Product: Clara Amps 18 Watt TMB Combo
Price Paid: UNKNOWN
Submitted
02/02/2008
at
02:04am
by
rich
Features
:
7
2 Channel 1st has tone volume with high and low inputs
2nd channel has master vol. volume treble mid bass hence TMB
I use an A/B box to go between 1 and 2 which allows for a nice clean crunch on channel 1 to full Marshall drive on channel 2. The master vol is the best feature allowing you to dial in that crunch at practice volumes verses having to crank the amp to get that sound. An 18 watt amp is still pretty loud cranked.
Sound Quality
:
8
This amp loves Fender and Gibson guitars and can be dialed in for each. For the real grind my ES335 works beautifully. The clean is kind of a bluesy sound with a bit of breakup when you dig in. With a Fender Strat there is less grind but a nice distorted tone. You don't get the cleans and browns that you do with a 5E3 deluxe but you get all the classic Marshall tones at reasonable volumes. The amp is more articulate than a higher wattage Marshall at reasonable volumes probably because at 18 watts the power tubes are working harder. The only thing you can't really nail is crystal clean at gigging volumes.
Reliability
:
8
This is the beauty of these hand built amps. Simple for any amp tech to repair.
Customer Support
:
8
No problems dealing with Keith he is very helpful and knowledgeable. He plays and understands tone and can get a player set up with the amp most suited to a given style.
Overall Rating
:
8
I love these clones of classic old amps. You get all the tone and some useful updates (ie master volume) for far less money than a vintage piece.
