Koch Multitone 50 212 Combo

My Koch-Amp is from the first range, they built; I think about 1998.
It??s a very versatile amp; perfect for Blues, any Rock Styles (maybe not for Doom Metal..), Country, Jazz, Pop ....
The features are described by former writers; I don??t miss anything on this combo amp. One of the best features is the possibility to have
reduced Vol.level by footswitch - works perfect in live situations;
especially if you want to have a clean rhythm sound and a real loud
clean lead sound.
I mostly play the amp in music clubs with my Rock/Blues/soul-Band and
there was no situation up to now, where I could crank the amp even half way up.I had it also for studio work with great results (it??s a very quiet amp; even in CH 2 and 3)

I use several guitars (Tele, Strat, LP; Semiacoustic, Archtop)with
vintage-type single coils,Humbuckers, Minihumbuckers, P 90:
No problem to get real good sounds with all of them. The Koch has a very
sensitive EQ (an a very useful sound manual..).
Especially the Clean Channel has a very warm, rich, fullbodied sound
(often remarked by other guitarists at sessions etc.); also the crunch channel is great (I do most of leadtone with ch 2). The 3.Channel has
lot of gain reserves and for my tast a little to much compression.
(But in general I don??t work with high gain settings on any amp I had in the past.)
A lot of the good sound comes out of the two Celestion Greenbacks;
real great speakers! Later they built in other speakers, which I don??t have heard.
I like the overdrive sounds of the Koch a lot, they??re more harmonic
and elegant than harsh brutal!

I have the Amp about 8 years now and it never failed.
Had only changed the slave tubes - a real well built workhorse.
Never needed a backup until now.

Koch hasnt too much dealers here in southern Germany`,
but until today I need no service for the amp.
Tube change could be made by any valve amp technician.

I play about 35 years now and had a lot of amps in the past
(several Fenders, Music mans,Boogies,Sundown, Acoustic 100 T 112,
Marshalls,Roland, Groove Tubes -also great tools !! -, Vintage,and some
more I can??t remember now.
In the moment I have a Fender Concert 60 112,an old Sessionette 75 and
for Acoustic and Archtop the AER Compact 60.
Effects: Line 6 Modualation + Delay Modeler,Dunlop Wah-pedal, Boss-Volume,Rocktron Banshee Talk Box, Okko Twin Sonic and Barber Small Fry (I don??t use it all in live situations...).
A good guitar, Line 6 Delay, Wah-Pedal - Koch Multitone that??s enough to get a great live sound in any situation (for very reasonable money!)

Year made - 2004. This amp is pretty versatile. Three channels, clean -> clean OD -> distortion. Serial and parallel effects loops, recording output. It has pretty much everything I want. 50 watts is just fine for any gigs we do. I use it at home and live a few times a month.

The clean channel is the main thing that sold me on the amp. It has a lot of Twin Reverb qualities. Channel 3 has a lot of Mesa Boogie in it. Those two things are tough to find in one amp without spending some serious money. I mainly use humbucker equiped guitars. The two main ones are a 2003 MusicMan JP and a 1971 Strat with seymour duncan SH-1's and a Warmoth replacement neck. It's not noisy. It's plenty loud. The one thing it doesn't do well is note definition on the two overdrive channels. Channel two is wonderful for single note lines, but is mushy for big chording. Channel three is full on distortion, so watch your gain.

Never had an issue.

Good. I did call them once, and I also contacted my local dealer. Both were helpful.

I have been playing live for 8 years. I've owned / own: 1973 Twin Reverb, Soldano HR50+ & L13, Line6 Vetta II, Tech 21 TM60, Acoustic Image Clarus 300, Carvin Legacy, Boogie DC-5. I would shop around if it were lost or stolen. I am not 100% married to it, but I would think about buying another one. I wish the note separation was as good as a Soldano. That is it's big knock. Other than that, this is a serious gigging machine and can cover a wide array of musical style.

This is a follow up on a previous post (2004)

For a blues guy this amp is really a good choice. Dynamics are great and the breakup is very nice. It can bite if you want it to so be careful with the treble.

The EQ section is very efficient - it also means that you need to employ some caution turning the knobs. If you're used to old Marshalls where the tone knobs does'nt really work you can be thrown off. Start at 12, follow the manuals recommendations and be patient.

The sweetest thing about the amp is the CH2. The chords chime on single coils and you get a dead on Knopfler leadtone with a Strat with 5w switch set to bridge&mid.

Another good thing is that it does'nt have to be cranked to sound good. It helps of course but also bedroom volumes are OK.

I play in a coverband and eventually sold the amp to pursue the head/cabinet route and more hard rock oriented sounds. The 4x12 thump is something different from the open back combo.

The buyer already started out on some tube testing and hopefully post something about it here.

I had it for some years and it worked flawlessly.

Thery don't answer emails which I find annoying.

