B52 AT100 - 3 channel - 12 tubes!

[zeegler]

Well, the curiosity has been killing me, so I took the plunge, and ordered one today. I should have it in 2 or 3 days. Check it out here:
http://www.b-52stealthseries.com/AT100.html

Yeah, I guess I'm taking a risk, but these things are $699 from Musicians Friend with free shipping!!! I just got my $4000 bonus check from work, and sure, I could go out and buy a Bogner or something, but I'm all about getting good deals, and to me, a Bogner might be a fantastic amp, but certainly not a great deal. If this thing turns out to be a great amp, then that is one hell of a deal.

I'll be posting my review shortly. Sit tight!

[quiksilver]

Re: B52 AT100 - 3 channel - 12 tubes!

Cool! Good luck!

[Number Of The Priest]

Re: B52 AT100 - 3 channel - 12 tubes!

Hmmm, I didn't know MF shipped outside the USA. [img]/images/graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img] In any case, looking forward to the review. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[IrfaanSE801]

Re: B52 AT100 - 3 channel - 12 tubes!

B52 makes some cool stuff. No one agrees with me, but my friend has the SS version and it's brutal as hell. It's got crunchy gain, not just fuzz and it rocks. Someone here posted a review of another one of their tube heads and loved it too.

[ozzuk1]

Re: B52 AT100 - 3 channel - 12 tubes!

This amp looks very interesting allthough I doubt they are available in the UK sucks... I should save for an ENGL really, goddam nice amps that are under 1k grrr.

Ozz

[zeegler]

Re: B52 AT100 - 3 channel - 12 tubes!

[ QUOTE ]
Hmmm, I didn't know MF shipped outside the USA. [img]/images/graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img] In any case, looking forward to the review. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, yes they would ship to Canada, but I had mine shipped to a friend in Buffalo for two reasons.

1 - Shipping to USA is free.
2 - Canada customs seem to charge way more duty on items that are shipped over the border, than items that are brought over in your car. Often, the agent at the booth will just be too lazy to bother writing up the paperwork, and just let you go.

It's not a big deal for me to drive over and pick it up, about an hour drive.

[toejam]

Re: B52 AT100 - 3 channel - 12 tubes!

That seems kind of interesting. I look forward to your review. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[slash]

Re: B52 AT100 - 3 channel - 12 tubes!

Did you get it yet?

[spencer4hire]

Re: B52 AT100 - 3 channel - 12 tubes!

If you have the May 2005 Guitar World Cd that comes with the mag there is a demo of it. For the money I thought it sounded pretty good.

[zeegler]

Re: B52 AT100 - 3 channel - 12 tubes!

I will be going to pick it up today!!! I had it shipped to a friend in Buffalo. I'll post my review sometime...um...later. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[Rufue]

Re: B52 AT100 - 3 channel - 12 tubes!

I bought the AT-100 with the matching cab back in December for my Christmas present. It really sounds great! You can dial in all sorts of tones, from death metal to Texas blues. The three different rectifiers to choose from also give a lot of response options. It’s kind of like the poor man's mesa.

I have not gigged with it so I don't know how road worthy it is, buy it does great in my little studio (spare bedroom [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] )

Right now I am working on "You Can't Kill Rock and Roll" and "The Last in Line". When I switch from clean to overdrive, it is instantaneous and no click from stepping on the switch. I have played other amps that were not so responsive.

One day I might go ahead and take the plunge and get a Marshall, but for now the B-52 AT-100 is doing a great job for me. I like it!

[zeegler]

Re: B52 AT100 - 3 channel - 12 tubes!

REVIEW TIME!

Okay, here's the DL on the B52.

Taking it out of the box, I immmediately noticed that the fit and finish is flawless. The amp is very heavy, and has a Mesa-like smooth black tolex on it. It looks and feels like a very expensive piece of equipment. The brushed aluminum faceplate and control panel look awesome.

Clean channel - I briefly tried out the clean channel first. It has a very useable clean, nice and smooth, but lively sounding.

Gain 1 - The first gain channel would be the rhythm channel I guess. It has a ton of gain, but never sounds mushy. In fact, it is crunchy as hell. I messed around with the EQ settings, the contour knob, and the low-res knob, and they are extremely versatile. At first, I had a hard time getting a sound I liked. It sounded a little harsh on the ears, but I realized I was trying to set the EQ levels the same way I have them on my Blue Voodoo. Minor adjustment of the high end, and contour took away the harshness.

Gain 2 - Basically the same as Gain 1, but with a touch more gain.

The Tri-mode rectifiers are really cool. There is a rotary knob on the back (should be on the front) that allows selection of solid state, tube A, or tube AB. There is a significant difference in sound with all 3.

Given that I have only spent 30 minutes with this amp, and trying only one guitar with one type of pickup, I can't really rave about it, but I would say that I expect to be able to get a monstrous sound out of it once I have some tweaking time. One thing that I think this amp should have though, is a presence control.

The bad news, is that the pilot light appears to have a bad connection, and went out on me a couple of times while I was playing. I'll have to pull the chassis, and check the solder joints.

Bottom line - I won't say go out and get one...not yet anyway, but my first impression is that this is one of the most versatile amps I have ever used, and looks to be of good quality. The real verdict will be a couple of months down the road.

[sevser]

Re: B52 AT100 - 3 channel - 12 tubes!

Good honest review! I hope it gets even better as you play with it...Thanx Bro!

[nonamemx]

Re: B52 AT100 - 3 channel - 12 tubes!

Sounds cool. What cabinet/speakers do you use?

[zeegler]

Re: B52 AT100 - 3 channel - 12 tubes!

[ QUOTE ]
Sounds cool. What cabinet/speakers do you use?

[/ QUOTE ]

I have 2 cabs. One is my Peavey Butcher cab that I've had for 15 years. It is loaded with Celestion G12K85s. The other one is my custom made cabinet that is loaded with Madison G12K85s that are basically a copy of the Celestions. I have only tried the B52 with the Peavey cab so far. I'll be spending some serious time with it today, so I'm hoping to be able to post a rave review later on.