Because of this video I purchased the Tubemister 18, and it has been the single best gear purchase I have EVER made! No amp I have ever heard compares! I managed to get mine used at a local shop for 415$ It have even changed the way I look at my guitar! No joke
Absolutely the best review I have ever seen - please keep up the great work!! For people like me who live in places far away from a good guitar shop (Hawaii) - - you really help us!!
I think the bite diff between the clean and overdrive is due the fact that this amp (just as his big brother and many other lowpower tube amps) has an overdrive make with opamps. That makes this kind of amps not pure tube amps. No one can make such a overdrive with only one preamp tube.
PERFECT reviewing method. Thanks for a great video. It's so funny, when you made that "needs more grind" sound, I knew exactly what you meant! Good job!
Sounds really good. I have the 18 combo with a 10 thirty celestian and after getting better tubes it is my favorite amp to play. Clean was always good but high gain was fizzy in treble. Better power tubes made most difference.
you have absolutely solved my problem with your video.I've bought Tubemeister 18.And just for usage home recording.But somethings was missed through redbox out.Just like some dynamich saturation mid treb etc...So now i realized your Palmer di.When i am back home visit musicstore and grab one of Palmer for more saturation and realistic sound.Cheers mate.Great Demo!
I have this and the vox night train. If you want more saturation. Set it to clean. Put up the gain and add a distortion pedal. They take pedals great and they sound great. Also love the mini amp heads. Easier to transport when they need fixing. Nice demo Thomas.
The Vox night train is a real honest tube amp. The HK tume meisters are not! Just as the blackstars and many other little tube amps these amps have a ss (opamp) preamp! Not real a good comparising. When you go in the Vox night train you are facing direct the grid of the first tube! That means that pedals wil be taken easyer and nicer. Just my 2c
Nice sound - I agree sounds great with single coils. Excellent cleans.....love the gain tone too althought it is wayyy more than I would ever use, it shows how diverse this amp is! Hughes and Kettner makes great amps - wish I never sold my Statesmen! Maybe I'll pick this one up..... J5
Gotcha. So the extra bite in doing the comparison with the Redbox output is simply due to the quality of the Palmer and its high-end and cabinet settings. I am glad you use it instead of a miked speaker -shows off potential more than speaker/mic deficiencies, but it sure makes the Redbox output seem deficient.
Great review Thomas. I would like to have heard the TM5 with the H&K 2x12 cab as I have a TM5 (sadly no longer available I believe) and a TM18 but haven't decided on a cab yet. BTW Yorkshire terrier LOL :D
Another great gear review! You review with style and actually cover the features that I'm interested in. About the Tubemeisters: I like the amp tones, but are those knobs as hard to read in person as they look in the video? They remind me of the Blackstar pedal knobs which are nearly unreadable to me.
really appreciate the precision and up beat rhythm of your review. Any chance of hearing and seeing you review the Tubemeiter 18 - Egnater Tweaker 15 - Victory red dwarf - mesa MarK V 25
Nice demo. You mentioned turning up a preamp near the beginning to get some volume out of the clean setting. I'm curious if you ever turned that off and, if not, was that not adding something -some of that sparkle- to the stock sound throughout the rest of the video ? And that's just room verb ? Cheers.
Hi Thomas - did you experience any loud noise when using the Red Box output? I am having trouble running this through a PA - and I have even tried putting a Palmer PLI-02 (ground lift) between the amp and the PA system with little effect. Cheers !
Great review! Very throrough with the adjustments. I wonder why it is kind of muddy with the Humbucker? Its weird that it would have so much articulation with the singles and be not articulate with the Humbucker. What amp would you suggest in that power range that is the best for humbuckers?
i really like this amp overall. it sounds great but like you, it just seems like something is missing. a certain frequency or something. also, have you reviewed the vox ac10? lots of people are finding it to be very surprising. it seems to have a vibe thats been missing from voxs smaller combos. the only thing ive found close is the vox ac4 handwired
Hello Thomas, Do overdrive pedals work well with this amplifier? I am looking at this specifically to run direct into the sound system without any cabinet when I play live. Clean to bluesy overdrive only. What do you think? Would the HT-5 or HT-1 be better for this?
