Holland Westside 35 210 Combo

The layout is simple..........Normal/Bright....each has two inputs.
If you experiment with these inputs it will provide you with different
levels of gain.My amp was ordered with the blue tolex and wheat grill cloth.Reverb is wired into my amp...it was optional..............

I use an assortment of mics from old green bullets to astatic...As you switch inputs and play with the eq the results are nice!The amp's natural breakup is to my liking.

The amp is new....one slight problem with presence knob resolved itself.

CUSTOMER SUPPORT THE WORST...........
WHEN YOU REACH SOMEONE THEY ARE NICE FOLKS..BUT THEY PROVED TO ME
THAT THIER COMPANY CANNOT DELIVER ON TIME OR IN FULL.BUYER BEWARE!
I PLACED MY ORDER IN NOVEMBER OF 2002..........................
MY AMP COVER WAS NEVER SENT......................................
MY REPLACEMENT CABNET WAS NEVER SENT.............................
I WAS LUCKY TO RECIEVE MY AMP AT ALL...READ MY PREVIOUS REVIEW....
I WOULD BE SUPRISED TO HEAR THE COMPANY IS STILL TAKING ORDERS.....
BUYER BEWARE!DON'T TIE YOUR HARD EARNED CASH WITH THIS COMPANY.....
THE AMP DOES SOUND GOOD BUT IT IS OVERPRICED BY ABOUT $500.00
THE CABNET TOLEX JOB AND ABSENCE OF THE AMP COVER PUT MY SATISFACTION
FACTOR AT ''0''
IF THEY SHOW UP AT NAMM FIND ANOTHER DEALER TO PLACE YOUR ORDER WITH

The amp is very nice sounding.
I'f I had to do this over again I would avoid ''LASAR''
When you lay down your cash you expect the best.......beware!

After experimenting with many different quitar amps for playing harp, I decided to buy a custom amp made for harmonica. I choose the Holland mainly because of the price and review information available. (Try finding reviews on a Harp King!)I have owned this amp now for about 10 months and I am now ready to do my review. I should say that I have been playing harp on and off for 30 years and within the past 5 years have got more serious and currently play in a garage band and frequent the local jam sessions. Amp has two channels with two gain stages and volumes for each. Bass, mid, treble,presence. Typical bassman setup which all upper end amps of this type seem to have. This unit has the optional tube reverb. Reverb can be ordered and added on later if desired but it is more expensive. You can get all the techno stuff at hollandamps.com. One comment about the controls, (which is more related to sound)when you move any of the control knobs even the slightest amount, it makes a noticable difference in the sound. One number either way on any control knob and the sound changes. Incredible!!

First of all sound is very subjective. What sounds good to one ear may not sound good to another. If you are looking to sound like a specific person then maybe you should buy the amp they play through. If you want Rod Piazza then buy a Harp king, if you want Sam Myers then get a vintage Bassman, if you want Jerry Portnoy then get a Victoria etc. etc. If you want to develope your own sound then I think this amp is a good place to start for the money. When I ordered this amp I did have one expectation, no more feed back. Well, not so. Took it out of the box, plugged it in, plugged in my JT-30, turned it up to about 4 and yeeeeow....feed back. Feed back from cupping the mic to be exact. (there are different kinds of feed back) So out I set to get some volume from this amp without the feed back. I even called and spoke with Andy Linderman himself and he was very nice and offered some great advice. Long story short. Reduced presence to 6, reduce bass and treble to 2 and mid at 8. I was now playing comfortably at volume 4. Playing through the reverb reduces the feed back considerably. I was now playing comfortably at volume 6 with just a touch of reverb. I added a Boss equalizer pedal and after much fiddling discovered that the 800 MgH frequency was the culprit.
I can now turn this up to 11 and finally the band is telling me to turn down. There are so many combinations on the controls and they are so sensitive, it may take someone years to get this dialed in the way they want it. I have it dialed in to a specific point for my liking and this amp sounds awesome!!. Don't expect to take this amp out of the box and have instant sound success. Be patient and work with your sound. (the one thats comming out of you!) After much experimentation you'll find the sound your looking for out of this amp. After 10 months the sound has gotten noticably better as the speakers break in and loosen up. I suspect it will continue to loosen up a bit and sound even creamier! I predict that when Holland is long gone this will be one of the sought after sounds for future generations.

