Kustom Defender 5H Tube Amp Head - Review Demo - TTK Style!

[gl797]

For this amp to get it's best tone the volume knob needs to be dimed, or close to it. This will be EXTREMELY loud. I bought a Weber Micro Mass attenuator and it works great, also gives nice tonal control. People need to understand how amp wattage works. A 100 watt amp is only 3 decibels louder than a 50 watt. Everytime you double the wattage you will only get a 3 decibel increase. I think they would please more hobbyist /apt players by making a 1 watt version. Which still may be too loud.

[gl797]

@gl797 ...if you wanted an amp to be double the volume you need 10x the wattage. ex: for a 50 watt amp, you would need a 500 watt amp. Keeping this in mind, for an amp to be twice as loud as this Defender 5 watt you would need a 50 watt amp..not a 10 watt like many people think. SO this amp is actually half as loud (in decibels) as a 50 watt amp. Got it..Good :)

[krott5333]

Thank you for the review. I think I'll be picking one of these up. Let's say I were to build a 2x12 with 8-ohm speakers, would there be an advantage to either wiring it in series or parallel (8 ohm vs 16 ohm)??

[Guitarmickey23]

Thanks for a nice job running through the possibilites. I'll be getting one today!

[tjnugent62]

This is a great amp. It sounds like a vintage Fender. The 5 watts is perfect for rehearsal, recording, home use. If you put a mic in front of it and had decent monitors, you could gig with it. Maybe not in a metal band, but you would be surprised on what you can do with such a simple inexpensive amp.

[shredderYEAH]

would it be loud enough to play shows?

im a gear noob

so i dont know anything D:

[deth800lg]

would you recomend using a fender bandmaster vm 212 speaker enclosure with this amp or not

[DaGagamel]

In my equip iam using a Randall RH150 G3 head and now i need a crunchy tube clean sound and thought about this.. i have a 4 x 12 cab and would use this with an amp switcher (as crunchy channel) in our concerts we mic our amps. what would you say? is that an good idea? because I am out of money ^^

[Butcherguitars]

bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

[OLL13666]

okay that guy just killed old pink...

[hutchfromba]

Yea , What 4x12 are you playing that anp out of ? I would think that most people that only have $99 for the amp won't be able to afford a 1x12 Celestion Vintage 30 . Maybe I'm wrong . Sound good for $99 Bucks though .

[JimijaymesGuitarist]

@hutchfromba Could work for guitarists with a cab and head setup, that need a cheap nice practice amp.

[MrRedWB]

very useful thanks for posting

[andrewarden]

can i still get some crunch on this at low volumes?

[klv400]

the best demo of this amp! thanks! i am going to buy it now...

[liamzuid]

I hate it how a marshall half stack costs like $900

[thundermonty]

i heard that floyd there in the end!

[luigiperso]

either your mic or the recorder's input are distorting like crap

[rgvilla55]

Great little amp. I bought two and running them on two 8ohm 100w 1x12 cab. Changed the tubes to JJs. The pre amp is a JJ ECC832 (12DW7) to tame the overdrive while keeping the 12AX7 bite. I am using a Korg Toneworks AX3000G and it sounds tubey. The tones I am getting out of the two amps and processor puts a smile on my face. Yes it is plenty loud and sounds great in the bedroom.

[LzrdKng9000]

Could I use this to play gigs?

[ravenhawk82]

@LzrdKng9000 You'd have to mic it for most situations. It can get loud, but not loud enough to play over a loud drumset in a large room.

[ThePeaceKeeper1]

@LzrdKng9000 It would be better to use the "Kustom KG112FX (combo amp)". It is the same price ($100) and size as the "5H" but, even more so because of the extra tone controls (bass,middle, treble + delay/reverb). I have the KG112FX and It's suuuper loud - I never put the knob past the 4 notch! :)

[maciverandy]

@ThePeaceKeeper1 but thats a solid state

[ThePeaceKeeper1]

@maciverandy so, that doesn't mean you can't make it work for you because it not a tube or some high end piece of equipment.

[maciverandy]

@ThePeaceKeeper1 i never said that...i'm just saying that i would take the defender 5h over the kg112fx because i prefer the sound of tubes. i think your answer to this guys question didn't make sense. he asked if this was loud enough to play gigs, not if the kg112 was. i'm glad you like your amp though. i've never owned a kustom amp, but i was actually thinking about getting one of these!

[luigiperso]

your cam's mic is distorting like crap.

[FeelingShred]

Guitar plugged straight into the amp, that's what mankind needs!!

