# Hughes & Kettner Triamp: Holy Shit!



## zimbloth (Dec 11, 2009)

My buddy just brought over his H&K Triamp MK1 head to my store so I could bias it for him and I was absolutely blown away. I can't believe this amp isn't more popular. It's one of the best amps I've ever heard, and it was sitting in a room next to Diezels, Fryettes, and Riveras. It had incredible cleans, crunch, and high-gain tones and a bad tone could not be dialed in. Ballsy, thick and complex, aggressive yet really smooth. Much more organic sounding than most other German amps I've used. This thing sounds fucking huge! Incredible note definition even with mountains of gain and mega volumes.

I need to get in with this company ASAP! What do you guys think of this amp? Or their other all-tube amps? I can't imagine how good the MKII must be. I biased the amp for him with some new JJ 6L6s and we ran it through the Diezel 4x12 Front-Loaded cab with G12K100 speakers, and man... 

I love discovering new gear that blows my mind. It's been a long time until I played a new amp that really made my jaw drop. This amp is definitely in my top 3 of all time. H&K needs to get better marketing, as something is off for there not to be _way _more artists using these. They smoke 99.9% of amps I've ever played.

I hear the 'Duo Tone' model is channels 1 and 3 from this amp, if thats the case, I might have to get one of those soon. Regardless, I really need to try to be a dealer for these guys. Killer!


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## Empryrean (Dec 11, 2009)

That's exciting news, how much do those go for?


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## zimbloth (Dec 11, 2009)

Empryrean said:


> That's exciting news, how much do those go for?



The Triamp MK1 is old, discontinued. The new MK2 one goes for around $3400 US I think. They have more affordable models however like the DuoTone and the Switchblade. The MK1's go for pretty cheap, which is just crazy. I'd gladly pay $3000 for this amp if I was in the market for one (as much as I love these, I could not be happier w/ my VHT/Fryette stuff).

Granted, the Diezel cab w/ G12K100s can't be hurting the situation, but my friend says it sounds amazing through his Marshall cabinet as well.


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## Empryrean (Dec 11, 2009)

Oh My word, that would be one hell of a first tube amp to have then


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## Samer (Dec 11, 2009)

My other guitar player has a switchblade (along with a bunch of other high end amps) it sounds great, and has alot of built in FX.


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## WarriorOfMetal (Dec 11, 2009)

They're pretty cool...I've tried the DuoTone in a store before, and a friend of mine from Berklee had the TriAmp Mk1, and I remember that being pretty cool, too...but I think I only ever played through that when I was too drunk to hold the pick!


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## MaxOfMetal (Dec 11, 2009)

I think one of the reasons H&K aren't as popular is the price, combined with marketing, or for the most part the lack of marketing. 

Most guitarists looking for a high-gain amp with a $3400 price tag tend to go with the more revered (and far better marketed) amps such as the upper echelon Soldano, ENGL, Bogner, Diezel, Fryette, etc. 

I played through a MKII, and while I wasn't as blown away as Nick, I can honestly say it was a FANTASTIC amp. It's certainly a well kept secret for high-gain lead. I think a lot of people tend to focus more on their cheaper "Blade" series of amps. While they're pretty nice as well, they don't hold a candle to the MKII or Duo in my opinion.


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## Randy (Dec 11, 2009)

My friend had one of these and returned it, going back to his 6505+. But he's also a dipshit, so you can take that with a grain of salt. 

The perception I got from it was that it was a really well rounded amp that did all three channels well. For the price, there's other amps I'd consider first but it'd hover in my top 5.

But, personally, I don't think there's a better looking amp out there. They look pretty good in pictures, but it's significantly classier in person (and that's saying a lot).


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## signalgrey (Dec 12, 2009)

i was really into them a while ago, but the price tag turned me off after playing a few of them. sounded really good, but i dont think its worth the price. the used MK1s are worth it though.

the Diezel i played blew my mind though.


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## Edroz (Dec 12, 2009)

the only experience i have first hand with H&K is the Triamp Mk1. it's a beast of an amp alright . 

i was seriously contemplating buying Matt's (HighGain510) Triamp Mk2 Lifeson awhile back because of how much i liked the Mk 1. but a Brunetti XLII R-EVO popped up for the right price and it went that route as it just suits me much more than the H&K.

the Mk1 also had some reliability issues as well that were fixed with the Mk2... nothing major, just the amp catching on fire, etc... .


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## poopyalligator (Dec 12, 2009)

I tried the mk2 and i thought it was a great amp when i played it. For a while i was thinking about buying one, but i could never find one that was a decent price, and then i heard the engl fireball.


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## zimbloth (Dec 12, 2009)

MaxOfMetal said:


> I think one of the reasons H&K aren't as popular is the price, combined with marketing, or for the most part the lack of marketing.
> 
> Most guitarists looking for a high-gain amp with a $3400 price tag tend to go with the more revered (and far better marketed) amps such as the upper echelon Soldano, ENGL, Bogner, Diezel, Fryette, etc.
> 
> I played through a MKII, and while I wasn't as blown away as Nick, I can honestly say it was a FANTASTIC amp. It's certainly a well kept secret for high-gain lead. I think a lot of people tend to focus more on their cheaper "Blade" series of amps. While they're pretty nice as well, they don't hold a candle to the MKII or Duo in my opinion.



Well that's definitely a shame because I think they're easily as good if not better than almost anything I've ever played. They're definitely up there with the Diezels. IMO they're on a tier above some of their German counter-parts like ENGL and Framus.



signalgrey said:


> i was really into them a while ago, but the price tag turned me off after playing a few of them. sounded really good, but i dont think its worth the price. the used MK1s are worth it though.
> 
> the Diezel i played blew my mind though.



