Tone King Meteor Series II 740A 112 Combo

The amp was made in 2006. It is versatile enough for all musical styles, Jazz, Blues, Rock, Country type picking, Surf, Motown, Funk. It has two channels, a Fendery clean channel, and a Voxy lead channel. The channels switch with a pedal (provided). Each channel has its own reverb volume setting with a master overall dwell for both. There is not an effects loop, but my pedals sound good without one. It would be nice if the reverb was footswitchable because its nice to play the amp without reverb for rhythm, then switch it to a huge reverb sound for a solo. I don't use the subtle dark/bright switches, but I would if I used a tele or other single coil guitar. I use this amps on gigs and it has pleny of power. The lead channel is quite loud and I rarely get to crank it. It allows you to bias your tubes yourself which is cool.

The amp can make just about every traditional electric guitar sound except ultra high gain sounds which I get from my Fulltone OCD pedal. The OCD pedal sounds amazing for those ultra tweaked out leads. But the Tone King can cover everything else. The lead channel is great for searing leads. It has plenty of gain and volume, but more midrange like a Vox. Very good for Blues and real nice with delay. My style is Jazz and vintage sounds, but also some modern lead stuff. I also play some Funk and I like that I can get all the old Motown sounds with this amp. The amp is quiet. It even has a fan that has different settings, which is totally inaudible. It is not noisy when cranked.

This amp is very dependable. It spends most of its life in the back of my car and has always worked well. I had a rectifier short out on me once, which can happen because those tubes are a little more fragile. I tend to throw the amp in and out of the car. I have since learned to be a little more careful. I would use it without a backup and already have at least 50 times. I do keep an extra rectifier now. The amp functions on 2 6V6 at half power if need be, so I never worry about bringing extra power tubes.

Mark Bartell is the best I have run into. He answered my questions when I e-mailed and even worked with me until I was happy with my color choice. He had a few suggestions and even allowed me to meet him at his shop to take a look at some creative choices in tolex. One option was a snake like skin custom made for someone in Japan. I chose gold. When my tube blew, I just took it to Mark and he found the bad tube and showed me what to do if it happened again. The warranty is two years.

I have been playing for 27 years, professionally for about 15. I now own a Tele, an Epiphone Joe Pass w/ Seymour Duncan 59's, an Epiphone ES copy (totally cheap but loved). I had a Dr.Z Maz Senior, Dr. Z Route 66, an Alessandro Working Dog, a Fender Twin, and another Fender I cant remember the name of...I would replace the Tone King with another if I lost mine. I love just about everything about my Tone King. I don't hate anything. The only thing that bugs me a little is the difference in volume between the lead and rhythm channel. The lead channel is very very sensitive and can be hard to find the exact compatible volume with the clear. Once I find it, I am cool the rest of the gig. Its very user friendly. I compared it to many other amps before buying. I cannot remember all the amps I compared, but they were all top end models including the handwired Vox, Carr, Bogner, Dr.Z, Bruno, Alessandro, Fender, Koch, Matchless.

I chose the Tone King for the amazing clear channel, and for the option of the vox like channel. Self biasing capability was important too. I only wish it had footswitchable reverb. Mark actually told me he would add that if I really wanted it for an extra charge. I strongly recommend this amp to the professional interested in versatility and ease of operation.

Custom built, December 2006.
Lacks nothing most guitar players would want/need.
Read other reviews or go to www.toneking.com for the details.

I found the predecessor to this amp, the Meteor 40A series 1, at Fat Sound Guitars in Cary, NC (at great shop to visit if you get the chance) while on a roadtrip over 2 and a half years ago. I spent all day at this place, and I played a Tom Anderson Hollow T (which I ended up purchasing) through nearly every amp they had. These included about a dozen different Dr. Z's [side note; if I'm not mistaken, Fat Sound is the largest Z dealer in the country], several Matchless, Top Hat, Bad Cat, Orange, Budda, and some others I don't remember. I loved the Dr. Z Maz 18, and the Top Hat Club Deluxe was amazing. The rest, all great amps, but not quite what I was looking for in a tone. Then the sales guy said, "If you want to play the best-sounding clean tone I've ever heard in my life, play that Tone King Meteor over there." I did, and for the past 2 and a half years I have known that I could never settle for anything less than a Tone King. I didn't know an amp could sound this good.

