Product: Bruno Leadman 100
Price Paid: USD 2200 USED
Submitted
03/01/2008
at
12:12am
by
carl
Features
:
No Opinion
On the front panel, we have the following (from left to right): 'Lo' input, 'Hi' input, 'Preamp' control, 'Bass' control, 'Middle' control, 'Treble' control, 'Master' control and 'Presence' control. These are followed by a green jewel light, an 'On'/'Standby' switch, an 'On'/'Off' switch and a 'Ground' switch. The back has an 'ohm' selector switch, a couple of fuses and the power cable. That's it as far as electronic features. No reverb, no effects loop, no channel switching. The cabinet is made up of solid finger-jointed pine and the tolex seems quite durable. I can't really assign a rating to this category because I knew ahead of time what the features of this amp were. The bottom line is I bought it for its sound, not its features. If I wanted features, I'd buy a modelling amp.
Sound Quality
:
10
I'm currently using a PRS McCarty and a Hamer USA Daytona (strat copy) with the amp. I'm a big fan of all types of music, but mostly into classic rock/hard rock. The sound of this amp is incredible. Imagine a Dual Rectifier with more gain, but also with better note articulation and absolutely none of that typical Mesa 'nasal' quality. You can achieve decent clean tones when plugged into the 'Lo' input. They won't be as clean as vintage Fenders, but they are as clean or even cleaner than any other high gain amp out there. The 'Lo' input can also be used to produce quite convincing SRV-tones.
Using the 'Hi' input will yield obscene amounts of gain. Having the Preamp pointing to about 9 o'clock will yield your typical hard rock tones from yesterday (VH, Aerosmith, etc.) Moving up to 11 o'clock, and you've got Zakk tones from his first 2 Ozzy cds. beyond 12 o'clock on the Preamp is just sick amounts of gain. For a 100W all-tube high gain amp, this one is very quiet.
Reliability
:
10
I have not had any problems with this amp.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
I have never had to deal wiht them.
Overall Rating
:
10
I've been playing for over 20 years. I owns many guitars - there's no point in listing them all because I go through guitars like water - I get sick of them and ditch them to aquire new gear. If something were to happen to this amp, I would like to think that I could go out and get another but who are we kidding? They cost an arm and a leg, PLUS I don't think there are all that many kicking around. The 'leadman 100' isn't even listed on the TOny Bruno site. I really do wish it hadn eithar an effects loop or reverb, but in all honesty I would trade all of that for the tone this amp can achieve.
Just remember two things and you'll do ok:
1.) In life, you usually get what you pay for. Was this amp expensive - YES. Do I think it was worth it - YES, EVER PENNY!
2.) If you give a monkey a gun and the monkey shoots you in the foot, you don't blame the monkey!!!
