Hughes & Kettner Edition Tube 20th Anniversary 112 Combo

Stated below - 2 channel shared eq amp with reverb. 20 watts.

The sound on this amp is truly superb. There is such a wide range from warm cleans to OD cleans to mild crunch to smooth gain to high gain to insane gain. Very impressive. Pick one up if you ever get the chance.

No problems, had it about a year and still going on stock tubes. I think these are pretty good.

These are a fantastic value. The sound is what its all about. The EQ is very responsive and the reverb is very good [though not quite like Fender's best]
The gain channel can get VERY VERY VERY loud for 20 watts. I personally think its running more power than that and they just called it 20 because that was their anniversary. Clean channel seems to be about 20 watts, gian channel sounds like 30 to me. [yes i know this is just perception, but it gets nice and loud] Use an extension speaker to maximize what this thing can do at higher volumes. I have mine plugged into a single Celestion 12H 70th anniversary which runs in conjunction with the stock speaker. Now its clarity and volume.

Straighforward and thats what i was looking for. Reverb NOT footswitchable, channels are. Does NOT come with footswitch.

Price range was the single largest contributing factor to my purchase of this amp. i found it for $650 with a free cord and fender pedal tuner which i sold on ebay, bringing it down to almost $600. the closed back design really makes this amp heavy on the bass (i play a semi hollow samich with two humbuckers). often, if i have the amp on the floor, the coupling increases bass even more and i keep the bass knob almost, if not all the way down. on an amp stand, the bass in decreased signifigantly and i can turn the bass pot up to 3 or so. it is also plenty loud, played many mic'd gigs with it, usually have it right around 6 or so on volume. reverb sounds nice, usually have it about 10 o clock, its not quite a fender reverb but....the OD channel sounds pretty nice as well although i use primarily pedals for leads and crunch. can get pretty saturated on the OD channel.

ive never (knock on wood) had a problem gigging with it that i can recall. my first set of tubes (2 12AX7 and 2 EL84's) lasted me gigging and practicing about 2 years. just recently replaced.

i think this amp is a good option for the under $900 tube amps, you really arent left with much competition..fender blues jr, fender deluxe reverb (getting pricey), umm..and a few others
i havent owned any other really nice amps, ive played out of a deluxe reverb a few times and they sound great, so i dont have a super discerning ear, not used to a Mesa quality sound but i think this amp sounds great for the money..

2 channel 20 watt tube amp (all tube?) with reverb. Closed back and VERY LOUD! The effects loop is actually very transparent, as I only run my DD-6 delay in loop and it's dead quiet when it's on and off. Takes pedals very well. Interesting construction on how they put this amp together, and I mean that in a good way. It's cosmetically a good looking amp and very well put together, as far as i can tell.

Wish it came with the footswitch. :(

Great sounds coming from both channels of this amp. The shared EQ doesn't bother me too much, as I pretty much use the same or similar EQ settings anyway. This amp is very loud! The volumes on the channels are mismatched, so if you don't want a huge volume jump/drop, you'll have to set the channels accordingly. The closed back on this amp gives a huge low end oomph!!!! Be careful on how you set your bass!!

Clean channel is very nice. Definitely a Fender-meets-Vox-meets-Marshall type clean. It definitely has it's own voice, very bright and clear. Very clean, and from my experience, it only breaks up past the 2 o'clock setting. Takes pedals well. I use a Bad Monkey to help me get a little SRV/Thomas Blug type grit.

Gain channel is is great! Very beefy, full bodied Marshallesque sounding channel. Kind of between a plexi and JCM800 sound (depending on your EQ settings). This can also do scooped metal pretty well. I do not use it for that, but it could pull it off. The amount of gain on this channel is INSANE! I normally don't set it above noon, personally. This can pull off 70's-80's-90's rock and then some! Heavy and slow blues also sound great with this amp!!!

Depending on what kind of pickups you're using, setting the EQ at noon is a great starting point! The EQ knobs are not how you would traditionally think EQ knobs to be configured. Not at all hard to find your sound, but it takes a little time to get to know the EQ. My personal EQ settings are: treble at noon, mids around noon to 2 and bass from 9 to noon (again, depending on pickups)

I've heard positives and negatives on this. I really can only say what I know about the reliability factor. The fact of the matter is, tube amps are prone to a number of potential problems. Something as simple as a bad preamp tube can give you a bad taste for an amp, not a true taste for what an amp can do.

No heat or rattling problems with mine. Works great!

I've had a different experience with H&K customer service. They have responded to my emails very quickly (within 24-48 hours) of my sending it. They have been most informative in answering my questions and have been most professional and courteous towards me.

Unfortunately, authorized service centers for H&K are few and far in between. 2 year warranty.

Definitely worth my every penny!!! The tone out of this amp is awesome and suits my playing styles to a "T". I would not hesitate to buy another if anything happened to this one. I love everything about this amp! The only bummer is the sparsity of H&K authorized service centers. Also, they could have included the footswitch. Otherwise a great sounding amp!!! And huge sounding for a 1x12 combo, I might add!!!

This amp is most definitely worth checking out!!!

This all tube 20 watter was manufactured in Germany in 2006. It uses 2 EL84 Power tubes & 2 12AX7 Preamp tubes with a closed back cabinet and Eminence Cream Rock Driver speaker to create a somewhat versatile and very powerful 1x12 combo. It has 2 channels with shared EQ, FX loop, and spring reverb. I have a footswitch for the channels but the reverb is not footswitchable unless you can mod it (which I haven't done yet). I have used it to play Rock, Metal, Country both in the studio and for small gigs. It is perfect for studio work and for recording, adequate for small venues, and can be miked for a larger venue with PA. You can play the clean channel around the house but the lead channel is too loud to be a bedroom amp but you can always substitute a pedal for gain. Overall I am satisfied with the sound and the build quality but ideally it would have separate EQ for each channel, a standby, and a line out.

I've found this amp to be almost perfect for what I do which is mostly hard rock and metal and some country although I also use a Peavey Classic 30, a friend's Marshall JCM 900, and a Roland Cube 30 in the studio. At 20 watts it delivers a thundrous and saturated lead channel distortion when cranked that's much more satisfying than a 100 watt half stack on 2. You can blend the master volume (power tubes) and gain (preamp tubes) to get a variety of vintage and modern distortions. While this channel does buzz a bit you won't notice while you're playing. The clean channel is very quiet and pristine at all volumes. It really dynamic so you can control the clean/crunchy breakup with just your pick attack and volume and tone controls. I've used a Strat, Les Paul, and Ibanez dual humbucker and liked the way all of them have sounded through the lead channel but I definitely prefer the Strat with the clean channel. The stock Eminence Cream Rock Driver speaker is very good but audiophiles may see the need to swap tubes to get the sound that they want.

All that being said this is not a blues amp (fine with me!) - it is a hard rock/metal amp with a heavy distortion and a usable clean channel so lighter distortions will require a pedal.

It's too soon to tell if this amp is uber-reliable or not. I had to immediately change out the preamp 12AX7s right after I bought it (which the seller paid for) but ever since I've gigged with it and travelled with it many times with no problems. At any rate, it doesn't require a whole mess of tubes so it's easy to troubleshoot but it's kind of a chore to change tubes because the the back panel of the cab has to be removed before you can remove the amp chassis. All in all it takes 20-30 minutes to change tubes so I would not gig without a backup just in case a tube went down.

I'd also recommend that you turn it off and on in the clean channel at zero volume to prevent tube problems.

I bought it second hand and the preamp tubes were bad from the get go but I didn't know what was wrong with it. The Yorkville people who handle H&K customer support in North America got back to me very quickly by email but told me the amp was bad and to return it to the seller. The seller was much more knowledgeable and helpful than this particular Yorkville rep. I will say that Yorkville rep I called on the phone was very professional. Ideally I could talk to H&K directly.

I love the sound of this amp. In 10+ years of playing this is the best sounding amp I've had. It's a very simple and compact tone monster that I just plug in and play without pedals and still get a variety of rock and metal tones. The low wattage gets full use of the tubes and the enclosed design gives a good low end punch. This is my go to amp for hard rock but I still use a friend's Marshall half stack, my Peavey Classic 30, and my Roland Cube 30 for specific tones that this amp can't generate. I would be devastated if anything happened to this amp but I would definitely get another for this price. A very useful tool for any rocker that's getting sick of lugging speaker cabinets or dissatisfied playing higher wattage amps on 2.

Not necessarily a loaded amp with a ton of options but still get's the job done. Two channels that share an eq, and no standby switch, which drives me crazy. All jacks and nobs seem to be well constructed.

Dual El84's in the power section, 40 watts (however somebody said 20 watts so I may be wrong)... it's loud but in my opinion not loud enough for performance in a loud group. Would be a great recording amp since you can get pretty good tone at low volumes.

I play a very experimental style and the effects loop was a must, however... one of the noisier amps I've played on by the time I lined up all my pedals.

I play both a Fender Strat and Ibanez dual humbucker and the amp sounds great with both, but I definitely prefered the sound of the strat.

However, like many others have complained about already... once you crank the volume you will most likely run into two problems: the cabinet rattles (bad!) and a weird resonance I believe when you play an A, causes the tubes to rattle and distorts the sound horribly. This is only when you crank the volume, so if you only want it for a bedroom amp, this might not matter.

The clean tone is uber warm and not to bright at all, which is exactly what I wanted. And the Dirty tone I believe is the real gem of this amp. The amp has a very deceiving look for how high and broad the gain can really get. Once again, could easily be used in the recording studio for a metal band!

If it weren't for the rattle and tube rattling problem, I would have given sound quality a 10.

By far the downfall of this amp based on the problems described above. I would never bring it to a gig, it belongs in the bedroom and maybe in the recording studio.

Not so good... I mean they did take the amp back for repairs... took about two months... got it back... and the problem was worse.