Like everyone else says, it is BUILT LIKE A TANK. I have a feeling if I were to drop it down a flight of stairs, it'd still work.

I'd give this a 20 if I could. I contacted Mark via email about having a custom 740A built, and over the next 4 months, we must've sent 40-plus emails back and forth while working out the details. I have never experienced such quality customer service from any company. Ever. He took pictures (at my request) of the amp throughout the building process and emailed them to me as he went. (Feel free to view them if he still has them posted: http://www.toneking.com/D_McLendon/) He promptly answered every email, every phone call. I wanted a hard-to-find color; he helped me find it. Any question, request, problem I had along the way, Mark answered the same way every time: "No problem at all. I want you to be happy with your amp."
I payed full price for this amp, and I feel like I got a steal on it b/c of the customer service I received.

I like to keep it simple when I play guitar. I have one guitar (Tom Anderson Hollow T), one pedal (Robert-Keeley-modified Blues Driver 2), and one amp, the Tone King. My quest for the perfect guitar amp is over. In my opinion, I now own the best-sounding, best-looking guitar amp on God's Green and Blue Earth. Everyone that sees or hears it says, "Wow."
Read all the other reviews (I think I've memorized this page I've read it so many times), and you'll hear the same thing. Buy a Tone King. If you have to, wait and save. You WILL NOT regret it.
I see this as a lifetime investment, and I am extremely glad I waited for 2 and a half years to purchase this amp. Thank you, Mark Bartel.

bought it 10/4/06 This is the best amp i have ever owned SWEET blackfaced tones and a tweed channel to boot. Bias test points (binding posts one red and one black)Unscrews and tightens holding the test probes. Bias pot for each power tube.
this thing can run with 4 6V6s/ 2 6L6s or 2 EL34s. The verb is great! with dwell,with rhythm mix and lead mix and tone. Cooling fan that defeatable for power tubes.
bright switch with two flavors. and a foot switch for channel switching and tremolo.
The tremolo is a mild type and very useable. This amp is a piece of art. Its a 10 guys

this is better than true blackfaced tone with a sweet tweed channel thats just as sweet. Its a loud 40 watts but i choose to take it easy and use some pedals for my od sounds. And believe me . My od pedals have never sounded so good. Its very quiet in all settings and its not real heavy so it wont break your back. its about the size of a hotrod deluxe. just a little deeper and a tad wider. I used 2 hotrod deluxes as trade with cash and let me tellyou, Going from a hotrod deluxe to a tone king is like going from dialup to broadband. bass notes are tight and a chime and fidelity like no other amp i have ever played except a TK comet. i cant see it getting any better than this. Mark Bartel is a master. its a 10

just bring some tubes just in case. The wat this thing is built i dont believe i'll be having any problems.

dont know but I have heard nothing but good thing about Mark.

been playing 35+ years and this amp is a love machine and the verb? Man you've gota experence it for yourselfs because the sound clips you hear are pretty good but nothing like in person.

I play rockabilly, western swing, old school country, surf, spaghetti western and spy music, blues, jazz, psychedelia. I am also a big Meat Puppets, Hampton Grease Band, and Captain Beefheart fan and appreciator. And I play lap steel in C6 tuning too. Sometimes I gig with classic rock and wedding bands, whatever keeps me working and happy. The Tone King Meteor II is absolutely wonderful for everything I play.

Two channels- rhythm and lead. The lead channel has a little more gain. Both channels sound excellent. There is a footswitch for switching between channels and turning the tremolo on and off.
No effects loop, but I never use one anyway. Four knob reverb.

