Bonefish Posted November 20, 2010 Posted November 20, 2010 Just got a used Edition Tube 20th Anniversary Hughes & Kettner amp and I am loving it. The amp I've owned for the last 10 years is a Line 6 Flextone, it is now on Craig's List. It blows my mind that for $300 I was able to get a 20 watt combo amp that sounds this good. The setup could be a little nicer (one set of EQ for both channels, the lead channel is extremely hot in comparison with the cleans, tubes are very difficult to get to due to closed back), but the tone more than makes up for it. I haven't spent much time with the lead channel as I am totally loving the richness and responsiveness of the clean channel. Also love that it still sounds good at volumes I can play after the house has gone to bed. As a side note, the other amps I was considering were the Vox Night Train and the Orange Tiny Terror. Since my primary use is going to be the clean channel I'm glad I went with the H&K. If I was going for more grit I might have leaned towards the Orange, that amp is just stripped down awesomeness.
212Mavguy Posted November 20, 2010 Posted November 20, 2010 I have an earlier model of that amp, the Tube 20. I like it for the ability to do up a great clean tone and a nice dirty tones clear down to whispering levels. Great bedroom amp as well as a small house amp. Not a huge amount of clean headroom, but for a 20 watt amp it's wise to expect too much.
ekkybedmond Posted December 2, 2010 Posted December 2, 2010 I have the Studio 84, I think it's rather identical to the Tube 20. Great amp indeed, mainly the clean channel. Use it with stomp boxes . Lead channel goes from modern dirt to even more modern dirt, dont like it. Ideal amp for tweaking speaker and tubes (if you know what you're doing..). With an efficient speaker (Emi Private Jack f.i.), it's easy to gig with.
212Mavguy Posted December 3, 2010 Posted December 3, 2010 My tube 20 gets pretty damn filthy on the clean channel too, warm, fat, huge, and delicious. The lead channel sustains very well. Tone controls near noon. All vintage old stock tubes and a Heppner 12 with a HUGE alnico magnet, bigger magnet than the organ pull Heppners I see out there. Biased around 18-19 mv per tube at 405 plate volts.
Mikenov Posted December 3, 2010 Posted December 3, 2010 I have been singing the praises of this amp for a LONG time. Congrats. It's my favorite combo I own for at home playing. If it was just a hair louder it would be a permanent go to for me. In a loud band setting, it's hard to get the clean channel to cut through but in more moderate settings it's worked good. That gain channel is sweet. Better than ANY pedal I have ever had and sounds good at low volumes as well as high.
Bonefish Posted December 7, 2010 Author Posted December 7, 2010 I have the Studio 84, I think it's rather identical to the Tube 20. Great amp indeed, mainly the clean channel. Use it with stomp boxes . Lead channel goes from modern dirt to even more modern dirt, dont like it. Ideal amp for tweaking speaker and tubes (if you know what you're doing..). With an efficient speaker (Emi Private Jack f.i.), it's easy to gig with. Well, I don't necessarily know what I'm doing, but I know people that do (and I'm learning quick!) What mods have you found to work well with this amp? I'd be interested to hear (especially as Christmas list is being assembled). Take care, John
Guest HRB853370 Posted December 7, 2010 Posted December 7, 2010 Congrats, I had a NAD myself today, a NOS Gibson GA40RVT handwired! Its amazing what 30 tube watts will do!
212Mavguy Posted December 8, 2010 Posted December 8, 2010 @96h150Ithink I had to have my amp repaired when it started howling on the lead channel. The repair was circuit based, the factory installed the wrong value for the screen resistors I think. The result after the repair was a slightly less loud and fatter sounding lead channel, which was a good thing. This type of amp whether the older one like mine or the newest version is designed for British voicing. The stock speaker in mine was a true POS. So it went away, now it has the Heppner alnico I spoke of, very Jensen P12n-ish. That amp destroyed a vintage p12n in a couple hours of diming, and also the same speaker after it was reconed in less than 45 minutes, dimed on the clean channel. The VC melted. Waaaaaah! Tubularly, I have some vintage old stock 12ax7's, can't remember what they were, power tubes presently are old Sylvania blackplate el84's. I ran JJ el84's in it for several hundred hours, and they handled the 405-ish kind of plate voltages with aplomb and sounded very good. For your amp, I'd stick in a vintage shortplate Mullard or Amperex 12ax7 in the second position and use an RFT 12ax7 for V1. Those tubes were used in the early Marshall amps...
ekkybedmond Posted January 2, 2011 Posted January 2, 2011 Well, I don't necessarily know what I'm doing, but I know people that do (and I'm learning quick!) What mods have you found to work well with this amp? I'd be interested to hear (especially as Christmas list is being assembled). Take care, John I've tried several speakers in it. I feel this amp needs a bit of a brighter speaker, Celestion Greenback-ish. The Private Jack is nice, although perhaps a bit too bright. An Emi Red Fang is also nice. Right now I have a Reinhardt R65H-SC in it (bought it for another 50W combo, which is now waiting for replacement..) and it's just great. A WGS Reaper would probably be great also. Tubewise: anything is better than the stock tubes. Go for a clear/ brighter set up, probably no JJ for V1, unless you're after the warmer tone. There are still good choices in NOS, or UOS
brentrocks Posted January 2, 2011 Posted January 2, 2011 Congrats, I had a NAD myself today, a NOS Gibson GA40RVT handwired! Its amazing what 30 tube watts will do! everybody is getting new amps
big bob Posted January 2, 2011 Posted January 2, 2011 everybody is getting new amps Or at least trying!
212Mavguy Posted January 3, 2011 Posted January 3, 2011 ...or buying more vintage tubes for new amps! YAAY!
mtpatty Posted January 4, 2011 Posted January 4, 2011 No new amp for me, I have an AXE FX (Standard)...Can't see a need or a desire for more than that!
campfire Posted January 10, 2011 Posted January 10, 2011 +1 on the H&K Edition Tube! I bought mine about 3yrs. ago and I still love it. It is 100% stock, no mods...even original tubes. I've rehearsed, practiced and gigged with it and it seems bulletproof. It has a great creamy clean sound that is just what I love. Reminds me of an old vintace tweed Fender. I like the gain channel, too. The secret is to boost the gain, not the drive, like a master vol-channel vol. Works for me. Great amp for small gigs, recording, and practicing.
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