Kustom Quad 100DFX 212 Combo

Features have been covered, basically a 2 channel amp with some preamp mods. I tried the effects loop and got nothing but noise. I just wanted a basic amp with 2x12s so I wouldn't have to use my Korg multi-effects all the time. Just plug in and play for home practice. Haven't jammed with it yet. I'm basically a classic rock/christian rock guy, Journey/Boston/Toto.

I had read so much about the great clean channel, but when I first plugged in with my Korg in front, I was like, eh... But like others have said, you have to tweak it, and play around with eq, etc. I made up a bank of new presets on the Korg, and it just came to life. I thought the sound was mushy and not defined at first since I was used to using my Fender Rumble 100 bass amp (2x10 with horn, sealed cab). I just wasn't used to the open back, but the speakers are great, don't break up or rattle. I play a reissue 72 Tele Thinline and the distortion channel with gain = 10 and boost on really lets my wide range pickups sing. I actually love the chorus/reverb effect and the tremelo. Just adds a bit of color to the sound. The amp retains note definition, I usually play with volume around 3-4 (when no one is home).

I used to play an early 70's Woodson (Kustom's cousin) that was heaveeee, then a 1x12 Ampeg, that didn't fill up the room the way I wanted. I sold it to concentrate on bass for awhile, but got tired of having to plug in so much crap to play my guitar too.

I've only had it 3 weeks from ebay, no probs.

Never contacted the company. Since I got it so cheap ($110 incl shipping) I'm just glad it works.

I've been playing over 35 yrs and running sound for our church for 5 so I know what I like in sound. I was saving up for a Super Champ XD, but couldn't pass up the chance to get 2x12 Celestions & 100W. I hate the chrome knobs. It's virtually impossible to tell where your settings are. This amp can handle heavy chorus/delay/reverb effects or good rock crunch with equal clarity. This amp serves as a clean palatte to paint sounds onto but also lets me just plug in, crank the gain and jam. I love it, especially for the ebay price of $73 + shipping. I didn't sense much interest in this brand online. Can't believe they try to sell it for $450 new!!

not sure of the year Its a very versatile amp and very pedal friendly It has 2 channels but vintage/modern switches for each so its really 4 different sounding amps in one I wish it had a louder distortion channel Its a great overdrive but lacks the punch to put it over a loud rock band solo wise I hardly ever use the overdrive live as the clean is just beautiful and fat and takes my pedal setup very well I use this on gigs and usually its miked up without it being miked the clean is plenty loud with pedals Its a solid state but has the most beautiful clean I have played It kills a fender marshall mesa and alot of other boutique amps in this department

i usually use my strat with jeff beck noiseless pickups It fits my style very well which is jazz/blues and classic rock It is dead quiet even with pedals the chain is screaming blues to od1 to mxr comp to wa to tuner with this setup I can cover anything from jazz to blues classic rock even hendrix cream etc and also country as the clean sounds great with the comp The clean stays clear even at loud levels the distortion is smooth and musical and if it was louder I would use it for sure

i have had the amp worked on once its a tank pretty heavy and well built

na

Been playing a while started when they had these things called records!! I have a marshall4 couple of cabs 4 12 lots of guitars hotrod deluxe couple of randalls trace elliot (marshall mod) etc I love the clean and contrary to most reviews I love the verb its very lush if used at a low setting also the 2 12 is very fat with alot of low end for a combo also it sounds very tubelike very very warm I don't really hate anything about it just wish the od channel was louder I know there are boutique hand wired amps all guitarists lust after but give this a try I defy you to find a better clean on any amp and for the price its an amazing amp for solid state or any amp for that matter

The onboard FX are not great but I use the delay regularly. Footswitchable preamp modes would make this amp a VERY popular combo.

The clean channel is stunning. Period. The lead channel will give you a broad range of tones from subtle fuzzy/overdrive to mid-scooped distortion. As for those claiming the amp will not handle numetal tones etc., use the clean channel with your choice of pedal in front and stop whining! I play with a full band and NEVER have any trouble cutting through. Not only does this amp work hard at a low volume, the tone that it produces is easily as good as many "Boutique" products I've played. I will NEVER need another amp (unless this one goes missing).

I have had no problems at all.

I contacted KUSTOM with questions about the circuitry in the amp. I toyed with the idea of modding the amp to allow footswitch control of the preamp modes. After playing the amp for a month, I find there is no need. The option would make a great addition but is in no way a limiting factor in the use of the amp. KUSTOM responded instantly and was very helpful.

I have been playing guitar and working as an engineer for seventeen years. There is not another amp I can think of playing through or micing up in the studio or live that stands out in my mind more than the Quad 100DFX combo. The noise floor on this is amazing.

Maybe KUSTOM will take notice that these are diamonds in the rough and add preamp mode switching to the footswitch jack. Can you say "ROI?" Seriously, KUSTOM will sell a lot more of these if the word gets out. Spread the word!

Simply Awesome.

Heaps of features. More than I will use. My amp has 2x 80 watt celestions, whereas most of the amps reviewed here have 65s. Don't know if this makes any difference but they are a cheaper celestion and one day , if they blow, I might upgrade.

