John Bohlinger and the PG video crew visit the SoCal HQ of the revamped amp builder that has a growl for every guitarist.
Bad Cat Black Cat
The new Black Cat could’ve started with an “American” channel and a “British” channel, promising “classic” tones that remind you of your childhood guitar heroes, but you’ve already heard that promise and you’ve already played that amp. The Black Cat promise is different. Sure, we’re going to share some things in common with our forebears, like an all-tube signal path, powerful transformers, familiar controls and premium Celestion speakers, but what’s under the hood is uniquely Bad Cat.
The heart and soul of the new Black Cat is the immediate feeling of connection you get with it. It’s always lively and toneful, never feeling choked or constrained. Driven by a 20W power amp featuring a cathode bias pair of EL84s, it’s remarkably loud with enough headroom to play with a live drummer yet has an effective master volume control allowing for playing at home with no loss of tone.
Specs:
- 20 Watts – 2 x EL84 Cathode-biased
- 2 Channels – Clean and Overdrive
- Channel-dedicated VOLUME and MASTER Controls
- Global TREBLE, BASS, and CUT Controls
- Bias-modulated Tremolo with INTENSITY and SPEED Controls
- Studio Quality Reverb
- Buffered Effects Loop
- 1 x 12” Celestion V30 “Bad Cat Custom” Speaker (Combo only)
- Two Button Footswitch and Slip Cover Included
Bad Cat Cub
The Cub was among the original Bad Cat designs – boutique and highly desired, it has been used on countless stages and recordings. Over the years, the Cub’s design has been steadily refined and improved. Every iteration brings something new to the table and our newest Cub is no exception. A single channel amplifier now with two gain modes, the updated original Cub circuitry is accessed in clean mode, while the overdriven mode features a newly voiced, more aggressive side to the Cub.
Specs:
- 30W – 2x EL34 in Cathode-Bias Class AB Configuration
- Single Channel
- Clean and OD Gain Modes
- Two Discrete, Switchable Master Volume Controls
- Global Input Volume, Bass, Mid, Treble, and Presence Controls
- Studio Quality Reverb
- Buffered Effects Loop
- 1 x 12” Celestion V30 “Bad Cat Custom” Speaker (Combo Only)
- 2 Button Footswitch and Slip Cover Included
Bad Cat Hot Cat
The award winning Hot Cat amp was introduced in 2005 to great accolade. As pleased as we are with the original, the time had come for a whole new Hot Cat. We took everything we have learned over the last 20 years and applied it to this limitless reimagining of the Hot Cat. A two channel amplifier now with two gain modes per channel, the Hot Cat provides virtually limitless gain combinations as well as studio quality reverb, and an all new fully buffered effects loop.
Specs:
- 45W – 2x EL34 in Fixed-Bias Class AB Configuration
- Two Channel
- Lo and Hi Gain Modes
- Two Discrete, Gain and Volume Controls per Channel
- Global Master, Bass, Mid, Treble, and Presence Controls
- Studio Quality Reverb
- Buffered Effects Loop
Bad Cat Lynx
Modern high gain players need tight low frequencies that punch and react quickly to staccato palm muting. They need high frequencies that cut without being harsh and grainy. They need effective midrange shaping with complexity and articulation. Finally, they need blistering gain with none of the noise. The new Lynx is designed to meet and exceed these demands. The Lynx has two distinct channels and a massive 7 gain stages. A new Lo/Hi switch allows exploration of gain stage topology not yet found in any other amplifier from Bad Cat.
Specs:
- Designed and Built in Southern California
- 50W – 2x EL34 in fixed bias class AB configuration
- Two Channel
- Lo and Hi Gain Modes
- Channel-dedicated GAIN and VOLUME controls
- Global Master, Bass, Mid, Treble, and Presence Controls
- Adjustable noise gate circuit – Patent Applied For
- Buffered Effects Loop
- 12” Celestion Vintage 30 (Combo only)
Watch John Bohlinger get busy with his light-but-loud blackpanel amp that has become a favorite for recording twangy tunes.
Brownface Deluxe tones and beautiful bubbling tremolo distinguish this light but loud gigging and studio machine.
0:00 - Bright channel Vol 4 Tone 5, Telecaster bridge pickup
0:16 - Bright channel Vol 4 Tone 5, tremolo Speed 4 Intensity 7, Telecaster middle position
0:43 - Bright Channel Vol 7 Tone 7, Les Paul bridge pickup
0:58 – Same, Les Paul neck pickup.
RatingsPros:A relatively accurate sonic replica of the early-’60s brownface Deluxe. Well built. Packed with dynamic and usable tones, and easily able to tackle 21st century gigs and studio work. Cons: Some players will think it’s small and limited for the price. Street: $1,599 Suhr Hombre suhr.com | Tones: Ease of Use: Build/Design: Value: |
While countless guitarists worship Fender’s tweed Deluxe and blackface Deluxe Reverb—the former for its gnarly, cranked-up overdrive, the latter for its versatile desert-island-amp capabilities—many knowing tonesmiths favor the model that marked the transition between them: the 6G3 brownface Deluxe of 1961-’63. Recognition of the amp’s club and studio capabilities drove the cost of original examples sky-high in recent years, but several manufacturers have filled the supply-and-demand gap with quality homages to the type.
