NAD...... Bad Cat Lynx 50/BCP 2206 Players Series ll *_*

[The~Kid]

Loving it...... Thanks to Giovanni at Zzounds for the great price..... Fuck yeah, got it for under 1,500 bucks brand new on Black Friday ... Love that new amp smell too


Check out my review of it here. Skip the BS and scroll all the way down for pics.

Thread 'Bad Cat Lynx......'

Jun 3, 2025

So what can you tell me about these.......

Tried one a while ago in a head format and I was rather impressed. They seem to be fully made in USA too in CA. I really thought this thing was a joke for the money given the features or lack of features compared to a lot of other amps but it's honestly what makes it great, very plug and play and easy to dial in and has a lot of range. I even scoffed that it didn't have reverb but honestly...... it just sounds so damn friggin amazing no Reverb or anything else needed IMO.



Heard of Bad Cat before but don't know too much about...

• The~Kid
• Replies: 114
• Forum: Rig-Talk

• 

It's fucking awesome, came with a cable too, foot switch and amp cover, that is a nice cable too.


Putting it through it's paces using an Epiphone 59 Standard with Burstbucker 2 and 3, Charvel San Dimas with JB/59 combo and a Kramer 84 current production with a JB...... I'm so happy and what a killer amp, great price and Built in the USA. Using the basics like an MXR Sugar Drive, Boss SD1W, Maxon OD808, MXR 6 band EQ and a Turbo Tuner.


Running it through a Katana Artist mkll Combo and using the Waza Speaker until I get an EVH 212 or Peavey 212 cab...... So far its fucking awesome and sounds amazing..... Nothing short of pure tits ^_^

 

[The~Kid]

Still putting it through its paces but so far so good......


That Channel 1 in Lo mode gets pretty damn clean and a lot nicer than most vids or most guys dial in.


The Noise Gate works like a charm but can sound weird if not dialed in right but overall when dialed in correctly it's just amazing. You have to adjust it per channel and lo or hi mode but once you do it's set and forget. Especially at higher volumes it's just amazing and the noise floor is so low too..... Its like fucking magic.



Imagine Channel 1 in Lo mode like in between a Bassman and a Plexi. Not as bouncy or springy as a Bassman but not as warm or dark like a Plexi and in the middle. It's sort of like a cross between a Fender and Marshall clean and the best of both worlds in that sense IMO and when you want to go from clean to mean there is ample gain


You can keep it clean with the gain low or make it mean and the Volume and Master controls help further to really keep it clean and provide sufficient headroom. So yeah it can get dirty in Lo mode but it can get really nice and clean. Really smooth, amazing break up and just a fantastic clean for what it is..... Put some reverb and delay on the bitch and you can play this for days. Bring up the treble and presence and this would be sure to delight even country or chicken picking guys or jazz dudes just the same if you bring the treble and presence down and do the opposite. Mid control is fantastic and has plenty of range too.


Channel 1 in Hi Mode is pretty much a supped up modified JCM800 with a bit more top end and sizzle but all that lower upper mid grunt and character. And yeah fucker gets way gainier too..... It's just fucking amazing. You can dial back the gain and get some excellent breakup and pure butter or a fire breathing dragon if you bring the gain up. This is where the Noise Gate comes in handy too. It's just fucking sweet and a really amazing tone and one of the main reasons I bought this amp for that Channel 1 in Hi mode...... Crunch, punch and great tight response and feel overall with excellent mids and too end. Really smooth yet jagged and saw like when you need it too.


Channel 1 in Hi mode is probably more than enough gain for most and it really is kind of the complete opposite of the same channel in Lo mode. Main reason I bought this amp was for this channel.



Channel 2 in Lo mode is a lot like Channel 1 in Hi Mode but with less gain so in between the Lo and Hi mode of Channel 1. So again a lot like a JCM800 with what one would consider the ample amount of gain for such an amp but with a bit more sizzle still. Not as gainy or jagged as Channel 1 in Hi mode and more of a "classic tone" for lack of a better term. Warmer, less edge but still plenty of bark and bite.


Overall I really feel this channel would be more for the traditional or old school 70s/80s player vs Channel 1 in Hi mode. Put an SD1 on top of it and this is all most will ever need. Pure, simple, elegant and just packs the goods. This is for the less is more players and who know what to do with just the right amount of dirt, power amp gain and response for a seasoned player.



Channel 2 in Hi Mod simply put is like if a Peavey 6505+/5150+ Lead Channel and a Marshall Plexi or JCM800 fucked and had a baby with way more gain, hair and balls. With 7 gain stages....... More than enough gain for even the Metal Gods......stays articulate, defined and produces fantastic note separation and liquid lava/surface of the sun smooth levels of gain...... Just amazing through and through.



My faves are Channel 1 in Hi mode and Channel 2 in Hi mode and the Cleans from Channel 1 in Lo mode. Channel 2 in Lo mode isnt bad and great for some classic tones too and again IMO a channel many more traditional players would love too that can do a lot along with the cleans in Channel 1 in Lo mode.

