Bad Cat Returns! Black Cat, Cub, Hot Cat & Lynx Demos

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John Bohlinger and the PG video crew visit the SoCal HQ of the revamped amp builder that has a growl for every guitarist.
The new Black Cat could’ve started with an “American” channel and a “British” channel, promising “classic” tones that remind you of your childhood guitar heroes, but you’ve already heard that promise and you’ve already played that amp. The Black Cat promise is different. Sure, we’re going to share some things in common with our forebears, like an all-tube signal path, powerful transformers, familiar controls and premium Celestion speakers, but what’s under the hood is uniquely Bad Cat.
The heart and soul of the new Black Cat is the immediate feeling of connection you get with it. It’s always lively and toneful, never feeling choked or constrained. Driven by a 20W power amp featuring a cathode bias pair of EL84s, it’s remarkably loud with enough headroom to play with a live drummer yet has an effective master volume control allowing for playing at home with no loss of tone.
The Cub was among the original Bad Cat designs - boutique and highly desired, it has been used on countless stages and recordings. Over the years, the Cub’s design has been steadily refined and improved. Every iteration brings something new to the table and our newest Cub is no exception.
A single channel amplifier now with two gain modes, the updated original Cub circuitry is accessed in clean mode, while the overdriven mode features a newly voiced, more aggressive side to the Cub.
The award winning Hot Cat amp was introduced in 2005 to great accolade. As pleased as we are with the original, the time had come for a whole new Hot Cat. We took everything we have learned over the last 20 years and applied it to this limitless reimagining of the Hot Cat.
A two channel amplifier now with two gain modes per channel, the Hot Cat provides virtually limitless gain combinations as well as studio quality reverb, and an all new fully buffered effects loop.
Modern high gain players need tight low frequencies that punch and react quickly to staccato palm muting. They need high frequencies that cut without being harsh and grainy. They need effective midrange shaping with complexity and articulation. Finally, they need blistering gain with none of the noise. The new Lynx is designed to meet and exceed these demands.
The Lynx has two distinct channels and a massive 7 gain stages. A new Lo/Hi switch allows exploration of gain stage topology not yet found in any other amplifier from Bad Cat.
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00:00 - John Bohlinger Playing Intro
00:55 - Revamping Bad Cat
02:51 - Retaining Bad Cat DNA
03:43 - Bad Cat Black Cat Specs
05:54 - Black Cat Clean Channel
07:09 - Black Cat Reverb & Tubes
08:42 - Bad Cat & Bonnie Raitt
10:13 - Bad Cat Cub Specs
11:04 - Bad Cat Cub Demo
11:39 - Bad Cat Cub Master Volume Controls
12:30 - Bad Cat Cub Clean Sounds
13:20 - Bad Cat Cub Watts & FX Loop
14:08 - Bad Cat Hot Cat Specs
15:18 - Bad Cat Hot Cat Sounds
17:10 - Bad Cat Durability
19:39 - Bad Cat Lynx Specs
20:29 - Bad Cat Lynx Clean Channel
21:16 - Bad Cat Lynx Clean Channel + Hi Switch
21:51 - Bad Cat Lynx Dirty Channel & "Hendrix Chord" Test
23:51 - Bad Cat Lynx Variable Noise Gate
25:11 - Bad Cat Lynx Tubes & Amp Configurations
25:38 - Bad Cat CEO & Chief Designer Peter Arends
#guitar #amp #badcat #guitarplayer #guitarist

[@premierguitar]

Learn More: bit.ly/BadCatAmps Subscribe to PG's Channel: bit.ly/SubscribePGKZbin Win Guitar Gear: bit.ly/GiveawaysPG Don't Miss a Rundown: bit.ly/RIgRundownENL Merch & Magazines: shop.premierguitar.com

[@formerlysaul4103]

Bad Cat just keeps getting better! Amazing company!!

[@Jarrodpimental]

The thing is, these amps all sound and feel better in person. Great demo, but when you play them for yourself it’s so so good.

[@GuitarsAndSynths]

correct for recording I like to use a modeler direct to a DAW to make recording easier.

[@Rygo-wk3jm]

Your playing is so expressive. It carries my thoughts away!

[@mab2112]

I bought a Black Cat combo in April and it is a highly versatile but easy to use amp. I use delay and chorus pedals in the effects loop and with the built in tremolo and reverb, I usually use it without a pedal board. It does take pedals very well in the clean channel as well.

[@Benz2112]

I truly appreciate John Thompson's approach to running Bad Cat. He always strikes me as honest and humble. They made some polarizing decisions with the new line, such as the loss of the EF86 channel, or going completely to PCB, but I give him credit for moving the designs forward for players, not just for purists.

[@JimijaymesProductions]

Massive changes to the amps, but from the clips I've heard it still keeps some of the mojo. Would love to try them in person and compare them to the last versions.

[@deanallen927]

Another job well done, John.

[@sweetman714]

got my cub last month and absolutely love it! Great pedal platform and two master volumes! In total love.

