Ugly Amps Ugly 18 Head

I have been using my Ugly 18 for a few months now and must say the Tone is Great. Steve built the amp in 2008 and the workmanship is Excellent.
I play Rock, Blues and New Country "Old Rock" and must say that with a tweak of the guitar volume knob and a nice over drive pedal you can cover several styles with ease.
Power is very sufficent and many times I use a Dr Z power attenuater so that I can crank the amp and let the power tubes work.
I bought the amp knowing that it did not have a lot of bells & whistles but what it does have is TONE

I play Strats, Teles and Les Pauls kind of old school I guess but tone is always my primary objective. Distortion other than cranking the amp comes from a Ibanez TS808 and or my old 80's Marshall Shread Master Pedal. Other effects are old Ibanez Chorus "the purple one" Keely Compressor, MXR Carbon Copy and Keely Katana Boost.

As I mentioned earlier no problems at all, the amp has been very reliable and always seems to sound great.

One word, Excellent. Steve has always responded to phone calls or emails. Also as I said he really wants to build a great amp.

I have been playing for about 35 years. I have worked in recording studios, TV, commercials and live in many different types of venues.
I have had endorsements with several guitar and amp companies and have been given instruments at below dealer cost or at no cost to me at all.
I bought this amp because of the Tone and the fact that it is a quality built amp and Made in the USA by a guy who cares about what he builds. If the amp were stolen I would buy another one and actually the amp that I own was stolen from Steve and returned to him before I bought it. Its known as the Green One.

Made 2008 pretty much custom NikkNamed "SNAKESTAKK" due to it's tolex faux python covering both head and cabinet. Which is rather handy as it will be spitting greasy southern rock, blues, and the occassional Hark Rock tune as well. If you are a modeler heavy effects, loads of knobs, and flashing lights go buy a PS3. 3 knobs, bright/normal channel, and tone, nothing more nothing less. 4-8 OHM outputs as well as a line out to board (powered so you have to leave the cab connected) which allows a nice added track for recording. Bridge the two channels and the UGLY becomes a great big UGLY WALL OF DOOM! I access this feature using my custom made Nick Greer 3rd Demension pedal, to switch between clean and lead punch as well as all out CRUNCH when bridged. This 18W is not for the weak hearted! I use it at home, in the studio, as well as live. I have an excellent percussionist (albeit LOUD) and have no problem getting the UGLY point across with the other guitarist(s), percussionist, and bass player. Backline speaking your soundman will love you. The bottom the UGLY has along with the 30 thousand foot HEADROOM is STELLAR. Steve O'Boyle at Ugly Amps had a Vintage 30 installed in the matching 1x12" cab which really breathes FIRE!

I play Gibson Les Paul Standard & Howard Roberts Fusion, Fender JM Strat, USA Strat, Telecaster with (Ghost acoustic-mod), PRS, & Hamer dbl cut sunburst. PAF, PRS, and Hamer stock, along with the Tex Mex, and other custom pickups are very responsive. Ugly is a basic power amp, a little tone there, but you are hearing the guitar, TRUE GUITAR! I play styles ranging from AC/DC to Zeppelin and a bunch in between. My band Rain Dog is of the Southern Rock-Blues Rock genre' so TONE is the main concern. The amp is DEAD QUIET! UGLY is in a class by itself although VOX/MARSHALL influences can be heard. This amp responds very well to my Xotic R/C Booster which is like taking a blanket off of any amp, but the UGLY really came alive with the combo of that and my Blues Driver for lead high gain type of distortion. I have an original Boss HM-2, which was one of Randy Rhoades faves, you want to talk GAIN? Not my cup of tea anymore, but I had to try that and my old Tube King which really sounded great. Other than that my board is pretty simple Digi-tech delay, MXR Dyna-Comp, Dunlop Cry baby, Blues Driver, and Xotic R/C pedals, distributed to amps via Nick Greer 3rd demension A, B, C, true bypass pedal. Clean channel is Clean and when I say Clean I mean ANGELS SINGING CLEAN! Switching to the Bright channel on heated tubes and the amp really comes alive with dirty crunch, you can tell KRANK AMPS lended a bit of R&D with UGLY on that side...

The amp is rock solid... I never show up at a gig without a back-up for everything, being 40 (something) I know a little, and that cat MURPHY is a SON-OF-A-B***H! That has nothing to do with how reliable I feel UGLY is, it is just S**T HAPPENS... To date Murphy has not raised his UGLY head...

Steve at UGLY stands behind his product, PERIOD. You cannot call Marshall and talk to Jimmy, or have him call you wondering how you are doing and how his latest baby is performing for you.

