# Another New Year, Another New Amp - Look What the Cat Dragged In...



## vds5000 (Apr 14, 2008)

Me-owwwwwwwww










Review coming shortly...


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

oh my word. care to jam, sir? mmmm

photo tip: no flash


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

What is one of those amps voiced liked???


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## mcgriff420 (Sep 30, 2008)

That BadCat stuff always knocks me out -congrats- plus it looks so bad-ass.

All the peices I've had in the Matchless/BadCat/Star realm have been top notch and sound terrific. My current amp is a Mark Sampson GainStar.

I don't know how they get the controls so interactive. Does that Tone Cat have a mid control?


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## vds5000 (Apr 14, 2008)

Budda said:


> oh my word. care to jam, sir? mmmm
> 
> photo tip: no flash



I know, I know. Problem is that my hands aren't very steady, and without the flash, my pics always end up blurry. Any tips?




Robert1950 said:


> What is one of those amps voiced liked???


I haven't had the opportunity to spend too much time with it, but here are a few first impressions:

- it's the most aggressive sounding amp I've ever heard - when I say 'aggressive, I don't necessarily mean 'death metal'. It's hard to explain, but it is very 'in your face'
- it is definately NOT a bedroom-volume amp. I have it in my bedroom, and trust me - not a great idea. The gain channel sounds a little thin at very low volumes
- the clean channel is very, very clean - very under-rated
- this amp is ridiculously touch-sensitive - more so than my Bruno and Top Hat amps - and that's saying a lot!

Physically, this amp is obscenely heavy. It's definately heavier than my old Hot Rod Deville, and that was a 4x10, whereas this is a head.

I'll try to put up a more thorough review later this week.


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## mcgriff420 (Sep 30, 2008)

Yep heavy is a hallmark of those amps. Check out the trannies -freakin HUGE! Plus a steel chassis and solid headbox.


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## davetcan (Feb 27, 2006)

Great, great, amp.

As for photo tips, a tripod is a must for close ups.


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## vds5000 (Apr 14, 2008)

mcgriff420 said:


> That BadCat stuff always knocks me out -congrats- plus it looks so bad-ass.
> 
> All the peices I've had in the Matchless/BadCat/Star realm have been top notch and sound terrific. My current amp is a Mark Sampson GainStar.
> 
> I don't know how they get the controls so interactive. Does that Tone Cat have a mid control?


It doesn't have a dedicated 'Mid' knob, but quite frankly, it doesn't need it. The Treble and Bass controls are very, very interactive. The Treble actually works as a Mid - especially once it's past 12 o'clock. From 12 o'clock onwards, it actually scoops the mid frequencies, so the amp believe it or not, is capable of getting some Recto-type tones. I stress 'type', because even in higher gain settings, the notes don't come out muddy/mushy like they would through a Boogie. 

It does however have a 3-way switch that cuts/boosts some critical mid-frequencies, so at the flick of a switch (literally), you can change the tone of the amp.

More Thoughts:

As dorky as this clitche' is going to sound, it is like a 'caged animal'. Words/phrases that probably could be used to describe it are aggressive, bombastic, in your face, no apologies, subtle as a punch in the face, violent and mean. The one word I would not use to describe this amp (in my opinion) is 'refined'. I know, sounds ridiculous, but if you ever play one, you'll understand.

The touch sensitivity is obscene. Pick soft = clean. Pick aggressive = high gain. Only problem is that if you're sloppy (I can be sometimes), it is very unforgiving. I found my old Boogies would hide my mistakes. This amp hides nothing.

An odd feature about this amp - it has 2 power sections. One is based on EL84s, the other on EL34s. You can run one, or the other, or both concurrently. When you're running both, it actually sounds like you're hooked up to 2 separate amps! Kinda neat actually.

A word of caution - this is not a bedroom-type amp! I was playing it a bit last night a bedroom volumes and admittedly, the gain channel sounded a bit thin. This evening, I had it just above bedroom volume levels, and the thinness disappeared. Then I tried putting the master at about 8 o'clock, and WOW!

