The Ultimate British Chime Amplifier!? - Bad Cat Era 30

[@andertons]

Hear the full story in the extended podcast on all major podcast platforms! | andertonsmusic.podbean.com/e/meet-the-maker-mark-sampson-on-the-bad-cat-era-30/

[@Russell_Optics]

This is what an amp video should be like IMHO. It is near impossible to tell how good an amp sounds through youtube, but explaining what is different and why it sounds better is what we need to hear. Dan has an immense amount of knowledge and understanding why and how electronics work so his opinion is more valuable to me than any *shredder* playing an amp on youtube.

[@alexleech4490]

Dan is a gentleman and a scholar: when he speaks, I listen.

[@aurelienbellanger34]

You know the video will be +1 hour longs seeing Dan around (for the best of course).

[@steelcitytbirds]

Watching Lee nod his head as Dan explains cathode bias resistors reminds me of that scene from "Sound City" where Dave Grohl is zoning out as Rupert Neve explains the design of his famous control board.

[@asnrsldly]

Such a great doc! "He must know I'm a high school dropout"

[@therileyobrien]

The fact that it's called the Era cracks me up. Clearly a play on the "Sampson Era" matchless.

[@badperson]

great detective work!

[@NoahRichardHarris]

Nice to see dan branching out from pedalboards, into pedaltables. I hope it catches on..😅 Beautiful amp gang!

[@boblanzillo2144]

Dan is legend

[@LNROKR55]

Nice to see these two guys together in this video. Lee getting over the top exited about amps is a cool thing! Reminds me of Caesar, Dan, may the odds be ever in your favor! ;-)

[@hoboroadie4623]

Good times with friends! 😸

[@worldwarmini3919]

Great epidsode! Nice to see the Captain so attentive and happy to learn from the master himself.

[@Freakaboogie]

that SG sounds so good through that amp. DAAAAAAnnng!

[@jesperjacobsen3050]

That sounds good. Like, really, really good.

[@trained_monkey_with_a_tele]

Listening through my IEM's there was a massive difference in with, without the effects loop!!

[@WeaponizedKarma]

I feel like a guitar player's amp preference is a lot like someone's vehicle preference. Tube amp= old school hot rod or muscle car you can tinker with on weekends. Solid state= reliable basic late model (fill in the blank). Digital modelers= the latest EV with a full infotainment suite and fully self-driving options potentially coming soon. Modeling/IR software on Mac or PC= star trek teleporter.

[@GordonSime]

Both of you are on the wrong side !

[@miketaylor6053]

Lol, i was so uncomfortable from that myself.

[@yarbzag]

Hahahaha

[@boddumblues]

I have played an AC-10 twin twelve a long time ago. It was the best amp experience I've ever had. Today I have the 1x10" reissue to scratch that itch, but the original was something very special, they are rare as hens teeth.

[@andrewpappas9311]

Currently watching this on my birthday but I still gotta admit that amp sounds incredible, I should really check one of them out for myself at some point because all the demos I’ve ever heard of it all sound absolutely awesome

[@Sonnytimesalways-lx7je]

Has your birthday made a difference to the sound then ?

[@andrewpappas9311]

@ Not really lol, I still really like the amp regardless

[@timwoodruff]

I love the blended sound of a DC30. It feels like two amps running in parallel in one box. I love AC30s too but blends adds a whole other layer of dimension to what can otherwise be a bit of a stiff sound (particularly on cleans). This was a fun video.

[@wolvesandguitars]

chewy amp that sound tremendous. The worship players would love these but we all on modelers. Someone buy one capture it and return it!

[@NicholasJens]

Bring amps back to worship!

[@kevinmurtagh4996]

I understand it’s usually in massive venues, but the fact that people (such as Brian May) used 6 or more dimed AC30’s on stage is just unfathomable in terms of volume. Given how relatively strident and bright those amps were, I can’t imagine how painful it was to be standing in front of those amps.

[@jeramym9506]

There is a cut knob for that exact reason.

[@phillipasby9202]

Fun to see and hear about this new amp! It also explains why there isn't a 30w Cub V in the lineup ;). I have a Cub III 30R head and it's the best amp I've ever played through. Yes it's heavy even in a head. Yes the EF86 can be finicky (although mine never has been knock on wood). But nothing, not my co guitarists Kemper or my Boss GT1000 or Walrus ACS1 or Strymon Iridium sounds like it. I love that there are options including the "standard" range amps which, based on a friends Cub, are excellent as well. So you can pick where you want to land in the Bad Cat range - all of them excellent amps.

[@stevewebber3410]

It’s great to see Dan back on the channel I been watching old videos with mick and Pete but I Dan should hook up Simon Jarrett from Kingsley amps because I would love to hear one of them pedals through this amplifier

[@brandt69420]

Delverb is always buffered bypass. Great amp!!

