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The Amp and Cab Switch I Didn’t Know Existed

July 23, 2022March 23, 2023Andrew NuttallLeave a comment

How It Starts

At some point every electric guitarist these days stumbles across the amazing studio musicians that create content for YouTube. Just watch Tim Pierce, RJ Ronquillo or Pete Thorn and you’ll soon have amp fever, lusting after their quick multi-head amp switching systems. After my experiments with various cabs, leading to my decision to go with all head and cab amps instead of combos, I started looking at these switching systems.

At the same time I am a huge fan and constant watcher of That Pedal Show, where Dan and Mick have taught me about the joy that is a wet/dry rig. Having one amp run all the gain pedals and another running gain plus all the time and modulation effects gives a huge soundstage that doesn’t wash out you main tone. Trying different combinations of amps for each role has led to some very interesting and inspiring tones that would not have been otherwise possible.

The Problem with Most Switchers

But this has led to a bit of a problem. All of the top amp/cab switcher are pretty much mono, and even running 2 of them would mean having to split my amps into two groups ahead of time (I don’t have many amps, so that would make it pretty pointless). Just as I was about to bite the bullet and go full mono from now on, I came across a brand I’d never heard of before in a forum post.

De Lisle to the Rescue

De Lisle makes a number of switching solutions, some more basic than the often-proposed devices. In fact, the amp and cab switched I ended up with is a fully passive device that simply lets you switch any of the 8 cabs to any of the 8 amps. Its only safety measure is a passive load that protects an amp if it’s not connected to a speaker, but even then, only if you don’t send a signal to the amp.

So it’s not fancy, doesn’t have midi control and won’t let you swap between a bunch of amps while playing to try out various tones. What it does do is let me set any amp that is connect to any cabs that are connected. If the amp could handle it, I could run all 8 cabs to one amp. More importantly, I can run any amp to any cab at the same time, making any wet/dry combination possible without having to go behind and re-wire my cabs.

Not only has this wonderful device made experimenting more fun and easy, it’s also breathed new life into my Mesa Boogie Triple Crown as I play it way more often now that I don’t have to hook it up every time I want to play it.

Which only leaves one last question, which head should I buy next. Ok, maybe that one is already answered as well.

Buy a De Lisle Amp Switcher on Reverb and support us by using our affiliate links.

Kemper Kabinet – An Honest Review

November 18, 2021June 3, 2024Andrew NuttallLeave a comment

I have had Kemper Profiling Amps on and off for the last couple years, normally selling them when I realize I don’t actually play them like an amp as much as I twiddle through the thousands of profiles I have on my computer. The concept of the Kemper was a ground breaking thing 10 years ago, but has been done by other companies with more powerful processors and updated UIs. The one thing none of the competitors have match thus far is the powered head/rack with their built in 400 watt solid state amplifiers which let you use the Kemper as a stand alone amp.

But there has always been a drawback to doing that, which is your still had to lug your favorite cab around with you (in my case a Two-Rock 2×12 open back) and it never quite sounded right for the different profiles, though I find I prefer the Two-Rock for most amps, digital or tube. Then Kemper came out with the Kab and Kone which are Full Range Flat Response (FRFR) speakers make by Celestion in a small cab (or sold alone). These plus a software update promised to let you change the sounds and response of the speaker to match a selection of popular speakers, giving you a truer amp in the room experience. But do they deliver?

Having picked one up for myself, I immediately loaded up some of my favorite profiles of a Hi-Octane kit amp I once had. It’s a 5 watt class-A Marshall clone, that sounded incredible when you pulled the second preamp tube out, giving more of a JTM vibe. I profiled this amp a while back using a direct box to record the speaker out signal, meaning the cab/mic was not in the “direct” profile giving it a true amp only feel. So how did it sound into the Kab? In a word: Terrible. You see, what I expected was that the Kemper Kone setting in the software would make the Kab work like a standard guitar cabinet. Instead what it does is use the existing cab information in the profile (in my case, nothing) and tweak the response and eq curves to mimic having that cab loaded with different speakers.

At this point I was pretty much ready to return the Kab and sell yet another Kemper, but then I decided to do a quick copy/paste of a Two-Rock cab off another profile, onto my Hi-Octane profiles to see how well it works compared to my actually cab. While I can say it’s not 100% accurate (partly because there is no impulse for the Two-Rock branded speakers in the cab) it does sound much better, and the little 1×12 Kab can really put out some volume and bass despite it’s diminutive size. Oh right, lets talk the Kab itself.

