THD UniValve Head

This is a well thought out chunk of machinery. I've had it now for about 6 months and every day that I use it, I appreciate it more. The amp works great for practicing downstairs at reasonable volume levels, and yet you can use the Line Out jacks in the back to push it through another power amp.

I am presently using Fender Strat and play a variety of rock / blues styles. The amp sounded great out of the box, but anyone who gets a Uni will start to play around with different tube combinations. They really do sound different, although in all honesty, almost every combination I've tried has sounded great. The built in hot plat is a real added bonus. About the only other effect that I use is a Boss RV-5 reverb box. Although the Uni almost has a reverb sound, I like just a little more (could be the room I practice in). I got my THD 2x 12 cab about a month ago. It sounded crappy for a about a week and now it just sings. There is some truth about speakers needed to be played hard for a while before they sound right. The THD system I have now means that my little Marshall practice amp is gathering dust in the corner.

The way this thing seems to be built, I will be shocked if it ever breaks down.

I've never had to contact THD for anything. From what I've heard they are a great group of people.

I have no hesitation in recommending this unit. After playing through a solid state amp, there is just something magical that a tube amp gives you. When you play through gear like this, the hours just fly by.

As I play since 1960 and have tested almost all top amps on the Planet (yes, from Philips or Selmer, via Vox through Marshall, Fender to Cornford or MatAmp etc ... but also VG-88v2 or VGA-3, Zenterra etc ...) I think I can say: this is THE ultimate dream for ''Woodstock-generation'' guitar-amp jazz-blues-rock players.

Please, do not misinterpret this analogy, yet it describes the essence of this fabulous '''HAREM'-amplifier'', rather well:

Nowadays, you can buy one of these new digital zillion-features sounds emulation-amps (changing mistresses all the time, but with anti-aids protection, it's not quite a 'real thing'), or you can buy this versatile ''harem''-amplifier :

Namely, the Univalve uses a collection ('harem') of the world's finest valves (selected beautiful women in your 'harem').

And it's a REAL valve(s) thing,so if you ocasionally dislike some tones, well, change the valve(s), man :-)

All the rest is secondary in this inspired amplifier design.

It's YOUR CHOICE ! And that's why some people get it wrong.

You can use AX7, ECC83 and 6550a through a vintage 112 Fane cabinet (softer sounding) like myself for jazz , or get slightly more aggressive with EL34EH and 412 marshall cabinet for rock ...

You can add small Danelectro SlapEcho minipedal to mimic 'reverb' or addan analog Ibanez AD99 delay-echo pedal or use any other top OD like Fulltone Fulldrive 2 or Maxon OD808 ...

... and it all sounds fabulous IF you make CORRECT choices.

Do not blame OTHERS for your wrong choices in life (mariage) !

This is definitely THE VERY BEST guitar amplifier soundwise
as if you cannot get some sound it's your fault, not THDs: I repeat you can get any ''Woodstock-generation'' sound ...

Beyond that, i.e. nu-metal or trash or nihilo-rap ... use these new digitalo-computerized aggressive sound generators ... as this amp cannot offer sounds that are of non-valve origin.

Mine was 2nd hand and sent by snail-mail from New York to Switzerland and survived 8 weeks of trans-atlantic travel in probably very strange conditions and still sounds - Divine :-)

Go to www.univalve.net and read - perfect community !

If you have any imagination then you can understand that a guy who begun playing guitar BEFORE the Beatles became a known band, and before Marshall designed even his first cabinet ... did have sufficient time on this Planet to test all the best gear (I am a physicist and I travel around the globe so can and did test virtually any top amp that people mention in these forums) ...

If you are baby-boomer guitarist, the GOOD news is: buy this amplifier, and have peace of mind. Just choose the cabinet and stop worrying about tube sounds as you will have them all : just choose a different guitar and change valves when you need a different texture ... this amp provides all basic options.

Effects you can add later and in my tests I learned that all decent pedals can be easily used with this amp and sound great.

For wild non-tube guitar and other artificial sounds I use in parallel Roland VG-88v2 and GR-33 through Roland VGA-3 or Cube 30 digital units ... but in the tube sound arena this is it.

I have sold all my other tube amps, except for Trace Elliott designed Gibson GA-15RV as it is sweet sounding combo for small jazz-blues gigs (where I need relatively little sonic range).

