Amp Shortist

[jonny deep]

https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/product/ ... OCIALMEDIA

Listed at £599 - shurely shome mishtake?

[JD01]

https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/product/ ... OCIALMEDIA

Listed at £599 - shurely shome mishtake?

That might be right actually. The 36 and the 18 are the non-deluxe versions that mean that they don't have the Redbox emulation - I think they've actually been discontinued now which might be why they're getting knocked out cheap.

[Greg_L]

They do have Redbox. From that link: "The built- in RED BOX genuinely simulates a 4x12” cabinet and sends the signal directly into the mixer, which makes it an amazingly helpful tool in the studio as well as on stage. "

[JD01]

Ah, its the different in the type of Redbox that they offer:
Check out these images of the back panels. the Deluxe models have the "Ambience" version where you get to select between both cab size and "vintage/modern". The deluxe also has the "No Cab" option so that you can use your own impulses.

Check out these back panel pics:



Either way that 599 is a great price for one, Mr. Deep.

[JD01]

So - I went for the TubeMeister 40W in the end. Tones will be on the weekend.
I phoned the shop yesterday and said that I wanted to try a TubeMeister 40W, Victory V30, and a mini-Jube. I actually took my cab, guitar and board down with me too!

Mini-jube was a disappointment actually. Just didn't do it for me, which is a shame as I was pretty sold on it a few months ago - although I tried it against a Blackstar that time.

The H&K was immediately the sort of thing I was after - I just stuck everything on 12 O'Clock and had a sound that I really liked. Absolutely crystal clean, clean channel with its own EQ, gain and volume. A shared EQ for the crunch and lead channel but the two channels also have their own independent gain and volume. They are actually voiced in a very similar way though - by adjusting the gain knobs so they gain level is equal you can get them pretty much identical. Not much use for recording I suppose other than as a convenience. Also, the crunch channel particularly seemed to react well to being boosted with the SD1 and OCD.

The V30 - I found this too dark and flubby before, but that was on a guitar that I wasn't familiar with through a random 1x12. I fucking loved this amp this time. Just got a clean gain, crunch gain, clean master, crunch master and a shared EQ. I still found it a little dark, didn't have a "sparkle" on the top end even with the treble up high. But the main reason I didn't go with it is 'cos it would be too impractical for me, mainly recording at home. I wouldn't get anything like the best out of a 40+W amp that needs to be loud to be any good at all.

The H&K has quite a lot of treble and I had to dial it back a bit, but I think that would be good recorded and cut through well. The main advantage in the H&K for me though was the power scaling, 40W, 20W, 5W, 1W, 0W (Redbox only). I don't know what the Redbox sounds like yet, but the increasing Wattage switches was basically a "make it better switch" Dialing in a good tone at 5W was easy, switching it to 40W just gives you a better version of the same thing - this function will be really handy for me recording at home.

[WhiskeyJack]

That's awesome JD!! not even lying i am excited to hear it myself. It looks like a versatile peice of kit. Also worth noting that while i never hear anyone rave and go on and on about H&K amps, i have never heard anyone speak ill of them. They don't seem to fall victim to fanboy shit smearing campaigns and that sort of says a lot about an amp. Excited for you buddy ! Super cool that it goes from 1W to 40W. i like that.

[JD01]

That's awesome JD!! not even lying i am excited to hear it myself. It looks like a versatile peice of kit. Also worth noting that while i never hear anyone rave and go on and on about H&K amps, i have never heard anyone speak ill of them. They don't seem to fall victim to fanboy shit smearing campaigns and that sort of says a lot about an amp. Excited for you buddy ! Super cool that it goes from 1W to 40W. i like that.

Yeah - I think they have a reputation for sounding a bit "anodyne" "sterile" etc. They're the sort of words people use. Maybe true, but no one says they're "bad" "dark" "boxy" etc. One thing the could be accused of is having slightly harsh highs - a bit Voxy until you'd knocked a bit of treble out.

[Lt. Bob]

I'm REALLY curious about those amps.
I bet I'd love one ..... next amp I get is gonna be a gergAmp but H&K really looks like some good stuff.

That's awesome JD!! ..... not even lying

so wait ..... does that mean if you don't add that qualifier you're lying?

[WhiskeyJack]

That's awesome JD!! not even lying i am excited to hear it myself. It looks like a versatile peice of kit. Also worth noting that while i never hear anyone rave and go on and on about H&K amps, i have never heard anyone speak ill of them. They don't seem to fall victim to fanboy shit smearing campaigns and that sort of says a lot about an amp. Excited for you buddy ! Super cool that it goes from 1W to 40W. i like that.

