loading
reading
writing
saving
searching
Kustom K200B-4 with 3x15" Cabinet - $799 (Boulder)
QR Code Link to This Post
Tuck and roll!
If a K200B-4 is good enough for John Fogerty...well?
This beastie was built in 1968. These amps are notorious for four things:
1) They look amazing.
2) They sound amazing.
3) They're very well built.
4) Over time, they become incredibly noisy, thanks largely to degradation of electrolytic capacitors and the inferior transistors of the era.
In 2023, I addressed item 4 by replacing all thirty-eight transistors in the front end, as well as most of the electrolytic capacitors.
In doing so, the ever-present and overwhelming hiss has been reduced to ever-present and *largely unnoticable*
The power capacitors in these amps are huge--and apparently indestructable. When I tested 'em a couple of years ago, they measured right on spec, with virtually no DC leakage.
This amp has the following effects:
1) Spring reverb
2) A cool harmonic tremolo with a circuit similar to a Magnatone.
3) A "selective boost"
', aka, a wah-wah effect that
has a 6-position selector switch rather than a foot pedal. (An adventurous solderholic could easily wire this to connect to an external expression pedal).
4) A "harmonic clipper"--a fuzz effect that, for some reason, doesn't include a volume make-up stage.
5) Two channels, each with low/high inputs. The channels can be jumpered with a 1/4" cable, which allows you split your input signal into both channels.
I used it exclusively as a studio amp, where it absolutely excelled.
Whether you're using it for guitar or bass, it has an uncompromising solid-state signature that perfectly compliments a tube amp. You can dial in garage-tones for days, get crunchy, fuzzy, beefy, boomy, chimey, all that stuff--except tubey smoothness, but that's not what you're here for, is it?
Plus, the cab has THREE FREAKING FIFTEENS!