This is a follow-up from my earlier review (Spring 2004) and I thought I'd pass on some updated information about this amp.

In short, this amp is still the best amp I have ever owned, without a doubt. I've been gigging regularly with this amp for 18-months, with venues anywhere from 50 people to 5,000 people. Our soundman is a pro and he and I have tried several different ways to capture the sound in a live situation. The direct recording output is very good, but I still prefer a miked sound. We've used an MXL2001, Shure SM-57s and most recently, a Rode NT-2a. All worked great and the amp sounds great at either 50 watts or 25 watts. Trust me, this is more than enough power for a live performance.

I have been playing for nearly 30 years. I consider myself a very good player, although there is always room for improvement. I have had more compliments about my tone in the last year and a half. Guys usually come up and say "How do you get that...that SOUND?!" and I just smile and point to the Multitone. One poor drunk came up and said "That's the best sounding Line 6 amp I've ever heard..." Fortunately, the ambulance arrived quickly and he survived the beating... ;-)

The EQ is very touchy and for the longest time, I kept things pretty flat (12 o'clock) but in recent months, I've started experimenting with different settings. Even the slightest change in the tone knobs and the new tone really jumps out at you. Very sensitive, but this is good. I may even put a dab of locktite on the knobs to keep them from accidentally slipping.

I run a very simple rig: I use a Shure ULX-Pro wireless into the passive input. In the serial effects loop, I have a TC Electronic G-Major to add a little delay here and there. That's it. For control, I have a Behringer FCB1010 that controls the delay and volume parameters, and with the Koch DJ-1 adapter, my G-major changes the amp channels (clean, drive, gain) as the presets change. Very simple and easy to manage.

I play in a classic rock cover band and I'm able to get pretty much any sound I want out of this amp.

As I said before, I've been gigging regularly for 18-months with this amp and I have yet to have a problem. We have a short break coming up and I'm going to take it in for a quick tune, tube replacements, etc. I don't imagine I'll have any issues here.

I've emailed a few questions to Koch and always gotten an answer within a few days. So far, so good.

Great amp, I can't rave about them enough. I have shared it with other guitar players and several of them have made the move to Koch also. This says it all. Nice job, Koch!

The Koch Multitone 50 Watt all tube 212 Combo Amp has 3 Channels: Clean, Drive and Gain. FS-5 Footswitch with 5 switches. Triode (vintage sound)/Penthode power switches. Spring Reverb. 4, 8 or 16 ohms speaker output jacks. Four 12ax7 preamp tubes and Two EL-34 power tubes. 2 custom designed Jensen 12" speakers. Serial and Parallel Effects Loop. Recording Output. Damping Switch: High results in a more controlled sound, Low results in a more open sound. 2 inputs: High Input for standard-level instruments, e.g. guitars with passive pickups and Low Input for high-level instruments, e.g. guitars with high-output passive or active pickups. Both inputs may be used for connecting two instruments simultaneously. It also comes with metal casters and heavy duty recessed side handles which makes it easier to carry either alone or with another person if necessary. It weighs around 75 lbs.

I have found what I consider to be close to the ultimate guitar amplifier. I especially love how the drive and gain channels sound when I connect a Boss Digital Delay DD-3 through the Serial Effects Loop and an Ernie Ball Volume Pedal and a Real McCoy Picture Wah or a Cry Baby 535 in the passive input. Of course I had to get used to making several adjustments to the Treble/Bass/Mid/Drive/Presence etc. knobs to find the right sound I was looking for.

I have been playing guitar for over 12 years. I played over 9 years in a progessive new age rock/funk band called Mystic Moon. The latest band I'm been playing with for over a year is called Sandstorm which is a Pop/Rock band. If you are interested in hearing some of my lead guitar playing, you can download some of the songs off our website: www.sandstorm-band.com
Although I used a Crate GT-80DSP guitar amplifier to create the lead guitar sounds on the Sandstorm songs such as: More than you'll ever know, Daddy only Knows and Only in my Dreams, I consider the Koch Multitone 50 a far better overall amplifier than the Crate GT-80DSP.

The electric guitars I have been using are a Samick Interceptor with a Seymour Duncan SH5 and a Dimarzio PAF Pro as well as a JEM Ibanez 7DBK. The other effects pedals I use are a Line 6 Tone Core Tap Tremolo and a Chorus Ensemble CE-5.

If I put the Gain to approximately 15 to 20 for the Gain Channel, sometimes I will get too much feedback depending on where I am standing. One possible solution could be to purchase a Koch Load Box in the future so I can reduce the loudness by different percentages such as 40%, 25%, etc. without diminishing the overall tone, sustain or distortion.

I was searching on an off for years for the right amplifier. I tried most Marshall amps such as the 1987 Plexi Reissue, JCM 800/900 etc., Mesa Boogie Single and Double Rectifier, Crate Blue Voodoo, etc. but wasn't satisfied either with the overall sound, features and/or price. One day I walked in to Steve's Music Store with my guitar in Ottawa, Ontario and plugged directly into the Koch Multitone 50 without any extra effects. After about 5 or 10 minutes I was blown away with how it sounded. The search was over.

