Bad Cat Hot Cat 30R 112 Combo

This is a 30 watt all tube, hand wired, channel switching combo with reverb and an effects loop. One input for each channel. Clean channel is simple enough with volume and five position tone switch, but...the OD channel controls also interact with this providing a plethora of incredible and useable tones on either channel. OD channel controls are: Gain (Volume), Edge (high mid control), Level, Bass, Treble, Brilliance and OD Master. It takes a while to find your ideal sound because of the interactivity of these controls, but this amp sings like no other that I've owned.

I play in a rock-driven funk & blues band, and this amp is perfect for what I do. If I want a more traditional sound, I can get it by cranking the clean channel. Getting a good "bluesy" sound was one of the things I worried about when I purchased this amp. As previously noted, this amp was made to rock! It has sustain for days even on the clean channel. The voicing of the amp and inteactive controls allow for great "cut through the mix" ability. The OD is clear and defined, never muddy like some of my Fenders. Seems to take pedals well. I tried a Small Fry, TS-10, and a Blues Driver that all responded well with this amp.

I had a tube go bad when I first powered it up (I bought it used, and it traveled across the country), but no issues since then. Solid, and built like a tank.

My only beef is in contacting the company. My amp came without the footswitch, and I also wanted a Bad Cat cover for it. I sent a couple emails to Bad Cat, but received no reply. I hear that if you call, they will answer. Still, why have an email contact if you don't plan to use it? I purchased a cover from Studio Slips, and a switching pedal from Peptone (an A/B Y pedal works great).

I've been playing professionally since the mid 70's. I've owned Marshalls, Hiwatts, Fenders, Peaveys, and some other amps over the years. I love the sound of tubes! I've mainly been playing Fenders for the last 10 years. I've built or modified most of the amps I use to suit my taste. I probably won't mess with this one! It's a heavy beast (80+ pounds!) but it has the most incredible sound I've ever heard in any amp I owned. If it were stolen, I'd cry for a week, and convince my wife that I needed another. James, answer your email!

This amp is designed to be one of - if not THE - most versatile Class A amps out there. The only things I've seen that are truly comparable are other BadCat amps - ie; the Tone Cat, Custom Shop AB50(very cool sounding amp).

The amps controls have a massive impact on the sound. If you can't find an infinite amount of useful tones in this amp, maybe you should consider sticking to the acoustic or taking up bowling or sperm donation as an alternative to guitar.

The five way tone switch on the clean channel places some limits on the versatility of this side of the amp. This is deliberate. It forces the player to use the guitar's tone knobs to make changes. A fantastic advantage of the five way control is you can always easily get set up. The amp stays where you set it between locations too. A huge bonus and one of the main reasons I chose this amp. The other two BadCats I mentioned above don't have this feature. I find - and many will agree - that too many controls only lead to endless fidgeting and futzing with the tool instead of just playing the damn thing.

As for the second channel, there is a lot of versatility here. Edge, Gain, and Level, as well as a Master (works wonderfully too). The Level control allows you to set the power output of the preamp section. Very cool Edge controls upper mids, Gain is self explanatory. Also, both channels share a brilliance control - like presence.

Plus reverb, FX loop, and a very useful solid state/tube rectifier switch for a different feel. Both feel great. Solid state is a little faster attack. Tube is a little bloomier/more sag.

One final awesome function is the capability to blend the two channels via the footswitch. Endless possibilities here.

Also, has speaker outs if you want to use a 2x12 or 4x12 cab.

Sound is beyond incredible, warm, class A all the way. Turn it up on the clean side and you get some kick ass bluesy breakup. Hot channel is beyond belief. Everything from a little crunch to full gnarly metal sustain. You really have to play this amp to understand what it's all about. It's not that it provides such a MASSIVE range of distortion, it's that it does this with such unbelievable beauty and gorgeous tone all the way through its range. No compromise. Period. It's like owning three different top shelf amps in one combo.

I cannot get a bad sound out of this beast. Even at low volumes it sounds tits. Turned up is, of course, what this thing is for though. It only gets more wonderful the louder you go.

I will add that this is not the BadCat to get if you don't like moderate to heavier distortion. Don't get me wrong, it does clean and Crunch AMAZINGLY well, but it it designed for a player who needs a broader range of options. I want to be absolutely clear. This amp does not compromise in any way. Clean is fantastic, Crunch is excellent. It just doesn't make sense to buy this model if you'll never turn the gain up past 9 o'clock. If you want a more blues oriented amp, check out the Lynx or a couple of other BadCat models. I promise, they make something perfect for just about everyone.