In Summary, the amp is nice for a practice amp in the bedroom... it's light which is always a plus and small enough to be very convenient. It sounds fantastic at low volumes, but has very little application quality to it. It's basically great for impressing yourself and maybe your friends at your house... but worthless otherwise.

features? i would call it "straight forward" not to much knobs and no way of getting lost in a "setting quest" like i usually do with my mesa roadking. i never use the reverb because i hate all kinds of reverb delay, aso.

i own a bunch of cheaper guitars, like yamaha pac 112; epiphone les paul junior; jackson randy rhoads rx10d, but i also own a prs sc 250 and an old ibanez custom shop rg. i mostly play all kinds of rock-like-music due to my work as a guitar teacher. in my band we focus on metal and fast punkrock, such as metallica, the offspring, black label society. when i first bought the amp (the last one available in germany) i was very impressed by how loud this little thing could get, but i also was disappointed by the lead channel, the amp was making loud high frequency hiss on highgain settings, and sounded a little plastic to my ears, so i decided to get rid of it again. a little later however, the hissing, transistor-like sound faded and turned into typical 12ax7 preamp searing, which sounded even better and more "alive" than my mesa. i guess it was the speaker in combination with the power-amp, it always takes a little time to get an impression of how an amp really sounds. if you crank up the volume to about 5, the el 84 distortion makes this thing a real sound wonder, the mesa sounds different, but NOT BETTER.
the clean channel is f***ing awesome. very nice sounding and with a slight creamy compression above 5 which turns into ac/dc at 10. i never played an amp sounding this good at clean.
the amp is predestined for bluesrock; with the gain on 3 and the volume on five and some good singlecoils on your guitar you will get better results than an ac 30 would possibly deliver.
however for some kinds of metal you may need a booster pedal to get it really fat and chunky, though i don't use pedals with this amp as i like the sound of the amp so much. the gain and chunk is enough for the heavy riffing i do.
the guy who said that he didn't get real clean sounds out of this thing, didn't mention that it is an amp which is specially constructed to deliver power-tube compression on relatively low volume levels. especially when the tubes get older; el 84 aren't famous for their long lifetime ;)

well i had some temperature problems; class a el 84 amps are getting really hot, so the temperature fuse deactivated the power tubes. wait 5 minutes, then try again. i NEVER would use this amp without backup for that reason. sometimes it makes crack and popp noises, but that's nothing other tube amps don't do.
my amp doesn't have the rattling problem, maybe they finally fixed it;)

i know the hughes and kettner distributor for germany personally. ??f this thing would die, i would grab his b***s and squeeze until i have a new one;) i have no warranty for the reason that i am using it for my work and the thing runs 24/7.

i've been playing for 15 years now, been studying guitar and played almost any equipment available, because a friend of mine owns a music-center. the kettner is a really good amp, and a steal. it looks somewhat cheaply assembled on the inside, but as long as it works that good... i just wanted to have a practice amp, but because of it's qualities in sound and volume and its weight in comparison to the roadking i'm getting used to use it as my gigging amp. i also tried the mesa express but i wasn't to impressed about it, so i ordered the kettner, mostly because it was cheap;)
if the amp was stolen...did i mention the thing with the b***s of my kettner distributor? ;)

I'm adding some personal opinions just on this section as the other have already been thoroughly expanded and well written in other reviews.
First: I'm a jazz player that play also swing and blues. I'm not mad for 100% super clean tones kind of Roland Jazz Chorus 120 (although I would always play gladly with that amp), I like more a basic clean tone with a bit of edge when you pick hard, like it was when the first jazz guitarists used to play with low wattage tube amps... think Oscar Moore, Barney Kessel, Kenny Burrell, Grant Green... you know what I mean.
Until now I've been happily playing with an old transistor Yamaha G-212, very loud and totally clean. The problem is the weight, more than 45 kg, and also the size, like a Fender Twin. So, I'm (still) looking for something suitable smaller and lighter.
Lately I borrowed from a friend of mine, a fine blues player, this little Hughes & Kettner amp for a couple of blues/swing gigs.
First of all: if you play jazz and around, forget about it. I won't speak on the dirt channel: it's very distorted and rockish, kind of tones that I don't use at all. The clean channel has a beautiful creamy tone, fairly sensitive to picking style, warm and pleasant BUT distorted. Even with the volume under 4 the tone is crunchy and dirt. There is no way to get a TRUE clean tone, suitable for jazz and funky rhythms. In my opinion, the dirty sounds in general are the easier to get: there are so many distorion/overdrive/fuzz/boost/crunch etc pedals on the market that anyone can find his favourite tone.
The problem are clean tones! Very few amps can really sound CLEAN, detailed and warm. And surely this H&K amp is not one of them. A fine amp, lot of beautiful tones BUT NO CLEAN TONES.
I hope this review wull be useful for jazzers at least.
Greeting from MARCO VIENNA www.myspace.com/marcovienna
www.myspace.com/bluesgravity

The amp was made in 2006 as a 20th anniversary model, but has been sold since. The amp is made in Germany - nice change of pace from the PRC.

The amp does a really nice clean to classic rock/metal overdrive, so for me it's plenty versatile.

the amp has clean and dirty channel that share 3 band EQ. The reverb works across both channels.

It has an effects loop, and a pedal input to switch between channels. There is only a single instrument input.

All input jacks are metal, which is nice.

The amp has dual EL84s in the power section and dual !@AX7s i the preamp. The reverb is SS.

The only other feature it really needs is a standby button since the amp takes a long time to warm up from cold.

At a rated 20W, the amp is plenty loud, espcially on the dirty channel - it's WAY loud.

I love the sound of this amp using my ES-175 for lower volume cleans or my ES335 for louder overdrive volume.

I'm only a bedroomplayer anymore, but I sure would have loved to have had this amp when I was using a Gibosn GA15RV or Fender DRRI gigging out in bars a few years back. This amp would have worked much better for me and would have let me get away with not using pedals for overdrive.

The amp is virtually free of background sounds when idle.

The amp is really excellent for pop rock, classic rock, and southern rock. The amp is very good for jazz.

The distortion can be very brutal when cranked, but I dial back the gain knob to get clearer tone.

I have never owned a H&K product so I have no idea how well this thing is built. I have yet to take off the back panel to check the innards, but will get around to that son enough.

It's got a warranty, but I can't remember what the terms are. No repairs so far and I've neverdealt with H&K.

I've been playing over 10 years and own a Fendr Jazz King amp, ES175, ES335, a few pedals. I have owned lots of Fender SF vintage amps fro Champs, to Princetons and Princetone Reverbs, DR, Pro Reverb, Super Reverb, older and newer Gibson amps, and so on.

I could ahve gotten a Fender Blues Junior, but it didn't appeal to me tone-wide as much as the H&K.

I believe this is an original "TUBE EDITION".. a funny thing happened on the way to pay for some knew strings, I saw this amp on consignment, was always curious about thgis manufactorer so I grabbed the cheapest guitar in sight (a Hagstrom), the next thing I know I'm at the counter with the strings the amp and the Hagstrom. Early electric finger style blues is what I do. Has effects loop but I don't need anymore then the amp has.

pups I use with this amp.. 57 gibson paf's, burns sonic mostly. The Hagstrom is tapped so I am very surprised at the not too fat not to thin sound of the single coil sound. I believe this amp will satisfy most styles but how would i know? Clean channel is very touch sensative, the drive channel I back off the guitar volume, can be a bit much but backing down the guitar volume gives me what the clean channel gives at high volume but at a lower volume (dah).. In forty years I've had many amps and I suppose I gushed over all of em, but this amp I been playin' through it more then gushin' about it. I have taken the back off, with it on it is true the bass is louder but to my ears the dynamics of the bass don't match the mids and highs so I have a Celestion Greenback plugged into the handy dandy X output and the 2 together give an even sound low frq to high.

reliablility I hope is not a problem since I have been told some parts are hards to get but if I have to I will call Mickey Mouse

not a clue

For my style, my guitars both hollow and solid bodys have received a renewed life. Maybe it is because I have been sorta stuck in the Fender mode mostly with a few exceptions along the way.. I pulled the guts out and was surprised to find only 2 12AX7's.. and of course the EL 34's. I like simple, I do dig my Fender Champs but this amp has the ear freindlyness of the Champs but with gusto, volume and better then fair reverb (4 springs), tone controlls that seem to work with there alotted frequency design with a small overlap. Fine amp, put together nicely and electronics look well thought out. If lightly pushed (depending on the guitar, think early vox tube amps, push channel 2 and maybe a touch of Marshall, tamed down but still sounds like a Marshal especially with the 57 gibson pat pen. pups. I know so little about these amps that I took a trip to ebay and at least find out what they are selling for and surprised there weren't many listed which is a good sign. I just thought of something, maybe a tube rectifier would have been good but I have a feeling as i move up the line of this company there will be a tube rectifier and also a tube reverb, but for $400 I am not complaining, a pre-driven amp that appears new for this manufactorer and evedently vintage at that, maybe the smirk will go awy in a few days..

made in 2006 this is the best practice amp I've ever had. There are 2 channels with reverb, effects loop, speaker out, etc. 2 el-84's 2 12ax7's and 20 watts. If this amp had more power and a second master on the lead channel, I would use it exclusivly but as is, although it has a speaker out, you cannot bypass the onboard speaker and run all 20 watts of power to your 412 cabinet, which sucks IMHO. It is great for my "behind the counter at work practice amp", though. It sounds great and has lots of power, even to jam with another guitarist. I don't know about a heavy metal drummer though.

The clean is superb with only a hint of breakup at high volumes. The distortion is sweet. I crank it all the way up and with the use of my guitars volume knob, get sweet blues to shred metal to thick riffing. I don't care what anyone says, this amp DOES METAL! It does have a rattle at higher volumes, when the bass pushes but whatever, it's an easy fix but it's just a practice amp for me. It sounds beautiful! Other than that, it's as quiet as a mouse!!

when I first got it it had a strange flubbery sound, somethimes. It sounded tube oriented, so I took it in and $240 later it is perfect and hasn't had a problem since. Luckily the guy I got it from, on ebay, paid for the repair so I got the amp shipped for $490! I was stoked. Other than that, the amp sits on all day long for 8-14 hours a day and hasn't had even a hiccup. SWEET!!

