Kustom K200B

I am submitting this for all of the blithering idiots who have no idea what the tuck and roll line was intended. Musicians. People who can play sounds pleasing to the ear without all of the automated crap that is on the market. It is intended for minimalist, Clean, unadulterated music, sometimes with a small amount of effects. It is meant ot be the amplification for what you put into it not the adulteration of that which is sent it's way. They are loud clean amps that do what they were designed for.

The sound is exceptional if clean is what you are looking for. If you can't live with clean sstay away you will not appreciate these amps.

You can count on these amps to cover your back. The only way you are going to get one is used. With that in mind 30 years is a pretty good life expectancy. They are Built from easily obtainable parts and someone with a minimum of electronics knowledge can take the schematics and repair them.

The Original Kustome Company does not exist. The name was purchased by a company in Cincinatti, Ohio which produces a new and unrelated line of amps.

I have been playing since these came out they are solid dependable amps that reproduce what is put through them. and have always been highly desirable for what the were designed. If you wan a clean sound this is the way to go. I own 6 various models and I am still buying.

UPDATE time.

I've been using the K200B-3 onstage for several months now with Floorian and have a better idea of this amp's capabilities. I don't remember if I mentioned it in my previous review, but I now run it through a battered black 4x12 cabinet. I have two separate chains going simultaneously: a keyboard chain consisting of my Yamaha YS200 and my Multimoog feeding intoa Roland Space Echo, and a guitar chain usually featuring either my Les paul or our guitarist Todd's Vox Phantom 12 string and my usual pedal string. The Kustom's design as an all-purpose amplifier includes what in other amps would be considered a major limitation: the two channels are independent and simultaneously available rather than switchable (the footswitch connection for the second channel does effectively compensate--it switches the Harmonic Clipper in and out to sub for a real overdrive channel). This means I can run both chains into the amp and have them both come out, and mix the levels without the need for an external mixer. Perfect!

Of course, this being a vintage amp made before a lot of the features we take for granted now were devised (so you can't really blame them), that makes sense. You also can't blame them for not including an effects loop since little digital wonder boxes were still sci-fi in 1968...but 36 years later it's a handicap, especially--and ironically--for a band specializing in effects-soaked psychedelic rock. When the song calls for it (there's only one) I have to patch our rack-mount Lexicon in-line...if your setup requires loads of outboard gear all the time, this Kustom definitely ain't for you...but then you're likely into overdrive cannels and sophisticated EQ and crap, ie a well-equipped modern guitarist, so it probably isn't anyway. I'm not going to rate this one because in a way it's like comparing a watermelon to apples and oranges.

I'm going to say two things:

1) It's very loud and has a very nice balanced tone, a decent example of the "hi-fi" sound quality I look for in an amp.

2) It's quite transparent and doesn't add a lot of "tone" on its own...that is, "tone" as guitar players define it. The kind of guys who salivate over Fender Twins and Marshall Plexis for their classic (and possibly overhyped) "tone" are gonna be disappointed with this one. Of course, that Harmonic Clipper and Selective Boost thing has its own to offer, but like I said you can't really compare it to mainstream guitar amps.

All that said, it does very well for my purposes. Excellent stage amp if your primarily a stompbox kind of guitarist, and if you need basic, clear, and loud amplification.

Seems solid so far. Just shows the effect of age, but doesn't appear to be ready to deep-six itself soon.

I've already rated it, and besides I've discovered that the K200B is really an oddball when you compare it to most other guitar amps so it would be pointless to try. As I've said, it does what it does quite well objectively speaking...but would a guitar player accustomed to certain things (reverb, switchable channels, built-in overdrive, effects loops) think he'd been conned if he scanned the numeric ratings rather than read my review and then found it didn't even meet the basic requirements for a Guitar Amp in the year 2004? Chances are he'd respond with one of those scathing 1-1-1-1-1-1 reviews:

"THIS THING SUCKS!!!! U CAN'T EVEN SWITCH BETWEEN CHANELS AND THEIRS NO OVERDRIVE U CANT EVEN PLAY DEATH METAL ON THIS SPARKLY UPHOLSTERED TURD!!!KUSTOM BLOWS CHUNK AND THE WAY THEY MISSSPEL THEIR LOGO IS DUMB TOO!!!!I BEEN PLAYING DEATH METAL GUITAR SEVEN MOS SO I KNOW!!!!!!!!I'M GONNA THROW THIS PIECE OF DONKEY CRAP (ITS MADE IN KANSAS WHAT DO PEOPLE IN KANSAS KNOW ABOUT ROCKNROLL?!) IN THE RIVER & BUY ME A CRATE!!!THOSE GUYS KICK ASS!!!!"

Sorry, I couldn't help it. :-) But seriously, folks...

My sample, a blue-sparkle tuck and roll K200B-3, was manufactured approximately October 1968, according to a gentleman on the VintageKustom.com web forum.

100 watt, old school transistor amp. Two channels (Normal and Bright, although I really can't tell much difference if you don't count the extra effects), each with low and high inputs, volume, bass, treble, and bright on/off.

The Normal channel also includes two interesting extras. There is a Selective Boost circuit, which is essentially like a sweepable mid control on a mixing board with the frequency sweep control replaced by six-position rotary switch and no cut, only boost. This ends up sounding a bit like a Cry Baby with click stops. The other goodie is called a Harmonic Clipper, but what it really is, is a built-in fuzz. That's right, not overdrive, but an actual '60s-vintage fuzztone like a Maestro or a Tone Bender!

I miss having an actual mid control, and of course things like reverb and tremolo, but for that there are always the K200B-2 and -4 models.

From what I've learned, these heads require at least a 4 ohm cabinet.

I am currently using this amp through a Fender stage monitor or PA cabinet with a single 15" speaker (please keep in mind as I haven't tested it with a proper guitar cabinet, ie a 4x12) I have tried using my trusty Lotus str@t which is my current main guitar, as well as my brother's Agile lesspaul which is on loan to me, running both straight as well as through my basic effects chain (DOD distortion and flanger, Small Stone, Dan-Echo).

You turn the thing on and you hear the classic Kustom Hiss. There is a small amount of white noise that is always there under everything. Of course this gets squashed to negligible level when you crank it up, but apparently some find it disconcerting. You may also get some AC buzz as I sometimes do.

This bastard dog is LOUD. I mean, the thing is shaking the windows at only about 1 or 2 on the volume knob. It stays reasonably clean until you get to about 10 to 12 0'clock, when it starts breaking up. Don't bother using this as your bedroom practice amp--the thing was built for playing live. Loud.

In my opinion the K200B-3 seems to like my str@t better than the paul. The clean settings are nice and bright, light on the bottom end until it's cranked, which suits single coils perfectly. It's definitely a vintage tone, kinda surfy or garagey on first listen. Flip on that Harmonic Clipper and you're off to another universe full of jagged shapes. The most brutal, crude, wicked buzzsaw distortion this side of an overpriced vintage pedal resides within. None of that pussy scooped-mid metal distortion here, nor that warm tube overdrive that blues purists love so much. Punks and alt-rockers should like it. The Selective Boost offers some neat tone options as well, not the most sophisticated or flexible, but interesting anyway. For the more adventurous, nonconformist guitarists out there, there is some cool and unique stuff to be had from these simple resources.

I've had it all of two weeks, and have not gigged with it yet, but vintage Kustom amps have a well-established reputation for robust construction and rock solid reliability. Hell, even the tuck and roll has only a couple of small rips after 35 years of service!

No idea if the current Kustom company (in Cincinnati) offers any support for the vintage gear that bears its name (made in Chanute, Kansas) but to their credit they at least acknowledge the old stuff's existence and even offer links from their website to some other sites devoted to the old Kustoms. Your best bet for service would be to get friendly with other Kustom owners, some of whom are amp techs, and start learning some basic electronics repair techniques.