Nuff said.

Can't say for sure. I've heard a few negatives, but this amp is a professional level piece of top shelf equipment. I suspect that most problems are pilot error or tube related. All point to point. Totally hand built.

I bought this used, took it out of a battered box at FedEx, took her home, plugged her in, and she sounded perfect.

BadCat uses a very flexible tube socket design that allows the tubes to move a bit independently of the chassis. This works like a shock absorber - which is great for a combo amp where the speaker is beating the shit out of the tubes all the time. The amp was shipped with the tubes in it and came out asking for more. I think you could just about throw it off a building, in front of a moving bus, then pick it up and toss it down a New York subway system escalator, work your way through the bodies of the injured and killed escalator passengers, stand it up, plug it in, and it would still sound better than 99% of the garbage out there.

I spoke to James at BadCat before I purchased this amp. He was very personable, friendly, and told me that although there is no "official" warranty for a used amp - I could bring it in if I had a problem and unless it was a transformer, he'd most likely fix it free of charge.

Sounds pretty strong to me!

I was on an amp hunt for over three months. Played just about everything I could get my hands on. Bogner (Uberschall is amazing - Shiva nice too), Matchless (can't go wrong), Koch (good value option), Divided by 13 (very nice - but not very versatile)plus of course Mesa, Fender, Marshall, Roccoforte (very cool stuff - doesn't do low volumes AT ALL) and a slew of other boutique and mass produced stuff.

I chose the BadCat brand because after playing a couple of them everything else just seemed to pale in comparison. I spent a couple hours at Mesa Boogie and just wasn't blown away by anything. They make a couple great amps, but they're just not up to the BadCat level. Not even close. I played several different BadCats and realized that really any one of them is simply excellent. They don't make a bad amp. The Hot Cat is one of their flagship models. The EL34's are a great choice. If you want more clean headroom - check out their Custom Shop AB-50. I originally wanted one of these but decided on the Hot Cat R. The Tone Cat is really awesome too. All very similar, all very different. All are miles above almost all the competition.

They have a certain sound and feel that most other companies really don't even approach, let alone rival. If you like the warmth of a top of the line Class A amp - like Matchless, TopHat, etc - do yourself a favor and check out a few BadCats before you buy something that is most likely inferior.

Year is 05 or 06, not sure, basically brand new. It is an extremely well designed amp in the fact it has less than others, but what it does have, 5 way tone switch, gain, eq, brilliance, edge, channel volume controls all sum up to provide tremendous options and a wide range of extremely fat musical tones across the spectrum. Switchable tube/rectifier type sounds fillin many blanks. Perfect, incredible switching option available with the integrated footswitch and the resulting tonal possibilites...phenominal. And...it looks great.

I primarily play Les Paul Custom and Standards, but do plug in a telecaster/strat single coils, random hollowbody, etc. This amp totally shines regarding tone and overall quality of sound. Stunning harmonics, rich liquid sustain, super fat growling gain channel, omnipresent lows. Bright as you want it, dark as you need, sounds sweet on all. The more you push it, the fatter it gets. Clean has all the chime and 3D presence many mention, although it breaks up a bit with higher output guitars and volume settings it does this warmly, no brittle highs or incoherent booming lows.
The effects loops and the reverb have some noise, but it is relative, with a few tweaks I reduced it to minimal. Noise stays relative to lower volumes...not a major issue for me, I play in a rock band, hard and loud, a bit of hum/hiss, is nothing new or unusual, especially for class A. Virtually whisper quiet with loop and reverb off. Definitely quiet enough for rock and roll and most recording studio play. Turn this cat up...this is where she sings, cries, screams, claws the walls, growls, gets stuck up in trees, purrs like kitten, roars like a lioness. Sweet. Born to be played up at higher volumes and will rock loud...very loud for 30 watts, enough for almost any venues. Through a cabinet...bad ass. Definitely not the apartment practice amp, unless you hate the neighbors and like the cops coming by. Becasue you will turn up, one can't resist. Any halfway good overdrive stomp box, I have been using a Maxon OD...simply make love to this amp. I have tried to make this amp sound bad, on extreme settings, it does get funky, but for the most part, it has an elemental edge, orginal tone, and coolness to the tone, even when you go wierd. Got vox, fender, marshall and much more beyond from it. Basically, awesome, stunning, very versatile tone.

A tank, solid throughout, seen a few good road bumps and it just smiles back.

