ZT Lunchbox: A must have for every guitarist?

well, i dunno about that, but i didn't see an appreciation/fan club thread for 'em yet, so i decided to start one.

i just got mine, and while it's not the be all end all of amps, it IS one of the coolest little things to come down the pipe in AGES. finally, volume and insane portabilty at a modest price, and good tone (if you like it clean and transparent--this is definitely a solid state amp)

so who else digs theirs?

Okay I'll admit I'm not an owner but an admirer for sure.

Question though, how well does this little fella respond to keeping the gain on the amp set and using the guitars volume to make it clean/dirty?

I don't have one yet, either, but I've certainly got my eye on one. Plus, I like supporting new development in solid state tech, however unpopular that makes me.

Does this have an option to run it straight into a P.A?
How does it sound with pedals?

hey! didn't see that anyone had replied till now.

thought there'd be a few more fans out there, but to answer some of the above questions...

hecks--it never gets too dirty to begin with (at least with a tele, some hot buckers might push a little more dirt), but it's very volume knob sensitive.

uncle J--it does not have the option of a Direct Out--just a speaker out, 8 ohms or greater. it could easily be mic'd, sent thru the PA, and used as a personal monitor--the band would have to be pretty loud before this little guy couldn't keep up with the stage volume.

the clean tone is midrangey, relatively flat, and "unadorned." it takes pedals very well--actually seems to WANT pedals. i've been using a little reverb with mine because without it, the sound is a little too "in your face" at gig volumes. i've also tried a delay, which sounded great. i haven't tried my big box RAT with it yet.

i'm going to gig with it for the first time next weekend, i'll post back and let you all know how that goes.

Great little amp. Gig with it in a pinch, or easily with 1x12 cab. Record with it for excellent solid state cleans, or even some convincing drive. Amazing at that price too.

gig update:

sounded good. not great, but good. in a band it would be fine--i was doing a solo gig, and i could have used a little more bass. soooooo.....

i picked up a cab today (i know, i know, more gadgetry) and i am completely sold on this thing now. in my opinion, it's a 120 watt solid state head in a tiny package that happens to have a built in speaker for practicing...thru an extension cab (in my case, a redstone RS-8--that's right, just an 8 inch speaker) it comes alive. the bass returns, the sound is even cleaner and louder, and i now don't have just a backup, i have a contender to my main rig.

if you have one, try it thru a good (accent on the good) cab. i'm still using a little reverb with it as well, and the sound is absolutely huge.

apparently the Reverend loves them too :shock:

30354

How does the lunchbox sound with the RAT?

I'm interested. are you able to get a nice little bluesy crunch from the amp itself?

I'm looking at this as a possible harmonica amp. I haven't seena bad review yet as a guitar amp.

Wayne

How does the lunchbox sound with the RAT?

finally tried it...

actually, rather awful.

the LB is already a "midrangey" amp, and the old RAT is sort of a Mid-monster, so the whole thing was as nasal as anything you've ever heard. I also tried it out with a big muff, and that sounded quite good, but considering i never play distorted, this isn't really a big deal for me...i'd say if you want to play dirty with the LB, you want a pedal that boosts some lows too, or otherwise, it's just good for trying to take somebody's head clean off.

that sound would have cut thru ANY MIX though...:mrgreen:

I'm OK with my Cube 60. Don't really need another 'small' amp. Any smaller than a single 12" speaker or 2x10" is too small, unless it's an acoustic amp like a Roland AC60. When I get the chance to do a full hollow body Thinline Tele, I'll plug it on an acoustic amp to see how it sounds.

another update: it's not that these little puppies can't handle the bass--they're just not voiced for it! try one with an EQ pedal and boost the low mids...hokey smokes!

i've said it before, it's not going to replace my polytone as my main gigging amp, but i've been taking the lunchbox everywhere else with me, and i can hang with anyone volume and tone wise.

at 250 bones, they're an absolute steal.

I just ordered one. Can't wait for it to arrive!

jazztele,

Would you say that using an EQ pedal is a no-brainer for the Lunchbox? I don't even like amps that only have a bass & treble knob -- I need to dial the mids, too.

I just ordered one. Can't wait for it to arrive!

