Sovtek Mig 100

very power 100 watts... w/ hi/lo inputs; presence, bass, mid, treble controls; master volume and regular volume and finally a standby and power switch. All tubes by the way! missing a switchable distortion...

crystel clear!I play thru a fender w/ dimarzio super distorion P/U's....I love playing the clean channel on this guy! the distortion on the other hand doesnt really fit my style of music. I like to play with a higher gain distortion so i use a ibanez smashbox distortion pedal. I get great tube warmth when i run the pedal thru it. Very loud by the way... I dont think ill ever need to turn the volume past half way.

works so far....

havent dealt with them......

This is a great/inexpensive amp head. Compares to alot of more expensive heads such as marshalls. If it got stolen,I would definitly buy another one if I could even find one. So, if any of you get lucky enough to find one used...i highly recommend buying it.

Limited features, but adequate for single channel.For something so robust in manufacture, i can't believe the plastic knobs & jacks....haven't broken any yet...but the inevitable awaits.

Sounds awesome......have jammed with 100w Marhsall's that are just kidding themselves.....this thing eats Marshall's, Mesa's & all comers! I haven't had the "noisy" high-gain input that other reviewers have commented on....if anythin mines too clean. I play with 70's Ibanez's (Jap), a Destroyer II with DiMarzio's & an Iceman with Seymour Duncan Jeff Beck @ the Bridge & Jazz pick up @ the neck.
The Destroyer played through low gain channel is pure magic.

No Drama's to date but only had the thing for a year (touch wood). Only blown a couple of fuses through selecting wrong output jack (16 ohm). As is said by all other reviewers....this thing is a tank.

N/A

Been playing for about 8 years.....& wouldn't swap for all the Marshall's in Spandexland.......Would have paid double or even triple for this amp. In the shop I was comparing to vintage 60's Marsh with $7000 price tag....which just sounded tired by comparison. I love that it is always a talking point with every new person to see it....get a bit of a snigger at first glance....then plug it in...and wipe those smiles away! Viva St Petersberg!

I think the year it was made in was in the 70's or early eighties. I bought it used not really expecting somthing so nice. I play in a Punk group and this thing has power. With my RAT pedal its a little bassy but I cleaned it up so instead it has that awesome crunch to it. It has everything i need treble, bass, mid, presence, and high-Low channels. I don't need anything else. I used it for a show and it sounded great. I've heard marshalls and Fenders, i don't like them compared to this.

I use a Squier Strat and Tele, with single coils in them, they sound great with it. Musically it has everything i wanted, i've only had it up a quarter (if that) towards its maximum volume. IT HAS POWER!! It only has a clean channel, but like i said, that's all i need. And anyways built in distortions usually suck. If you play classical and want that rich guitar sound this is a good amp for you.

I've only had one problem with it, that was when a fuse blew out and i lost the cap. I ended up spending 40 bucks getting a new fuse port put in. But that was it. I would use it for a stadium tour without backups. I have the fuse caps duct taped down so all i'd have to do is place new fuses in. But i'd doubt i'd even need to replace those. I just had some idiot handling it who didn't know how to operate. Take care of it, it won't break.

I couldn't find the company but i don't think anyone else has. It makes you wonder how these amps apeared on earth, Aliens? probably not. I bought it used and i didn't get a warranty on it. I didn't know of any place to get it repaired so i took it to a car stereo repair place (nice job on it too).

I've had it for a year and i've played numerous places. I own a small peavy which is solid state and has more crunch to it but i play my sovtek pretty much all the time. Trade it in? NEVER!!! I've heard marshalls peavy's fender's, they sound nice but would'nt trade my sovvie for it. As for Crates ewwwwwwww. Crawl back into the deep hole you came from. YOU SUCK CRATE.

I bought it new in 1994. It seems to be quite versatile in the clean to tube cruch range. It doesn't have very high gain however, and is not good for death metal playing. But can sound very good mixed with other instruments like bass and second guitar. It is loud enough even to play with a hard hitting drummer. It makes an exellent bass head for some reason, but can't quite push the bass hard enough to keep up with a full band. And as you know by now it is basic when it comes to features. It makes a good lesson in tone control usage and makes rows of distorion pedals and FX seem complicated and usless. I stopped using pedals all together because even the most expensive ones could not touch the stock sound.