Great, the owner often answers the phone and returns your calls...solid, knowledgeable, friendly and fast support. James is a super guy. No complaints.

Bad Cat is one of the greats, have tried most of them. Played Matchless, Bogner, many others. All these are great amps, but the Hot Cat has an originality to the tone and design, seems to set them a bit a part. All in all, dollar for dollar, you can't find many amps to compete in this price range.

Controls are simple, highly musical, very toneful. Wide range of possibilites, self explanatory, and very effective in molding your tone. Effects loop with variable input/output easy to tweek on the fly, mid flat cut boost switch, an "edge" control that does as it's labeled, brilliance control is just brilliant. Switch for Tube/Rectifier that produces excellent tonal variations. It basically has everything you need, nothing you don't. The tone speaks for itself. The palette is vibrant and rich. The features do what they say and really give you easy access. Flexible way beyond my expectations. Beyond this the amp simply looks great as well, lit up or not.

I'm not prone to pass out 10's, but I can do so honestly with this amp and a certain girl I knew...
Clean channel has very nice sparkle and beautiful 3D chime, warm, full and responsive. Will break up slightly when driven hard, yet does this naturally with zero boom or harshness. Overdrive/distortion effects love this amp up front! Tube buffered loop warms up and clearly represents even harsh digital effects very well, cool vintage ones sing. Reverb is high quality ambient and warm sounding, not ultra wet or springy like a black face, suppose this could be a downside depending on taste, personally I don't use much, but I like what I do use.
Great growling cats in heat! The gain channel produces some of the fattest fat and richest rich harmonic sustain beyond...just beyond. Stunning power from a 30 watt. Powerful high gain saturation, amazing punch and definition. Seems to roar past it's rating and decidedly born to run wide open. Yields juicy harmonics at high volume. Can hardly be used primarily as a home practice amp. You just have to turn up....you will want to despite the rather sweet tone at low volume. Bonus, no "sudden cut in or out" annoyance on any eq/gain or volume.
I am hard pressed to make this amp sound actually bad, even odd settings have a certain original distinct crunch, vibe, or coolness. It is however, very easy to make this amp sound bad ass. You don't just play through an amp like this, you connect...it breathes.

I can be highly critical of things like noise and have had none of the noise problems some have posted. Some minor acceptable noise is present in the loop, with reverb way up, etc. This is hardly warrants a complaint from me, it's been present in almost every good amp I've ever used to some degree. With levels set right, running a bunch of effects and reverb, retaining solid tone, I reduced any present noise down to dead quiet by most realistic standards in the known universe.

Solid throughout. Mine has seen some slightly bumpy, but not extreme road use at this point, but I'll go out on a tree limb (with this cat) and rate high. Bad Cat really seems to stand by thier stuff. If you are making this kind of investment, what's $235.00 more for a solid road case with casters? And..it's heavy, wheels are good.

The owner and founder James, with a practically legendary career in amplifier design, still personally answers the phone/returns calls within hours. They come across as a down to earth, receptive, and friendly company focused on you...and that is cool.

Nothing really like it out there today. In the comparitive market, for the money you will spend for this quality, still has signifigant value. In my opinion, this amp claws, slays, and hungrily devours most boutique amps out there and holds it's own paired with the likes of matchless and bogner.

Same features as the Hot Cat 30, with the addition of reverb for both channels, built in jack for channel switching (and included footswitch), and a 5 way tone control for the clean channel. Only bad feature is the weight!

Same tones as the Hot Cat, but with the additional controls/features, more flexable. The clean channel has the typical Samson designed tone. Chimey, with a 3D quality. The gain channel goes from bluesy overdrive to very high gain. With the "edge", "level", and "brilliance" controls, you can get a dark or biting tone, or anything in-between. The reverb is very good, and changing the reverb tube from the provided chinese to a JJ 803S made the reverb jump. I've had Bad Cats, and Matchless' before, but have never been able to get their tone from anything else. Very unique.

This one is new, but the build quality on this is stellar. Again as on most Samson amps, they are built like a tank and are built to handle the riggors of gigging.

I have actually called to the headquarters, and found them to be very helpful. They seem to stand behind their product.

Versatility, great build quality, and that unique tone.

This is a class A amp. It has great control over the gain section of the amp. the clean is very pristine in a good way. it does have channel switching, an effects loop etc. The main thing on this amp is the great tone it produces. if you want bells and whistle look else where. rate it 9 it has what it needs to have.

