Labsystems Cage 50D Head

bought my amp way back in 2002.. still LOVE IT!!! ive only just had the latest series mods done, after hearing one of the latest cages in late sept.2004. (the new cages are JUST AWESOME>>> ) and i wanted mine updated to the latest specs...(labsystems happily offer these mods, as the the products all undergo constant development )features are the same as the other reviews ,hand built, 50w EL34, 6/12ax7's, the new series has a 5u4GB rectifier in place of the 5AR4... would still like a separate 2nd preamp control for the 3rd channel

sounds with the new mods are sensational. still playing covers using a musicman luke, and a '69 les paul, and a strat. the amp is so much happier with each guitar .. tighter bottom end, midrange and top end to die for.. and better attack than my mates mesa dual/rec..!(in tube rec mode..) the amp is standard with Svetlana EL34's, but can be set up to sound IDENTICAL to a mesa Dual REC if you wish by installing 6L6's. and re-biasing.didnt believe it till i heard it. but the EL34,s are way way better. it was a very clear choice. anyone who already has a cage, should try a new one(post late sept 2004) apart from being able to Rock even better, it is also more bluesy than before with a strat.Sorry if i just had to review the amp again, but it is THAT good..

im now on my second set EL34's... its very reliable, never let me down, but with all valve amps, i would get it looked at every 2 years at the rate i use it.. (two to three gigs per week..)

Tim Evans at labsystems is a genius, and i only trust Labsystems to service my amp. I recommend the company highly, and as you can see, the products are being updated for constantly evolving improvement. no resting on laurels here..

love it (still..) tried all the amps i could get my hands on.. its all horses for courses, i couldnt use the new marshalls, TSL's etc cos they are too tinny, and artificial, like a pedal. theyre ok for kids i guess.(Marshall made their best stuff up until bout 1975..) I believe you should be able to get a great tone with an amp and a guitar.. thats why i bought a Labsystems Cage..

I upgraded to this particular model from my older version of the Lab Systems Cage 30A. The upgrade was more out of necessity than anything else. The original 'Cage' amp was outstanding in the sense that it gave me the opportunity to experience the sound and feel of a real hand-built, all-valve amp. The Cage 50D head simply took that stage to a new level with complete flexability and no tonal compromise whatsoever. The new features on board are a gain control for the clean channel and a second master volume control for the dirty channel. A footswitch is included allowing the player to switch between the two channels as well as between the dirty channel's dual master volumes controls.

Being a guitar player in a cover band, I am required to re-produce a large palette of tones ranging from sparkly clean to modern hi-gain. Guitar-wise, I use an American Standard Fender Stratocaster and a Gibson Les Paul Standard re-issue. The 'Cage 50D' amp allows me to not only bring out the pure characteristics of my guitars, but it also gives me the ideal sound produced with a vibrant, organic and natural all-valve warmth.

I only just picked up this amp, however judging from the constant use of my old Lab Systems Cage 30A amp for over 18 months, I must say that reliability has never been a problem. These amps are meticulously hand-build and hand-wired. Every little part is hand-selected, carefully inspected and vigorously tested. Amps like these are a rarity today and only a small handful of amp-builders strive to build something that is guaranteed to last a life-time.

Well, what more can I say about Tim Evans and his assistant Derek? Professional. Helpful. Supportive. Reliable!!! And above all, they understand what guitar players really search for when it comes to guitar amplification. Tim has over 30 years of experience in the field, so it's easy to see how amps like these didn't just pop out of thin air.

I have been playing guitar for over 20 years. It's funny how as you get older, you learn more about guitars,amps and tone. Isn't it like that with everything? Overall, I must say that this amp is the real deal. I know that there are guitar players out there who will never make peace with these so-called new boutique amps or whatever you want to call them. Let's face it, vintage nirvana will never be repeated. However, the Lab Systems amps are faithful to the original forefathers and I strongly believe that even the grumpiest tone aficionados will sooner or later be captivated by their natural charm.

As for all you young geetar dudes, get this amp; it's bodacious!!!

Cheers

Slav
Sydney Australia

This amp was hand built in 2001. Labsystems Cage 50 class A/B 50 watt RMS amp head. I play in a cover band in Melbourne, Australia, around 3-4 nights a week, and need a wide variety of sounds to play everything from funky dance stuff, to snarling rock. This amp is the one that does it best for me. It is excellent for blues, rock, grunge,funk.etc.

I find the best way to dramatically change sounds is to change guitars, then use the cage's footswitch to change channels. It has 3 channels. One clean, and two overdrive. It has a tube driven effects loop that works quite well. The only thing I wish it had would be another preamp control for the second overdrive channel..(but thats being a bit picky..)

The power rating of 50 watts rms is just right. The amp features 2 EL34 output tubes (valves !), 6 12AX7 preamp tubes and a 5AR4 rectifier. It is hand built by its designer using military grade tag boards, and point to point hand soldering.

I use it at every gig with a vintage Strat, a vintage Les Paul and a Musicman "Luke".. (love ya dude, your'e the best !!) Every guitar sounds way different to the next. Its very sweet and bluesy with a Strat, and with a Les paul, it Rocks... and with the "Luke" it rocks even more.

The clean sound is rich, jangly, not squashy and compressed ,and it is very very sweet. The "in between" sounds on a strat are easily the best i've heard. Its also very dynamic and the harmonic sweetness is unique. It is very responsive to the touch, play soft, and it sparkles, really hit your guitar and it explodes with dynamic sweetness and definition. The clean goes from clean, to a good raunchy overdrive via its preamp control. The overdrive channels go from mild, to Mesa dual rectifier territory but from the tests I've done this has much better definition.

