Ordered a H&K Tubemeister 18 Combo Today

Out of interest, what Orange amp did you have?

I'm wondering how the Tiny Terror combo would compare to the Tubemeister.

 

Hi yell.

How is the TM 18 going? Now the honeymoon is over what are your thoughts?
I saw one in a store today, I like the size, features etc...
I have a nice light cab that would match it for an easy lug
Just wondering...

 

Thanks for the prompt reply.
I know yours was a combo, I really like the lunchbox type heads.....and was just sussing out this one.
I got this cheap Chinese made KLD 20w tweed head which has a built in attenuator....sounds great.

 

Hi,
I am a Jazz player and got interested in this little amp.
Since I am interested mainly in the clean channel, did you try
a semi-hollow or a jazz box with this amp?
I currently own a Fender Deluxe Reverb, which only has a clean channel and is rated 22 watts rms.
I thought this little amp could be a nice cheaper back-up.

 

Hi TG
I too play mostly jazz, so insane amounts of distortion is not going to interest me either.
Tho a bit of gain is sometimes called for when I play at parties.

I recently picked up a DVmark 12" cab and it is so light and portable I figured a nice little light weight head might be a good match for the gigs where I jump on a bus with an arch top in a soft case and an amp.
The HK TM 18 is light but around here they retail at $990 AU , I can get a second hand mint DRRI for that.

DV mark are local to you and the Galileo 15 may be worth a look?

 

I'm not surprised you sold it. Seemed you were trying to convince yourself that you could like this amp. From your descriptions/reviews, sounded like it had some nice qualities, but that it wasn't really what you were hoping for.

 

Lol! You're preaching to the choir brother. I go through gear like most people go through skittles lol. I bought and returned or sold four amps in the last 2 months! Hoping the Laney Lionheart I have on its way will be the one for me.

 

yell, have you tried any Mesas? The 5:25 or the 5:50 might work for you. Pricey, not sure what your budget is. But they each have 2 completely independent channels, and both have a solo button for added vol/gain. Each channel also has 2 modes, so you essentially have 4 channels, and the ability to footswitch two of them.

http://www.mesaboogie.com/Product_Info/Express/Express+550.html#gpm1_1

Mesa makes nice stuff, but again, not cheap.

 

Touche! One can hope, right?

 

My house amp is a cube 30!
I too could not get a good drive sound at a bedroom level from most amps that I also gig with.
This is not an endorsement for a cube, it just works for me.
Gigging amps do their thing well on stage, the cube does its thing well at the end of my couch.

 

Hope it's okay to resurrect an old thread. I just got the TM18 head and put in a few hours using its DI (1x10 cab should be here in a few days).

I'm curious how those who have been using it for a while are getting along with it, and what settings are working for them.

This amp has been on my radar screen for quite a while. I was looking for something for my home studio that offers a different palette than my Fenders, Marshall and Trace-Eliot. The switchable power soak and DI option were a big draw.

I hesitated for a while because I wasn't crazy about the sounds I've heard on some of the youtube reviews. The reviewers seemed to find the fizzy distortion tones that some have mentioned, as well as the signature H&K clean tone which some have described as "hi-fi" rather than "spongy" or "tubey."

However I spent a couple of hours with one the other day in the local GC, playing it with a Strat and a Les Paul through a couple of open and close-back cabs. It sounded much better in person, so I was sold.

This amp does seem to take some time to dial in. I notice the EQ controls are highly interactive, not at all like a Fender or Marshall. It's a bit more like my Gallien-Krueger bass head in that respect than a typical guitar amp. It really does take some experimentation to find the sounds you are looking for.

Comments and suggestions appreciated. Cheers.

 

I had a really similar experience ...then I sold it.

Once I got it home, I couldn't get into the hi-fi feel of it. I spent a couple of weeks trying to talk myself into loving it, but I ended up trading for a Mesa 5:50 instead.

 

I've been considering the H7K 18 head or the Peavey Valveking 20 head. They both have similar features.

I'm in no hurry, so I'm keeping an eye on this thread.