# New H&K TriAmp MkIII



## ezcomes (Jul 28, 2008)

Seen this?
http://www.premierguitar.com/articles/22001-namm-15---hughes-kettner-triamp-mkiii-demo

my first thought wasnt COOL! Or Wow!...but holy $hit theres a boat load of stuff to go wrong on this amp...

i get the need for tonal options...but this is an ADHD nightmare


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

Perhaps--but H&K makes some cool stuff.


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## JCM50 (Oct 5, 2011)

And if something ever goes wrong, be prepared to pay. a replacement board for those suckers runs between 700 and 1'500 and you have to wait months for them.


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## bzrkrage (Mar 20, 2011)

ezcomes said:


> Seen this?
> 
> my first thought wasnt COOL! Or Wow!...but holy $hit theres a boat load of stuff to go wrong on this amp...
> 
> i get the need for tonal options...but this is an ADHD nightmare


Yeah, but it looks like any Mesa Dual Rec Roadking, Roadking had double that just on the back!











JCM50 said:


> And if something ever goes wrong, be prepared to pay. a replacement board for those suckers runs between 700 and 1'500 and you have to wait months for them.


Warranty baby, can't stipulate how much a good warranty can be.


Besides, looks like fun! What could possibly go wrong?!? 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Option1 (May 26, 2012)

It was nice of Rod Stewart to make an appearance at the beginning of the vid - even rocking the 80s lioness cut. 

I get lost with the options on H&K 18, would have no hope with this thing.

Neil


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## Chitmo (Sep 2, 2013)

Is there really any practical use for this? I can think of a lot better ways to spend $4k.


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## ezcomes (Jul 28, 2008)

I agree... The tweakability of it would mean youre never quite happy...and who REALLY needs 6 channels?

for 4k...it should never break...


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## Church-Audio (Sep 27, 2014)

As someone that fixes amps every time I see an h&k I cringe. Great tone, bad execution. Not reliable. I can't speak of this new amp but based on what I've seen in the field they need to up there game to make a more robust product that can reliably tour.


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## Steve Morse (Apr 14, 2013)

Church-Audio said:


> As someone that fixes amps every time I see an h&k I cringe. Great tone, bad execution. Not reliable. I can't speak of this new amp but based on what I've seen in the field they need to up there game to make a more robust product that can reliably tour.


Interesting...So which amps do you see in for repair the least?


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## dcole (Oct 8, 2008)

bzrkrage said:


> Yeah, but it looks like any Mesa Dual Rec Roadking, Roadking had double that just on the back!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I was just thinking this thing reminds me of the Diezel VH4's:


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## dcole (Oct 8, 2008)

Steve Morse said:


> Originally Posted by *Church-Audio* _As someone that fixes amps every time I see an h&k I cringe. Great tone, bad execution. Not reliable. I can't speak of this new amp but based on what I've seen in the field they need to up there game to make a more robust product that can reliably tour.
> 
> _
> 
> Interesting...So which amps do you see in for repair the least?


I know Chris will have his own answer to this, but as I did some amp repair in the past I figured I would chime in. Its not even about the amps that you see in the least for repair but rather the simplicity of the amp and the level of thought that goes into it for repair. I find older amps like Marshalls and Fenders easy to work on because everything is laid out nicely and its easy to find anyone who can work on these. Modern amps like the H&K as well as other multi channel/voice amps are loaded with relays and even microcontrollers to operate these relays. This adds another degree of difficulty to repairing an amp and parts/boards are harder to come across. So even if a more modern amp like this H&K was more reliable than an old Marshall, the Marshall hands down is easier to fix which in a sense adds to its reliability.