[@tripledoubletroubful]

Same for me, the dual master volumes is incredibly useful. Such a great sounding amp too.

[@MercutioUK2006]

I have been hugely impressed by the Lynx saw I saw Michael Nielsen review it a little whle back - but they're ALL amazing.

[@beyondinfinity3876]

amazing sound!

[@starchild2727]

Thanks for running them dry- just the amp and what they do! So many demos are useless because of all the processing & added fx

[@sebastianblanno7806]

Bought a Lynx and Lynx 2x12 Cab a couple months ago. Really awesome gear! Def recommend anyone try them out.

[@kylerowe3843]

All of these amps sound so good. So much variety for any player. Love Badcat!

[@ngronlund]

I’d like to hear head-to-head comparisons between the last generation and this new one.

[@jeffryallred2174]

Damn John we need to hear you play more often!!

[@Jonathanmorganguitar]

The Black Cat is leagues ahead of any amp i've played. Actually, any amp I've heard in the flesh. It is something else

[@maximlenko9826]

Incredible slide intro man!

[@jayhernandez8965]

I saw Bonnie a couple of months ago and her tone was so glassy and pure!! I was asking around what amp she was using and here's the answer! Awesome!

[@tripledoubletroubful]

I recently bought the new Cub combo. It sounds great, and the switchable dual master volumes feature is awesome.

[@camknorre3382]

Wow, fantastic reintroduction to Badcat. I think these guys are great and really care about tone.... looking forward to trying one

[@kylecravens6501]

Really like the new Cub! I had a Bad Cat Judah that I loved. I'd love to get another one in the future. Glad to see them get back to more hand made amp models and away from the EF86 without losing the character of "that" sound.

[@GuitarsAndSynths]

I have no need for 100w tube amps but the small tube amps like this one are fantastic and plenty of power for home and small venues.

[@GuitarsAndSynths]

Love Bad Cat amps! Have not played the Lynx yet but enjoyed the Hot Cat model. Definitely need to try out the Lynx.

[@patrickkoenigsfeld1253]

January. I can't wait! Hopefully twin Town guitars has them all.

[@telefrk49]

Sweet amps! I am wondering if the master volume will work for bedroom levels too? I am loving these amps!!

[@basiltiffani8850]

The look on John's face throughout the entire interview--it looks like they're congratulating John on begin great and he's in complete agreement.

[@GuitarJawn]

Black Cat was one of those brands where I felt no need to try them. Buddy bought one a few years ago and it was a GREAT AMP. Now they are one of my favorite amp brands

[@larryvickrey111]

Good one 😎

[@cardbored_]

I have a Black Cat 30r from the early 00's (has 2001 written on the inside). The hand wiring is amazing, doesn't even have a board, and a lot of the components are yellow and have "MATCHLESS" written on them. My guess is when Matchless shut down the guys at Bad Cat bought a bunch of their old components? Absolutely amazing amp, the new Black Cats sound a bit different than the originals.

[@Barry101er]

Always great John-great sounding amp!

[@wreckoningday]

It's the feel for sure

[@sleggarri]

Love that Hot Cat tone. Bad Cat always made some of the most 'musical' amps.

[@JTNMax]

I have an el84 amp that can switch from ef86 to 12ax7. I really love that option, plus if an ef86 goes down I can switch it on the fly and keep playing. I’m not a tube amp technical person though so probably a good reason he didn’t choose that option here. Bad Cats have always sounded great to me. Edit: forgot to add…well done video and John is #1 at asking the right questions and very quick on his feet. Bravo.

[@ronmaljak8401]

Morgan?

[@JTNMax]

@ronmaljak8401 Yep! AC20 Deluxe. Had it about 12 years. Been a good one.

[@brandonkaiser8344]

Nice R9 Robbbbbb 😍

[@jorgecalero.fm2]

Here a proud owner of a Bad Cat Lynx! this amp is nuts!!!

[@EJH-jn6mo]

Strongly considering a badcat

[@goswo]

I love Bad Cat. Great great amps…

[@user-jz4gy2vk4c]

Steven Wilson plays Bad Cat and he knows sound.

[@johnokeefe3841]

Can you get any of these amps running at bedroom volume?

[@JimijaymesProductions]

I like the amps though I wish they'd kept the two seperate eqs of the previous line. Adding gain to each amp is cool though, the cub gain sounds different to what I'd expect a Cub to sound like. Only thing I'd like is either an el34 or 4xel84 Black Cat, not for volume but for headroom and low punch you get from higher wattage, might be enough to get me chasing an older one. The Hot Cat and Lynx definitely have improved their gain though, some nice stuff. Was interesting that the black cat pretty much did what vox did in the 60s redesigning because of microphonic EF86s, matchless copies the ac15 ef86 circuit, brings it to bad cat and here we are again removing it. They are probably the biggest changes to the amps, different power sections, different tone stacks.

[@rockyou42560]

I would like one of each head 😂😂😂 sound so cool

[@TheRealCAPerry]

Probably fair to say that my Hot Cat is a big step up on anything I’ve played before.