If it were stollen I would buy it again. And NO I didn't want the BiValve and the reverb as this Univalve provides all the sonic tube basics that sound Divine and is sufficiently loud ... mics exist, right (and yes, I did try Fargen and Dr.Z ... amps too :-)

In summary, if you are baby-boomer guitarist: go and buy one !

"Opinions are like armpits, Everyone has them and some of them stink." I have the good fortune of playing in two different bands. One is blues oriented and the other is country. Until now I have had to have two amps to cover the different styles. A Marshall JTM45 Offset Halfstack (sweeet!) for the blues gig and a '65 re-issue Fender Twin for the county. With the UniValve all I have to do is change out the tubes. The 15W this thing develops is plenty for me. That's why Shure markets the SM57. The only cab this amp sounded just OK with was an old, old Crate 4x12. Everthing else (Mesa, Marshall, KJL, Cruise) sounded outstanding.

I generally bring at least two guitars to every gig. Right now my favorites are a '52 re-issue Fender Tele, a G&L ASAT Classic with a double coil in the neck, a Strat of some sort, and a '58 Les Paul re-issue. Regardless of the guitar I choose this amp sounds awesome. It can be a bit bright so I pull the tone down just a bit on the single coil guitars unless I really need that 12ax7/6L6 spank with the country fellas. Putting a 12at7 in the drive position with a 6550 power tube this thing eats the blues up! If I want rock substitute an EL34. This amp is ideal for pedals like the Diaz Texas Ranger. I finally understand what the late Mr. Diaz was going for. Is this amp going to cover stadium gigs? Not unless they use an iso-cab and feed the signal thru the main PA. You didn't think those 4x12 cabs were for real did you? Bottom line...If you like tube amps you are going to love the UniValve. If you want the death metal drop C thing go for the Marshall Mode Four.

Since I've only had the amp for a while it's kind of hard to say. However, I've yanked more tubes in and out of this thing than a normal person should and the tube sockets haven't shown any sign of getting loose or losing their grip.

The cusomer support is head and shoulders above anything I have experienced before in or out of the music biz. I get replys to my e-mails in a matter of minutes and the phone never rings more than a few times before someone picks up. With all the poor customer support in the superstores lately it makes you wonder if maybe the little guy is the way to go?

I've been playing since '66 and have never had such an exciting sonic experience. I can't wait for the THD 2x12 cab to show up.

I believe my amp was made in 2001, but I got it used in 2002.

This is a very feature loaded amp, offering many features not available with other amps...

One of the most underated aspects of this amp in the reviews here so far is the ability to use its instrument level line-out to make this into a superior PREAMP.

In a live situation where additional volume may be required this use of the UniValve offers a great solution that offers virtually unlimited volume along the great UniValve tone.

Most amps aren't designed with a instrument level out. If you simply plug a line-level out into the input of another amp, you can get nasty results.

Not only does this have the right "instrument level" signal, but it also has a "volume control" for this output which allows you to fully control the signal to a second amp.

I typically use this into the "poweramp in" on my Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, which bypasses the tone stack on the amp. This allows the tone controls on the UniValve to be dominant, and that's a simpler solution for my needs. It still sounds great through the normal amp Input... so you don't need another amp with a specific poweramp in.

Because this input on my HR Deluxe also hits the reverb it has the added benefit of allowing me to use the Fender reverb when I want. Nice.

Another plus is that I can still send a signal from the normal speaker out of the UniValve to any other cabinet I want. So I can easily get more air moving and control the volume to each independently. Nice. I often use a Line6 delay in line with the HR Deluxe, which ends up giving me a "wet" sound from the HR Deluxe and its speaker and a "dry" sound from my other cab, a Carvin 2x12 with Celestion Vintage 30's.

I've got a variety of guitars and play mostly blues, jazz, and classic rock styles. This amp, combined with a nice and growing set of power and preamp tubes gives me a great range of useable tones.

Unlike some reviewers, who seemingly struggle to find sounds they like, I find it hard to find sounds I DON'T like.

Some of my favorites include 6V6's using the hotter "rock" input combined with a nice 12ax7 and a 12at7...

I also love the sound of big tubes like 6550's, KT-88's, and KT-66's using the same preamp tubes. The more powerful tubes provide plenty of power for the "roll" channel, and I get a great clean-on-the-verge-of-breaking-up sound with the gain cranked and the attitude knob all the way up.