I will write a follow up report when I've had the chance to put the K200B-3 through the paces on stage and in the studio mated to a proper cabinet. It has considerable potential, even if it isn't a Fender or a Marshall. I can be sure no one else playing the High Street live circuit here in Columbus has an amp like this. You own one of these, and you can consider yourself part of a small but devoted (and seemingly very friendly) club of devotees.

One point that is worth mentioning. Kustom's old heads, so I'm told, are NOT bass heads, as in strictly designed for bass. Nor are they strictly guitar heads either. Apparently they were designed as sort of all-purpose instrument amps, and the cabinet selected when you bought a head determined what application it was used for. The extra goodies on most of the models (reverbs, trem, Harmonic Clipper, Selective Boost) imply that they were intended more as GUITAR amps, but of course there was nothing stopping you from running your bass or any other instrument them if you wanted (an approach unlike today's sophisticated, highly specialized bass-only amps, but hey, that was a different time, I mean, like, that was THE SIXTIES, maaaan).

I'd buy a station wagon full of these things. Because 1) they sound cool; 2) they look even cooler; and 3) a station wagon full of these things would probably cost slightly less than a single Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier, which is the coolest.

Mid 60's typical tuck-n-roll Kustom 100 watt SOLID STATE bass head. Most people don't realize it, but the 200 is only 100 watts. A bright channel and normal channel, each with their own high and low jacks. Both then have additional bright switches (why I don't know?), and the typical bass, treble, and volume pots. I never use the bright channel so one side of this amp is useless in my opinion. I've seen a lot of these amps with additional features, but mine's an early model with nothing but the basics. It's loud enough for what I do with it, but if you played a big club, you'd need to be miked. Heck, these days almost every medium sized or larger venue is miked though...

I've played a variety of basses (even a few guitars) and cabs through this head and every one of them has sounded awesome! In my opinion, these old Kustom amps are some of the best sounding bass rigs going and I've played through a lot of the favorites out there. With the bass plugged into the normal channel, through the low jack, with the bright switch turned off, and everything turned up full, going through a pair of 15"s you'd swear you had just looked Satan in the eye. Yes, folks it's that deep, distorted, and eerie sounding. Kind of like if Geezer Butler decided to use a little distortion on top of his trademarked sound. If you like a cleaner sound, it's just a matter of fine tuning the knobs - trust me, the options are there. After all, Stu from CCR used one too. A great amp that has fooled more than one person into thinking it was tube powered!

This thing was built over 30 years ago, and except for some static when you turn the bright switch on/off it works like new. I don't take it on tour with me because I want to protect that pretty tuck-n-roll, but it goes to all our local gigs. No problems, knock on wood!

I have been playing bass since about 1990 and this is the only bass head I've ever owned. I bought it because it looked cool, was 'vintage' and was cheap. I've played 'em all though, Hartke, Acoustic 360, HiWatt 100, Ampeg SVT, you name it. None compare to the dirgy-like sound I can get out of this at a reasonable volume without a pedal. It's simple, it was cheap (when I bought it) although have been seeing these things climb in price over the years, and it is remarkably reliable. Siskel and Ebert would give this amp, two thumbs up!

Vintage? My guess is late '60s to mid '70s. I have used this amp as either my main bass head or 2nd bass amp since purchasing it for $25 in 1984. I have also run guitar (through pre-amp or pedal/zoom box) through it. It is set up wierd -- a low and high input for 1/4" lead on each of the normal and bright sides. The bright side has never worked correctly. The bright side has a messed-up reverb thingy. The bright side is set up with the following rotary pots: reverb, speed, volume, bright (choose between on and off), intensity, bass, and treble. I never, ever use the high side...which seems to be set up for guitar...because of the reverb noise glitch defect. The normal side I take to be set up for Bass. The normal side is nice and simple: Volume, bright (choose between on and off), bass, and treble. I play various bass styles...from jazz to blues to mostly rock and especially harder stuff, e.g., metal, hardcore, etc. When I occaisionally play guitar through it, I basically play clean semi-crunchy rock'n'roll (but I would not suggest this amp, especially the normal side for guitar). The bright side has a foot switch input for? I assume the reverb (never messed with it). The back has a line out (in addition to 1/4" outs to speaker cab) but it is neither a 1/4" nor rca, not sure what (never messed with it). I typically play a Fender Jazz Bass, an Ibanez SDGR800, Gibson Flying V Bass, or Gibson EB-O through it into a Fender Dual Showman (2x15). I use it for both rehersal and for club dates. It is more than loud enough for small clubs (200 person venues e.g. Cowhaus, Tallahassee). It is not really versatile or feature-full. Think straight-forward no-brains (perhaps that's why the 'bright' side doesn't work).

