Kustom Quad 100DFX Head

Basically two channels with two preamp voicings per channel, which gives you two distorted, two clean settings. Footswitch not included. Footswitching between clean/distorted, effects on/off. Kustom footswitch isn't the cheapest one around for sure. Digital effects - not tweakable, just level setting. XLR line out - useful. AUX input/no gain control. Effects loop - just one stereo jack for send/return, stupid idea to me. Played many gigs on this thing - it's very, very, very loud. Far more than enough power for instrumental rock played in pubs... It's a hybrid - there's a tube in the preamp section.

Fantastic cleans, no doubt about that. Never played clean at high volumes, 'case this amp is incredibly loud to my playing/band situations.

Distortion - not brutal. Kustom says it's a modern hi-gain. Well, it's not that hot. It's nice. Punch & grind settings. With hot pickups it gets hot and even brutal, with standard ones it's a good, modern, well, hi-gain, rock sound. Sounds tubey on a few settings. It's just okay. Quite quiet.

I use a basswood/rosewood guitar with DiMarzio Fred/Paf Pro. I play instrumental rock. For more gain a tube screamer in front helps, though I've played a long time without any effects - it works fine.

I read somewhere, these models have some common flaws. If the effects don't work, switch it off and on again. It helps. Sometimes it doesn't power on properly and plays quietly at max volume. Switching off, again, and on again helps. Besides that it works okay. Once it stopped playing in the middle of a gig. Swithing off, and on...

I've been playing for 10 years by now. I wouldn't but it again. I love it because of it's look, extraordinary size, power and cleans. I wish it was more reliable and did have a proper effects loop. It's cheap - quite a value, though you can't forgive unreliability. I owned a Behringer GMX212 combo - it was reliable, had more features and sounded fine.

this amp was made in 2006,so as you can see i have had it awhile now and can honestly review it.two channels,effect loop,solid state mosfet mono amp with plenty of power..100 watt,s.wish it had a headphone jack for private playing..that,s why i rated this section a 9.

now channel 2 which they label as rhythm channel is the best clean solid state amp i ever played thru,this is why i purchased this amp.the low,s are tight,the mid,s are there and the high,s are right not pierce.you can play any type of music you want,take,s pedal,s very well...quiet at any volume.now the 1,st channel which they label as lead channel and ball,s more ball,s i just do not care for.i can't seem to get a good grind sound out of this channel,but...that rhythm channel stunning...

i have had this amp for a year now..my son use,s it for his band now sound,s killer with a ds-1 boss and a 4x12 celestion bottom,really sound,s good and i watch his band alot..no problem,s..

never needed to use the cust support...

overall you cannot beat the clean sound,and the pedal use in frount of this amp,i have a 65 showman fender amp i used side by side with this kustom amp,i think it sopund,s that good.....

This amp was made in 2007. I play pretty much hard rock/blues rock and this amp serves those genres well if it works which I will address later.

This amp has a muddy clean sound definitely not like a good fender amp but then again it is an hybrid. The clean channel tends to distort at high volumes but is a pretty much quiet amp. The effects are okay doesn't beat having separate pedals though.

This amp SUCKSSSSSSSSSSSS!!! I bought it brand new and played one show with it last Sunday and after the fourth song of my set the amp BLEW UP AND DIED!!! I called the place where I bought it from and Kustom is going to fix it then I'm gonna sell it for $200 cause I only paid $240 for this piece of junk.

Didn't deal with Kustom but the company I bought this from called Kustom and got back to me within two days.

Do yourself a favor and don't bad this amp!!!! If you pay for junk your gonna get junk.

I bought this amp in 2005, and since I've used all eight built-in digital effects (Hall Reverb, Spring Reverb, Slap Back, Delay, Chorus, Chorus/Reverb, Flange/Reverb, Tremolo) to some level. Generally, I use a multi-effects processor, but even without it I get sweet tones from both channels for all styles. This amp responds incredibly well to all styles of music I can think of, and between the dual 3-Band EQ and the switchable preamp models the amp offers tons of tweakability. This MOSFET solid-state amp holds 2 12-inch Celestion Super 65 speakers and can roar out 100W RMS power. Conveniences include a CD/Tape input, an XLR output, a footswitch, an effects loop, an external speaker output, and a line output.