Well, there it is, my review. If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask.

Cheers!


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

as for the camera thing - tripod as dave said, as well as just trying a few times - which is what i do as i dont yet own a tripod lol.

and a properly EQ'd/boosted recto wont sound muddy/mushy at all... just saying .

I find that most tube amps sound thinner at low volumes, without any sections of th amp really working. which is why i always enjoy cranking my JSX when i can, and listening to what it can do when its turned up.

apparently The Spill Canvas (rock of some sort - www.myspace.com/tsc) used BadCats on their latest album - and i'll be damned if those tele's dont sound fantastic...

i really want to try this thing out for its "in your face" factor. I'm not much of a gain guy even though i do try to play death metal lol. it throws people off, and might explain why im not 100% happy with my metal tone half the time.


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## vds5000 (Apr 14, 2008)

Budda said:


> as for the camera thing - tripod as dave said, as well as just trying a few times - which is what i do as i dont yet own a tripod lol.


Actually, that was the best pic out of the 8-9 that I took. I've just gotta work on the steadiness of my hands.





Budda said:


> and a properly EQ'd/boosted recto wont sound muddy/mushy at all... just saying .


I don't know...I used to own a MkIIC, a .50 Caliber (very, very under-rated amp), a Lonestar Classic, and tried a few Rectos - all sounded mushy (but to varying degrees).





Budda said:


> I find that most tube amps sound thinner at low volumes, without any sections of th amp really working. which is why i always enjoy cranking my JSX when i can, and listening to what it can do when its turned up.


Dude, if you're ever coming to the Niagara region, gimme a few days notice and we can arrange for you to try out my TopHat Emplexador MkII. It definately does not sound thin at bedroom volumes. It's the only amp I've ever heard whose tone is exactly the same, whether the volume is low, med or high. Even with this new acquisition, the TH is probably still my favorite of the 3 amps I have.




Budda said:


> i really want to try this thing out for its "in your face" factor. I'm not much of a gain guy even though i do try to play death metal lol. it throws people off, and might explain why im not 100% happy with my metal tone half the time.


It's not just the amount of gain when I talk about 'in your face'. My Bruno probably has just as much gain. It's just the rebellious tones coming out of the BadCat. It's very, very 'raw'-sounding.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

I'm a fan of "raw sounding" 

I dunno if i'll be in the area, but if I am i will let you know!

chances are I can't afford any of the 3 amps you own any time soon! haha.

I have no steady complains about my amp though, besides the fact that it should have a reverb knob instead of the noise-gate (and the mod isnt worth the time/effort/money )


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## vds5000 (Apr 14, 2008)

No worries dude.

JSX is the only Peavey I have any respect for. Don't worry too much about the lack of reverb - some of the highest end boutique amps come without it. My Bruno doesn't have it and neither does my Top Hat. The BadCat has reverb, but it's only linked to the clean channel. Does the JSX have an effects loop?


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

i do have an fx loop. footswitch is acting up though!

if i wasnt in a townhouse, i'd say make a trip to my neck of the woods 

i want a new amp mostly to see what other sounds i can get - i know how to get about 3 different dirty tones i'd use consistently.


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## Emohawk (Feb 3, 2006)

VERY nice! I've been gassing for a Hot Cat for years - so much so that I've actually spent hours poring over schematics to see if I could build something similar for somewhat less than $2500-3000! I probably could do it, but it wouldn't really be the same, now would it... 

BTW, if your cat dragged that thing in, I wouldn't want to mess with your cat!!!


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## vds5000 (Apr 14, 2008)

Emohawk said:


> VERY nice! I've been gassing for a Hot Cat for years - so much so that I've actually spent hours poring over schematics to see if I could build something similar for somewhat less than $2500-3000! I probably could do it, but it wouldn't really be the same, now would it...
> 
> BTW, if your cat dragged that thing in, I wouldn't want to mess with your cat!!!