I hear what you're saying, the pricetag on the MKII is high, but it's really not that different than what many other high-end/boutique heads cost. For me I think it sounds every bit as good as the price tag suggests it should. Whether I could afford one is another issue, but I'd definitely buy one. Also, the DuoTone which apparently is the same amp but with 2 channels instead of 3 is a lot less money. It costs less than many (IMO) inferior contemporaries so I think it's fair. Sometimes you DO get what you pay for. 

That said, the purple lights on the Alex Lifeson model are so fucking badass, it makes me want to blow extra money on it just for that.



Edroz said:


> the only experience i have first hand with H&K is the Triamp Mk1. it's a beast of an amp alright .
> 
> i was seriously contemplating buying Matt's (HighGain510) Triamp Mk2 Lifeson awhile back because of how much i liked the Mk 1. but a Brunetti XLII R-EVO popped up for the right price and it went that route as it just suits me much more than the H&K.
> 
> the Mk1 also had some reliability issues as well that were fixed with the Mk2... nothing major, just the amp catching on fire, etc... .



Yeah Ed, the MK1 is killer I can't wait to try the MK2 at NAMM (or hopefully sooner). It's hard to imagine the MK2 sounds better than the amp I heard earlier tonight, but we'll see!


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## signalgrey (Dec 12, 2009)

MKII has been out for a little while now right?
i agree with the Lifeson lights...definitely cool. 

i wonder if an MKIII is in the works?


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## christpuncher66 (Dec 12, 2009)

duotone for $1600 obo. fair deal? 

i think my guitarist recorded with this exact amp on our newest record. i didnt get to play it though, and the sound he was going for is way different than mine. i got a tsl and a 5150 im thinking about trading with cash for it. is it that much more awesome then these amps? and how versatile is it?


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## zimbloth (Dec 12, 2009)

christpuncher66 said:


> duotone for $1600 obo. fair deal?
> 
> i think my guitarist recorded with this exact amp on our newest record. i didnt get to play it though, and the sound he was going for is way different than mine. i got a tsl and a 5150 im thinking about trading with cash for it. is it that much more awesome then these amps? and how versatile is it?



Definitely sounds fair. I'd do it. I haven't played the DuoTone, but supposedly it's like channel 1 and 3 from the Triamp. If thats the case, hell yes its versatile. I was able to get insanely good cleans even with the gain set at MASSIVE levels just by rolling the guitar volume knob down. There's a ton of 'in-between' sounds available that all sound great, and of course the cleans and heavies are top notch.

Go for it man. It's subjective I know, but for me I'd take that over a TSL/5150 any day.


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## Sonicboom (Dec 12, 2009)

I got my TriAmp MK1 with matching greenback loaded cab few months ago for R9000($1200) Still got the original preamp tubes in as well!

Recorded last night and felt a bit dissapointed.(I was a bit drunk trying to dial in some death metal tones) Listened back this morning and boy was i surprised Awesome tones! Liquid gain and sounds sick with a boost on 2B, 3A and 3b. Very organic!

She is a beast! Now i just need money for some new speakers

Any suggestions?


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## ShadyDavey (Dec 12, 2009)

Check out the Coreblade as well - it's around £1700 in the UK but apparently kicks even more booty:

Guitar amps by Hughes & Kettner - Products


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## Mattmc74 (Dec 12, 2009)

I played a MII with a Mesa cab and was very impressed with the sound I got! It was not hard at all to get a wide range of tones for different styles of music. Very versatile amp.
I have played the Warp X and I liked that as well but I only got about 15 minutes of play time on it.


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## Ionei (Dec 12, 2009)

Triamp mkII is the ONLY high endish amp i've played that really deserved its high price tag, in no area did it fail, everything else just wasnt quite right for me.
Such a beautiful amp.

Definitely my next amp for sure!


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## Scar Symmetry (Dec 12, 2009)

German innit 

H&K really should be more popular. Peavey and ENGL dominate where I'm from 

I'm not sure about the MKI but the MKII has 9 preamp tubes


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## buffa d (Dec 12, 2009)

I almost bought a Trilogy head a year ago, which is an AWESOME head as well. I really liked it 

The reason I didn't buy it was that I bought the AxeFx instead 
I just need a new 2x12 cab to go with it..


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## Bevo (Dec 12, 2009)

Pretty good review here..


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## HighGain510 (Dec 12, 2009)

The TriAmp MKII I just sold (sorry Nick! ) was pretty nice overall, if I had more space to crank it I probably would have held onto it. I did get to blast it a few times and it sounded pretty cool. If I had bought it @ $3K+, not sure I would have been floored, but since I got it for $2K and sold it for a little bit less, I broke even and felt like I got to play with a cool amp for a bit. It wasn't a religious experience or anything lol, just another nice-sounding tube amp.


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## ShadyDavey (Dec 12, 2009)

Scar Symmetry said:


> German innit
> 
> H&K really should be more popular. Peavey and ENGL dominate where I'm from
> 
> I'm not sure about the MKI but the MKII has 9 preamp tubes



Aye, they're far more popular here too - that's not going to stop me grabbing an H&K as/when I have the readies however  

The solid state amps have positive feedback circuitry designed by Jurgen Rath and for the money they are outrageously good...quite fancying an Attax Combo then replacing the speaker with an Eminence Governer....


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## neoclassical (Dec 12, 2009)

I gave two different MkI's a try and never got on with them. One was used and going for an insanely good price ~$700USD IIRC. Too bad too, you don't see a high end amp for next to nothing often.