Champagne tones! On the clean channel, the "Brilliant" preamp model provides tubey-like and clean, shimmering tones. The neutral setting provides a bulkier feel for playing music that's a little 'less soft'. Adding a little Chorus/Reverb enhances the sound incredibly. The gain channel's "UK" setting is my personal preference, as the tone is more complete. The "US" tone is slightly thinner, but these settings can be easily manipulated by the EQ. The Gain control is quite dynamic. Again, tweaking the EQ will create the sound you want. From blues to metal, this amp does it so well. I usually keep a touch of Hall Reverb or Spring Reverb on. Sounds so good!

This amp is so rugged, I have and will continue to gig without the need of a backup. No problems to date, and reading other reviews, I should be in good hands for a while. The good thing is that the amp doesn't need to work so hard to be loud.

This amp is pure quality. I've never played a better amp (this includes an array of everything from Marshall to Mesa Boogie to Hughes & Kettner) because it is built well, sounds awesome, is LOUD, and has a ton of handy features. If it gets stolen (or breaks) I would buy the same model because it fits everything I do perfectly. A real bargain, at almost any price. I would highly recommend buying one.

Just bought in January.
I play lots of styles although my favorite is Fender and Marshall 70's and 80's rock/metal and this amp is perfect for those and of course blues/rock
Great features but the head itself is almost too big when compaired to most cabs, it hangs over about 1 1/2 inches off both sides of my 4x12 cab.

I use a Gibson Les Paul with Burstbucker pros.
not very noisy unless it is turned up real loud, about the same noise as any TUBE amp is.
This amp far exceeded my expectations. I had a Kustom tuck and roll back in the early 80's and remembered it to sound pretty good so I took a chance on this one because I have no way to test the amp as I live in BFE
I started off on the clean channel and immediately it reminds me of a Fender Bassman. It is a wonderful warm or sparkly clean and it even responds very much like a tube amp as far as sounds and dynamics go....very nice, even crunches nicely when strummed hard.
I have read a lot of iffy comments on the lead channel, it seems like everyone says there is not near enough gain.....let me tell you what, this lead channel sounds awesome, it is full, very clear and reminds me of a plexi Marshall with a little Randall/Mesa thrown in. I think most peoples problem with this channel is they do not play through good speakers and do not know how to use an eq properly. It only took me about 2 minutes and I had this channel sounding amazing. At a very low volume this channel is a bit thin but when turned up past 5 which is very loud and a perfect volume for gigging, I have my bass only on 4- mids on 8- treble on 4 and the punch switch on, bigger balls engaged and the balls knob all the way up. It sounds like almost anything you want as far as rock and heavy metal goes ( Judas Priest, Motley Crue, Dokken, Ratt, Poison, Journey, Alice in Chains, STP, Van Halen type of sound.
I can even make this sound like a friends Randall Dimebag Darrel stuff, Just do what all the kids do, turn the mids off, and bass and treble way up. This sounds pretty cool when playing by yourself guys but you really have to have some mids in there if you want to be heard when playing in a band situation... I also new how to play Megadeath and Metallica and Motorhead before some of these reviewers were even born so please don't pluck on an amp in the store for 5 minutes and come here and post a review....you really should be spending some more time practicing playing and learning about eq's and yes, bass players also need to be playing with mids just a different frequency.....The young guys might get mad when they read this but sometimes the truth can hurt and make you a better player/person at the same time.
I also really like the sound of my Mesa Boogie single rectifier amp but I don't crank the bass and drop all the mids.
I also use a Boss sd-1 with not much gain to help on some heavier songs and it sounds great.
Some of the eq knobs are very sensative so take your time....it will be worth it.

It's only been a month and it was made in China so I hope for the best.....If it quits I'll buy another cause they are CHEEEEEP

I have been playing for 20 years and played/owned a ton of high end gear and this amp really surprised me. I play through a 4x12 cab with Celestion g30h speakers with the 50 ounce magnets and will only use these speakers until I hear something better....I personally don't know how the Vintage 30's got to be so popular, I think they have way too much treble and midrange and are capable of hurting your ears.
If your not sure about buying this or a Line 6 thing....just get this, it will make you a better player.