Just got an email:

"Once again, thank you for placing an order with us. The Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) of your product into our warehouse has expired and we are in the process of chasing our suppliers for a current ETA. Once this information has been received we will inform you immediately. We appreciate your patience in this matter."

:sad:

jazztele,

Would you say that using an EQ pedal is a no-brainer for the Lunchbox? I don't even like amps that only have a bass & treble knob -- I need to dial the mids, too.


well, here's the rub (again)

i giged it last night--just a pickup jam gig at a wine bar--nothing formal, and on a monday night, about 12 folks in attendance. me, bassist, and singer/trumpet. so i decided to just go light and bring a guitar and the lunchbox, and i sounded fine. good even. with a bass player i didn't miss the extra low end at all.

i think what it comes down to, for me, the only time i'll really need the extension cab or the EQ pedal is for a solo gig (if i decide to bring it instead of the polytone) or for playing in my living room in a quiet house where i can notice all the little things about a tone...

AB Neg, sorry to hear that man...when I ordered mine it was backordered too, took about a month to get it. I think demand may be more than supply right now for them--which i guess overall is a good sign...

Can you compare this amp to the Crate Power Block? How are they similar/different, other than the ZT having a built in speaker?

Can you compare this amp to the Crate Power Block? How are they similar/different, other than the ZT having a built in speaker?

To me, I think the main tonal difference is that the Crate has an ear piercing ice pick tone. The Lunchbox is actually much warmer, I think it has a tonality more similar to a tweed Champ.

Wayne

Thanks, Wayne. Warm trumps "ice pick" tone every time.

it think it's a pretty warm-voiced amp, but i really am not sure about the tweed champ comparison, because with the gain cranked, the sound is decidedly solid state...i do not think that's what the LB excels at...it's essentially a clean slate.

on a single coil equipped guitar, with the gain set about halfway up, i can essentially reach volumes that would be described as "evictable" or "don't get called back to the gig-able" and stay perfectly clean...essentially, for my purposes, i'll never use more than half of what the amp offers as power--but then again--that's what i'm going for...i don't want the sound of a cranked champ, i want it perfectly sterile clean as loud as i need it, and i don't want to have to drive the amp too hard to do so...the LB gives me that.

it seems to me, the two biggest markets for using this amp on the gig would be subway jazzers who want the loud clean small, and folks who use a lot of effects to get their sound. I'd definitely say, those who's ideal tone is plugged straight into a tube amp that's cranked and breaking up should probably avoid the lunchbox--it's distorted sound is passable, but it's no cranked tube amp. if you want loud clean and portable, or your the experimental type who uses a lot of colors on their pallete...

and of course, the third type of player for the LB would be the cat who wants a very portable practice amp that'll never be drowned out when a drummer shows up.

it think it's a pretty warm-voiced amp, but i really am not sure about the tweed champ comparison, because with the gain cranked, the sound is decidedly solid state...i do not think that's what the LB excels at...it's essentially a clean slate.

on a single coil equipped guitar, with the gain set about halfway up, i can essentially reach volumes that would be described as "evictable" or "don't get called back to the gig-able" and stay perfectly clean...essentially, for my purposes, i'll never use more than half of what the amp offers as power--but then again--that's what i'm going for...i don't want the sound of a cranked champ, i want it perfectly sterile clean as loud as i need it, and i don't want to have to drive the amp too hard to do so...the LB gives me that.

it seems to me, the two biggest markets for using this amp on the gig would be subway jazzers who want the loud clean small, and folks who use a lot of effects to get their sound. I'd definitely say, those who's ideal tone is plugged straight into a tube amp that's cranked and breaking up should probably avoid the lunchbox--it's distorted sound is passable, but it's no cranked tube amp. if you want loud clean and portable, or your the experimental type who uses a lot of colors on their pallete...

and of course, the third type of player for the LB would be the cat who wants a very portable practice amp that'll never be drowned out when a drummer shows up.

I would agree with that. It does clean very well. I also use it for blues harmonica. It does a decent job and is quite loud. One other odd use for it is vocals. My band has an original blues tune that I typically sing through the harmonica amp. It does this well. Although not in my genre, I bet you could get some cool vocal effects singing through it for a recording. With the right lo-fi mic you get something useable.