Using it witha reissue Hagstom Viking, and the sound is great at normal practise volumes and above. At low practise volumes (think, late at night and everyone is asleep) this amp just doesn't do it, but in all fairness, was never designed to.
Brilliant clean sound. Best I have tried. I bought this amp because I was sick of my overly bright Fender Princeton 65. This is a better amp than the fender.
I rarely use the dirty channel, dirty up the clean channel with a Boss Blues Driver.

First time I carried it by the handle after I had got it home from the shop, the handle broke. It is only supporting this heavy amp by a single screw an each side. The amp took a heavy fall which seasoned the outside a little prematurely but did no damage.
Next day I went to the hardware store and bought 2 x 4mm screws, 32 mm long (the originals are 4x25). I took the original screw with me so I could check the thread.
I replaced these original, inadequate screws with the 32mm long ones (don't worry about hurting the amp, there is plenty of room inside before the screw hits anything crucial).
Now you could swing my amp by the handle; if you were strong enough. :)

no idea

I have owned A peavey 2x12 which was good, but a one trick pony, a Marshall valvestate, a fender princeton 65 and a few others over 35 years of playing guitar professionally, and semi pro.
This is the best amp I have owned. It cost me $500 Aus, but can easily sit side by side with $1200-$1400 amps I tried in my shopping trip.

All the features have been well-described here. 100-watt MOS-FET solid state with twin Celestion 65-watt speakers, effectively 4 channels and 8 built-in digital effects.

I'm really posting this review to give a big plug to the Kustom people for some truly great customer service. See "Customer Support" below.

Using it with a Fender Strat (CIJ '57 reissue), SX Strat (Chinese '57 replica), Harper Telecaster copy (NZ/Chinese), Simon & Patrick acoustic/electric (Fishman-equipped), Cort 12-string (also Fishman-equipped).

Heaps of grunt, great choice of tones, very usable FX, remarkably "tubey" body and punch.

Only recently acquired, in very second-hand condition. Like, beat-up.

I picked up this amp real cheap in a pawnshop. It looked well-used and abused, but worked fine. Among other cosmetic flaws, the elliptical name badge was missing from the top front. I decided to give the box some TLC, and went to the Kustom U.S. and international websites to try and find a New Zealand distributor/dealer. While on the site, I filled in a Question/Comment form, asking about a local connection and mentioning my quest for a [metal} name badge. Next day, I got an email from a "Kustomer" Service guy in Kentucky, asking me to verify that it was actually a Kustom amp by sending a couple of photos and citing the serial number - which I did. I also inquired about cost and postage to NZ. A day later, I received another email advising that the badge was on the way. I had originally thought the missing badge was the die-cut metal version. Eight days after my initial inquiry, a bubble-pack arrived in the mail containing two badges - the big metal one (which was too large for the cavity), and a self-adhesive plastic one (which was perfect), demonstrating real thoughtfulness on the part of the Kustom guys. No charge for anything. This was impressive customer service/support. Major kudos to Kustom.

Playing 40+ years. Other current amps: Roland DAC-80D (112), Roland SuperCube100 (115), Ibanez TA35 "Troubador" Acoustic (110).

I've almost finished restoring the exterior of this amp - with great help from the Kustom team, who clearly take pride in and stand behind their gear.

I believe this amp is about 5 years old because it has a sticker from 2003 from the original store. Overall, I'm pretty happy with it.
The clean channel is quite versatile, having two "preamps"; actually, the "Brilliant" preamp is just the "Normal" one with a +6 dB boost at 3kHz, as outlined by the manual, but I think of it as an extra bit of available EQ, always a positive.
The distortion "preamps" are basically as follows:
BRITISH: general-purpose distortion, fairly thick, rich for an SS amp
US: basically the British with some bass cut, more effective for leads for somewhat better definition, but the "preamps" are not footswitchable
The EQ itself is the most effective passive EQ I've ever used.
The CD input sucks because it is run through a cheap resistor to reduce the volume because it's not run through the channel volumes, but the treble ends up getting majorly cut and whatever you wanted to be played sucks a lot.
The TWO line-outs are wonderful, but only for recording/DI-ing clean sounds, because they are not speaker-simulated so distortion sounds horribly shrill. If you want to use them, though, you can buy a simulator like the Behringer GI-100 for ~$35 and get good tone without mics for sort of cheap.
I have not used the effects loop, but the footswitch jack works, changing channels and turning FX on/off.
By the way, the FX on my amp only mostly work; none of them were very good anyway.

On the distortion channel, the sound is great. I thought I had found the ultimate no-maintenance distortions in my Roland Cube 20x (possibly the best practice amp ever created), but this one outshined all except the metal channels, because (as most people have noted), even with the Boost on, it does not really have enough gain for true metal, although it can do in a pinch with cranked bass/minimum mids, because the Celestion Super 65s are wonderful speakers. I can't stress that enough: the Celestions in this amp are fantastic. However, they cannot change the fact that the amp is pretty noisy at max gain. However, this could be simply because my amp is old (the last guy didn't keep it in perfect condition; it's missing screws!). The distortion basically ranges from nice breakup for blues to serious overdrive for hard-ish rock, but pedals will be needed so the noise isn't overpowering. Basically, it sounds vintage, like a Plexi, but the gain doesn't go that high. Very good for me, because I like mid-gain styles (mainstream rock, punk, etc.).
The clean is nothing to write home about, but it is fairly flexible with the good EQ and "preamp" switching.