The footswitch wasn't working properly after 6 months so I brought it in to Steve's Music Store in Ottawa, Ontario to be fixed. I received the footswitch and it has been working properly ever since.

The power tubes had to be replaced and one of the pre-amp tubes. The amp is working great ever since.

I will be using it for gigs or for practices from now on. I have several spare Ruby power tubes just in case. I also purchased a very sturdy high quality Koch cover to help protect the amplifier.

The warranty is for 1 full year. The footswitch wasn't working properly after 6 months so I brought it in to Steve's Music Store in Ottawa, Ontario where I purchased the amp new. They didn't charge me for the repair but it took over 2 weeks before I got it back.

Also the power tubes had to be replaced and was put in wrong by someone at the music store. When they plugged the amplifier in, there started to have a burning smell. After about 30 seconds he unplugged it and realized he made a big mistake and put the tubes back in properly and tested several resistors ect. to make sure the amplifier was alright.

A couple of days passed and I decided to call Noraseng the Service Technician at Audionova in Dorval, Quebec. I told Noraseng everything that had happened. After consulting with him, we decided that it was best if I brought my Koch amplifier to him at Audionova to be serviced properly. It took me 2 hours to drive to Audionova from where I live. After I arrived at Audionova it didn't take long before Noraseng had taken the amplifier apart, replaced the Power tubes with Ruby EL-34's and one of the preamp tubes with a Ruby 12ax7. He also tested several resistors and found their values to be okay and cleaned and tightned many of the pots that were loose and put it back together. There was no charge for the service.

While me and my son was at Audionova, I received incredible service and kindness from both Noraseng and Mike. I really appreciate everything they have done. My amp is sounding and working great ever since. Noraseng and Mike the sales representative can be reached by telephone, fax or email which can be obtained from the Audionova website at: www.audionova.ca

I would highly recommend the Koch amplifier to anyone. If my amp was stolen or damaged, I would test several of the Koch amplifiers such as the 100 Watt head, etc. and decide which one was the best and which one I could afford and purchase it.

2003 Koch Multitone 50w 212 combo amp. I play the bar circuit, been playing for about 30 years. We play everything from Jazz, R&B to Funk and Rock $ Roll. I find the amp to be very versitile and is capable of producing soft sweet tones to all out fully blown raunch.
I don't use any effects and demand the amp to produce the sounds I need. The amp has three channels, clean,2nd channel shared with the first has more drive when needed, the third is seperate with tons of gain if needed. The amp also has a boost for soloing, effects loops, speaker dampening and a half power switch. The reverb is more than adequate and find I keep it a low setting not to overpower my tone.

My main stay guitars are a Prs McCarty with P90 soapbars pick-ups and a standard Strat with JB junior and a hot rail in the bridge position. The amp fits my music style very well, again I play a multitude of differant types of music. The amp is very quiet when idiling and makes no offencive nioses when played at high volumes.
The clean channel is more of a jazz clean than fendery, the second channel can give you a nice harmonicaly rich blues tone{with the right tubes) and the overdrive channel gives me more than needed
gain/drive structure. All channels are very useful and have their own distinct sound.

So far the amp has been reliable with the exception of a bad foot switch cord. Although I do have a back-up amp, I don't feel it nes to bring it to gigs thus far.

I've dealt with the Canadian Rep's concerning retubing, very nice people to deal with, not as knowledgable about the meat and potato's of the amp as I would like. Finding a qualified service tech who knows this product well has been a bit of a challenge. Unlike Fender or Marshall, they're relitively new to Canada. The warranty on this products was one year of purchase.

Been playing for a long time, I've owned many top brand production and boutique amps, this amp buy far is one the best sounding and easy to use. If it were stolen or lost I would probably replace it with the same. The amp is well built, easy to use and has a colorful palette of sounds. Researched and played most of the under 5000.00 dollar amps available and for me, this amp was the ticket!
If your looking to purchase a new amp, I would highly reccommend giving a Koch a try.

The amp from 2000. It's one of the first with Koch/Jensen speakers.
It dosen't have a bright input like the newer ones.
The rhythm volume is a tone sucker - don't use it.

Great with a Strat (with Kinman blues pu's). A Les Paul standard (with a seymour Duncan Antiquity), a ES335 and a Gretsch Malcolm Young signature (with TV Jones classics) all work well.

It's good for blues, alt-country, 60's and 70's (and 90's) rock.
I compared it to a Marshall TSL122 combo for a week. The Koch has much better clean AND dirty sound than the Marshall.

It's VERY loud - even in the 25watt setting. Has lots of bass.

I've used it for 3-4 without trouble.

They have answered 2 out of 4 mails.