I dunno....

I've been playing for almost 16 years and have played a ton of amps. This, honestly has one of the best distortions I've played. If it were stolen, I'd cry then get another one, if I could find a good deal! It shreds hard!

Everything is said in the reviews before. BUT the thing about the rattling sound.....I bought the amp second handed a year ago, the amp was at that time a year old. The clean sound floored me in a minute while I tried it. Took the thing home and turned up the volume. Shit, a rattling sound. I did not want to bring it back (if even possible, second hand you know) because of the beautiful sound. Instead I took a screwdriver and took out the back. I saw that the entire amp was in an Iron box which was mounted to the top of the cabinet. I unscrewed the screws on the side and on top of the amp and the whole thing came out in one piece. I covered all the sides which touches the cabinet with foam tape and placed everything back. Total time needed for this operation, half an hour. Never heard a rattle again.

So, if you can operate a screwdriver, this amp still is an staggering opportunity to obtain an amp that sounds like amps that cost at least twice the price. I've had this amp side to side with a Fender The Twin for a few weeks at home, and believe me, the H&K was the one with the warmer sound. Clean, but warm. I think the EL84 and the Eminence speaker are doing a great job together. Together they form a very good match and the clean sound of this amp makes you forget all the other (minor)shortcomings the amp has. (see below)

So, it's a bargain, and it won't let you down. H&K just forget to put in the isolation tape themselves. I don't blame them for that silly mistake, it's stupid, espacially when your German, but, man WHAT AN AMP THEY'VE MADE!!

Like someone else wrote downhere, "the lead channel is on steroids" And indeed it is. For brown chrunchy tones you will need a pedal. I use a H&K tube factor for this in the FX loop. Amazingly I found it to be better sounding through the FX loop than directly into the input plug.

It's not the most quiet amp you'le ever run into though. It makes a soft rumbling sound when not played, not unlike the sound a happy cat produces.

Own the thing for a year now. Drag it all over the place, which is very comfortable thanks to the small weight. Never let me down up to now.

Never tried to contact them.

So, I've bought a tube amp second hand for 350 euro's. For that amount of money, I couldn't have bought a proper solid state amp.
If you're looking for a great clear sound, this is the amp for you.
If you're looking for a crunchy blues machine, you will need a pedal.
If you're looking for a good overdrive sound, you've found it
If you're afraid off screwdrivers, find someone who isn't. Because the rattle problem is something that is easy to overcome. It's a stupid problem, but don't let it scare you away from this beatiful amp. Everything that comes clos to this cost at least twice the price.

Just writing to add that the amp only pops when turning off if you have it on the "Boost" channel. If you want to avoid the "pop" put it in the clean channel before turning off.

Also, I've owned two of these amps and they didn't have that "tube rattle" that the last guy mentioned (and I play pretty loud). These are great versatile amps. Especially nice if you like that Marshall through a 4/12cab sound.

on a different note, I saved money on my footswitch by buying a new vintage style one off fleabay for about $10

Very good features on this 2007 model, no problems here.

It has a beautifull clean, i have had several fenders, but this amp just has more depth and sounds really warm, don't use it for overdrive on channel 2 because that's too much.
Give it a 10 for the clean.

Here's the problem.
This amp has a construction flaw, when cranked up on clean, the a string causes a resonance inside the amp wich makes the tubes rattle, and that fuckes up your sound rendering this amp useless.
SO DON'T BUY THIS AMP, IT HAS A CONSTRUCTION FLAW, AND NOT JUST ONE, BUT ALSO THE 3 I TRIED IN THE STORE!!!! Give it a 1 because it's useless.

Great sound when playing at low volume, but useless beyond 12 o clock. Don't buy it, go for a more expensive model, or just another brand.

This amp was built in 2006 in Germany. It has two channels and a 20W power amp. It does not have a standby switch, which is strange for a tube amp. No spectacular controls: Reverb, Hi, Mid, Lo, Gain, Master and Volume, together with a channel switch.

The amp sounds more than a Marshall than a Fender. The back of the amp is closed for the largest part, giving a bassy response.
The reverb is not as good a Fender Blues Deville or Deluxe.
The distortion channel is very Marshall-like, probably due to the tubes that are used in this amp.

If you switch the amp off, it produces a loud bang, regardless the volude setting. The pilot light is built in the powerswitch and sometimes takes a few seconds to come to life.
Once during a rehearsel, the amp died all of a sudden. It appeared to be functioning normally, but there was no sound. Changed guitar, chord etc. but to no avail. Only a very slight hum could be heard. Took the amp to the amp repairman the next day, who could not find anything wrong with it. Would not dare t gig with it without a reliable backup!

N/A

I'have been playing for over thirty years. My reason for buying this amp was the fact that is not as loud as a Fender Blues Deluxe.

Don't own the thing, only played it one hour with a seven strings squier guitar at loud spl.
Less bass in the drive than in the clean channel, less reverb also, which is exactly what we need. Well done.
Effective eq but not bad sounding, good reverb, footswitch for clean/drive, fx loop, don't see what is missing here.
Light small loud warm punchy amazing combo if you ask me.

Waow. Warm on the clean, way hot on the drive. I think bluesy sound is only good on the clean channel at max, since the drive channel is on steroids. But at max it hurts your ears, I mean it's loud!
The higain is one of the best I've heard in 15years, ballsy punchy but warm and articulated too. It's simple, once you play it you can't stop.
The clean is Fender-like, but better, softer, EL84 oblige.
Didn't check loop or pedals or line out.
I own the tube factor pedal which sounds very alike, at max gain on channel 2. The amp goes way further on the gain than the pedal.

Tube access seems complicated. No standby but a delayed relay instead so it shouldn't cause any trouble at all.
Germans usually make it undestroyable, especially with simple designs so I trust them on this.

I only didn't buy it because of lack of money at the time. I compared it to Fender hot rods, Marshall tsl, Bassman and Deluxe reverb, and Mesa subway blues.
Only amp at level for the warmth is the mesa. Best match for the clean sound would be the deluxe reverb. The drive channel of the HK has no match, very better than other tested amps.
It may sound nuts, but a mesa triple recto (tube rectifier setting) w/212 cab sounds quite the same as the HK as it comes. Spl apart of course, but the HK is quite loud as is.
In europe it sells for less than a hot rod deluxe, that's ridiculous!

It is what it is. Simple two channel shared EQ and I like it that way. Won't rate this because I like a simple amp so to me it is a 10, but if you like two independent channels with independent EQ's etc., Look somehwere else.

The only way to get everything you want in an amp is to have more than one amp. It has a great clean and I what I would call a crunch channel. The clean has its own sound. Very unique. It compresses early but maintains structure at louder volumes. I would use the terms smokey, smooth, and sustain. The lead channel is great for rock and blues. Once again this channel compresses early. I would use the words creamy, thick, and powerful sounding. Not harsh at all. Not new metal. I was concerned about only 20 watts, but if I need to play louder than this amp's volume, it is a PA situation anyway. Who doesn't play out without a PA? This is 2007 not 1967.

I have owned two other H&K products for 18 Years and they have always worked. Cream Machine and the Red Box. I have seen complaints about the "Plywood" cabinet. Most guitar cabinets are made of some sort of plywood. The cabinet is light which may actually be one of the reasons for the great tone? Seems well-designed to me and the 2 year warranty helps.

Don't Know.

Playing for 20 Years and this is a grat amp for me. Small, light, powerful with great tone. I love it at $600 Paid New. At the new price of $750, I might look at some other choices. I would buy it again at the same price. I tried the following amps when making my decision: Crate Palomino, Peavey Classic 30, Fender Blues Deluxe, Mesa Boogie F-30. Crate Palomino is awesome sounding, but it is a crate...sorry. Peavey Classic 30 was next best in my opinion. I was not impressed at all with the Fender or Mesa Boogie. Overpriced crud.

I have been looking for the right amp for some time and reading loads of articles about loads of different amps on the internet just got me totally confused. I decided to go to my local music shop and listen to a variety of amps so that i could decide with my ears rather than assume what might be a good amp. I had no intention of buying a Hughes and Kettner amp. Infact i had a little list of my own which included a fender hot rod deluxe, peavey classic 30, a couple of vox amps and a couple of marshalls too. I tried them all - the Hughes and Kettner took the p*ss! It was totally outclassing all of the other amps (and i wasn't even going to listen to it!). It was only because the guy working in the shop was an amp specialist and he recommended it. Thank god he did! i bought the amp and took it home the same day. There is no point talking about the features, its already been said. I am using a boss me50 as my fx pedal, and my guitars are a fender tele and a Yamaha SG2000. It sounds imaculate!

Again its all been said before. But from very clean to a beautiful strong, warm crunch its brilliant. The sound puts a shiver down the spine. A quality, Class A valve amp like this one can only do this!

No problems as yet. Sound as a pound.

1 year warranty.

Been playing for about 24 years. Ive earned a load of amps and guitars and i've been foolish not to have bought a H & K years ago. This amp really has made my SG2000 (a wicked guitar, why they are not more popular God only knows) sound like a dream.

Discussed below; nothing has changed. This is a very simple amp and as such, receives no congratulatory rating for bells and whistles. If a host of knobs is to your liking, my rating might turn you off. If tone is more important than the number of knobs, please see sound quality and after all, isn't THAT why we purchase an amp in the first place....by how great it sounds, not from 10 "average" tones it might be able to instantly throw at you?

