Egnater Rebel-20 Review by Blacklove

[blacklove]

I was really intrigued by the concept of this amp. If you're not familiar with the Rebel-20, it's a 20-watt all-tube head with both EL84 and 6V6 output tubes. You can vary the ratio of the output tubes. It also has a variable wattage control, anywhere from 20 watts to 1 watt. You have a bright switch and a "tight" switch which when engaged rolls off some of the low end.

Basically, a lower-wattage Vox and Fender tone head. Sign me up!

I played the amp through my Avatar 2x12 cabinet, with a Vintage 30 on one side and a G12H30 on the other. I used my stock 60's Classic Tele plugged straight in, being this is a Tele-centric audience.

First off, I have to say that overall, this amp sounds really, really good. More than you'd expect for $600. All three pickup positions sound rich in harmonics and nice and round on low and high gain settings. I really enjoyed playing it and thought it brought out a really good tone out of a Tele.

As far as the Tube Mix, you're likely going to set it 50/50. There's a bump there in volume and fullness that just sounds right. I also liked the 100% EL84 for a little more glassy chime. Sweeping the control over to 100% 6V6 was okay, but not as full-sounding as I wanted.

The Wattage control had me scratching my head. It didn't act as an attenuator at all. I figured you'd roll it down and the amp would get quieter. Not really. You have to adjust the Master Volume down to get it to bedroom levels. So it seems kind of like a redundant knob. Maybe someone can shed some light on that one.

The Treble/Mid/Bass controls are very subtle. Big sweeps of the tone knobs don't really reveal much difference, except when you turn them fully off. So you're not going to get a typical Fender tone change (like a Deluxe Reverb, for instance). Which is not a big deal, since the amp sounds great with the knobs all at 12. Kind of had me thinking you could do without them, really!

The Gain control is a little touchy. I'd like some of that subtlety you have in the tone knobs in this one. 9 o'clock will get you a good clean sound, but by 11 you're well on your way to high-gainesville.

For you "control the volume of your amp with your guitar volume knob" players, this amp is super. The signal stays clean and clear as you turn down the guitar volume.

The bright and tight switches work as promised. A nice feature.

As far band volumes, I don't think this thing can deliver a nice solid clean against your average drummer. I guess it just doesn't have enough watts. But if you're a blues player that likes a bit of gain, WATCH OUT!!! This thing can CRANK when you inch that Gain control up. Frightening, really.

I'd say the biggest improvement they can make on this amp is a better strap handle. A little thin and flimsy-feeling. They ship with a gig bag (a la Tiny Terror) so you have a soft case for toting it around.

I'd say for the player who likes a little gain (to a LOT of gain), this amp will hold its own against any drummer. Sadly, it's not the amp for me. I need a little more clean headroom. I'll be returning this and trying out an AC30CC head.

Hope you enjoyed the review. I'd love to other opinions!

[ruger9]

I almost bought one of these w/o even playing it the other day. Glad I stopped myself. The power scaling is unheard of in an amp at the price, but from what I've heard from numerous reviews, most people don't find it very useful.

[TelZilla]

So does it have one EL and One 6V6 or 2 of each?

[edgetone]

Two of each.

[maestrovert]

Originally Posted by TelZilla

So does it have one EL and One 6V6 or 2 of each?

2 of each....
i'm lovin' mine !

[PraiseCaster]

OK, I'm confused, is this a single channel amp, or a 2 channel amp?

Sounds interesting though.................

[blacklove]

Just a single channel. The two pairs of power tubes get blended by a Tube Mix knob.

I read some gossip that Bruce Egnater has a channel-switching version version planned. He has a higher-end amp that's a 4-channel. He makes some good amps!

[PraiseCaster]

Ooooooh!

Me likes single channel amps!

[Marshall Thinline]

Hey Blacklove,
I agree with your review of the amp. I really did like it and it has me wanting to pull the trigger on one.

I don't know if it was the amp I tried or if they are all the same, but the gain knob had a point at about 1:00 that went to complete overdrive almost immediately. It was very sensitive at that point. It was very linear to that point though. Is yours this way?