I think this amp will last me a long time, because the wood is fairly thick, the speakers are wonderful, and it's solid-state so not much can go wrong unless it was very poorly made. I don't know what the previous owner did, but some screws are missing, as mentioned before, so when I turn it up a lot the back panel housing the electronics (it's a semi open-back cab with a ~3-inch slot) begins to rattle, but it could've actually been something in the room because this amp is crazy-loud. I would gig with this without a backup because A)that's why I bought it and B)I really can't afford any more amps, although I might be able to borrow our bassist's Carvin SX-200 (also a great amp).

Thankfully, I have never needed to deal with the support from Kustom EXCEPT for finding the manual online (the previous owner didn't have it), which was very easy. Kudos, Kustom.

In the last couple years I've been playing, I've amassed/extensively played with:
a Squier HSS Strat
an Epiphone G-400 (with the gorgeous faded cherry finish)
a Roland Cube 20x
a Danelectro Honey-Tone (fun little mini-amp)
this Kustom

If I lost this, I would be amazed first of all because it's a big box with beautiful basket-weave grill, and it's hard to miss my beat-up one. However, I think I would not get another one unless I could find another sweet deal because I have little money and Kustom charges too much brand-new. I love the sound, hate the fact that it's somewhat heavy but really big for a 2x12 (12-1/2" deep!!), and it would be nice if Kustom saw the Vox AC-30 and copied the handles on the sides of the top so you could have more handles, or something. Small things aside, though; this amp is a great amp, ESPECIALLY if you can find it at a price anywhere near where I did.

Not sure when mine was made, but doesn't look very old. This is exactly made for my style of music which is mainly classic rock and blues, bit of sixties and seventies pop, including Stones, Beatles and AC/DC. Feature are fairly well documented in other reviews, but I would add that it would have been good to include a footswitch and a cover. I have bought both of these seperately which cost around ??40 for both.

I use a Yamaha Pacifica 112L, a Yamaha AX6LA and a Fender Telecaster - all left handed. The Pacifica sounds superb through this amp and is a match for my playing colleagues Fender Strat and Fender Blues Deluxe Tube amp combination. It gives enough crunch for my music and the clean channel is incredible, very rich, bassy without being dirty, Much better that I could have hoped for. The effects are interesting but should be used cautiously, the spring and hall reverbs add a 1950's rock n roll style for Wipe Out kind of riffs. Theres plenty of crunch available but defineatly not enough for heavy metal kind of stuff - you would need a pedal. I wanted to get away from pedals and this amp has enabled me to do that - apart from my BOSS acoustic pedal, which i used infrequently.

Bit early to say, its built like a tank and is secondhand and works fine. So can't really comment to accurately. I've replaced the rubber feet with some good castors as it's very heavy, 54lbs/25kg, i figured the castors would save a lot of needles 'picking up and putting down with a thump' when preparing for a gig.

no experience

Also own a Carlsbro 100GLX which is always regarded as having very good valve emulation built in. I've always been happy but it always felt like a poor relation when comparing with my colleagues Fender Blues Deluxe - understandable considering the type and price, however the Kustom feels just a good and I'm delighted. If it were stolen or lost i would definately get another. I love the looks, plain front and controls on top - bit like Fender Hot Rod, I love the two Celestion speakers which i believe are responsible for the quality of sound.

Should have footswitch and cover included.

The Kustom Quad 100DFX 212 Combo was built with 2 channels (rhythm and lead). Each channel features a 3-band EQ, also with a preamp switch. The Rhythm channel features Neutral and Brilliant settings, and the Lead channel features UK and US distortion settings. The lead channel has a gain "boost" button as well to increase the gain on the signal. The best feature of this amp are the 8 built-in effects. These effects only feature one parameter, "Level", which limits the control of each effect you can have, but generally speaking, the presets are nicely done. You can select Spring Reverb, Hall Reverb, Slap Delay, Delay, Chorus, Chorus/Reverb, Flange/Reverb, or Tremolo. The four reverb effects are very nicely done.

This amp excels at clean sounds. The rhythm channel's EQ is very wide and provides a sparkling clean sound. Also is an excellent channel for the use of external effects or amps. The Lead channel has a limited amount of gain, suitable for many types of music, but not for metalheads. Great crunchy sound suitable for AC/DC and other types of (fairly) low-gain genres. As mentioned before, the rhythm channel is an excellent platform for the use of external effects and amp simulators.

I've had this amp for 3 years, and it's taken it's share of abuse from traveling and playing gigs, but I've never had any problems with it.

Never had to contact Kustom.

This amp gives you great bang for your buck. I would highly recommend this amp for virtually anyone, but of course, make sure you play the amp before you buy it.

Features 2 celstion 65 watt speaker's ,along with amp being 100 watts.Has the dfx's like chorus ,delay flange ect.Also offer's gain boost,uk of american speaker cab sound.External speaker jack ,line out ,effects loops,and footswitch jack.Its not tube its a solid state.Amp isnt made for any kind of heavy metal.I will list my over all opinion at end of page.