I play a Gibson exlorer with stock humbuckers straight in to the amp. I play metal and hated the amp at first for this style, but soon learned that the super high gain "swarm of bees" sound that I love when I played alone simply got lost when put it in to a band setting. Now the crunchy sound actualy sounds heavier to me. It has some buzz that varies drasticly depending on where it is plugged in. Some outlets are less noisy for some reason. The clean channel resists breaking up for a while but does begin to dirty eventually. The distortion is thick but has a strange lack of sustain. It maintains the characteristics of a clean guitar at even full gain and high volume.. It does sound exellent though.

It went for years of regular use at high volumes with zero problems. But due to my own lack of upkeep has recently died. I think it may need a re-tubing. I had not ever let it go this long without re-tubing it and don't know what the effects of a fried tube are on an amp. All it does is blow all of it's fuses the second you turn off the standby. I rate it at ten because it will work for ever if regularly "tuned up" but it is not maitenence free like a solid state amp and needs the typical tube amp TLC.

No information.. I can't even find a website that sells the amp anymore. All of the links etc. are just for Sovtek tubes. If anyone knows anything I would love an email.

I have been playing for a while but am actually a drummer. If it were stolen I would try and seek out another one. I love that you don't see them all over and it stands out. It is built like a tank and hand wired. I shoped around a bit, but I knew that there was nothing at even double the price that could touch the volume and tone. Other 100 watt tube heads were a lot more expensive and they didn't all sound as good. I thought about a used Marshall but everyone and their dog has a marshall and all of the modern ones sound about the same with that telltale midrange grind. I am satisfied with the features that it has. Down to earth in every way. If you are in the tube head market it is worth a test drive.

This amp sure doesn't have very many features but for me i don't really need them. I play punk music and i think that is what it is made for. As far as the loudness of it, it is way loud its 100w tube which makes it a grip louder.

To me this beast sounds really good, i play a fender mexican strat with a hot rails and a lace sensor on it. It sounds awesome to me and everybody who has heard it. There is so much distortion on it and it is just right

The reliability isn't too good on it. The 2 fuses on the back have problems for instance one of them was sort of cracked and it fell out a couple days ago and it is so hard to just find a fuse cap for it, that is all i need and no has anything on it. Also the power switch broke but luckily it broke on, on! They really need to be replaced with metal ones but i can't find any parts for it from anyone not even from them

I haven't been able to get in contact with them, i went to there webpage but they don't have any parts for sovtek just for everything else. If i could get in contact with them it would help but its so hard. if anyone has their # could you email me thanks a lot

overall its a really sweet sounding amp, as soon as i get everything fixed on it i will be good to go

Don't know what year it is, probably mid 80's to 90. I play alternative country, whatever that is. It definately is built to suit my styles of play but it's not for everyone. I don't mind that it has only one channel. I read how everyone wishes it had 2 channels or reverb but if you play lighter it will play clean. This amp is extremely responsive to your attack on the strings. Also try rolling off the volume knob on your guitar. All these musicians want to just hit a button or stomp on a box and change the sound. Try learning control of your instrument. I have found the controls on the amp can dramatically change the sound to suit most all of my needs. I use this amp in the studio, on stage and at rehearsals. I for one like to keep things simple and that is what this amp affords me while still giving me quite a variety of sound. Sure if I want a real vintage country sound I'm gonna plug in a Twin Reverb but for all around warm, saturated tube sound the mig 100 is it. I won't even answer the question about power. I don't think I've turned it past 5.

I mostly use a Gibson Les Paul Jr with one p90 pickup and an SG Standard. Occasionally I've even put a Guild Acoustic with a Fishmann thru it. Doesn't sound so bad. The amp sound seems to ajust itself like a cameleon. It really does almost anything I want it to do as long as I put the right guitar on the other end. As far as Distortion goes the farther you seem to go with volume the better it gets. It never falls short.

It is extremely reliable. It may have broken down once in 5 yrs. All I had to do then was put a fuse in the back of it. Also just some minor maintenance is required like everything else.

Doesn't seem like anyone really knows anything about these amps. From California to New York I have always had amp techs say "OH You have one of those". Never contacted Sovtek.

Read the other reviews: huge,loud,nice,heavy,master/vol all tube lead head. Wish it had channel switching.
Actually, one wierd thing is there's 3 output jacks, in between 2 of them it says 4 OHMS, and for the last it's 8 OHMS. I think it must be an older model with only 4 and 8 ohm outputs. If anyone knows give me a bell(no bells will be accepted). My cab's 8 OHM's so it's fine.
I like lots of different sounds, and I only like it because I run a good Multi-effects into it.