For "maximum gain" I love EL-34's with ECC-83's and 82's as pre-amp tubes. In the "rock" channel with the gain and attitude turned up, using my LP Standard... it is the sound of rock!

As others have noted, it's a low powered amp, but because I mainly use it as a preamp that doesn't bother me a bit. In fact, I can't believe so many criticize this amp as not being loud enough for band settings. Aren't people mic'ing their amps and running them through a PA? Is their goal to have stage volume so loud it drowns out everything else... Yowww... I'm glad I'm not in a band with them!

To me, it's important to get the sound you want coming from your amp... then mic and send that sound out to the crowd. Controllable, great sounding tones. That's MY ideal.

I do agree that it's unlikely to use the tube swapping feature in a live gig situation unless you like running around with an oven mitt on or something! Those poweramp tubes get REAL HOT, and you've typically got to wait for 15 or 20 minutes to let them cool enough to pull them out with your bare hands.

It's SO easy to do this though, with the way the whole top of the amp just lifts off, that in a studio setting, it's perhaps the IDEAL real tube modeling amp. I can get so many different tones with my range of tubes... It's turned me into a real "tube hound".

Also the fact it's true class A, which provides that classic range of even harmonics, it has a VERY sweet sounding overdrive. And with the tubes I have, NONE of the "buzzing" type overdrive some have mentioned. I don't know what they're using for tubes, but it's not what I'm using!

I don't think I've ever been happier with any musical purchase. Perhaps my PRS McCarty comes close... But I don't use it all the time... I use THIS all the time. It IS my sound for all practical purposes now. I couldn't imagine NOT using it.

This thing is built like a "tank"... or, errr... like an AIRPLANE.

If any of you decide to take a peek at the guts of this, you'll be impressed with the "mil-spec" type hardware and componants used. Everything's nicely done, with no sloppy work I could see.

I expect everything to work great for a long time, and I'm confident the folks at THD would take care of me if they didn't. It's one of the advantages of a "small company" amp... they have to provide great service to be competitive.

Since I've never needed anything... I can't say.

But I've noticed some of the THD folks on the forums here. Nice.

I would expect any call to them to get a helpful result!

I've owned a number of other amps including various Marshalls, Fender's and other amps. I never really bought any type of "boutique" amp before, and I was a little nervous about it before I did.

I honestly didn't know much about tubes, the differences in their sounds and feel, or even how many different choices there were. But on the advice of a friend who highly recommened these, plus all the good reviews, I decided to take the leap on a used one.

I'm SO glad I did this.

I may eventually get another one so I can use them together for a "clean" and "overdrive" sound with an A/B switch live. But for now, one will do.

One other thing I didn't mention is how well many tube combinations respond to the volume control on my guitars. I simply make the sound of the "full-on" guitar as powerful as I want, then roll-off and let the sound "clean-up" nicely. My 6550 on the lower gain roll channel does this "perfectly" for a great blues tone, and it's fun having all the control from the guitar versus a stompbox or a gain channel where the gain increases all at once. MUCH more musical this way. Plus I can do it anywhere... even out in the audience or something!

I specially ordered one for Italian delivery. I received it in January 2003 so I'm guessing it was made in 2002. I didn't have a chance to try one before buying it, but relied on strong reviews. I play many different styles of music, but love the real smokey blues tone that makes you think of LesPaul/Marshall like Mick Ralphs from Bad Company, or Gary Moore in his blues phase. This is not a "change the patch every 20 seconds" amp. There is no channel switch and any major change like tubes, Rock/Roll, or HiV/LoV setting, requires a switch to stand-by.

There's plenty of power with the Univalve- if I needed anything louder I'd mic it and run it through the PA anyway along with the drums and bass amp. My problem is always quite the opposite- Can I get a could sound without blasting holes in the walls from volume? With the Univalve the answer is simply- Yes, I can.

Where do I use the Univalve? I use the Uni in the apartment running into the PodXT (using only reverb and cab sim from the Pod, and not it's amp sim). I use the Uni as a head in the studio. I use the Uni as a head and simultaneos pre-amp into my JTM45. I use the Uni as a pre-amp only into my JTM45.

The line-out/instrument-out is awesome on the Uni cause you can dial in just the right output. The Univalve has no fx-loop and no reverb, so you've got to find a way around that if you're not running it through a PA. Another great feature is the HotPlate which allows you to get good sounds with the built in db reduction.