If your into the overdrive or blues even classic rock sound you would probably love this amp.If you like stuff like Megadeth,Pantera your screwed.The gain on this amp is the biggest disapointment ever if you like to play with lots of distortion.The clean channel sounds fine to me but i mostly use distortion so it really bums me out.Im using a guitar with a duncan distortion humbucker so if you tryed to play heavy with a single coil on this thingi cant even begin to imagine how weak it would sound.Its not really a noisy amp.The effects are also disapointing.There no better than a $50.00 multi effects pedal.

Havent owned it long at all,so i cant be sure.It seems well built,but inside there's no telling.I really like the body design.

n/a

I've been playing for 11 years and mostly play heavy style's of music.I have used many amps and music gear in the past 11 years.This has to be one of the most disapointing amps i have owned basically due to the very weak gain (distortion).If it was lost i would not buy it again,i actually just traded an old crate amp head for it before i even tryed it out.I guess i plan on buying a nice distortion pedal to solve the problem.For my opinion i dont recommend getting this amp unless its a real dirt cheap price or you like playing stuff like ac/dc or always play using clean channel.Metalheads will truly be disapointed i promise

The built in effects are good, but nothing you can't do with free programs like Audacity and the like. The celestion speakers are also nice, much better than the ones I had on my old amp. However neither of these features help this amp from sounding absolutely thin and useless without adding layers of effects on the default tone during post production.

I play a freak form of death/black metal inspired instrumental/experimental stuff, so I was looking for a kind of distortion that would sound great in any tuning. When I first played this amp about 5 months ago, I liked it somewhat, but about a month later I tried it again, and discovered that it was seriously lacking in the gain/dynamics department, regardless of the promises the amp gives you on the fancy stickers. In fact, neither of the "distortion" settings were of any use whatsoever, both sounding about the same; muddy and thin. And the clean settings were absolutely horrid and also had thin and maybe even modelly properties. I ended up taking a chance and buying this amp anyway, and immediately started experimenting with the tone. I discovered that the only way to get a nice, chunky tone out of this amp was to stop fiddling with the amp's low, mid, and high controls. Just turn them to zero. Then you actually need to find a decent distortion pedal, such as the Line 6 ??ber metal pedal (which I already had, fortunately), and just dial in your settings from there. If you want to hear the tone I've gotten out of it, and/or the settings I used, email me. For me, the effort of getting the tone was worth the trouble, but it doesn't excuse the amp for having a crap tone in the first place.

From my experience, the Kustom had never broken down, squealed, or made any kind of death rattle that I should be worried about. Worked perfectly up until I was a dumbass and sold the damn thing. Still regret that decision.

Never dealt with them because their product actually worked.

I've been playing for only what, 3 years, and I've learned a lot along the way. One thing that I was happy to learn is that you don't *need* a $3,000 amp to get a sound you really like. All it really takes is some experimentation, and maybe even a bit of luck.

To anyone curious, I have 5 guitars (3 electric, 1 steel string acoustic and 1 nylon classical acoustic) and 1 bass guitar. The main guitar I use is a set neck bc rich Warlock that I upgraded with Dimarzio X2n (neck), and Seymour Duncan Invader (bridge) pickups. I also use an Ibanez RG370DX w/ seymour duncan jazz (neck) and stock (bridge) pickups. I removed the middle pickup because i never used it.

The only thing I wish this amp had was a good sounding clean channel, so i wouldn't have had to switch from amp to amp just to record something. Otherwise it was probably the best amp I've owned (once you experiment with it enough).

If this amp had been stolen before I sold it (still mad over that decision) I would've probably bought a new one and hoped that I could get the same sound back.

And the last thing I'd like to add, is for people who keep complaining about gear they bought from Guitar Center. All these reviewers seem to be blaming the manufacturers for Guitar Center's inept staff who, apparently, never test equipment before selling it, or at least never keep a fresh inventory instead of the same old rotten amps they had 10 years ago. Just something to keep in mind.

I currently own a Quad 100 DFX 212 and really like the tone and headroom this amp has to offer, It's LOUD! Ther has been a problem with a small circuit board in some units, however, and Kustom has been great about replacing or fixing these amps. I went through 3 seperate amps before I found one that didn't fail, and Kustom was great about replacing them. I encourage anyone that has experienced any problems with the effects or the failure of one channel or any other problem to contact the retailer or Kustom. They seem to be a good company.

Problems but quick solutions.