I have been playing for greater than 20 years. As far as amps I have owned them all. Aside from my UGLY I have 2 twins a 65 and a Twin Amp, for my acoustic side of the show I have a Gunnison Crate solid state that I DI to the board, and use as backline/monitoring. If someone stole this amp I would hunt them like the PIG that they are to get my UGLY back! I love everything about this UGLY AMP, sound quality, compactness, looks, fit and finish, but mostly the standard that UGLY is made. I have 2 very close friends that turned me on to Ugly, and moth balled 2 DR Z's after receiving the UGLY. IF you are sick of all the BS amps and the prices that you pay for amps that simply don't deliver the GOODS, get UGLY!!! Contact Steve tell em Nikk sent cha'!

This 18 watt amp is about one thing, TONE!!! Not alot of features, Simple stupid (The way I like it), just 2 seperate channels of British Tone. Channel 1 (normal) is pure Marshall with just a volume and tone knob. Channel 2 (Bright) has just a volume knob and is in the Vox camp, definately AC15 tone. Speaker outs are 4 and 8 ohms. Thats it, OLE SCHOOL as it comes.

This is NO DOUBT become my favorite amp. I have and had tons of 60's Fenders, Dr Z's, 60's Ampegs, Marshalls, and some I dont even remember. This amp being 18 watts is more versitale then the majority of amps out there, including the modeling CRAP!!! These two channels can be bridged togethor for even more sounds. It truly sounds AMAZING!!! You can get the perfect Drive without Killing the Crowd. The Sound Guys will Love your stage volume. Roll back your guitar volume and the amp cleans up beautifully and you DON'T loose your highs like on alot of amps.This amp is the meaning of PEDAL FRIENDLY, throw any pedal at this amp and it almost seems like the pedals are more intense. I'm playing the amp thru a 2X12 closed back Fender cab with tilt back legs with my favorite speakers, 25 watt Greenbacks. GREAT COMBINATION!!

The build quality on this amp is TOP NOTCH, hand wired, ceramic tube sockets, Aluminum chassis, etc., all for 2 to 3 times less then most of the boutique amp out there. Forget about the new Handwired Marshall 18 watter($1800.00) crap, very unreliable and doesn't sound half as good. I haven't had a single problem with the amp.

You won't get better support then Steve, the owner of Ugly. He's very personable and follows up on his product. I've spoken with him numerous times and he's always more then willing to spend time with you over the phone, and is very prompt with his emails. See if you can get Jim Marshall on the phone. I have 2 other friends that have turned to Ugly amps and they are just as pleased with Steve and his amps.

What else can i say, an amazing handmade amp for a more than reasonable price. This amp is the kind of amp that makes you want to keep playing and playing. Steve just seems like a really great guy that really cares about his product and customers, a rearity these days. Thanks Steve !!!
P.S. Their far from Ugly looking

Very simple amp. Two channels:One with volume & tone voiced similar to the Marshall 18 watt, one with volume only voiced similar to an Vox AC-15. With the baby you really don't need much else as both channels are voiced perfectly. The amp is most certianly not ugly in any way. I have owned and played many "boutique" amps that were 2 to 3 times the cost of the ugly 18 and the Ugly is of the same build quality (Aluminum chassis, hand wired, ceramic tube sockets etc.) and can outshine/hang with all of em. Its really a stunning little amp!

I'm currently running the Ugly into a 1961 Fender 2 x 12 Bandmaster cabilnet loaded with Celestion GTH30's. The tones from the Ugly 18 are nothing less than stunning. Most definitly on the British side of the tonal spectrum. The normal channel is big and round with that punchy marshall plexi type sound. The bright channel has that Voxy chime. Bridged lookout! With the channels bridged, I am able to dial in the chime & pronounced upper mids to the normal channel's full sound. Roll back the guitar volume a bit and get a great punchy and chimey clean sound. Push the guitar volume to 9-10 and this amp sings. I am able to send almost any note into controlled feedback. There's really no need for additional gain, but my Analogman Sunface send's the Ugly into tonal nirvana. Needless to say, this amp simply kills!

i've only had it for about 2 weeks, but I have no worries as the build quality & design is steller.

I e-mailed Steve back & forth a few times before purchasing ther amp with question's and he always replied within a few hours. He seems like a individual that really has a passion for what he does and his product. Very helpful. I have no worries at all that if ever an issue would arise, he would make it right or offer a solution.

I have been playing for 29 years (started young) and have owned a few late 60's Marshall 50 watts. This amp seems to capture that feeling and vibe I had with those amps. Extremely responsive with great touch sensitivity & vibe. 18 Watts is perfect for most small clubs & theatres as you are able to push the amp without killing anybody. It is voiced so nicely it sits perfectly in the mix and cuts through. Get one now before everyone else finds out about these wonderful hand wired heads and the price goes up with dealers, marketing etc.! I would be just as satisfied with this amp if I had paid double the price!

brand new 2006 18-watt tube head - very simple, straightforward design with two inputs (two slightly different flavors of sound - labeled Normal and Bright), each with its own volume knob, mean to be run simultaneously. The only other knob is a subtle tone knob for the Normal channel. The Vox-y Bright channel, which sounds really good on its own, can be used to adjust the overall EQ of the amp when the two channels are run together.

two 12AX7s and two EL84s. Mine has 4ohm and 8ohm outputs and a removeable peripheral-type power cord. That's it. There are no goofy, extraneous features.

