hot DAMN!

This is technically my first tube amp, so I may be a little biased.


Let's do this Harmony-Central style...


Features: 10
What's that? you have not 3, but FOUR parametric EQs on the lead channel? (lo + hi mids) And a stereo headphone out? And frequency-compensated AND uncompensated stereo line outs? Wow, you could have had me there. But, they threw in a bright switch on the Clean/Crunch channel and a Contour (and this contour does the opposite of what most contours do...it BOOSTS the mids) on the lead. And a preamp defeat switch for those of you who want to add another preamp in. And, holy fuck, they threw in a small power amp IN THE PREAMP ITSELF, making this thing basically a small head in itself, so you can wire it to run directly to your cab for practice.

Sound Quality: 9
Fucking superb. The clean channel can go from warm and jazzy to bright and glassy with a tweak of the EQ or a hit of the Bright switch. That bluesy breakup is achievable if you're running it through the small 1.5 watt power amp within the preamp. It's the good, pleasent breakup that blues guys look for. The Crunch channel (accessed by hitting the Lo/Hi Gain switch while on the clean channel) responds with a beautiful marshall-esque crunch, but with a little more edge and definition. The only problem here is the bassier notes tend to not be as "attack"-y, but that's probablly just an EQ problem, I've only spent a good 10 hours on this thing so far. The Lead channel in itself has enough gain for anything (I prefer to use this for "crunch" stuff), and can go from a light snarl to an all out 80s metal bite to a modern rock growl. If you need still more gain, the final channel will rip your face off and plaster your brains all over the walls. I find myself backing the gain control off to about 40-50% on this channel, and it's still destroying everything in its path. Even if you turn the gain up, every note is still clear and defined: no mush here. EVERY EQ setting is completely useable.

Durability/Build: 10
It's German. Built like a fucking tank and then some. I plan to use either a POD Pro or V-Amp as a backup just in case though.

Overalll: 9
Minus some tiny little flaws that arent to my taste (flubby bass notes on the "crunch", clean doesnt stay clean...then again, the first one can be an EQ problem, and the second could be because i'm using the small 1.5 watt power amp...so not much headroom there.), this thing kills. Absolutely murders everything in its price range, and even those costing x3 more. Only good competition in this price range would probablly be the peavey 5150.

I think I just might bag one of these...

One question: Is this thing able to go over the top in the gain department ?

I mean objectively, not just "for your taste". Think Darkthrone.

ok. now review it when you really get to play it... through a real tube poweramp at high volumes. you'll be in a totally different realm.

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im stil thinking bout the e570 se though
maybe ill go to germany next week to try em both out

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so it has a enough gain for a sick brutal death sound?

thats exactly what i wanna know

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yeah, im pretty sure the only way we will find out for sure is if one of us gets one........

Completely over the top. Boost the treble and mids and put the gain over 7 and you have black metal gain levels.

I tuned my guitar down to B and i thought I had TOO MUCH gain. Once you're in possession of an ENGL, that gain knob will be around 5 most of the time, and even then that's pushing it.

this is INSANE.

(and i was thinking of trading my Randall in for $$$ for a tube power amp...but i kinda need cash for a rack case too..eh those should be cheap if i can find a 1 space tube power amp...yeah right)

maybe ill check the e530 out, the clip i heard of it on rocksolid amps sounded like nothing to me, i get a beter sound now that in that sample, but than again, i didnt hear it for real

thinku can make a litle recording of it with gain at 10? just to give a little idea of what its like

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sure, but give me a few days...I'll throw in a bunch of clips.

Post some brutal death metal clips and prove that this thing has balls

something in the vain of suffocation or cannibal corpse please

Any specific songs you wanna hear? (I might butcher them, but hey...)

Might as well be a decent service to everyone :P.


I'll have a clip for every channel...riff/song requests for each channel could be accepted, i have a few days to get things set up anyway.

Severed Savior-One By One or Public Mutilation

Decrepit Birth-Prelude To the Apocalypse or Of Genocide

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used peavey classic 50/50 + used 3 space rack case. = about $350-ish

if you want a one space tube poweramp check out a mesa or marshall 20/20...

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Holy shit I'm learning that song.. Good luck

Yeah it's a toughie... I can't play most of it, Public Mutilation is easier.



NO!!! Do Fuck The Humans!!!

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