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## technomancer (Dec 12, 2009)

HighGain510 said:


> The TriAmp MKII I just sold (sorry Nick! ) was pretty nice overall, if I had more space to crank it I probably would have held onto it. I did get to blast it a few times and it sounded pretty cool. If I had bought it @ $3K+, not sure I would have been floored, but since I got it for $2K and sold it for a little bit less, I broke even and felt like I got to play with a cool amp for a bit. It wasn't a religious experience or anything lol, just another nice-sounding tube amp.



I am still regretting not buying this when you moved it


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## budda (Dec 12, 2009)

I almost sold my JSX for a Mk1, ended up backing out as I wasn't ready to part with it.

Now I need it gone and it's still here, under the roadster


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## liquidcow (Dec 12, 2009)

Very interesting to read this. I've got a H&K VC cab and it's great. I was taking a bit of a risk buying it as when I bought it there were no reviews or info besides promo material to be found anywhere, nobody seemed to know anything about this cab. It was worth it though, it is great and I agree that H&K need better marketing as hardly anyone seems to know about them...

I'm very interested in trying out the Switchblade TSC, I've heard great things about it. I'm not one to trust YouTube vids and such for listening so I'd rather try one out in person. I'd be very reluctant to get rid of my Mesa for it, though some say it's better (namely people who aren't fond of Dual Recs though).


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## zimbloth (Dec 12, 2009)

Yeah Budda you really dropped the ball lol, this thing in my opinion is in a whole other stratosphere than a JSX. The fact you can get those for so cheap is criminal. I can't think of a better amp you can get used for even $1000 more than what these seem to go for. If the new ones are new and improved, then I definitely think it's worth the pricetag. Sometimes you really do get what you pay (and of course sometimes you don't, there are several expensive amps out there that I think are junk).



HighGain510 said:


> The TriAmp MKII I just sold (sorry Nick! ) was pretty nice overall, if I had more space to crank it I probably would have held onto it. I did get to blast it a few times and it sounded pretty cool. If I had bought it @ $3K+, not sure I would have been floored, but since I got it for $2K and sold it for a little bit less, I broke even and felt like I got to play with a cool amp for a bit. It wasn't a religious experience or anything lol, just another nice-sounding tube amp.



I could not disagree with you more  The MK1 I played was absolutely incredible, definitely not just another nice tube amp. Perhaps it was because I got to spend a lot of time with it cranked through one of the awesome new Diezel FL cabs, and I had just biased it to optimal levels with great tubes. I don't know what it would sound like other setups.


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## Sonicboom (Dec 13, 2009)

That's it!!! Just confirmed it, my TriAmp MK1 is all that aaand a bag of chips
I popped in an old quad of 5881's and lo and behold. A bit stiff(but since when's that not a good thing), but it's a lot more aggressive! In a metal Cleans are more Fendery, smoother midrange and just frikkin amazing!
Now i have to pony up the bucks to get her re-biassed. 
I don't know if the MK2's can also be loaded with 6l6/5881's but i know one thing! The Mk1's are sleeper amps! Now i wanna put my other two greenbacks in and hear what it sound like now, cause the el34's sound too rock(y) with them. 

Anyone else here have the original TC412?


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## etiam (Dec 13, 2009)

Hey, kiddos. Happy to see this kind of thread popping up. Hope you'll tolerate my anecdotal rambling, as this is a topic close to my heart. If you want to skip the story and just get the mini-review, scroll down.

In the beginning of my quest, after digging deep enough, I read about these amps, thought they sounded pretty sweet, and quickly managed to find (and play) a Duo-Tone that was being sold with the corresponding Custom Class cabinet (Greenback loaded). I liked pretty much everything about it, including the deal he was offering relative to the Tri-Amp price, except that the Duo-Tone didn't seem to get quite heavy enough. I don't really think the Duo-Tone can fully emulate the third channel of the Tri-Amp. Yes, the Tri-Amp is technically a three channel amp, but having a/b modes or each channel pretty nearly legitimates it as a six channel amp, and those top channels can't be matched by the Duo-Tone. 

I started checking out some other amps, since I figured the Tri-Amp would be too far out of my price range, and started reading great things about the Framus Cobra. So, I found another one of those to go check out, but was fairly disappointed. Yes, that amp is wildly powerful and pretty flexible, but the distortion was a little too boxy and clinically granulated. A bit too modern, not quite warm enough. I flirted with a few other amp companies, but only Peavey and Engl were consistently good, while Genz-Benz, Krank, and a few others were consistently bad. Bogner had some pretty sweet stuff, but I didn't get the range of focus I needed (i.e. Ueberschall fantastic for distortion, not so much for cleans, Alchemist sweet on cleans, insufficiently loud for ultra-distortion).

Now, on the way back from this Framus trip, I swung by a Sam Ash and found, surprise, a Hughes & Kettner Tube 100 half-stack, which actually had distortion that sounded more ballsy than the Duo-Tone had. This Tube 100 is a now-discontinued version that wasn't on the same level at all, in terms of build quality, as the Duo-Tone, but it had this really exceptional warmth and depth that totally reinvigorated my interest in the Tri-Amp (i.e. if the Tube 100 can get that sound, surely the Tri-Amp, the alleged most flexible tube amp out there, could also get that sound). 

That same day, I found an MKII listed used for $1399 from Florida. Long story short and a few issues (shipping, tube breakage, sticky plexi, etc.) later, I pulled the trigger, retubed it with Mullard EL34s, and this thing is a monster: 

- It's capable of incredible gain, but isn't runaway crazy and retains a superb amount of definition with complex voicings. 

- The clean tone is legitimately very good and highly dynamic. Not quite Fender quality, but no high-gain tube amp is that clear or organic (that I've found). However, I play a significant amount of clean material and this was still satisfactory. 

- The second channel ranges from blues crunch through classic rock and just about anything Marshall can do, just better, in my opinion. Fuller and less shrill.