Can I plug this directly into my presonus interface? I want to make sure I understand the ads correctly because I know you ran it through your Palmer. Great reviews BTW. First noticed this amp from your review now I'm seriously considering buying it. Thanks.
Hi Thomas Great videos, I really appreciate your thoroughness and style. I am getting a Tubemeister 5 soon and I have a question for you: I am planning on building a cab for the amp, and I am biased towards building a 1x12" probably with some Eminence speaker unit. However, my friend is convinced that a 1x10" would be better. I also considered 2x10" or maybe even 2x8", but seeing as it will only be for home use, I thought it would become a quite big cab. What are your thoughts on this? Cheers!
Good Review mate ! But how did you change the sound from the RedBox to the Palmer ? Is the speaker simulation is bypassable ? I am bit confused by that, I used to play with straight classic tube amp ^^.
ThomasSchuber Alright ! Thank you. Because I like the sound of this amp, but I really don't like the Redbox sound (that is basically a bad filter). So I was wondering if I was able to plug it to my soundcard and using my own speaker simulator without the filter of the Redbox...
Hi, enjoy your playing and review. I am looking at the HK 5, HK18 and super champ x2 head.. I play mostly smooth jazz to rock, and wonder if you have ever played the x2, and wonder what you think of the dynamics of the tubemeisters. Thanks
How about a review of the Vox Lil' Night Train and the Blackstar HT-1RH ? Though from what I've heard on CZcams so far, the 'meister5 is clearer and creamier.
@Falling2Grey29 Could you maybe do a demo on some kind of Two Rock amp? There seems to be a fair amount of blues players using them. Just throwing that out there. Thanks.
Hi Thomas. I have a question. I am from Argentina and I am traveling to the US and will get a Tubemeister 5. Here I can get a good cabinets from a boutique company and they suggested me a 2x12 Cabinet with 2 Celestion Greenback or 2 Celestion G12H30 or a mix of both. What you recommend? Will I get good cleans to practice at home and if I later but a 15w or 30w head can use the same cabinet? Thanks.
I always use my Speaker sim, so i can't really give a valid recommendation. well, a SMALL one would be ... No, just kidding. I`d take a 1x12 cab and load it with something Loud, i.e. a Speaker that has a high dB at 1Watt number..
I think a upright 2x10 would be a cool not-so-full-stack. or a 4x8 Eminence 820H (hemp cone). well don't let numbers misguide you 12,10,8... use your ears.
Just because a product is designed in one country and manufactured in China doesn't make the product immoral. Government licensing procedures, labor laws and a high corporate income tax prohibit manufacturing here in America. Also, while sweatshop labor is disapproved by certain members of Western society it's a basic stepping stone for a growing capitalist(free market NOT American crapitalism/corporatism) economy. I suggest researching on CZcams on economist Ben Powell.
Does this have a build-in speaker or something? Maybe a stupid question but this is new for me. I just need a little tube-amp to record with on my Zoom R16 and for practicing. Will this do or am I gonna need a speaker?
Panigale Tricolore The Combo version does which combines a head and a cabinet (speaker) in a single unit. The model in the video is the head-only version which can be connected to an external cabinet.
I'm thinking of getting this amp with a shittier cab since I cannot afford a better cab. Maybe the tubemeister with a vox 30 watt celestion. they cost 150$
Because of this video I purchased the Tubemister 18, and it has been the single best gear purchase I have EVER made! No amp I have ever heard compares! I managed to get mine used at a local shop for 415$ It have even changed the way I look at my guitar! No joke
Absolutely the best review I have ever seen - please keep up the great work!! For people like me who live in places far away from a good guitar shop (Hawaii) - - you really help us!!
This is probably the most thorough and excellent demo of an amp i have evert seen. Very well done, also the amp sounds awesome.
I never intended to hang for the entire 20 minutes but that was a great review. Some very tasty licks as well. Thank you.
Thank you Thomas!
I watched so many reviewers that they got the Tubemeister and start to crank it up
really don't know how it sound when it clean
Best review I have ever seen. top notch reviewer in many ways.
10:15 Wow, that sounds amazing. 14:39 is my other favorite sound. Great demo.
totally agree about 10:15 !!!