Wayne

wayne, do you use a dirtbox or anything for the harmonica or just keep it clean?(or crank the gain?)

i could definitely see harmonica players being a fan...

the other cool thing about it is to put it thru an extension cab, keep the internal speaker on, and use it as a personal monitor...

i always feel like i'm building it up too much, but it is a versatile little bugger...

wayne, do you use a dirtbox or anything for the harmonica or just keep it clean?(or crank the gain?)

i could definitely see harmonica players being a fan...

the other cool thing about it is to put it thru an extension cab, keep the internal speaker on, and use it as a personal monitor...

i always feel like i'm building it up too much, but it is a versatile little bugger...


Gain is up around 2:00 I think? I don't have it in front of me. I work the volume knob from there. You don't want TOO much gain, causes massive feedback.

Wayne

Just got an email:

"Once again, thank you for placing an order with us. The Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) of your product into our warehouse has expired and we are in the process of chasing our suppliers for a current ETA. Once this information has been received we will inform you immediately. We appreciate your patience in this matter."

:sad:

Another email:

"This email is to inform you that your order has now been shipped."

:grin:

It arrived today! At lunchtime!

As expected, the clean sound's pretty good, meh with the gain cranked. But it rocks with my modded Boss DS1 (Seeing Eye and Ultra mods a la Keeley).

And it's loud!

I've already modded it...

Well, I've changed one of the knobs! I like the volume knob to be different so it's easy to find.

Here's a picture I took with my phone's camera when I'd only just unpacked the amp. Mokey the cat's not sure what to make of it.

Here's a picture I took with my phone's camera when I'd only just unpacked the amp. Mokey the cat's not sure what to make of it.

Hey A.B.N.... can we use that pic on our site some time?

-k

ken.kantor@ztamplifiers.com

Hi Ken,

are you planning to have a dealer in Europe?
Shipping adds like 50% to the price and while we profit from the low $, still I don't like buying a piece of gear I never tried myself. Return policies for mail orders are very generous in europe (we can send everything back within 30 days), though, so that even if you'd have just one dealer people could mailorder it without risk.

One more question: what will be the weight of the lunchbox 12?

Thanks

first of all it's very cool that ken is here and listening in to honest comments about his amp.
I'm a die hard old tube amp guy but would love to get one of these (someday) for smaller gigs and rehearsals. Although after watching some youtube demos I'm not convinced that it's putting out enough clean low end for my tastes. Some jazz guy noodling in the living room don't cut it for me.

Hey A.B.N.... can we use that pic on our site some time?

-k

ken.kantor@ztamplifiers.com

Of course you can! :grin:

first of all it's very cool that ken is here and listening in to honest comments about his amp.
I'm a die hard old tube amp guy but would love to get one of these (someday) for smaller gigs and rehearsals. Although after watching some youtube demos I'm not convinced that it's putting out enough clean low end for my tastes. Some jazz guy noodling in the living room don't cut it for me.

A site specialising in jazz guitars and amps here in the UK sells Lunchboxes .They only sell guitars and amps for jazz players it seems so it looks like its a good clean jazz amp .I will certainly try one out when I can get my claws into one ..I play mainly clean from jazz,blues, a touch of sort of Bill Frissall type country.

A site specialising in jazz guitars and amps here in the UK sells Lunchboxes .They only sell guitars and amps for jazz players it seems so it looks like its a good clean jazz amp .I will certainly try one out when I can get my claws into one ..I play mainly clean from jazz,blues, a touch of sort of Bill Frissall type country.

If you haven't already, check out this forum's "sister" jazz web site, there's more about the Lunchbox there, generally favourable:

http://www.jazzguitar.be/forum/guitar-amps-gizmos/

(I say sister because it seems several of us actively post to both sites.)

Ken,

Any better E.T.A. on the Club 12, the 1x12 combo? And will its reverb be more than the Luchbox's presence?

another tone update:

the lunchbox does not sound very good with my godin fifth avenue. still think it sounds great for the tele...

that godin is a little picky though....re-Eq'd the polytone, and it sounds best thru that. sounds decnt thru a blues junior, and a SF princeton (not mine, a friend's i've been trying to buy off of him for several years...) also sounds like garbage thru a roland microcube, but great thru a cube 60 (not quite as good as the polytone, but still very good.)

for some reason, the godin demands a 10" or bigger speaker, whereas the tele does just fine thru the little guys.

gonna try the godin thru the lunchbox with the EQ pedal tonight.