The sounds are to me, dated, and I don't record with it (altough I guess with my sansamp preamp, I could, but I'd rather go d.i. with it. 98% I use the normal side low input with bright knob turned on and I vary the amount of bass and treble to style and bass. This is the bad ass for all-out heavy bottom loud Thick, thick bass -- turn the bass knob up. But no teen-age V scooped out e.q. available, particularly with inactive pick ups or no dedicated pre-amp...turning the treble up and cutting the bass produces more definition but I would not use it for Stanley Clarke imitations! But if your tastes run to Sabbath, Deep Purple, Kyuss, etc. This is it. Warning, no nice glassy tube sounds, like Ampeg...this is definitely less colorful and a bit duller.

Most dependable and durable amp I've ever had or used. Finally, a month ago, it didn't work right. Volume potentiometer replaced and it's back to 'normal.' As I said above, I don't know what's wrong with the 'bright' side, and I don't care. It came with a cigarette burn or two in the naugahyde tuck and roll, but for the price, who cares? I have taken it to gigs with out a back-up but my paranoia dictates not to do so, but so far unwarranted.

Well, I guess they are (back?) in business now. And perhaps a bit trendy, at that. Never called them. Never saw one in a store until about a year ago.

I have been playing too long to remember, but not long enough for you to know me! When I dream, I would like to acquire a Mesa Boogie Bass Amp or perhaps, really just a nice power amp, like a crown or two, preamp with a demeter, and that's enough for any venue, let the PA do the work...it's a pain carrying the bass equipment. I have a Trace Elliot Combo for a stage back up, but it doesn't quite have the bottom of the kustom into the dual showman. When I play guitar, its SG or Les Paul through the sansamp into a Sovtek MiG60 into either Crate 4 x 10 or the Dual Showman (I like the latter). My Guitar Dream amp would be something like a mesa Boogie plus a Fender Champ (one overdriven, one clean) through 2 2 x 15 cabinets in tandem (like to hear the crunch with the articulation - more taste and less filling). Right now, I seem to be acquiring more studio-oriented crap, like tube-preamps...I don't bother with them for rehersal and I sure would not take them on stage! My ideal stage set-up is simplicity! (I diddle on the recordings!)

Why can't an amp just be a great amp? No whistles and bells - effects until your ears bleed - and more confusing setting than my new VCR! I've been playing these great amps for 30 yrs and will never stop! They are just great bass amps!

Solid - full - throaty - more sound than you will need - clean - and mean! With the 2 JBL 15" speakers and the option of bright or normal I get all the variety I need. The use of the reverb gives me unusual bass effects without the need for add on after add on. Not the most versatile amp I've played - But clean all the way!

I've been beating on these amps forever and they have never failed. The only replacement has been the jewel lamp and a side handle! I used to bring back up amps to most of my gigs - not for along time now - if the amp where to fail, I'd probably pass out in disbelief!

The need for info on these amps - though never really needed - is best found with the vast users dedecated to the vintage beauties! I would sooner stick my appendages in a meat grinder than try to gleen any type of support or help from the service dept. It's unfortunate, a little kindness would go a long way in the continued success of the new owners. Good Luck

I think you can all get the idea I like my Kustoms!