Hughes and Kettner Tubemeister 18
Hughes and Kettner have always been one of the ‘other’ quality amp brands, having turned out some incredibly complex amps with great tones and build quality. But their new Tubemeister 18 amp looks set to shake up the mini “lunchbox” amp market that’s been built on straightforward models like the Orange Tiny Terror and Vox Night Train.
H&K have decided to make a small amp that’s packed with big amp features, while keeping the cost down in the affordable end.
There are three key features that make this amp so tempting:
- Three footswitchable channels (clean, lead, and boost), with shared EQ.
- A built-in power soak so the gain and master volume can be cranked at useable volumes – going from 18W / 5W / 1W all the way down to no output, useful because of:
- Built-in Red Box DI stage, with a speaker-emulated XLR output on the back panel for use directly into a mixing desk or PA system, for recording or live performance. This puts out the same level whatever the power soak is set to, so it’s ideal for home recording.
You also get an effects loop round the back and the H&K auto-biasing TSC technology to protect the EL84 output tubes. The range includes a head and 1×12 cabinet, and a 1×10 combo that also features built-in reverb (sadly absent from the head version)
With a UK street price under £450, I’ll be reviewing this in depth when mine arrives, until then you can find out more about the Hughes and Kettner Tubemeister 18 at their site.