 

[Motorboat McCooter]

HNAD! Awesome! Nice review! Motorboat approved!

 

[The~Kid]

HNAD! Awesome! Nice review! Motorboat approved!

View attachment 425177

Right on, thanks man and glad its got the Motorboat blessing *_*

 

[The~Kid]

After a couple of hours of playing with it and changing preamp tubes in V1 for Mullard RI, Tung Sol RI, Sovtek LPS, Groove Tubes 12AX7-C etc etc.....



Going back and forth over and over again for about 5+ hours.....


The stock JJ 12AX7 sound best in the amp..... It's just golden with the JJs and I plan on keeping it stock. JJ Power Tubes too. I don't normally like JJ preamps but here the amp sounds best with them and simply fantastic comparing with all the others in V1 here. It's just the Goldilocks tube for it and this build and the way the amp was designed and built.



The Groove Tube 12AX7-C came close and wasn't far behind...... But yeah the JJ preamps here are just amazing in the Lynx and again sound fantastic.

 

[The~Kid]

One secret life hack.......



I went into the amp to change the tubes in V1 and see if it would affect noise floor.... Every tube used..... Had an effect on the tone, noise floor, character of the amp and how the noise gate worked.



Overall as well I found after reseating all the tubes and using the original preamps the amp sounded better overall in tone, character and the way the noise gate worked. Simply by reseating and not even rolling the tubes.......



I don't know why but I remember similar when I bought my Fender Princeton Reverb Reissue Bordeaux 112 back in December of 2019....... A new amp as good as it sounds new....


Just sounds better sometimes by simply reseating said OEM tubes and especially preamp tubes or rolling them around.



Not on every occasion but in general it seems to work and an easy life hack too especially if you have other tubes as a baseline to compare to.....


Some amps do benefit from using a different tube but sometimes the OEM tubes are the best for use in said amp especially after reseating or rolling said tubes IME..... how or why who fucking knows but yeah


You don't have to take my word for it *_*

 

[The~Kid]

This thing also takes pedals great..... Super low noise floor thanks to the multi-stage filtering from the CIOKS PSU!!!!



Takes the Essentials/Elementals like a champ to new heights *_*

 

[The~Kid]

I tried the Groove Tubes 12AX7-C/Shuguang again and as good as it sounds.....



And it sounds great.....and a fantastic choice in V1 for some I imagine this or a Sovtek LPS..... Depending on said player.....


For me the stock JJ preamps..... While I don't normally like them sound amazing in this amp after reseating the stock/OEM tubes ^_^

 

[The~Kid]

For some such ungodly amounts of gain may be too much to handle..... Although there are lower gain stages as well as I said more seasoned and traditional players can appreciate....


But for the Amp Wizards, high gain chasers, chuggers and real players alike in general......


The Bad Cat Lynx 50 really is a godsend *_*

 

[napalmdeath]

For some such ungodly amounts of gain may be too much to handle..... Although there are lower gain stages as well as I said more seasoned and traditional players can appreciate....


But for the Amp Wizards, high gain chasers, chuggers and real players alike in general......


The Bad Cat Lynx 50 really is a godsend *_*

Yeah, that amp is WAY overgained. I found that the deal breaker for me, and I play metal. I couldn't get usable tones I liked in any mode. The bass is overbearing, either too muddy or too thin, no real sweet spot. I'm glad you dig it, I absolutely hated it. I had packing tape in my hand after about 2 hours, and back it went.

 

[The~Kid]

Yeah, that amp is WAY overgained. I found that the deal breaker for me, and I play metal. I couldn't get usable tones I liked in any mode. The bass is overbearing, either too muddy or too thin, no real sweet spot. I'm glad you dig it, I absolutely hated it. I had packing tape in my hand after about 2 hours, and back it went.

There is plenty of usable gain all over.


Pretty much 4 channels with even and balanced cascades as you go up and they all sound amazing. You can also dial the gain down and there is a noise gate as well for the higher gain modes in Hi Mode in either case plenty of usable gain and range with gain high or low and on all channels and modes IMO.


In Lo Mode I don't see how any of the gain is too much in either channel and as said even in Hi Mode there is plenty of usable gain and if you use a lot the Gate is there for good reason. As said as well Lo Mode is for the more seasoned/traditional player too.


Nvm that and well yeah...... So good even Ola bought one too *_*


Aside from that hot rodded Bassman/Plexi like tones along with a modern take on JCM800/5150 tones throughout. It's just fucking awesome in all regards IMO.

 

[napalmdeath]

Every amp Ola plays sounds exactly like that. I played mine through a 4x12 with Greenbacks. I thought it was a hot mess. Glad you're enjoying it though, not the amp for me. My $700 used Archon 50 sounds better.

