So is that marketing speak for saying it's cathode biased?
Hughes & Kettner Triamp: Holy Shit!
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So is that marketing speak for saying it's cathode biased?
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IIRC it was a 1960A cab, but I could be wrong. There are certainly better cabs out there.
If I end up being accepted as a dealer for H&K sometime, I'll show you
Haha sounds like a deal Nick. Maybe the week after Xmas or something.
newamerikangospel
Tonight.......you
Welp, after being floored by this amplifier last weekend, I called Hughes & Kettner on Monday and inquired about becoming a dealer. I just had about a 4 hour meeting with them it looks like I'm in! They even gave me one of their awesome new "Coreblade" tube heads to try for free for a while until I get stock in
I'm super thrilled, these amps are amazing and I'm excited to try out the other models they have to offer. I'll be spending a SHITLOAD of time with this Coreblade over the next week, I'll post some pics/clips or something.
Yeah, the H&Ks have alot of n00b proof stuff (some of the amps have a connection fault, and will shut off the power section if there isn't a load on the amp. Great for touring with meat-head roadies
). The AxePalace is going to be my store for my next new gear purchase 
Yeah, the H&Ks have alot of n00b proof stuff (some of the amps have a connection fault, and will shut off the power section if there isn't a load on the amp. Great for touring with meat-head roadies
It sure seems that way. Very cool features. I'll definitely test out the Coreblade thoroughly this weekend and give you all my honest opinions on it then.
You'll have to ask them Steve, this all just went down today I don't know. I'll find that all out shortly
Cool
daos_27
Active Member
Welp, after being floored by this amplifier last weekend, I called Hughes & Kettner on Monday and inquired about becoming a dealer. I just had about a 4 hour meeting with them it looks like I'm in! They even gave me one of their awesome new "Coreblade" tube heads to try for free for a while until I get stock in
I'm super thrilled, these amps are amazing and I'm excited to try out the other models they have to offer. I'll be spending a SHITLOAD of time with this Coreblade over the next week, I'll post some pics/clips or something.
In the meantime, check out some of the crazy features this thing has. It's marketed as a metal amp but its super versatile. It has nutty features like a 'Tube Safety Control' which not only protects against tube failures, but also enables you to mix 4 different kinds of power tubes and it will automatically bias it properly for each tube! He mentioned you could take out the tubes as youre playing and it would still keep on ticking, even when down to just 1 tube (though obviously at reduced power/tone).
Also it has a built in noise gate that actually works, built-in fx that run in parallel so it does not degrade your tone, MIDI/USB functionality, all sorts of craziness. Of course #1 is tone, and I'll give it a whirl and see if it's the real deal, but feature-wise I've never seen anything with more to offer. Fucking badass
You can check out the brochure for the Coreblade here.
The Coreblade is a total piece of @#$%. Stay away from this amp - Sure if you like 80's metal and don't want anything but a hotted up Marshall it is a great amp. However if you like the hotted up Marshall sound get an ENGL Ritchie Blackmoure... Seriously this was the 2nd most disappointing tube amp I have tried in my life. I have tried and owned tonnes. The most dissappointing was the Brunitti Pirata don't get me started on that one - man never touch a Brunetti amp!
Ok back to H&K the only good amps they make for metal (real metal not old school) is the WarpX (now discontinued), the Trilogy and the Triamp. The triamp would be my choice either Mark I or II will destroy the WarpX and the Triology. The WarpX was a great amp i owned one for years but sadly ended up selling him.
I owned the Coreblade for 2 weeks and sold him! It had a great hot sound but no big bottom end you would find in a modern amp and no high gain fizz you would find from an ENGL or a Diezel or even another H&K. I never tried the Switchblade but I imagine it would have to be even worse.
Honestly if you want the effects built in to a tube head that sounds brutal get the Spidervalve it's heaps better and you save a bucket load. Some other good alternatives would be the Johnson Millennium, the Peavey Vyper (only the 75 and 120 watt versions have the preamp tubes) or even better get the amp you like and add a multi effects pedal like the Line 6 M9, M13 or even better get the pedals individually. Just don't get the TC Electronics G-System - what a nightmare and it sucks out the tone majorly.
If you just want a brutal amp get an ENGL Fireball 100, Invader 100 or Powerball II it will be cheaper (bar the Invader) and they all sound at least 10 times better for modern metal and these amps are monsters.
Also the Diezel Einstein 100, Diezel Herbert, Framus Cobra and the Koch Powertone are also worth checking out. I also have the Koch Supernova but the Powertone believe it or not sounds better and is less complicated and a couple hundred Euro cheaper... And for reference I have owned or still own every amp mentioned so I am speaking from experience.
Well, I'm going to have to disagree with you there. It's cool if we have differing opinions, and we do agree on the glory of the Triamp, however there are some important things to note:
1) I'd love to have a conversation with you about your experience with the Coreblade. When I first got one in my shop, I was blown away by the cleans but thought the distortion was harsh and terrible. I called H&K and had a conversation with them. They suggested replacing the pre-amp tubes. When I did that, the amp came to life. The grainy, harsh top end that forced you to turn the 'Presence' knob practically off was gone and the amp in general had a much improved sound. Did you try this on yours?
