NAD: Bad Cat Cub V 40 Watt

[Rackman]

Haven't spent too much time with it, but my goal was to get something in the Matchless/hot Vox realm and so far so good. It's got one channel with two switchable masters. The depth and cut controls seem to do a pretty good job at adapting to guitars, but so far it definitely seems more likely to achieve magic with single coils than humbuckers.

I intend to use if for a Vox-flavored option in the studio, a pedal platform, and as a replacement for my Rivera Suprema which is just too damn heavy with the closed back, plus has a not-ideal master volume taper on the gain channel. The cub is definitely addresses those issues but is admittedly less gainy and less flexable.

Lots of experimenting to do.

 

[VonBonfire]

Congrats rackman. I know at least one member here who will be thrilled by your purchase. I'm sure you'll be hearing from him, plenty.

Cool axe btw. How you liking the certano benders?

 

[NeubyWanKaneuby]

HNAD! I've been looking at those Cub Vs and the new Mod Shop stuff.

Congrats rackman. I know at least one member here who will be thrilled by your purchase. I'm sure you'll be hearing from him, plenty.

Cool axe btw. How you liking the certano benders?

I, too, like the Bad Cats (I have a Lynx and a Hot Cat 45).

 

[The~Kid]

Congrats OP, this is one of their top of the line and IME playing stuff like an Industrial Amps OD15 which unfortunately aren't made anymore and their other stuff these Bad Cats are like the next best thing in terms of top level quality in general PTP or PCB they are a solid product.

Congratulations OP

Love my Lynx 50 *_*

 

[Rackman]

Cool axe btw. How you liking the certano benders?

Overall I'd say they're good. I'm using them with an older Callaham bigsby-style bridge, although I understand you can now get an integral unit. The integral unit looks like it places the levers farther towards the neck than I would want though.

The one issue I'm having is that the screws that set the tension to move the levers side to side (to get them out of the way to palm mute) tend to loosen when you move the levers side to side. I'm going to try some plumbing tape on the screws or something.

I've got an EMG SPC on the 3rd knob, which makes the whole thing a lot more viable for modern country.

 

[ewill52]

Overall I'd say they're good. I'm using them with an older Callaham bigsby-style bridge, although I understand you can now get an integral unit. The integral unit looks like it places the levers farther towards the neck than I would want though.

The one issue I'm having is that the screws that set the tension to move the levers side to side (to get them out of the way to palm mute) tend to loosen when you move the levers side to side. I'm going to try some plumbing tape on the screws or something.

I've got an EMG SPC on the 3rd knob, which makes the whole thing a lot more viable for modern country.

they look really cool, i've always wanted to put some on my lap steel!

 

[Music&Chaos]

View attachment 457559
Haven't spent too much time with it, but my goal was to get something in the Matchless/hot Vox realm and so far so good. It's got one channel with two switchable masters. The depth and cut controls seem to do a pretty good job at adapting to guitars, but so far it definitely seems more likely to achieve magic with single coils than humbuckers.

I intend to use if for a Vox-flavored option in the studio, a pedal platform, and as a replacement for my Rivera Suprema which is just too damn heavy with the closed back, plus has a not-ideal master volume taper on the gain channel. The cub is definitely addresses those issues but is admittedly less gainy and less flexable.

Lots of experimenting to do.

Nice acquisition! The guitar looks cool too. I would think the Bad Cat would not be able to come close to the clean on the Suprema - as I haven't found other amps that quite nail that like Rivera.

The Bad Cats sound like they have their own thing going on, and if I had the chance, I would definitely pick one up.

 

[VonBonfire]

they look really cool, i've always wanted to put some on my lap steel!

I had a gold tone LS-8 for a while that was a really nice axe but there didn't seem to be enough room to mount the benders behind the bridge so I sold the guitar locally and moved on to pedal steels.

 

[VonBonfire]

Congrats OP, this is one of their top of the line and IME playing stuff like an Industrial Amps OD15 which unfortunately aren't made anymore and their other stuff these Bad Cats are like the next best thing in terms of top level quality in general PTP or PCB they are a solid product.

Congratulations OP

Love my Lynx 50 *_*

View attachment 457586View attachment 457587

Nice rig Daniel!

 

[Rackman]

I've gotten a little more time on the Cub with my normal stage guitar - and EMG 81/60 loaded CS Kelly. So far my take is the cleans are really nice and despite what Music&Chaos suggested I think I like it more in that role than the Rivera. I can tell I'm going to miss the closed back, but not enough to want to haul that extra plywood around. Having a good handle is a nice practical improvement too.

The gain side I've gotten some decent sounds, but I don't think I've come very close with any guitar to what the various demos sounded like. I'm going to have to spend some more time there.

 

[The~Kid]

Nice acquisition! The guitar looks cool too. I would think the Bad Cat would not be able to come close to the clean on the Suprema - as I haven't found other amps that quite nail that like Rivera.