It’s small, about the size of a Fender Princeton, meaning it can fit pretty much anywhere. This plus it’s laughable weight (25 lbs) means it’s very portable, something that I was really excited for. You see, I have my guitar amps all setup in a nice place in the basement, good for playing and recording, but not near my computer. Especially having gotten rid of my Bloomfield Combo, I no longer have a good way to play guitar in my office area, so being able to chuck this speaker under my desk and far enough back that I won’t kick it is great.

The weight also means I can carry the Profiler in it’s case in one hand and the Kab in the other hand down halls, up stairs and anywhere else with ease. I’m still not sure how that speaker is so light, being used to a 1×12 Blackshadow in my old Mesa Boogie Mk III weighing almost 20 lbs by itself, I’m not sure how this beast of a speaker exists. What do I mean by “beast of a speaker”? The Kemper Kab is rated for 200-watts rms! Though they do say that you shouldn’t use it with any other signal generator as it won’t sound right unless running the Kone software, but it does pump out tons of volume. The bass response of this skinny, tiny speaker cab is also quite impressive thanks to that power handling and a bass boost option in the Kone settings page. I still need to play with it more, but it seems to get close to my very large 2×12 cabs in overall bass response, which is very impressive.

So what is my final verdict? At $500 with tax, it feels a bit too expensive, but if you want to go with a Kemper as your main rig without resorting to in-ears, it is a pretty good option for monitoring on stage. Ultimately for me, I am a bit disappointed by it’s failure to work without a cab in the profile, and I would have returned it the next day had the store I bought it from online not had a 5% restocking fee. But I am glad I didn’t as the more I use it, the more I find how I can tweak it to get some great tones and am spending less time zipping through profiles and more time playing guitar. Which is ultimately the goal of any gear.

Update (12/8/21)
The Kabinet is gone. In the end I decided the convenience of the light 1×12 didn’t outweigh the cost when I already have a couple 2×12 cabs I like the sound of the Kemper through already. Money-no-object, I probably would have kept it around just to have under my desk for the occasional quick play, but at $500 it just wasn’t worth it when something like a Yamaha THC, Waza Air or other more practical options exist for less.

If you’d like to support the site, consider buying your own Kemper Kabinet using our affiliate link on Reverb. It costs nothing more to you and gives a small cut, just check the return policy first. Thanks and keep playing.

Will the PRS J-MOD 100 overwhelm me with joy?

June 14, 2021June 3, 2024Andrew NuttallLeave a comment

A collaboration between John Mayer and Paul Reed Smith, the J-MOD 100 was originally born from a need for an amp to take on John’s Dead and Company Tour. Once over, they went back with the prototypes and refined the amp to be an amp to end the search for amps. A lofty goal indeed, especially when Mayer himself reports on his own GAS (gear acquisition syndrome) saying he’s like all other guitar players collection and swapping gear constantly.

At $5,990 for just the head, this is by far not a cheap amp but can it be your last amp? To cut to the end, for me, no it cannot. However it isn’t going anywhere anytime soon as it is probably my ideal second amp, so lets take a look and see what the J-MOD 100 offers and where it comes up short.

Paul Reed Smith J-MOD 100 John Mayer Signature Amp

When you watch the videos of Paul and John’s release of the amp, and all the demos that came with it, you typically hear two main points be emphasized. They are that the amp is a lot quieter than expected and the “bounce” that John regards so highly with the amp. After playing the amp for a bit I can say that they are definitely both true statements, and are actually closely related.

100 watts of all tube power is typically an ear popping experience that is largely innapropriate for home use, or means you just tickle the volume on to keep from going deaf or annoying the neighbors. But with this amp, you find yourself turning it up way more than would seem reasonable looking at the knob. In comparison, with the J-MOD turned up to half way, I would only need to turn my 40 watt Two-Rock Bloomfield drive combo up to less than a quarter to reach the same volume. And it’s not all down to the pots with the volume jumping in huge leaps in the second half of travel, it’s relatively quiet all the way up.

So where are all those watts going? Are they just getting wasted, turned to hear in inefficient tube layouts? Not at all, all of those watts are going to the “bounce” we have heard so much about. You see, Paul and his team have managed to pack an insane amount of bass end into this amp and cab, and many of those watts are being used to support that bottom end to allow it to respond as quickly as the rest of the frequencies. There really is a bounce, an urgency, or a cleanliness to the bass response that seem to never flub out regardless of how high the volume or bass eq is turned.