- The EQ is responsive and each channel has dedicated shaping features that allow for six unique tones or more subtle usage, almost like having a built-in boost. 

- Other neat features: the built-in Red Box allows for direct out, the footpedal is MIDI-capable, and there's a half-power switch on the back.

- The only things it doesn't have that I would like is built-in reverb or maybe a noise gate, but so far these hasn't been issues. 

I have not compared this to the MKI, but as mentioned before, this second version addressed some issues from the first run and gave it that super-sweet but tonally irrelevant light-up feature. The neon lights can break if you are traveling a lot, but so what, the rest of this amp is extremely solid and built of high quality materials. It's also incredibly large and nearly 50 pounds, so be prepared to shell out some money for the right-sized travel case.

And I'll hush up for now. If any of you are curious, I'll be happy to expound further. Might be easier to compare this to some other amps out there people may have played. 

So-- TL: DR:

H&K=most choice.


EDIT: Regarding tubes, this is designed for El34s, but can be biased for 6L6s. I haven't too much experience with H&K cabinets, aside from the Custom Class with the Greenbacks, but I liked that one a lot. I would not pay $1699 for one new, though, especially not with the V30s the Tri-Amp cabinets now come with. Statesman class cabinets are supposedly pretty good--made to German specs out of the country--but I wouldn't pay more than $250 for a Player's Class cabinet.


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## newamerikangospel (Dec 13, 2009)

I have always loved H&K. The price tag is what really puts me off (which is weird, since I love Framus  ). The warp X I played blew me away when I played one several years back. Sounded like the better parts of a mark IV and a recto, with a smoother tone stack. H&K had some QA issues a while back (like Framus) and I think they lost US representation a while back (like....  framus!). So the price tag, plus the QA issues, divided by direct shipping back to H&K caused "regular" players, and even some endorsed artists, to go with someone else. I think this was about 7-8 years ago. 

As for the Triamp, good amp, just not quite where I was wanting to go. It does stand out from the crowd (tonewise), so I can imagine it putting your jaw to the floor.


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## budda (Dec 13, 2009)

Nick I ended up with a Roadster - I'd say I did ok


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## TMM (Dec 13, 2009)

H&K is kind of hit & miss, IMHO. The TriAmps are nice, but I found them lacking in the low end. The Warp-X has enormous low-end, but lacks some of the definition. The Switchblade sounded like a decent but generic amp to me... nothing special.

All that said, I've never had the chance to try a TriAmp through a G12K-100-filled cab, so maybe that makes the difference.


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## Coobanez (Dec 13, 2009)

A store near me has one that they've had for at least 3 years, used, and it's currently onsale for about $800 (I bet I could get it even lower since I know the store on a personal level and they know me, and they haven't been able to get rid of it even at sale prices of $650!). I demo'd it through the multiple cabs, found it very cool. It's the EL34 version though, is this one you claim such amazement the 6l6 version Nick, or was there only an EL34 version? I may jump on this in the near future, but funds decieve me at the moment


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## Fred the Shred (Dec 14, 2009)

The TriAmp MkI was a huge disappointment to me, mainly due to the subpar effects loop and somewhat "cold" tones, a sort of tube jack of all trades, master of none. A tube swap helped the tones in terms of overall warmth, but I still preferred the old and trusty Tube 100 I had around.

The second version is more like it, but I still don't feel it is the thing for me - they did solve the inconsistent behavior regarding the fx loop, and I felt the amp's voicings were greatly improved upon, yet it still lacks some dynamic subtleties I'd like in it, although the high gain part is very good indeed.


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## Minoin (Dec 14, 2009)

I've had the same experience with Hughes & Kettner as Zimbloth. Got a Trilogy Head a few years ago and man..
The thing with these amps is that you can seriously hear the tubes. Just that sparkling, crispy, dreamy tubesound.
Eventually I sold it for a ENGL and a TriAxis, but it is really a winner.

H&K stays unpopular here in Europe (Holland)! You can easily buy 2 TriAmp's instead of one Dual Rectifier...


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## liquidcow (Dec 14, 2009)

newamerikangospel said:


> I have always loved H&K. The price tag is what really puts me off (which is weird, since I love Framus  ). The warp X I played blew me away when I played one several years back. Sounded like the better parts of a mark IV and a recto, with a smoother tone stack. H&K had some QA issues a while back (like Framus) and I think they lost US representation a while back (like....  framus!). So the price tag, plus the QA issues, divided by direct shipping back to H&K caused "regular" players, and even some endorsed artists, to go with someone else. I think this was about 7-8 years ago.
> 
> As for the Triamp, good amp, just not quite where I was wanting to go. It does stand out from the crowd (tonewise), so I can imagine it putting your jaw to the floor.



Price is an interesting thing, as Minion has just said, over here in Europe and the UK, H&K is a fair bit cheaper than Mesa Boogie. It's why I'm surprised more people over here don't use them instead.


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## zimbloth (Dec 14, 2009)

Cool stories guys, good to read. I don't know why I never heard much about these amps before. Brilliant amps!



TMM said:


> H&K is kind of hit & miss, IMHO. The TriAmps are nice, but I found them lacking in the low end. The Warp-X has enormous low-end, but lacks some of the definition. The Switchblade sounded like a decent but generic amp to me... nothing special.
> 
> All that said, I've never had the chance to try a TriAmp through a G12K-100-filled cab, so maybe that makes the difference.



You definitely played through one that was defective or used a crummy cab, because the one I played had *insane *amounts of low end, MASSIVE. Juicy, punchy, warm, and huge bottom end. And this was with the bass setting on 11-12 o'clock.