[@stratking78]

German Crafsmanship 🤘🏻🎸☮️🎶🍀 Peter is deeply missed in Cologne! No proper techs here anymore 😢

[@jrlee243]

I bought a lynx, and it sounded great, like really great. For about an hour. Then, the volume dropped out, and it still had power but no sound. I turned it off, then back on, and it started to work like normal for about 45 minutes. The same thing happened again. I changed all the cables and made sure the right impedance was correct, even switched to a different cabinet. Again, it's the same deal. I'm not sure if anyone else experienced this, or maybe I got the one made on Friday. i did make sure the tubes did not crack or come loose. However, the amp is a bit loose from the chassie. This is straight out of the box, new amp day or amp hour. I live in Mexico, so I can't really return it. Hopefully, the amp tech I use can figure it out. Other than that, it sounds great.

[@justsomerandomguyman]

Sounds like the Jet Black for Tosin Abasi is going to be a 50w higher headroom Black Cat.

[@denniswilliams9145]

It’s just my personal opinion (and of course I will need to try them in my room), but I think that the “black cat” sounds the best

[@TheCyberMantis]

The LYNX is a chugger! Any plans to make a 100-watt LYNX?

[@ebeep]

Puzzled by the fact that the Black Cat is now a pair and not a quad of EL84s.

[@sacredxgeometry]

I mean this outta respect, but wow, John's hair looks a bit different! Lookin good man. Love how these amps sound.

[@yoyodunno]

Anyone compared the new line to the old?

[@jakestewartmusic]

Can't wait for the inevitable Doja signature model

[@DMSProduktions]

BAD KITTEH! BAAAAD KITTEHHH!

[@aerialcombat]

Bonnie Raitt! sold

[@Matthewtaylorn]

That Black Cat tone circuit is cool, but it’s been around for a while *cough*Carmen Ghia*cough*

[@christophervincent8420]

They need to do a Bad Cat "kitty"/"Tom Cat. 2-5wtt amp for people that can't get loud at home.

[@zeebos99]

My hotcat failed after 6 months, transformer failure. Was repaired under warranty but the amp doesn’t sound right. Badcat won’t swap the unit. These are expensive and the service should be better.

[@syfman6]

💚🎸

[@ralfjung]

…thats dirtier than I ever need to be….😊 A classic quote from now on….

[@balke7935]

Awesome to see Louis CK getting into the amp game man I love that guy.

[@asprados]

Wow, Louis C.K. is involved in the amp business now!

[@christianseaman4692]

And Phil Collins!

[@snapfinger1]

The closest you’ll get to a Matchless which truth be known outperforms a Dumble. Price/Performance industry leader.

[@johnokeefe3841]

These guys from Bad Cat don't help themselves. I called them two days in a row about a month ago to ask a question on one of there amps, I got an answering machine so I left my name and number and never received a call back.. So that always sets a tone in my mind how customer service is..

[@kommi1974]

You are not buying from them, talk to your reseller. These guys BUILD amps and are probably slammed. They don't have a customer service department. If you have questions then simply talk to the salesman as it's their job to answer your questions in a much more timely manner. If I have a question about my car, I don't call the OEM.

[@johnelcanrab2114]

​@@kommi1974try telling that to Dr z. I think he'll disagree with you. And he makes excellent amps. Responded to my email within a day and he's always answering on guitar forums. So not everyone is too busy for their customers.

[@robertisrael338]

Aww they got rid of the eyes

[@RichardGarcia93]

If Tosin Abasi likes these amps then they gotta be solid.

[@Childofbhaal]

Steven Wilson also uses them

[@kmichaelp4508]

If I were a young man I would be all over these. Not Fender, Vox or Marshall. These are the cat’s meow.

[@iwillnevergetone5]

at 9:29 our friend is at it again, hating on gear that isn't tube-based. just like in the 2023 Vai rundown

[@kommi1974]

Because digital amps are garbage and everyone knows it. I hope that stupid fad goes away.

[@iwillnevergetone5]

@@kommi1974 i employ the opposite view. there’s all types of cool gear, friend

[@jeffmazzei8520]

John quit laughing at everything

[@GibsonFender]

He’s a doofus

[@jeffreymorreale7223]

These guys def make legendary amps... but... as a retired veteran, i can tell you Veterans always cringe when people use the words military grade in advertising. Lol. It's not the guarantee of rugged quality you think it is.

[@jeffmazzei8520]

They are decent, but they are still not soldered !!! But instead clip connections ! Why ??? Solder joints guys ! Get rid of the JJ tubes ! THD

[@JohnDoe-dp7sk]

Too much talking

[@treatb09]

Still sounds like a pocket amp. Badcat just isnt my thing. Thin. No tone.

[@jsauce311]

Furthest thing from the truth though. Maybe a KZbin thing

[@Channel-io1di]

What do you prefer?

[@silviopimentel7247]

Badcat lost its feline power!! The old ones are closer to the original matchles after Mark left it became pcb boards yet charging boutique prices. 😢

[@jeffsquires6620]

Sweet tremolo.