This is where this amp scores a 20 out of ten. This amp is unbeleivable. it has harmonics and tone dripping all over it.
the gain channel can give you just about any sound you want.
It's tone is thick and has incredible sustain. you can do blues
rock metal even jazz. This is a class a tone encyclopedia. If you can't get the sound you are looking for you haven't spent enough time with the amp. I find it's sound addicting. But beware! you won't want to play anything else after you play it. This is the way a good amp should sound.....pay attention fender and marshall, maybe you will learn something.

excellent, built to last forever.

great customer support. have spoken with James (the owner)a few times on the phone. great guy

This amp is not cheap but if you want great tone here it is.
Beware if you play this amp you will want one bad.
Sold my fender deluxe reverb, marshall tsl to get it.
It spokes the rest of them thd, bogner, budda etc. etc.

My Hot Cat was purchased in September '05. I suspect it was manufactured earlier this year. Although this amp does have 2 channels, I would not necessarily describe as "feature rich". However, what it does it does very well. Channel one is your clean channel. It has a volume and a rotary tone knob that gives you 5 distinct tone settings that vary in thickness as you rotate through. Channel 2 is the hi gain channel. Here you have several controls including interactive treble and bass that are quite dramatic in their impact on the tone. There is an "Edge" control that accentuates the upper mids to give you more "cut" in the mix. There is also a "Brilliance" control that is essentially a prescence control as well as the Reverb control. The "Gain", "Level", and "Master" controls essentially interact to affect your overall distortion level and volume. There is a dedicated input in back for the channel switching footswitch. This allows either channel A or channel B or both. Somebody complained about accessing the input underneath the chassis. Although, this was somewhat cumbersome, I just leave it plugged into the amp and disconnect the footswitch at the other end. The one disappointment was the effects loop. When I switched from the low gain channel (1) to the high gain channel (2) the signal to the effects was much hotter so that I had way too much effect on the hi gain channel. When I compensated for the hi gain channel, I had too little effect on the low channel. When I called Bad Cat, their tech admitted that this was indeed a problem. He said they had recently come up with a mod to fix some of the problem but that I would be charged with an upgrade fee even though I bought the amp two days earlier. Bottom line, the effect loop is useless, IMO. If you are going to run effects, either make sure you have the mod'd version or run your effects to the front of the amp. No amp cover is provided.

I use an Anderson Hollow T with humbucker and single coil pups as well as a Fender Custom Classic Strat. I play classic rock and alt country stuff in a couple of bands. As mentioned a few times, this is not a high gain amp in the sense of a Mesa Boogie or recto type amp. Although I can get a smooth lead distortion tone, it did not quite get to the thickness and singing quality I get with my Boogie. IOW, you're not going to sound like Santana through this amp. However, if you're into roots rock, blues, and fusion type music, this a great amp. At bedroom volumes, the clean channel is amazing. The sound is very transparent and true to whatever guitar you are playing. I've not heard anything quite like it in that respect. With a rock band however, the clean channel does break up slightly when turned up more that half way which is the nature of Class A. I would say that if you are going to use the amp in a rock band and you want to take advantage of this amp's crystal clear clean channel, go with the 100W model for the additional headroom. Turned up, the hi gain channel is ballsy. It has a much crisper sound than I'm used to with the Boogie but that's okay. (I wanted something different to complement what I have). As far as noise, even in the hi gain channel, the amp was very quiet for a tube amp.

Just got it but it seems very sturdy. The tolex covering seems thin with a rubbery texture that can easily snag and rip. This is especially unfortunate since it does not come with a cover (okay, I'll stop ragging about the lack of a cover! I'll be ordering one shortly.)

I called a couple times in a 24 hour period with no call back and finally got a hold of somebody (at least I didn't get an auto attendant). The person on the phone was friendly enough although I felt like I was talking to my auto mechanic. He went on about how they change the design literally daily. Serial numbers do not corespond to the features (such as the mod for the effects loop). These things are definitely not coming off an assembly line in some factory - but that's what we love about these boutique's anyway, right?

I have been playing guitar in bands for 30 years playing everything from dixieland to 80's hair rock. I wanted a great Class A amp and that's what I got. It does what it is supposed to do and does it extremely well. I'm afraid 30W may not be enough umph in a band with a heavy handed drummer so I may use it for recording. If lost or stolen, I would probaby get the 100W head instead. I think this amp really shines in rhythm playing from squeaky clean to light break-up, to all out crunch. I may use it for this purpose and A/B it with my Boogie which I will use for leads.