No problems returning faulty units.

this amp has an unbelievable clean channel and doesnt distort at high volumes. the weird thing is its slightly compressed which makes it have tube sounds. u switch on the brilliance pre amp and its just amazing for country or blues lead licks. the neutral is really good for rhythm. the distortion is taylor made for ac dc style rock but isnt suited for the nu age metal.

owners of this amp will know that its 25kg. which makes it extremely sturdy. i havent had a problem with but it would be safe to say u wouldnt need a back up amp for a gig.

havent dealed with them. but its got a 3 year warranty

ive been playing for about 3-4 years and have just stepped up from a poor 10watt practise amp to this 100wat Kustom so it sounds amazing. if it happened to walk. i would definately buy a nu one (dn worry there will need 2 be atleast 2 to get away quick)
i wish it came with the footswitch cause im sure that would come in handy

This is an update from my review i wrote a year ago. I changed my mind on some point. I said i wasn't happy with the distortion and used my RAT II instead. Well, i recently started playing around with the settings and found my sweet spot there. I bought a footswitch and now use the distortion channel instead of the RAT. On the USA mode it sounds just awesome. It's a unique distortion sound. I use a Digitech Bad Monkey (same as Ibanez Tubescreams) to boost my signal when i'm doing solo's. It gives this mean, old school distortion sound. A perfect sound for in a (hard) rock band. It doesn't sound like a Marshall, it doesn't sound like a Mesa..., it sounds like a Kustom. It's truely it's unique own sound. Please, forget your distortion pedals and just play around with settings and EQ, you won't regret it.

Used it a year, still works fine. I spilled beer on it and it still works like nothing happened.

It has four settings, 2 clean and 2 distortions. 1 uk distortion and 1 usa distortion to be exact.

I am playing an epiphone g-400 deluxe with the gibson alnico v pickups in it. I love the sounds I am getting both out of the clean and the dirty. The clean sounds remarkable. I agree with everyone that you can use the clean with any effect and it would sound that much cooler.

I also love the distortion. The uk setting is a bit better overall tone where the usa is a bit muddy though. I have also used the boss ds-1 with the distortion channel combined and got some great sparkle out of it. THe straight distortion though just has enough omph and lets the guitars tone come out. It has good sustain on its own and is fine. I wouldn't use these distortions for any sort of metal but they are very usable.

I have used it out about 5 or 6 times now and each time get complimented on the tone it puts out. Just a good amp,especially for the price.

I have used it out quite a bit and has gotten knocked around. It holds up and seems to be just fine. Built very well.

i have not had any issues so i have no idea.

I have been playing for about 15 years. I have had a marshall jcm800 ( didn't know what i had til it was gone :( )also played a peavy classic 50 that was a friend of mines and played a carvin sx300 head through a carvin 4x12 cab. All sounded different but out of all of them, i have had the best luck with this amp. No issues with it, it looks good, gets compliments and i would recommend it to anyone needing a good amp for themoney.

The clean channel is what I was after in this amp and it delivers. I wanted a solid state amp that didn't weigh a ton to use with my Korg processor. The 7 rating is for the quality of that clean channel. I didn't like the effects much at all.

I'm just using a Lone Star Strat with two Tex-Mex hot single coils and a Seymour Duncan humbucker in the bridge for gigging. I'm playing in a cover rock band that plays a wide variety of tunes and styles ie. Nickleback, Puddle of Mudd, Judas Priest with a couple of older Classic Rock tunes. Most gigs are in small clubs and the amp is more than powerful enough for those settings. I've had no noise problems with the amp and my processor and Sonic Maximizer help it come to life. I play rhythm guitar but also do some soloing from Motley Crue distortions to clean 60's R&B. This amp is for you pedal heads or processor freaks since you can't switch between the clean and lead channels. NO FOOTSWITCH!!!

I've only used it for 4 gigs and it's been great. Too new to make this rating.

I bought it from a local music store so I don't have a clue about Kustom's people.

I've been playing since the '70's and have owned Fenders, Peaveys and Johnson modeling amps. I would definitely re-purchase one if it got stolen. With the right effects units this amp will reproduce for shredders, punk, country and classic rock enthusiasts. I was tired of messing with tubes and carrying the extra weight around. I recommend it for club and out door festival giggers.

Best feature is definately the clean channel...as long as it continues to work!

I use the clean channel only (since the other is no longer working) and run my own effects through that. The amp is loud and sounds great.

The effects kinda suck...when they work.

Huh, well...hmm. First off, I purchased this amp on ebay from a store that claims it was a store model (aadinoaa...now you've been warned). The seller, according to other purchasers who also have bought this amp from aadinoaa as a floor modle, it seems he is selling off defective equiptment as I am not the only one with a problematic Kustom 100 DFX amp.

That said, after a few weeks of owning this beast, I noticed that my amp would not turn on, only after several tries did it come back on again. I see now that there are recent reviews claiming they have experienced the same problem.

Then, one day my amp just sounded like $%^& and I noticed that the second channel was not working right...or at all for that matter. Now I no longer have the second channel. I contacted another purchaser of aadinoaa's and sure enough they had the same problem. Not a coincidence I don't think.

I bought this amp to start jamming again and with hopes of performing live shows also. However, I think I'll stick to jamming with this one just incase. I guess I'll be looking for Marshall again...should've went that route the first time.

Hmmm, well I live in Canada. Apparently the 3 year warranty is only good in the US. From the sounds of it, even if there was service available to me, it would take quite a long time to have it returned...and at my expense also. I'm left with very little choice...

It sucks.

Sound is great when using the clean channel and is quite loud. I was very impressed at first. Unfortunately this amp appears to have it's common problems and you might experience them yourself if you own one or purchase one. Mine is very much defective and I'm pretty much screwed on this one...regretfully, as I read many good reviews on it before making this purchase.

I bought the DFXWT model with the cream colored tolex and black grill cloth. 100 watts, 2 12" Celestion, 2 channels.