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## Church-Audio (Sep 27, 2014)

Mesa Boogie. And actually I am an authorized Mesa repair center. 99% of the time its a tube issue with these amps because the are built so well. Tone is subjective but as long as you get the tubes tested every year Boogie amps are built to last. Military grade circuit boards and strict quality control. I am also a Diezel repair center and I don't see them very often as well. And when I do see them again its a tube related issue. Both amps Mesa and Diezel would be the most reliable amps you can get IMO. Fenders vintage ones once they have had a cap job and tubes checked out are also extremely reliable. So in order of reliability.
1 Diezel
2 Mesa Boogie
3 Vintage Fender
4 Vintage solid state Peavey
5 Vintage ampeg once they have had good service done to them.
6 Fender Hotrod series once you have resoldered everything and put in a premium quality tube.

Again the single most important thing to do? Is use good quality tubes get them checked once a year by a good tech and replace them when necessary. Don't put an amp in a place you wont sleep. And your gear will last a long time. If its a modern amp 99% of the time its a tube issue and its because they guy or girl did not change tubes on a regular basis or at least get them checked and they use crap tubes. Dont have a case for the amp if they are touring. These are the biggest issues. Its a tool of the trade for you guys you are out there playing some of you make a great living playing music, but remember with out an amp on stage its going to suck. So you have to maintain your gear like you would tools if you were a carpenter right?

This is an H&K Amp that its circuit board is only being held in place by two points... 1 The two bolts on ether side of the EL84 and by the potentiometers. This will make the board flex every single time you go to change tubes. This puts wear and tear on the circuit board traces and could and does lead to fatigue of the solder joints on the the potentiometers leading to an amp thats not going to be as reliable as it should. The points that the amp could be further secured to the circuit board and circled in red the points where the board is supported are circled in blue.


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## jb welder (Sep 14, 2010)

Church-Audio said:


> So in order of reliability.
> 1 Diezel
> 2 Mesa Boogie
> 3 Vintage Fender
> ...


Interesting. Now if you were presented with 10 of each to repair, can you re-arrange your list in the order of which you most prefer to work on?


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## cheezyridr (Jun 8, 2009)

it could be a trap.... what if he secretly has 10 broken amps of the kind you like least? he could be rubbing his hands together like snydley whiplash right now.....


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

After a recap and retube of my jcm800, it took clydesdale 24 hours to build my flight case. Now I have to find out when I/my brother can grab it.

Good to know from a repairman's standpoint that a case is always a good idea. I debated putting it off for financial reasons, but then my other amp sold.


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## High/Deaf (Aug 19, 2009)

I thought, in concept, the Grand Meister 36 was a pretty cool amp. But I heard a few disparaging remarks about their quality/reliability and I didn't think about it again. Especially for north of $1300 without the fancy shmancy footswitch. If, somewhere down the road, I hear otherwise about the quality and find a used one for a reasonable price, I may try it. I still think the concept is a great idea.


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## Steveman31 (Oct 9, 2014)

Looks like a pretty cool amp.


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## mrmatt1972 (Apr 3, 2008)

Interesting. By price point and flexibility/tweekability they are competing with the likes of Kemper and Axe FX (and beyond). I wonder if the tube tech version of "every amp possible" will work. Personally I could use the 2 clean channels and the first 2 crunch channels, I'd have no use for the high gain. I can see the same issue from the high gain lover's perspective where they'd have no use for the 2 clean channels. Certainly would eliminate most dirt pedals from the fx board.


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## Church-Audio (Sep 27, 2014)

*Re: New H&amp;K TriAmp MkIII*



jb welder said:


> Interesting. Now if you were presented with 10 of each to repair, can you re-arrange your list in the order of which you most prefer to work on?


I like working on Vintage fender and Ampeg and Marshall and vintage Vox they are easy to work on because they were designed to be serviced  Mesa boogie is also right up there because they are easy to service. ( Unless its a Mesa triaxis ) then you send it away because they are a PIA to work on.

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dcole said:


> I was just thinking this thing reminds me of the Diezel VH4's:


The VH4 is one of the best sounding amps I have ever heard or played and worked on. I did both of Barrys amps from TDG. And they sound spectacular and the build quality is unlike anything I have ever seen in 20 + years of fixing amps.


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