B-52 Pro Audio AT-100 Tri-mode Rectifier Head

3 channel 100watt head two overdrive and clean channels. master volume reverb and low-res(not sure what it does). clean channel: volume treble bass adn mid with a bring button. overdrive: two separate volumes switchable contour for each channel along with the usually bass,treble,mid plus two separate gain controls has about everything one could want except separate eq for the two different overdrive channels. only bad thing is it weighs a tit load im a big guy (6'6 210 lbs) and it takes both hands to haul the thing around i can carry my friends marshal mg half stack in two hands (head in one cabin the other) but this thing is a beast woudlnt trust the handle with how much it weighs

im using a Schecter Hellraiser with emg 81/85 pickups with .11 gauge with wound g string. i play mainly punkwith a little bluse and some converge like things thrown in. its fairly quiet there is some noise but its from my ****** cab. i can get pretty much any sound out of it i want i just cant get the sound out of my guitar lol iv used different guitar on the clean channel and it sounds fine just dont use huge gauge strings with emgs and you should be fine. the distortion is fantasic couldnt ask for more with my emgs i can turn it to about 12 o'clock and i got all the distortion i ever need. sounds amazing when turned up super loud but i only do that when no one is home and im drunk so the playing isnt the best lol

cant say much about it i got it right before my band broke up hasnt been used outside my bed room yet.

bought it at a pawn shop for 300$ never had a problem with it and if i did i would fix it myself

this is pretty much the best amp you can get in the price range i dont ever see a reason for upgrading i mean i play punk i dont need no damn 2k$ hiwatt head or some shit like that i can get a nice big sound out o it(thats the reason for the 11's get nice and big but still not uber heavy) and if i didnt have a shitty 200$ randall cab im sure it would sound a million times better. and for 300$ (i bought it at a pawn shop) icouldnt ask for anything better

It's all been said already...3 channels(overdrives share and EQ), mid contour, serial loop w/ level controls, low-res, reverb, channel and master volume, rectifier switch, ground lift, hi and lo inputs.
It has a lot of features for an amp this inexpensive. I have been using it for 4 years as my main amp and it is now being replaced by a Laney VH100R but I'm still keeping it as a back up.

The one I have now is actually my 2nd. The first one's output transformer failed after about 2 years of fairly heavy use.

These come stock with cheap chinese tubes in the preamp which I replaced. The power amp tubes are sovteks which I have no problem with. I don't really notice too much difference between different models of 6L6 type tubes.

I play death metal, progressive metal, rock, blues and a little jazz on this amp. My guitars are schecters with Seymour Duncan pickups (which I'll be changing to BKP's soon) and I use a custom Lopo sealed back 4x12 with eminence speakers.

As I said above, I changed out the preamp tubes. Of all the different ones I've tried I've gotten the best results from using a Tungsol in V1 and JJ's everywhere else(I left the stock tube that drives the reverb in because I never use it).

I have never really been satisfied with the sound of this amp by itself. Plugging directly into it, even with the tube changes, I still don't get a very good sound out of it. I think it's a combination of cheap inner components and an overly complex signal path going through those components. I've found that in order to get a good tone it needs help at both ends. The best tone I've been able to acheive comes from placing a S.D. pickup booster in front, going in through the low input and a BBE Sonic Max in the loop after my rack effects. These are the amp settings:
Rectifier: AB
Master Vol: 11:00 - 12:00 live, 9:00 @ rehearsal
Clean Channel: Vol at 8:00, eq knobs all around 12:00 give or take
Green OD Channel: Vol at 1:30-2, gain back at 9:00, high at 8:00, mid at 10:00, low at 2:00.

This set up gives me an really heavy overdrive that is resposive and clear. The clean is also very reactive and with the pickup booster in front I can drive it a little bit when I play harder.

I don't use the red OD channel at all because it sounds very dry to me no matter what I do. It lacks sustain and sound brittle. A lot of people say the two OD channels are the same but that is definately not the case on my amp. The green channel has way more gain and volume on tap. I also never use the mid contour because it seems to suck the life out of my sound.

Even though I do have a very useable sound out of this amp I'm giving it a 5 because I have to incorporate a lot of other elements (and money) to get it.

Like I mentioned, I've already had one of them break down on me. Fortunately that was in rehearsal and not on stage. I've never really trusted my second one for this reason but so far I haven't had any problems.

Only dealt with them once and they were fine with answering my email.

Overall, this amp is a perfect example of getting what you pay for. If mine where stolen I wouldn't buy another.

