O
O'Rourke
Member
Had this for about a week now but finally got around to making some clips and taking pics. It's a dual gain/level control 2 KT88-powered model with more gain in the preamp and the high/low mid switch replaced with a pot, mid scoop and high cut switches on the lead channel. Dave said he's done one of these higher gain style K2 preamps before, it just adds a bit more gain and compression, doesn't re-voice the amp or anything like that. I used to own a K2 that I traded, I like this preamp better. I don't notice any difference in low end response vs. my old 4 KT88 model and it has PLENTY of volume and headroom, don't feel like I'm missing anything by going with the 2 KT88 model. I really, really like the hotter preamp too, no need to mess with a boost or anything just all-tube goodness. 
The lead channel's mid sweep and voicing switches are awesome features, tons of tones to be had with this amp between those and the global poweramp voicing switch and controls. The cleans are superb, V4 is dedicated to the clean channel only so it's really cool to be able to swap tubes there and in V1 and mainly affect one channel or the other.
Got a chance to poke around inside the amp and the build quality on this amp is the best I've seen. Makes my Marshalls and Framus look like toys by comparision. The boards are mounted much more securely, heavier gauge wiring throughout, better components and the soldering work is better. Very well thought out and built, guessing this has a lot to do with the low noise floor on this amp. Even with the gain up around 2:00 and the volume at or above band levels if you turn off your guitar volume you can barely tell the thing is on, and 2:00 is a metric shit-ton of gain with this amp.
Pics-
Here is where I will post some clips once I can upload them, I keep getting a "possible file upload attack" message with netmusicians.
In the meantime bask in the glory of my ultra modern home studio- 
edit-
clips are up, straight off my DR07 and uploaded to dropbox since I couldn't get netmusicians to work. No post EQ or anything, just cut and pasted off the DR07 and uploaded.
This is gain A and B at about 12:30 on the gain. I play some stuff in the gain A mode then switch to gain B and do it again, end of the clip is gain A using the guitar's volume to vary the amount of gain. Guitar is a Carvin CT4 with a BG-bucker standard bridge pup.
This is gain A with the gain at 9:00, starts with the neck BG Phatty single coil and goes to the BG Dark in the bridge, guitar is a Carvin DC135T.
The lead channel's mid sweep and voicing switches are awesome features, tons of tones to be had with this amp between those and the global poweramp voicing switch and controls. The cleans are superb, V4 is dedicated to the clean channel only so it's really cool to be able to swap tubes there and in V1 and mainly affect one channel or the other.
Got a chance to poke around inside the amp and the build quality on this amp is the best I've seen. Makes my Marshalls and Framus look like toys by comparision. The boards are mounted much more securely, heavier gauge wiring throughout, better components and the soldering work is better. Very well thought out and built, guessing this has a lot to do with the low noise floor on this amp. Even with the gain up around 2:00 and the volume at or above band levels if you turn off your guitar volume you can barely tell the thing is on, and 2:00 is a metric shit-ton of gain with this amp.
Pics-
Here is where I will post some clips once I can upload them, I keep getting a "possible file upload attack" message with netmusicians.
In the meantime bask in the glory of my ultra modern home studio-
edit-
clips are up, straight off my DR07 and uploaded to dropbox since I couldn't get netmusicians to work. No post EQ or anything, just cut and pasted off the DR07 and uploaded.
This is gain A and B at about 12:30 on the gain. I play some stuff in the gain A mode then switch to gain B and do it again, end of the clip is gain A using the guitar's volume to vary the amount of gain. Guitar is a Carvin CT4 with a BG-bucker standard bridge pup.
This is gain A with the gain at 9:00, starts with the neck BG Phatty single coil and goes to the BG Dark in the bridge, guitar is a Carvin DC135T.