It,s a shame that these amps cost som much in the US. The price in Norway is the half of the american proce.

I bought this amp brand new in December 2003. This amp is extremely versatile. It's the first three-channel amp I've ever played where all three channels are useful... My dealer (Russo's Music, Omaha) got a few Koch amps in to test out. They insisted I try it out, but I was hesitant as I wasn't in the market for a new amp. I plugged in and within seconds I was hooked. Seriously, it really blew me away. Any setting on the tone controls sounds great. I played with it in the store for about an hour and new I had to have one. Within a month, I had sold my Marshall half stack and my Fender Twin combo. Both of these are great amps, but I wanted to simply and downsize a bit. The Multitone's clean is very much like a Fender clean. The drive channel is very full and beefy (Think Montrose circa 1973). The gain channel has great sustain and responsiveness. It's not quite a Mesa crunch, but it's heavier than a Marshall. There is a direct recording jack on the back that sounds really good, considering it's a direct output. I still prefer a mic on the speaker, but this may be good for live applications. Haven't tried it yet live. Records pretty well, though. power-wise, this amp is more than enough. I was originally gonna' go with the 100watt head & cabinet, but the 50watt is plenty loud, trust me. Besides, I prefer the sound of an open-back cabinet. The 25-watt step down sounds very good also and is still plenty loud!

I use this amp with a pair of Fender Strats and a Les Paul. The only effect I use is a TC Electronic G-Major in the effects loop for a lot of delay-based stuff. I tend to go light on the effects. I play a lot of classic rock & blues fusion-type stuff. My idol is Eric Johnson and this amp really allows me to play with the freedom that comes with this style of music (does this make sense??) The amp is EXTREMELY quiet!!! I can not stress this enough. Even at high volumes, there's not much noise. Still, it's very responsive. I was able to eliminate the need for an overdrive pedal with this amp. There is NO breakup of the clean channel at high volumes. I have the gain cranked pretty high, but I tend to ride my volume and tone knobs on my guitars pretty hard, so this keeps the gain under control. I also purchased the optional MIDI switch interface (JP-1?) which allows me to control channel switching from my MIDI controller along with the G-Major. Keep it simple. The enclosed footswitch is very solid, though.

Haven't moved it around much, but it appears to be very solid with a lot of thought going into the design. The tubes are enclosed in a protective cage, and the knobs and switches are all very heavy-duty. I will start gigging with this amp in May, so we'll see what happens.

Haven't had to deal with them, so I can't comment. I've heard very good thing so far.

This is (hopefully) the last amp I will ever buy. I've played them all and this amp covers all the bases for me. It sounds great at high and low volumes, is very versatile, and is really a no-nonsense amp. As far as I know, I'm the only guy in town that has one right now, so I'm excited to get out and play with this amp! My only complaint is the price, but that's to be expected with an import. Still, it was worth it! You can't put a price on good tone.

For sound samples, go here: www.mjriley.com

Made in 2002. 3 channel (clean, crunch lead). Footpedal for channel switching. Serial and Parallel effects loop. Penthode/Triode switch. Hammond long pan reverb with footswitch. Master volume/lead boostr footswitch. 4/8/16 ohm speaker outs. 4 12ax7 preamp tubes. 2 EL-34 in the power section. 2- custom designed Jensen 12" speakers. Cabinet has casters, and heavy duty recessed side handles. I give it a 9 because the clean and crunch channels share the same voicing controls.
I use this amp at home, at practice and at large gigs, usually mic'd. It has way more than enough power for me. Iplay a combination of pop, rock, blues, and jazz styles.

Use a PRS and a strat. Versatility suits my style very well. It is a combo, so the tight bottom end that you might get from a closed back cabinet is not there, but I'm sure the amp could do it if hooked up to an external cab. No extraneous noise.

Reliable amp. I have owned it for 1-1/2 years with no major problems. Replaced the stock preamp tubes within the first week because they were microphonic on high gain settings, but that fixed everything up nicely. A month ago, one of the plastic input jacks broke. Must have been transporting it when it was really cold. Had it replaced. Not bad, this amp goes everywhere I go.

Emailed the company about some cabinet questions. They got back to me right away, and answered my questions.

I have been playing since 1982. Have owned marshall, fender, and line 6 amps. This is a versatile amp in a reasonbly sized package. If I needed to replace it, I would consider getting another Koch amp, but possibly a head/cabinet version. I compared it with the Mesa Mk IV, and while the Mesa is an incredible amp, I dound that the Koch had a more distinct voicing that is for lack of a better description "not Mesa". The Mesa was too much of a tweaker's amp, and I needed something that I could get good tones out of without fuss...that's the Koch. It was expensive new, but used, they are very reasonable deals. I would likely lose money at the moment if I were to sell it (I'm not) because it doen't have the brand appeal that many players get sucked into. I bought this amp with my ears, not my eyes, and it serves me very well.

