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Le Taz
Published on 06/05/10 at 23:45
2 12AX7 tubes, 4 EL84. 50w.
2 channels, shared eq, a bright switch per channel, one volume per channel. Two gain settings and a volume of drive, and finally a master volume. Perhaps lacking a little reverb ...
I tried the head and combo, and the Alligator.
UTILIZATION
The Cayman is a "light" version (less features) of the alligator from the same brand.
The sound is easily adjustable, although much depends on the interaction volume / master volume. To keep the channel clean "clean", keep a reasonable volume and push the master. The bright switch does go on very easily crunch.
It happens, however, to balance the sounds very easily, even with the EQ community. I love the idea of having two different drive rates. This is the same drive, with the same capabilities and sounds. At equal settings, you will not hear the difference. A second volume control would have probably been appreciated by some, I confess that I do not care a bit.
With the drive thoroughly, you can get a clear sound almost righteous with the guitar volume knob. It sounds silly but it's a test I do on each amp, to check the quality of grain, a sign of clear notes in large drive.
SOUNDS
The clean channel can go from pretty neutral, highly effective with a large OD input (I tested it with a Vox Duel Overdrive input, resulting nickel!), Pure. It can grow, especially with the bright switch, get a light enough crunch blues.
The drive channel. This gives a nice overdrive, very rock. If you are looking for the type or Mr Hector Mesa, although you need to buy these models here, not his record. The caiman is made for what will the blues (although the alligator is best for this style), the big rock show in his very large hard / heavy (eg type Zakk Wylde). The eq is very effective. If you board the head and 2x12 (1 + 1 G12T75 V30), you'll have plenty of bass. Too much for my taste, but what flirting with some great sounds to modern music.
I chose the combo, rendering more balanced, without necessarily falling into the vintage.
Harmonics come easily. The caiman is less versatile than the alligator, but I found it very effective and relevant in rock music. No distortion, but a really big overdrive. If your guitar does not have a good output level, he may need a little boost for the solo.
OVERALL OPINION
I play for 17 years. I saw also spent a lot of amps, which Brunetti, Rivera, Engl, Peavey, Fender, Marshall, Blackstar ...
In the case of the alligator, I conducted several tests, so in total, more than an hour of play I wanted a quality combo for small club (rock blues band with 2 guitars), and I am very difficult, because my sound is based on a single amp played for 10 years, a Marshall JCM 800. Basically, I came to try the new Blackstar HT coming. On paper, critters tempting, but I was once again quite disappointed (I'll make a notice explaining why). I would not have had the sense to try a Laboga, whose name I associate with the metal, mainly because of Mr Hector.
I hesitated a lot between the Caiman and the Alligator. Not the same budget, but it did not come (for once) into account. So I tested everything in all directions (to connect the alligator in the HP of the Cayman, and vice versa!). The alligator has prevailed for more comprehensive (over potential setting) and a grain more suitable for my needs, namely, to blues-rock. However, I had a real shot in the heart for the caiman, which is really what I want from an amp for rock. I could not buy both, but this is only a postponement, the Cayman will be my next purchase.
If I have any advice, it is mainly to try it with your guitar. I tested it with my Musicman main, which is set for an output level of tough, able to turn my JCM 800. Second thing: HP vary during your test, because, like the alligator, they are strongly influenced sound. Plugged into a celestion 75, the alligator was like an awful lot Caiman (Caiman "like this, lol). And that goes for the Cayman, which has nothing to do between g12t75 combo and head over his cabinet (very "bassy") in g12t75 + vintage 30. The choice of bowls and cabinet will be crucial. If you already have the speaker supposed to host, do not hesitate to bring it to the test, because the matching seems more important to treat with all the critters that I owned and tested.
Voila. Do not wait for a metal amp, but a rock amp. Maybe not the best of all time, but very good in the sense that it is for you to make sound. This is not the case with other amps I've had, or that I quoted, and not retained or purchased for that reason. If you expect an ultra-typed, you will be disappointed. If you are looking for an amp with an overdrive most "agreed", expressive and flexible, so it might please you.