The clean channel sparkles. It is among the finest I have heard from ANY tube amp combo in years ('been playing since '79). This channel shines in any genre of music that requires purity of signal and limited amounts of gain. The tone controls are very responsive so you can dial up everything from quack to syrupy Clapton woman tones here. The highlight of the clean channel however, is how incredibly receptive it is to pedals. With a quality gain pedal, this channel becomes it's own beast and a perfect compliment to the lead channel of the Edition Tube. A sure sign of a quality amp is how well it takes to your pedals. This Edition combo has been designed to encourage such use, especially if you're using a tube pedal such as H&K's Tube Factor or perhaps, a Soldano GTO.
The lead channel is, as a stand alone, more than enough for most gain fanatics. The sealed back cab really throws out a massive bottom end for a 1x12 (it will shock you, trust me) and with the gain dimed and the volume at mid point, this amp will rattle the walls with all the gain one would ever need, short of death metal.
As I pointed out with the clean channel, if you want to get that "plays by itself" gain, a little boost from a pedal running through the clean will provide you with gobs of sustain at bedroom volumes. Alone without a pedal, I would rate the gain channel an 8 or 9 at lower volumes but a 10 with the volume punched.

I've owned H&K amps since the early 90's and they have been trouble-free for me.

No reason to contact them over the years but I'll rate this based on their website and how helpful it is.

If ANYTHING describes the Edition Tube, it's "fantastic value." This two-channel amp, while sharing the same EQ, still would definitely qualify as one of the finest all-tube, small-watt (albeit loud as all get out) combos currently available. You can surely pay a LOT more for a 20-watt tube amp but in most cases, you're not getting anything tonally, that much superior. Why pay $2K for an amp that behind a curtain, would no doubt for many, fall in line BEHIND the H&K in an ear test for tone?

20 Watt tube amp, two channels, 112 combo; the specs have been listed before. As Nick Landolina said in his review: ???a pretty basic amp without a lot of bells and whistles???. I was neither looking for a ???digisound space-o-matic??? nor for a pure vintage amp. I bought the H&K ET mainly for its excellent clean sound; second motive was its portability. I purchased this amp with the original foot switch included. I simply convinced the salesman, that he would not be able to sell this amp giving me a no-name switch, which has a short, stiff cable. I mean, it is almost ridiculous for a company to offer a valuable product at a fair price and then tell the customer: ???well, you might need a little extra something ?????? I also agree with other reviewer???s complaints, who miss a foot switch control for the reverb.

Other reviewers have described the potential of mid and high gain settings of the lead channel. I do find such settings musical and useful too ??? I use them only rarely anyway. I play in a big band at fairly low volume. Only soloist???s horns are miked, only at gigs. At rehearsals there are no mikes at all. So I am basically a rhythm section player who fills in a solo spot once in a while, when a good old conventional jazz guitar sound or a jazz-rock / fusion type of sound is required. Mainly I play a Gibson ES 335 with this amp, occasionally a Fender Jeff Beck Strat, which has ???hot noiseless pickups???, ???Samarium-Cobalt??? ??? or whatever these pups might be named correctly.
I wish to comment on two interesting aspects that previous reviewers have discussed also: A) the so-called three channel amp B) the two radically different channels, clean and lead.

A) With my ES 335 I have three applications of the H&K ET.
- Rhythm Sounds on the clean channel from easy listening swing to jazz-rock to funk, depending on varied guitar settings. Yes, this amp could be more cutting on the funky side, but a guitar has a tone poti too.
- Rock flavoured solo sounds on the lead channel at a low gain setting, sounds especially good on the bridges pickup. I might also blend in a little neck pup.
- The quasi third channel: I often use a tube driver pedal (H&K Tube Factor) in front of the clean channel. I tweak the Tube Factor to the point where it boosts the volume a good step, without changing the guitar sound substantially, and adds a very, very smooth overdrive. A great sound for conventional jazz guitar solos as well as for swinging the blues. This sound varies in colour closely responding to your attack.

B) The two radically different channels of the H&K Edition Tube
Frankie B. says in his review on HC, that he got sometimes the impression, the sounds of the two channels came from two different amps. I often feel the same. I have to say, that (according to my ears) the lead channel does not display the contrast between bridge and neck pup half as clear as the clean channel does. I prefer rather bright EQ-settings on the amp suited for the clean channel, which I mostly use ??? bass 9:00, mid 1:00, treble 2:30. When I switch to lead, my ES 335 sounds pretty good on the neck pup, with the tone poti rolled off to 3. I have not found a satisfying neck pup sound to contrast this. The tube driver pedal is a help again. It offers a wider range of gain, well into overdrive, in which the neck pup sings at its best. The bridge pup and the combo also sound fine in these settings. This sound is considerably hotter than the one described above as the so-called third channel. Here I use the tube driver instead of the lead channel. IMO it is a mark of quality in an amp, that it delivers good results, when connected with a pedal in front of it.
The lead channel of the H&K ET seems to work better (less intricately) with a single coil guitar, e.g. my Fender JB-Strat. Of course the phenomenon of the ???two different amps??? does not vanish. SpyderMan (on HC) suggests to use two of these amps on stage, each carefully adjusted for clean or lead sounds respectively. Why not? One can quite often see and hear a reasonable pro operating two similar or identical amps in concert.

I have used this amp for 2 ?? years now, played some 20 gigs with it, travelled maybe 10 times with it. I do not use a backup, because I can rely on this amp. There were no issues with it to date.
On the other hand I have noticed other reviewer???s concerns about the stability of this amp during continuous touring.

I have not had to deal with H&K on support so far. In Germany, where I live, one can easily find an authorized dealer.

This is a fine small tube amp with excellent sounds and a remarkable versatility. I give it a 10 here, although this amp could be better in minor respects. Better at the current price? ??? I see but few rivals of this little H&K cutie within the same budget. Moreover, I can imagine, the ET attracts any player, who is looking for personal character sound wise and is not inclined to subscribe to the big names before trying an alternative.
Before I purchased this amp I compared it to a Laney LC 30 and a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. The former I found not articulate enough for clean rhythm sounds, the latter too loud and too heavy. If my H&K ET were lost or stolen, I would buy one of these again or perhaps take a look at H&K???s new line of basic tube amps called Statesman, which is announced to appear on the market April through October 2007.

It might not be known everywhere, that Hughes & Kettner have an excellent sound engineer: german guitarist Thomas Blug. Thomas is regularly involved in the development of H&K products in terms of sound shaping. Being a brilliant player too, Thomas was awarded the prize ???Europe???s Strat-Player??? in 2004, a competition held by Fender celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Stratocaster. Sorry for this digression!

This amp was manufactured in December of 2005 and I purchased this in February of '07.

The Edition Tube has 2 channels and reverb, 1 x 12, a footswitch jack, FX loop, an external speaker output for another cab, input (guitar), and 20 watts of all tube power. Basic, huh? Well, I didn't think much at first from looking at this beauty, but after I plugged into it and gave it about 30 minutes, I bought it!

The clean is freaking clean! Warm and juicy, like hot glass massaging my notes. I play a wide variety of music from the 50's to current, and this covers them all! The lead channel can go from a slight, bluesy (think SRV and Santana) overdrive to a classic rock crunch (like AC/DC, Mountain, or Zep), to those thick, alt/heavy metal tones (like Korn, Metallica, or hell even Slipknot in the right tuning). In fact, I retired all of my distortion pedals because of the versatility in tone!

I know what you're thinking, 20 watts and 1 x 12, huh? Think again, son! I put this on 4 and the cops come knocking on my door! I gig out with the volume on 2 or so, but I do mike it. I've never had it past 5, and I don't think you'll ever need to, but if one feels froggy for MORE volume, hook a Vox 2 x 12 cab up to it via the ext. speaker jack and make for some mean tones! I did this, and it shook the windows...

Now, the only bitch I have is that it didn't come with a footswitch, so I bought a Vox footswitch for like 35 bucks because 1) they didn't have any H&K switches in stock and 2) the H&K switch was like 65 bucks or so.

See above for tone explanation!!!

I run a small fx chain: rackmount Peavey Deltafex digital processor thru the loop, a Deluxe Electric Mistress, an Ibanez TS-9 Tubescreamer reissue, and a Vox wah. My guitars are a Washburn WG-580 and a Godin Solidac Steel.

I play covers (and originals) from the 50's to current, and the versatility is astounding.

I had my sights set on a Vox AC-130 reissue and the other one that came with effects, or a Fender amp with 4 x 10's of some kind, like a re-issue bassman or something, or even a Hot Rod Deluxe. This amp blows Marshall, Fender, Vox, Orange, etc. out of the freaking water! It compares with the vintage warmth of old to the newer distortion heard, and more for your money!

This amp is made in Germany, so like the cars, I imagine one has to take good care of it and replacement parts probably aren't cheap (I wouldn't know for sure, though). But, thus far it's lasted through countless practices and about 4 gigs.

Don't know...

I would never own another amp, unless it was this amp's big brother (which with head and cab is close to 3 grand...), the Switchblade, and the other one which I forget...

Anyway, I wish it came with a freaking footswitch! Otherwise, I have no other complaints.

I have this amp a few months now,.. waited to write this review till I had enough experience and some time spend with this amp.
paid 599,- euro's. (new) made in 2006.

3-band eq, clean channel: volume, lead channel: volume and gain. Reverb.
this is a pretty versatile amp, all sorts of styles are supported! I play a lot of styles,... from Metal to calm gospel music, it all sounds pretty good.
channel switching manually and via a footswitch, sold seperatly... argh!
there is an effects loop: works great. no headphone out.
It's a pretty basic amp, does what it's suppose to do.
I use it at home and, church an at youth gospel nights. It has too much power, well... the lead channel does. there's a huge volume differece between the 2 channels!!!
It is an all-tube amp, 2 12ax7 TAD and 2 EL84 TAD.
This thing should score a 9, but because of the huge volume difference between the channels I give it a solid 8.

Sound is very good for an amp in this price range. I have compared it too amp around 1000,- euro's and this 600,- euro amp is a good challenge for them! clean is very bright and clear,... lead is brutal and powerfull, very much gain in this amp, but it is quite easy to handle an tune in a great tone. Really sounds sweet!
The clean channel gets distorted at 6 or 7 (0 - 10).
I use it with a Prs Santana SE (2 humbuckers) and it sounds good with it. I play all sorts of music styles and I am pretty happy with this amp!
This amp is not noisy at all.