If I end up being accepted as a dealer for H&K sometime, I'll show you


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## zimbloth (Dec 16, 2009)

Welp, after being floored by this amplifier last weekend, I called Hughes & Kettner on Monday and inquired about becoming a dealer. I just had about a 4 hour meeting with them it looks like I'm in! They even gave me one of their awesome new "Coreblade" tube heads to try for free for a while until I get stock in 

I'm super thrilled, these amps are amazing and I'm excited to try out the other models they have to offer. I'll be spending a SHITLOAD of time with this Coreblade over the next week, I'll post some pics/clips or something. 

In the meantime, check out some of the crazy features this thing has. It's marketed as a metal amp but its super versatile. It has nutty features like a 'Tube Safety Control' which not only protects against tube failures, but also enables you to mix 4 different kinds of power tubes and it will automatically bias it properly for each tube! He mentioned you could take out the tubes as youre playing and it would still keep on ticking, even when down to just 1 tube (though obviously at reduced power/tone).

Also it has a built in noise gate that actually works, built-in fx that run in parallel so it does not degrade your tone, MIDI/USB functionality, all sorts of craziness. Of course #1 is tone, and I'll give it a whirl and see if it's the real deal, but feature-wise I've never seen anything with more to offer. Fucking badass  

You can check out the brochure for the Coreblade here.


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## technomancer (Dec 16, 2009)

zimbloth said:


> In the meantime, check out some of the crazy features this thing has. It's marketed as a metal amp but its super versatile. It has nutty features like a 'Tube Safety Control' which not only protects against tube failures, but also enables you to mix 4 different kinds of power tubes and it will automatically bias it properly for each tube! He mentioned you could take out the tubes as youre playing and it would still keep on ticking, even when down to just 1 tube (though obviously at reduced power/tone).



So is that marketing speak for saying it's cathode biased?


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## TMM (Dec 16, 2009)

zimbloth said:


> You definitely played through one that was defective or used a crummy cab, because the one I played had *insane *amounts of low end, MASSIVE. Juicy, punchy, warm, and huge bottom end. And this was with the bass setting on 11-12 o'clock.



IIRC it was a 1960A cab, but I could be wrong. There are certainly better cabs out there.



zimbloth said:


> If I end up being accepted as a dealer for H&K sometime, I'll show you



Haha sounds like a deal Nick. Maybe the week after Xmas or something.


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## newamerikangospel (Dec 16, 2009)

zimbloth said:


> Welp, after being floored by this amplifier last weekend, I called Hughes & Kettner on Monday and inquired about becoming a dealer. I just had about a 4 hour meeting with them it looks like I'm in! They even gave me one of their awesome new "Coreblade" tube heads to try for free for a while until I get stock in
> 
> I'm super thrilled, these amps are amazing and I'm excited to try out the other models they have to offer. I'll be spending a SHITLOAD of time with this Coreblade over the next week, I'll post some pics/clips or something.



Yeah, the H&Ks have alot of n00b proof stuff (some of the amps have a connection fault, and will shut off the power section if there isn't a load on the amp. Great for touring with meat-head roadies  ). The AxePalace is going to be my store for my next new gear purchase


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## zimbloth (Dec 16, 2009)

newamerikangospel said:


> Yeah, the H&Ks have alot of n00b proof stuff (some of the amps have a connection fault, and will shut off the power section if there isn't a load on the amp. Great for touring with meat-head roadies  ). The AxePalace is going to be my store for my next new gear purchase



It sure seems that way. Very cool features. I'll definitely test out the Coreblade thoroughly this weekend and give you all my honest opinions on it then.




technomancer said:


> So is that marketing speak for saying it's cathode biased?



You'll have to ask them Steve, this all just went down today I don't know. I'll find that all out shortly 



TMM said:


> Haha sounds like a deal Nick. Maybe the week after Xmas or something.



Cool


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## daos_27 (Aug 28, 2010)

zimbloth said:


> Welp, after being floored by this amplifier last weekend, I called Hughes & Kettner on Monday and inquired about becoming a dealer. I just had about a 4 hour meeting with them it looks like I'm in! They even gave me one of their awesome new "Coreblade" tube heads to try for free for a while until I get stock in
> 
> I'm super thrilled, these amps are amazing and I'm excited to try out the other models they have to offer. I'll be spending a SHITLOAD of time with this Coreblade over the next week, I'll post some pics/clips or something.
> 
> ...



The Coreblade is a total piece of @#$%. Stay away from this amp - Sure if you like 80's metal and don't want anything but a hotted up Marshall it is a great amp. However if you like the hotted up Marshall sound get an ENGL Ritchie Blackmoure... Seriously this was the 2nd most disappointing tube amp I have tried in my life. I have tried and owned tonnes. The most dissappointing was the Brunitti Pirata don't get me started on that one - man never touch a Brunetti amp!

Ok back to H&K the only good amps they make for metal (real metal not old school) is the WarpX (now discontinued), the Trilogy and the Triamp. The triamp would be my choice either Mark I or II will destroy the WarpX and the Triology. The WarpX was a great amp i owned one for years but sadly ended up selling him.

I owned the Coreblade for 2 weeks and sold him! It had a great hot sound but no big bottom end you would find in a modern amp and no high gain fizz you would find from an ENGL or a Diezel or even another H&K. I never tried the Switchblade but I imagine it would have to be even worse. 

Honestly if you want the effects built in to a tube head that sounds brutal get the Spidervalve it's heaps better and you save a bucket load. Some other good alternatives would be the Johnson Millennium, the Peavey Vyper (only the 75 and 120 watt versions have the preamp tubes) or even better get the amp you like and add a multi effects pedal like the Line 6 M9, M13 or even better get the pedals individually. Just don't get the TC Electronics G-System - what a nightmare and it sucks out the tone majorly.