I play a few different guitars: LP Custom, LP Standard, ES335, Peavey Wolfgang, Telecaster, and EC Strat. Each one has a distinct sound when played through the Univalve. Each pickup or combination of p/u is very distinctive, in fact, you can easily tell the difference between different brands of picks. The Univalve puts out what YOU put in. Touch is vital and I'd immagine that guitarists more talented than me must just love this amp. With just an adjustment of the guitar volume you can really clean up the sound- amazing. What you won't get is a compressed Pod-ish sound where most people and most guitars sound the same with the same patch. (I've got the PodXT and am not ragging on it- it's a different tool) The Univalve is all about tone. Anyone who can't get an AWESOME tone out of the Univalve doesn't know how to take the 20 seconds to change tubes.

For my Bad Company-ish sound I use a NOS6V6 powertube and a ATX7/AT7 combo and volume cranked up to around 8 this the LP just oozes tone and sustain. We're not talking about pedals or modeling, but 100% pure tube overdrive that is incredible. When I run this a/b using the speaker-out of the THD into a 4x10" and the instrument-out into the JTM45, I swear the tone would bring tears to the eyes of most guitarists.Ok, maybe my playing would be the cause of the tears :)

There are so many combinations between the
1. Power Tube (EL34, 6V6, 6L6, EL84, KT66, KT88, etc)
2. Pre-amp tubes (AT7, ATX7, AU7, etc etc)
3. HiV/LoV (amount of current to the power tube on the plate)
4. Rock/Roll channels (hi and low input)
5. Knob adjustments (with noticeable differences besides all-on or all-off)
6. Direct out to cab/Pre-amp/Both (you make the call!)

And this is all before guitar and speaker options.... can't really think of a more flexible product for awesome tones. Yeah, it's not as easy as turning the dial on the PodXT, but the effort is well worth it. I admit I spent another couple a hundred bucks on some great NOS tubes- but I'm looking for the best tone possible. I'm not looking for the best bang for the buck. The Univalve is one of the tools that allows me to achieve a NON-COMPROMISING tone that I am fully pleased with and would never have to make excuses for. You'll never hear me say, "It's not too bad considering it is only a ...." (fill in the blank). You'll hear me say, "Yeah, that's right- it's the little THD thingy there that is generating that tone!"

For Clean tones the Univalve can get many of those Fenderish or Voxish sounds, but I almost always use the Uni as a pre-amp. I just feel those clean tones need the reverb and the Uni lacks it.

Works for me.

The guys at THD are very helpful and have always responded to my emails with hours. There is also a forum where Ed is pretty quick to answer questions. The thing I like about THD is that THESE GUYS ARE GUITAR PLAYERS and not just salesmen. They are very helpful in helping you find the sound you are looking for.

I've been playing for about 20 years. For amps I've also got a JTM45 and Vox AC15. I also have a Digitech GNX-2 and a PodXT. I listed most of my guitars above. I love the Univalve and would buy another one if anything happened to this one.

To hear my review you would think I would reccommend the Univalve to everyone, but this is NOT the case. It is not cheap and it is not easy-to-use like a Pod. In order to get great sounds out of it, you have to experiment. I would reccommend the Univalve ONLY to those guitarists that are looking for the "Ultimate" tone and can afford it. For beginners or people that like someone to have already done all the tweaking for them, I'd suggest a CyberTwin or a Line6 or something of the such. While I LIKE the ease of the PodXT for practising with headphones (and the sounds are really pretty good), I LOVE being able to turn up the Univalve and take off for tone heaven.

This is a new Univalve purchased from Avatar Speakers (Dave is fantastic at customer service). I won't list the features, the THD website does that very well. I will say that of all the amps I have ever owned each control on this one makes a real difference in the sound. Moreover, there is an interaction between all the functions that allows for great control of the tone. It surprised me even though others in this column had mentioned the impact of the controls. I had to re-learn using controls. The single treble and base are actually more powerful than the T-M-B on my Marshall dsl 50 (which is a very nice amp). You can even use the noise reduction to cut some high end and warm up the sound. Bottom line is this amp is simple but has all the features you could want. The biggest feature is the ability to change the sonic character by changing tubes.