Tuner? Maybe you need to tune your ears hahaha

Cheers

[motokev]

Played one today, was very suprised how TUBY it sounded. WHat I did, was crank the amp full, then back the guitar volume off. The amp starts to distort around 10 o'clock. Great amp for sure !!!

[telemonster09]

I love how he tries to describe it.

[JacobKilledBatman]

Can you run this through a 2x12?

[benjamin1cs]

@JacobKilledBatman : Yep, I'm doing so right now. Sounds huge and would be easily enough to play with a drummer and bassist unless your drummer is a meathead with no touch.

[MrZerox123]

hey mate sorry i asked if kustom made tube heads i never seen this amp before i love kustom it hiknk its the best sounding amp

[SavvageCabbage]

better than a valve junior?

[Fishpigg]

the Question: Is it LOUD enough to gig with next to a drummer and a bass player?

[giglokinproductions]

@Fishpigg

Depends on what you're running it through!

[DocHelliday]

@giglokinproductions,

How about an efficient 1x12?

[bone2641]

Why does this dude look so crammped? Whered he film this a closet?

[sinodira2]

@bone2641 no silly...hes in the tone lounge

[jammers5]

Got the matching cab. Great value @ $198! The cabinet, like the head was a pleasant surprise!

[homeagent]

I was considering it but w/ no line out it's useless 2 me. Too bad cause it sounds very nice.

[maciverandy]

can i plug this amp into my fender frontman 65? and how would i do that?

[AcousticTransmission]

@maciverandy no, you need a seperate speaker cab.

[petecockcroft]

@maciverandy You could use a Palmer Load Box/Simulator -running the filtered output to your amp. You can then post-eq on your big amp.

[bigdbrew]

cool video

[jammers5]

Just picked mine up amazing amp for the price! Don't have the cabinet yet as it's backordered but I have it plugged into a Traynor Darkhorse cabinet loaded with a Celestion Greenback! WOW!!!!

[zombieneilXD]

i dont get amp heads..what do they like do? do you connect them to stacks?

[AcousticTransmission]

@zombieneilXD you run a speaker cable from the output in back of the head to te input of a speaker cabinet. 1x12, 2x12, 4x12 ect.

[maciverandy]

IMSJR!!!!- i'm gonna buy that head...is it loud enough to rock out with drums?

[jammers5]

@maciverandy No its not loud enough for jamming with a drummer.

[HackerGuitarist]

is it overdriving the mic?

[JDCase85]

I'm running this head now using a single Marshall Haze 1x12 and it sounds great! All I'm using for effects is a Ibanez smash box and 7 band EQ. For more Vol just mic it into the PA. AWESOME AMP!!!

[Zhorellski]

Hey TTK! how would described the cleans (fendery/AC?) on this puppy? youtube video compression and the mic your using does not give this actual audio demo.. How does it sound with OD/Dist pedals?

[Muziekschuur01]

Why a 4x12 cab ? Is a 5w amp able to controll 4 12 inch speakers?

[RareAirSupply]

@Muziekschuur01 4x12 is when a 5w amp shows all of its potential...

[petecockcroft]

@RareAirSupply Not really. You need more watts for the cab to show "it's" potential.

[gavnook]

lol, live on youtube

[RockMumbles]

I know someone that owns one of these, he posted that the high frequencies do have some harshness, not uncommon for a SE EL84 amp, but overall he thought that stock it sounded better than most of the other inexpensive SE EL84 amps.

In in the first part of this clip I think we are hearing mic clipping, notice it sounds better about 6 minute in... more like what I'd expect the amp to sound.

If you have one and are interested in mods sign up at sewatt.com

[RAIDERZ52]

I have this amp and it sounds better live than the Vox AC4 and Night Train. This demo has a poor choice of mic (as already stated). For practice or recording this is great.  It works well with pedals also.

[FreeTalkLive]

Sounds better with your overhead mic.

[BaddPenneyMusic]

okay people complaining about the tone quality...realize he is using a vocal mic on it...that will create a nasty uper mid and pressence tone also realize that a vocal mic can be pushed into nasty crappy distortion itself this amp sounds way richer in tone than presented here...and is loud enough to gig...i already gigged with it unmiked and never had to raise the volume above 10 oclock..also sounds much warmer through a emminence loaded cab

[BaddPenneyMusic]

i just got this amp...also have a little giant;vox ac4tv;epi valve jr....i run the kustom through the valve jr cab and it sounds awsome as good as all the others i own just more of a marshall vibe..i know that upgrading the tubes to jj;s or sovtek etc...will smooth it out...but all in all this little amp is a kiler deal..