The Eq and Volume are all really interractive, reasonably large variation of sounds - takes some fiddling. You can get ALMOST glassy, bottom-end crunch, vintage overdrive, not high-gain...... Straight-in and it's over-driven heaven if that's what you're after(to MY ears). I just want to keep turning it up because it keeps getting better, except stuff starts shaking when it's in my room. I run an RG Ibanez through it into a TE quad and the bottom end is huge: It's the combination of the guitar and the amp. Quiet as heck. Great with multieffects.

Jacks stuffed up, I repaired them myself and now it's fine. If Russia bombs us they can come and get it because I think it will still be fine, sitting in the smoldering ashes. I was going to get a Marshall DSL, but I saw a few blow at gigs and went for Reliability. Hand wired, really good work - TANK.

I need the circuit diagram. Can you give me a bell if you can get it to me(no bells will be accepted). Importer in Australia is Electric Factory (VIC) I think.

I've been playing 6 years. Own a strat-copy, an acoustic I brought from a Scottish backpacker,RG Ibanez, Boss ME-30..... I run it through a Trace-Elliot Quad, the combo is awesome! I swear I can get almost every sound known to man.
Lost or stolen: You couldn't loose it, look for the nearest hole in the ground, it's probably sunk. Stolen, I might buy a Marshall DSL except they seem to be unreliable, seen a few go at gigs, that's why I got this.
It needs channel switching, then they'd sell like hotcakes.

real stright-foreward type of amp. bass middle treble and presence for tone controls and a master and volume. it has a high and low input.

I use it in a rock setting...nails the early aerosmith kinda thing no problem. I use it with a bunch of different guitars and each ones character can be heard. it is a fairly quiet amp as far as noise goes. but it can keep up with an svt as far as volume goes. The distorton is more for classic rock but if you want more gain put a sans amp gt2 into the low input and use the boogie extreme settings then you can out metallica metallica.

I've used the amp on gigs and the amp has been stone reliabale. The on/off switch and standby switch are a little dodgy but I had'em replaced before playing out and had no problems. Tubes are still original from 94....I really need to replace them!!

Support was great...asked them a few questions about the switches and about upgrading it to a mig 100h....the answered me promptly and sent me a mig 100h scematic with the upgrede circled for free...can't beat that

Been playing for most of my life and have a ton of gear...this piece just keeps itself around. I love the amp and it has been totally reliable. Beats the hell out of most marshalls...this has low end. Awesome for rock(not metal unless you use the gt2)

I bought this head new in '94, I think. The controls are quite simple; bass, treble, middle, presence, volume and master volume. Low and high inputs. This amp is really loud, but like most other 100 watt amps, the actual increase in volume sort of stops when you reach 5 on the master, after that only the distortion increases. Anyway, that's how I feel. Maybe I'm just losing my hearing...

But don't get me wrong here, the volume is more than enough. Period. It would actually do with a 50 watt amp, because with a 100 watt amp, you rarely push it to its' limits.

I have a Strat replica with 2 EMG's and one DiMarzio YJM (I reviewed the YJM under Pickups), but I mainly use my Gibson Nighthawk when playing through the Sovtek. This combination is truly great. It's an extremely fat sounding distortion (with the volume set at around 7-10, and the master at 3; the bass, treble and presence around 7, and the middle full up), not a sound you would wanna solo with, but for riffing it's outstanding. It's difficult to make what you play sound good with this kind of sound; every mistake really stands out, but if you have decent control of what you do with your guitar you cannot go wrong.

Oh yeah, a remark regarding the distortion in this amp. It's a really strange kind of overdrive. If you bash out open chords/power chords, it sounds like there's enough distortion to make Dino Cazares weep out of joy, but when you start palm muting and playing fast riffs, there's just not enough gain to make it sound fluent. The chords seem to stumble over each other, and it's really hard to make it sound good. So if you're planning to play Lagwagon-type riffs with the Sovtek, I suggest you use a parametric EQ or a preamp or something for a proper gain boost.

The input jacks break real easily, so I've replaced them with Marshall ditos. I've had this amp for five years, and so far only two tubes have broken. Another thing, if I were going to kill someone, this would be the weapon of choice. It's a real back-breaker dragging this thing from and to rehearsal. I wish they would fill the tubes with helium or something, then I'd be much happier.