Have you tried the Godin through a specifically acoustic guitar amp?

Hey, I just realized that Godin is a Canadian company! (Chest swells with pride.)

no, but i figured, it's a P90 delivering that sound...nothing too acoustic about that--but it's worth a shot. the shop i teach at has an SWR strawberry blonde hanging out, so i'll give it a whirl.

i did some preliminary recording with it last night--two tracks blended, one a 57 right on the grille of my polytone, and the other, another 57 pointed around the 17th fret or so. a little reverb and it sounded amazing.

there's definitely a little "acoustic" tone that comes thru when it's plugged into a solid state amp. thru a tube amp, it sounds a lot more "electric." i guess it'll all come down to the mood i'm in that day!

Here's a picture I took with my phone's camera when I'd only just unpacked the amp. Mokey the cat's not sure what to make of it.

Holy crap, you're cat is enormous!!!

Holy crap, you're cat is enormous!!!

And that's our itty bitty kitty, our other one's much bigger!

My friend Iain H, guitarist with Part Chimp, has just bought one. this is what he says:

"Totally inspired by your purchase! I'd never heard of it before you sent me your piccies.

So far, I'm mighty impressed. I took it to our practice studio last night where we were doing some recording. Within minutes of getting to the studio it was wired up with the headphone output and speaker off to do some guide guitar during drum takes. It also sounds awesome through a 4x12 - beefy and natural, if a wee touch bass light in direct comparison with a solid state H&H head or a HiWatt. Just by unboxing it at work, 3 folk now want one. We're going to take it on tour as a spare."

I just ordered one based on the reviews and some youtube demos. I live on Okinawa, the clubs are small and my house is even smaller. This should be the cats A** for me. I can't wait till it arrives.

Are they in stock now?

I've now replaced all the knobs on my Lunchbox...

I've got a problem with my lunchbox. Here's an email I've sent to ZT:

"I've had my lunchbox for about a month now and really enjoyed using it for
low volume rehearsals.

Last night was the first time I gigged with it and everything was going
fine. Soundcheck was straightforward and everyone was impressed with how
good (and loud) my lunchbox sounded.

But after playing for about half an hour, the lunchbox cut out, it was
VERY hot. After a few minutes it started working again, then cut out
again. I'd understand if it overheated after prolonged use but two thirds
of the way through our set...? Now when the lunchbox is switched on, the
LED doesn't come on and the amp vibrates!

I had the gain at halfway and volume at about 60-70%, and used a Tech 21
British pedal for distortion.

Have I inadvertantly done something I shouldn't have, or should I contact
my dealer to see about a replacement?"

I'll let you know what happens.

I've had a Lunchbox for months now, spurred on by my friend Billy Penn of Penn Amplification, who fell in love with them. It is DEFINITELY the coolest little amp to come along in years. Not only does it sound great, but it is loud when needed and mics unbelieveably in a live setting. As a drummer playing behind a LB, I can appreciate not getting blown-out. Not that I don't LIKE it loud, but we are talking about a clubdate band here. If you get the amp up about waist high, you'll hear it perfectly. It's very directional and won't kill your other players.

What most people don't know is that the Lunchbox has a digital front-end. What Ken & Co. have done is make a great-sounding digital amp without all the bells and whistles, just concentrating on a single good model, and they nailed it. OK, it's NOT a tube amp. So what? It sounds great, looks cool, is affordable and portable. :grin:

Things are looking up!

"I'm sorry to hear about your Lunchbox. The ZT Lunchbox is equipped with a circuit that protects the amp from damage when driven beyond a safe level. Overheating doesn't happen in most cases, but certain customers have had issues for one reason or another. We've solved the heat issue in our new production run. Where did you purchase your Luncbox? I will issue you an RA and will replace yours with the latest version that will not give you this problem."

Things are looking up!

"I'm sorry to hear about your Lunchbox. The ZT Lunchbox is equipped with a circuit that protects the amp from damage when driven beyond a safe level. Overheating doesn't happen in most cases, but certain customers have had issues for one reason or another. We've solved the heat issue in our new production run. Where did you purchase your Luncbox? I will issue you an RA and will replace yours with the latest version that will not give you this problem."

