Samick SM-35KC

I'm just adding another point to this review, to help with Google hits for someone looking for this amp - this amp is in, in fact, called a SM35KC, not a 'SM-35KC' as the page calls itself. Just to clear that up.

I'll add some more. 2 Inputs, 80W, Chorus effect, headphones, line out, that's about it. It has a 12" speaker.

Very passable clean sound. It's not the worst I've heard, with a big speaker and box giving enough bass to pass. Tinkering with Bass/treble/middle can give you a good sound.

The chorus is the worst chorus I've ever heard. It's also very quiet - the chorus can be very hard to hear at times, which is almost a good thing. Very weak warbling sound.

The headphone socket of the SM35KC gives straight guitar sound - this doesn't have any processing other than the bass/treble/chorus, which sounds really horrible for some reason. The speaker seems to sound a lot better than the headphone socket, but I think that could be expected.

This is a very quiet amp for 80w. I'd say the SM35KC's output would be around 30w-ish in the real world... very low.

The treble pot has screwed up on me. That means that the volume of the SM35KC drops down very low if the treble goes anything above 3 - then there's no equalizer at all. I think I could fix it.

As far as the build quality goes, it's pretty good and solid. It's a bit alarming that the pot has crapped out on me... this gives me bad feelings about the electronics.

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I wish that this amp would catch fire and burn. And I would jump up and down and dance with glee if it died.

It's shit. It's samick. 'Nuff said.

I suspect this amp was made in the mid-ish 90's. I can't quite be sure about the age because of the fact that I got it secondhand.

The amp seems pretty versatile - I've tried it with an Ibanez RG series and a Marshall Jackhammer overdrive pedal (with passable results), and with just clean electric, but it seems to be slanted more towards acoustic playing because of its built-in chorus effect. It does sound nice with my acoustic - but that's rarely what I use it for.

The amp has 2 channels - both inputs have independent volume controls and adjustable gain amounts, which is great if two guitars are plugged in. Headphone jack and line out are around the back, and there's jacks for a switch pedal and a chorus pedal (neither of which I have used). Aside from the independent volume controls there's a master volume control with bass, middle and treble adjustment. There's also a master chorus control with depth and chorus volume adjustment.

There's no overdrive or any form of distortion, which is a disappointment for me at least. This thing won't even think about distorting unless you encourage it with some pedals.

This amp is totally solid state - none of these fancy-pants valve things. It's volume isn't particularly high - the rated output is something like 80 watts, but I think the speaker only puts out something like 30. It's rather quiet. To be honest, you'd keep the neighbours awake with this amp, but only at full blast with it pointing out the window. No earmuffs required - don't worry about losing your hearing, you won't.

As a more-or-less straight pop and rock musician (in fact scrap that idea, I play anything) I think this amp is somewhat limited in its output - I've tried it with several guitars (my main gat being a no-name Harper HVS-150 isn't really the best benchmark, but I've had a fender strat, an Ibanez Roadster and an Ibanez RG-something plugged in before today which probably serve as slightly better benchmarks) - and have to say that compared with other amps that I've tried, it does come up a bit short in volume stakes as well as the general tone of it. The bottom end isn't spectacular, the treble tends to cut through a bit much at full volume. It probably sounds better with single-coil pickups than humbuckers - a muddying of the sound with my humbucker generally happens. I can't quite explain that.

There's always some noise coming through the speaker. The amp seems to hum even at the lowest volumes without anything plugged in.

This seems to be very solidly built - but then again it is Korean made and I can't say that the build quality of things that come from Asia is particularly renowned. That said I haven't had any problems with it for the year that I've had it.

The knobs are good and there's no scratching however much they get used. I think it is dependable.

I can't say that I've even seen an official English version of the Samick website - no manufacturers warranty need apply. I bought it secondhand so really I shouldn't be commenting on this.

I wouldn't really recommend getting this amp. I've seen and heard worse but I think your money would be better spent on a Marshall or Peavey or Fender practise amp with half the wattage. Don't be fooled by the size or wattage, this really isn't much good for anything other than practise - it hums, it doesn't sound all that good, it's a samick. (which everyone knows is a very cheap brand). Woohoo.