1 important thing to mention: This amp has a closed cabinet what gives it a good strong sound, but also makes it 'bassy' amp. I play with the bass eq at 3 (0 - 10)

It looks very solid. I opened it and had a look inside, seems very strong. It is build with a strange kind of wood.., but I trust is to last. I use it without a backup, that's for sure.
Time will tell, until then I rate it a strong 8.

never dealt with them.

I've been playing for about 5 years now. This is my 1st tube amp and I love it! use it with a maxon ROD881 and a visual sound H2O... handles both good.

If Lost of stolen, i'd buy an orange tiny terror with orange 12" cabinet. Just because it sounds/looks great and is switchable 15 or 7 watt's power, that would be the perfect amount of power for me.

Love the price and sound. Hate the tremendous amount of power that the lead channel has, it's too loud for my way of using the amp.
Compared it with Engle screamer, Koch studiotone and brunetti maranello... bought this one for it's price and quality.

Features I think have been mentioned, but it's a pretty simple amp.

Footswitchable 2 channel (Lead and Clean) with a shared EQ (treble, middle, bass),
Reverb,
Serial Effects Loop (Send and Return),
A single 8 - 16 ohm extension speaker jack,
20 watts (2 x EL84's for power),
12" Eminence Speaker,
With a sexy vintage look.

It's got all I'll ever need.

My Favorite Part! 20 watts is perfect for me, I needed something for practice at home and loud enough to carry to practice and handle the band levels without being mic'ed. It does both beautifully.

First off, I'm a metalhead, so my experience with the clean channel is very little. I throw a Metal Muff in front of the clean channel and it loves, sounds great. So, the clean channel is clean and begins to break up around the halfway mark depending on where you have your EQ knobs sitting, too.

The Lead channel was the most suprising for me. I wasn't expecting the gain to be as high as it is. It's perfect for my rythym work and I'l hit my OD and Delay pedal for the leads. Done! The lead channel is great, but tubes need to be cranked to get the full effect! Don't forget that part!! When the Lead channel is cranked it hs a great brown sound and does have a mean mid scoppable sound as well, BUT I've found that (in the manual) they've stated that the treble and the mid knobs are somehow linked. So they effect each other (ever so slightly). So IF you're totally into that Pantera mid scoop then it's not the best choice, but it does just fine for me. Nice and Crunchy!

Why the 9 you may ask? Ain't too many amps that give you a perfect 10 in my opinion, but this one is a great contender.

Definitely giggable! It's German made, but 20 watts would have to work hard and be cranked to the MAX! That causes the tubes to start to hiss and hum on the Gain channel, but that's what a tube amp is known for. Mine isn't all that bad, but I reckon if I went inside and tinkered around then moving some wires away from the AC circuits would probably help tremendously.

I also use a Noise Gate that helps, too.

So far, so good.

haven't dealt with them ... let's hope it stays that way!

I give her a 9! That, to me, is awesome! I haven't had it all that long, so we'll see how it holds up, but Hughes & Kettner has always had a great reputation for making a reliable amp. he portablility, reliability, sound and low wattage is/was an important decidng factor in this purchase.

Sounds great with everything I've thrown at it. Haven't had to change tubes yet, but I'll do that in a few weeks just to try and mix things up a lil'. For the price and features and what I needed/wanted ... I made the RIGHT choice! WOO!

I'm a metal head so the features wasn't the reason for buying her. The way I have it setup, it's a 3 channel amp. But the initial review is for the amp not my effects and rig/setup.

The amps is 2 channels (clean and dirty - foot switchable),
3 band Shared EQ (low, mid, treble),
20 watts,
Reverb,
Serial Effects Loop (send/return),
8 - 16 ohm external Speaker cabinet jack,
12" Eminence speaker,
Vintage look with modern day feel.

My favorite part obviously is the sound. Again, I'm a metalhead and needed something to use at venues where they mic my amp so I can get the tubes cranked up and get that great tube tone. Nothing sucks more than playing a venue with your kick ass 2 thousand dollar tube amp's volume set on 2! Sounds like snot and I'm not using a power brake/soak/attenuater! That's like buying a Corvette and never being allowed to get her out of 2nd gear! I'm not having it!

All the venues around here are fairly small clubs and they mic your equipment, so I wanted something I could crank no matter what. 20 watts is perfect for with or without a mic! Depending on the size of the venue.

The Clean channel: Is crystal clear and has a great spank/bite when you crank that channel's EQ and Volume, I don't use the clean all that much and I'm not all that picky ... so, I reckon I won't say too much more thank it works great for me and sounds fabulous! Decent headroom.

The Lead channel: Is very dirty indeed and suprises me to this day about how dirty it can get. Very high gain indeed. I don't need any help from any pedals on my rythym, but I stomp on my 10 band EQ pedal during my solo's and am tickled about that! Plenty of bite and crunch there. The EQ takes getting used to, because the Mid and Treble knobs interact with each other and it's a shared EQ, so read the manual first and get a grip on what that's about, but it's nothing crazy.

The effects loop is great too, I don't use anything more than an EQ and a delay pedal in there, so that's fine for me. I used to use a BBE sonic maximizer ... uh ... found I didn't really need it for this lil' guy though. Nice! The BBE's collectng dust in a closet now (YEESH!)

I use mostly double humbucker equipped guitars, but I have a standard strat with single coils and it absolutely sounds amazing with that guitar. Even sounds lovely with an acoustic guitar, too.

She has a lil' hum to her when you crank that Lead channel, but it's a tube amp, so they're gonna do that in most cases, but it's nothing to be alarmed about and is not a problem.

It's a german made tank! Another reason why I chose Hughes & Kettner was that their build quality has a great reputation and is hard to beat! It's been great so far with no problems to report! I'd use it without a backup, but I don't go anywhere without a spare! You learn the hard way sometimes!

No opinion as I've yet to use it.

Prefect for me! I've been playing for 8-9 years now and I've had my share of good and bad gear. I've gigged and still do at parties, but that's about it for right now. I've gigged with it once and she came through without any fear. I have a ton of gear and I ain't wasting my/your time on that one. 6 guitars, 3 combo amps, 2 cabinets and closet full of little boxes and gadgets.

I'd buy it again in a heartbeat if something was to happen to her. But what would be smart is tossing a locator beackon on her, she gets stolen? ... I track it down and pop a few rounds off in his knee caps for it!

And remember to always do it right the first time and try before you buy!

see the others posts

The clean channel is awesome- but thats not a new statement. the reason, why I write this review: I hoped to get a nice tube amp for practise at home, especialliy one with enough gain for some heavy stuff like old metallica and slayer. well, the lead channel can do this, but: I had a problem with the master knob. Seems that the volume makes a "jump" when u turn the master up (gain on half) - and it jumps to a level where it almost is too loud for home, I think.

it's made of plywood - that's not the material a amp should be made of!

An update of my review, on the second page.

Having had the amp for almost 2 years now, I thought I'd update my original review slightly. I've gigged extensively with this amp and can say that it is probably the best and most versatile tube amp in its price range. I've been playing a lot of jazz for the past few months and find it perfect for that warm, bassy jazz tone. I find the clean channel on my amp breaks up more easily than others here have described - generally I get a nice natural break up at about 5 or 6, which suits blues and fusion type sounds to a T. My one major complaint is that the footswitching can be very noisy. This was not immediately obvious when I first used the amp as I didn't have the footswitch to test it out (maybe that's why H&K don't include it?!). Switching from the clean to OD channels creates quite a loud 'pop' noise, which is made louder as you increase the volume of the clean channel. You can hear a similar pop, although not as loud, when changing from OD to clean. There are ways around this of course, like using a noise gate, though it would be better if the circuit change was quieter. My Marshall AVT 50 is much quiter for example, but then again it's not an all tube amp, so it's not really the same.

Overall, I am quite happy with the amp's performance; it has held up well against live gigging and continues to impress me. Again slightly unhappy with the channel switching, but that aside it really is faultless. The tubes are beginning to show some wear, which is to be expected, so I'll probably change them quite soon. Definitely would buy this amp again if it was lost or stolen.

July 2006 model, Very versatile amp for many genres of music. I play mostly blues based stuff. Skynyrd, Stevie Ray, Hendrix, Allman Bros., etc.. but I also like and play in the styles of Lamb of God, Slayer, Metallica(old), Tool, etc... A look at my CD collection would cover most styles except pop and rap. This is a two channel amp. Clean and Lead. The lead has an awesomw gain control. Why it does not come with a footswitch for the money you pay for it I'll never know. I guess I'm not greedy enough. FX loop on back, External speaker jack. Use it for home. This could gig w/o a mic for most clubs. Remember 20 tube watts not solid state. This would sound huge through a PA.

You can get most sounds that a guitarist is looking for. Without any FX pedals it sounds amazing. I haven't had the clean channel up loud enough yet for OD sound but other reviews seem to agree on 10 o'clock for mild OD. The Lead channel can get you a great Marshall or Mesa Boogie sound. Awesome crunch. Lots of adjustment. I use a '03 Highway 1 Telecaster, a 06 Lite Ash Strat, a '79 Dean V, and a Dean Hardtail Select. The Hardtail has Seymour Duncan JB in bridge and a SH2 Jazz in neck with coil taps. There aren't many bad sounds coming from this amp/guitar combo. The Tele sounds amazing on both channels. I haven't tried the V yet. I have a good selection of Fulltone pedals as well. OCD, Deja-Vibe, Distortion Pro, Ultimate Octave, Clyde Wah. I read an earlier review stating hooking up an OD pedal was like making this amp a 3 channel amp. I am going to try that next.

I wouldn't gig w/o any backup ever. But this seems to be built very well. It hasn't broken yet. I treat my stuff like my wife. If you take care of it, it will take care of you.

Looks like a 2 year factory warranty. I haven't had to deal with CS yet.