2 channels, shared eq, a bright switch per channel, one volume per channel. Two gain settings and a volume of drive, and finally a master volume. Perhaps lacking a little reverb ...
I tried the head and combo, and the Alligator.
UTILIZATION
The Cayman is a "light" version (less features) of the alligator from the same brand.
The sound is easily adjustable, although much depends on the interaction volume / master volume. To keep the channel clean "clean", keep a reasonable volume and push the master. The bright switch does go on very easily crunch.
It happens, however, to balance the sounds very easily, even with the EQ community. I love the idea of having two different drive rates. This is the same drive, with the same capabilities and sounds. At equal settings, you will not hear the difference. A second volume control would have probably been appreciated by some, I confess that I do not care a bit.
With the drive thoroughly, you can get a clear sound almost righteous with the guitar volume knob. It sounds silly but it's a test I do on each amp, to check the quality of grain, a sign of clear notes in large drive.
SOUNDS
The clean channel can go from pretty neutral, highly effective with a large OD input (I tested it with a Vox Duel Overdrive input, resulting nickel!), Pure. It can grow, especially with the bright switch, get a light enough crunch blues.
The drive channel. This gives a nice overdrive, very rock. If you are looking for the type or Mr Hector Mesa, although you need to buy these models here, not his record. The caiman is made for what will the blues (although the alligator is best for this style), the big rock show in his very large hard / heavy (eg type Zakk Wylde). The eq is very effective. If you board the head and 2x12 (1 + 1 G12T75 V30), you'll have plenty of bass. Too much for my taste, but what flirting with some great sounds to modern music.
I chose the combo, rendering more balanced, without necessarily falling into the vintage.
Harmonics come easily. The caiman is less versatile than the alligator, but I found it very effective and relevant in rock music. No distortion, but a really big overdrive. If your guitar does not have a good output level, he may need a little boost for the solo.
OVERALL OPINION
I play for 17 years. I saw also spent a lot of amps, which Brunetti, Rivera, Engl, Peavey, Fender, Marshall, Blackstar ...
In the case of the alligator, I conducted several tests, so in total, more than an hour of play I wanted a quality combo for small club (rock blues band with 2 guitars), and I am very difficult, because my sound is based on a single amp played for 10 years, a Marshall JCM 800. Basically, I came to try the new Blackstar HT coming. On paper, critters tempting, but I was once again quite disappointed (I'll make a notice explaining why). I would not have had the sense to try a Laboga, whose name I associate with the metal, mainly because of Mr Hector.
I hesitated a lot between the Caiman and the Alligator. Not the same budget, but it did not come (for once) into account. So I tested everything in all directions (to connect the alligator in the HP of the Cayman, and vice versa!). The alligator has prevailed for more comprehensive (over potential setting) and a grain more suitable for my needs, namely, to blues-rock. However, I had a real shot in the heart for the caiman, which is really what I want from an amp for rock. I could not buy both, but this is only a postponement, the Cayman will be my next purchase.
If I have any advice, it is mainly to try it with your guitar. I tested it with my Musicman main, which is set for an output level of tough, able to turn my JCM 800. Second thing: HP vary during your test, because, like the alligator, they are strongly influenced sound. Plugged into a celestion 75, the alligator was like an awful lot Caiman (Caiman "like this, lol). And that goes for the Cayman, which has nothing to do between g12t75 combo and head over his cabinet (very "bassy") in g12t75 + vintage 30. The choice of bowls and cabinet will be crucial. If you already have the speaker supposed to host, do not hesitate to bring it to the test, because the matching seems more important to treat with all the critters that I owned and tested.
Voila. Do not wait for a metal amp, but a rock amp. Maybe not the best of all time, but very good in the sense that it is for you to make sound. This is not the case with other amps I've had, or that I quoted, and not retained or purchased for that reason. If you expect an ultra-typed, you will be disappointed. If you are looking for an amp with an overdrive most "agreed", expressive and flexible, so it might please you.