I have owned several Matchless and Bad Cat amps. I was looking for a 2 channel amp with reverb and I liked the Hot Cat, so adding reverb made this the obvious choice. I do not like the placement of the micro switches, this could be a lot better. I also do NOT like the location for the footswitch plug, you have to reach underneath the chassis to get to it and this is a real pain. Other than that, the amp has many great features.

The amp does sound very good. I compared it side by side with a Two Rock Emerald Pro and it held its own. My main guitars are a Les Paul 59 Reissue, Les Paul 57 Gold Top Reissue, Tom Anderson Classic Strat, and Fender Clapton Strat. One problem that I did not like at all was that the effects loop was very noisey - much more than I would like. The reverb is also noisey - way too noisey for an amp that cost this much. In fact, after tweaking and tweaking the amp, I got so fed up with the noise in the reverb and effects loop that I decided to sell it and get either a non-reverb Hot Cat 30 or a Cub II R. I still give the amp a sound rating of 8 because if they can fix these two noise problems, the amp is a very good sounding amp!

The amp is a tank. As I said, I have owned several Bad Cat amps, they are very durable and very reliable tube amps. This one weighs a ton and that makes it difficult to transport. I would consider a head/cabinet version instead of the combo unless you have a strong back and like to carry heavy objects. I think it weighs about 70-80 pounds. One last suggestion that I would make for Bad Cat is that they should offer a much tougher tolex-type covering. I custom ordered mine in a creme vinyl covering. It looked great, but the material was so soft that if was damaged in shipping from the footswitch banging around in the box. I would also be reluctant to gig with the amp given the soft nature of the vinyl - it would be trashed in just a few gigs. Some people may like this soft covering, it does look good and probably sells amps, but I would rather have something that was as tough as a Line-X bed liner that could take a lot of abuse and hold up. Add this to the amp and I think most real musicians would be very happy.

Never called the company for support, but their dealer network is good and the dealers are very helpful.

I liked a lot of things about the amp. The sound (other than the reverb and effects loop noise) is very good. I have owned many amps - vintage Marshalls, vintage Fenders, Boogies, Vox, Bogner, Cornford, Dr. Z, Matchless, Bad Cats, and Two Rock to name a few. I would give this amp an above average rating, but it does not compare to a Matchless DC-30 or a Two Rock Emerald Pro (it is not even in the same league as a Two Rock Custom Reverb, but that amp is a several thousand more bucks than the Bad Cat. If they would clean up the reverb, clean up the effects loop, change the location of the micro switches and the footswitch input, and offer much tougher covering materials, then they would have an absolutely killer amp - one that would hang with any amp on the planet. If they would do this, I wouldn't care one bit about the weight.

The features have been thoroughly described above and on the Bad Cat website, but let me add a couple comments. Although the internal channel-switching feature was added in response to customer feedback, one of the many reasons I purchased this amp was to take advantage of the fact that each channel has a separate input. This allows me to run different effects into the front end of each channel without affecting the other. For example, I run a couple FD2s (in a homemade true bypass loop switcher) into the clean channel and can use an external A/B box to footswitch from a low gain SRV-style lead tone or slightly crunchy rhythm tone in the clean channel (i.e. FD2 -> clean input) to a fat, thick high gain tone in the amp's dirty channel. I gave this category a '10' because of this capability in conjunction with the other extremely useful features already described. I am not aware of any other two-channel amp that allows usage of internal or external channel-switching with access to inputs from each channel. I might also mention that Bad Cat added these features in a "parallel" fashion so as to maintain the "purity" and simplicity of the original model. In other words, if you don't want a mid-boost in the gain channel, it can be switched entirely out of the circuit, resulting in an "improved" version of the original "flat mids" gain channel.

I am using two Anderson Classic Strat-style guitars with Kinman AVn-Blues PUPs and play in a high-energy, blues-based band which also covers some R&B and classic rock. I also currently own a THD Flexi, Allen Accomplice and Maz 18 Junior NR, but have owned many different "boutique" amps over the years. So far, the HC30R comes losest to my ideal, all-in-one amp package. The clean tones are three dimensional, chimey and sweet and sound fabulous with OD boxes upfront. I could play gigs and be totally happy with the clean channel alone. But, then, switch over to the gain channel and you've got everything from the blues to metal. I started out preferring the mid switch set to '+', but then grew fond on the '0' setting because of its feel and how it sits in my band's mix. The '+' setting adds gain and a mid boost which cuts like a knife in a mix without harshness, but can be a little unforgiving unless your technique is absolutely dead nuts. The '0' position is more forgiving and blends well in a mix without completely taking it over. I completely disagree with the previous reviewer regarding his statements about this channel not having much sustain or a liquid lead tone. Maybe he hasn't spent enough time with it, but this thing can sustain for days and is capable of Eric Johnson-style violin tone, if you dial it in that way. The thing with the Hot Cat though is that it does not sound like anything that came before it. It's not just another gained up Marshall or Mesa derivative, so if you're looking to sound like everybody else, this is not the amp for you!