Reliability is tested over the years. I've only had this for 10 months and so far so good. I don't expect any problems as it is built like a Hummer H2. No opinion for this category until I have it a few years.

Well I'm sure you've read the other reports for this category and my experience is not much different. You can take the delivery time they tell you and double it. Keep in mind that Harp Kings delivery time is 6 months! Pay by credit card or check and keep the statement as your receipt. Do not send money orders. For some reason they don't give receipts. Final payment should be made only when you have proof that the amp is finished and ready to ship. They asked me for final payment and I got the amp about two months later. In my opinion their business practice has to change for them to stay afloat. I actually had a sinking feeling at one point that they were about to go belly up. They were in the midst of changing cabinet makers when I bought this amp and that had alot to do with my delay. I'm glad they followed through with everything because this is one awesome amp.

I think I've gone on enough about this amp. It is an awesome amp for harp and a great place to start building your own sound.

I ODERED THIS AMP AS A GIFT TO MYSELF FOR SURVIVING A BOUT WITH CANCER.I WAS LOOKING FOR A STRAIGHT AWAY AMP WITH 2 CHANNELS AND DIFFERENT GAINSTAGES.I LIKE THE BOTH CHANNELS AND THE TONE CONTROLS..BETWEEN THE TWO I NOW HAVE SOME TONAL POSSIBILITIES..
I ORDERED THE BLUE TOLEX/WHEAT GRILL CLOTH...THIS UNIT HAS REVERB TOO

I PLAY CHICAGO TYPE BLUES....I USE GREEN BULLETS TO GIVE ME A MORE FULL SOUND..AND ASTATICS TO HAVE SOMETHING DIFFERENT..THE AMP HAS ALLOWED BOTH THESE MICS TO SOUND NICE THROUGH EITHER CHANNEL...SO FAR SO GOOD..I CAN TAYLOR THE EQ TO ALLOW MY EAR THE SATISFACTION OF HAVING A CHANGE OF SOUND WIITH LITTLE EFFORT.
THE AMPS' NATURAL BREAKUP IS TO MY LIKING....I HAVE HOPE THIS UNIT WILL BE JUST WHAT THE DR.ORDERED.......

THIS AMPS IS BRAND NEW ...I PREDICT NO PROBLEMS FOR A WHILE......THE AMP IS BUILT QUITE STURDY...THE AC CORD IS HEAVY DUTY..AND QUITE LONG!ALL THE TUBES ARE SECURED WITH RETAINERS......
I STILL HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE ''PRESENCE''KNOB IT HAS A SOUND WHEN IT IS TURNED!