This is a Hybrid-Amp with 100 Watts of Power. I bought it in 2005 and it was also made this year. I mostly play AC/DC and Led Zeppelin @ home but I also play in a Band with HEPUROTAL ( Heavy-Punk-Rock-Metal ) and this Amp suits my Gibson SG Standard very well. It has got 2 Channels with two different Preamps on each Channel: Rhythm (Clean) with Lean and Fat Preamp and Lead (Distorted) with Punch and Grind. There is a XLR Output which serves as a built-in D.I.-Box, a Aux Input for plugging in CD-Players etc. and of Course a Guitar Input, all three are located on the front panel. On the Back Panel there are the Speaker Outputs (8Ohm),a Line Output, an Effects Loop Insert, which is a bit difficult to use because the Tip of the Stereo Connector has to be the Signal Send and Ring the Signal Return. There's also a Footswitch Jack which allows to switch the Channels and to turn on/off the Effects Section. There is NO Headphone Jack, but who is buying a Stack to use it with Headphones. It also has got an 24-Bit Digital Effects Section which offers 8 Different Effects that are sounding good but i am hardly using these, because there is no Possibilty Tap in the Speed only a Level Poti. I use this Amp for practicing as well as for gigging. I use it with the Kustom 4*12 Box which can get HELL LOUD.

I'm using this Amp with a Gibson SG Standard with 496/498 Pickups. I'm playing AC/DC and Led Zeppelin-Style but also ordinary Classic Rock as Well as Punk... In my Opinion it has enough Gain, but if you're playing Metal or other High-Gain-Stuff this Amp is definitely not the best choice as it comes out-of-the-box. But with some Overdrive or Distortion Effect Devices jacked into the Effects Loop it can really be a Sound-Monster! When the Bigger Balls Option is switched off it ain't noisy @ all, with this switched on it's a bit but not really disturbing. A very funny thing i experienced is that I can use it as a Radio when the Guitar is not plugged in and the Volume is really High. I can tune in some kind of an English Radio Station...Quite Funny... The Amp is not really versatile but a Marshall JCM 800 ain't, too. Who cares? If you're playin' Crunchy this Amp has got the balls! The Clean Channel offers a broad variety of shimmering tones and does not distort even @ high volumes, very good for Jazz and/or Rock Ballads. But, like said before, the Distortion is moderate @ best.

This Amp is built like a Tank, I WOULD gig without a backup!!! Never had any problems with it.. Very reliable

Never dealt with them

I've been playin'for five years now, and in cause of the fact that I'm 15 years old, it's the best Stack i could ever dream of ( Ok, except for a Marshall PLexi ). I decided to buy this amp because i need to get a good tone @ low volumes, too and this is sth. a tube can't deliver in most cases.. I like the Distortion which is a bit own, but is definitely very good-sounding... I wish it had a Tap Tempo. I would buy it again if it were stolen. I can really suggest this amp to anyone, who wants to play moderate-distorted Sounds. F***in`Great Amp

I've palyed my Marshall JCM800 with Suod City cabinett for over 20 years. I've have been playing it with some old analog effects fr?n Ibanez, DOD and Electro-Harmonix. They worked well together.
Some years ago I went over to digital pedals, Zoom 2020 and 3000. Them didn't my Marshall like...
...so I bought an used Kustom Quad100 with a 4*12 cabinett. Playing is easier now, digital pedals like my Kustom!
To compare these two amplifiers is unnecessary. The effects Kustom has included are ridicilous. They sound OK but having only "level" as adjustment kills the fun soon. The overdrive section is totally unused by me. But with help of Zoom does Kustom sound GOOD!

Overdrive sounds corny. But the clear channel sounds really good. I like most the thick bottom in the sound.

Works fine. The adjustment aren't noisy (compare with Marshall, even a new one!).
It stands for a shower of beer, I have tested (by accident).

I live nearby Linkoping in Sweden. Is there a support, too?

I'm happy with my Kustom, so happy that my old friend since over 20 years, Marshall, is more or less retired.
Kustom has become the everyday tool for me.

For this price it is loaded. No headphone, but who buys a stack to listen through headphones?

Hard to beleive this thing cranks out some of the coolest metal and rock on the planet for only $250 US. I play mostly metal but classic rock as well. Perfect for both with some slight adjustments.

So far so good. I don't think I'll have a problem with it.

This is where Kustom is lacking. They do not reply to emails regardless of what it is for. I've been emailing them for weeks even from different addresses. I've even emailed them in the past before buying with questions and received NO reply. I only hope the amp doesn't die because there is no authorized repairman anywhere near me. They do have a warranty but what good is it if you can't get the work done?

I would give this amp a 10 except for the piss poor support. I've owned Mesa's, Marshalls, Fenders, Peavey's and a few others. This amp even pulls off tube tones if you know what your doing, but then again I think tube amps suck for the type of sound I'm after.

Amp was made in 2005
Amp is versatile for what Kustom designed this head to be; namely, classic rock tones from Pete Townsends distortion from Wont Get Fooled Again, to the grit from Paperback Writer, to BTO/ACDC - nice!
Its 2 channels each with 2 preamp settings. It is channel switching, with an EQ for each channel. It also has an effects loop which is the same as on the crate GLX series. No Headphone Jack!! But I have had the volume set to 9 oclock position and its very loud. It's a solid state head plugged into a Kustom TR-412A cabinet. This amp definitely has some nuts.

