Search for Tone

The Marketing Blurb

New for Summer 2007 is the revised Minimat. We've taken the old version and added an all valve booster. It's still controled by the footswitch. We've added a master volume so you can take advantage of great sounding preamp gain, or use the attenuator to run the master flat out and get power valve overdrive at sensible levels.

More details will be here soon...but unlike the Little Rock you'll still be able to get custom options like vinyl and gold plating.

There will also be a 1x12 combo version with reverb but without the boost. Read more »

What we say about the Vox AC30H2

They say the Vox AC30H2 is meant to be the best Vox amplifier ever. That's got to be saying something from the brand that have been providing iconic amplifiers right from the start. Try to think of a 60s band that didn't play a Vox at some point. And that bright, overdriven tone has featured on countless tracks.

I love the Vox AC30 range. A lot of different variations are on the market, even on the current market, let alone looking at used AC30s, so it's a bit of a mine-field figuring out which version you want. I love the option of the top-boost, although I actually prefer the clean sound. Read more »

Not everyone needs a 100W monster of an amp.

Size shouldn't equate to functionality

Guitar amplifier manufacturers seem to follow the same logic that car manufacturers do when it comes to functionality. I'll make the comparison based on an amp's watts relating to a car's engine capacity.

Now think if you want all the latest mod-cons, then you have to purchase a car with the largest engine size. It's the same with guitar amps. You want direct recording, speaker emulation, valve switching, multiple channels, etc, then you'll quickly be looking at a 100W amplifier. Read more »

The Marketing Blurb

Our patented Progressive Linkage™ provides five different all-tube power amplifiers which you can harness in any combination to the King’s four preamp channels to create – not a cyber mock-up, but the real, authentic circuits found in those classic amplifiers.

Once in a while a product comes along that redefines its genre, changing the way we think, and ushering in a new era. The Road King™ does just that. Read more »

The Marketing Blurb

Stunning versatility and unadulterated tone. The 1224 is among the best amplifiers on the planet offering a depth and complexity of tone not often heard. If you don’t believe us come and try one

Our most customisable amplifier to date. Choose valve type, bias type, switching options, voicing and more. As standard there are 4 modes of operation: single or dual valve Class A, 2 or 4 valves Push/Pull. Combined with Triode/Pentode and Hi/Lo power switching give a total of 16 possible combinations of tone and volume. Footswitchable Voice, Reverb, Overdrive, and front panel operated Mid Boost and Bass Shift. Read more »

The Marketing Blurb

The Custom Reverb Signature is the culmination of everything Bill & Joe have learned since day one. It has a lot of the same features from their early days building amplifiers. The CR Sig has a very refined lead channel that has been tweaked to perfection. Originating in the K&M Custom, this circuit is the most open, least compressed and most articulate and revealing.

Read more »

What we say about the Marshall 1962 Bluesbreaker

This is the only Marshall I've ever played and liked. I know some may think that's odd, especially as Marshall have been at the forefront of rock guitar tone for decades. But every time I look for a guitar amp, I try a Marshall and they always seem lacking. It could well be how I'm using it. For instance, I hated Gibson Les Pauls for years, then one day I found the right combination of guitar and amp and now the Les Paul is part of my standard set-up. It also took someone more experienced with the set-up to walk me through its paces and show me why it works so well.

What Blackstar say about the HT-5

The HT-5 is the ultimate studio and practice amp, packing all the great tone and innovative features of the award-winning HT valve pedals into a two channel, footswitchable valve combo. The patent-applied-for ISF (Infinite Shape Feature) circuit gives you infinite adjustment over the characteristics of the tone control network and takes you from the USA to the UK and any where in between. So now you can effectively design your own tone and finally find ‘the sound in your head’. Read more »

The Marketing Blurb

This dimunitive half stack delivers the goods like nothing else. Made up of the BH5H 5-watt head and the BH112 1x12" cabinet (which are also available separately), this is a half stack worth more than double its size. Read more »

My Opinion

I have to admit to not having heard one of these amplifiers. So why am I including it?

I've always liked Hughes and Kettner amplifiers. They offer that little bit extra above the normal brands. For me, that little difference can mean the difference between liking playing through an amplifier and having a smile on my face for the rest of the day. Would I buy Hughes and Kettner again? Yes, definitely. This amp is definitely on the list of amps for review. Read more »