I still have my doubts that it could cut it with my band.

[blacklove]

Originally Posted by Marshall Thinline

Hey Blacklove,
I agree with your review of the amp. I really did like it and it has me wanting to pull the trigger on one.

I don't know if it was the amp I tried or if they are all the same, but the gain knob had a point at about 1:00 that went to complete overdrive almost immediately. It was very sensitive at that point. It was very linear to that point though. Is yours this way?

I still have my doubts that it could cut it with my band.

I didn't notice the 1:00 point. I've already returned the amp, or I'd check to see.

[maestrovert]

Originally Posted by Marshall Thinline

I don't know if it was the amp I tried or if they are all the same, but the gain knob had a point at about 1:00 that went to complete overdrive almost immediately. It was very sensitive at that point. It was very linear to that point though. Is yours this way?

Mine is, the drive really comes on jes' a smidge before 2:00....

[LittleChief]

does anyone know the quality of the rebel cab im looking for a cab for less than 300 and right now its between the egnator rebel cab or the fender hot rod deluxe the egnator is 250 the fender is 300 so if it is equal or better i would like to save 50 bucks

[maestrovert]

i've got the matching Egnater 1-12" cab....'tis quite nice actually.

[LittleChief]

but is it better than a fender hot rod cab?

[acstorfer]

Originally Posted by LittleChief

does anyone know the quality of the rebel cab im looking for a cab for less than 300 and right now its between the egnator rebel cab or the fender hot rod deluxe the egnator is 250 the fender is 300 so if it is equal or better i would like to save 50 bucks

You can always get an epiphone valve jr. cab for like $125. It really sounds nice, I use it for my epi valve jr. and my rebel 20. I believe the speaker in it is an Eminence Lady Luck rated for 70W. Yup, just checked and it is $160.

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/p...Cab?sku=481026

[IronJoe]

I tried one at GC this past weekend and thought it was terrific. I knew nothing about it going in.

The tube blend was nice. With that knob set to 6V6, bright & tight on, mids and treble turned up a bit, I thought you could get a good Deluxe tone with the advantage of a MV setup. The trouble with the DRRI is getting it to break up without scaring the neighbors. So I appreciated the MV for that.

Turning that knob to EL84, tight & bright on, with a little scoop provided a nice Vox like tone with some top-end sparkle. You could do a serviceable Petty with this configuration. By turning off the tight and cranking the gain a bit, I found a nice Marshall territory.

The power scaling wasn't terribly noticeable at the store volumes I was playing. I anticipate that's different if the amp is turned up. It could use a reverb but I think you could get by using the FX loop and an off-board unit/pedal.

It should be mentioned that it's a good looking amp, too. I liked the black & blonde tolex. It's got a classic look that's not retro but doesn't look like it belongs on the Jetsons, either. It looks like an amp -- not a radio or a computer. In my book that's a good thing.

I'd say if you're looking for a tube driven amp that sounds good either clean or dirty, this is a good option. Probably the best "new amp" (i.e. not a reissue) that's come along in a long time. Price isn't bad, either.

(If anyone cares: I didn't buy it. But I'm thinking about it.)

[Jackbart1960]

I was going to get all flowery and stuff on how nice this amp is, but just go check one out. Be careful though, you just might end up with one like I did.
I took home the head and the 1x12 Rebel cab. It is the coolest little bugger out there. Peace. J.J.B.

[Bill Hullett]

I tried out one of these amps the other day and I'm going back to get one later this week when they get them back in stock......I was really impressed by it , and that's saying a lot from me since I have played my sons amps exclusively for over 10 years.....

Bill Hullett

[GUITARmole]

I don't get the hype that surrounds this amp. I tried one out today, and yeah...it was a nice sounding amp but nothing overly fantastic.

I think the Vox AC15/30CC does a better Vox...and the DRRI does a better Fender...and just about any Marshall 18W clone runs circles around it for touch response and distorted tone.

I guess the appeal is that it looks cool and it's inexpensive?

