![]() The classic design belies a contemporary sensibility, and, pleasingly, the Cub-Super12 takes to pedals well, offering an effects loop on the rear panel, with the floor show extending to its footswitchable digital reverb and onboard boost. This is ideal for practice, sure, but also for recording situations where you don’t want to put too much volume through a mic. It’ll handle small gigs no problem, but afternoon practice sessions at home will also be a breeze, its onboard attenuator allowing you to plug into the low power output for a very domesticated 1W setting. With two EL84s flexing inside that power amp section, it has a pleasing roar when you’re generous with the volume. Finished in a dark grey vinyl, this is a classy portable tube combo amp. There’s no way it should be priced under $525/£500, but here we are and it would be a crime if people missed out on it. Read the full Harley Benton Mighty-15TH review But the 15TH’s onboard boost (which is excellent), three-band EQ and extra power shade it for us. The Mighty-15TH has a 5W sibling – the Mighty-5TH – that might tempt those who are playing at home. Not when you’ve just dropped 200 bucks on an amp that would blow some higher-priced competitors out of the water. That’s the only fly in the ointment, and it’s not much to complain about. There’s an onboard boost that sadly isn’t footswitchable. But at a full 15W, we think you’ll appreciate the headroom. The switchable power setting allows you to dial this down to 7W and reach that break-up a little sooner – ideal for the home or studio. Musical and addictive, it’s a remarkable feature for an amp of this price. The cleans are lovely and detailed, but the crunch is something else. This is where the Mighty-15TH really gets going. Under the hood, you have a pair of Ruby Tubes EL84Cs in the power amp that lend the Mighty-15TH a tweed-esque character once the tone starts to break up a little. This bodes well, and positions this priced-for-practice lunchbox head as a potential ally for studio recordings. When you switch the Mighty-15TH on, you’ll get a nice surprise – there’s no noise. The Mighty-15TH has a precision-folded steel chassis, with electronics mounted on a double-sided PCB that’s through-plated for durability. Before we talk tone, we have to mention the build. We’ve seen it in action with the company’s line of electric and acoustic guitars, and to see it here on an all-valve lunchbox head is most thrilling. Who says that a top-quality tube amplifier can’t be priced for beginners, students and any of us who are watching the bottom line? This, of course, is Harley Benton’s special power. A triumph of modern amplifier design, it’s also eminently affordable.Ī footswitch for the boost would’ve been perfect But it has enough gain on tap to please metal players, too, and is utterly convincing no matter how you like your sound. The Blackstar HT Club 40 MkII 6L6 will do a job for any electric guitar player. Some might pooh-pooh the tube amplifier as being a one-trick pony, but that’s baloney. It suggests that players of all ages and levels are inspired by the idea and that mysterious, glowing glass valves still hold a certain magic for guitar players, even though they're a hangover from early 20th-century technology, and we're now living in an age of digital transformation. That we have something for every budget is also a testament to the health of the tube amplifier as a concept. We'll also look at those tube amplifiers that acknowledge the limitations of time-honoured designs and bring onboard intelligent digital technology to compete with the rising tide of innovation that makes the amp modelling market so exciting. In this guide, we'll look at old-school combos inspired by the tones that helped launch the electric guitar into the pop-cultural firmament. ![]()
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