I've been playing for 20 years. I got rid of my Fender 4x10 Hot Rod DeVille for this and I am so happy I did. I just wasn't happy with it. Useless OD channels and 60 tube watts is too loud for most to enjoy the natural tube OD. It was made in USA and was as thin as paper sounding. If this got stolen, I'd get another ASAP. I love the tone, look, features, simplicity. I hate not getting a footswitch. One thing I have found out as I am older (36). You need a good guitar with good pickups and good FX pedals to get a good sound. Don't try to get a good sound with cheap products. I finally learned it is worth saving your money for good gear. Though you don't need a $3000 guitar either.

See features noted in other reviews. 2 channels. Took off 1 point for having to buy seperate footswitch for $35. Small reverb unit oddly mounted does pretty nice job but not long Accutronics like Fender. Couldn't find a H&K cover but Fender Hot Rod Deluxe cover fits perfectly.

I'm frankly impressed. I didn't know about H&K amps until I lucked upon the reviews at Harmony Central. Picked one up from ebay and WOW! I've owned many tube amps ranging from 50s Fender tweeds, Blackface deluxe, Silverface Vibrolux, and recently a Traynor YCV50Blue which I'm now selling (nice amp with great customer service but I just like the H&K). Cleans are nice with plenty of clean headroom for me. Clean channel starts breaking up at moderately high volume but sounds good a low volumes as well. Lead channel with gain is sweet from SRV to a nice heavy tube crunch. Factory tubes sound good but I'll likely replace with JJs. Overall, I did this amp. I'm still trying to figure out what the heck "red box direct" is??? Something about the send output but what does that mean???? Nothing in manual. I'll just mike it.

Only had it a month...will have to see. I'm using it as my primary amp though. Not a quick tube change for sure...lots of screws on back of cab with awkward tube placement. Not a huge factor though as many amps seem to be this way...not like old Fenders where you could change a set of tubes in less than a minute.

Haven't dealt with them...hope I don't have to.

Been playing 24 years...mostly electic. Playing Gretsch Duo Jet and 6120, Tele, 12 string Rickenbacker. Amp sounds good with my pedal board, including the Bad Monkey distortion pedal. Would defintitely replace with another if lost or stolen. Cool sounds, cool looks. Reasonably portable and sturdy construction. Rating a 9 because the footswitch and cover should be included!

Amp was made in 2006. Amp was exactly what I was looking for. Dual El84's with reverb, fx loop, clean and Gain channel. The Direct Box out of the loop was a bonus.

Here are the specs:
2 separately variable channels: CLEAN with VOLUME; LEAD with GAIN + MASTER

3-band EQ

REVERB knob (NOT tube reverb)

1???4" input jack

SEND for connecting external effect devices, a RED BOX??? for a direct out feed or an additional poweramp
RETURN for effect return signals

FOOTSWITCH for connecting a footswitch for remote channel access (NOT INCLUDED)

EXTERNAL SPEAKER for connecting an outboard cabinet
Preamp tubes: 2 x 12ax7
Poweramp: 20 Watt, 2 x EL 84 poweramp tubes
Loudspeaker: 12" Eminence?? Rockdriver Cream


Take off a point for having to buy the footswitch extra and another point for all the screws to change tubes. (Although the sealed back gives great low end.) I also bought this at an awesome price on ebay. New sealed in the box! I use this amp mainly for modern worship and some blues.

I love the sound of this amp. Here is my set up:

Carvin CT4M->BossTU2->Barber TonePress->Barber LTD (awesome low gain)->H&K Amp (Line 6 DL4 into the loop). I love the versatility of the Carvin coil tap and this amp. From awesome cleans to heavy el84 crunch and everything in between.

Yesterday I plugged in with no pedals just straight in to the amp and had it cranked up to about 1:00 on the clean and it was beautiful. Talk about a sweet mild breakup with single coil and great edge with the humbuckers. Very responsive when you dig in hard. Can't wait to get back to it today!

I usually play with the gain barely up on the 2nd channel. There is a ton of gain available if you want it. Distortion can go from very tight on the humbuckers, loosening up on the single coil, to over the top sreaming feedback.

The Amp shipped with TAD EL84 old version and TAD 12AX7.
The tubes I currently have in it are TAD EL84STR (Tube Amp Doctor), these are my favorite so far, JJ's EL84 are second. I have also tried JJ 12AX7 these are good but the new TungSol 12AX7 sound better IMO.


Great for blues, classic rock, awesome clean chime and smooth jazz.

The construction of the amp isn't the greatest. It is made out of some kind of pressed board, not your typical 5 to 7 ply. This isn't going to hold up to a lot of slamming around. You will have to treat it nice. The back has lots of screws to take out to change the tubes so a little concerned that some of these might strip out someday.

The tubes are mounted directly to the board so this may be a problem as well down the road. So far no problems on anything.

I do have to say for what I was looking for at this price point I didn't expect a hand made 7 ply solid amp. I wanted a inexpensive, GREAT-SOUNDING AMP. And this is exactly what it is. If I wanted a solid handbuilt road worthy amp I would have forked out the extra cash. Compared to the VOX remake and the Fender Blues Jr., the reliability of this German built amp seems to be no contest.

I give it a 8 here for the obvious constuction items. Although I haven't had any problems of any kind so far. I have had it for 5 months.

This could be an issue. I have sent a few emails. Some were returned others weren't. I give a six for the lack of response or slow response. To me this is lame.

I have been playing for about 4 years, 80% of what I play is modern worship. I also own a Taylor 710E with the ES (this guitar is my baby!).

If I could find another at a good deal I would absolutely by this again, it blows away the other EL84 amps in this price range. I might look at a THD univalve or Fargen Mini-plex for some more flexibility if I couldn't find another great deal. I will probably buy one of those next anyway and keep both!

The only thing I wish it had was easier access to the tubes.

For what I spent, the sounds I can get out of it and the features, I love this amp. Go find a deal and buy one!

2005 bought brand new through a nationwide web retailer. This is a pretty basic amp without alot of bells and whistles, which is what I was looking for. Simple layout: reverb, treble, mid, bass, volume, gain, and gain volume. Rated at 20 watts with a single 12" speaker in a closed back cab. What I like about this amp is the cabinet is slighty larger than a Blues Junior, Traynor YCV20, or Crate, giving it a much fuller, and deeper sound. I was looking for a good home amp that worked well with and without effects.

This amp has some fabulous sounds. After my experience with other small tube combos in the past, I was skeptical about how this amp would sound.
The clean channel is a bit "Vox-like" as others describe but begins to break up around 10:00. Great for a variety of styles. The lead channel can go from a nice, smooth, warm bluesy distortion to some serious high gain rock sounds. I keep the gain at around 10:00 and that gives me a nice, smooth overdrive suitable for blues and classic rock styles. Unlike some other amps that I've owned, this one works VERY WELL with single coils. I dial in my EQ, and the sounds are warm on the bridge, middle, and neck pups of my strats. On the bridge pickup the sounds aren't overly spikey or "ice pick" as other amps. With the mid-range around 2:00 and the treble at 1:00 and bass at 10:00, there's a nice, full, fat sound that comes out of this amp.
This amp is perfect for my style of music and works well with strats.
Also takes overdrive pedals VERY WELL. No complaints here.

H & K products are pretty solid. I've owned this amp for about a month so time will tell. No problems so far.

Never had to deal with them and I hope I don't.

I've been playing guitar for 34 years and also own a Vox AD100VT for my other amp. I play American series strats and a Les Paul copy. Various pedals which all seem to work well with this amp. IF lost or stolen, I'd definitely invest in another amp. This amp is more costly than a Blues Jr. or Crate, but in my opinion, worth every penny. No hates so far, and I love this amps simplicity, and warm, fat tones. I chose this amp over a Blues Jr. and a Crate Palomino 15-watt.

Great amp and has alot of volume when cranked.

Its already well described in the other reviews.

I have several guitars including 04 delux am strat, custom LP w/duncans + baggs piezo, custom strat hardtail w/ cool rails + fishman piezo, custom 30" baritone, etc.

This amp has a tone of its own, and its nice. Great harmonics and very, very smooth. Its really like two amps, because the lead and clean channel are radically different.

The clean channel is very clean and bright, a bit voxy, although its never harsh. The cab is almost sealed with a 2" lower portion of the back open. It significantly enhances low bass. Its not particularly loud in the clean channel. Can make a very nice jazz tone with the brige HB. Has a nice punch but with a natural tube compression. When I mix in my piezo w/ a neck PU I get a fabulous articulate tone with a woody warmth that I think is a credit to the speaker selection. I've had a lot of amps. This one is VERY musical and expressive. Spring reverb is very, very nice and smooth. Way better than the one in my Blues Jr and the one in the Matchless Cheiftain.

I love the tone of the clean channel - might not be quite loud enough for stage use without a good extension cab (or mic it). Small clubs / bars OK.

OD pedals seem to work pretty well in front of the clean channel too, but I think for the most part you can use the lead channel for that.

The lead channel is another beast altogether. I don't think I've heard anything quite like it from an amp of similar size. It can get big crunch and gain and tone like a big ass stack - at ear saving volume. If you are a small gig / garage jam / home recording guy like me - that works really well. Gets into the territory of that Hi-Watt Townshend tone, the Billy Gibbons tone, the Santana tone - depending on the way you set the EQ and the guitar you use. Now its only 20 watts, but with an extension cab (especially an efficient one) it can easily be loud enough. I'm not really a metal head but it seems like it could do that too if you hook on an extension cab. Enough gain to get some serious feedback fun. Effects loop is a good place to put your delay/chorus after the hi-gain pre. Also the little 12" speaker in there does get enough cone break up that really contributes to the sweet crunch. Anybody who thinks that comes purely from the amp just hasn't been there often enough. I'm sure this is going to sound better with more time on the speaker as well.

I have no clue, I've only had it a couple of weeks so far. I always have backups for everything. Mine has no hint of buzz or rattle even dimed.