I gig with this amplifier. Plenty of power. And it sounds really good at low volumes too.

Nothing missing on this amplifier. I dig it just like it is.

The most amazing multidimensional clean sounds I have ever heard come out of an amplifier. With the reverb and tremolo and note definition this amplifier reminds me of Chet Atkins and Duane Eddy circa 1962. In fact I have never heard better reverb out of an amplifier. I dig it more than my friend's standalone vintage Fender.

I get nice overdrive tones out of this amplifier too.

I have an Ampeg VT-40 4x10 combo (early 70s, nonmaster)and an early nonmaster Fender Deluxe Reverb. Both sound very good but not quite like the Tone King.

I play several guitars through the Tone King- Gretsch Country Classic, Heritage H137, Heritage H575, Fender Telecaster, Gibson Firebird, Harmony Rebel, Danelectro Hodad, Electra Vulcan MPC, Peavey T-60, Brownsville Thug.

I always have a spare amplifier that I use for lap steel. But the Meteor II looks like it is built like a tank. I have only had it for about three weeks though. No issues so far.

I haven't needed any customer support yet. Though the folks at Fat Sound Guitars in Cary, NC where I got this amplifier were very accommodating.

I have been playing for a little over thirty years. It is all I do.
If this guitar was stolen I would have to get another one or something just like it.

I was borrowing a friend's Matchless Clubman 35. I drove up to Fat Sound Guitars from Charleston, SC with the intention of buying a Matchless. But after playing through an HC-30 as well as a Swart Atomic Spacetone and a Dr Z with reverb none quite did it for me like the Tone King. I am very pleased with my purchase. This is top notch stuff.

2005 CUSTOM in RED - Can use either 6l6, 6v6, EL84 tubes, can run 40 watts or 1/2 switch to 20 watts or so. Killer flexible reverb (Mark thought of everything) tremolo and practical LED footswitch. Most versatile amp ever made...I play funk, blues and swing. Check out the website for all the details...truely a work of art!!

G&L S-500, ASAT and Sc-3, Fender strats, Gibson 335's, Duesenberg Carl Carlton and TV Starplayer, Melancon Classic Artist T with piezo, McInturff, and Music Man...lots of different single coil pickup, humbuckers, and p-90's...makes them all sound as good as they should...and better. Tone is similar to vintage Fender Blackface Deluxe to Tweed Bassman...but many more options to shape the tone and attack. Outstanding clean with lots of headroom, overdrive, tremolo and REVERB. A bit LOUD for practice and studio...perfect for gigs. Sounds great at low volumes but she deserves to be cranked...love the mid-bite tone control!

It's a TONE KING. As my mother used to say...you get what you pay for... and even though we do live in a world that increasingly disregards that correlation...not Tone King...Mark builds a solid amp...a masterpiece.

Long story...I purchased a point to point wired amp designed by another great amp builder used on ebay that was DOA. I looked up local Baltimore amp techs online and found the Tone King number. I called and left a message asking them if they knew of any techs in the area. WHen I received a call back from Mark the next day I told Mark that I thought a secretary would be calling me back..he said I am the secretary!". Anyway he ended up inviting me to his shop and fixed my used amp for me...no charge...while I was there these Meteor II amps were just screaming to get played...so I did and the rest is history. As far as warranty I cant imagine a guy with as much integrity and as nice as Mark Bartell not going out of his way to make his customers happy.

Playing too long to sound this mediocre! But it's my love...lots of gear but not enoguh time or space to tell. My amp list is short though...Carvin Vintage Tweed 50 watt JJ tubed with an Alltone speaker...love this amp too but no comparison. Allen Accomplice...great amp but is p2p, fragile and limited. 68 Bassman head, and I have owned a monster twin reverb, and various othe Fender amps.