I use a Epi Les Paul with Seymour Duncan 59's and play lots of styles, but tend toward blues and rock. So far, I can get pretty much all the sounds I want out of this amp. I will agree with others, it is not a Marshall or a Fender. It is also not a one-trick pony, like some boutique amps. The THD has a clear replication of sound all its own. By changing tube mixtures and adjusting the very functional controls, you have a much larger pallet of sound to work with. I like the idea of changing the tubes to get a different coloration of tone. What any buyer needs to keep in mind is that you can "lock" into a particular combination of tubes and just run that. There is no mandate to change tubes all the time. I just like being able to get the different character without having to buy multiple amps.

At first I thought the amp was bright sounding, but it hit me that it is just very good at amplifying across all the frequencies and reproducing a very balanced tone. Most other amps do start with a circuit design that feeds a tone into the tubes but THD seems to have taken the approach of feeding a balanced signal into the amplification matrix and allowing the tubes to do the changing of the basic tone.

This is a quiet amp. I get a little buzz with some tubes -12AX7's seem to be noisier - but I put in JJs and EHs and they both are nicer than the stock ones. I have gone to a 12AU7 or 12AT7 in the input and you can't hear the amp. Even with the noisier tubes, when the noise reduction is on the noise goes away.

I like being able to go from a 6V6 sound to an EL34 to a KT66 with just changing tubes. I've actually had to screw the cover back on and force myself to play using a single power tube for a while. That is when I really started to understand how powerful the controls are.

I can dial in a clean that is very appealing to me and then go to the rock channel and get a smooth distortion. Keep it on the bridge PUP and turn the treble and bass on the amp down and you've got a scooped sound that is very aggresive. Put the treble to 10 o'clock and the bass to 2 o'clock+ and move the the neck PUP and roll back your guitar tone and you've gotten into that wonderful British sounding distortion. My favorite is the 6V6 in the roll channel with the amp volume up all the way and the 10 and 2 position on the T-B and you get that break up on double stops and power chords that is the essence of the blues on electric guitar.

When I have a tone that isn't quite what I have wanted, I have found that a little tweeking will get me there. Give me a few more months and I will be able to just dial in what I want within a few seconds. That may seem odd, but, like I said, everything on this amp has a purpose and an interaction with everything else. It is a real pleasure to use.

I know this sounds pretty simple, but the type of speaker used will dramatically change the sound of the amp. I am currently using a 2x12 that has a Greenback and a G12-30H. This sounds good to my ear.

I have put a KT66 in with 2-12AX7s on HiV and let it crank on the rock channel through 2 2x12 (equals a 4x12) cabinets and this amp can move some air. With powerful speakers like V30s you will be heard.

At the same time, you can run a 6V6 with 12AU7 in the input and a lower gain tube in the driver stage and you can play without the attenuator at a room level that really sounds nice, not like pale and week like low volumes on some amps. That is one of the great features - with the volume control down low this amp still has a beautiful sound.

From a distortion perspective, I like the ability to get the different types of distortion from the many power tubes. With the lower gain preamp tubes I can tailor the breakup to be warmer and sooner in the volume range. What I find really nice is how smooth the distortion is. I mean there is no oscillation in the tone - just a smooth crunch that is very musical and full of harmonics. You can hear th

This thing is built very well. I expect that it will last for a long time. It is lighter than most amps, but you can tell the level of workmanship is very high. I like that THD has made very few changes in the design since it was introduced. That means they can focus on quality of manufacture, not worry about how to fix design flaws (which they don't have). I looked at another boutique amp (at twice the price) and one factor in not going for it was that they seemed to be constantly tweeking the design and components. Each amp was a little different and that got me concerned.

I would gig with this without a backup (I only do small venues).

I have been looking at the Univalve forum and see that THD actively participates and listens. I do not expect problems, but so far the customer support seems very good. I had sent a couple of email questions before I bought mine and they resonded with complete answers and within 24 hours.

Been playing as a hobbyist for 10+ years. I've owned various Marshalls, Peaveys, Fenders and Boogies. Some time ago I decided tubes were the only way to go and the journey to get to an amp that matches the shifts in my sonic mood has been difficult. The approach THD has taken is just right for what I want. I love how responsive it is and how many characters it demonstrates. I find it plenty loud and, with the right speaker cabinet, it easily fills up my practice room and up to a medium venue.