But it’s not all good. Balancing the overdrive setting with the clean is a difficult process almost always ends in some compromise, much like early Mesa Boogie amps. Often the gain levels in the overdrive “channel” (not really a channel, but another switchable gain stage) are more than I’d want with just enough volume to make up for a low gain setting. It’s not to say I’ve found any setting that didn’t work, it’s just that I’m often right at the end of the pot’s travel with no room left “just in case” I wanted more.

Lastly, I understand that John doesn’t need a reverb built into the amp with his Bricasti near by, but for those of us with a standard pedalboard and no rack effects, it necessitates an awkward decision of either running long cables to put a single pedal in the effects loop, or a separate power supply for one pedal to sit on the amp. This to me, is the main reason why it could never be my only amp. Which is OK. Because it pairs perfectly with my Bloomfield 40 in a wet/dry rig that sounds fantastically epic at any volume, but especially sweet as your turn it up and feel that wonderful bouncy bass in your chest.

Bonus: The J-MOD 100 uses a 5 pin cable for it’s footswitch. If you want to use a pedal switcher (like a GigRig G3 or other similar ones) then you need to make a cable or converter to go from 1/4″ TRS to the 5 Pin connecter. Being the amazing company they are, PRS quickly replied to my questions and the amp tech drew this out to send to me.

Analogman DS-1 Pro Mod

June 5, 2020June 3, 2024Andrew NuttallLeave a comment

The Boss DS-1 is a classic distortion box used by many artists over the years. Known for it’s somewhat scooped tone and high amounts of gains, it’s really a pedal that lends itself only to the heavy metal/rock tones. Built to a price, cheap parts abound and a thin fizzy high end makes it unusable on too clean of an amp.

Enter Analogman Mike Pierra and his pedal modding wizardry. Refined over a couple variations, the Pro Mod replaces mod of the cheap parts allowing way more bass and mids to come through, and taming the top end fizz. This pedal can now be thrown in front of a clean amp (think Fender Silverface Twin) and gives are Marshall-esque tone that any player could find use of. With the gain all the way down you get a crunchy boost pedal that drives an amp from on the edge of breakup into full glorious gain. Maxed out the pedal invokes all kinds of beautiful harmonics and overtones while retaining a percussive clarity that drives rhythm tones without turning to mush.

When you want a high gain pedal, there are tons of modern alternatives that do a great job, but it’s definitely worth taking a look at this old favorite as it has some tonal qualities not found in many modern pedals. Plus who doesn’t love the classic orange box?

Buy one now on Reverb

2012 Fender American Standard Stratocaster

April 29, 2016August 2, 2016Andrew NuttallLeave a comment

2012 Fender American Stratocaster Here it is, the Stratocaster that I often refer to as “the first”, “the original”or if I’m channeling my inner Stevie, my “Number One”
because it is the first American made Stratocaster (and guitar) that I’ve owned. It was a birthday present from my wife, though I did spend many hours picking it out from all of the strats at the local guitar super store. It’s an ash bodied American Standard with a Sienna Burst paint job and Custom Shop Fat 50s in all 3 positions. The maple neck is well finished with the edges rolled nicely and the fret ends filed smooth. It has a beautiful, subtle wave like grain with a birthmark on the third fret and consistently impresses me in that it feels more like a nicely worn in neck then some Custom Shop necks I’ve tried in the past.

It really exemplifies a guitar who’s tone rings out loud and long. Recently when hammering in a nail into my recently finished basement wall, the same wall where my guitars were hanging, I could hear exactly how different my guitars were acoustically. My recently acquired John Mayer Signature Strat rang out significantly longer then my Black American Standard and my Gold Strat Copy, but my Sienna Strat rang out for what seemed like double the length and volume of even the John Mayer. The neck and body of this guitar are just matched perfectly and the setup from the store was perfect, so much so that I use those measurements to setup the rest of my strats.

Pickups are great all around pickups for The Strat Sound. Bold and punchy but undeniably single coil with sweet tones in the 2 and 4 positions (standard 5-way switch). The bridge pickup is a little shrill at full blast, but thankfully the second tone pot is wired so that you can roll back some of the harshness to get some great rock tones. I run the bridge decked with 5 springs holding it down (no block) so I can’t comment on the tuning stability when using the whammy bar, but I have no reason to doubt it would be fine for normal use.

All in all I am often seduced into playing one of my other, more interesting strats, but every time I plug this beauty in I am reminded why I chose her in the first place. Tone for days and a comfort in playing that makes you want to forget about pedals and just lay back on a comfy couch and play out the rest of your days, and that is exactly how long I intend to keep her.

Find one now on Amazon.com