The reason I bought this? Well, he wouldnt accept my 20 dollars for fixing my ebay amp so I felt like I had to buy something...only problem is that he had nothing under a couple of grand! Seriosuly, although expensive (not compared to ther boutique amps) I bought this because it has the tone I've been searching for and the quality that will last my lifetime.

I believe this amp was manufactured in 2005. I play mostly rock & roll, blues and country. I've only been playing it for a few hours but I imagine it will work with most styles of music, it seems to work great for everything that I do. It has two channels with channel switching. No effects loop or headphone jack. I havent had enough time with it to discover if it lacks any features I desire. I play in local road houses and plan on using it on the gig this weekend. I'm sure by the way it rattles the glass's in the other room on half power that there will be more than enough power to get over my drummer. If you want all of the features visit the Tone King site.

I play mainly a Gold Top Les Paul Deluxe and an American Deluxe Stratocaster with Stephens Design pickups. This amp is incredibley quiet even with the built in fan running it is quieter than my Vibro-King was. The clean channel breaks up a little at higher volumes but it is a natural break up not flabby mush like some amps. The lead channel seems a little midrangey but I've been listening to my Vibro-King for so long, the voice of this amp is just SO defined and focused that it's going to take a while for me to adjust to this very different sonic pallette. What it does is deliver very pure acurate sound if there is such a thing. I have honestly never played an amp that has such a natural sound. Some people say it is like a Black Face Fender Deluxe and maybe that is where it starts but this amp has SO much more than any deluxe I ever played. Unlike the reissue Fender amps this amp is warm not brittle sounding and when it is cranked it dosent get all flabby in the bass.

I would use it on a gig without a back up mainly because I have no other choice but every inch of this amp seems built to last. The level of attention to detail is amazing. Mark makes these amps like works of art. I would be shocked if it were to break down. It rocked right out of the box.

I purchased this amp from Boutique Guitar Exchange in Atlanta. I have never delt with them in the past but I would certainly enjoy working with them again. They were VERY responsive and helpful and shipped it out fast as can be. What more could you ask for? I shot some emails back and forth with Mark the owner of Tone-King and I'm guessing if something ever happened to this amp he would stand behind it.

I have been playing for 35 years. I don't own a ton of gear like a collector. I tend to buy the best and every couple of years I trade up for something better. I have to say that I felt that the Blonde Vibro-King I had was hands down the best Fender amp I ever played through. It was just TOO Damn heavy and tended to rattle the teeth of those that dared to sit in the front row. I tried other Fender amps, some Marshall's and Dr.Z's but there were no Tone-Kings locally here in Detroit. Most of my research was online reading tons of reviews mostly here on Harmony Central. I have to thank ALL of the previous reviewers that gave me the courage to plunk down the bucks to buy an amp site unheard. Everyone who has submitted a review for this amp has not fudged at all. I would buy another one in a minute or as soon as the insurance check clears. This amp IS WORTH THE MONEY. If you want GREAT TONE this is the KING

I bought a Tone King in early 2005 on a recommendation from a friend who is an engineer and heard a Tone King in the studio (although it was an earlier model). I play mostly modern rock with classic rock and blues influences. I don't want to go into all of the features here; you can go to toneking.com to see that stuff.

I use a few different guitars - Strat, Tele, Guild Starfire, Gretsch Country Classic. It doesn't seem to matter whether it's single coil or humbuckers with this amp - does both exceptionally. I'm going by the suggestions above as what to talk about...

Noisy?

It is the quietist amp I have ever heard in this respect; I put it side by side with my old Fender Vobroking and Mesa Boogie Tremoverb and they were much noisier. (I sold both of those - not required anymore!)

What kind of sounds can it make?

You can get a sparkling clean to a gritty mean sound out of this amp. The lead channel starts off with a bit of grit and can go into a lovely overdrive depending on the settings. The rhythm channel can go from clean to a nice tube crunch. I've seen many reviews on Harmony Central saying that an amp can do anything except metal. This one may be able to do metal also with the right pedal!!

Reliability...