The Bad Cats sound like they have their own thing going on, and if I had the chance, I would definitely pick one up.

Yeah this one is cool, so it's like have you imagined an AC30 with more headroom and a toggle switch that lets you go from 12AX7 to EF86. Its pretty much that with an EL34 compliment so it kind of cross over ans gives you some of those tones but it's mainly a higher powererd AC30 type of amp meets a Plexi/Bassman with the bigger bottles and power tubes.


All the amps also have their own thing going and the Lynx 50 is pretty much like a super up JCM800 with plenty of of gain and more than most would need...... But it's so good and the lower gain channels can offer some fastic cleans and crunch too.


I walked into a store checking out Les Pauls not even wanting this thing and actually laughing at the price tag and lack of features and although it seems that way once you plug in you realize you don't need a shit ton of features and for me, you realize you've needed something like this all along. It honestly reminds me a lot of Industrial Amps, I really have no other comparison. And yeah Industrial Amps were some of the best only found in top end studios. These Bad Cats are amazing for what they are and I'm glad I got mine, made in USA/SoCal in Costa Mesa CA *_*

 

[The~Kid]

Is that a Jazz lll plectrum on the amp in the OP or what is it? @Rackman

 

[Rackman]

Is that a Jazz lll plectrum on the amp in the OP or what is it? @Rackman

It's one of the Dunlop Primetone Jazz IIIs. The very idea of a $3 pick gives me the hives, but they are better than anything else I've used and they work well for acoustics too so I don't have to get used to two different ways of picking.

 

[Music&Chaos]

I've gotten a little more time on the Cub with my normal stage guitar - and EMG 81/60 loaded CS Kelly. So far my take is the cleans are really nice and despite what Music&Chaos suggested I think I like it more in that role than the Rivera. I can tell I'm going to miss the closed back, but not enough to want to haul that extra plywood around. Having a good handle is a nice practical improvement too.

The gain side I've gotten some decent sounds, but I don't think I've come very close with any guitar to what the various demos sounded like. I'm going to have to spend some more time there.

That's awesome! They must have the right combination going on then.

as a note, If you are comparing open vs closed back... open has better cleans every single time as well during my testing. Lead is to taste because closed in much tighter but open back cleans are much more full and 3d.

 

[Music&Chaos]

Yeah this one is cool, so it's like have you imagined an AC30 with more headroom and a toggle switch that lets you go from 12AX7 to EF86. Its pretty much that with an EL34 compliment so it kind of cross over ans gives you some of those tones but it's mainly a higher powererd AC30 type of amp meets a Plexi/Bassman with the bigger bottles and power tubes.


All the amps also have their own thing going and the Lynx 50 is pretty much like a super up JCM800 with plenty of of gain and more than most would need...... But it's so good and the lower gain channels can offer some fastic cleans and crunch too.


I walked into a store checking out Les Pauls not even wanting this thing and actually laughing at the price tag and lack of features and although it seems that way once you plug in you realize you don't need a shit ton of features and for me, you realize you've needed something like this all along. It honestly reminds me a lot of Industrial Amps, I really have no other comparison. And yeah Industrial Amps were some of the best only found in top end studios. These Bad Cats are amazing for what they are and I'm glad I got mine, made in USA/SoCal in Costa Mesa CA *_*

I bet they can get some cut up top with that compliment of tubes and AC30 ish copper topped tones going on. I have liked them in the demos I heard. The lead is its own thing I would have to play with myself.

 

[The~Kid]

It's one of the Dunlop Primetone Jazz IIIs. The very idea of a $3 pick gives me the hives, but they are better than anything else I've used and they work well for acoustics too so I don't have to get used to two different ways of picking.

Right on man lately Ive been using the old school black Jazz lll a lot more....

Have an XL and Gator Grip which are my usual go to plectrum, the Boss ones are nice too and I like the feel of the Delrin/Acetyl or whatever better than the Dunlop Tortex too.

Need to get some PrimeTones again though and they are totally worth it that Flow pic is nice too and need to get more of those, Jazz lll and XL and the Heroc 50 aint bad but definitely need to get some Herco 75.

 

[The~Kid]

Nice rig Daniel!

MIA/Built in USA baby

 

[S̷͖͑m̵͎͂á̵̺s̸͚̈́h̴̬̑]

MIA/Built in USA baby

View attachment 457714

The pedalboard organization is pristine. Really gives insight into the inner mind of a madman

 

[Music&Chaos]

MIA/Built in USA baby

View attachment 457714

God Bless the USA!

 

[The~Kid]

The pedalboard organization is pristine. Really gives insight into the inner mind of a madman

Aesthetical things like that are pretty redundant especially with something like the CIOKS PSU or similar switching units from Voodoo Labs, Strymon, TrueTone and others thanks to the little to no noise added noise filtering system *_*

I do like to keep it clean and organized when I can