I've been playing 14 years and I have not really owned a lot of equipment but I've had the chance to play on some really nice amps in studios or that my friends own: VHT Deliverence 60(one of my favs), Mesa Dual Rec Solo(overrated),Mesa Stiletto Duece(nice), Marshall JVM(way overrated), Marshall 800, Peavey 5150...and of course the Laney VH100 that I now own. All these amps, except maybe the JVM, have a musical feel to their tone that supliments the quality of your instrument and playing skills. By itself, the AT100 doesn't have that IMO.
My laney is also an amp that I have to tweak but I can tell right away that the amp comes with tone and I won't have to spend years looking for it.
I think B52 would be on the right track if they used better quality parts, got rid of the crappy reverb(or replace it with a digital one), put in better transformers and added an option to run the loop in parallel.
It's one thing to make affordable equipment. But if that equipmnent is at risk of breaking down it will end up costing people more in the long run to have to replace it.

I just want to correct the last guy who posted on this, but the rectifier settings work like this:

Solid State: Uses a solid state rectifier and a Class AB Tube operation in the power tubes, meaning the tubes are Grid-biased.

Tube AB: Tube rectifier, power tubes run in Class AB (Grid-biased).

Tuba A: Tube rectifier, power tubes run in Class A (Cathode-biased). This means that it doesn't matter what the bias trim-pot is set at because the bias will be handled automatically. Any other setting requires biasing the tubes. If you never play in any mode other than Tube A, you never need to bias your tubes.

I believe the head was built in 2007.

It is suprisingly versatile. The band I play in covers mostly modern rock with a few funk numbers a few heavy metal numbers and a few classic rock numbers. I need the versatility. The clean doesn't break up and the 2 gain channels provide my classic and modern distortion tones. I recommend using the A/B mode if you want to accomplish this. The "A" mode alone generates too much noise and will feed back when you try to get the distortion levels where you need for a Pantera level setting.

The amp has a clean channel along with a Gain 1 (classic overdrive)and a Gain 2 (high gain). It has a footswitch that allows channel switching. You can also turn on/off the Reverb or Effects Loop.
There is an effects loop with level adjustments for send and return. There is no headphone jack.

I wish the amp had seperate EQ controls for Gain 1 and Gain 2. I use all the features of the amp.

I use this for rehearsal and playing live. So far it has the power I need. I'm only playing small clubs.

I play 3 guitars - 2004 Les Paul Standard with Burstbuckers. An 1989 Eric Clapton Strat with Fender Noiseless in the neck/middle and a Seymour Duncan Lil 59er in the bridge. And finally a 2008 Schecter C1 with original Floyd Rose using EMG active pups.

I can cover anything from Hendrix to Pantera

It is only noisy if I try to use the A mode on Gain 2.

I can get any distortion type.

Clean channel does not break up.

Distortion is brutal on Gain 2, in the A/B mode.

I have only had this amp for a short time, but the controls feel solid.

I have not dealt with their support but I looked online and it seems like they offer plenty of services.

I have been playing for 27 years.

I would certainly consider another one if it were lost or stolen.

I love the versatility and the price. I hate the face plate, it looks too generic.

I tested it in GC along side a few Marshalls and this amp is more bang for the buck.

I wish it came with an amp cover.

This company has been around for 27 years. This product is Built In The USA baby!

This amp is a couple years old, has some giggin' done on it..still blows minds. This amp has three modes: Clean, Gain, & More Gain!!! The clean has the classic Mid, Treble, and Bass along with an independent Volume. Then the gain channels have independent gain controls and volume while sharing a mid, treble, and bass control module, this plus a contour knob! All together making a lethal weapon for any metalhead or straight up rock musician. Plus the three different rectifier positions on the back of the amp: going from Tube A(all tube signal), Tube AB(Half tube Half solid state), and then Solid State, making this amp even more diverse than it already is. On the front 'Master' portion of the amp you have master volume, reverb, and master Low-Res controls.

I use a Les Paul with EMG's and a Dean with EMG's in the bridge and Duncan's in the Neck position along with a Randy Rhoads Jackson with Duncans throughout and honestly why buy a Mesa Boogie or a Marshall when you can all that and more with this amp!! This amp truly has tone to the bone that crushes every ounce of ear mucus possible, and also has the tone to make a kitten purr if need be ;) ya know what I mean, this amp is the cream as far as the cash is concerned. The distortion is so thick and crunchy that it makes a mesa look pitiful. I play through all Celestion speakers, 4 vintage 30's and 4 75's. Rock it loud this puppy can sing!

Haven't had any problems with it minus the tolex, but if you really play your amp and are in a band then you know that the looks can always be deceiving and normally the more abused outside means the sweeter the inside ya know?