The decision to buy was because I was unimpressed with the "big" marquees newest amps and the pure botique amps were too expensive. I also find the idea of three channels + overlaid rhytm/solo a brilliant one. This played a major part of my choice.

It also has a good solid floor pedal, FX-loop, Reverb, speaker out, triode/penthode switch, detachable wheels, velcro strips to secure the pedal in transport mode - lots of small things adding up to a good rating.

Rock, pop, blues, disco. It does all quite well. It has a lot of distortion but shredders may not choose this one anyway.

It's quiet.

Channel switching is immediate.

The sound is very much in the "hot Fender league", not so much crunchy Marshall.

I found it a bit amusing in the beginning to have to control the dynamics with the Koch, I was used to amps that did not respond that well to my pick attack. I've run it on the triode (50%) setting most of the time because I like that sound the most. My guitars are an
Fender Stratocaster Plus, a 335 and a LP.

My favourite channel is "channel 2". It's a perfect 10.

I'm not 100% happy with the reverb and personally I'd like a bit more Marshall in the lead channel but that's about it. It's just a preference. I give it an 8. A Fender man would love it.

It doesn't sound as well in a 4x12 with greenbacks, so the speaker choice made by Koch is probably the best!

The impression from the materials chosen and appearence of cables, connectors, pots and stuff is that this is a solidly built amp.
However, I have just had it for 5 months at the time of writing.

I truly like this amp. The quality of build and versatility of sound feels truly superior to "big name" amps in the same price range.

i RECENTLY TRIED A KOCH 2-12 100 WATT COMBO ON CONSIGNMENT A T LAVONNE WAGNER MUSIC IN SAVAGE, MINNESOTA. I MUST SAY, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE PERSON WAS TRYING TO SELL IT!THE CLEAN CHANNEL HAD FANTASTIC HEADROOM, .THE SECOND CHANNEL WAS BLUE'S HEAVEN AND REALLY RESPONDED TO PICK DYNAMICS. MY FAVORITE , WAS THE OD CHANNEL # 3! THIS BABY SOUNDED LIKE A MARSHALL TO A POINT, BUT THE HARMONICS SEEM RICHER WITH MORE DEFINITION. THE SUSTAIN WAS TRUELLY AMAZING. I COULD OF STAYED THERE ALL DAY AND PLAYED THIS BABY, BUT I THINK THE STORE PEOPLE WERE TIRED OF ME!

I THINK YOU CAN USE THIS AMP FOR ANY TYPE OF PLAYING
I TESTED THIS AMP WITH A G&L TELE STYLE GUITAR WITH HUMBUCKERS.I TRIED A COUPLE ALT TUNINGS AND STANDARD TUNINGS.I WAS VERY IMPRESSED.
THE DISTORTION BREATHES FIRE! THIS AMP ALSO PROVIDES SUPERB CLARITY WHILE DISTORTED. THE EL34'S REALLY ARE THE BEST CHOICE OF TUBES FOR THIS RIG.

I DON'T KNOW THE REALIABILITY, AS I DON'T OWN ONE, BUT EVERYTHING SEEMS TO BE VERY WELL MADE. IT IS A HEAVY AMP, BUT THAT IS UNDERSTANDABLE FOR A COMBO OF THIS CLASS.

THE AMP I TESTED HAD ALL THE MANUALS ECT, BUT I AM NOT SURE OF ANY WARRANTY AS IT WAS USED. WE HAVE SEVERAL REPAIR SHOPS IN MINNESOTA, SO SERVICE WOULD NOT BE AN ISSUE.

I HAVE BEEN PLAYING FOR 30 YEARS, AND HAVE OWNED MARSHALLS, LANEY'S SOVTEKS, AND A PEAVY CLASSIC 50.I THINK THIS AMP IS VERY VERSITILE. WITH THREE CHANNELS PLUS A BOOST, AND A HEAVY DUTY STEEL FOOT SWITCH, IT IS A KILLER RIG.IF I OWNED THIS AMP, I WOULD INSURE IT FOR FULL VALUE, AS I AM NOT SURE WHO SELLS THESE IN MINNESOTA.I WOULD REPLACE IT ASAP. I ALSO TRIED A CRATE BLUE VOODOO, BUT IT LACKED THE CHARECTER OF THIS AMP.

Made by Dolf Koch in Holland (Amesfoort, toch??)

Feats: 3 channel 50 Watt, 2x12 all-tube combo, with 2 jensen designed speakers, spring reverb and solo boost, 2 kinds of FX-loops, Rec out, Footswitch, triode/pentode swith, hi/lo speaker dampening.

Channel 1: Clean, sparkling with 3 band EQ and volume, great for jazz, funk, blues etc

Channel 2: Compressed clean/drive, shares it's EQ with CH1 and has an extra drive controle and it's own volume knob, great voor blues and clean lead's with an edge of overdrive

Channel 3: The lead channel, together with CH1 the moest versatile.
Great for metal, blues.......you name it, 4 band EQ (hi, mid, lo, pre) a gain knob and a volume knob

conclusion:
Not as many features as a Nomad, but it's enough to do the trick.