2) The Coreblade on channel 3 and 4 has infinite gain and gobs of bottom end. So I'll disagree with you there too. The issue like I mentioned in #1 is the grainy, harsh presence. With improved tubes, the amp became much tighter, punchier, and warmer on the top end - without sacrificing an ounce of gain or bite.
3) All this said, I still think the Triamp SMOKES the Coreblade. But I've had the chance to spend a lot of time with the Coreblade now and it's not a "peice of shit" at all. Unfortunately it just has shitty stock tubes like many amps do. It has stunning cleans, great effects, great options, free MIDI board, plenty of headroom and volume. With better tubes it has awesome high-gain performance as well.
4) Speakers make a big difference. The way it sounds with the Coreblade 4x12 which has Celestion Classic Lead 80s vs the way it sounds with a 4x12 w/ V30s is night and day. The V30s exaggerate the fizz/harshness. With the CL80s it was much tighter, punchier, and smoother on the top end.
5) You neglected to mention the DuoTone model in your list of H&Ks that are great for metal. That model absolutely crushes. It's basically the Triamp but with 2 channels and no MIDI. Without a boost, it sounds like the best modded Marshall you've ever heard. But with a boost in front (I use an MXR GT-OD at my store) it's absolutely CRUSHING for modern metal. Epic. Very similar to channel 3 on the Triamp but even a bit tighter perhaps.
Back to the Coreblade: if you setup the amp with high-quality tubes (especially pres) and still had those results, then fair enough. Surprising, but fair enough. But I really wouldn't go around calling it a piece of shit if you were running god-awful tubes in it. The Triamp sounds 'night and day' better with a retube as well, though its a much higher quality amp to begin with from the Coreblade (or Warp-X, or Switchblade, etc).
I do agree with you though, for brutal metal stuff ENGLs like the Fireball 100, Invader 100, and Powerball II are pretty amazing. The H&K has a different sound that works great for the heavy stuff also, but the ENGLs are hard to beat in that area. Soldano, Fryette, Diezel, Rivera, Bogner, Orange, etc also have several great amps for modern metal.
All that said, the main point is this thread way back when (this was a pretty old bump here my friend!) was to express my love for the Triamp. It wasn't mean for a Coreblade discussion, but like I said before I'd welcome the discussion on it as I had similar gripes with it when I first tried it. That's why I offer my retube/bias services whenever I sell amps, as 99% of them come with 'meh' tubes and people don't even know what they're missing.
PS: You're calling the Coreblade a piece of shit but then praise the Framus Cobra? I think that's easily the worst amp ever made. Impossible to get a usable tone. Nothing but a compressed, mushy, scooped mess from hell, shoddy attention to detail, etc. Maybe the one i had was defective, but I heard the exact same depiction from Bulb as well. Different strokes I guess!
AlexWadeWC
Well-Known Member
I played an MKI a long time ago and I remember it sounding amazing, from clean to heavy distortion it was a great amp.
And also if you like/have heard of the band Saosin, their tone is killer and they have used Triamps through Mesa cabs for a long time. Glassjaw has used Triamps for as long as I can remember as well.
And just FYI for anyone interested there is a practically brand new MKII on ebay for $2,000 shipped! Killer deal for anyone in the market.
Hughes and Kettner TriAmp 2 (TriAmp II) Brand new Cond. - eBay (item 180552471587 end time Aug-31-10 19:01:48 PDT)
And also if you like/have heard of the band Saosin, their tone is killer and they have used Triamps through Mesa cabs for a long time. Glassjaw has used Triamps for as long as I can remember as well.
And just FYI for anyone interested there is a practically brand new MKII on ebay for $2,000 shipped! Killer deal for anyone in the market.
Hughes and Kettner TriAmp 2 (TriAmp II) Brand new Cond. - eBay (item 180552471587 end time Aug-31-10 19:01:48 PDT)
Good call Alex. It really is an epic amp. My buddy has a MKI those were really good too. Not quite the MKII but amazing nonetheless. And yea a ton of bands from all genres use the Triamp. Everyone from Alex Lifeson of Rush to Amon Amarth and just about everything in between. With a boost in front its great for stuff like Whitechapel too (though its by means 'needs' it).
Hot Tip: The Triamp comes with EL34s. I've found installing 6L6s and biasing it up right brings that amp to a whole other level of triumph. I'm an EL34 fan but for whatever reason the JJ 6L6GC + H&K Triamp = amazing results.
As for the eBay link you posted, that's a pretty good deal! The new ones are now $2799 (down from $3460 thanks to exchange rate fun), so $2000 shipped for a used one sounds fair
dis89
Well-Known Member
Ive played through MK1 with dead JJTeslas on boards anf then through MK2 with new tubes...I mean MK2 had moar chances.. Sorry to say, MK2 in comparison seemed worse to me. It didnt give me the same "OMFG what a kleeen, holybatman, what a leed, its a win wooow!!! 
