1. Bad Cat Cougar Series
Bad Cat announced a
partnership with Hanser Music
Group at Summer NAMM. The
Kentucky-based distributor of
brands such as Kustom and
B.C. Rich is offering three new
PCB-construction amps designed
by Bad Cat’s James Heidrich
but offered at more affordable
prices than US-made Bad Cats.
The Cougar 50 head features
two footswitchable channels and
tube-driven reverb, and is powered
by JJ EL34s. A 2x12 combo
is also available, in addition to the
5-watt Cougar 5, which features
an EL84 power tube, three knobs
(Volume, Master, and Tone), and a
Celestion Vintage 30.
badcatamps.com
2. Wavelength AudioTone Bank AG
Wavelength’s chief scientist
Gordon Rankin says the secret to
the Tone Bank AG—which uses
100 percent silver wiring (including in the transformers), an EL84
power tube, and an RCA 5693
preamp tube—is that the reactor
follower driver directly couples the
driver stage to the output tube
and takes the amp from class
A to class A2, thus increasing
output by 40 percent.
guitar-engines.com
3. Little Walter SB5 Head
Little Walter’s new SB5 features
one 6V6 power tube for 5 watts,
a 6SJ7 preamp tube, and a 5Y3
rectifier for unadulterated tube
goodness.
littlewaltertubeamps.com
4. ValveTrain Bennington Reverb
The point-to-point-wired Bennington
Reverb is a 20-watt, fixed-biased
combo that uses two 6V6s
and an Eminence Wizard 12"
speaker to crank out deliciously
snappy, blackface-style tones.
Controls include Volume, Bass,
Treble, and Reverb knobs, as well
as a Bright switch.
valvetrainamps.com
5. Moss Amps Kraken
The 6L6-powered Kraken
head is switchable between 50
and 100 watts, and features
footswitchable clean and lead
channels that are handwired using
eyelet boards. Each channel has
Volume, Treble, Mid, Bass, and
Master Volume knobs, while a
Master Presence brightens both
channels and a push-pull bright
function on the clean channel
makes things even spankier.
mossamps.com