Haven't had to deal at all with them, this amp's pretty solid thus far.

If stolen I would beat that person to a pulp and then buy 10 more just cause this amp is worth stealing! It really does what you need to when cranking it up, screw what everyone else was talking about with all the noise at high volumes. They obviously don't know that you don't have to crank the Gain on the distortion to get the bone crushing, stone crumbling tone that you need to get it done, that is if you can actually play your instrument. Study up sallies, this is the real deal.

100 watts. triple rectifier class A, AB and solid state. Make nice changes to the tone. clean channel and 2 overdrive channels. reverb is OK not bad but not great. foot switch for channel changing and reverb. Also effects loop but don't use it. selectable ohm selection. countour settings also.

Clean is nice. the 2 overdrive channels are great. gets a ltille noisy but for the price of the amp I got a niose gate to clean it up. You can get everything up to hard rock. But not metal, you will need a pedal. a great all around sounding amp.

No problems at all and despite what somepeople have reviewed it sems well built to me.

never dealt with.

Have beenplaying several years. Playing a Gibson Les Paul Studio and Strat with lace sensors. Love the variety of sounds you can get and the price cannot be beat. Needs ,more pretty lights on it. Would buy another if stolen. Sounds better than the line 6 spider III 150 I have, even though it is not bad.

Has everything from Mad Distortion to Chunk, to Crunch to Crystalline Clean.

Use Custom Strat and Daredevil Humbucker Guitars. Sound is far better than it should be with a "Budget" Amp in Stock Form

Mine has been modded with Mercury Trannies and choke, Running Valve Arts KT66's for Power, RFTs in V1&2 RCA 5751s in V3&4 and JJ Goldpins in remaining V5,6,7.

Unbelieveable Sound.

Have Owned for 1 1/2 Years No Problems at all. Keep In mind I'm not gigging it nitely. Your experience may Vary. Very -well Constructed Birch Cabinets, Electronics are first Quality and PCBs are quite Heavy. Noted the Absence of cumputer Type ribbon connectors. Easily on Par with Marshall, and probably as good as Bogner in construction.

Very Good and Very Fast in response.

Been Playing 40 Years, Had about everything out there, and I don't have time for Corksniffing. This AMP KILLS. It's not a Mesa or a Marshall and doesn't pretend to Be. For marketing purposes it Was Directly aimed at the TRI REC Crowd, but it's WAY better than that. I would absolutely replace it if stolen or lost For the TONE and Cost it's a NO BRAINER. JMHO

3 channels, 1 clean and 2 dirty...good for anything I play...bought at Musicians Friend in 2005. Use for recording and is brillent for this purpose powering 2 Eminence 'Man 'O War's' speakers in Cabinet. I use the Sovteck Tubes, and various preamp tubes...dont use loops, seems to cause distortion, think it's the effects used.

Good sound, noisey on the dirty channels at any higher volumes...good for GreenDay style, rock blues, some punk...punk good with pedal...

NOW, this is where this amp goes way down...since I had it (light studio use I mind you) bubbling tolex, broken reverb spring on arrival, very heavey one sided, front guitar jacks broke...just little things in a stationay inviroment.

I communicated with Avi at b-52 a few times via email (i'm sure it was the customer support staff) replaced reverb tank and bubbling cabinet, didnt cover front broken guitar jacks....only had 90 day warranty on Input jacks.

i dont think these amps will hold up well over time...poor componet layout and inside parts seem cheap...

100 Watt 3 channel 1 clean,2 overdrive,Tri-mode rectifier,SS Diodes,class AB ,class A. I'm updateing my earlier review from last year,amp still going strong sounding real good,mostly use clean & OD1,sometimes OD2.play everyday usally LOUD!!!

I run 2 Carvin 4-12's w/V30's in a stack, amp suits my tastes, i can play Recto Gain, Metal Rock, Classic Rock,Blues and Spanking sparkling clean.Can DO teh BrooTalZ....

Had it almost 2 years no major issues, good amp for the money, I put a Mercury Magnetics Output Transformer in myself,run Sovtex 6L6WXT's in the power section NOS Mullard's in V1&V2 in V3&V4 I run two NOS GE 5751's and on the input resistor put a 600volt 50,000 pf capacitor to brighten things up a bit. Sounds AWESOME!!!!

Emailed them last year for a schematic, got it no problem.

I wouldn't rule out picking up another amp in the future,not cause theres anything wrong with this one, but because i'm a gearhead, if lost or stolen I wouldn't have a problem buying another B-52 AT-100.

The amp was purchased in 2007, I don't know when it was made. I bought it used after the original owner replaced the tubes. The Amp is one of the most versatile tube amps on the market, even not considering it's insanely low price, and can handle any style of music fairly well. It comes with two adjustable gain channels, and these channels are definitely the same assuming you have the same settings on them, though some people may imagine differences. It has a contour knob which is assignable to either or both of the gain channels and separate volume and gain knobs for each channel, though they share an EQ. The clean channel has an independent EQ, a "bright switch" which boosts the treble, and it's own channel volume. There is also a low-resonance control, which adds some serious power to your low end and is a feature that needs to be included on more amps! It makes your palm mutes sound really amazing and forceful without making your sound excessively muddy. Finally, it has a reverb control which applies itself to both channels. Whew! That's a boatload of features, now let's talk about their faults. Obviously first of all there's no eq for both gain channels which limits the amount of customization and differentiation between the two gains, not a huge deal really. Then there's no presence knob, which really hurts the overdrive channels. It's not so bad for the clean channels s ince there's the bright switch to boost the high end, but for overdrive channels I found the lack of a presence knob very inconvenient. Finally, the reverb is close to useless and very weak. You'll need reverb from another source. I use the reverb mostly on the clean channel, the cleans sound pretty "wet" without the reverb enabled, but when you do enable it the difference is much too small. While the b-52 is a very versatile amp with some unique features like the low res and the contour knob, you're going to need some pedals no matter what. I play a few styles of music, primarily death metal, doom metal, post-rock, ambient, and jazz. For this I needed extremely high gain capability as well as fenderish cleans, and not any need for medium gain crunch. b-52 delivered for the most part but wasn't without it's flaws. The b-52 at-100 also includes a 3 way rectifier switch, included mostly as a gimmick so that people will compare it to a mesa. There's definitely a slight difference though.

I'm using 2 different guitars, an Ibanez RG120 with stock pickups tuned to B standard and a cheap Squier 7 string tuned down to A standard, also with stock pickups. The amp has enough gain for extreme metal styles, technically, but you'll need to turn the gain up to 8 or dime it to get there, and that causes a great deal of fizz. I stuck my line 6 toneport, which is sort of like an expanded computer based POD, as a preamp and that fixed the gain problem right up. I could roll down the gain to 6 o clock at most and still have just the right amount of gain using some of the pedal emulation in the toneport as well as the noisegate. This amp is VERY VERY noisy in the overdrive channels, you will need a noisegate no matter what. It's not noisy at all in the clean channel. The distortion is very good overall, it doesn't sound like a Mesa or a Marshall as many people claim. I found it sounded very very similar to the peavey valveking actually. With the contour knob, it can be smooth and midrangey, scooped and brutal, or a slightly grainy but very warm midrange tone without the contour engaged. The 3- rectifier settings make a slight difference in the overdrive sound, tube A sounds really grainy to my ears but is very well suited toward medium gain type sounds, tube AB is perfect for monster gain balls out metal sounds, but it's still a little warm. Solid state has a treble with a little more attack and slightly tighter bass, but sounds a little more sterile. The sound is a little muddy, but that's likely a result of me tuning down so far while using cheap stock pickups.
The clean channel is where this thing really trumps almost the other high gain amps on the market. The B-52 at-100 is really special because while it has almost as much gain as the big boys, the mesas, the 5150s, the Marshalls, and the ENGLs, it doesn't sacrifice so much from it's clean channel. If you need fenderish cleans but also want brutal chunky distortion that isn't thin and fizzy like fenders, you can have it for much less money than you could one of the "boutique" tube amps. The clean channel has a lot of customizability, can sound really sparkley or really natural and acoustic. It doesn't break up at high volumes at all and stays crystal clear. You will need some outside reverb though unfortunately.

Haven't had any problems yet.

Haven't dealt with them.

I've only been playing about a year and a half, the only other gear I own is a cheap marshall practice amp and a line 6 toneport which I used stand alone as a modeler for a long time before making the leap into tubes. If it were lost or stolen, I'd have a tough decision between this and a 5150(the holy grail of extreme metal). If you're mostly a metalhead looking balls loads of gain and don't really care about the cleans, don't buy this amp, either save up for a single rectifier or go with a 5150. If, however, you plan to make extensive use of the clean channel and don't want to have to use the ****** clean channels supplied on most high gain amps, this is the amp for you. You can do anything from jazz, blues, classic rock, country, or heavier styles like extreme metal or hardcore. This amps main selling point is it's versatility and it's unique features. You will need some pedals in front of this thing though, but as it's around a 3rd of the price of more popular brand names which are barely better, that won't be such a problem. 8.5/10.