Holland 3x10 Reverb

Update from my 12/99 review.. See below

I Changed the Tube configuration and was able to get this amp to sing. I install the Mullard 12ax7 in the 1st gain statge and I picked up a Tunsgram 12ax7 from KCA Amp and a GE NOS 12ax7 as the Chathode and lowered the Bias to 31ma. This amp now sings!!!!

Same as before but after all the works so far so good

My Holland 40 watt 3x10 Bassman with seperate reverb amp and 1x10 speaker looks like a gorgeous Bassman, but it has a lot more guts and the reverb is to die for. Mike did a great job on that-don't know why some else hadn't thought of it sooner. It is extremely versitile enough for all the styles I play, though it is a handful. It is the usual Fender style "two channel" amp-shared eq, 4input, two channel volumes, no master. Nice and simple-the way it should be. A tremelo would be nice, but it's not something I use a lot and I already have two amps with killer tremelos. Since I usually use at least two amps at my own gigs, that's not a problem. Have used this amp in clubs, in concert and for recording-it has done a great job in all situations. It could have used a little more power on a couple of occasions when I sat in with guys that played way too loud, but it hung in with 60 watt amps and 100 watters on 1/2 power, it just didn't have any headroom left. That's why Mike is completing a 50watt non-reverb for me as I type this. The 40watter is supposed to be the best combination of sweetness and strength, the 50 watter is supposed to be the bad boy-just what I need for those dudes!

My playing style ranges from blues & older style rock to acoustic fingerstyle to country rock to ballads, etc, though I tend to play the first two the most-the Holland works well for all of them, even the "cigarette & Scotch" jazz I do a little of. It is fairly quiet, even at loud levels. It does Fender warm clean to Bassman on steroids meets Bluesbreker. If you really want the Bluesbreaker(minus tremelo) just hook it up to a 2x12 with Greenbacks. The amp cleans up well at all volumes with the guitar's volume pot. I love to crank this amp up-but seldom get to, since I normally play small clubs-it loves to be pushed and just keeps getting better as the volume goes up-it inspires you to really let it hang out. My guitars include a 1981 Fender "The Strat", a 1983 2knob American Stratocaster with Lindy Fralins, a 1992 G&L ASAT Classic with Duncans(stock), a 1988 G&L SuperHawk (handmade by Dale Hyatt with specially designed humbuckin pickups),a mid-'70's Hagstrom "Swede" with a Duncan "Seth Lover" in the neck position, a 1991 Yamaha AES 1500 with Duncan Antiquity P-90's, and a 1982 Gibson ES-335 Dot reissue(blond)-they all sound great through the Holland.

No problems with the amp itself.

N/A

Am one the pickiest buyers around, have played just about everything at one time or another-the Holland is the most satisfying Bassman I've ever played. I am using Tung Sol 5881's (the Holy Grail) but usually have Philips JAN 6L6WGB's in(very close). Mike now ships the amps with the 6L6WGB's(guess my raving paid off).