First off, I use a Boss GT-3 processor through the front of the amp for all my sounds and effects and only use the clean channel of this amp! I also use a BBE Sonic Maximizer to futher enhance my tone. I bought the amp cus the clean channel sounded so good with pedals and processors. It is really a great clean channel thats very loud with great cut through. However......The distortion channel along with the effects suck!

For clean channel use it's great...10

Any thing else......0

This is pretty basic solid state amp with built-in dfx that has to be a joke. They work all right but only a level control is avaliable. I think the reverbs (spring and hall) are great and the distortions are usable. The rest of the fxs (delay, chorus, tremelo, slap back, etc) only can be adjusted by level control only so you can't expect much out of them. It's got 2 12" celestion speakers that sounded good and they're LOUD! Yup, a 100 watter that can rock you. The "quad" means it's got 4 amp models. 2 in Lead channel and 2 in clean channel. Each channel has 3 band eq and the lead has a gain control with a boost button on it. Because of the way the dfx is designed I'll only give this amp an 8.

When you want to play clean or some mild to hard rock this amp can do it. With my agile lp and a hot nashville pup in the bridge I got tons of tones out of this amp. With 4 amp models and 3 band eqs on 2 channels I've played from the beatles to black sabbath on this amp. The distortions on this amp ain't so bad but I've used the zoom 606 on it to get the boost for the distortions. What impressed me is that after I learned how to combine the settings of the amp with the settings of the zoom 606 I was really close to the original artists' tones. This amp sounds damn good for a solid state so I'm giving it a 10.

I've had this amp for about 4 months and I used the hell out of it. I'll play for 3 hours in the morning and maybe another 3 hours in the evening. Every day. It's been working great but I had a couple of times that the amp failed to turn on. One time the dfx didn't come on. I had to turn it off and then on again. That's unusual but it seems it's nothing serious. This amp is built solid and I mean solid. Way it was put together are actually good constructions. I think I can depend on it but then I'm not a gigger. I'm just a home player but jams with friends sometimes. I'm pretty impressed with this amp so I'll give it a 8.

No experiences there yet. (knock on wood) but I got a 3 year warranty on it.

I like this amp. I like it a lot that I'll buy another one if I ever lose this one.

Pretty standard set of features with the addition of a bunch of digital effects... most of which I never used. 100W Solid State, 2x Celestion 12" Super 65 speakers. I wont bother listing them all out again, but instead I will say that I was sold this amp on the basis that it was reliable and was a great platform for injecting a bunch of floor effects. I have owned this amp for 2 years.

The only 3 guitars I ever ran through this amp were a Strat with Don Lace single coils, a Cort KX1 with 2 Mightymite motherbuckers and a custom solist with active EMG's.

On the whole I think this amp is capable of producing some very nice tones, however they weren't the right tones for me. The good speakers leave the clean channel well set up to accept outboard effects, however at higher volumes my unit tended to make funny noises and rattle when I dialed in the brutal chug I was after. It worked extremely well for a variety of blues tones and without effects it did OK for some more laid back rock tunes, but I could never get any sparkle out of this thing on the distortion channel, it was always a bit muddy, and it was certainly NOT powerful enough for any metal or hard rock (although I wont hold that against the amp since clearly it wasnt designed for it). Basically, to sum up the sounds... Nice clean tones, nice blues tones, decent mild rock sounds, but bad for heavy stuff and lacks brilliance and definition in the distortion.

For the first year or so of its life this amp performed flawlessly through light gigging and home studio use, however following that stint so far I have had to put it under warranty for service twice in 6 months for stupid things. The first time the on/off switch broke and it took the best part of a month to get the amp back after sending it in. The second time something in the wiring went spastic and the thing would just change channels on its own... very embarrasing. It has been 3 weeks and it is still in for service. I have dealt primarily with my music store and not Kustom themselves, but I trust the guys at the shop when they tell me Kustom just don't seem to be all that quick with the servicing.

Once it returns from servicing this time, I will be replacing it due to the reliability issues and other things.

Besides the fact that their service dept. seems to take longer than necessary (4 weeks to change a power switch?), I have had no dealings with Kustom whatsoever.

I have been playing for roughly 6 years, and as of now I own a custom built soloist and the strat. Overall, this amp has performed well. I was initially dissapointed, but I realise now that I was simply expecting things from this amp that it wasnt designed to provide. With that in mind, I thought this amp was solid, and had great clean tones and blues tones, but needs improvement in the distortion deparment. Even without more saturating gain on tap, the amp was a tad dissapointing since even with maxed treble the crunch sound was muddy. It did the job with outboard effects, however the recent ongoing reliability issues ive had with it and the slowness of Kustom repair service has left a bad taste in my mouth, so I will be replacing it ASAP with an amp with a better reliability reputation and tones that suit me more 'out of the box'. If it were stolen... No, I would not buy this combo again. For the record, I will be upgrading this to the 60W Genz Benz El Diablo 112 Combo.

100 Watts, solid state baby. It's very loud. Totally gig material. If you need louder, you need to be mic'd. It's got two 12 inch Celestions, very nice.