I ordered cream tolex, and the faceplate is chrome. Very sharp looking.

I'm giving it a 10 for LACK of stuff I'll never use. no distracting nonsense to make you goof off when you should be working.

I play professionally in a variety of rock n' roll situations, on small stages, big stages, at home and on the road. I sometimes lean more toward twangy sounds and sometimes more toward Big Rock sounds. The Ugly 18 has a strong, senstitive sound that seems to respond well to everything I've thrown at it - it has a great, natural overdrive when pushed (ie - not a canned, hissy pre-amp distortion or phoney crunch). I tend to set all three knobs at 5 and get a good, tough sound that isn't really overdriven past the point of distortion, but makes for a tweed Fender style of punch and growl.

I've messed around with the knobs and really can't get a bad sound out of it. Even with everything turned way, way down (like just up enough to make sound come out) and playing an Esquire through it, the sound is full - none of the typical strangled-sound plinkiness that usually comes from a hushed amp. which makes it good for quiet rehearsals - you can actually play the way you will on stage instead of making-do with a bad sound at low volume.

Steve at Ugly says that the 18 has almost no preamp, so what you hear is the EL84s really leaning into the sound. I know the 18-watt cult has many followers and that the basic circuit is often cloned, but this amp seems to have it's own unique take on it.. I've always been scared by the word Marshall because I associate it with super-bright insta-crunch distortion, but this amp sounds rich and natural and usable. Unlike some others I've tried, you don't need to play a Les Paul to tame the high end - it sounds just as good with an Esquire as it does with a Gibson.

I've used it with P-90s in a custom guitar (a great sound with the Ugly 18), a custom Esquire, an SG with humbuckers, a Strat, and a Gretsch Duo Jet. Each sounds great, each sounds like itself. the low-output Gretsch pickups don't push the amp into overdrive ever when it's turned up high, but the resulting sound is great - big, deep Filtertron sound.

When I first unboxed the amp, it seemed pretty noisy after it warmed up. But I quickly determined that the culprit was one of the EH 12AX7s, which was a bit microphonic. as soon as I changed the tube, the amp ran really quiet at idle, even when turned way up.

the day after receiving the amp, I played in a fairly large room, competing with drums and bass without mics on the amps. I ran all the knobs at 5 or 6 and it was plenty loud. It's not uncommon for me to spend a whole night fussing with the knobs on my amps (various recent and old Fenders and Voxes), trying to keep them from being too bright or too dark, just enough reverb, not too much reverb. It's often the thing that makes a gig painful or pleasureable for me - whether my amp is being agreeable or not. with the Ugly, I just turn the knobs up til I'm loud enough and it sounds just right.

I'm playing through a $30 reissue Jensen C12N in an open back cab. I had every intention of getting a closed-back 2x12 with celestions or something, but I see no need to now. I've tried it through a couple of other cabs, including a closed back with a celestion G12M and a JBL, and I'm happiest with the Italian Jensen. sooner or later I'll give into comsumer temptation and get someting else, but the current set-up is perfect and easy to transport.

too soon for me to say how it'll hold up years from now, but it seem thoughtfully designed and well-made. I have a Vox that I love, but I'm too scared to take it or any Vox on the road because I worry about it breaking down. My old Fenders make me nervous - when are they gonna suddenly quit? I have no hesitation about taking the Ugly 18 with me, and I'm a worrier. Plus, it weighs something like 12 pounds, so it's nice to travel with. Plus - everything is is RIGHT THERE. If a fuse or a tube blows, it's accessible. It's like a working on a Model T instead of the Space Shuttle. My Vox has five fuses (different ratings, too) and none of them are accessible without removing a lot of screws.

I've corresponded at length with Steve at Ugly and he sems like a good guy who cares about creating lasting relationships with his customers. He's indulged all my many questions and been quick to respond at length. I don't have any concerns about customer support.

I've been playing professionally for 10 years. I've mainly used blackface and silverface Fender amps (Bassman, Bandmaster reverb, Twin reverb, champ, etc) and newer fender amps of similar tube compliment and power to the Ugly 18 (ie Blues Jr and Pro Jr - both very cool amps, I think). I've never been interested in modelling amps or effects loops or channel-switching.

