ART S28

This amp gave me hope for my Jeff Beck Signature Strat. Made in 1992, this is the 100% solid state version of the T28. I had been playing through a Fender Cyber Deluxe when I first purchased my Beck and the strat sounded horrible through the CD. I was heavily considering having to shell out for some Kinman pickups. Then, one day at home, I plugged into this little guy and found total sonic bliss with my strat. I didn't end there.
The lowdown: this is a 2 channel switching amp. Effects loop that can be punched in or out with a mono preamp out and stereo power amp in. Speaker on/off. Headphone jack AND stereo line out. Chorus, Spring Reverb, Compression on clean channel. Mid Shift and Gain Boost on the lead channel. Two extension speakers can be added (or a stereo ext cab). It also has a funky Quad S (spacial surround sound effect).
The clean channel is great. Jazz. Acoustic Guitar. The lead channel has a very Rockman-type feel to it, but the gain control, active EQ, mid shift and "turbo gain boost" help it to defy the overly-compressed comparison.
I have made great use of all its feature and have also used this amp in a different way-as a powered monitor for my guitar rig at larger venues (by using the power amp in). I also go direct in to the power amp with my PODxt.
It's rated at 80 watts, and the small 8 inch speakers make it a cutting 80. I have yet to find a gig where it's too small. In fact, the design of the cab gives this amp a natural tilting angle, perfect for sitting in front of you as a monitor.

The clean channel is very impressive. The compression has 3 presets, and is extremely musical. Though it adds some noise it isn't any more noise than one would get from a pedal. The active EQ really lets you get the tone you want dialed in. The lead channel, as stated above has the rockman-tone going at full gain without the mid shift or the turbo gain boost activated. Again, having a dedicated active EQ saves the day. At low gain settings, it has a beautiful broken-up-just-enough tone for bluesy or alternative/punk tones. The distortion is not what I would consider brutal, but most people who want brutal own a distortion pedal. I owned the tubed model when these first came out and honestly can not tell where the tube made a difference, good or bad. It is a much more desirable tone than the Gallien Kruger amps of its era.
Both channels have their own gain control, and there is a master volume. The clean channel is weaker than the lead channel and can cause for a jump in volume when the gain is low on the clean side, but it takes a lot to make the clean channel break up, even at higher gain settings. The clean and lead channels do have drastically different voicings, and I have actually played an acoustic using the lead channel because of this difference. I use a Paul Reed Smith and the aforementioned Jeff Beck Strat, along with an Olympia (Tacoma off shore made) Chief-styled acoustic.
The amp does have what I consider a fair amount of noise (hiss) at high gain settings (normal of any amp) on either channel, and is very noticed with the compression on the clean channel.
The built chorus, quad S and reverb do not add any additional noise. The Chorus is limited to one control knob and an on/off button, but is extremely lush and usable at 80% of its settings. The Quad S is a lot of fun with a stereo extension cab as it emulates a surround sound tone. The spring reverb is as good as any Fender or Marshall or Boogie spring reverb I have used.
It has worked great as a slave amp to my PODxt, but took some fair amount of tweaking (in the POD sub menus) to be satisfied with using it this way.

This thing is a 22 pound tank. I'm not careless with it, but I don't pamper it either. It is literally great for throwing in the trunk on the way to a last minute notice gig. When I am at big events, this is my backup.

I contacted ART when first buying this amp (in 2004) because I had no manual. ART responded within 48 hours and emailed me a copy of the manual. Not bad considering the amp was made in 92 and discontinued in the mid/late 90s.

I have played in a variety of musical groups and genres since 1990, 2 years after receiving my first electric guitar. I have owned over 20 guitars, and about 12 combo amps in my life. My current equipment includes a Line 6 PODxt, a Vetta, and the aforementioned guitars. I just bought a T100 12 inch Celestion equipped model and am looking forward to comparing the two.
This amp has been great for ease of portability and a good tone. If using as a slave for my PODxt would be more satisfying then I'd buy another just like it (which is why I'm looking forward to the T100).
Put this amp against any other its size from the same era and it kicks butt (like the Crate G40 series).
What do I wish it had? A little more headroom on the clean channel or a volume (along with the gain) on the lead channel. A way to footswitch the chorus (as it has a footswitch control option for channel switching and lead boost). Two control knobs for the chorus would be nice (separate depth and rate).
The only way this amp could ever get a bad rating is if it was subjected to the kind of abuse that would cause any comparable amp made of wood to be lying next to it as kindling for a fire.