This amp is PTP and uses high quality components throughout. So, by design, it should be very reliable, but I haven't owned it long enough to test this out. One construction feature I've never seen before is that the power tubes and rectifier are clamped to the sockets with brackets and mounted with strain relief to the chassis with rubber bushings. So, these tubes are highly resistant to shock and vibration. Makes it hard to change tubes at a gig without some tools, but they're so impervious to shock that the amp was actually shipped to me without removing these tubes...and they stayed in place without any damage or microphonics whatsoever.

I have never dealt with Bad Cat, but I've heard good things about their customer service.

This amp is already a classic. Some folks may not care for the unique voicing on the gain channel, but I love it. Like all great amps, this one will inspire you to play! Highly recommended.

I bought this new and have had it for about a month. It is a redesigned HotCat 30 and is very different from the old model, which is why I started a new thread instead of joining an existing one. New features include a channel switcher, reverb, a 5 way tone switch on the clean channel, and a mid cut/boost/flat switch on the gain channel. AND - a tube buffered effects loop on the back. The amp has an impedance switch that covers 4, 8, or 16 ohms. It's a 30 watt amp and it is more than loud enough for anything I do. Note that the Master volume only works on the high gain channel. There's a very useful "Brilliance" control that works on both channels. Don't lose the footswitch (comes with the amp) because it's an unusual design. The amp is really a one channel amp with the functionality of a two channel amp. The footswitch allows you to combine both channels at once.

I mostly play a Brian Moore i2.13 and a '73 Les Paul goldtop deluxe through it. Sometimes I use a Jackson USA fusion, but I wouldn't want anyone to see me still playing a pointy guitar! The best sound the amp has is the clean channel hit a little hard to the beginning of a crunchy distortion. To me, it sounds identical to old Matchless amps I've played through, which isn't surprising since Mark Sampson designed both amps. If you've heard and like David Grissom, this amp gets that sound. Beautiful chimey, class A cleans, with warm crunchy overdrive. The gain channel I don't like as much. It's a buzzy, crispy overdrive, lots of gain but not a liquid lead sound and really not a whole lot of sustain. When I want that, I put my TS-9 in front of it. The mid boost switch is great for making a lead stand out and sound warm. The clean channel has a tremendous amount of headroom before it breaks up, which could be good or bad depending on what you're trying to do. This amp has the big punch and chime of a superb old black face or Matchless DC30, I can't stress too much how great the clean/crunch sound is. Check out the David Grissom demo on the manufacturer's website (www.badcatamps.com). Maybe Dave's tone is partly in his fingers, but the amp is a lot of it and at least you'll know it's possible to get the tone. Be warned, though, you have to crank the amp a bit to get in the sweet spot, and it's pretty darn loud when it gets there. Could be a problem in a small club or practicing in your apartment. I tried it with my HotPlate and it's just not the same thing. High settings of the gain channel can still be heard as noise when the clean channel is in use, but it's not too bad.

This thing is built like a tank, and is probably heavier than a tank! Seriously, it's all solid steel and wood, weighs something near 90 lbs. A back killer! I don't have a lot of confidence in the Tolex covering, it's the soft, rubbery kind that usually tears easily, and several folks have told me horror stories about BadCat Tolex. So far no rips, but I'm being really careful. The transformers are massive, I don't think they're likely to burn out. I'm more worried about my back reliability than the amp's!

Very helpful. I've emailed and called BadCat several times, each time the president himself spoke with me and was very helpful. There was an error on their website and they quickly corrected it once I pointed it out. An interesting note is that famous designer Mark Sampson (Matchless, etc...) no longer works for BadCat, he has started his own company (Staramplifiers.com).

I have 30 years of experience, or one year of experience 30 times, depending on how you look at it! If this were stolen, I think I'd replace it with the lighter BadCat CubIIR since I don't use the high gain channel that much. It's just too heavy for gigging, and expensive as hell if it got stolen! I give it a 9, because it's just a superb amp, but $2700 is a LOT OF MONEY!