I'LL START BY STATING THAT EVERYONE I'VE HAD CONTACT WITH HAS BEEN NICE.....
HERE'S MY BEEF![ABOUT HALF A SIDE AT THE MOMENT].................
IT TOOK ABOUT 120 DAYS TO FILL THE ORDER....it appears thier company needs a better machanism to resolve thier problems
THE TOLEX JOB IS NOT TO SNUFF...90 degrees and 45 degrees on the same unit will not suffice....
THE CABNET HAD DEBRIS ON IT WHEN IT WAS TOLEXED CREATING A SERIES OF LUMPS ON THE CABNET.....''I'M STILL WATING FOR A REPLACEMENT FOR THE CABNET..
I'M STILL WATING FOR MY AMP COVER!
I'M STILL WAITING FOR A PRINTED BILL OF SALE!...............
MY JOURNEY WITH THIS COMPANY BEGAN INTHE FIRST WEEK OF NOVEMBER 2002..TODAY IS MAY 15 2003.....
IF YOU HAVE THE MONEY! TIME TO WAIT! AND TIME TO PERHAPS RETURN YOUR AMP. THIS IS THE AMP FOR YOU.
MY GRIPES COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED 2 WAYS!
A]..BETTER QUALITY CONTROL AT THE CABNET MAKERS END...AND THE FINAL INSPECTON ..[I'M AVAILABLE FOR THIS POSITION FOR ONLY $50,000 A YEAR]
B] AMP COVERS SHOULD BE IN STOCK AT ALL TIMES FOR THHE BASIC AMP SPECS
C] BILL OF SALE SHOULD BE ISSUED UPON DELIVERY[it works at the supermarket]
CUSTOMER SUPPORT IS GREAT IF THE CUSTOMER DOES THE SUPPORTING[I'M AVAILABLE FOR THIS POSITION FOR ONLY $65,000 A YEAR]

I BELIEVE MY MINOR PROBLEMS WILL SOMEDAY BE RESOLVED...TILL THEN ..I'M WAAAAAIITNG!.........OH WAAAAAITING! I'M INSPIRED TO WRITE A NEW BLUES SONG! ''I'M WAITNG''
MY HEALTH HAS STABILIZED I TRUST I'LL STILL BE HERE TO SEE THE COMPLETION OF THIS TRANSACTION

I'VE BEEN PLAYING SINCE 1969...I HAVE A EARLY SILVERFACED PRINCETON REVERB....MAGNATONE ''TROUBADOR''AND A NEWCOMB..E-10.......
THE HOLLAND'S SOUND IS GREAT..TO START ALL OVER..I WOULD HAVE THEM HAND DELIVER IT ..INSPECT IT ON THE SPOT BEFORE I TOOK POSSESION OF IT.
I'M I UNREASONABLE ...SOMEONE PLEASE ME? $1500.00 is not chump change
...but it is custom made......the problem is at the HUMAN level....
OLD WORLD CRAFTSMANSHIP IS A DYING ART.
THIS AMP IS COOL...MAKE SURE YOU HAVE SOME THING ELSE TO GET YOU THROUGH THE WINTER AND SUMMER...OTHERWISE BUY SOMETHING ELSE..AND SUBMITT YOUR OWN DETAILED REVIEW

I bought this amp last spring, to play blues harp in a 7 piece rock band. The two channels: normal and bright, both sound great for blues harp. I play 75% in the normal channel which has great guts, bass and the thickness I like in my sound. This is a very solid, simple tube amp. It has very few features: just separate bass and treble for each of the two channels, and presence. Tone can be shaped well within these limitations. Features can be added, and they will custom build if you wish. Some things that might be wished for: Reverb, Channel Switching, a line out for recording. I don't use effects for harp, so I need no effects loop. I haven't owned other classic blues harp amps, but compared to other amps I've used, the Westside cuts through better, has a better darker tone, and doesn't feed back nearly as much. On the down side, it doesn't sound good for guitar (too dark and bassy), so I have to carry a guitar amp as well.

I play chicago and delta style blues, and it sounds great for these. I use a Green Bullet mike, and an old EV 676, and they sound fine. It is quiet, and sounds good at low volume, but really shines when opened up. I opted for a 2 x 10 since I play smaller barrooms and dance halls, and for lighter weight. This amp goes from a low frequency blues growl to a more cutting higher range in the bright channel. It distorts nicely, that is, not too much for some range or some cleaner sounds if you want them. You can dig in and howl if you want though. I find the bright channel a bit too bright for my taste at times, that's why I usually use the normal channel.

The Westside hasn't needed any service while I've had it. I have used it without a backup on occasion. I've only had it for a year, but it really seems solid.