If you just want a brutal amp get an ENGL Fireball 100, Invader 100 or Powerball II it will be cheaper (bar the Invader) and they all sound at least 10 times better for modern metal and these amps are monsters. 

Also the Diezel Einstein 100, Diezel Herbert, Framus Cobra and the Koch Powertone are also worth checking out. I also have the Koch Supernova but the Powertone believe it or not sounds better and is less complicated and a couple hundred Euro cheaper... And for reference I have owned or still own every amp mentioned so I am speaking from experience.


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## zimbloth (Aug 28, 2010)

daos_27 said:


> The Coreblade is a total piece of @#$%. Stay away from this amp - Sure if you like 80's metal and don't want anything but a hotted up Marshall it is a great amp. However if you like the hotted up Marshall sound get an ENGL Ritchie Blackmoure... Seriously this was the 2nd most disappointing tube amp I have tried in my life. I have tried and owned tonnes. The most dissappointing was the Brunitti Pirata don't get me started on that one - man never touch a Brunetti amp!
> 
> Ok back to H&K the only good amps they make for metal (real metal not old school) is the WarpX (now discontinued), the Trilogy and the Triamp. The triamp would be my choice either Mark I or II will destroy the WarpX and the Triology. The WarpX was a great amp i owned one for years but sadly ended up selling him.
> 
> ...



Well, I'm going to have to disagree with you there. It's cool if we have differing opinions, and we do agree on the glory of the Triamp, however there are some important things to note:

1) I'd love to have a conversation with you about your experience with the Coreblade. When I first got one in my shop, I was blown away by the cleans but thought the distortion was harsh and terrible. I called H&K and had a conversation with them. They suggested replacing the pre-amp tubes. When I did that, the amp came to life. The grainy, harsh top end that forced you to turn the 'Presence' knob practically off was gone and the amp in general had a much improved sound. Did you try this on yours?

2) The Coreblade on channel 3 and 4 has infinite gain and gobs of bottom end. So I'll disagree with you there too. The issue like I mentioned in #1 is the grainy, harsh presence. With improved tubes, the amp became much tighter, punchier, and warmer on the top end - without sacrificing an ounce of gain or bite. 

3) All this said, I still think the Triamp SMOKES the Coreblade. But I've had the chance to spend a lot of time with the Coreblade now and it's not a "peice of shit" at all. Unfortunately it just has shitty stock tubes like many amps do. It has stunning cleans, great effects, great options, free MIDI board, plenty of headroom and volume. With better tubes it has awesome high-gain performance as well.

4) Speakers make a big difference. The way it sounds with the Coreblade 4x12 which has Celestion Classic Lead 80s vs the way it sounds with a 4x12 w/ V30s is night and day. The V30s exaggerate the fizz/harshness. With the CL80s it was much tighter, punchier, and smoother on the top end.

5) You neglected to mention the DuoTone model in your list of H&Ks that are great for metal. That model absolutely crushes. It's basically the Triamp but with 2 channels and no MIDI. Without a boost, it sounds like the best modded Marshall you've ever heard. But with a boost in front (I use an MXR GT-OD at my store) it's absolutely CRUSHING for modern metal. Epic. Very similar to channel 3 on the Triamp but even a bit tighter perhaps.

Back to the Coreblade: if you setup the amp with high-quality tubes (especially pres) and _still _had those results, then fair enough. Surprising, but fair enough. But I really wouldn't go around calling it a piece of shit if you were running god-awful tubes in it. The Triamp sounds 'night and day' better with a retube as well, though its a much higher quality amp to begin with from the Coreblade (or Warp-X, or Switchblade, etc).

I do agree with you though, for brutal metal stuff ENGLs like the Fireball 100, Invader 100, and Powerball II are pretty amazing. The H&K has a different sound that works great for the heavy stuff also, but the ENGLs are hard to beat in that area. Soldano, Fryette, Diezel, Rivera, Bogner, Orange, etc also have several great amps for modern metal. 

All that said, the main point is this thread way back when (this was a pretty old bump here my friend!) was to express my love for the Triamp. It wasn't mean for a Coreblade discussion, but like I said before I'd welcome the discussion on it as I had similar gripes with it when I first tried it. That's why I offer my retube/bias services whenever I sell amps, as 99% of them come with 'meh' tubes and people don't even know what they're missing.

PS: You're calling the Coreblade a piece of shit but then praise the Framus Cobra? I think that's easily the worst amp *ever made*. Impossible to get a usable tone. Nothing but a compressed, mushy, scooped mess from hell, shoddy attention to detail, etc. Maybe the one i had was defective, but I heard the exact same depiction from Bulb as well. Different strokes I guess!


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## AlexWadeWC (Aug 29, 2010)

I played an MKI a long time ago and I remember it sounding amazing, from clean to heavy distortion it was a great amp.

And also if you like/have heard of the band Saosin, their tone is killer and they have used Triamps through Mesa cabs for a long time. Glassjaw has used Triamps for as long as I can remember as well.

And just FYI for anyone interested there is a practically brand new MKII on ebay for $2,000 shipped! Killer deal for anyone in the market.

Hughes and Kettner TriAmp 2 (TriAmp II) Brand new Cond. - eBay (item 180552471587 end time Aug-31-10 19:01:48 PDT)


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## zimbloth (Aug 29, 2010)

AlexWadeWC said:


> I played an MKI a long time ago and I remember it sounding amazing, from clean to heavy distortion it was a great amp.
> 
> And also if you like/have heard of the band Saosin, their tone is killer and they have used Triamps through Mesa cabs for a long time. Glassjaw has used Triamps for as long as I can remember as well.