" feeling 
. I think he difference between them is similar to 5150 and 6505. Still both of them are funtastic sounding amps, and Ill be happy to own any of em
" feeling . I think he difference between them is similar to 5150 and 6505. Still both of them are funtastic sounding amps, and Ill be happy to own any of em 
Glad to hear from the Triamp MKI, i had one for about 6 months, borrowed it from a friend. this amp was at that time 12 years old (made in 1995, i think). he replaced it with a rectifier and at that time i thougt a invader 100 sounds better, so i gave him the MKI back and he sold it to another guy, this guy replaced it with a JCM800, but he still has it. and i know this amp rots in his wet basement, but he don't sell it, he use it as a backup. a shame 
, it's a pretty good amp, very thigt in channel 3, and the first channel sounds really organic! i also remember that there was a reverb tank to buy seperatly. channel two was pretty useless for me.
, it's a pretty good amp, very thigt in channel 3, and the first channel sounds really organic! i also remember that there was a reverb tank to buy seperatly. channel two was pretty useless for me.
Andromalia
Pardon my french
I've checked on this, just being curious, and it doesn't seem that triamp mkII is being sold anywhere new in Europe.
Even Thomann doesn't list it.
And Ebay is very poor in offerings.
Even Thomann doesn't list it.
And Ebay is very poor in offerings.
I played through a triamp in a studio once. I thought it sounded nice but in the end we ended up not using it. I'd have liked to have spent more time messing around with it myself.
They have it on the GAK Hughes & Kettner TriAmp Mk II (GAK) and on musikstore Hughes & Kettner - Triamp Head MK II 100 Watt 3 Kanal Vollröhrentopteil : E-Gitarren Verstärker
Andromalia
Pardon my french
Ugh 2600. Guess that's why they're not popular.
That's not something I would try to see if I like it with that kind of price tag.
That's not something I would try to see if I like it with that kind of price tag.
Ive played through MK1 with dead JJTeslas on boards anf then through MK2 with new tubes...I mean MK2 had moar chances.. Sorry to say, MK2 in comparison seemed worse to me. It didnt give me the same "OMFG what a kleeen, holybatman, what a leed, its a win wooow!!!
Well the MKI is amazing, but I've played the MKI and MKII extensively, and that doesn't sound right to me. Even with stock tubes the MKII has the best clean tones I've ever heard in a 100W head so something doesn't sound right with that. Something must have been screwy with the MK2 you tried. Also I'd take old JJ tubes over new shitty "TAD" tubes they use stock any day, big difference. Both amp versions are awesome though, its just the MKI had some reliability issues. The MKII sounds fucking amazing.
2600 euros seems high. They're $2799 USD here which is what, like 1900 euros?
Andromalia
Pardon my french
2123 with today exchange rates.
That said, I supopse their apparent scarcity has jacked the prices up, although H&K high end gear has never been cheap.
The head should logically be less expensive in Europe than in the US though, 2600€ is the price of a dual rectifier head give or take a couple hundred. (which is why nobody uses them either except the hobbyists who have a decent paying day job)
Knowing With Oden On Our Side was recorded with it makes me like it but for that price, no way.
That said, I supopse their apparent scarcity has jacked the prices up, although H&K high end gear has never been cheap.
The head should logically be less expensive in Europe than in the US though, 2600€ is the price of a dual rectifier head give or take a couple hundred. (which is why nobody uses them either except the hobbyists who have a decent paying day job)
Knowing With Oden On Our Side was recorded with it makes me like it but for that price, no way.
Well my advice to you would be to score a used one or have a USA model modified for 220V. The prices Mark I's go for on eBay these days are incredible. The MKI has its issues but if you get a good one, it's right up there with the MKII.
Andromalia
Pardon my french
Actually, what I'll do is to hammer Cliff on Fractal's forums until he has modeled one.
Actually, what I'll do is to hammer Cliff on Fractal's forums until he has modeled one.
As an Axe-FX owner myself, that would be amazing! He needs to do the VHT/Fryette Pittbull Ultra-Lead first though
Sonicboom
Well-Known Member
My TriAmp MK1 is still going from strength to strength Playing through the greenback loaded MK1 cab and I can definately get modern extreme metal tones out of it! I still haven't had any reliabillity issues.
I just bought a RM100 and a Genz-Benz G-flex 2x12 for a steal and can't wait to try the MK1 through that and the RM100 through the MK1 cab.
Sigh. . . Another 5 months cause I'm on a course in Jozi
After that . . . the TriAmp might find a new home.
Playing through the greenback loaded MK1 cab and I can definately get modern extreme metal tones out of it! I still haven't had any reliabillity issues. I just bought a RM100 and a Genz-Benz G-flex 2x12 for a steal and can't wait to try the MK1 through that and the RM100 through the MK1 cab.
Sigh. . . Another 5 months cause I'm on a course in Jozi
After that . . . the TriAmp might find a new home.
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