"Fantastic review!! Very informative, I agree with others, the best amp review I have seen. Please keep up the excellent reviews!" x2!
I have one and mine works very well with fuzz and distortion pedals. It's also louder than you would think for 5 watts. I love mine.
Great accurate review. Thank you from Australia.
I think the bite diff between the clean and overdrive is due the fact that this amp (just as his big brother and many other lowpower tube amps) has an overdrive make with opamps. That makes this kind of amps not pure tube amps. No one can make such a overdrive with only one preamp tube.
Man, I love your playing. Its sounds so effortless.
PERFECT reviewing method. Thanks for a great video. It's so funny, when you made that "needs more grind" sound, I knew exactly what you meant! Good job!
Sounds really good. I have the 18 combo with a 10 thirty celestian and after getting better tubes it is my favorite amp to play. Clean was always good but high gain was fizzy in treble. Better power tubes made most difference.
you have absolutely solved my problem with your video.I've bought Tubemeister 18.And just for usage home recording.But somethings was missed through redbox out.Just like some dynamich saturation mid treb etc...So now i realized your Palmer di.When i am back home visit musicstore and grab one of Palmer for more saturation and realistic sound.Cheers mate.Great Demo!
Great review. Can't wait to get home and try your favourite EQ setting later.
Outstanding review. Just what i wanted to hear. I think this is my next amp. Thanks!
You are the best gear reviewer in all the land
Fantastic review!!
Very informative, I agree with others, the best amp review I have seen.
Please keep up the excellent reviews!
I have this and the vox night train. If you want more saturation. Set it to clean. Put up the gain and add a distortion pedal. They take pedals great and they sound great. Also love the mini amp heads. Easier to transport when they need fixing. Nice demo Thomas.
The Vox night train is a real honest tube amp. The HK tume meisters are not! Just as the blackstars and many other little tube amps these amps have a ss (opamp) preamp! Not real a good comparising. When you go in the Vox night train you are facing direct the grid of the first tube! That means that pedals wil be taken easyer and nicer. Just my 2c
Quick and thorough review!
I think I'd know just what I'm getting.
Nice sound - I agree sounds great with single coils. Excellent cleans.....love the gain tone too althought it is wayyy more than I would ever use, it shows how diverse this amp is! Hughes and Kettner makes great amps - wish I never sold my Statesmen! Maybe I'll pick this one up.....
J5
Gotcha. So the extra bite in doing the comparison with the Redbox output is simply due to the quality of the Palmer and its high-end and cabinet settings. I am glad you use it instead of a miked speaker -shows off potential more than speaker/mic deficiencies, but it sure makes the Redbox output seem deficient.
Awesome review, highly informative and your playing is sublime!
the clean sound is soo sweettt...
I want it because it lights up, haha
Thanks for the awesome review bro!!! I think I've finally found my amp.
I really liked your methodical and informative approach.. Now get hold of a Blackstar Ht 5th Anniversary model and review in the same way .. Thanks
Great review Thomas. I would like to have heard the TM5 with the H&K 2x12 cab as I have a TM5 (sadly no longer available I believe) and a TM18 but haven't decided on a cab yet.
BTW Yorkshire terrier LOL :D
hahaha "...punishing the bassplayer" nice demo as always - good job Thomas!
Thomas, you do excellent reviews!
Another great gear review! You review with style and actually cover the features that I'm interested in.
About the Tubemeisters: I like the amp tones, but are those knobs as hard to read in person as they look in the video? They remind me of the Blackstar pedal knobs which are nearly unreadable to me.
is this being recorded through the red box? or are you using a speaker? sorry can't tell. otherwise great demo and nice playing
I think you should review tubemeister 18 as well. Keep Rocking
really appreciate the precision and up beat rhythm of your review. Any chance of hearing and seeing you review the Tubemeiter 18 - Egnater Tweaker 15 - Victory red dwarf - mesa MarK V 25
Great demo great playing thank you
MESA = Most Expensive Stuff Available.
That being said, i wasn't that surprised with the price difference, lol.
Kevin Shuba at a thousand dollars for the head alone the name makes sense. Hahaha the dual rec anyway
Nice review (this, too!). Did you try to crank this amp with a tube screamer pedal or a boost pedal in front of it? If so, did it crank nicely?