Good call Alex. It really is an epic amp. My buddy has a MKI those were _really _good too. Not quite the MKII but amazing nonetheless. And yea a ton of bands from all genres use the Triamp. Everyone from Alex Lifeson of Rush to Amon Amarth and just about everything in between. With a boost in front its great for stuff like Whitechapel too (though its by means 'needs' it).

Hot Tip: The Triamp comes with EL34s. I've found installing 6L6s and biasing it up right brings that amp to a whole other level of triumph. I'm an EL34 fan but for whatever reason the JJ 6L6GC + H&K Triamp = amazing results.

As for the eBay link you posted, that's a pretty good deal! The new ones are now $2799 (down from $3460 thanks to exchange rate fun), so $2000 shipped for a used one sounds fair


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## dis89 (Aug 29, 2010)

Ive played through MK1 with dead JJTeslas on boards anf then through MK2 with new tubes...I mean MK2 had moar chances.. Sorry to say, MK2 in comparison seemed worse to me. It didnt give me the same "OMFG what a kleeen, holybatman, what a leed, its a win wooow!!! " feeling  . I think he difference between them is similar to 5150 and 6505. Still both of them are funtastic sounding amps, and Ill be happy to own any of em


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## mayx (Aug 29, 2010)

Glad to hear from the Triamp MKI, i had one for about 6 months, borrowed it from a friend. this amp was at that time 12 years old (made in 1995, i think). he replaced it with a rectifier and at that time i thougt a invader 100 sounds better, so i gave him the MKI back and he sold it to another guy, this guy replaced it with a JCM800, but he still has it. and i know this amp rots in his wet basement, but he don't sell it, he use it as a backup. a shame , it's a pretty good amp, very thigt in channel 3, and the first channel sounds really organic! i also remember that there was a reverb tank to buy seperatly. channel two was pretty useless for me.


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## liquidcow (Aug 29, 2010)

daos_27 said:


> I never tried the Switchblade but *I imagine *it would have to be even worse.


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## Andromalia (Aug 29, 2010)

I've checked on this, just being curious, and it doesn't seem that triamp mkII is being sold anywhere new in Europe. 
Even Thomann doesn't list it.
And Ebay is very poor in offerings.


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## Demeyes (Aug 29, 2010)

I played through a triamp in a studio once. I thought it sounded nice but in the end we ended up not using it. I'd have liked to have spent more time messing around with it myself.


> I've checked on this, just being curious, and it doesn't seem that triamp mkII is being sold anywhere new in Europe.
> Even Thomann doesn't list it.
> And Ebay is very poor in offerings.


They have it on the GAK Hughes & Kettner TriAmp Mk II (GAK) and on musikstore Hughes & Kettner - Triamp Head MK II 100 Watt 3 Kanal Vollröhrentopteil : E-Gitarren Verstärker


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## Andromalia (Aug 29, 2010)

Ugh 2600. Guess that's why they're not popular.
That's not something I would try to see if I like it with that kind of price tag.


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## zimbloth (Aug 29, 2010)

dis89 said:


> Ive played through MK1 with dead JJTeslas on boards anf then through MK2 with new tubes...I mean MK2 had moar chances.. Sorry to say, MK2 in comparison seemed worse to me. It didnt give me the same "OMFG what a kleeen, holybatman, what a leed, its a win wooow!!! " feeling  . I think he difference between them is similar to 5150 and 6505. Still both of them are funtastic sounding amps, and Ill be happy to own any of em



Well the MKI is amazing, but I've played the MKI and MKII extensively, and that doesn't sound right to me. Even with stock tubes the MKII has the best clean tones I've ever heard in a 100W head so something doesn't sound right with that. Something must have been screwy with the MK2 you tried. Also I'd take old JJ tubes over new shitty "TAD" tubes they use stock any day, big difference. Both amp versions are awesome though, its just the MKI had some reliability issues. The MKII sounds fucking amazing.



Andromalia said:


> Ugh 2600&#8364;. Guess that's why they're not popular.
> That's not something I would try to see if I like it with that kind of price tag.



2600 euros seems high. They're $2799 USD here which is what, like 1900 euros?


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## Andromalia (Aug 29, 2010)

2123 with today exchange rates.
That said, I supopse their apparent scarcity has jacked the prices up, although H&K high end gear has never been cheap.
The head should logically be less expensive in Europe than in the US though, 2600&#8364; is the price of a dual rectifier head give or take a couple hundred. (which is why nobody uses them either except the hobbyists who have a decent paying day job)

Knowing With Oden On Our Side was recorded with it makes me like it but for that price, no way.


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## zimbloth (Aug 29, 2010)

Andromalia said:


> 2123 with today exchange rates.
> That said, I supopse their apparent scarcity has jacked the prices up, although H&K high end gear has never been cheap.
> The head should logically be less expensive in Europe than in the US though, 2600 is the price of a dual rectifier head give or take a couple hundred. (which is why nobody uses them either except the hobbyists who have a decent paying day job)
> 
> Knowing With Oden On Our Side was recorded with it makes me like it but for that price, no way.



Well my advice to you would be to score a used one or have a USA model modified for 220V. The prices Mark I's go for on eBay these days are incredible. The MKI has its issues but if you get a good one, it's right up there with the MKII.


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## Andromalia (Aug 29, 2010)

Actually, what I'll do is to hammer Cliff on Fractal's forums until he has modeled one.


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## zimbloth (Aug 29, 2010)

Andromalia said:


> Actually, what I'll do is to hammer Cliff on Fractal's forums until he has modeled one.



As an Axe-FX owner myself, that would be amazing! He needs to do the VHT/Fryette Pittbull Ultra-Lead first though


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## Sonicboom (Aug 31, 2010)

My TriAmp MK1 is still going from strength to strength Playing through the greenback loaded MK1 cab and I can definately get modern extreme metal tones out of it! I still haven't had any reliabillity issues. 
I just bought a RM100 and a Genz-Benz G-flex 2x12 for a steal and can't wait to try the MK1 through that and the RM100 through the MK1 cab. 