I bought mine used but they aren't old. 3 band EQ on each channel, gain and volume on lead, volume on clean. I'm playing a lot of stuff but mostly progressive alternative rock with some dance and folk influences. The amp is obviously a rock amp first and does that no problem, but it's also great for more industrial or dancy/electronica sounds. With the brilliant switch engaged and a Tele or Strat... country city. Not really great for metal; it just has more of a rock hi-gain sound, not a metal sound. It has two channels, each with their own pre-amps, which actually do make a different in sound, especially at higher volumes. Turning on the brillant switch is great for acoustic guitars too. It has an effects loop, line out (XLR), speaker out, line out (can probably be used for headphones but I just headphone out from pedals), footswitch for effects/channel. Boost switch on the lead channel cranks out more gain and volume, but it's usuable. It also has some good effects. Problem is there is no way to edit them... just a level control. But they are alright... I use the spring reverb effect at quite a low level. I don't use the effects loop so dunno how it is but have read it's muddy. Also, I'll admit that while the connectors in the back aren't impossible to get to or anything, they aren't what I'd call convenient. The LEDs are beautiful, my bassist says the amp was worth it for the LEDs alone haha.

Anyway, it's got all I need and then some for a show amp. All I really need is a reliable, clean, loud amp. It's big too haha.

Playing with lots of guitars... love the singles though.

It's not noisy. The lead, with hi gain, and hi volume, will hum, yeah. But it's not too loud... you probably wouldn't notice at a gig that would warrant turning it up that loud. The clean channel will hum very little... it's kind of nice though haha.

Anyway, the thing sounds great. Good range of sounds from warm and full to tinny or industrial. I use the clean mostly and it's wonderful. Great bass. Clarity on the clean is a blast. The distortion is distortion, not really nice overdrive, but it's useful. I use pedals for all OD and most distortion but still sometimes use the amp's distortion. It's good tone for rock especially. It isn't a tube though, and tubes and transistors are going to sound different period. I don't say "Oh it sounds so tube-like"... if I wanted tube sound, I'd play tube amps. I do like tubes, but I recognize the utility of both kinds of amps, as well as their tones... both good. I use tubes too, just this is my main show amp.

Built like a tank. Big and heavy as it should be. Bought it used but it's in great condition. I gig without a backup no problem.

I've been playing for seven or eight years... I own lots of other junk haha. If it were stolen, I'd get a new one right away.

Great distortion on this amp. Perfect for alternative and heavy metal. Clean channel is also incredible. Crystal clear, even at high volumes. Nice heavy low end

I use an ibanez Grx 40, and it sounds amazing out of this amplifier. I prefer the amp distortion over the pedals i own.

I would definatly use this amp at a gig without a backup, packs enough punch to knock anyone on their butt, while still maintaining a beautiful sound. Amplifier has never given me any problems.

I was unsure where to get the cord to connect the tape input, so i emailed kustom support, and they replied immediatly. Incredibly helpful, and friendly A+ customer service

I plug my digitech multi effects unit into this puppy, and i am ceased to be amazed by such incredible sound. I bought this amplifier for gigs in college. At first i feared it would not pack enough punch, so i was prepared to buy an extension cabinet, but as soon as it arrived and i played on it for the first time, i knew it was sufficent for any gig i could play at. Excellent tone as well. Best amplifier i've ever played on. Incredible value

This amp is not too fancy and that's what I was looking for. It has most popular effects but they do not get used as I wanted foot control FX and will buy exactly what I need. I was looking for the best clean channel for the money with volume. It has a handy speaker out but no headphone out which would be nice. This amp is used in the garage and has ample power for small clubs. It is heavy, so I popped off the rubber feet and installed some good wheels. I highly recommend this modification.

I use an '89 Fender Strat all original. My son has used his Les Paul Standard through it. I play old stuff, he plays new stuff. Its everything I want, but for him I hook up a tube preamp and then he's happy playing his loud distorted stuff. He's actually pretty good at it but I sense allot of anger in his playing. I'm rating it a 10 because it delivers in the area I was looking for. My son would rate it a 10 with the tube preamp but then I'm not sure he hears anything he plays.

Heavy, sturdy, and I feel the least amount of bells and whistles it has, the less you have to get repaired later. I would rate it a 10 but I've only used it for a year and a half in my garage and bedroom.

no experience

I been playing for 35 years but that don't mean nothin' except 35 years of frustration. I've owned and played on allot of gear, none of which I would brag about. If this amp were lost, you'd have to be on drugs. If it were stolen, I'd buy another. You can't go wrong buying this amp.

This amp features what is becoming standard on solid state amps: 2 channels plus a few effects. The two channels have the standard 3 band eq, and a alternate voicing switch. The effects knob gives you the choice of reverb, echo, temelo, light flange, chorus, and a few combination presets. Footswitchable channels and effects on/off. Not a Fender Cyber Twin with effects and features.

It's difficult to rate this amp, cause I will say the clean channel is pretty darn good. I still won't record with it, if I have a good tube alternative. Nice sound for giging. Volume is plenty full. You shouldn't need more, and if you do, you should be miking it by then.
The overdrive channel is not too convincing. I suppose if you play more modern music, where tone doesn't matter you'll be happy with yourself.
The reverb is fine, and I don't use the other effects too much, cause I'd have to sacrifice the reverb to use them.
My strat is fine through this thing, but my epiphone casino is begging for real tubes. Really muddy casino tone though this amp.
To some it up...it's a $300 dollar solid state amp. It makes the guitar louder.
(I play classic rock, beatles, jazz, and original material.)

