ADA Viper

This 112 amp packs a lot of different options. Having a boost on both the clean (green) and dirty (red) channels is convenient. I actually don't use the red channel because I like the sound I get with a RAT pedal just a bit more. However, the red channel is still really cool. The boost is controlled by one knob on each channel but go easy because it really boosts the hell out of the volume. I keep it low and use it for leads. The built in reverb is also really nice. The cab emulator is also a really cool feature that just lets you tweak the sound that much more. Also, It's small, light, loud, and tough.

Sound quality is really nice. I play rock with a strat that calls for SRV blues tones to 311 distortion tones. It is a great sounding little combo with a lot of back end. I really like that I can get a crunchy, bottom-end heavy distortion with my strat's bridge humbucker and a fierce texas sound for my leads and semi clean rhythm on the neck and neck/middle pickups. This is a small amp with some real balls. I really like the clean sounds I get but if I could improve this amp at all it would be the clean tones. A nice Fender or Mesa combo just has that something that only comes from all tube power. This amp is a solid state/tube hybrid.

One of my bandmates dropped it one time and I needed to replace some pots on the red channel. The clean channel worked for months until I had money to fix it, though. It has never missed a show.

Out of business. adadepot.com is a good source of info though. I didn't have any trouble having it serviced.

This amp has worked on the road 4-5 nights a week for almost 2 years and I'm really happy with it. It's almost a blessing that I spilled an entire pint of beer on my 212 deville causing a small fire and destroying the amp. Actually, that sucked, but I still really like the ada viper.

Quad 150M amplifier is what I am reviewing. There is no category so I'll try to put it here.
MP2 in a 2x12 combo with tons of features. Stereo 2 x12, ada direct stereo 1/4 and SLR outputs with different speaker emulation for recording. Rack on back can hold one rack piece off back. Great effects loop. wheels on amp. more features than I have ever seen on a combo. Very few made bought new in mid-90's. Mostly studio work as there are 10 tube voicings and 6 chorus types,Killer compressor, 10 band graphic, 4 band eq, metal grid over speakers. The stereo outputs is awesome as I used it for recording to get any distortion sound immaginable. awesome noise gate..fade or gate. great effects loop..12ax7's in preampo and solid state power section. KILLER distortion amp..been playin' 40 years. This is THE studio amp..has asved many amps that dies when needed most..in the studio...

In the studio this amp saw it all. When an amp died I can dial in any sound in a player's head IF HE CAN DESCRIBE it! Any sound for any type music. That said, the cleans are not as warm and stellar as my Boogies and Budda. Any style music. gigged several times but the clean just didn't suit my taste..not bad sounding..just not sweet enough. Distortion rules this little known monster. PRS '87 I bought new and strat 90's with Lace sensors. It has a noise gate which is good because insane levels of high gain will cause noise in any amp with this much gain on tap..Likie I said KILLER distortion amp to suit Boogie to Marshall. B R U T A L scchorched earth MEAT AND FANGS distortion if that's your thing. I'll give it an 11 for distortion and 9 because of clean not being as dynamic..distortion much more dynamic and articulate. Split 11 and 9 gets 10 mostly for UNREAL DISTORTION and unreal features especially speaker emulation and direct recording in stereo is awesome..no pedals needed here except midi pedal to change..midi presets...hundred or so. I have hung very well with Marshall 4x12's..this thing smokes in very hard rock arens if you can find one..

Well the Company burned in Ca years ago. But adadepot is great scource for all schematics.
That said It has never given me one problem...never failed me not once!!

I talked to the owner of ADA many times during those years being an MP1 devote with a rack of my own back then,...but out of business

Playin' for 40 years but I love distortion as much as clean. Can't get another..very few made..very few as in a few hundred maybe is my understanding. I bought it new for our lead vocalist music store cheap. It listed for about 1200 which back then was high end gear price.
I LOVE the 10 tube voicings as almost any sound can be gotten. I can;'t wish for anything else. More features will never happen as it has more than I have seen in 40 years.
This would be a great first amp as it is infinitely tweakable. The compressor will do clean sustain for days. An incredible 'standby' or main studio amp would be another use. If super duper botique cleans are needed this is not the boy. But fir blues or very high gain sounds it truly delivers in spades. 10 for value because of the incredible features many I did not cover.

