Hughes & Kettner Owners???

[therightjem]

Well, I ordered the Tubemeister 18 yesterday and it's supposed to arrive tomorrow. I'll post my experience with it later in the week.

[racerevlon]

The other thing to be aware of with Hughes & Kettner amps is that they have a certain quality I've heard described as "High-Fi" -- as if the sound is more clear and articulate, which some may not be used to -- have patience and the growl will come!

[therightjem]

Originally Posted by racerevlon

The other thing to be aware of with Hughes & Kettner amps is that they have a certain quality I've heard described as "High-Fi" -- as if the sound is more clear and articulate, which some may not be used to -- have patience and the growl will come!

I think this is why I stuck with Hughes & Kettner. I loved the lead channel sound on my Attax 200. And from what I've listened to over the net, it's even better with the TM 18. Of course it showed up 20 minutes after I left for work today. I'll have to bust it down to 1 Watt tonight when I get home. lol! Tomorrow, I crank it!

[Nik_Left_RG]

Originally Posted by therightjem

I think this is why I stuck with Hughes & Kettner. I loved the lead channel sound on my Attax 200. And from what I've listened to over the net, it's even better with the TM 18. Of course it showed up 20 minutes after I left for work today. I'll have to bust it down to 1 Watt tonight when I get home. lol! Tomorrow, I crank it!

Realistically, how much of a volume drop is it to use it on 18 vs 1 on the boosted channel? Tube Noob here.. I have been checking out all these lunch boxes and TM 18 has def caught my eye. Almost got a Tweaker 15 but the gain is not up to my mark. Looking forward to your review.

[racerevlon]

I'm going to go out on a limb here and predict that you find the amp too bright, somewhat sterile-sounding, and not what you "thought" you were looking for. That's the time to stop, take a breath, and start making SMALL changes to get to your desired sound. Also, dial the amp in with your ears, not your eyes. Don't go in with a pre-conceived notion of where you think the knobs SHOULD point. If it just so happens that the amp sounds awesome with the treble on zero and the bass dimed, so be it. Don't discount it if it gets to sounding great but the knobs aren't pointing where you THINK they should. And remember, little changes go a long way. Don't take the mids from 10 o'clock to 2 o'clock in one adjustment.

Can't wait to hear the clips!!

Cheers,

Race

[therightjem]

My first impression is that this is a pretty nice amp. The clean channel is great, from sparkling clean to a nice, slightly overdriven tone, depending on the gain setting. The lead channel picks up from there and goes to a great heavy rock tone. Adding the boost to the lead channel pushes you more towards a metal tone and for me, has more than enough gain. In fact, I haven't had the gain past 10 o'clock yet for what I do.

And yes, EQ settings make a big difference depending not only on the channel that is selected, but also how the gain is set and which pickups are being used. This may be a point of concern for a gigging musician, as I imagine one would not want to be running back to the amp all of the time during a show.

I post more about it after I've had more time with it.

[Highwaystar]

Originally Posted by Philboski

I tried one with a Lone Star 1x12, and it sounded simply incredible.

I tried one also and thought it sounded incredible so I bought it but in the end I returned it and got a Hughes & Kettner Duotone. I think its not a bad amp its just the inherent nature of el84s, they just aren't that awesome as full sized head with either el34s or 6l6s. No matter how good it sounds it will never have the headroom, bass, or punch of el34 power tubes. It reminded me why I got rid of my Mesa f30 combo a couple years back. As far as lunch box amps the tubemeister stands out above the Mesa TransAtlantic I tried out.

[therightjem]

Here's a picture of my new TM18. The Lexicon MPX-1 is sandwiched between it and my Attax 200. BTW, 18 watts is too loud for a bedroom.

[MichelIV]

I'm a TM18 owner as well. Love the small footprint, clean channel that gets a bit gritty on the 1 & 5w settings, etc...And the Redbox out allows me to play it through an 11r and use all the different cabs and effects. With that said, I added a Legacy3 today and I'm really liking it. I haven't a/b'd them as the Legacy is a different animal. Need to get past the honeymoon phase to see if I still like the TM18.

[racerevlon]

Originally Posted by therightjem

My first impression is that this is a pretty nice amp. The clean channel is great, from sparkling clean to a nice, slightly overdriven tone, depending on the gain setting. The lead channel picks up from there and goes to a great heavy rock tone. Adding the boost to the lead channel pushes you more towards a metal tone and for me, has more than enough gain. In fact, I haven't had the gain past 10 o'clock yet for what I do.

And yes, EQ settings make a big difference depending not only on the channel that is selected, but also how the gain is set and which pickups are being used. This may be a point of concern for a gigging musician, as I imagine one would not want to be running back to the amp all of the time during a show.

I post more about it after I've had more time with it.

This is why you should have got the 36.