I'm using an Ibanez RG520QTBS with seymour duncan pickups, and a JetKing I. I play rock, metal, jazz, and everything in between. The Quad 100 DFX Head and matching TR412A cabinet is very quiet with no noise. If the gain is maxed out, there is the faintest discernible noise, but just barely! Its a very quiet amp, but its definitely got the late 60's and 70's tones down, which is what I wanted. To me its the best trick in lieu of doling out some major cash for tubes. I think I can use this amp for my new band project as I wanted a whole new sound, this amp I believe will work.

Oh, it does have preset effects which some are useable, but I would use my own pedals.

To early to tell, but in talking to techs, other Kustom users, Kustom has a reputation of making rock solid product!

Oh, by the way, for everyone who liked the JSX amp from peavey, know this - the guy who designed and engineered it was recently lured away and hired by Kustom to be their new chief engineer of R&D at Kustom. This cat is going to be instrumental for all new amps coming out especially Kustoms new COUPE series which is rumored to be the shit, and strike fear into other competitors. Very Cool!

One thing I've discovered - Kustom definitely made this amp for a certain market, and its that market that I think matching guitars will work. By that I mean, I can use a high class guitar and plug right into a high class amp and it will sound great. But when I plug in a low end guitar into a high class amp it sounds like crapola. Now check this out, most of us boneheads are poor and we only have enuf cash to buy what we can afford: namely a $299 to $699 axe - not top of the line but some overseas guitar, and generally they sound ok, but not great - right.

Well, what Kustom did was design a circuit in this Quad 100dfx head that actually makes any $299 to $699 axe sound killer. I know this sounds dorkus, but I checked it out. I used my $900 Ibanez RG520QTBS, that I tricked out with $400 more in premium components and it sounded ok - not great but ok. But when I plugged in my stock Ibanez JetKing I which I bought for $269 at Guitar Center, it sounded fuckin badass! go figure.

So Kustom was smart by doing this and it gives guys in my cash flow level a good reason to buy their amp. Works for me . . .

I've been playing 26 years.
I own 2 Ibanez guitars. I like things simple, I dont like programming, or modeling bullshit amps. I do like stompboxes, and cool wahs, and right now Ibanex makes the best wah with their Weep Demon, and also their classic series pedals.


I did pretty extensive comparisons with other amps, crate, vox, marshall, fender, behringer, B52, Line 6, traynor. But I went with the Quad 200 dfx head and cabinet with celestions. The speakers still need to have their cherry popped and when they break in the sound will get even better.

If my rig was stolen, that person would be slowly fed to a mountain of pissed off angry red army ants - get it!!! ok then!

2 channels (each with 2 preamp choices). Independent volume controls. Preset digital effects. DI out. Here's the thing. There's all this suggested switchability, and the damn thing can't even come with a FOOTSWITCH.

I've used it with a BC Rich JR-V with DiMarzio Evolutions in it, as well as an Ibanez GRX20 with powersounds, and the cab is a Crate Vintage Club 2x12. Here's the deal. The clean channel is passable, very transparent for the most part. The problem is that with the highs, you have to have it cranked to make them clear. Even the manual states that full-on is default, instead of 12:00 being such. When set right, it's decent. Has a 2 preamp voicings, and the "FAT" one is the only one that sounds ok. The effects cannot be tweaked, only slightly adjusted, but they seem to be fine, I guess. Now the downside: the distortion channel. Nothing sounds good. It's to hissy and noisy, doesn't have much gain, no presence, no highs...it's just not there. The preamp switching makes it have more lows, but not much. The "Balls" and "Bigger Balls" are misnomers, because even with the gain cranked and "Bigger Balls" selected, there's barely any saturation happening. People say it's good for classic rock sounds, but they're trying to find the silver lining. Get a preamp/processor to use with this head. I'm using a Digitech RP100 on the clean channel and it sounds good. Avoid the distortion channel at all costs. It's much worse than my old Crate G-600, and that should say something.

HAs a huge heatsink, seems built sturdy...who knows?

Not the slightest clue.

This is a classic example of a budget head. It's basically a 100w power amp. Use a preamp/processor with the clean channel, and avoid the distortion channel at all costs. Since it doesn't even come with a footswitch, you can't even toggle the effects on and off. It's decent for the price, I guess.