don't know when it was made but ada is defunc now don't know why, they put out some cool shit...it has 2 channels but each channell g
ets divide again into vintage/modern/clean/crunch/brown/grind...
this amp kicks ass,but lacks the famous ada chorus they were known for...i play in hard rock/metal bands and run it into a 4x12(big and bad)

i use a lot of one off guitars but they all have mother buckers maple necks and mohagony bods..it suits my style well lottsa heavy stuff(sabbath/priest/d.p./ttquick/cryer/obsession/maiden/) and mellow but ta
stefull stuff like rory gallahger(rip)argent...humble pie..etc...
like all ADA products dirty channells cranked are noise monsters..thank god for the gate on the dirty channell, if ya play loud&proud,keep the gate cranked on 12..i run a boss chorus through the front to open up the clean channell and a phase 90 set on 0 to fatten some lead runs (an old EVH trick) on the dirty channel i keep the brown and grind options active together nice drive like a hot rodded jcm 800 almost soldano like....clean channell is similar to a fender s.s. princeton nice verb

been gigging twice a month for two years with it its all original and no break-downs its been baptised by a couple of beers but they just make it shiny..haha opened for SMF and COLLECTIVE SOUL no problems...lots of compliments on my sound though very reliable unlike a marshall wich spends more time with a solder iron than iron maiden haha...never use back up worst case i'll borrow a head from another band on the bill but i haven;t ever had to...

company is now the Americam Dental Association....just kidding..they went belly up...too bad they made cool fx and stuff since 78 or so

been playing since 1977 if it were stolen i'd be pissed for 15 minutes and then get on with my life, would buy another but only if its all original; a lott of hackers out there destroy cool equipment
this amp also makes a great recording amp in the stanby mode and remmember the snake charmer(channel switch) requires a 1/4 inch stereo wire..11 bucks at radio scrap

The amp is a 96, & was bought new. Extremely versitle, Loud as the great out doors!! It's a 2 channel with a pwr. boost for EACH channel, ( VERY COOL). As stated before,..... IT'S LOUD, but musically loud, not just noise like my old marshalls. Currently, it's sidelined with noise (60 cycle hum) probs. No known schematics available, Need help SOON!!!!! This hybrid, ( tubes for preamp, solid state for pwr.), has techs pulling there hair out by the bucket load.

I play EXCLUSIVELY Paul Reed Smith custom 24s. Twin humbuckers. Everything from Stevie Ray to Metallica is possible. Clear tones as soft & nice as you could ever want.

As stated before, this amp is a mystery in Lansing,MI. No known schematics exist according to local repair shops. Before this 60 cycle hum prob,..... it was reliable as could be!

Can't raise a soul at ADA. I think they went out of biz!

I've played professionally now for 29yrs., and with the exception of my line 6 flextone, this is the best amp ever owned, ( NOW I NEED TO FIND A QUALIFIED REPAIR OUTLET,HELLLLLLP!!!!!)

I have had this amp for over five years. It is the most versital amp I've ever played.

I use every thing from a 62 tele to a charvel star they all sound pretty good. It is however a very bad jazz amp, it is unable to create a warm smooth sound

The amp hos only broken down on me once in over 5 years

This is a powerful one!It features 2 chanells(Green and Red) with separate control knobs for Boost,separate control for 3-spring Reverb, a function called VariCab (something like a speaker simulator),an effects loop,a D.I. (direct out) and a foorswitch (called Snake Charmer) controling each channel and it's boost.I believe that it's preety easy to understand how to operate it without the manual.I think it's perfect for clubs (even stadiums)because its 75w (RMS) can realy shake any place!!It has two tubes feading it's preamplifier section and a powerful solid-state power-amp!Very versatile with a lot of features.

My style is Prog Rock and I think this amp covers that genre.It's vey good Noise gate (Only on Red) keeps the annoying sounds down without making any harm to the dirt in your playing.It's clean channel is preety clean (even in boost) and you can play with various settings and still can't get bad sounds.It's distortion varies from british metal to to that grinding hardcore.I use it with a Tele + and it's killer!

It's a killer amp!Words can say more.Go for a test Drive!!!

The people that have the store here in Greece,have also other big brands such as Mesa/Boogie,SWR and others.They have a CERTAIN attitude but I thing they're OK.

I would definetely buy it again!Of course this will not be the only amp I'll ever buy!!