Kustom amps

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Tee1

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James Brown designed the Defenders too. I emailed him once, about the V15. He said the Defender 15 head was one of his favourite designs and he likes how his pedals sound through it.
 

foundjoe

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It's a Russian review but here is the sound of the $39 amp.

http://youtu.be/XZVLgDGSKXs

Here's another review. I was looking at these with the thought of transplanting the guts into a baby-sized tweed cabinet that I have. For a cheap amp, the sound quality is relatively impressive on these YouTube demo videos, especially at higher gain. If all you want is a very basic practice amp for a low expenditure, this would be hard to beat.

 

Chicago Slim

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James Brown designed the Defenders too. I emailed him once, about the V15. He said the Defender 15 head was one of his favourite designs and he likes how his pedals sound through it.

The Kustom Defenders are made by the same people who make the Bad Cat Cougars. The V15 and Cougar 15, even share some parts. I like the Defender V15 so much, that I've thought about getting a Bad Cat Cougar 15, when thy run sales, reducing it from 999 to 599.
 

Warm Gums

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The Kustom Defenders are made by the same people who make the Bad Cat Cougars. The V15 and Cougar 15, even share some parts. I like the Defender V15 so much, that I've thought about getting a Bad Cat Cougar 15, when thy run sales, reducing it from 999 to 599.

Used US made Mini Cat IIs with the Celestion 12 can sometimes be had in that price range,(paid $350 for my MC 1x10) I would play one before plunking down serious coin for a Cougar or any of that line. I don't have anything against MIC amps, but I prefer them cheep and cheerful, like the Kustoms:cool:
 

Bongocaster

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Ross/Kustom went bankrupt around 1980. I think of them as another stencil brand sort of like Hagstrom and all the classic American past piano company names that have been taken over by Chinese builders. The owners I think are from Ohio but the amplifier operation is in China.

They may be fine amps. Uncle Ted was using a Kustom Quad 100 DFX along with 2 Peavey 6505s.

The old stuff was great I had an old tuck and roll 200 head and a Kustom Lead III which was a killer amp.

I think that the parent company, Hanser, was originally in Cincinnati but they are now located in Northern Kentucky. http://www.hansermusicgroup.com/ They also have B.C. Rich among others.

Hebron KY is considered to be part of Greater Cincinnati.
 

karnac

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That guitar shop I mentioned also carries those Michael Kelly guitars, along with Aria and Axl guitars. Never heard of those either, look like LP, strat and tele copiers.
 

Jim Dep

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I know we're talking about amps, but I've had 100% success for getting quality instruments for cheap from Rondo music, Rondomusic.com. I've got a SX Fender Precision bass copy, a Douglas thinline Telecaster copy and an SX lap steel that I very happy with.
The owner, Kurt has treated me well and they have the best return policy out there, however I've never had to rely on it. Others have and always say how great he was for refunds or exchanges. I recommend checking out Rondo's selections.

If I had the $$, I'd buy USA everytime, but I'm on a fixed income and Rondo is what I can afford. The only MIA Fender I have anymore is a 1977 left handed Mustang bass with an Antigua finish. I keep that one because it's the only '77 lefthanded Antigua Mustang still in existence, that I know of. Because of Rondo, I've been able to sell off my other American made basses. I wish Rondo was around years ago when I was 1st starting out.
 

R. Stratenstein

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The would make perfect sense since most reviews on YouTube are Asian videos. The owner of the guitar shop did mention built over seas. An original tuck n roll covered amp sounds cool.

This is a shot of one from the Wikipedia page on them--not the best, but gives you an idea what they looked like. I'd forgotten they were solid state. The Fender SS's of the day were such a disappointment, and these were so gutsy. They were built in Chanute, Kansas . . .

220px-Kustom_200_bass_amplifier_%281971%29.jpg
 

karnac

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It's all made over seas, probably next door. Lol
I was looking at those because I almost bought an Agile LP last year because of the reviews. It's nice to know this is an option for this budget minded person like myself also. I gonna browse rondo music right now as I listen to blues guitarist legends on pandora.
 

J. Hayes

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Hey R. Stratenstein.......