Now that's service. Can't wait for the 12 inch version to come out.

I rather fancied one of these but wanted to try one out .As No-one remotely near Norfolk or London had one I bought my Blackstar Valve jobbie instead which I am very pleased with .I would like to try a lunch box still.

Things are looking up!

"I'm sorry to hear about your Lunchbox. The ZT Lunchbox is equipped with a circuit that protects the amp from damage when driven beyond a safe level. Overheating doesn't happen in most cases, but certain customers have had issues for one reason or another. We've solved the heat issue in our new production run. Where did you purchase your Luncbox? I will issue you an RA and will replace yours with the latest version that will not give you this problem."

Got my replacement lunchbox yesterday! Great service from ZT, absolutely no complaints about how they've dealt with my problem. :grin:

Glad it worked out for you...and for ME! I was thinking about it but with your message put me off, because I want to gig with it. But with their response and great customer service, I have no qualms about trying it out now. And it's still a great deal at http://www.lunchboxamp.com/ just $260 with free shipping and a free e-book user's guide. How can you beat that???

Thanks for your posts, they were very useful.

I love it. Disclaimer--I've known Ken for many years and consider him a friend and a great designer. That said, I think this amp is really something special.

As I mentioned in passing, there's going to be a 1x12" combo version of the lunch box called the "club" coming out soon, by the end of the month, I hear:

http://www.ztamplifiers.com/products/club.html

Some shortcomings I read about the lunch box include:

* limited bass from the small speaker
* no separate treble and bass controls
* no proper reverb
* no FX loop

The club fixes all of these, although it is heavier and more expersive ($400-something street). Still, I'd love to check it out.

did a restaurant gig with it last night actually (i'm still not feeling well from my bout with strep throat earlier this week, so i didn't feel like carrying ANYTHING)

so i just used my godin kingpin straight into the lunchbox (very live room, hardwood floors) carried the lunchbox in a backpack--one trip from the car.

I thought it sounded pretty good, and I actually got a few compliments on my overall sound ---a few comments were like "your guitar sounds really nice" as opposed to just "you sound really nice." So maybe I played like crap but at least i had a decent tone!:mrgreen:

so overall, I'm still maintaining, I really like this amp.

Just happened to see this great tip on the jazzguitar forum:

Here's a tip for you Lunchbox owners: the amp fits perfectly in one of those little, soft sided six-pack coolers. I got one at the thrift store for a couple of bucks, and it has a shoulder strap and two large outside pockets that a couple of pedals and cord will fit into. Now I can show up for a gig with the little bag over my shoulder and my guitar in my hand.

Great tip! And another one I noticed was that for the reported lack of a lower end, putting the amp on the floor improved the bass significantly. Looking around, it seems that most pix and vids of the LB show it on a chair or tabletop.

It also sounds better after about six beers.

It also sounds better after about six beers.

Nope it doesn't uh uh


I saw the "inventor" and the Guitar for Higher at the NY amp show, got to play both models of this made in China modern one trick pony miracle. LOL

It was so funny, The guy from Wizzard Amps was next door demoing the 100w monster that AC/DC uses / endorses .

It was the loudest Amp at the show you could here it everywhere. The Air Conditioning duct crashed out of ceiling the thing was so loud.

Poor guy didn't sell many or get too many visitors

I have one of these. I'm not too pleased with the sound. It honks even into a big cab. It's like a midrange bandpass filter has been applied to it and there's no way to bypass it. You need to use an EQ pedal with a deep disco smile to flatten it out, with limited results. Might be a good sound for certain styles, like clean leads that need to poke through a dense mix. I was expecting something a little more neutral-sounding that I could lightly colour with pedals. I'll probably be selling mine.

Glad it worked out for you...and for ME! I was thinking about it but with your message put me off, because I want to gig with it. But with their response and great customer service, I have no qualms about trying it out now. And it's still a great deal at http://www.lunchboxamp.com/ just $260 with free shipping and a free e-book user's guide. How can you beat that???

Thanks for your posts, they were very useful.

Always glad to help!

This may be useful to avoid the "problem" models:

My broken Lunchbox said "Lunchbox 2" on the back panel and had a knob marked "Reverb" to the left of the "Tone" knob.

The replacement says "Lunchbox" on the back and the "Reverb" knob is now marked "Ambience".