I chose this amp because I was tired of a) not getting the sound I wanted from an amp or b) getting one or two great/good sounds but not being able to go beyond that. For me, this is a great amp and I do not expect to be changing it any time soon. It has a nice sweet spot and I can get to the tone I want without blowing out the room.

I can understand why there is no channel switching, but that might be a nice feature. It is not one that I am overly concerned about since I usually play out of one channel or the other.

Please see other reviews. Due to some unique features as Hi/Low voltage switch, adjustible line out etc... it probably deserves 10 (the harmony-central standards).

See the review below, I agree 100%. I obviously belong to those guys who like to try/change stuff. Spend some money on NOS tubes and good quality speaker cabs for the 10 sound.

Excellent build quality.

First class. I moved to Europe and asked some questions regarding the input voltage change. Since it's a small company you actually talk to guys who designed the thing. Very nice people to deal with.

The tube swapping is nothing new (cathode bias), but nobody before created something like the Univalve (with multiple fuses, hi/low switch etc.). Everything inside the amp is well thought of and the amp obviously took them some time to create it. The preamp is Marshall (not Andy), but it does have a sound of its own (SE configuration). If you are into brighter, Marshall-like sounds I highly recommend the amp.

Purchased in Dec 2001. Sincgle channel, built-in HotPlate attenuator, line out, 2 voltage settings, noise reduction. One thing that would be nice to have is a different kind of EQ system. I know that it's a type of EQ where by turning down the bass and treble, it effectively leave the mids emphasized (vauxhall type??) but treble control seems like it's NEVER effective in rolling off the high frequencies. Attitude control is interesting and it is not like a presence control at all. It almost feels like it's controling the amount of overdrive at the driver tube.

There are many who says that UniValve is loud enough to gig with. But everything is relative. Some ofthe tube configurations to get the volume isn't the best sounding however. More on this later. The thing is if you want it to sound "good", the amp will never be loud enough to gig with a band.

The feature of being able to swap tubes is addictive to say the least. You can can get various sounds but changing preamp and power amp tubes but the fundamental sound of UniValve (yes it does have a sound of its own) will always stays the same.

What makes UniValve interesting and addictive is also the weakness of the amp. Although the amp sounds mediocre at best (more like a fuzzy beehive), but it can achieve more than a couple of "10" sounds by carefully fine tuning tube configurations. Just be prepared to spend as much money as you did on the amp!! :-) Joking aside, just be prepared to spend some extra money in obtaining some lower gain preamp tubes. Low gain preamp tubes would bring down some of the brightness of the amp and it is a VERY bright amp in its stock configuration.

There are amps that sound sound the same regardless of what tubes you put in as long as you are using the tubes required by them. For UniValve, some of the current production tubes sound OK but it sounds MUCH better with old production tubes

While trying out various tubes are fun and educational, it can be quite frustrating, too. Especially if you were looking for some "plug-and-play" enjoyment. For that, you should look elsewhere. You will beed to dig deeper into the world of vaccuum tube and try out some not-so-common-guitar-amp-tubes from the 12A?7 family to fully appreciate what UniValve is capable of.

One thing to keep in mind is there are only a few power tubes that can withstand the Hi-V setting, old production tubes in particular. But if you "need" to get its maximum output of 15w, you have to tun it in Hi-V setting. But Hi-V setting is generally much more: trebly, bright, aggressive, fizzy, buzzy, extended treble range.... etc. So a lot of researches are needed to come up with the tube configuration that works.

In general, Lo-V setting sounds much better than Hi-V setting. But you won't get the volume, of course.

UniValve may also make you re-examine your current speaker/cabinet configuration.

For the rating: 5 out of the box but capable of 10

No problems so far. But then again, I am not the type to "throw" my gear in the truck after gigs, either. A case of some sort may be a good idea in order to protect it from wetness (rain, snow, etc) just because of the amps "cage over chasis" style.

I don't know since I have not had any problems with the amp.

This amp can easily go either way, Love or Hate. It is capable of some wonderful sounds but it greatly lacks the out-of-the-box experience. You may bring it home and plug it in then scratch your head as you say to yourself, "what am I missing?" If that is the case, do some research and find out what others are using that transforms the amp into a "10" amp. In summary, if you are a tinkering type, you'll love it. But if you are "plug and play" type, get something else.... like BiValve, perhaps.

