BackCrack
Well-known member
A guy I know locally just ordered this amp from Jens. Any opinions on the amp and/or on Kruse?
D
Deanmachine
Member
I've had Jens work on a few of my amps he is quick, honest and a really good tech great comunication too .
B
braintheory
Well-known member
I agree, I had Jens do his V5 mod on a JCM800 I had and he was great with communication and turn around time (got it back in less than 2 weeks). I never tried the Ultrasonic, but I did get to try the Kruse Quanah 100 head at the Music Zoo and AB with other amps there including one of my own and honestly it was quite disappointing to me, especially given the price.
It seemed kinda Marshally, but lacking in tightness and growl and it didn’t feel good to play either. It could get super high gain, modern and compressed if desired, but again lacked tightness and was not organic or warm sounding and was kinda hollow and brittle sounding and feeling. Jens Kruse seems though like a very nice guy and he was awesome to work with, but I’m sorry to say it was a let down for me
I asked Kruse how the Ultrasonic compared since I was also curious and I remember him saying it was similar, but not as high gain or modern and that the Quanah is easier to dial in. I liked the V5 modded JCM800 I had by him quite a bit, but honestly it also had some of that same brittle and hollow thing going on. I guess that’s what he goes for in his sound (kinda like how Friedman makes everything darker, smoother and less aggressive). Neither are for me. Friedman’s I find too polite and neutered and Kruse seems to be the opposite (bright and brittle, stiff). I remember the Henning Cherry Bomb I used to own to also be in that direction of the Kruse, but not as much. I think guys like Cameron, Gower and Hopkins found a good sweet spot between those 2 approaches
It seemed kinda Marshally, but lacking in tightness and growl and it didn’t feel good to play either. It could get super high gain, modern and compressed if desired, but again lacked tightness and was not organic or warm sounding and was kinda hollow and brittle sounding and feeling. Jens Kruse seems though like a very nice guy and he was awesome to work with, but I’m sorry to say it was a let down for me
I asked Kruse how the Ultrasonic compared since I was also curious and I remember him saying it was similar, but not as high gain or modern and that the Quanah is easier to dial in. I liked the V5 modded JCM800 I had by him quite a bit, but honestly it also had some of that same brittle and hollow thing going on. I guess that’s what he goes for in his sound (kinda like how Friedman makes everything darker, smoother and less aggressive). Neither are for me. Friedman’s I find too polite and neutered and Kruse seems to be the opposite (bright and brittle, stiff). I remember the Henning Cherry Bomb I used to own to also be in that direction of the Kruse, but not as much. I think guys like Cameron, Gower and Hopkins found a good sweet spot between those 2 approaches
