdrive + (with volume control)
1 common master volume
1 common 3-band eq
1 bright control per channel
Connections: Effects loop plus speaker outputs and footswitch
In short, simple and useful.
I play in a band with drums, bass and guitar: I set the volume of the amp to 12:00 and it rocks everybody off their feet.
It lacks a reverb but I use the effects loop with a neunaber west reverb (I used before my pandora PX5D, but it "dirtied up" the sound).
USE
I was looking for something simple and I found it. You only need to dial in the 3 volume controls (master and 2 channels) to...…
2 channels: 1 clean/crunch (with volume control)
1 overdrive /overdrive + (with volume control)
1 common master volume
1 common 3-band eq
1 bright control per channel
Connections: Effects loop plus speaker outputs and footswitch
In short, simple and useful.
I play in a band with drums, bass and guitar: I set the volume of the amp to 12:00 and it rocks everybody off their feet.
It lacks a reverb but I use the effects loop with a neunaber west reverb (I used before my pandora PX5D, but it "dirtied up" the sound).
USE
I was looking for something simple and I found it. You only need to dial in the 3 volume controls (master and 2 channels) to...…
Read more
50W all-tube amp (two 12ax7 and four el84)
2 channels: 1 clean/crunch (with volume control)
1 overdrive /overdrive + (with volume control)
1 common master volume
1 common 3-band eq
1 bright control per channel
Connections: Effects loop plus speaker outputs and footswitch
In short, simple and useful.
I play in a band with drums, bass and guitar: I set the volume of the amp to 12:00 and it rocks everybody off their feet.
It lacks a reverb but I use the effects loop with a neunaber west reverb (I used before my pandora PX5D, but it "dirtied up" the sound).
USE
I was looking for something simple and I found it. You only need to dial in the 3 volume controls (master and 2 channels) to work your sound.
However, despite the ease of use, the amp has a lot of potential and it demands some time to get the right settings.
SOUND
It's great.
I play it with the dedicated cab, you need to learn to manage the volume when toggling between clean/distorted sounds. Each pot has a direct impact on the sound so the EQ on my amp is set to 12:00 (neutral position).
The sound is dynamic, percussive, without being cold. The distorted sound is compressed and well-balanced. Clean sounds are well-balanced, while the crunch easily follows the guitar volume, so you need to take your time to master this parameter.
OVERALL OPINION
I've had it for two years: I had a peavey classic 30 and have also played a marshall jvm 410c, the sound is incomparable, but it's been two years since I don't have to break my head in search of my sound.
I would buy it again without hesitation. Thank you Adam Laboga!
2 channels: 1 clean/crunch (with volume control)
1 overdrive /overdrive + (with volume control)
1 common master volume
1 common 3-band eq
1 bright control per channel
Connections: Effects loop plus speaker outputs and footswitch
In short, simple and useful.
I play in a band with drums, bass and guitar: I set the volume of the amp to 12:00 and it rocks everybody off their feet.
It lacks a reverb but I use the effects loop with a neunaber west reverb (I used before my pandora PX5D, but it "dirtied up" the sound).
USE
I was looking for something simple and I found it. You only need to dial in the 3 volume controls (master and 2 channels) to work your sound.
However, despite the ease of use, the amp has a lot of potential and it demands some time to get the right settings.
SOUND
It's great.
I play it with the dedicated cab, you need to learn to manage the volume when toggling between clean/distorted sounds. Each pot has a direct impact on the sound so the EQ on my amp is set to 12:00 (neutral position).
The sound is dynamic, percussive, without being cold. The distorted sound is compressed and well-balanced. Clean sounds are well-balanced, while the crunch easily follows the guitar volume, so you need to take your time to master this parameter.
OVERALL OPINION
I've had it for two years: I had a peavey classic 30 and have also played a marshall jvm 410c, the sound is incomparable, but it's been two years since I don't have to break my head in search of my sound.
I would buy it again without hesitation. Thank you Adam Laboga!
See less
00
»
Tech. sheet
- Manufacturer: Laboga
- Model: Caiman AD5300
- Series: Caiman
- Category: Tube Guitar Amp Heads
- Added in our database on: 04/15/2010
We have no technical specifications for this product
but your help will be much welcomed
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Other names: caiman ad5300, caimanad5300, caiman ad 5300