Haven't got a clue. I bought this in Sweden, and due to the wonderful European Community and it's damn rules and regulations, they are not even allowed to import this amp anymore.

I've played for maybe seven years, and previosly I've owned two Marshall Valvestates, one funny little Yamaha practice amp, one Peavey 5150 half stack (quick, where's the barf bag!??), plus the two other amps I own right now; one old modified Marshall head and one Mesa/Boogie Caliber 50+ combo. And like I said, this sounds damn good for rhythm guitar, while I might prefer the Marshall or the Mesa for lead sounds. But considering the low price for this back-breaker, it was an excellent buy. I actually tried to sell this a couple of years back, thank God I didn't succeed!!

Right, time to go "poop" in the toilet, but I think I've covered everything I wanted to share with the guitarist community.

This is a very basic 100watt guitar head. Controls include presence, bass, mid, treble, master, and volume. It also has 4,8,16ohm outputs, and a direct out. I give it a six because no real attempt was made to make this amp convenient with respect to switchable high/low inputs or anything. It also has the plastic ins/outs and power/standby switches which take away from the rating. Very loud and you have to keep a speaker load on the tubes so the direct out isn't for silent recording, which would be nice, but is useful nonetheless.

I haven't heard everything out there so I can't say this is the best, but it is the best I have ever played through. I use a much older Epiphone SG (Japanese not Korean) and have played an Epi hollowbody and an original Fender Jaguar through the MIG. I find it very versatile and useable with humbuckers or single coils. The difference is the loss of only minor gain with the single coils, but increased clarity. I have mostly used it for recording and it has been excellently suited for that because it is very quiet when you aren't playing and very loud and musical when you are. I can get any sound I would want out of it with the use of no pedals. However I would recommend to those who wish to get excessive distortion to use a pedal. I have tried the Big Muff Pi(green reissue) with it and it sounded great.I play just about anything I can manage, I am primarily a drummer, but since i bought this I may change my mind. If you want blues you can get it easy. Same with hard rock, vintage crunchy sounds, great punk rock, ska, old school hardcore (think Minor Threat), or something different. The sound matches all of the great amps I have heard others use and I was shocked at what others are willing to pay for an amp of this caliber.I leave the master set at a bearable decibel level and fool with the volume to send the signal through the (3)12AX7s in the preamp. The power tubes are 5881s (aka 6l6s)which give a nice, rich, glassy, warmth to the clean tones which are achieved by setting the master volume up with the volume set back down around 2. Again this will vary because the amp gets loud fast when you play with the knobs, so you'll want to pay attention to what time of day you're cranking this in your bedroom! But low volumes are possible without sacrificing tone thanks to the design of the master/volume controls. Some of the shimmer of the power tubes is missing from this amp, meaning fender tones aren't nailed by any means. But that doesn't mean that good bluesy breakup isn't there. It is just more muddy than a fender. This is far better competition for Marshall buyers than Fender lovers.

I really cannot comment on its reliability because I haven't had it long (few months), but the previous owner never had to change the tubes and he bought it new in 1994. There have been no mods on the amp, and no emergency servicing. From what others say about their tube amps, that seems like a pretty good track record. I have noticed a blue glow from the output tubes which I researched. Apparently this is a good sign that the tubes are well made and have a strong vaccum. Kudos Sovtek.

Couldn't say.

In the seven years I have been playing guitar off and on,I tampered with solid state gear as well as the tube amps of my friends and I was ready to take the plunge into tubedom when my last Solid State started smoking on me. I really loved that amp (Acoustic 260) but I know that new S.S. amps aren't made like that, and certainly won't sound as warm. I bought this because it was cheap. Now that I have played it, I don't want to repair my other amp because this sounds so good I don;t need to. If you are reading this because you are in the market for a new amp for little money, don't bother with all of the overpriced junk out there. Valvestates and Crates and beat-up Marshalls and everything else being crammed down your throat are supposedly great, but they suck! If their owners weren't so proud they'd tell you that they paid too much. Footswitching would be nice, metal jacks and plugs would be too, but the important things are there- tone and volume, not to mention meager pricetags.The jacks and switches are an easy fix for you or your tech. Bottom line- Big amp for a Little price! If you are loaded, buy a Soldano, Rivera, or Mesa, but people like me are still going to ask why. Otherwise, if you aren't loaded, or at least care more about music than image, buy this amp!