Ibanez JEM Forum banner

Cornford amps

2K views 5 replies 3 participants last post by  mk50h 
#1 ·
Does anyone use Cornford amps? I've checked out their site and either the Hellcat or the MK50 seem like pretty nice amp heads. I tried a MK50 out once in a store, but it was so long ago now I can't remember too much about it, but I didn't really know what I was after then.
The thing I just read on their site that seemed most intriguing was the fact they're single channel amps, but with some sort of master volume and overdrive fs control.

Are they reliable? Do they handle a good range of sounds? They're associated with quite a wide range of players with a wide range of sounds. Suitable for progressive metal and fusion, do you think? Greg Howe and Guthrie Govan use them, so I'm thinking "yes".

Would appreciate any info or opinions anyone can give.

Thanks,

Lee
 
#2 ·
Hi Lee,

Over the years I have owned the Harlequin, Hellcat, MK50H & the Hurricane. I think that in general the reliability is very good. The quality of components & workmanship is pretty high. They also have the RK & Carrera.

I find the MK50H to be the best overall amp they make (that I have tried). The MK50H is very easy to dial in a nice sound. It it too loud to get the best out of for me though :)

The Hellcat is more flexible, and pretty good. I had the Hellcat & the MK50H at the same time. I did some back to back tests & found that although the Hellcat had a wider range of tones, they weren't that useful to me at the time (although that would probably be different now). The Hellcat takes more dialling in, so the MK50H won. YMMV.

The Harlequin is great, but for the money Matamp C7/"First Lady" beats it. I now use a C7 for quieter home/studio use. Still VERY loud though.

The Hurricane is well made, and (I think) intended to be a gig-able Harlequin. FX loop, Reverb. I never really got on with mine, but when I spend the time to set the tone right it does sounds great. I'm sure that I have become a little spoilt over the years with my amps and I never really gave the Hurricane a proper chance... Even so, it's up for sale if you want one :D

Finally, if you want one, I'd suggest that you buy used. In the UK they come up for sale regularly, you can get a good condition head for around £900-1000. Not cheap, but lots less than new.
 
#4 ·
Thanks MK. That's quite a bit of info. I think you've helped confirm it's probably the MK50 that I'd find most suitable for what I need from this kind of amp.
How does the FS work? Do you set up 2 overdrive/master volume settings and switch between them? That's the most unusual thing about these amps, as far as I can tell.
Do you also think it's quite suitable for the kinds of music I mentioned?
 
#6 ·
Hi Lee,

OK, Footswitching. I set mine for Clean on Master Volume 2, Then for Crunch I use (at lower volume) Master Volume 1 & Overdrive together. The overdrive makes the amp a lot louder, so you need to turn down MV1 to adjust. For Soloing I use MV2 with the OD.

This works well, but I often use Fuzz over a cleanish setting for soloing. I love the crunch!

As for will it work for you styles of music... I dunno really, I have seen quite a few metal heads use these with a lot of success. I agree with Tom that there are strong mids (in fact that's a key part of what I like about the amp). It all depends on the sound that you want. My advice would be get one used & see. It shouldn't be too difficult moving it on if you decide it's not for you.

BTW, I use the Cornford 2x12 V30 cab. It is big & (unusually for this type of gear) resonant. This has a real impact on the sound, try one if you can.

HTH
Neil
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top