The guitar I'm using is a ESP/LTD M-100 with 2 dimarzio Pups in it (Double Whammy and Evolution)
and I have a modifies strat copy aswell, fitted with a lil'59 and 2 vintage flat by Seymour duncan

The clean channel is very sparkling, yet very warm you can use this channel for about every style of music.
I compared it to a Fender Twin Reverb, and sorry guys, I think the Koch is the better.

Drive channel is a bit muddy at higher gain settings, but a great clean lead channel

The lead channel is awsome, from a cool crunch to a real Fat lead sound, great for soloing an heavy riffing
and if you turn the gain down you'll get some real cool blues tones.
From Marshall to Mesa, from Soldano to Fender, it's all there, and you dont have to tweak for ours, just fool around with the gain control and you'll get millions of great sounds.

Never let me down

I called them once, cause I ordered it, and the store coulnd tell me how long it would take, very nice guys, they make these amps in there spare time.

I've been playing for 5 years now, I play a lot of Shred metal and Progressive rock/metal, and the last couple of months I started to play some jazz, so I needed an All-round amp.
I tested a Multitone, ENGL Sovereign, Mesa Nomad and e Rivera
And the Multitone came out as the winner.

If it were stolen............i'd go beserk

3 channel, 50 Watt all-tube amp. Handbuilt in Holland, end of 2001/beginning of 2002. 2 12" speakers custom built by Jensen from Dolf Koch's design. Fitted with 2x EL34 powertubes, although it also accepts 4x 6V6 tubes. Can work at 50% power by switching the tubes from penthode to triode operation, also changes the sound a little.
Koch sells their own relabelled tubes that are tested, matched and categorized in bias classes, allowing you to retube an amp with tubes from the same biasclass, without needing to have the amp biased.
Direct recording out, parallel and serial effects loops, switchable speaker dampening. Shared Bass, Mid, Hi EQ on Channel 1 and 2. EQ and presence on channel 3. Adjustable rhythm/solo volume (preset rhythm volume at a percentage of solo volume). Footswitch with buttons for all 3 channels, reverb and rhythm/solo volume. 2 inputs, one for passive, one for active pickups, both can be used simultanously.

I bought this amp for home use, although I do not rule it will once be used on stage. It's loud enough for that at least.

Bad things? Yeah, the on/off switch and standby switch don't look cool enough. I'd prefer the Fender-like switches with the Jewel light. But you vant have everything

I play a mexican built Fender Stratocaster and an acoustic Ibanez AW300, but have also tested it with a Gibson Les Paul standard. I play everything from bluesrock to metal and the amp suits my style very well.
Channel 1 gives a very clear, clean sound. Even makes my poor singlecoils sound good, while keeping the character of the sound.
Channel 2 adds a bit of distortion ranging from a mild compressed sound to a nice hardrock crunch. Channel 3 is not just the "even more" gain channel you'd expect but starts pretty clean and THEN goes to abnormal gain settings (multiple gain stages with the control going form 0 to 20). Of course it isn't a triple rectifier but the distortion does compare with Mesa's. I can't describe how versatile this amp is, you can create just about any sound with it. I was considering buying either this amp or a Mesa Nomad 55 Combo, but decided on the Koch because (as somebody once described to me) "any idiot can make it sound good", the Mesa required a lot of tweaking to get the right sound, but on the other hand also allowed a lot of other (less usable) sounds.
The thing I like most, but what can probably be a bad thing for a lot of people, is the directness and transparency of this amp. I found that a lot of people associated tube-amp tone with a sound I experienced as mainly muddy, without the original character of the guitar. This amp really let's the sound of the guitar and the playing come through, which also means that lower quality guitars or bad playing can be heard very well.

Overall, very nice sounding, very versatile

I'm not going to use the corny expression "it's built like a tank", even though it is. I would take a backup to a gig, even though i highly doubt this sucker will ever break down. Up until now, nothing has broken, although it is about time i retubed it.

I mailed Koch a couple of times because I wanted some more info about the 100 Watt version (wich accepts almost all kinds of tubes) and if it would be worth the extra expense. Always got a response in 2 or 3 days. A friend of mine had some questions about his tubeamp and was reffered to Koch by the store where he bought it, talked to Dolf Koch personally and he was very helpful.
Since I live in the Netherlands it's easier to find a dealer than abroad, but I would recommended looking for one and stopping by to test these great amps. Due to increasing demand, there have been a number of times when certain models were no longer in stock, but they have increased their output since then.
Warranty is 12 months.