The Chorus is quite a nice feature though - I can play Nirvana's Come As You Are almost exactly as it sounds on the CD (not that I'd admit that to anyone else, nooooo I don't listen to Nirvana, they're crap, I CAN'T HEAR YOU).

The one consoling feature was that the amp was cheap and looks pretty impressive. It's big enough to sit on, and it was a price that didn't break the bank for me.

I know absolutely nothing about this amp because there is nothing on the internet. The model is SM-35KC and is a 80w Samick combo amp.

It has two channels (which is great) which both have adjustable volume and chorus. In the middle there is the equalizer (bass, mid, treb) and main volume and on the right the chorus levels. I have both chorus knobs on halfway (anything less it's not worth having on and anything more sounds like its being dragged backwards through a lake - yuck - you'd never want to use this sound). The chorus sounds really good though! But there is no distortion - which is a pity. I had to buy a pedal. Around the back there is a line to switch between the channels (where you can plug in a switch to do so) and also a line to turn the chorus on and off (if you have another switch). ALso there is a line out jack and a headphone socket. I have never used the headphone socket because it is around the back and there is no way I could anywhere but my head right next to the amp to play and have the headphones plugged in (I could buy an extension chord or something though).

This amp lives in my room - but I take it out normally once a week to take it to church where I play. It definitly DOES NOT have enough power for anything!!! Be warned. This amp is 80w but is not loud. I normally play it almost full volume in my room and when I play it at church it is only just loud enough to be heard by me (but it's alright cause we go through a p.a. system).

I am playing this amp through a Fender Squire Strat, which is a decent-ish guitar. It has the 3 single coil pickups. But this amp makes it sound crap. The amp has a really dead bass-y sound. The chorus does pick it up though. And also this amp is really noisy which is surprising.

Because it is so soft I have to have it up on full most of the time and then it hums. Especially when I plug my bass in it goes pyscho if I'm not touching the strings at all. This amp has no variety in terms of sound, you need the bass on the equalizer at about 9 o'clock, the middle on 12 and the treble on 3 o'clock. But it doesn't go at all distorted at high levels - but there isn't a lovely clean tone either - it just sounds crap.

It is a reliable amp though - big and heavy (hard to carry!! - i wouldn't want to be walking any longer distance than from the carpark next door!!). It is very nice to sit on though. I'll give it extra marks for that. I don't think there is much to break in it.

Not much to say here so I won't say much...only that Samick's website doesn't have anything about it (I suppose because it is a fairly old model) and there is absolutely nothing on the net about it.

I've been playing for a few years and I play all the time. I play in a few bands but this amp does no justice (I don't really know what that means but thought it sounded cool and have always wanted to say it!). Um...I'd never buy it again. I bought it second hand from Cash Converters because I needed a seriously bigger louder amp in a hurry and because it was on sale.

Looking back, it was cheap and I've had it for about 6months - probably not even that - and it's done it's job. It is only an amp after all - and in a way I have grown slightly attached to it, it's like my big clumsy ugly baby.

As I mentioned above, it is good to sit on. There were no other biggish amps in the store so I had nothing to compare it too - which I should have done. I am planning on buying a new amp in the next few weeks - looking at a nice new Fender or Marshall - nice and big and loud and cool!!! Expensive - but it'll last forever and ever and will sound awesome. Everyone seems to say that people don't realise what a difference a good amp makes to a guitarist's sound. Well I'm going to find out.

So basically, if you see this amp and it is going cheap and you want something that'll just do the job with a grunt and you don't have to carry it too far then go for it. But really it isn't loud enough to do a gig without a pa system or something. It looks the part but doesn't fit it. My friends little crappy 30w practice amp was on half volume and mine was on full and his was louder - do you get the point. I wish it had distortion - that would be cool!

When I first brought it home thought and compared it to my old practice amp (30w Drive guitar amp) I thought it had such a nice sound - especially with my acoustic. But I think I was a bit blinded by the coolness or having a big new amp. - but it does sound good with acoustic - better than electric anyway.