Ibanez TBX15R

Features can be found on Ibanez website www.ibanez.com/electronics/product.aspx?m=TBX15R

I got this amp demonstrated with a variaty of different guitars, as this amp is to be a x-mas gift for my son this year 2008.
It sure has enough power for training and rehearsal. And I know I going to be after him to turn down the wolume.

This is a nice amp in this way because you can use two different settings, when it comes to clean and distorted. It also has an built in spring reverb. Three tone eq makes it easy to use and alter the sound. Had the amp demonstrated with several different guitars with different pickup styles. Bought this amp from an independant music store, so the function of alter between distorted and clean will be change to a footswitch. Also the amp will get another output for external recording.

Ibanez, is an Ibanez...... what is there to say, have no previous experience. On the other hand, this amp is a solid piece.

Haven't dealt with them. Five years warranty comes along with the amp. The store will help me with those issues.

This is the first amp going together with an Greg Bennet Malibu MB-30, stratocaster. Considering the price there is alot of amps available, so you never know. Had it compared to similar small of Fender and Line6. Line6 doesn't have the same clean sound, but has more sound options, which I IMO can be done better by effectboxes.

New model 2008, 15 watts into 4 ohms 8 incher.
Clean channel with gain and level, hot channel also, master 3band parametric eq and reverb.
CD in, phones out (not filtered, full of bees).
No other jacks than the guitar input, basic amp it is.
Closed-back.
Two points off for no footswitch capability and common eq/no loop.

Waow. Very astounding, belies its size and wattage.
The clean channel is a marvel, very full and warm, loud and precise. I had a polytone 8incher for a time, and the tbx15r nails this very tone, way impressed am I.
The possible gain in clean channel is not much, I didn't try long because of the addictive clean sound.
Bass and treble at one o'clock, mid to the center click (no modification to the sound), that's with a Baja blonde telecaster.

Let's switch to hot channel, first thing obvious is the eq needs to be changed a lot to balance with the clean sound. Bass on three o'clock, mid frequency at one and mid sweep at nine o'clock (otherwise nasty honky mid flavour I really find disgusting). This is a nuisance to swap channels...
BUT: the hot channel sounds way way good! No blues to begin with I think, but fresh and tight modern distortion, very clear and articulate, and a lot of drive at hand (even dark metal heads will be happy here). A pure joy to play, I am serious.

The active eq means a lot, and the gain at hand can make humbuckers buzz too.
The reverb is nice, short and really usable (I leave it at one o'clock).

Beware of the noisefloor, a loud hum always there even when no guitar plugged, and still there in the phones (must be that active eq, clearly a preamp noise). At night I don't want to hear this, otherwise I don't really care since the amp is so much fun to play.

Maybe the biggest surprise of the year for me, given the low price.
I tried a bunch of drive pedals on the clean channel (hot head, double drive, dr distorto, behringers and so on) and none could even contest with the clarity/punch/definition of the hot channel.

I read on guitar mags that tbx30r and 65r had this relatively loud noisefloor as well.

I would say to avoid the 30 watter since it has the same downside than the 15 watter (common eq) so its footswitch option won't be useful I think.
The 65 watter with two eqs seems to be the choice, but based on the 15 it must be louder than hell (the guitar mag said so).

A way good sounding thing, and the most enjoyable jazz tone with my baja. Surprise!