[brgminicooper]

As a proud owner of a Kustom Double Barrel, I have to tell you that I find it to be my favorite amp so far. What other amps have I owned? Crate V18 212, Peavey Delta Blues 115, Kustom Tube 12a, Line 6 Flex Tone II, and Fender Super Champ XD.

Why do I like this one best? Well, it has more usable volume for a guy like me. Sure I could get some great tones out of that Peavey, but I had to wake my kids and the neighbors to do it. I got some neat tones out of the SCXD, but it never really compelled me the way the Peavey did. The Crate was great, but entirely too dark. Ultimately, the KDB does it for me because it isn't finicky, it isn't digital, and I don't have to worry about biasing tubes or finding new ones if they blow.

Don't get me wrong; a tube amp has its place for sure. But, that place is not in my amateur hands, nor in my tiny house.

Really, extolling the virtues of the tube amp is kind of strange. We are proud to say that we use obsolete technology. For example, my first car had a carburetor. Every vehicle I've owned since then has had fuel injection. I do not long for hard starts in the cold, nor do I miss the weird behavior if I drove it into the mountains.

Likewise my solid state amp. When I turn it on, it's on. No muss, no fuss.

Really, it's no surprise that Tele players would be attracted to "old-fashioned" amps though, is it? Again, no disrespect intended. Tele players are a traditionalist bunch. However, given the way a Tele can sound when it comes through an older Fender tweed amp, I can understand why.