The amp has great transition between channels and the sound is natural, not "chainsaw like".

Been using it for 12 months, very reliable, no need for a backup. Never even looks like breaking down.

I've made a few calls to ask questions, and spoken to the designer, he was great to deal with. The warranty is 12 months. When I do get it serviced, it will be serviced by the designer himself.

Ive been playing for 20 years in original, but mainly cover bands. I also own a 27 year old Modified Marshall (which I dearly love), which now lives in a cupboard.. I have played them all, an if it were stolen, I would be saving to get another Cage for sure.

I love the reliability, and the fact that its a Boutique hand built amp,but best of all, the sound. I also love it when a new sound guy comes up after the first set and says "what is that amp?"..." it sounds great"..

Since I rely on my musical gear a lot every week, I always thoroughly investigate and test the gear I invest in - I've tried the new TSL Marshalls, Mesa Dual rectifier models, Fenders, Trace Elliot, I chose the Cage because it sounds better!! Some of Australia's more high profile touring acts, including Powderfinger, Killing Heidi and Something for Kate must think so too..! (The Labsystems Bass amps are probably one of the major touring rigs bought by Bass players in Australia)

Sorry, here's another 10..!!

The Cage 50D is a 50 Watt, 2 channel class A-B, recitifier powered amp with a boost on the 2nd channel. First channel goes from very clean to probably the coolest overdriven sound I've heard. If this amp was only one channel it'd still be the best thing I've played. Each channel has its own EQ controls so you can set them dramatically different if you want. There's a brightness boost on channel one if needed, and overall prescence control. I don't use the brightness switch because my guitars are all pretty punchy, but its there if needed.

The second channel takes off from channel one and can be cranked up like real high gain heads if needed .. and there's plenty inbetween. I run my second channel gain at probably around 4 (if it were a dial to 10) and have this massive sound something like Track one from the Weezer CD Maladroit. (Not to say thats it all sounds like, but to get that sound straight from the amp is unbelievable!) And just play real soft, and it just cleans right up.. wack it hard and you're back to the ballsy sound.. its really nice to be able to work with the amp in that way.

This amp has just been released on the market (2002), and its already being used by Powderfinger, and other major name bands in Australia. Its the most versatile and awesome sounding amp I've had the pleasure of playing through. I used to love my Marshall JMP but I'm afraid to say its now kinda retired in the corner.

Pushing into the second channel is a real smooth progression from the first channel so it just feels and sounds nice and natural. The boost has a slight bottom/mid kick plus independant volume control, so its perfect for soloing or melodic lines that need to kick through.

I run through a Labsystems 212B vintage box which sounds great. It was originally a little too 'out' there for me, but I was so used to the sucked out sound of the Marshall 212 box I had. Now I can actually hear the guitar and the nuances of guitars, strings, picking. Once you get it on stage or in a band, you appreciate the difference!

Its got an effects loop and a funky green glowing valve that pumps along as you play. I don't know what that does.. but doesn't matter - it looks cool ;)

I use mine predominantly for rock, but it does great blues sounds as well. I have the clean channel just breaking up, and a nice full overdrive on channel two, but not too full-on. The clean channel is my favorite, which goes from smooth to about as much as my Marshall JMP could crank.. 'cept better (don't tell my Marshall I said that).

And with my new Gretsch Anniversary, its now a jazz beast from hell (not that I can play jazz!) Smooth baby.

Its really given our band/songs a much fuller sound - hard to describe but its opened everything up a lot more and let the guitar just sit in its own space.

I've only had this amp now for about 3-4 months, and (as you would hope!) haven't had a problem. The caged top means all the valves are pretty exposed, so don't go letting anyone tip beer into it!

All the parts for these amps are fully tested and specially selected, so I have the utmost faith that this is about as reliable as they come.

Probably a hardcase would be good for it while transporting - which you could probably get made up. (Depends on how careful you are with your gear!)

I haven't had a problem with this amp, but as the book says that you get with the amp, Labsystems are the best people to repair this amp for you should you have an issue. They've always been great in the past to help service my Marshall, etc..

I've been playing for 10 years, and use Gibson Les Paul Deluxe with P-90's, Les Paul Junior SG with a P-90, Les Paul with 59's, Gretsch DuoJet and Anniversary with Filtertrons. I've also got a Marshall JMP head which I sometimes run in stereo with the Cage if I'm feeling very .. extravagant.

Haven't found anything to hate thus far.. don't think I will either! I didn't mean for this review to be 10's all the way down actually, but the comments on the 10 mark are all appropriate here .. so there you go.

I've done two shows and a few auditions with it thus far and each time have had people come up afterwards and comment on it and asking what the heck it was and checking what else I was running with it. But thats all there is .. guitar, tuner and in.. rockin!! After our last show I was smiling so much I had to write this review.

The amp is pretty expensive I guess, but isn't production line stuff.. this is hand built, and as far as I'm concerned as good as it gets! Once you compare it to a few other top model amps in this range (new Marshalls, Mesa Rectifiers, Vox etc), it'd be hard to not love the Cage 50. Its hard to say what its most like.. but it can sound similar to all these amps in a way, but still has its own "ring" and life that the others didn't seem to have.

If it was stolen (touch wood) I would be getting another one for sure. The more I play it the better its getting, so once again excuse the 10's all round but I've been loving life since getting my Cage.. this thing kicks butt!

Some pictures on our website: http://www.digbyon.com/dan.htm