I have been playing for about five years, but only sterted to play serious the last two years. Up until then i had a small Fender solidstate amp, but I wanted something better. If it were stolen I'd be depressed for a week, then have my insurance company pay for a new one. I don't think anyone could inconsipciously sneak off with this thing, it's reliable and versatile, for me definitely an amp for life.

Only problem is taht you need to crank it up a bit to make it sound great nd that it costs a lot, but hey, that's tubeamps for ya.

Brandnew.2/12 speakers.50 watts ;4 6v6 Power tubes.Parallel + serial fx-loop.3 channels.Great concept.Very versatile ; serious amp.Direct out jack ; Half power switch....

I mainly use a roadhouse strat ('97) w/ texas special pu's.I play blues,rock,jazz in various occasions.
This amp has 3 very good sounds, that means you can use all three of them.It is a serious tool for serious musicians.I use a rocktron multivalve in the (parallel) Loop for some reverb/delay which works
fine.The clean channel is very dynamic and stays clean even at high volume settings.The crunch channel is based upon the clean channel but has separate gain & volume controls.Very open and rich sounds here.From blues to rock.The gain channel has seperate tone and volume controls.It is abit like a different amp.Modern distortion one might say....At higher settings there is a lot of compression, which some of the more unexperienced guitarists might underestimate.(sounds "cool" alone but does not work in a band situation.)For my taste the highs/upper mids
are a bit unnatural.
But this channel works great and remains dynamic if you set the gain knob at half way.
All 3 sounds cut through very well in a loud band if set properly.
I do not agree with some people saying that this amp sounds wonderful at bedroom levels.It is a tube amp. You have to f*** with the power tubes !!Then it sings.
I give it a 9 .

I had to order my amp since my dealer did not have the 50 watt version.he just had the 100-watter with EL-34.All comments made refer to this amp.I played it a lot cause I had to wait Three !!!! months for my amp.When i finally received it itook it immediately to a rehearsal and it sounded shit !!But iwas too busy with the songs so i thought:"maybe you just played like a cunt ?!"The next day i took it to the gig and 15 minutes before the show the lead channel said goodby with a loud crack.Fortunately i managed to get a second multitone from my dealer so i did not have to use a completely different amp.
The serviceguy told me that it was a broken chord on the footswitch.
Idid not believe him cause exactly this switch worked fine with the 2nd amp.But I'm just a stupid musician....Of course on the next gig the same thing happened.But this time i had to use the gear of the guitarist who played before my band.Fortunately i had a good distortion pedal.By the way :the gig was fuckin great - even without the koch.Never think that your equipment is the most important part of your music.It is just a pleasant luxury.
I finally found out what the mistake was.A broken resistor in the preamp.Hope it works now!!

E-mailed to koch and they kindly replied.Talked to Dolph on the phone and he tried to be helpful.Good.
But it took them three months to send me an amp which did not work.

The 100 watt version which i borrowed from the store worked fine and sounded very good.I played and gigged with it for 4 months while i waited for my 50w/6v6 to arrive or to be repaired.
I own a fender evil twin ,a champ 12, various stomp boxes like Jekyll & hyde ,Tube factor,TS-10,Carl Martin compressor,line 6 delay,boss reverb/delay,a cry baby ,ernie ball vol. pedal and a roland VG-88.

When it was stolen i might buy the twintone which is not as heavy.

I have alot of respect of the viewers here.It's great to hear from other players how they find they gear.But I cannot share their enthusiasm.The multitone is a fine peace of gear - when it works-and can deliver all sounds that a serious player requires.Contrary to some expensive american brands it has handy features like 2 (great) FX-loops,
direct out and a really useful switching board.You can set 2 different switchable output levels which i find is a great idea.

I was just sick of paying too much money for all those fenders, boogeys, soldanos, bogners (german by the way).You pay for the name + for the toll.I used to play a boogie mark 3 and it wasen't half as good (but more expensive).
This amp is a really good tool for a reasonable prize.Nothing more ,nothing less.

Recent manufacture. Three channels with separate tone and presence controls for the lead channel. 2 special-issue Koch Jensen speakers. Comes with 6V6 tubes, but can handle EL34's. Great footswitch with CH1, CH2, CH3, REV, BOOST. I think it has a recording out, effects loop, and a head phone jack; I don't use these. Very useful half power switch in the back. Can handle everything that most of us mortals play--you may have to mike it for those 15000+ arenas. A bit heavy at around 75 lbs, but has great handles on the side which make it easier for you to get your drummer to help you carry it.