Looking at the construction of this amp makes me feel safe. It is immaculate in the joints, etc. Not worried about this.

I have dealt with Mark, who makes the amps, and he is very responsive. The one thing that I changed with this amp was the reverb tank (from medium to long reverb). He helped me out with this, letting me know what model of reverb tank to buy and how to install it. He is a good man.

I've been playing for about 15 years. Gone through many an amp. old Fender Twin, Fender Vibroking, Mesa Boogie Tremoverb, etc...

There's something about this amp that has what all of the others didn't. It can give you a clean tone that cuts through; one of my problems with Fender amps is that in a live situation, they can get eaten up. That is not the case with the Tone King. It also sounds amazingly large for a 1x12 combo. I'm sure that has to do with the cabinet design, and my days of dragging around a big rig are over - this is one of the lightest amps I've ever carried. This amp will fill a small club without being mic'd and a stadium otherwise. (Neil Young plays most of his shows with his old little Fender amp, so you really never need a huge stack!)

If this were stolen or lost, I'd probably break down and cry, then call Mark and ask for charity. It is expensive, but if you consider the fact that you won't be wandering around guitar stores looking for that perfect tone for the rest of your life - priceless.

Not really anything on my wishlist for this amp yet. I'm sure I'll think of something eventually. Maybe embedding a THD Hotplate inside : ). That's actually a good thing to get if you want to practice at low levels in your apartment - the half power switch on the amp also helps for that.

Anyway, this is not a commercial and is the first time that I have felt inspired enough by a piece of gear to post it on Harmony Central. Go and try to listen to one if you're curious.

Oh - it may have been mentioned before, but there is a breakin period with this amp. Not that it sounds at all bad during that, but it really starts to shine about a month (of regular playing) in.

1x12 Combo. 4 knob reverb. Dual Channel. No master volume. You can go to Toneking.com to view the features. I'm giving it a 10 because of the reverb shaping capabilities. Everything is else is pretty standard on the ryghm channel. the lead channel is unique.

Unreal. I have had the comet (nice amp but a little too bright), the meteor series I (more features but still a bit sharp for me), and finally Mr. Bartell's latest incarnation. Rythm channel: super enveloping sound, especially for a 1x12, just sounds right with an HB or single coil guitar. A bigger deluxe reverb is pretty close, but more headroom. Flexible reverb so you can get just the right flavor you need. Very, very sweet sound without being harsh. Lead Channel: Really have not played it a lot, but did use it this week for a medium lead tone. I use the rythm channel for just that, the lead channel for a beefier, less hollow middle of the road lead tone, and I plug in my Keeley modded BD2 for the singing lead tone. It really works great. I mainly play telecasters, but mix in a Les Paul sometimes.

Everything is clean. Nothing to nitpick here. Cannot take away any points at all.

The other two Tonekings I had never had a problem so I do not expect this one to either. Played it on about 5 gigs, both indoors and outdoors. I guess a 10 here as well since I have never had a problem.

Never needed it. Could be a 1 or a 10 I don't know.

I love it!! I have had a lot of boutique amps: Carr -Slant 6v and Rambler (pretty nice), Bad Cat - Hot Cat (both 30 and 30r, actually liked the sound of the 30 better, they did something to the lead channel with the newer one that I did not like), Dr Z - Maz 38 (2 of them, but never warmed up to them), I could go on. But I just want to say it is a wonderfull amp and I think it is the best one I've ever had. Does not color your sound, just seems to enhance it.

This amp was made in 2004. It's a 2 channel amp, with switching. I gig occasionally and it has plenty of power for any small venue. It has a 3 way bright switch, and another for the output stage. No master volume on either channel, but I use pedals for O.D. Great reverb with tone control and you can have both channels on different depths. Best reverb I've found.