I sometimes use a bunch of pedals, so I'm not a total purist, but I love the Ugly 18 for its straightforward design. You can plug straight into it with - it seems - any guitar, and the sound you get is a strong, straight-up tube amp sound that leans toward the British end of the spectrum. It's got only three knobs - in this case, when the amp sounds so good, a lack of options is BETTER.

Most amps I've tried - even when I love them - have something about them that kind sniffs of future dissatisfaction - or they require a bunch of secondary money-spending: different speakers, tweaking of capacitor and resistor values, different tubes, etc. The Ugly 18 just continues to get more and more appealing.

as for value, other people sell their version of this circuit for $2000+. I hear that to build your own 18-watt amp from parts costs $400 and then you need a cabinet on top of that. 'Fantastic value' is a gross understatement. it's only a matter of time before the pricetag rises on these things. I feel lucky to have gotten in now.

just got the amp head 12-15-05, its a cool amp. i play blues, and it should work just fine. the amp has two channels, but seperate. use a y cable to get bouth channels working togreather. the amp i got had no features, but thats the way i wanted it, good solid el-84 dis.

i build my own guitars, and use bouth single coils and humbuckers. the amp is very quite, and has a good drive for what i play. just turn everything all the way up, and use the guitars vol.if you want brutal distortion, use a pedal.

hope i can depend on the amp. theres not a wholelot to go bad.real simple amp. hasent broke down, proble wont

good support.got steves phone number. just got the amp,the head is very lite,dont know how long the warranty is, but it doesent matter

been playing since 1962, i was 12. got a marshall jtm-30, a sunn soluris head, fender champ 1970,i would compair it to a 18 watt marshall, only better. i think he is going to start making separt reverb, probably get one

just got the amp head 12-15-05, its a cool amp. i play blues, and it should work just fine. the amp has two channels, but seperate. use a y cable to get bouth channels working togreather. the amp i got had no features, but thats the way i wanted it, good solid el-84 dis.

i build my own guitars, and use bouth single coils and humbuckers. the amp is very quite, and has a good drive for what i play. just turn everything all the way up, and use the guitars vol.if you want brutal distortion, use a pedal.

hope i can depend on the amp. theres not a wholelot to go bad.real simple amp. hasent broke down, proble wont

good support.got steves phone number. just got the amp,the head is very lite,dont know how long the warranty is, but it doesent matter

been playing since 1962, i was 12. got a marshall jtm-30, a sunn soluris head, fender champ 1970,i would compair it to a 18 watt marshall, only better. i think he is going to start making separt reverb, probably get one

This amp was made in 2005.Its a prototype.Very versetile depending on which channel you use (1-2 or bridged)Excellent for Marshall roar or Vox chime at agreeable levels.Sounds great if you play vintage,blues,rock,alt.Almost anything except for maybe the tuff metal sounds.No channel switch,loops,jacks or junk in the circuit.Just 18 watts of pure tube EL84 breakup.It will handle various 8 and 4 ohm cabs(not at one time)for whatever tone or loudness you need.Sounds ridicoulous even with a single 12 or a small 2x10.The beauty in this amp is that you can voice the tone between the two channels via jumper cable to your hearts content.I gig with this amp both studio and live and so far has stood up to any boutique amp or souped up Fender with twice as much wattage.Besides,grow up.No amp does it all.

I mostly play slide guitar and lap steels(dan electro and rickenbacher)but have run mandos and old blues acoustics thru and gotten great effects from it.Very chimy with vintage lipstick pickups but also muscular on leads depending on how hard you lean on it.So far the amp is consistently quiet with very little amp noise even with single coils and efx pedals.As expected the overdrive or distortion created by the 18 watt circuit is what other amps aspire to.It took Marshall a re -issue of their 18 watt before they got it right again with combos.

It remains to be seen how dependable this amp will end up but I have a suspicion it s not gonna stukka dive anytime soon.Plus the guys at ugly have alot to lose if they start going down that road.

So far so good oncustomer support.They listen to your ideas and then work with you.Im sure if the thing goes south they wont leave you in a lurch plus the circuit is so simple any decent amp guy can work on it.We're not talking over- engineered amp from satan here.As far as warrenty,we dont need no stinkin warrenty.Steve built it and he stands behind his work.Its what makes Amerca great dammit!

Ive been playing and producing for 20 yrs now in pro situations that are extremely demanding on both me and my equipment both live and in the studio.I dont own toys or gadgets and if it aint makin me money its losing me money.So my equipment has to prove itself in these situations constantly.At 150+ an hour for studios,most clients dont have the patience to hear why your vintage this or that went down.I choose amps very carefully and try to stay different to stay competetive.This amp is specific.Beautiful tone,Fat distortion,great chime, and well built like amps costing twice its price.I looked alot of places and almost bought a pricy boutique but happend on the Ugly website and I realized I had alot in common with their ideas.These guys keep it old school and simple.Wish they still made cars that way.