Nice demo. You mentioned turning up a preamp near the beginning to get some volume out of the clean setting. I'm curious if you ever turned that off and, if not, was that not adding something -some of that sparkle- to the stock sound throughout the rest of the video ? And that's just room verb ? Cheers.
Beautiful stratocaster !!
BTW the clean period is brilliant!
Hi Thomas - did you experience any loud noise when using the Red Box output?
I am having trouble running this through a PA - and I have even tried putting a Palmer PLI-02 (ground lift) between the amp and the PA system with little effect.
Cheers !
Great review! Very throrough with the adjustments. I wonder why it is kind of muddy with the Humbucker? Its weird that it would have so much articulation with the singles and be not articulate with the Humbucker. What amp would you suggest in that power range that is the best for humbuckers?
Great demo, man! I like your approach.
yeah, as long as it's not switched on it's very hard to see on a dark stage : )
10:20 is the sound !!
Excellent review Bubba.
Hallo Thomas,
klasse Review...zack hab ich den Amp geschossen...kommt hoffentlich die Tage...
Welche Box/Bestückung nutzt du im review?
i really like this amp overall. it sounds great but like you, it just seems like something is missing. a certain frequency or something. also, have you reviewed the vox ac10? lots of people are finding it to be very surprising. it seems to have a vibe thats been missing from voxs smaller combos. the only thing ive found close is the vox ac4 handwired
Hello Thomas,
Do overdrive pedals work well with this amplifier? I am looking at this specifically to run direct into the sound system without any cabinet when I play live. Clean to bluesy overdrive only. What do you think? Would the HT-5 or HT-1 be better for this?
I absolutely agree : ) thank you very much
thats a dope ass Hamer.. been a minute since ive heard/seen that name :)
Can I plug this directly into my presonus interface? I want to make sure I understand the ads correctly because I know you ran it through your Palmer. Great reviews BTW. First noticed this amp from your review now I'm seriously considering buying it. Thanks.
no, that's just lifting the signal from my Palmer up to Line level.
EQ is off. yes, that's 1.4 sec Room reverb.
Hi Thomas
Great videos, I really appreciate your thoroughness and style. I am getting a Tubemeister 5 soon and I have a question for you: I am planning on building a cab for the amp, and I am biased towards building a 1x12" probably with some Eminence speaker unit. However, my friend is convinced that a 1x10" would be better. I also considered 2x10" or maybe even 2x8", but seeing as it will only be for home use, I thought it would become a quite big cab. What are your thoughts on this?
Cheers!
It's be great if you could review an Orange Dark Terror or one of their new OR15H models!
Great review, thanks!
It will be good when testing an amp to show the speaker and how you are micing it ;)
Good Review mate !
But how did you change the sound from the RedBox to the Palmer ? Is the speaker simulation is bypassable ? I am bit confused by that, I used to play with straight classic tube amp ^^.
the palmer uses the speaker out, the RedBox is an independent out of the Amp
ThomasSchuber Alright ! Thank you. Because I like the sound of this amp, but I really don't like the Redbox sound (that is basically a bad filter). So I was wondering if I was able to plug it to my soundcard and using my own speaker simulator without the filter of the Redbox...
Hi, enjoy your playing and review.
I am looking at the HK 5, HK18 and super champ x2 head.. I play mostly smooth jazz to rock, and wonder if you have ever played the x2, and wonder what you think of the dynamics of the tubemeisters. Thanks
I guess this takes pedals well. Reverb delay ?
warte mal, du gehst vom amp in die DI und von dort zur box und zum interface?
also: amp- DI- signal 1 interface- signal 2 box?
would having this and a big 100w cab be fine for a band practice with drums???? i need a louder amp now after getting the band shed built!:)
Gutes Review. Der Klang der RedBox gefällt weniger. Über eine gute 2 x 12 Box tönt das ganze dafür aber umso besser.
How did you record out of the amp? I heard you say a preamp, but which one? Quarter inch out from amp to preamp to pc interface?
For this demo, how did you generate the reverb?