I'm pretty sure the "power scaling" is just power reduction by lifting the ground on the cathode caps with a variable pot. Fairly useless as 2W was near as loud as 20W on the control. I found that the master volume didn't work that well either. It seemed always loud and slightly louder if you wanted to get a gain/distortion tone out of it.

I mean, in summary it was a good amp. It just didn't seem to have the sparkle or 'complexity' of any number of other amps I own or have played.

..But it's relatively cheap...and it looks cool...so kudos for that!

[beep.click]

Originally Posted by Bill Hullett

I tried out one of these amps the other day and I'm going back to get one later this week when they get them back in stock......I was really impressed by it , and that's saying a lot from me since I have played my sons amps exclusively for over 10 years.....

That was my reaction -- played it for 5 minutes; thought about it on the way home; ordered one.

It's the first amp I've heard in years that sounds both DIFFERENT from what I'm used to AND good.

[egl1962]

does anyone know if these egnater amps hand wired? are or they circuit board constructed?

[bo]

Originally Posted by egl1962

does anyone know if these egnater amps hand wired? are or they circuit board constructed?

Chinese circuit board amp. Don't let that discourage you. They do what they do very well. If you're not concerned about clean headroom it's a great little amp. It seems pretty durable. It's very compact though, and replacing the tubes looks like a fairly tedious job.

[DrewB]

I bought one and returned it, too. I think the speaker cab is a limiting factor; it's not big enough, so the Rebel 20 just sounds like a small amp, to me. I compared it to my 18-watt clone and the 18-watt did everything better than the Egnater, so I returned it. I agree that it wouldn't keep up with most drummers clean or slightly overdriven. If distortion's your game, it has tons more distortion than I could imagine most people needing or wanting.

[Steeltoe]

I tried one out at guitar denter, and was not that impressed. It does look good, and the price is low,
no doubt due to the overseas build.
I would like to do a side by side with the new Vox
Night Train, just for the heck of it.

[JDaveG]

Originally Posted by Steeltoe

I tried one out at guitar denter, and was not that impressed. It does look good, and the price is low,
no doubt due to the overseas build.
I would like to do a side by side with the new Vox
Night Train, just for the heck of it.

I did that today. Liked the Egnater better (still like the Vox, FWIW). The Egnater was just a smoother, more versatile amp, and it has an effects loop, which the Vox does not. For $100 more (same price for the cab), I'd get the Egnater.

[crawdad]

Originally Posted by blacklove

Just a single channel. The two pairs of power tubes get blended by a Tube Mix knob.

I read some gossip that Bruce Egnater has a channel-switching version version planned. He has a higher-end amp that's a 4-channel. He makes some good amps!

Se this: its what I was talking about in the other Egnater thread...

http://www.egnateramps.com/Renegade.html

What intrigues me--the Renegade has both 6L6 and EL34 pairs. Selectable for each channel, which means you could run the clean channel with 6L6's and the overdrive channel with EL34's if you want. Separate master volumes of each channel and an 18 or 65 watt switch for each channel. Also separate reverb control for each channel. With a head for $999.00, I am intrigued. This might be the amp that gets me to dump my pedals and go "organic" again. I suspect that the 65 watt lead channel would have plenty of headroom, which is one thing the Rebel lacks.

[JDaveG]

Originally Posted by crawdad

Se this: its what I was talking about in the other Egnater thread...

http://www.egnateramps.com/Renegade.html

What intrigues me--the Renegade has both 6L6 and EL34 pairs. Selectable for each channel, which means you could run the clean channel with 6L6's and the overdrive channel with EL34's if you want. Separate master volumes of each channel and an 18 or 65 watt switch for each channel. Also separate reverb control for each channel. With a head for $999.00, I am intrigued. This might be the amp that gets me to dump my pedals and go "organic" again. I suspect that the 65 watt lead channel would have plenty of headroom, which is one thing the Rebel lacks.

Wonder what the matching cab will cost on that (or if the Rebel 20's cab will handle the extra power)?