That shot of the blue tuck & roll Kustom amp brings back some memories for me. I had a blue Kustom 200 head and two cabinets with four 12" speakers in each. I'd always played Fender or Standel tube amps before I bought the Kustom around '69 and it really blew them away. Back in those days (in Southern California) we played six nights a week in the same club and just left our rigs set up which was great. When I moved to Virginia in '85 I kept my Kustom in the garage covered with a tarp. I'd gig with it now and then for a special "oldies" show or something like that. I finally sold it a couple of years ago and really wish I hadn't. To me, a Kustom amp that wasn't made in Chanute, Kansas just isn't a "real" Kustom............JH in Va.
 

PaulStrattele

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I like their "Coupe" series of combo amps, the single 12 is the Coupe 36 and 2x12 is a Coupe 72....I think. Anyway, I've plugged into both of them and they are impressive.

They are designed by James Brown, same guy that designed the newer Peavey Classic series amps. He went from Peavey over to Kustom. I have no idea if these amps are still made. The have the "boost" switch that the Peavey Classics have except that the Boost switch is also on the foot pedal, which makes a lot of sense. The reverb setup on these Kustoms are better than the Peavey Classic too, IMO.

I know the Coupes aren't what you're looking for Karnac, but when you get settled down from traveling, these would be worth taking a look at, being they'd be good for playing Blues. They're a little price-E-er than the Peavey Classics, IIRC. A little surprising being that the Peavey Classics are still MIA.

Regarding the Kustom amps you're looking at, I've never tried one out.....:neutral:

The 36 Coupe was on my short list for a while. Yeah they've been discontinued.
 

premier1

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I owned a music store and was a Kustom dealer. It's no secreat that Kustom of old went out of business years ago. The current trademark is owned by Hanser Holdings out of Cinncinati Oh. They are built in China in the same factory that builds other brands like Marshall MG series,Ibanez, and others. They were very reliable and their tube stuff sounds good. But I still wish that I had and old tuck and roll.
 

MarkWW

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A lot of folks in the sixties were tired of having their tubes go out on a gig and when the Kustom SS's came out a bunch of folks switched. It was all about reliability with some really cool looks.
 

Ricky D.

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Yeah, they were amazing when they first came out. I'd been a Fender Amp guy, but these Kustoms with padded tucked and rolled metal flake Naugahide, almost full-stack size, and brass balls to spare, just blew me away. I don't know if the modern stuff has any relation to that generation of amps at all, or not.

In the late 60's, our singer got two of the 4x12 columns for the PA. Worked great with a Bogen Challenger 50. :) Vocals only, horns and drums were on their own.

In '78, our bass player had a Kustom bass rig. 300 watt into a 1x18 folded horn cab, plus a powered slave cab with another 300 watts and 1x18. You could blow out a candle on a table 15' from the stage. ;) Not actually, but you could sure feel it.

I have no idea if the new stuff is any good.
 

karnac

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So now basically, someone bought the name and are making inexpensive amps. No tuck and roll , no US production, no originality, low to average quality. Just another cheap made over seas amp?
 

honeycreek

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So now basically, someone bought the name and are making inexpensive amps. No tuck and roll , no US production, no originality, low to average quality. Just another cheap made over seas amp?

They did have US production on the Coupe series although I think that model was discontinued. They also had a well know designer create the Coupe and Defender lines. My V100 Defender even has a trem circuit from old Kustom patents (if I remember what I read correctly) that is way different than any amp or pedal I've ran across. It also has two knob reverb system (level and tone) that works well and a pedal switchable boost. I definitely don't agree with 'no originality'. The V100 is one of my most unique amps. I don't have any experience with their cheaper line but imagine they hit the market they are priced for...
 

Chicago Slim

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They did have US production on the Coupe series although I think that model was discontinued. They also had a well know designer create the Coupe and Defender lines. My V100 Defender even has a trem circuit from old Kustom patents (if I remember what I read correctly) that is way different than any amp or pedal I've ran across. It also has two knob reverb system (level and tone) that works well and a pedal switchable boost. I definitely don't agree with 'no originality'. The V100 is one of my most unique amps. I don't have any experience with their cheaper line but imagine they hit the market they are priced for...

+1

The OP was asking about new amps. We were replying that were thought that they were better than most comparable brands. It had nothing to do with comparing them to high line, tuck and roll amps, of days gone by.
 
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