The people at Holland Amplifiers answered my questions, knew their amps well, and took time to return calls and email. They customized the tolex and grill cloth beautifully, to my specifications. I was frustrated at having to wait 90 days, when I'd been told 30 - 45 days. I think they had overextended themselves, and the focus is clearly on quality amp design and construction, not so much on sales or speed. If anything ever goes wrong with the amp, they will fix it.

I've been playing blues harp and guitar for 20 years, mostly as an occasional garage and party band player. I miss the versatility of being able to play both harp and guitar through the same amp, like I used to with my old Gretsch bass amp. I also consided buying a Victoria 2 x 10, but I'm really happy with the Holland. I love the fat sound of the Westside, and it inspires me to play more and play better. I also love the craftsmanship, and how Mike Holland designed this thing from the ground up; it isn't just a copy of the 50's bassman. Things I dislike include the expense, and the way it has of making my other stuff sound pale in comparison. I want one of their guitar amps next.

Amp is set up essentially how a Harp amp should be. Has the same settings and inputs as a Bassman...Holland does offer Tube Reverb for this model as well but mine does not include it.

---blah---on par with a RI Bassman even being point to point. I felt that the Bassman RI with tube swaps was a more toneful amp. Legend eminence lack the ability to break up at natural environments IMO. Once pushed they do break up nicely. Perhaps they need more break in time but I've heard better speakers out of the box.

Very well made cabinet and chassis. Very nice cosmetically and very portable with plenty of power. I wouldnt expect any problems with this amp but any electronic is a risk.

.....poor to horrid.....they give you a solid estimate of 30-45 days.....took over 90....called once every couple of weeks and told it should ship next week but there was a hold up every time regarding the cabinet. If I had been told 90+ days from the start I would have thought twice before buying the amp and they know that so I have to give the Customer Support a (0)

Bottom line is that this amp isnt even a speck of S#$*T on the Sonny Jr Custom Amplifiers. I've owned both the SJ1 and the SJ2 and this amp shows no signs of competency in regards to creating a "Harp Amp" This would be a killer guitar amp as is....I have no doubt there guitar amps are probably killer as my guitar player digs this amp. But Harp Amp it is not.

The Holland Westside 35 is a great amp! It is a 2x10 combo that has 2 channels,normal & bright & 2 inputs for each of them & all 4 inputs will fit your sound ANYWHERE you play.It also has separate volume controls for esch channel & also features bass, mid & treble controls & presence.All the controls sit in back off the top of the amp with a cool looking purple power light to keep you happy !
It weighs less than 50 lbs & barks when you want it to & will stay clean all night if that's what you want.Plus this amp is covered in a phython tolex w/an oxblood grillecloth!!!!! Too cool for words !

I have had the opportunity to play different venues(bars & lodges)including biker bars that are just a concrete bunker & all wood lodges & bars that have low ceilings w/wood beams & just about any other watering holes & this amp can give me the sound I need, ALL the time. Just by dialing in to one of the 4 inputs & a slight adjustment on the controls..it can fill rooms big & small & with different mics
it gives me the versatility I want.I have had this amp about 6 months
and the more I play thru it the more things I find to like. It IS ALSO extremely powerful ( 35 watts ) fo ran amp this size & VERY quiet..absolutely NO feedback..EVER..I use a modified JT 30, an EV638 & a Slap-O-Matic mic & the sounds are just great with ALL of them !

The Westside 35 is a VERY well built amp.All handmade..all tubes.
I have yet to have any problems & do not expect any.

Outside of the usual phone/e-mail tag, the customer support is what you would expect..first rate!
I have also recently had the guys @ Holland build me an excellent cover for this amp ..the gtr. players in the band are jealous!
The amp also carries a LIFETIME WARRANTY..no problems,just solutions !

I wont be looking for another amp anytime soon!!!! I have had a few others & have played thru VINTAGE & other " custom & boutique" amps
the westside 35 is by far the best amp I have Ever played thru..
I would highly recommend this amp to any harp players lookin to upgrade their rig..worth every penny!