You're not kidding - it's over 70lbs!!! This thing is supposedly 30W. 30W my butt - it's definately louder than the TopHat (rated at 50W).

Seriously though, I wanted a HotCat, but this amp just appeared out of nowhere. I believe it basically has the gain channel of the HotCat (EL34) and the clean channel of the BlackCat (EL84) - which is suppose to be based on the Matchless DC30.

If you're not gigging anywhere large, consider the HotCat 15 - they're usually about $500 cheaper (used).


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

it might be rated at 30W clean


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## vds5000 (Apr 14, 2008)

Budda said:


> it might be rated at 30W clean


In all seriousness, you may be right. The gain channel is definately more difficult to control (volume-wise).

Also, while I was noodling around last night, I discovered something - the BadCat only sounds thin at low volumes when blending the 2 channels. Playing though each channel alone isn't so bad at lower volumes - especially the clean channel. The 'thinness' problem arises when the two are blended.


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## Big White Tele (Feb 10, 2007)

*I had one follow me home yesterday..*


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## Big White Tele (Feb 10, 2007)

*Panther reverb......*


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## vds5000 (Apr 14, 2008)

Big White Tele said:


>


You got your Panther - excellent! What do you think?


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## Big White Tele (Feb 10, 2007)

vds5000 said:


> You got your Panther - excellent! What do you think?


So far Im very impressed. I have always wanted a Fender , Marshall channell switcher and have never found anything that gets close enough. I also loved my Matchless lightning , but wanted reverb, and still hoped to find a channell switcher. Well this amp does all of those on the fly. The 6v6"s and 12ax7s on channell one do a very nice blackface deluxe reverb, and can also go up to 35 watts with the half power switch, so it gets the DR, Super reverb sound. If you could cut the mids a bit more, it would be very twin like. Channell 2 does the Lightning sound as you can run it at 17 watts, or 35. It can be set pretty clean, or overdriven. A very nice marshall tone at almost any volume. Im going to try some different tubes and speakers, but Im very impressed as of now. the only down side is the weight, but i can live with that for the sound that comes out of this beast. A very high quality amp. Gotta go play some more........


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

a fender clean with a marshall crunch...

*takes notes*


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## vds5000 (Apr 14, 2008)

Big White Tele said:


> So far Im very impressed... the only down side is the weight..


Yeah, was just gonna say my condolences to your back!




Big White Tele said:


> ... speakers, ....


I thought it was a 1x12. What's in there now?


Is it Class 'A' or 'AB'? Final question - does it have a fan in the back?


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## Big White Tele (Feb 10, 2007)

vds5000 said:


> Yeah, was just gonna say my condolences to your back!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 Thanks, 112 Combo 83lbs... Bad Cat Vintage 30 8ohm.
Its Class A/B, and no Fan, doesn seem to need one. The one thing that I noticed is this amp sounds great from beside it, or even behind it. It really fills up a room. I really am starting to love it.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

closedback or open?


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## Big White Tele (Feb 10, 2007)

.......nice


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## vds5000 (Apr 14, 2008)

Big White Tele said:


> Thanks, 112 Combo 83lbs... Bad Cat Vintage 30 8ohm.
> Its Class A/B, and no Fan, doesn seem to need one. The one thing that I noticed is this amp sounds great from beside it, or even behind it. It really fills up a room. I really am starting to love it.



83lbs -holy hell! That's about 10lbs heavier than mine. Oh yes - class A/B - shouldn't need a fan. For some reason, I thought all B/C's were Class A. I haven't tried listening to mine from the side or behind. I think eventually I'm gonna have to move it downstairs to the living room - it's too much for my bedroom.




Big White Tele said:


>


Very nice! I envy the fact that you have a 1/2 power switch.

Oh, what's the "1/2" switch for?


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

I'm guessing that's for channel 1 or 2. I saw 2 volumes on the front as well as two bass and treble controls.


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## Big White Tele (Feb 10, 2007)

The 1-2 switch is for tube or ss rectifier.


