Bad Cat Trem Cat Arrives...

Re: Bad Cat Trem Cat Arrives...

On Badcat and Matchless stuff, I've always thought the black logo looked better on a black background. Since I live in College Station (home of Texas A&M and I'm an Aggie), maroon was an easy choice. Woohoo!

I thought when I played this thing at the store a few times, the 1/2 power switch was fairly useless, but it's not a volume issue I'm finding, it's a distortion issue. This is going to sound weird, but when you're not driving the speakers as hard with lower watts, you're hearing more of the power tube grind and less of the speaker distorting added in.

Not better or worse, just different.

I have a lot to do today so, I woke up early and went back out and played somemore.

The control of tone is weird, but so useful, you pick it up pretty qucikly. First of all, there's a classic Cut knob ala the AC30. Then there is a 5-way predetermned tone rotary knob. 5 preset tone EQ's if you will. Or you can use a more traditional bass/treble 2 knob config. Or you can use neither, and just adjust with the Cut knob. Or you can use both at the same time. Find one of the 5 presets, but say, the particulary guitar needs a bit less bass, so you dial down the bass a bit, while keeping most of the preset eq the same.

Using this set up, I can make the two mismatched Celestion ceramic mag speakers actually sound like the Red Fang alnico. I can get excellent AC 30 tones out of it (that should be obvious), but I'm getting close to dialing in a bit of a Fender Tweed tone. Not there yet, but I think I can get it. Especially when I'm using an aby switch and running the deluxe at the same time.

I do think with a bit of EQ I can probably coax out some Marshall as well. But at the end of last night and into this morning, I gotta say, the amp is pretty much its own tone. If I wanted a Vox, I'd have bought an AC30 HW. I didn't think the AC30 was as versatile as the BC. Turns out so far I'm right.

But I'm in the massive honeymoon fornication mode right now. Let's see how I feel in a few months when the Viagra wears off.
 
Re: Bad Cat Trem Cat Arrives...

I want one, darnit !!!!

the half power thing makes sense to me ... probably pretty handy for recording

there's a lot of emphasis on versatility these days, but most classic amps have one or two good tones, and it's usually not considered a bad thing

I think it's probably better to use a couple amps that get a few great tones, than to try to find one that "does it all"

that's just me, though

the Trem Cat actually sounds like it can really dial in it's tone - I'm sure it's got it's own distinct personality, but is able to suit a number of different guitars

when I think of class A amps, I think of beautiful sustain, and sweet crunch :)

enjoy!!!
 
Re: Bad Cat Trem Cat Arrives...

Scott_F said:
On Badcat and Matchless stuff, I've always thought the black logo looked better on a black background. Since I live in College Station (home of Texas A&M and I'm an Aggie), maroon was an easy choice. Woohoo!

I thought when I played this thing at the store a few times, the 1/2 power switch was fairly useless, but it's not a volume issue I'm finding, it's a distortion issue. This is going to sound weird, but when you're not driving the speakers as hard with lower watts, you're hearing more of the power tube grind and less of the speaker distorting added in.

Not better or worse, just different.

I have a lot to do today so, I woke up early and went back out and played somemore.

The control of tone is weird, but so useful, you pick it up pretty qucikly. First of all, there's a classic Cut knob ala the AC30. Then there is a 5-way predetermned tone rotary knob. 5 preset tone EQ's if you will. Or you can use a more traditional bass/treble 2 knob config. Or you can use neither, and just adjust with the Cut knob. Or you can use both at the same time. Find one of the 5 presets, but say, the particulary guitar needs a bit less bass, so you dial down the bass a bit, while keeping most of the preset eq the same.

Using this set up, I can make the two mismatched Celestion ceramic mag speakers actually sound like the Red Fang alnico. I can get excellent AC 30 tones out of it (that should be obvious), but I'm getting close to dialing in a bit of a Fender Tweed tone. Not there yet, but I think I can get it. Especially when I'm using an aby switch and running the deluxe at the same time.

I do think with a bit of EQ I can probably coax out some Marshall as well. But at the end of last night and into this morning, I gotta say, the amp is pretty much its own tone. If I wanted a Vox, I'd have bought an AC30 HW. I didn't think the AC30 was as versatile as the BC. Turns out so far I'm right.

But I'm in the massive honeymoon fornication mode right now. Let's see how I feel in a few months when the Viagra wears off.

