So i’m looking (among other things) for an affordable tube amp and i came across this Harley Benton amp. (It’s an in house brand of Thomann, constructed somewhere in Asia).
I’ve read reviews posted on Thomann and the majority of the customers seem happy with this amp.
Also, on the web the reviews i’ve read are good.
It doesn’t have any “whistles and bells” like, bluetooth, app etc… but i don’t need/want that anyway.
I’m going to use it for practice purposes and maybe a (very) small gig. (in time).
Does anybody here have some experience playing this amp?
I have the little 5 watt version of that sitting next to me. It’s not the HB branded one from Thomann but under the name Stage Right and sold by Monoprice through Amazon. Also, doing a Google search under those Stage Right or Monoprice names will turn up piles of positive opinions on these little beasties.
Under the hood both the 5 and the 15 watt are basically a Laney Cub.
This is the amp that I use every day. I really like it. I plug my LP-style guitar (2 humbucker pickups) into it.
On the 1-watt setting, I can easily keep the volume quiet enough to not bother people in the next room. On the 15-watt setting, it’s loud enough to piss-off everyone in the house LOL! The 1-Watt/15-Watt button is actually a 2-position post-phase-inverter master volume, so it has minimal effect on the amount of distortion in your tone. This allows you to play with a good rock-n-roll distorted tone at low volumes.
The “TONE” control is actually a high-frequency cut in the power amp, so I always leave it all the way up and adjust the tone using the BASS, MIDDLE, and TREBLE knobs.
With the GAIN knob set at ~1.5, I can get a good clean tone. With the GAIN knob set at 4, I get a nice light distortion tone that I use for Blues. With the GAIN knob at 6, I get a good AC/DC-like Rock & Roll distortion. With the GAIN knob at 8 or higher, I get a really heavy distortion that’s good for more metal-style music. I then use the VOLUME knob to set the loudness I want.
Just remember, GAIN = how distorted, VOLUME = how loud.
I would compare this amp’s tonal palette to a Marshall JCM800, which was the go-to amp for rock-n-roll in the 80’s.
I bought mine used 3 years ago and have had no problems with it.
YMMV
I connect my time-based pedals (Delay, Phaser, Chorus, etc) followed by my looper in the effects loop. I connect my distortion and tone-bending effects (Fuzz, Octave, Wah pedal, etc.) between the guitar and the amp’s input jack.
The amp arrived yesterday!
It sure is something completely different from what i’m used to. (Roland Cube, Fender champion, Marshall V40).
This will need some time to adjust to, and my ears will need to learn some new “sounds”.
But, overall, it’s awesome. The sound it produces, wether with humbuckers or pickups is great!
I’m going to have so much fun with this… The distortion of the tubes is wonderfull to hear. Warm, gritty, etc… You know the buzz words.
The built in reverb does the trick too. Very nice indeed.