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## vds5000 (Apr 14, 2008)

Big White Tele said:


> The 1-2 switch is for tube or ss rectifier.


That's odd. Mine is actually labelled 'Solid State'/'Tube Rectifier'.

Is the footswitch the only way you can channel switch?


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## Big White Tele (Feb 10, 2007)

Well, they actually call it a voicing switch. 1= a fuller sound with a bigger bottom end 2= less bottom end with a tighter sound. So perhaps it was explained to me wrong. The footswitch works if you plug into channell 1 input. If you dont use the footswitch, you have to plug into the input you want, or use an A/B switch into both inputs. There is no switch on the amp for channel switching.


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## bagpipe (Sep 19, 2006)

Big White Tele said:


> Thanks, 112 Combo 83lbs... Bad Cat Vintage 30 8ohm.
> Its Class A/B, and no Fan, doesn seem to need one. The one thing that I noticed is this amp sounds great from beside it, or even behind it. It really fills up a room. I really am starting to love it.





vds5000 said:


> 83lbs -holy hell! That's about 10lbs heavier than mine.


I'll echo the holy hell for an 83lb combo - and it only has one 12 inch speaker. Thats gotta be as heavy as a Twin Reverb, which has 2 speakers.

I'm sure the amp sounds fantastic, but I wouldn't be looking forward to humping it up and stairs at a gig.


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## Big White Tele (Feb 10, 2007)

Its heavier than my 66 Twin Reverb, 75 twin reverb, and my Vibro king and my old Dual Pro......but good lord does it sound good.


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## bagpipe (Sep 19, 2006)

Big White Tele said:


> Its heavier than my 66 Twin Reverb, 75 twin reverb, and my Vibro king and my old Dual Pro......but good lord does it sound good.


I'll bet it does. I posted this on Faracasters thread already, but David Grissom gets some great tones through a Badcat head in this clip. Theres a lot of yapping on this one, but when he plays the guitar, the tone is just amazing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnXOiILg2xU kksjur


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## Big White Tele (Feb 10, 2007)

This is another one with the Panther, Im not wild about this tone, although many love it, I really like the clean tone on this amp, and it gets very Marshall like, but heres another example of its variety. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eImmcNGaSE


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## vds5000 (Apr 14, 2008)

Big White Tele said:


> Well, they actually call it a voicing switch. 1= a fuller sound with a bigger bottom end 2= less bottom end with a tighter sound. So perhaps it was explained to me wrong. The footswitch works if you plug into channell 1 input. If you dont use the footswitch, you have to plug into the input you want, or use an A/B switch into both inputs. There is no switch on the amp for channel switching.


Yeah, my switching works exactly the same way. Does your footswitch require the same funky cable (with the oddball pin connectors), and can you combine the two channels?




bagpipe said:


> I'll echo the holy hell for an 83lb combo - and it only has one 12 inch speaker. Thats gotta be as heavy as a Twin Reverb, which has 2 speakers.
> 
> I'm sure the amp sounds fantastic, but I wouldn't be looking forward to humping it up and stairs at a gig.


My head is heavier than the Fender HR Deville (4x10) that I used to have - the weight is just ridiculous!




Big White Tele said:


> This is another one with the Panther, Im not wild about this tone, although many love it, I really like the clean tone on this amp, and it gets very Marshall like, but heres another example of its variety. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eImmcNGaSE


The more I play mine, the more I appreciate the clean channel.


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## Big White Tele (Feb 10, 2007)

vds5000 said:


> Yeah, my switching works exactly the same way. Does your footswitch require the same funky cable (with the oddball pin connectors), and can you combine the two channels?


Yes, its the same footswitch, and yes you can combine the channells./


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## vds5000 (Apr 14, 2008)

Big White Tele said:


> Yes, its the same footswitch, and yes you can combine the channells./


Yes, same footswitch, same cable. Careful with that cable - they cost a lot (I was quoted $50 US) by someone on another forum). I don't know why they couldn't just use a typical stereo 1/4 jack.


