Hughes and Kettner?

[darnright]

Does anybody else use H&K amps? I found a used Tri-Amp combo (1995) a 3-4 years ago. I didn't have much use for it or the sounds from it for about a year. I guess I finally learned some of the ins and outs of this amp. It has a super clean and a very raunchy "rectifier" tone and all in the middle. I had a Vox AC-30 sitting next to it and it was almost impossible to tell the difference in sound using amp 1 and channel B of the H&K compared to the Vox. I'm not sure about how accurate the other sounds are, but only 500 combo's were ever made and with a built in reverb, it can come up with some cool sounds. So, finally after owning it for 3-4 years, I can finally say I like it.
btw, I traded a 2 year old usa strat for it. Does any one else like this sound?

 

[Iron Horse]

Re: Hughes and Kettner?

Well, there is now the TriAmp MK II head, an it seems to have similiar sounds. I myself use a H&K Edition Blue 60-R, which is brilliant amp in it's class (street proce about € 250, I paid € 200) for mine. The digital effects on the DFX-versions might be s****y, but the R line has Accutronics sring reverb, and the amps have Celestions speakers (though not production line ones, but specially made for H&K 'Rockdriver').
It's clean channel is superb, it even gets nice tubey crunch when pushed, kinda cross between Vox and Fender. The drive channel can be used for anything really, from death, trash, and classic metal to hard rock, blues, and classic rock. Though the drive channel might get too compressed for some things when set above, say 7-8/10, but I use a boost when I want more drive (I can cop Ritchie Blackmore with drive below 12 o'clock, though with my LP's Custom, with sc's that'd be different)

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: Hughes and Kettner?

Those amps are built like tanks: very heavy, but very sturdy. The fact that the Triamp had something like 13 tubes in it doesn't help either. It is incredibly versatile and I was able to get a wide variety of quality sounds out of it (I had a Triamp Mk 1 for a year).

My favorites were 1A (if you've ever listened to the band Fuel, this is what Carl Bell used for his cleans: great, great, shimmery clean channel that stays together), 2A (the "Joe Walsh" channel, classic Marshall plexi all the way) and 3B (the high gain, refined Recto kinda channel - a lot of Fuel's heavier tones on earlier recordings were done with this channel). One of the guitarists from Saosin used 3B also for his heavier tones and the bands Three Days Grace and Three Doors Down also have used them. 1B did the darker non TB Vox thing pretty well.

I liked it, but it was too much amp for me honestly. Too many sounds, too heavy, too bulky. I ended up opting for 2 channel amps instead, but that amp is a cover bands dream, there is no mistake about that. I've never played a Duotone, but if it's 1A and 3B in one smaller package, it sounds like it'd be a really cool amp.

My Triamp was extremely reliable, but I have heard of reliability issues with them. It's fine German engineering, but I ended up going with a smaller channel setup because I feel that with less channels there is less to go wrong (especially when you find that half the channels weren't really getting the attention they should be getting).

That's the long of it, but I will say this, it is one of the finest amps I've ever owned

 

[Iron Horse]

Re: Hughes and Kettner?

I think I'll buy an Edition Tube, or the new Statesman (check that out, it has clean channel with 'twang' mode for, well, Fender sounds, and without it the clean is british-like. The drive is Marshall-copy, with a boost, but it's not huge boost.)

 

[Artie]

Re: Hughes and Kettner?

I myself use a H&K Edition Blue 60-R, which is brilliant amp in it's class (street proce about € 250, I paid € 200) for mine. The digital effects on the DFX-versions might be s****y, but the R line has Accutronics sring reverb, and the amps have Celestions speakers (though not production line ones, but specially made for H&K 'Rockdriver').

I have the Blue 60-R myself, and I love this thing, but I will say this . . . if thats an Accutronics reverb, then the Accutronics name means nothing. Thats the chintzyiest piece 'o crap I've ever seen. I wonder if they upgraded to an Accutronics unit after getting so much service greif for the original. I got mine cheap because the reverb "tank" was busted loose from its mount.

I think I'll buy an Edition Tube, or the new Statesman (check that out, it has clean channel with 'twang' mode for, well, Fender sounds, and without it the clean is british-like. The drive is Marshall-copy, with a boost, but it's not huge boost.)

My friend has both the Blue 60-DSP and the Edition Tube. That Edition Tube is outstanding. I'd love to get one of those.

 

[dystrust]

Re: Hughes and Kettner?

I used to have a Triamp mk. I and I now have an Edition Tube. The Triamp was too heavy and I didn't care for the sound of 3A or 3B. My 2555 with an effects rack does what I need it to, so that's once again my main live amp. The Edition Tube is essentially 1A and 2B (my two favorites) out of the Triamp. I use it as a house / recording amp.

 

[Iron Horse]

Re: Hughes and Kettner?

I have the Blue 60-R myself, and I love this thing, but I will say this . . . if thats an Accutronics reverb, then the Accutronics name means nothing. Thats the chintzyiest piece 'o crap I've ever seen. I wonder if they upgraded to an Accutronics unit after getting so much service greif for the original. I got mine cheap because the reverb "tank" was busted loose from its mount.



My friend has both the Blue 60-DSP and the Edition Tube. That Edition Tube is outstanding. I'd love to get one of those.

How old is yer Ed. Blue? Mine is 2006.
What kind of tones can the Edition Tube handle, and how much does it have gain?

 

[Artie]

Re: Hughes and Kettner?

How old is yer Ed. Blue? Mine is 2006.
What kind of tones can the Edition Tube handle, and how much does it have gain?

I've had mine for maybe a year, so I'd say its a 2005/6 probably.

Both me and my friend are strictly bedroom wankers, so we play it at fairly low volume. When he first got it, we cranked it up. I couldn't believe how loud that thing goes. It literally rattled the walls. But mostly, I hear it clean. In that respect, its amazing. Its a very velvety smooth clean. You can clearly hear the difference between tube and transistor in the two amps. Both good, but both different.

And the 20-watt tube blows away the 60-watt SS in terms of volume. Its no contest.

 

[MVI]

Re: Hughes and Kettner?

Not exactly the same, but I have been using the H&K Tubeman Plus preamp in a small rack with a Mesa 20/20 ( 20 Watt ) power stage. I found these and many other components used, and couldn't be happier. I also use it sometimes in a direct input path for recording. Pretty cool little unit.

 

[dystrust]

Re: Hughes and Kettner?

How old is yer Ed. Blue? Mine is 2006.
What kind of tones can the Edition Tube handle, and how much does it have gain?

My Edition Tube has more than enough gain for my needs. It'll do a plexi sound with the gain at 9 o'clock and hot-rodded JCM800 with the gain at 3 o'clock. I don't really need more than that, so I haven't maxed it out lately. For only 20 watts the thing is stupidly loud; I've used it for rehearsals with a loud rock band and had no problem hearing myself.