Yeah - I think they have a reputation for sounding a bit "anodyne" "sterile" etc. They're the sort of words people use. Maybe true, but no one says they're "bad" "dark" "boxy" etc. One thing the could be accused of is having slightly harsh highs - a bit Voxy until you'd knocked a bit of treble out.

All good man. I don't know that i have ever actually heard one. I think i saw a country band up here one time and buddy had a pretty big H&K rig but whatever. I didn't leave them room.

Before that Traynor shit the bed on me i would say the exact same thing about it, sterile. It does what an amp needs to do with no real specific voicing to call it's own. Save for over driving the clean clean channel. That sounded so good freaking good but wasn't quite there. I think i need a really nice little boost into it to get a bit more grit out it but hard to say. that may not be the answer either. I won't know until i get back. Should be this week i think

moral of the story is, there is nothing wrong with a sterile sound as a jumping off point. And really you have been chasing your tone for a long time now and if this is a tool that you know is going to make you that much happier?

[WhiskeyJack]

I'm REALLY curious about those amps.
I bet I'd love one ..... next amp I get is gonna be a gergAmp but H&K really looks like some good stuff.

That's awesome JD!! ..... not even lying

so wait ..... does that mean if you don't add that qualifier you're lying?

I think in this political climate and state of things with fake news and such yes. yes i think it is good to swear on oath on any disclaimers one might make.

[JD01]

moral of the story is, there is nothing wrong with a sterile sound as a jumping off point. And really you have been chasing your tone for a long time now and if this is a tool that you know is going to make you that much happier?

Yeah - I was getting pretty much where I wanted with the Blackstar on the last think I did but there was nothing else I could do with that amp and I got sick of having to always have a boost on, always have an EQ in the loop etc. I'd taken a lot of measures to extract the tone I wanted - this just did it straight away!

[JD01]

I'm REALLY curious about those amps.
I bet I'd love one ..... next amp I get is gonna be a gergAmp but H&K really looks like some good stuff.

That's awesome JD!! ..... not even lying

so wait ..... does that mean if you don't add that qualifier you're lying?

You'd like it, Bob - just 'cos of the versatility and the RedBox XLR out, 3 channels - you could get it set up how you like, use it as your monitor and line out straight into your board.

[Lt. Bob]

I know I would ..... I'd swap my Mesa Mark V for one actually

[Greg_L]

I know I would ..... I'd swap my Mesa Mark V for one actually

Dude you could get four or five Tubemeisters for your Mark V!


When I was looking at "little" amps a long time ago, the Tubemeisters always topped my list. This was before little Marshalls and little Mesas and stuff. There weren't many small amps out there. The H&K stuff was great.

I wouldn't say they're "sterile" - more like generic. Not in a bad way, it's just that H&K isn't known for any specific signature sound. Marshalls have a sound, Mesas have a sound, Fenders, Orange, Hiwatt, etc. They all have a voice and character specific to their brand. H&K isn't on that list of classic amps that have made a big mark on decades of music. There aren't may all-time famous players using them. That's why, to me, they don't get that much attention - which is a shame because they're really very nice amps and they've led the way as far as little amps doing lots of things. Not that JD's 40w amp is little. That thing will be loud.

[Minerman]

Congrats Jdude, glad you finally got to splurge man!!! Looking forward to clips too...

[JD01]

Congrats Jdude, glad you finally got to splurge man!!! Looking forward to clips too...

Cheers Miner. I'm looking forward to getting it home on the weekend and really trying some recording with it. I've been noodling in 1W mode this evening and I'm really pleased with it.

[Minerman]

Cheers Miner. I'm looking forward to getting it home on the weekend and really trying some recording with it. I've been noodling in 1W mode this evening and I'm really pleased with it.

Cool Jdude...The bottom line is you're the dude who threw his $$$ at it, & you're the dude who needs to be happy with it...I almost bought the 5w version, but went with an Egnater Tweaker, & I always wondered "what if"...
I'm sure it's great man, paired with your 2x12, it should kick ass...

[JD01]

It's actually surprising how loud even a 1W amp is.

[rayc]

Onya James. Did you trade the Blackstar?

[JD01]

Onya James. Did you trade the Blackstar?

No, I actually took the time to save up for this on its own... which given the holidays me and wifey go on took bloody ages!

I'll probably just sell the Blackstar - I was thinking of moving it to Bristol to use as my weekday amp, but to be honest I don't really give a shit during the week, I'm not recording. I just want something to plug into and have a playable tone - my Peavey Bandit with an OCD clone works fine for that and it has a cracking spring reverb in it. So its perfectly fine if I just want to pay for an hour after work.

Wan to get some recording done with the H&K before i sell the Blackstar