Welcome the Suhr Hombre, the latest effort to scratch our brownface-Deluxe itch. It’s a 20-watt 1x12 combo for anyone who appreciates the original’s ability to bridge tweed and blackface eras. There’s more grind, and raw rock ‘n’ roll attitude than a blackface, but more headroom, low-end mass and volume than a tweed—a mix many players will find near perfect.
Code Brown
Externally, the amp stays true to 6G3 Deluxe styling and layout, with a solid-pine cabinet that measures approximately 21"x17"x9.5", light brown vinyl and wheat-colored grille cloth, and a dark brown control panel with brown cupcake knobs.
The control complement is simple and elegant. There are three-pairs of dials: volume and tone for the normal channel, volume and tone for the bright channel, and tremolo speed and intensity for the bias-modulated tremolo circuit that works on both channels. Around back, you’ll find a single power switch—there’s no standby—and a 1/4" jack for the included tremolo on/off footswitch.
It all governs a circuit that marries a tweed-holdover preamp stage (with a simple, independent treble-bleed tone network) to a very Marshall-like output and power section with a long-tailed-pair phase inverter and fixed-bias output stage. Together, they work to make the Hombre feel raw at the front end, but tight and firm through the power and output section—which keeps high volume tones from collapsing into a compressed mess. More focused output is aided further by a big, efficient 5AR4 rectifier tube. Three 12AX7s provide preamp and tremolo duties, and the 20 watts of output is, of course, delivered by a pair of 6V6GTs.
The Hombre’s design uses hefty hex bolts set into cup washers to mount the chassis to the top of the cab via clinch-style captive nuts, rather than the thinner bolts and chassis straps of the original. A sturdier vinyl strap handle is also employed. The circuit itself stays largely true to the 6G3 schematic, but is rendered across a military-grade printed circuit board with two-ounce copper traces and plated through-holes that are hand-soldered with quality discrete components, including Mallory signal capacitors and carbon-film resistors. Most of the tube sockets are soldered directly to this board, although the 6V6s have their own mini PCB carrying related components.
The speaker is a single 12" Celestion V-Type. This British-voiced unit might seem an unusual choice for a vintage-American-voiced amp, but the 70-watt speaker is known for its firm, well-balanced response. Altogether, the combo weighs in at around 35 pounds, which is a bonus for players craving lighter load ins.
Top Dog
Tested with a 1957 Fender Telecaster and a Les Paul-like Nik Huber Orca ’59, the Hombre sounds a lot like an original brownface Deluxe. And if anything, the Suhr has a little more punch and clarity. Some of these attributes are down to the fact that the Suhr is new, with freshly matched components and a more balanced and efficient speaker. But the recipe makes the Hombre a powerful performer with versatility that belies the simple control interface.
Most players rave about the sound of a cranked brownface Deluxe, which delivers a cool “mini-Marshall” approximation at manageable volumes. But long before you crank it up, the Hombre exudes impressively beefy, crisp, dynamic clean tones that bring the Telecaster and Huber alive. There’s real thickness to the voice, but with crystalline shimmer on top and midrange punch, without sounding hyped-up. The response is taut and immediate enough for low-string twang and speedy country picking on the Telecaster, but it’s never harsh or strident in the way an old blackface Fender can be. Add the tremolo—which has a round, warm throb that is utterly delectable—to taste and you’re in roots-rock heaven.
At these levels, the Hombre also handles overdrive pedals gracefully (I used a Tsakalis Six and JHS Angry Charlie) and has a way of making them sound like an integral part of the circuit. A lot of players are likely to gig this amp with exactly this kind of setup, and with the right overdrive in the mix you can get a raft of sounds via just a single pedal and your guitar’s volume control.
But if you want to forego overdrive, crank the Hombre’s volume controls to about 12 o’clock with the Huber, or 1 o’clock with the lower-output Telecaster, and the amp exudes a chunky, thick, slightly gnarly au naturel overdrive—the kind of sound that makes you want to dig in and play all day. You should keep in mind that this is a loud 20-watt combo by the time you get it roaring. Even the upper range of the clean tones might rile the neighbors. Will it compete with a drummer? Yes!
The Verdict
If you’re dying for the vintage bark and roar of the original 6G3 combo with new-amp reliability, the Suhr Hombre delivers. It’s a portable, adaptable, grab-and-go machine that can span many styles from clean-toned indie to raucous roots rock. It sounds rich, robust, and sparkling—particularly with the beautiful bias tremolo in the mix. But for most players, the real joy is that there is nothing superfluous to get in the way of just firing up and playing.
Watch the First Look: