H&K Switchblade - great idea, ok execution

[MikeyG]

Don't know if you guys have heard about this amp.

4 channels. All MIDI control of vol, gain, eq and effects. Set the settings you like, stomp the pedal, stored. No worries about clean volume not matching lead volume.

Kind of like a modeler, but all tube. (There's some speculation though, about the guts, there are only 2 12AX7s, and it has a boatload of gain). The gain tones are pretty much one tone, only, with more and more gain added at each stage. So nowhere near the flexibility of a modeler.

Anyway, tones are decent for a $1300 amp. Very nice lead tones actually. Very singy sounding.

It's a bit noisy in higher gain settings.

Cleans are decent, not mindblowing.

Effects, the same, decent.

There's not much to complain about, but it just doesn't get me all excited.

I seem to be going for NMV tones these days, and most master volume amps sound too preampy for me, and just aren't very responsive.

Anyway, if your budget is < $1300, and you need a lot of flexibility and decent tone, this is a good buy.

[Tonebeast]

Don't know if you guys have heard about this amp.

4 channels. All MIDI control of vol, gain, eq and effects. Set the settings you like, stomp the pedal, stored. No worries about clean volume not matching lead volume.

Kind of like a modeler, but all tube. (There's some speculation though, about the guts, there are only 2 12AX7s, and it has a boatload of gain). The gain tones are pretty much one tone, only, with more and more gain added at each stage. So nowhere near the flexibility of a modeler.

Anyway, tones are decent for a $1300 amp. Very nice lead tones actually. Very singy sounding.

It's a bit noisy in higher gain settings.

Cleans are decent, not mindblowing.

Effects, the same, decent.

There's not much to complain about, but it just doesn't get me all excited.

I seem to be going for NMV tones these days, and most master volume amps sound too preampy for me, and just aren't very responsive.

Anyway, if your budget is < $1300, and you need a lot of flexibility and decent tone, this is a good buy.

Interesting, but I can't imagine a modeler sounding decent. I am sure it will work for some, but I think Mesa, Guytron or Bogner would be a better route (used that is LOL) if you had to have the high gain tone. Or you could do what I do and run a Smokey into a 4x12, and have plenty of cash left over for a nice pedal board. Plus after I am done playing I can fit my amp in my pocket
:D

[MikeyG]

It's *not* a modeler. it's all tube. The only similarity to a modeler is the ability to save all your settings and recall via MIDI. It's a great idea.

What it's missing, that the modelers excel at, is a wide variety of tones. Vox, Fender, Bogner,Dumble, Marshall, Mesa, etc.

I'm not totally anti-modeling. I have high hopes that someday it may be so close to tubes that I don't need tube amps anymore. Wouldn't be nice to only own one amp, assuming there were no tonal compromises??? So many people are doubtful it will ever happen, but I remain cautiously optimistic.

[JofZ]

It's *not* a modeler. it's all tube. The only similarity to a modeler is the ability to save all your settings and recall via MIDI. It's a great idea.

What it's missing, that the modelers excel at, is a wide variety of tones. Vox, Fender, Bogner,Dumble, Marshall, Mesa, etc.

I'm not totally anti-modeling. I have high hopes that someday it may be so close to tubes that I don't need tube amps anymore. Wouldn't be nice to only own one amp, assuming there were no tonal compromises??? So many people are doubtful it will ever happen, but I remain cautiously optimistic.
That day is here my friend and you need to get with Eero and play the MP :)
I can say after a couple weeks with it you can dial in just about any tone you want.

[MikeyG]

I owned MP #4. And while I think it's a fabulous amp, I don't agree ... it's definitely very flexible in the EQ, more than any amp I've owned.

Can it approximate those tones? Yeah, probably ... I guess it all depends on how accurate a representation of those various amps you need. It won't dead on nail any of those amps, because it has it's own unique character. That's not a knock, it's a compliment. Why try and exactly replicate another amp's tones?? I applaud Bjorn for designing his own sound, and a great one.

You're making me miss that amp, though! :D