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## Big White Tele (Feb 10, 2007)

So how are you liking your Hot Cat? I was ready to buy one of those before the Panther came out. I rember playing one in Ft Lauderdale, and was very impressed. Does it do what you hoped it would??


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## vds5000 (Apr 14, 2008)

Big White Tele said:


> So how are you liking your Hot Cat? I was ready to buy one of those before the Panther came out. I rember playing one in Ft Lauderdale, and was very impressed. Does it do what you hoped it would??


It's actually a ToneCat, which is comprised of the gain channel from the HotCat and the clean channel from the BlackCat.

So far, I think the tones are excellent. There are a few things (sonically) that keep it from being the ultimate amp (in my humble opinion):

1.) Although running both channels sounds great at moderate volumes (master at about 7 o'clock), it sounds thin at bedroom volumes.

2.) Reverb is set up to run on the clean channel only - if you want it going through the EL34 channel, you have to combine both channels, and at bedroom volumes - see above comment.

3.) At bedroom volumes, you can hear the fan.

My only non-sonic complaint is the weight.

Other than that - it's a beautiful sounding amp, and quite versatile - probably the most versatile amp I've ever heard. The cleans are fantastic - especially for a high-gain amp. The high-gain tones are great - not as refined as my Bruno, but much more articulate than say a Recto. I haven't really spent too much time trying to get a nice moderate breakup/classic rock tone. I'm sure it's in there. Also, as I mentioned in a previous post, the touch sensitivity is incredible! This amp doesn't hide mistakes, so one great thing is that it's going to force me to play cleaner.

As far as gain tones, how is the Panther? It was actually my 3rd choice (HotCat was my first choice, then the ToneCat).


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## Big White Tele (Feb 10, 2007)

vds5000 said:


> As far as gain tones, how is the Panther? It was actually my 3rd choice (HotCat was my first choice, then the ToneCat).


Its not as high gain as te HotCat for sure, but plenty for me. It has more than a JCM800, but not like a mesa. Its pretty close to perfct for me. It has reverbon both channells, and its footswitchable, but I wish it had control for each chanell. Does the Tone Cat have as much gain as the hot cat? Ive never played a Tone cat, but that looks like a nice amp!


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## Big White Tele (Feb 10, 2007)

Does that mini toggle cut the mids? On the Panther that switch changes the controls from the Bass and treble to the 5 way rotaru tone swithch, and bypass the Master volume.


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## vds5000 (Apr 14, 2008)

Big White Tele said:


> Its not as high gain as te HotCat for sure, but plenty for me. It has more than a JCM800, but not like a mesa. Its pretty close to perfct for me. It has reverbon both channells, and its footswitchable, but I wish it had control for each chanell. Does the Tone Cat have as much gain as the hot cat? Ive never played a Tone cat, but that looks like a nice amp!


There are some aspects of the design that I question - for instance, reverb only for the clean channel. The cable for the footswitch is another odd thing. The ToneCat has as much gain as the HotCat. I think BadCat literally took the guts of the HotCat and put them in the ToneCat, for the gain channel of the ToneCat. I don't really use all that gain to be honest. In fact, I doubt I'll regularly have the gain control past 1 o'clock.




Big White Tele said:


> Does that mini toggle cut the mids? On the Panther that switch changes the controls from the Bass and treble to the 5 way rotaru tone swithch, and bypass the Master volume.


The 3-way mini toggle on the front of the TC is used to boost/cut specific mid frequencies. Think of it as a 'Fender/Marshall/Mesa' voicing switch. The 5-way rotary would be cool. I used to have an Ampeg VL1002 that had a 5-way mid frequency cut/boost control - it would complete change the vibe of the amp. There is no Master bypass on the TC. 

Funny, when you first described the Panther, it sounded like other than the tubes used, it was the same amp as the TC, but the more we discuss, the more it sounds like they're totally different beasts.


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## vds5000 (Apr 14, 2008)

Something came up and I will be posting this up for sale soon...as well as a few other items.

Stay tuned...if anyone is interested, please feel free to contact me.


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