I plan to use this as my no-fail back-up amp upon the purchase of that beautiful Fender Twin Amp. In the meantime, this sucker feels more solid than an amp should, so I do trust it without back-up. The feet on the bottom of the amp are shock absorbing/no slip rubber feet. Certainly a plus. Good job Kustom.

This amp replace a peavey Bandit. The overdrive on the peavy was better, but this amp feels so durable. I recommend it for any solid state amp use. Every tube amp owner should have one for back-up. (Tubes fail, fuses blow, sounds great till they die.)
Every solid state owner should have one cause it's a great amp, especially for the price. (Get a distortion pedal voiced for your music: Boss DS-1 (Grunge), Metal Zone (Metal?), Ibanez Tube Screamer (Classic Rock/Blues)..etc.)
Every digital amp owner should get one cause an amp isn't supposed to be a computer!

For the price, you've got an excellant amplifier. I don't want to shove the "tubes are better" concept down everyones throat. (It's true though.)

This amp is well worth the price. (I actually did the whole deal with trade-ins so it made it even sweeter.) As everybody has noted, this is a amp for classic rock and blues. No hardcore crunch here unless you hook up some crazy pedals. The gain is a little weak, but I hook up my classic fuzz and I sound just like Jimi Hendrix. 2 channels, both to my satisfaction. The effects are good, the reverb actually sounds realistic, not crappy and digital like other amps. I haven't gigged with this one yet because it's fairly new, but I had to leave the room I had the amp in just to test how loud it could go. This mutha can ROCK!

I'm using a MIM strat, 2003, but I've also tried a Les Paul, and some cheaper strat copies. This amp makes everything sound good (as long as you tamper with the settings.) Turn up the volume and pull out some blues licks, because this amp is just screaming for it. As I said, clean clan tone here. Every note is heard. The rhythm channel is really bassy and loud even on a lower volume. I prefer the UK setting over the US setting because it has a "brighter" sound, but that is all personal preference. I play in my basement currently and you can turn this baby to full, and the people across the street will be rocking out.

I heard this metaphor before, and I'm going to use it again. This thing is a rock. I can hardly even carry it (though I am a girl) but it's heavy and sturdy. (My last amp was a 30 watt cheap plastic laney, so compared to that....) My amp hasn't done me wrong yet, although I've only had it for about 3 months. So null vote because of the time I've played on it.

No dealings with Kustom

I've been playing going on 6 years now, and I've been through a lot of amps. My setup is simple: strat, fuzz, wah, and amp. Don't need anything else to get that nice sound. (Maybe a uni-vibe just because Jimi Hendrix is my hero, though I don't need it...) If someone broke into my house and actually managed to get this thing up the stairs and out of the house without me tackling them, then yes, I would get another one.

Biggest comparison I could make was this:

Laney Hardcore Crunch 20w: Sounded FAKE. I don't know, really.. computerish.. or something. Too screechy.

Kustom 100w: Gold. When you put it to the "hall" setting, close your eyes and you're in that hall. Hell, break out the strat and play some "little wing". Perfect.

(Before the laney I had a 15w shitty small practice amp, but that actually broke down because I blew the speaker lol No reason to even compare it to that one, you guys aren't stupid.)

Solid state 100 watt amp with built in effects. Each channel has two available preamp options. This amp has all the features any player will ever need. There is so much versatility here that I would favor it over any tube amp any day.

I use this amp with a Gibson LP Standard with a 498T in the bridge and a 490R in the neck. I play a little bit of everything but mostly straight ahead hard rock and heavy styles. This amp is incredible. I really have to agree with the reviewer that said the clean is just as good as any Dual Rectifer. Its simply amazing. The lead channel is almost perfect. I wish it had only just a bit more gain. But this is only a small issue that I personally have. I have played through Dual Rectifiers and Mesa F-100's and I can honestly tell you that I am so much more impressed with the Kustom. Clean channel stays clean at high volumes. NOTE!!!!!!!: The distortion will thin out at high volumes. This is why tweaking is very necessary.

I have used this amp with a full band at least 20 times at gigs since I got it and it has never failed me. However, I have since quit this band and am going to move to bigger gigs. So I will buy the 4x12 Kustom cabinet for this. I might blow the speakers if I were to just use the combo at the places were playing.

Never dealt with Kustom.

I have been playing for 7 years and I have played 5 of those years in bands. With this amp I use a BOSS NE-2 and a Dunlop 535Q wah. I love that this amp is something that can be pushed without completely dying in the process. I love the excellent tones and that for $250 I got an amp that sounds(to me) just as good as a 1500 Dual Rectifier. I hate that this amp does not come with a footswitch. But Kustom makes up for it in this great product. One more thing....... One reviewer stated that metal tone was lost as the volume was turned up. REMEMBER PEOPLE TWEAKING IS THE KEY TO GETTING SOLID STATE AMPS TO SOUND GOOD!!!!!