 

[bubbastain]

I remember when this amp came out. It was certainly on my curiosity list. Mostly for the channel 1 Hi mode from the clips I’ve heard. I like that it’s a 50 watter too.
Glad you’re liking it. Ultimately I just don’t use a lot of gain and I prefer single channel amps.
But I have heard killer fucking tones from that amp in some clips most notably Ola’s.

 

[The~Kid]

Every amp Ola plays sounds exactly like that. I played mine through a 4x12 with Greenbacks. I thought it was a hot mess. Glad you're enjoying it though, not the amp for me. My $700 used Archon 50 sounds better.

I mean not really and sometimes he plays through real crap, here the Lynx sounds amazing in his vid and as said so much so he bought it out of pocket right after the vid.


Archons aren't bad but for me the Lynx just does it for me.


I hear the amp is better suited with V30s but maybe you just wouldn't have jived with it in either case. The Lynx sounds amazing with the 100 watt Waza Craft speaker too.

 

[Music&Chaos]

HNAD! That is badass!!

 

[The~Kid]

HNAD! That is badass!!

I had to.


Built in the USA too and made locally in Costa Mesa, CA not far from my Anaheim/Fullerton area. It's just awesome and such a good feeling *_*

 

[Music&Chaos]

I had to.


Built in the USA too and made locally in Costa Mesa, CA not far from my Anaheim/Fullerton area. It's just awesome and such a good feeling *_*

Yeah that's pricing is just too good to pass up.

 

[The~Kid]

Yeah that's pricing is just too good to pass up.

Under 1,500 bucks, 600+ dollar discount from original price of 2100.00$.......


I mean I was going to get this amp either way trust and it's well worth the money at full price IMO either way but so happy with the discount for sure.



But yeah that's one hell of a discount and pretty much a 30% on a brand new amplifier Built in the USA.


Great opportunity and happy to have spent the money on something so awesome and supporting local business and jobs here in America/USA too

 

[The~Kid]

I remember when this amp came out. It was certainly on my curiosity list. Mostly for the channel 1 Hi mode from the clips I’ve heard. I like that it’s a 50 watter too.
Glad you’re liking it. Ultimately I just don’t use a lot of gain and I prefer single channel amps.
But I have heard killer fucking tones from that amp in some clips most notably Ola’s.

I hear you man.


Coming from an AC15C1 and a Princeton Reverb Reissue Bordeaux 112..... But there is something about these amps and it's not all about the high gain. The definition/clarity/articulation is simply unbelievable aside from the gain and awesome mid gain and clean tones to be had.


Channel 1 in Lo really does offer some amazing cleans and modern Plexi/Bassman tone.


Channel 2 in Lo offers a very polite OD channel and very JCM800. So much range and never feel there is too much gain there.


Channel 1 in Hi mode is a beast for sure and packs more than enough gain for most but there is a clarity to it and definition and also a lot of usable range throughout the taper of the gain knob.


Channel 2 in Hi mode again so much gain and a 5150+/6505+ on steroids pretty much but it too has a lot of usable range in general and the noise gate, once you get the hang of it, works like a fucking charm too. Channel 2 in Lo Mode again is like


But for players who want ample gain but not as much as the Lynx, consider the Hot Cat. But yeah not going to say it's for everyone though but yeah if you really sit down and spend some time with it......


This thing would impress even jazz or country players in utility and usable range in general IMO. It's pretty nice but yeah again for some the Hot Cat or Black Cat or Cub may be a better fit.



I think if this amp just had channel 1 in Lo and Hi that would be more than enough for those players who don't desire a shit ton of gain for the same price. But yeah it does offer the other channel in Lo/Hi as well and it's not always bad to have all this gain on hand IMO. There are many gain stages and they don't all have to be used....... And there is ample range between gain stages and within them too


Even if the most gain your after is that Channel 1 in Hi mode...... It's well worth the price of admission especially for Channel 1 and Channel 2 in Lo mode too.

 

[The~Kid]

Last time I paid full cash on the spot for a new amp....... Was when I bought my Princeton Reverb Reissue Bordeaux 112 at GC in Orange for 1000 bucks and some change in December of 2019 right before the pandemic and right before 2020 New Years and before the world changed.





Again really can't say enough thanks to Giovanni and the dudes at Zzounds for hooking it up with a great price and hooking it up with monthly payments over 12 months with 0% interest. Really could not afford gear like this any other way and really glad, happy and fortunate to get this amp at a great price, 0% interest and financing over 12 months and monthly payments.


I sure as fuck plan on paying this off sooner than that though and made sure to save up enough to pay for two months in advance..... Saved up, was patient and waited for the right time, price and opportunity....and as said plan on paying this sucker off sooner than later and faster than your usual customer.



But as said if you can't wait buy them now....... If you have the cash to spare and want something really special.....


No bullshit, straightforward, simple and brings so much range and gain as well.... And just the basics and a solid foundation/sound/amp.....



The Bad Cat Lynx 50 is definitely the ticket to ride and it really is something else *_*