Sigh. . . Another 5 months cause I'm on a course in Jozi

After that . . . the TriAmp might find a new home.


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## technomancer (Aug 31, 2010)

zimbloth said:


> As an Axe-FX owner myself, that would be amazing! He needs to do the VHT/Fryette Pittbull Ultra-Lead first though



Call Cliff and loan him the amps


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## zimbloth (Aug 31, 2010)

technomancer said:


> Call Cliff and loan him the amps



Is it really that easy? If so, I'd be happy too! He's only about an hour away from me, in fact I'm seeing him today to get my Axe-FX Ultra updated from 7.18 to 10.1.


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## Larrikin666 (Aug 31, 2010)

zimbloth said:


> Is it really that easy? If so, I'd be happy too! He's only about an hour away from me, in fact I'm seeing him today to get my Axe-FX Ultra updated from 7.18 to 10.1.



Dude. If he'll take your UL, then tell him I'll happily ship my ENGL SE to him to model as well. I emailed them about it a few months ago, but go no response. 

Also, how do the H&K cleans compare to Rivera? I had an oppurtunity to try a switchblade and triamp a few years ago, but couldn't stop trying to get good tones out of the Invader 150 in the store that day.


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## zimbloth (Aug 31, 2010)

Larrikin666 said:


> Dude. If he'll take your UL, then tell him I'll happily ship my ENGL SE to him to model as well. I emailed them about it a few months ago, but go no response.
> 
> Also, how do the H&K cleans compare to Rivera? I had an oppurtunity to try a switchblade and triamp a few years ago, but couldn't stop trying to get good tones out of the Invader 150 in the store that day.



I actually visited Fractal Audio today and talked with Cliff for a while. This subject was discussed. Look out for a thread about this a bit later and/or a mention of it on the AP facebook.

Rivera has _really _great clean tones, but IMO the Triamp MKII's cleans are in a league of it's own. The cleans on the DuoTone and Coreblade are amazing too. That said I haven't tried some of the more vintage sounding Rivera amps like the Venus which I'm sure are amazing. The cleans on the Knucklehead and Fandango stuff are tremendous but again, something about the H&K cleans just go that extra mile.


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## biggness (Aug 31, 2010)

zimbloth said:


> I actually visited Fractal Audio today and talked with Cliff for a while. This subject was discussed.* Look out for a thread about this a bit later and/or a mention of it on the AP facebook*.
> 
> Rivera has _really _great clean tones, but IMO the Triamp MKII's cleans are in a league of it's own. The cleans on the DuoTone and Coreblade are amazing too. That said I haven't tried some of the more vintage sounding Rivera amps like the Venus which I'm sure are amazing. The cleans on the Knucklehead and Fandango stuff are tremendous but again, something about the H&K cleans just go that extra mile.



30 minutes and still no thread? 

I have other things I would like to do, you know.


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## silentrage (Aug 31, 2010)

It's awesome how you can just approach Cliff about modeling an amp, somebody send him a fortin please.


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## biggness (Aug 31, 2010)

silentrage said:


> It's awesome how you can just approach Cliff about modeling an amp, somebody send him a fortin please.



Send your balls a fortin.


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## technomancer (Aug 31, 2010)

biggness said:


> 30 minutes and still no thread?
> 
> I have other things I would like to do, you know.


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## mattofvengeance (Aug 31, 2010)

Larrikin666 said:


> Dude. If he'll take your UL, then tell him I'll happily ship my ENGL SE to him to model as well. I emailed them about it a few months ago, but go no response.



This x about a million. I would loooove to have some of the higher end ENGLS like the SE, Invader and Savage modeled on this bad boy. This would then insure I would never ever ever let my Axe Fx leave my cold dead fingers.


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## zimbloth (Aug 31, 2010)

Here you go guys: http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/ge...d-fractal-audio-today-axe-fx-tidbits-fun.html


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## just42dave (Oct 17, 2010)

sooooooooo whts the verdict on the pre amp slots on this amp??
Outta 9 slots which ones do what>>>.


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## Andromalia (Oct 17, 2010)

That MK1 in italy for 1K&#8364; is still taunting me...can't really justify getting a 100W head at the moment though.


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## biggness (Oct 17, 2010)

I think that this is a good amp, but for the money, there are lots better amps out there. I view this amp as a jack of all trades and a master of none. I was left with a rather _meh_ experience. The cleans are great though. 

IMO, of course.


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## zimbloth (Oct 18, 2010)

just42dave said:


> sooooooooo whts the verdict on the pre amp slots on this amp??
> Outta 9 slots which ones do what>>>.



There are 9 preamp tubes because the amp has 3 preamps. Apart from the input stage tube and the phase inverter tube, the rest correspond to different gain stages and voicings throughout the 3 preamps. The first batch of tubes are for channel 1A/1B, the next 2A/B, etc.



biggness said:


> I think that this is a good amp, but for the money, there are lots better amps out there. I view this amp as a jack of all trades and a master of none. I was left with a rather _meh_ experience. The cleans are great though.
> 
> IMO, of course.



That's cool but I definitely disagree. I think channel 1A, 1B, 3A, and 3B all sound amazing. Channel 2A/2B is a bit too classic rock for me. I think the price is pretty fair for a super high quality German tube head with 6 preamp voicings, included MIDI controller, built-in DI box, etc. 

The issue for me with stock Triamps is they come with these hideous "TAD" tubes which sound grainy and lifeless. After a swap with good tubes and a bias, the amp completely comes to life.


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