N/A

playing 35+ years. Probably would replace it if lost or stolen, but I need more experience with it to feel strongly about it.

I got this because I wanted a small, portable, versatile amp with both a loveable clean tone and a serious kick ass crunch. Was replacing a Blues Jr that I moved to another house. Was very torn between this and a Deluxe Reissue - but the high gain channel sold me. I still might get the Deluxe. Small is good for me and I don't need loud any more.

I've played some boutique amps including Matchless (owned), Victoria, Tone King, Bruno (amazing!), and yes they are better in a purist sense but way more $$$$ and none are portable with the dual channel flex of like this little guy. Plus this amp has a unique musical vibe of its own that's really sweet.

Overall this is a nice alternative to perhaps a Blues Jr. when you have any desire to do the high gain thing. Th Jr. excels at that one particular tone, but this H&K has a cool clean tone of its own and can do the crunch/gain thing in spades way over the Blues Jr.

I also like this a lot more than the 18watt clone I have. It has way more headroom and a real clean channel, and the lead channel, while different tone wise (the H&K is a lot tighter more modern high gain style) works for me.

Would be nice if it had a Red Box or similar DI out, although putting a mic on it is better even if less convenient as you get the cone tone. I suppose standby would be nice but I have no feedback on tube life yet.

I think anyone shopping for an amp in this price range really needs to find one of these and play it for a bit. A bit pricey but you are buying some tone here. If all you do is play clean, I'd probably stick with one of the Fender's - but those can't touch the high gain tone of this thing (well maybe the Supersonic - but that's a big jump in $$)

This is a review for the Edition Tube 20th Anniversary built for the use in Germany.

Technical Information:

2 independent Channels:
- CLEAN (with Volume)
- LEAD (with GAIN + MASTER)
3 Band Equalizer
Spring reverb
1⁄4" Jack input
SEND / RETURN jacks for effect processors
EXTERNAL-SPEAKER connector
20 Watt, 2 x EL 84 power amplifier
12" Eminence? Rockdriver Cream
Size: 56cm x 27,5cm x 46cm
Weight: 24 kg
Optional channel footswitch (FS-1)
Multi-ply wood box, nearly complete closed

In general, it's a simple tube amplifier for home / recording / small perfomance (pubs etc.). It seems to be very sturdy and well built. The look is more vintage like, but to my mind it's pleasing. I chose it because of its price and simple features (I don't like unnecessary effects and options).

I'm using a Yamaha Pacifica with this amp. Playing lots of styles (everything except Country, Pop, Death and things like this) I searched for a versatile amp. I was disappointed of this amp, because it's hard to get more funky, treble sounds. This is caused by the way it is built, because there is only left a small hole at the back of it, so it is able to produce very strong bass frequences. The clean channel stays clean very long, but my guitar has not much output. In the lead channel, you can get very good blues sounds. If you want more overdrive, you have to set the volume relatively high (problematic with neighbours and family members). There's not much noise produced by it when you use good cables and have a shielded guitar. All in all it is not a versatile amp, but if you know what you want you'll get a good blues!

The bad news: This amp isn't well constructed. Playing at the 7th - 12th low E string, you will here rattle (also on the lower A string frets, of course). First, I thought that my guitar is somehow wrong adjusted. So I connected it with another guitar - the same sound! So I brought it back to my shop (afiter 3 weeks) and it was sent back to Hughes and Kettner (I'm from Germany, so H&K). After 3 WEEKS I got my amp back - with the same sound. After 2 more weeks of trouble with H&K, they found out that these sounds are normal. They told me that the metal plate at the back of the amp rattles at the wood - and that there is no way to solve this problem (no rubber shims etc.).

This is the last and worst part: The support is absoletly unfriendly, they lied to me and they couldn't help me. Even my dealer has angry of them because they didn't contact him. It took 6 weeks for me to change this amp.

When I bought this amp I thought: No more trouble, this is "German" quality! And even if there is a problem, I thought, it will be easy to deal with it. I'm really disappointed of this amp and Hughes and Kettner. This was a ridiculous and long story and I'm glad that my dealer was able to change this junk into a Laney LC30-II.

The only thing I can suggest: Do not buy this amp if you don't like to have a poorly conceived amplifier. Remember: This is a general problem, also I have to say that a person who doesn't know something about guitars and amps won't hear the rattle.

Very basic feature here ! 20 watt all tube amp. Two channels (clean, lead), shared Eq section (high, mid. low), gain & volume for the lead channel, master volume for the clean one. Efx loop, jack for an external cab , closed back and a great 12" Eminence speaker.

This is a great sounding amp ! Clean channel start to break up with the master volume at 8/10. The lead channel is incredibly creamy!!! No fuzz, no harsh tones here.
Mainly used with stratocaster type of guitars, I use a Boss OD-3 (wonderful overdrive pedal...) in front of the TE-20 so I've a three channel amp: clean, blues OD and creamy lead ! Couldn't be happy !
I've used this beauty also with an EMG 81/85 equipped guitar. Awesome lead tones !

Rock solid...knocking on wood... :))

Did I mention that is a great amp ? :-)

Bought it used in Jan 06, built Dec 05. I'm using it for recording only and have no issues with the limited tone control options (one set of tone controls for both the lead and clean channels). I find it easy to dial in a great heavy sound and still have a great clean sound when switching channels. Reverb sounds really nice (spring reverb I believe).

Comes with a foot switch to change between channels, but the foot switch can not control the reverb. Amp has effects loop as well (have not used it).

All tube power and preamp section....loud, loud, loud!

The bottom line is that this amp has a simple yet incredibly effective feature set.

What can I say....? The clean and heavy sounds are awesonme. I use both a Les Paul Custom and PRS 20th Anniversary Custom 24 and this amp really lets the character of each guitar shine through. It's great for jazz, blues, hard rock and metal.

Only had it a month so can't really comment.

Have not had a need to contact them.

Been playing for 25 years, mostly for my own enjoyment but I did spend 5 years as a working musician. I also own a Marshall LM6100 (30th anniversay tube head) and Groove Tubes Soul-o 75. There's no doubt that the HK amp kicks the crap out of the Marshall (it'll be on eBay soon). The HK has better distorted tones but I'd probably give the nod to the GT amp for cleans (although it's really really close and the HK amp is about $2000 less than the GT amp!!).

I'd buy another one in a heart beat!! Highly recommended!

As others have mentioned, no footswitch for the reverb and the lack of different equalisers for the 2 (very different) channels is what's stopping this amp getting more. Now at the price point I paid for it it packs a lot of punch for the bucks - it was cheaper than a Blues Jr. (yes - jr. no where near the price of a Blues Deluxe), than a Peavey Classic 30, Delta Blues etc. It lacks certain features, but at this price, it is UNBELIEVABLE value for money - effects loop (optional :( ) footswitch for channel changes (see later about the changes..) , all tube with a pretty impressive speaker and great tones....

For big homes or anything from smallish live venues up to the bigger ones through a PA - the tone quality is such...

Essentially everything around the blues is what I use the amp for, mostly with a 1994 Strat Deluxe Plus, with Fender Lace Pickups - a lot of blues, and a little of Rhythm and Blues, a dab of classic rock, some good ole fashioned rock 'n' roll and a dab of brit pop (ok getting a bit far from the blues - but think modern Cream :-) )

It's a little too powerful for home use, you'll not get the best of the clean, which though it starts to get growly quite soon, will annoy the neighbours before you enjoy it the most..

When you really can enjoy it the amp sounds terrific - the clean channel is sweet, and is what I use most of the time, character by the bag full, and really easy to get great sounds for most styles. the lead channel is great too, though I must confess I don't use it as much. It can do big rock soundsand and alos hold it's own with some very good tones with lower down on the gain dial.

All in all the 2 channels are quite different, and there's probably one you'll like more than the other - for me it's the clean, but I can easily see some rockers liking the "lead" channel more. They are both very versatile, and you can get a lot of different tones out of each one, though sometimes they sound like they're coming form 2 different amps. This is where it would have been nice to have seperate equalisers for each channel.... If you use it live - you'll probably have to settle for using it for the channel you prefer and either fiddling between changes, or simply running another amp (why not another Edition Tube 20th :-) at the price it's worth it!! ) for the other channel.

I have not yet used it mic'ed up - but the quality of the sounds leaves me imagining it would be a very good amp for bigger venues through a PA. On it's own - the clean channel is just great for the smaller places unless your drummer really is mad - you may lack a little headroom for *REAL* clean sounds, but once it just starts breaking up it's pretty irresistible anyway :-)

N/A - I've only had it a few weeks - it comes with a 2yr guarantee, and Hughes & Kettner have a good reputation for maing solid kit - but I cannot agree nor disagree. It certainly looks extremely well built, but as looks can be deceiving, I'll refrain from further comment.

Same comments for Reliability - 2 yr Warranty.

I compared this to a *LOT* of other amps before buying, and do not regret. Previously I used mainly a second hand Marshall that had some nice sounds, but did not really suit either the guitar or the music I play the most. This amp has sweet tone, and it's very easy to get it sounding right for a lot of different styles, from just breakin up blues to real hard rock sounds. The two channels are good, but switching between them without seperate equalisers means fiddling. Most of all this amp, at 530EUR is incredible value for money - not only is it cheaper than the blues jr. (and loads cheaper than the HotRod Dlx, or Blues Deluxe) - it easily holds its own with these amps. The speaker is also very good quality, and certainly contributes to the "quality" that this amp oooozes when you hear it. I cannot name another amp for this price that will get you sounds like this - it's genuine tube tones and wide range of sounds will satisfy most. It's not perfect, but you won't beat it for the price - if you can find one. It's a great combo that will do will handle live playing, and even home use, if your neighbours are patient enought to let you get the most out of it.