[Redstringuitar]

I don't know if it's the amp, the guitar or the mic you're using, but that break-up sounds bloody awful! I play a Kustom '36 Coupe, which I love and I really wanted to like this little head so I could go ahead and get one, but on the strength of this demo, no thanks! Maybe the valves (tubes) are just shite, It does seem to be verging on microphonic near the start of the video, I dunno. I might get one and stick some decent valves in there....maybe re-cap it too, we'll see.

[westernfilet]

Sounds better than my Marshall practice amp, and the price is about the same.

[dixiedevil1369]

would be great for the begining guitarist or someone who travels alot

[veers0r]

I don't like the tone to be honest. But you should have tried to use an overdrive pedal with it. ;)

[gerbilsaurusrex1]

thats fantastic for the price!

[ArielsSmartyPants]

Great Demo, thanks TTK

[Kristianeb]

better when you use a les paul because it's the standard electric guitar

[ace69er]

Not a BAD sounding little amp!

[MetalShado]

pretty good for its price...i mean u cant expect much for 99 dollars, so it seems good and straightforward

[ems81ar]

This kind of amps are great for recording. If you want a really bluesy sound, here´s the way to go

[Phishboy26]

Seriously what could you use this head for other then being a practice amp? No tone control, No effects loop? I give this amp a 2 out of 5. Kustom has way better products then this. .

[smoss469]

@Phishboy26 A lot of amps don't have FX loops. Most recorded amps of the 60's-today don't have them. Unless you're slamming the amp with a shitload of gain, effects are fine out front.

[Phishboy26]

@smoss469 This amp is not made for clean tones. You can crank a clean channel of a 2 channel amp and put a Tube screamer in front and it will sound great but when you use a dirty channel your effects other then wah and OD/Distortion sound like shit if you dont have an effects loop feature. Try to use a flanger in front of a dirty amp and see what you get

[smoss469]

@Phishboy26 Yes, that's why I included the last sentence in my original post... and why is it not made for clean tones? Whats to stop you from recording something clean with it? If you want a metal amp why are you even looking at a 5W amp anyway?

[Phishboy26]

@smoss469 How far do you have to turn the knob before you reach overdrive? Is the clean as loud as the dirt. or is there a higher volume on overdrive? I like my dirt volume to be the same as my clean volume. My issue is why should i have to crank the amp and roll guitar volume back just to have a clean sound?

[smoss469]

@Phishboy26 Again, why are you even commenting on a 5w amp if you want massive clean headroom and an incredible dirt channel w/effects loop? That's like buying a Boss Metal Zone and bitching that you can't get nice Jazz tones out of it.

[xxmatt95xx]

@Phishboy26 Its not made to be used for cleans, it is made so you can have a nice distorted sound at a reasonable volume.

[cbunga]

@Phishboy26 That depends entirely on how hot the pickups on your guitar are. If you're playing single coils through it, you will get more clean headroom than if you use humbuckers. LOTS more. That said, it IS an amp designed to be able to DRIVE at low volumes, hence it only having 5 watts. If it were designed to be clean and loud, it would have more power. If you want to hear it with single coils, check out the video I did of it, I was the first on Youtube to have a video of it up.

[thomson125]

Nice sounding little thing. But isn't it quite loud with the volume on max, even though it's just 5w?

[drnapster]

i have been hoping you would show this amp for a while now and im happy you used passives it sounded great i think i will buy one soon thanks for your help

[guitardbucket]

I'd like to see this in a shoot-out with the Bugera V5.

[hawg427]

Now that's about as basic as you can get. LOL But for 99 dollars you really can't beat it. And that little thing is powering a 4X12 cab. Good job TK. :-)

[smoss469]

It's not a bad amp, especially for the price. The lack of a tone control is a minor setback but the base tone of the amp is very pleasing. Not too much bass, not too much mids, just the right amount of highs so that you can build on it. I've got a graphic EQ I stuck out front but I wasn't really happy with the changes in the sound. It won't replace my Blackstar HT-5 but it's a nice backup to have none the less.

[EnvyInc]

I've been wanting to hear one of these since they got announced! Thanks TTK!

[guitarjunky68]

Bitchin! This is the one I've been wanting to run in stereo with my Randall 75, on intros.

[TechnoRAWR]

Dude!! I am so gonna buy this!! and for $100??? wow!

[theguitarsmith]

Nice bit of kit - there's a lot of these little cheapie baby tube amps, it'd be good to see a shoot off now, with the AC4TV, the Champion, Valve Junior, etc. I reckon there are a lot of folk (like myself!) considering one, but there's so many out there now it's a mini tube amp minefield!

[coheedatreyu]

i would really like to see this thing with an overdrive pedal.....something like a zw-44 or ds1

[corgi596]

yes