How about a review of the Vox Lil' Night Train and the Blackstar HT-1RH ? Though from what I've heard on CZcams so far, the 'meister5 is clearer and creamier.
these demos are good, but they would be perfect if you also did some heavy/hardrock playing as well. as for amps, try a Diezel :)
Do pedals sound good with this amp? Probably going to pick it up because I need a good bang for the buck. Strapped atm.
@Falling2Grey29 Could you maybe do a demo on some kind of Two Rock amp? There seems to be a fair amount of blues players using them. Just throwing that out there. Thanks.
@bialata
Watch again. I mention my Palmer PDI-03 Speaker simulator. No speaker. No mics.
btw: I never used a cab, I always used the Palmer so far.
Hi Thomas. I have a question. I am from Argentina and I am traveling to the US and will get a Tubemeister 5. Here I can get a good cabinets from a boutique company and they suggested me a 2x12 Cabinet with 2 Celestion Greenback or 2 Celestion G12H30 or a mix of both. What you recommend? Will I get good cleans to practice at home and if I later but a 15w or 30w head can use the same cabinet? Thanks.
thats a TC G-Major behind the Palmer Speaker Sim
It works good with a big speaker? for example an 70w cabinet?
Good Review mate !
Does the power soak act like a standby mode as well or am i slow?
"Punishing the bass player"... lol!!! Awesome.
What cab are you running it into ? Or is it all XLR into an audio interface?
Palmer PDI-03 Speaker sim
I always use my Speaker sim, so i can't really give a valid recommendation.
well, a SMALL one would be ...
No, just kidding. I`d take a 1x12 cab and load it with something Loud, i.e. a Speaker that has a high dB at 1Watt number..
I think a upright 2x10 would be a cool not-so-full-stack. or a 4x8 Eminence 820H (hemp cone).
well don't let numbers misguide you 12,10,8... use your ears.
What were you using for that reverb? It's not built in is it? Great vid!
Chris Burl that was an uad plate Plugin
ThomasSchuber thank you. Sounded great, was just curious that you didn't show the dry signal.
Chris Burl can't stand dry Guitars...
I'd be happy to mix them both, actually
I want to try the 5w combo version of this amp.
hat das palmer also eine loadbox?
could you tell me the model of your guitar and the cabin?thanks!
+Eric Van
Hamer Daytona (USA), Palmer PDI-03 Speaker Simulator
thanks! Nice Guitar! perfect clean tone ! i like this guitar quite a lot, yet seems it doesn't sell in china- -||
not in Amazon Us either..
What could not work with that? Power handling is no indication for volume....
ok doky,thanks mate
Just because a product is designed in one country and manufactured in China doesn't make the product immoral. Government licensing procedures, labor laws and a high corporate income tax prohibit manufacturing here in America. Also, while sweatshop labor is disapproved by certain members of Western society it's a basic stepping stone for a growing capitalist(free market NOT American crapitalism/corporatism) economy. I suggest researching on CZcams on economist Ben Powell.
Amp - Palmer- Interface.
oder (für den Vergleich)
Amp-eigener DI-Out - Interface.
The cleans are bright and very great, but the overdrive channel is just not okay...
Does this have a build-in speaker or something? Maybe a stupid question but this is new for me.
I just need a little tube-amp to record with on my Zoom R16 and for practicing. Will this do or am I gonna need a speaker?
Panigale Tricolore The Combo version does which combines a head and a cabinet (speaker) in a single unit. The model in the video is the head-only version which can be connected to an external cabinet.
very good review.
I would love to jam with Thomas. Would be a right laugh. Lovely Man.
I'm thinking of getting this amp with a shittier cab since I cannot afford a better cab. Maybe the tubemeister with a vox 30 watt celestion. they cost 150$
Top Review!
My Tubemeister 5 doesn't sound as good as yours. Is mine flawed, or is it the fingers? ;)
Art Hall RAW Talent.
Yeah. I got that. ;)
How does it take pedals?
jonthorsigmunds I would like to know too
It takes very well with pedals....I use distortion and fuzz pedals with an SG....it gets pretty mean sounding
tell us about your Hamer guitar!
@nunocarmona
hmm live with what you get. :)
yeah, send me one! or better: make Blackstar send me one!
Companies usually don't answer my EMails : (