Kendrick 118 Combo

This is more or less an exact copy of the 1959-60 Fender tweed Champ.

Because the amp is soooo simple, some might give it a low rating for "Features," but I disagree. This amp allows the user to change the output tube easily, quickly, and without having to rebias. And it allows a very wide variety of output tube choices. Greatly different tones can be had by going from RCA 6V6 to GE 6L6 and so on.

Three tubes, the loudest 6 watts you'll ever hear, a speaker out jack if you want something bigger than the internal speaker. What more do you need?

I'm pretty basic. I have a quality parts Strat with Antiquity Strat pickups in the neck and middle and an antiquity Tele (with a custom brass baseplate) in the bridge. I also use a '68 Gibson SG Standard with humbuckers and an ES-335 from the early 1990s. I play blues, a little jazz, country, and pop, and some classic rock.

This little screamer is loud for its size and goes from clean to grind with a twist of the guitar's volume knob. It'll even go through a remarkable range of sounds based on how hard you hit the strings with a pick.

I'm also able to play small club blues dates with it if I elevate it enough and tilt it back slightly (although I'll admit we do have a drummer who has learned how not to play too loud). It is absolutely the perfect volume for band practice and recording.

This amp also LOVES any pedal I put in front of it.

My brother-in-law has twice used it as a harp amp and is on the lookout for one--I won't part with mine.

Point-to-point wiring, rolled steel chassis, premium components, solid pine fingerjointed cabinet. This is as well made as an amp can be. I've had mine for six years now and the only thing I've ever had to do was change tubes twice.

I've never dealt with Kendrick, but a buddy of mine bought a Kendrick Bassman clone USED on ebay and after a year of hard gigging, it developed a buzz. He called up Kendrick and Gerald Weber (the company owner) HIMSELF answered the phone and talked him through some troubleshooting. This amp was not purchase new, was years old, and Weber offered free instructions on the phone. The problem was eventually fixed (it was what G. Weber finally concluded it was) locally for $30 total.

'Nuff said.

I've been playing for 14 years and have had a Marshall half stack, two Marshall combos, a Fender Super Champ, an amazing vintage Boogie MkIIB (stolen from me at a gig load-out!), a few Dr. Zs, and one Victoria.

This and my Dr. Z Carmen Ghia are the only two amps, other than the stolen Boogie, which I swore I will never part with. And because the thing is so cute, my wife doesn't have a problem with my having it sit next to the sofa, either!

I am not sure when this amp was made but I bought it from Gerald (owner of Kendrick Amplification) at the Greater Southwest Guitar Show in Dallas last March. It is a fine example of what Gerald keeps talking about which is "TONE". The amp is, by Gerald's admission, a one trick pony but it does that trick so well. It has a delightfully bratty sound when driven to 11 but cleans up very respectfully when the guitar volume is backed off. I play blues and happily noticed the sound of Reverend Billy Gibbons coming out of my amp when I plugged in my Les Paul. This is a one channel 5 watt amp but it is appreciably loud for 5 watts. There are two inputs, one 3 dB lower than the other meaning lower gain. The controls are incredibly simple - combination volume/on/off switch. No tone, no effects loop, no headphone jack, no footswitch jack, no channel switching. I had to play this thing in the quiet of my own home to start to appreciate what Gerald says about simplicity and its impact on tone. The more circuits, switches and controls you put into an amp the more you take away from its essential sound. I compared this to my beloved Marshall JTM and while it is no comparison for volume it has left me constantly tweaking the Marshall in order to get as happy with the sound as I am with the Kendrick. This amp is a 3 tube setup(mine is fitted with NOS 5Y3 rectifier, 6V6 output and a 12AX7 preamp tube).

I use a Gibson SG and an Epiphone Les Paul Classic both of which have been fitted with a Rio Grande BBQ humbucker in the bridge position. These two guitars have an absolutely corpulent sound coming through the Kendrick although the Les Paul is ever so slightly fatter. The 118 amp suits my taste in amps very well for blues and blues/rock. It is very quiet which brings up a point. If you have read elsewhere that Gerald is very helpful when it comes to his customers and amplifiers, believe it. I got mine home and noticed a crackling sound. I called and left Gerald a message at his shop. He returned my call. As it turned out, it was a bad preamp tube which he sent to me at no charge. The man stands behind his products.
On the sound of the amp - it runs from a very impressive and rounded clean sound on the low gain input to in-your-face bratty on the higher gain input (around 11 or 12 on the volume setting). It sounds great everywhere although I have found that I like it better with my Les Paul and SG than my Peavey Predator Plus which has S/S/H. I am admittedly more fond of the humbucker sound. The distortion is vintage Tweed and will leave distortion crazy metalheads wanting. This amp's own sound is limited to clean, dirty blues and classic blues/rock although I suppose you could use pedals.

I think this amp is very reliable. Having fixed the preamp tube problem mentioned above it performs without flaw each and every time I fire it up. I run this little guy at 9 to 11 literally time I use it and it never complains or sounds like its straining. Not being as confident in the condition of my Marshall I would be a little concerned about driving it that hard. I do not gig, just play for my own enjoyment at home. If I did however, I would have no second thoughts about making this my first line amp. If you do use it in a band setting you will undoubtedly have to mike the amp.