Congrats Scott! I loved 4 x EL84 Matchless Amps and Vox AC30's but they're just so loud. I'd like to have one again, but I know I wouldn't end up playing it much...I rarely play my '70 50 watt Marshall; just to loud. The AC15 is cool but doesn't really get that Vox chime. You might like to know that the Vox AC30 and Marshalls (and probably your new amp) are all based on the original 5F6-A Fender tweed Bassman from 1959. And all use the cathode follower circuit (1/2 of a 12ax7) which is probably the source of the "crunch" tones all of those amps are capable of. Try a Tube Screamer or DS-1 with your new amp and see if you can get some sweet violin tones...like Brian May. Good luck! Lew
 
Re: Bad Cat Trem Cat Arrives...

Lewguitar said:
The AC15 is cool but doesn't really get that Vox chime. You might like to know that the Vox AC30 and Marshalls (and probably your new amp) are all based on the original 5F6-A Fender tweed Bassman from 1959.
Lew,
I've played an original 2x12 AC 15 that was definitely one of the best sounding amps ever!

I knew about the Marshall, but didn't know the AC 30 was based on the Bassman ... seems like a different topology. I did get the impression that the guy who designed the Vox amp really knew what he was doing, though.
 
Re: Bad Cat Trem Cat Arrives...

Curly said:
Lew,
I've played an original 2x12 AC 15 that was definitely one of the best sounding amps ever!

I knew about the Marshall, but didn't know the AC 30 was based on the Bassman ... seems like a different topology. I did get the impression that the guy who designed the Vox amp really knew what he was doing, though.

I didn't mean they were identical...but they are close relatives! Lew
 
Re: Bad Cat Trem Cat Arrives...

Lewguitar said:
I didn't mean they were identical...but they are close relatives! Lew
kinda news to me, but of course I'll take your word on that! :)

definitely one of the defining amps
 
Re: Bad Cat Trem Cat Arrives...

Well, just to report in a bit. Played it for about 5 hours tonight. The SOB gets freaking amazingly hot back there. Wow. The toggle switches on the back were brutally hot.

I had just come back from a trip to the store and had heard Dire Straits on the XM, Money for Nothing. So, I spent a couple of hours, honest to goodness, just playing the crap out of that song. My neighbors must be really tired of hearing it. Les Paul kicks major butt thru this amp. (Duncan Custom Custom bridge and Alnico 2 Pro in the neck)

Then I started working on Brothers in Arms. I"ve been wanting to record that for a while now. Just had a ball. I recorded the those exit chord patterns using the Line 6 delay pedal feature that loops 28 seconds. So there I sat, looping these same 4 or 5 chords and just "feeling" the cleans on this amp. Used the PRS on this one (phat cats)

Hit it max hard with the first song, cleaned it up nicely with the second. Good thing I didn't do it in reverse order or I'd never get to sleep! :dude
 
Re: Bad Cat Trem Cat Arrives...

Scott, did you just pick up that Line 6 Delay? It's amazing how good some of those patches sound. That stompbox in front of a great amp like the Badcat sounds better to me than most amps with a rackmounted delay in the FX loop.
 
Re: Bad Cat Trem Cat Arrives...

Nice!!! There's a store here in So Cal (Tone Merchants) who usually has a pretty good selection of cats in stock and I'm in tonal heaven each time I plug into one! Plus, the backlit logo is the defining touch - nothing looks cooler on stage!

Have fun!
 
Re: Bad Cat Trem Cat Arrives...

Gearjoneser said:
Scott, did you just pick up that Line 6 Delay? It's amazing how good some of those patches sound. That stompbox in front of a great amp like the Badcat sounds better to me than most amps with a rackmounted delay in the FX loop.

Don't mean to hijack, but can you tell us a bit more about that pedal?
 
Re: Bad Cat Trem Cat Arrives...

Gearjoneser said:
Scott, did you just pick up that Line 6 Delay? It's amazing how good some of those patches sound. That stompbox in front of a great amp like the Badcat sounds better to me than most amps with a rackmounted delay in the FX loop.


That's funny man, but I posted a "thank you gearjoneser" thread a few weeks back about me picking up one of these Line 6 Delay jobs. I found a scratch and dent one from American Musical Supply for less than 200 bucks.

All sorts of vintage delays (modeled of course) with a very cool loop record function. The advertising says it's only 14 seconds worth, but it has a half speed setting for slowing down difficult passages. I found that to be useful, as I record in 1/2 speed mode and I get 28 seconds out of it. They don't tell you that you can do that in the manual.

It also has stereo inputs and outputs. I picked up a L6 adapter for my One Spot and it really works well.

Funny, I went to GJ's place to play some amps and came away with a pedal!




Also, Tone Merchants has some GREAT amps. Best amp shop I've been to in regards to boutique stuff. Several bad cats, tone kings, marshalls, you name it. Two Rock, etc.,.

In fact, he had a Trem Cat there a few weeks ago when I stopped by. It's a bit hard to find. Gotta go after hours because his neighbors in the business park don't like loud guitars! :)
 
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