I play a Custom Shop Les Paul, a PRS McCarty, and a reissue Strat with Fralin's. Channel 1 is the "clean" channel. Not really Fender. More of a JTM-45 type with more sparkle. Very expressive. Enough headroom for most venues but clips when pushed, like any great tube amp should. The strat sounds like a Strat should with nice snap out of pos 2&4, and the neck p/u sings nicely. The big surprise for me was the bridge p/u. Actually sounds smooth, but has plenty of bite. How many of you actually use your bridge p/u alone? You will with this! Humbuckers seem to reflect the guitar they are in. The LP has a plenty of upper end response with a ton of low end. The PRS is the opposite, with the midrange honk really coming through. Each guitar will clip beautifully when pushed hard in half power mode, making this option great for blues jams.
Channel 2 is the "crunch" channel. I know it's cliche but its ZZTOP/ACDC all the way. I prefer humbuckers here--they clean up when you ride the guitar volume down. Classic power amp-type distortion with nice note definition. Turn up the grind to about 1/2 and crank the excellent & unique long-pan reverb for a nice Garcia lead tone. Turn it up all the way and pound out 1st position chords for Angus. Nice.
Channel 3 is the high-gain channel. I am a Warren Haynes geek who has a lot of amps with great clean channels but all "lead" channels sound cheesey to me and always seem to get lost in the mix. You know what I mean--you keep turning your amp volume up and up until you are drowning out your entire band and everyone gets pissy. This amp is exactly what I have been looking for.
I probably would have bought an SLO100 combo if I could have found one to try. I love a nice heavy tone (Presence-era Led Zep/Allmans/Santana/KWS), but absolutely hate heavy metal sounds. If you know Warren Haynes you know what I like and this amp does a damned good job of producing it. The best tone to me comes with the gain set at about 12:00--plenty of dirt with note definition that you only dream about. Strum a G chord and you hear each note chime true. You can even use an alternate picking stroke on this distortion channel and hear every nuance. I am still blown away by this (god, I'm a friggin geek...) May not be enough gain for the metal heads and the Godsmack fans but it works for me. Another cool thing about this channel is when you unplug your LP after The Wanton Song, you plug in the Strat, don't turn any knobs, throw on the neck p/u and rip into Pride & Joy. It's perfect. You won't believe me but try and you'll see.
The reverb is full and deep (fuller than my Fenders, but not as deep)
and the adjustable & footswitchable boost function is absolutely invaluable in live situations.
This amp cuts through the mix and is an absolute pleasure to play through. It has three very usable channels that fit all the cover band chores I have run into. This amp makes you want to play your guitar more.

Steve at Wildwood Music in Louisville, CO takes all my money (he gives me cool stuff in return, and I seem to ask for it) so he will get the call if anything goes wrong. I have no idea how long the warrantee is and don't care because I buy my gear from good people who take care of me.

I have been playing for about 12 years. I have a Super Reverb, a Vibro King, a '59 Princeton, a Blues Pearl '59 Bassman replica, a Mesa Boogie Subway Blues, an Ampeg Reverberocket, and a few smaller amps. I have had Riveras, Marshalls, Boogies and others in the past. This is not a clone amp but rather an instrument with its own unique, very useable, voice. I would recommend this amp to just about nobody because I want to be the only person cool enough to own one.

it's like a marshall TSL-122 100watt combo with three channels except it sounds better. Has a master volume, reverb, and three channels accessible by footswitch. Lots of other good stuff including parallel and series effects loops, loose/tight speaker damping, active and passive inputs. All the knobs are nice and beefy. Cool grillcloth that's kinda sparkly. Mine got upgraded from V30's to Koch designed Jensen's. (2x12) About the size of a twin reverb.

I'm told this is the amp that PRS tours with. My friend on the internet who owns a two rock setup thought his amp could not get the sounds he was hearing from Paul and the Dragons. The clean is nice but not in the old blackface league..more of a jazz clean. The crunch shares the eq with the clean channel. Great stuff here with hums or singles. The Overdrive channel is pretty much the sound i was looking for. Heavy metal is no problem and also Robben Ford tones here. I have a VL1002 Lee Jackson Head which i am now considering selling. I've owned a Bogner 101B, T-Verb, Dual Recto's
Triple Rectos, Naylor Super Drive, VHT Pitbull and more. This amp
and the Bogner are my favorites. If someone can put in a really great sounding fendery clean channel and get this kind of OD...that's the only thing that i could imagine would really top it. But if you need a fender clean you wouldn't be buying this amp. Probably the two rock does both. I've never actually a/b'd the amps but i'm always blown away by my tone on the overdrive channel.
because this OD is so much more refined.

Never had a problem even though it got shipped from back east somewhere by the animals at UPS. the Tubes are fully encased in a metal cage. Looks bulletproof.

Koch reps will rap with you no problem. I think they are trying to get a toehold on the US market. No enviable task as conservative as most amp buyers are. Never had to get the amp repaired.

If it was stolen i'd have to save some money to get another one.
the only drawback is the weight which is around 76 lbs. If i was gigging i'd probably not be carrying this monster around unless i had a roadie. I've tried and owned most amps under 4000 dollars and this is my all time favorite. Probably you'd gain something with Santana's two rock or the Diezel or some other 5000 dollar amps but
what's good enough for PRS is probably good enough for me.
I'm sure i'll keep looking for something better.