I bought my amp from Gerald himself. He let me play one of his Kendrick guitars through it at the Guitar Show in a back room and answered all of my questions and explained everything about the amp. Kendrick will service your amp if it not one of theirs. I do not know how long the warranty is but do not feel in any way concerned. This little thing feels very substantial and is built like a truck. I have not had to have any repairs made.

I have been playing for a little over 5 years. I own 3 guitars and a couple of other amps, effects, drum/rhythym machines, etc. If this were lost or stolen I would definitely buy another one. I love the sound of this amp. One thing I noticed compared to my Marshall is the lack of reverb. While Marshalls are not known for excellent reverb, the reverb does "open up" the sound a little so that it doesn't sound so one dimensional. That is the only thing I would change. That is easily cured by putting a reverb tank in the signal chain. I chose this amp because 1) it is made in Texas by a Texas Tone-A-Holic, 2) Kendrick does not compromise when it comes to sound quality and 3) I have been impressed by everything I read about Kendrick and Gerald Weber in the past. If you are in the market for an amp you owe it to yourself to check this company's products out!

Five watt 1X8 combo, repro of Fender's tweed Champ. I'll give it a 10 for features even though it has "only" two input jacks, a volume control which doubles as an on/off switch, and a jack in the back so you can hook up an external speaker cab. It's a question of less is more. By eliminating luxuries such as tone control, etc, this baby is in fact versatile as hell and can play anything you want it to. It's up to you, however, to get the sounds you want out of it. Play with your pickup selector switch and tone controls on your guitar when you want to change your sound. But back to the features. Point-to-point wiring on a fiber circuit board. 12AX7 and 6V6 power tube, and 5Y3 rectifier, 3.2 ohm Kendrick 8" Blackframe speaker. My particular 118 has a stainless-steel chassis. I don't know if they all come with that option. The amp was made for me by Kendrick in the summer of 2002. I use the 118 for practicing at home, in my tiny Hong Kong apartment. Believe me, five watts is more than enough power. I play mostly blues and/or classic rock and this thing cranks! One thing that must be pointed out is the fit and finish of the tweed covering itself. One look at the Kendrick 118 and you know it was put together with care. The "tweed" lines up perfectly, even at the corners where you just know that would be difficult. Other cosmetic extras include a really thick yet soft leather carrying strap.

When you talk to Gerald Weber or email him, you'll notice that every second word the guy uses is "tone". It's "tone" this and "tone" that. He even signs his letters "tonefully yours". I thought it was all a load of hype until he shipped my 118 over and I plugged my 52 Fender Telecaster re-issue with its Texas Special pickups into it. I also use Klotz cable that I bought from Gerald with the amp. I had been using Planet Waves, but you can really tell the difference with the Klotz, which really lets my guitars natural sound come through. The 118 just drips with tone--at whatever volume. In fact, the 118 is a Tone Beast. I enjoy listening to Freddie King's RSO stuff from the 1970s, and Albert King's stuff from "Born Under a Bad Sign" CD, and Robben Ford's "Talk to Your Daughter" and I always wonder how they got tone like that. Well, the 118 kicks out that tone. Set the volume at four and it's nice and clean and sweet, but with lots of depth--like a big blossoming flower all delicate and nice but massive and rich all the same. Harmonics all over the place, and my Tele's woody yet twangy sound chimes through. Turn it up past seven and the tubes get hot and the sound breaks up and distorts yet not at all in an annoying way, but in that beautiful gritty way that no fuzz or distortion box can reproduce. In short, I would say that the 118 can do it all. And because it's only five watts, it's perfect for home practice.

I haven't had it for very long, but it seems dependable. In any event, Gerald is very easy to reach and I'm sure he would help fix it if there was ever a problem with my 118.

I dealt directly with Gerald Weber from the day I first expressed interest in the 118 until after I received it and he wrote to ask how I was enjoying his amp. He was clearly pleased to hear that I was enjoying myself. And he is rightfully proud of the work his company does. Because of the time difference between Hong Kong and Texas, I've written to Gerald at all kind of odd hours and he always got back to me quickly. I also phoned him a couple of times and had some great talks with him. I never even checked about the guarantee on the 118, but like I said above, I'm sure Gerald would fix any problem that I might have.

I was looking at buying a used blackface or silverface Fender Champ--a tweed Champ was out of my price range--but decided on the Kendrick when I realized the amount of money I would spend modding the Fender to get it to sound right. And I figured that with the Kendrick I would get that 50's Champ sound with handmade quality. So I went with the Kendrick, and I'm completely happy with that choice. I just love the way it looks, I love it's simplicity, and I truly love it's no-nonsense, rich, sweet, and gritty sound. Sorry, but I can't think of anything that I hate about it. I've been playing, off and on, for about 25 years. I've been playing totally acoustic stuff over the past five years. I also own a 1974 Martin D-35, a 1979 Kohno Model 20, and a Fender Telecaster 52 Reissue. When I was a kid I had this little tube black practice amp that was about the size of the 118, but I can't remember the make. Anyway, I was hoping the Kendrick would sound something like that. But my 118 sounds much, much, better and in fact is in a different league than other practice amps.