Brand new Hughes and Kettner 20 Watt Edition Tube 20th Anniversary Combo, bought in June of this year. The spec has been detailed below, so I'll skip the usual summary. I'm quite fond of the amp's overall simplicity - I've been using amps equiped with effects for a while now, and have found that manufacturers tend to give too much attention to the quality of the effects, and not enough to the actual sound quality of the basic clean and overdriven tones. What's nice about this is that the controls are so simple, it's almost impossible to dial in a bad sound. I love the vintage design too - the controls are located on top, which seems more practical to me (no awkward bending over, guitar in hand, to adjust your settings...)

I play an Ibanez SZ520 with a Seymour Duncan SH 11 Custom Custom in the bridge. I also use a Boss DD6 and a BF3, with a Dunlop Crybaby straight into the front of the amp.

With the clean channel, I've found that I can get a pretty good variety of blues tones, which I use most frequently (think Jimmy Page on Since I've Been loving You).
I've also found a few sparkling to glassy Fendery tones - the key is tweaking the the Eq until you find a sound that you're completely happy with (and while this can be time consuming, it does pay off). The amp offers a nice collection of ballsy crunch tones also, with plenty of bass response on tap. When I first got it and turned up, the clarity of everything was the thing that impressed me most - every little nuance (or fuck up!) comes through, which can either be a blessing or a nightmare, depending on how you play.

The overdrive channel is quite impressive - I've never come across such a thumping, pulsating amount of gain before! Compared to my old Marshall combo, it's unreal. I'd always found the Marshall to have a very fizzy, weak overdrive channel, especially with the gain up around eight or nine. The Hughes really does sound awesome. I play in a Satriani cover band, and have found some superb lead and rhythm tones with this channel. It's great for the likes of Summer Song or the Extremist, for example.

Since it doesn't come with a standby switch, I can't really say if the tubes will last for a long time. The amp itself seems pretty sturdy, so I'm not worried about wear and tear to it. I haven't gigged with it yet, though I imagine I will in the near future.What I was a little annoyed with was that the FS 1 footswitch wasn't included with the amp - this strikes me as a bit ludicrous. There's no point selling an amp with a specific feature, if you can't use it!

I've been playing for over five years and have owned four Marshall combos in that time. I can honestly say that each and every one of them pale in comparison to this amp. It has pretty much everything I want or need in an amp - an amazing sound with no compromise in build quality. For its price,I think you'd be hard pressed to find a better sounding combo. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed!

Bought brand new in June of 2005. Very basic, 20 watt tube amp. 2 channels which share same EQ and Reverb. No standby switch. Controls
on top of amp. Beautiful clean sound, and even though the 2nd channel can get very hot/distorted, it still is a very usable tones. I play everything from the 60's to modern. All that is needed are effects pedals to your liking. Having the 2 channels share the same EQ does not cause a problem for me. The 20 watts is powerful enough for the small clubs I play and I can mic if I need louder, but this little
combo is really loud. The only gripe I have is that the channel switching foot pedal does not come with the amp and it plugs into the top of the amp.

I use many guitars with this amp. Hamer Duotone Custom, Fender Strat Plus, Carvin 12-string electric, Schecter Custom Shop USA, and a few others. The amp is great sounding period. The distorted channel goes from crunchy to very, very hot. It's not a brutal distortion, it has warmth and lots of usable overtones. The clean channel is crisp and beautiful and breaks up slightly at louder volumes. I use a Seymour Duncan Pickup Booster pedal with it which helps get a bluesy tone.

The amp is brand new, so only time will tell how it will survive weekly gigging. It seems very tough and sturdy. It has a closed back
which makes it like a little tank but if you needed to change tubes at
a gig it would be a little time consuming. Still, I wouldn't worry about a backup. This is not a cheaply made amp. I rate the manufacturing quality very high.

Brand new, so I hope I never have to anything other than changes tubes sometime in the future.

I am 47 and have been playing for over 30 years. I own a USA Hamer Duotone Custom, USA Hamer Daytona, USA Schecter Custom Shop, USA Fender Strat Plus, USA Peavey Impact Milano, USA Gibson SST Chet Atkins, USA Guild Acoustic/Electric, USA Carvin DC120 12-string electric, and a USA Tacoma PM-20 Parlor acoustic. I also play through a Line 6 Flextone III Combo Amp because it has every tone and effect built-in for live performances. This Hughes & Kettner 20th anniversary amp is a great little compact, powerful 20 watt tube amp
that delivers great tone. I would buy another if it was stolen. It is great for around the house and can be used for any club gig.
Hughes & Kettner should consider providing the FS-1 (1 switch) channel switching pedal with the amp.

I didn't give it a 10 because while it has what I need - a great clean channel with treble, mid, bass knobs and a modest reverb (I never need more than a modest amount). - BUT - The reverb doesn't have a footswitch.

Also, the difference in characteristics of the clean vs gain channels is night & day IMHO. The clean channel is glorious and spanky. The gain channel is HOLY MOSES!!! TONS of gain!!! I wish the gain channel wasn't so distorted. The two channels don't sound like they're coming from the same amp IMHO... could be a great thing for some players, but I'd rather just use effects into the clean channel. I gave it an 8 because I adore that clean channel and I would have bought the amp if it didn't even have the gain channel. I could easily see where a high gain player could love this amp and never touch the clean channel. It's two very different amps in one box... Let me rephrase that - It's two very opposite amps in one box.

One final minor gripe - Hughes & Kettner doesn't sell an amp cover for the Edition Tube 20th Anniversary. I'm keeping my eyes open for a cover for a similarly sized amp.

The amp's clean channel has just the right kind of distortion for me. It's a clean edge that's full of life and response. 20 watts is perfect for my gigging situation.

The Gain channel has tons of gain, but that's not what I want. I never use it and that's a shame, but the goodness of the clean channel makes me very satisfied with this amp.

The amp has an almost completely closed back with only a slot across the bottom for an opening. This makes the speaker kind of the best of both worlds - not really an open back and not all of the way a sealed cabinet.

Amp's never broken down in 2 months. Seems solid enough, but the back is nearly totally enclosed... I wonder if the tubes get sufficient cooling without an open flow of air? The owners manual states that "The tubes in your EDITION TUBE are of exceptionally high quality and will last extremely long."

We'll see, but so far so good.

Never have had a problem. Warranty is 24 months on EVERYTHING. I've had great service from the dealer I purchased my amp from in the past, so I feel confident that if I should ever have any I will be taken care of.

Having a good relationship with a local dealer is a wonderful thing.

For me this is one great amplifier. Unless it turns unreliable on me, I'd buy another one in a heartbeat.

I wish Hughes & Kettner would make a version of this amp with either a less vicious gain channel, or else a version as a single channel clean amp - and add a footswitch for the reverb!!

And sell a slipcover!!

Thumbs up to H&K.

Brand new reissue of the Edition Tube 20 watts all tube combo I believe: 2xEL84, 2xECC83, 20 watts two channel 1x12 combo. Eminence Rockerdriver speaker. Clean channel with volume, lead channel with gain + master. A nice reverb but not footswitchable. Shared EQ work nicely, but seperate EQ knobs would be better since the two channels need different tweaks, at least for my needs. Parallel fx loop (not tested yet...), external speaker out (which doesn't disable the built-in speaker). No standby-switch! Duh! Footswitch not included, no amp cover either.

More info: http://www.hughes-and-kettner.com/scripts/products.php?mode=prod&id=93

Bought about a month ago, regular band rehearsals, gigged once (small club not mic'd).

Signal goes Gibson LP Faded -> amp OR LP Faded -> BOSS ME-50 -> amp.

I'm in love with the clean channel. It's sounds simply wonderful with the vol settings past 12 o'clock. Not much clean headroom! But if you need headroom, buy a higher wattage Fender combo... this amp growls at rehearsal/club level! Very classy, warm EL84-overdrive. 20 watts seem to be perfect for me; loud enough to play unmiked in a small club, silent enough in larger venues with a mic in front of it - without driving the sound engineer nuts.

The 2nd channel has lots of gain, much more than ... say a HRDlx. You can get a wide variety of sounds out of it depending on the gain level. Classic lower gain stuff as well as high-gain modern rock (see Placebo for instance).

For me the 2nd channel is pretty useless, though, it's way too loud if I crank the master to get some natural overdrive. Secondly, due to the shared EQ knobs it is quite impossible to me to dial in a perfect tone for both channels.

So my rating applies basically to the clean channel only and not for the amp as a whole... both live and at rehearsals, I use the clean channel only, volume at 2 o'clock preferrably. Using the guitar volumes or a volume pedal, the amp cleans up easily. If I need additional drive, I kick in the Boss pedal with little gain. Sounds awesome!

Reliability... good question, can't tell so far. Judged on the outside, the amp seems rock solid. To get to the tubes, however, you need to remove the whole back plate (which covers almost the whole back, so be prepared for countless screws!). Inside is a PCB board (what else would you've guessed...), which seems to be a good quality one. Tubes are direct-mounted and when I first removed the back to see the tubes, I saw that one of the metal clips holding the tubes securely already got loose. Oh the joy :) Seemed to result in bad shipping though, after that it stayed in place firmly. The metal part on the back which holds the tubes on the other side stays rather cool even after hours of heavy use. Very nice.

I would probably gig without a backup, but I prefer having a backup ready every time (with any gigging amp actually).

Haven't dealt with H&K so far.

Overall a great budget amp, I compared it with a Fender HRDlx (40W), a Peavey Classic 30 (30W) and a VOX AD30 (the modelling unit, didn't like it at all). For me it was by far the amp with most personality. Considered it's still a budget amp, it definitely sounds HUGE! An other option would have been a used tube amp via eBay, but I didn't want to get a dog where I have to change all the tubes and probably even fix some other stuff. If you want a rather lightweight combo to cover classic rock stuff, definitely give it a try. If it was lost or stolen, I'd definitely buy a new one for that amount of money. With more cash I'd probably head for an Orange amp, but that's out of reach at the moment...

Closing words, I am tempted to give the amp a 10, but I try to be as critical as possible, and considered that there are lots of other good amps out there (which are a lot more expensive, though), it gets an 8.