I play a variety of styles, from twang to blues to surf and some twisted combinations of those, with a Anderson Hollow T and a Suhr Classic, both with single coils, and a bunch of pedals. Suits these genres to T. It's quite dynamic, with big bottom and very clean, transparent detail, very bright (the rhythm channel anyway)- you have to watch any slop as it picks up everything, especially with single coils. The 2 channels are night and day; one classic blackface and the other quite beefy and ballsy, but I've yet to really play with that one much, so can't comment on it. I play through the Meteor and a Carr Rambler. The Rambler is less dynamic with less bottom and top but has a very pleasing sort of nasal tone. I love them both.

It has a fan (which you can turn off). I use it without a backup, haven't had any problems, but I've only had it a couple months.

Been playing 30 years. Have a Vibro King (good amp but too damned heavy) and the Carr Rambler. I'd buy another if lost, if I could afford it! I haven't listened to a ton of amps, so I'm not an expert; but the folks at Fat Sound, a very high end shop in N.C., said it was the best blackface sound they've ever heard, and that was after I'd bought the amp; and from my experience they weren't lying!

The 740A is a 40 watt (1/2 power switch), 4x6V6, two-channel, 112 amp just built and shipped this month (OCT '04). This is the new improved version of the Meteor, which despite its own rave reviews right here in HC, was retired in short order for this new model. Of course, the Meteor replaced the Comet -- another highly touted Tone King amp whose market "shelf life" was cut short, too, in designer Mark Bartel's seemingly unending quest for tonal perfection. Mark, I can't imagine how you'll top the Meteor Series II! I have a Comet in my possession. I bought a Meteor. I love them both, but the Meteor Series II is a giant step forward. How you managed to add even more features and versatility into a previously very versatile design is a wonder -- a 2-channel design with a VERY useful lead channel mid-bite control? A 6V6 driven, 4-knob tube reverb? A transformer that dwarfs the earlier models' unit? The use of multiple power tube types? Very useful bright switches that help customize the amp for a particular guitar? A simple biasing capability? A "tuned" cabinet that sounds as good as my prized detuned cab that's twice the size of the Meteor II? A fan with on/off switch for recording purposes? No other amp builder has even thought of some of this stuff let alone built it! But, a host of features means nothing without tone, so let's get to the REAL reason to buy this amp...

PRS, Les Paul, LP DC with P90s, Strat, Gretsch, Tele, Rickenbacker 12 string and bakelite lap steel , Vox mando-guitar...enough tonal variation to safely say that this amp will make any guitar/pick-up combination sound superb. You have never heard a 1x12 cabinet of these dimensions sound so BIG! I have an original '63 reverb unit: this is a richer and more flexible reverb due to the separate mix controls for each channel. Short of metal, the Meteor Series II has all the blues, alt-country and classic rock sounds you can think of and some that you havne't. This is 3-D tone, too: rich, dimensional, enveloping. It is the "holy grail" Fender BF Deluxe tone you've only heard or read about about. Great for lead as well as rhythm. I use either a Visual Sound Jekyll & Hyde or Fulltone Full Drive II pedal. Both complement the Tone King. Someone wrote about the original Meteor: "It just does NOT get any better than this." But, that was before the Meteor II.

Based on past experience with other Tone King amps, they are very reliable.

Here's an amp builder who will get on the phone, help a customer with a question. offer expert advice, even wax enthusiastic about the most arcane details of amp construction, tone, tubes, cabinets, transformers, whatever. You thought you were a serious tone hound? Mark redefines the term! BTW, can't say enough about great Paul and the folks at Washington Music Center were in getting me this amp!

Long time player. Lotsa gear, reflecting my own search for a sound I might have missed along the way. This is my 3rd Tone King, but I also play or have played Vox, Fender, Marshall, Dr. Z, Roccaforte, Fargen, THD, Top Hat, Savage, Carr and Victoria and other amps. You know what? They're all great! We live in an era of magnificent amps and wonderful independent amp builders. If you're lucky, however, you'll get to try the one that captures the essence of the sound you hear in your head. The Tone King Meteor Series II does that for me, making it priceless.