Single channel Class A guitar amplifier. 15 watts. Controls: Volume, Treble, Bass, Attitude, Noise Reduction, Hot Plate, High Power/Low Power Option, etc. This amp can do any sound for any style of music. Those of you whoe are blabbing that this amp cannot do high gain, you are playing with the wrong equipment. I wish there was a channel switching option, but this amp is so cool...who really cares. This amp is LOUD, It won't hang with a 100 head, but when's the last time you even turned your 100 Marshall/Mesa/Soldano/etc. to 10? That's what I thought. The power on this amp is very useful, you can play quiet or loud all with great tone. I repeat... T O N E. No Line 6 crap will ever compare to real tube driven tone. Period.

I have 2 guitars that I use...an ESP GL-56 (George Lynch/Relic Custom) and a Carvin Custom 7 String (Koa body and neck, Quilted Maple Top, fixed bridge). I like to play music ranging from SRV, Eric Johnson, Joe Satriani, Dream Theater, Opeth, Arch Enemy...the list goes on. I am into both super clean sounding guitars (amps), and massively distorted; full out bone crushing; brutal death crunch. This amp can accomodate either style...assuming you have the right equipment. The head is relatively quiet...the louder it gets...the quiet hiss increases...but thats eliminated with the Noise Reduction feature (90%). I use various effects...tremolo, flanger, distortion/overdrive. This amp accepts all these really well. The rich tube sound is never in doubt...even with stomp boxes...the tone still comes through clear as a bell. Or a freight Train depending on how distorted you like it.

Recently purchased it, but it's built like a tank...so Iexpect it to shine on.

Fast responses to emails. When you don't have to service little 13-21 year olds it's easier to give better service. At least I assume most 13-21 year olds would shy away from this amp...because it isn't endorsed my members of Limp Bitchkik, or Korn, or Nickelback or some other crap.

I have been playing for 15 years and am basically self-taught. I run the Univalve through a Genz-Benz G-Flex 2x12 cabinet. If this amp were stolen I would file a claim with homeowners and get another one. I love how simple the Univalve is to use. I owned a Laney VH100R prior to this and that amp screamed. It was so so so loud it was too loud. I couldn't get it above 1 for practice volumes. If you had it on 3, your ears would ring all night long. I was looking to get a new amp and was shopping between the Univalve, a Mesa Boogie DC-10 Combo and a Naylor prototype. The Mesa was sweet, both distortion and clean sounded great...but it was sold before I went back to the store. The Naylor was $2500 for head and cab. Sounded amazing but c'mon...is there THAT big of a difference in tone? Maybe there is...so some day I might get a Naylor. The Univalve drips tone from every tube (3) on it's chassis. I love the fact that you can swap out tubes to achieve different sounds. Real Modeling Amp...Tubes that sound like music from the 60's, 70's...even 90's.

As described by other below. The main point of this amp is THE tube sound, not effects or gimmicks. In that contaxt it has to be judged hence - 9.

The sound is DIVINE i.e. as good as it gets from any sellection of tubes and with decent guitar playing :-)

There are only 2 questions that require an answer:

i) Is it sufficiently laud for a jazz concert when you need CLEAN tones rather than a sweet, warm distortion.

Here I am not 100% sure, but the clean sound is 3 dimensional.
Some people may need the BiValve - if they need clean header.

ii) Is it sufficiently portable so that you can easily use it in any gig?

Here the answer is YES.

Like a tank.

Very helpfull.

I play since 1960 and do I wish we had amps like that back in the '60s and even the '70s ... this is one of the very best sounding amps I ever played and I tested them all: Vox, Phillips, Selmers or Fenders and Carvins in the '60s, then Marshalls, Hiwatts, Orange and Mesas, Laneys, H&K, Reverend, Cornford, Kendrick ... all the way to Songworks, Koch, Engl or Ashdown Peacemaker

I like the sounds of this amp BUT I still didn't buy one actually: I am very hesitant as I am not sure whether for my jazz band stage gigs I need the BiValve or the UniValve: the former has more clean headroom yet this one is cheaper and in a way has even sweeter distortion. In the meantime I am using the THD hotplate with an Ashdown Peacemaker 40 combo - until some of you guys writes to me and assures me that this amp is THE amp for the clean jazz and my gigs ... otherwise I may buy the (VERY heavy) BiValve ... so, please write to me directly - THANKS.