[@christopherpeters5537]

even the lav mic started crunching :)

[@jimduyck]

I absolutely loved the EF86 channel in my 18w Gabriel. Gosh I miss that amp so much! 😭

[@jaredfreestone6608]

"Tone Milker" new t shirt. You're welcome

[@JR-to8sn]

The EF86 doesn't have as many mircophonic issues in a head. Vox AC30's were a combo and any combo using the EF86, the speaker volume, vibrations and movement will have a huge impact on the EF86. So don't let all of the microphonic talk scare you away. And get a good NOS EF86, they're just better.

[@kevinmurtagh4996]

I understand it’s usually in massive venues, but the fact that people (such as Brian May) used 6 or more dimed AC30’s on stage is just unfathomable in terms of volume. Given how relatively strident and bright those amps were, I can’t imagine how painful it was to be standing in front of those amps. Same with having walls of 100 watt Marshall stacks, with no ear plugs or IEM’s. I’m pretty sure Brian May has all his AC30’s on the side of the stage facing away these days. And J Mascis is surrounded in close proximity by 3 full stacks and a big Fender Combo blasting him, but he’s always used two layers of heavy duty earplugs. These dudes back in the day who had rigs like that behind them, with no hearing protection, the ones who are still alive must be completely deaf and have the worst tinnitus ever. I’m sure it was an absolutely glorious experience in the moment, but it must have hurt so bad after only a couple songs.

[@sillysausage4549]

Not particularly, given the size of the stage and the logarithmic nature of volume increase. As everyone know, 6 Ac30s are not six times louder than one. A wall of Marshall stacks, assuming they were all plugged in, would be a different story

[@dreamerdeceiver6592]

you are absolutely right i think times have changed and myself as a bedroom player i would love to have a marshall valve amp to sound like my heroes but you have tp crank it up,buy an attenuator,valves... too much hassle,at the end i think a good modeler and a fr cab must be the way to go for me,i was playing in an orchestra with iem and end up leaving the orchestra and ending up the final months with tinnitus and hyperacusis because of the unbearable loud stage volumes coming out of the stage speakers (now i´m much better,almost with no symptons and my hearing is ok thankfully but could have gotten bad)and trust me it´s a nightmare,you don´t want to go there,stress insomnia,depression,violent behaviour because of the ringing of the ears and they hurt when expose to normal noises,so please protect your hearing it´s very important

[@jakubpodesva9802]

@@dreamerdeceiver6592 True, I have Quad Cortex and InEars, wearing hearing protection on concerts... I am doing sound engineering and on my concerts nobody would ever need earplugs IF the people weren't so obnoxiously loud when the song ends. The noise from cheering is actually noise and not music which makes it even worse than it is, even that it is measurably much more louder than my sound coming from PA, which is roughly around 80-85 dB depending on the genre. Unfortunately, I have tinnitus which is not going anywhere. Unfortunately, it was not my fault but it happened two times in a row when somebody around a meter behind me whistled through the fingers to my left ear. Once it just didn't go away. Since than, I am using headphones during the applauses. Hearing protection IS VERY IMPORTANT INDEED. And it is very sad we need it. We don't have PA elements with sensitivity of 139 dB at 1m to make concerts 103 dB loud, we have them to have opportunity to bring up Billie Eilish whispering into V7 on her breasts without feedback at reasonable volume. It is only matter of headroom, not that we should use it.

[@billsherrington5996]

@@sillysausage4549He only uses 3. The other 3 are backups👍🏽

[@hoboroadie4623]

@@jakubpodesva9802 damn straight. I run four Z-80s in parallel, and I guess I don't hit it as hard, or I turn the Volume down more on the guitar or something, it isn't any louder in practice.

[@atech9020]

That FX loop should have been re-done until it was right. The difference is huge. Not acceptable... Just saying :) Now before you flame away, I can say from experience that putting an FX loop in an amp like this, is extremely difficult to get right. But, I wouldn't let it leave my shop until it was.

[@DalelCampbell]

Did you release the video version of the podcast?

[@adilsonobelard9690]

Bad Cat is amp that i want

[@martydibergi5228]

Was recommended a matchless SC 30 and around 1995 by John Jorgenson that’s what I bought. That’s what I still have long gone JCM 800 stack❤

[@lowercase3635]

What happened to the bad cat rubicon??

[@bryantrockfield9865]

The Vox AC30HW1 is the amp that defines, British Chime.....

[@DementedAugminish]

If you guys don't know about Scumback speakers you should really check them out.

[@ianwigg1442]

Sounds great but I'll still stick with my BC30.

[@Sonnytimesalways-lx7je]

Are there any Amp builder's that sell brand new relic (Road Worn) Amps ?

[@xilentstorm]

Please please please do not open up valve amplifiers unless you know exactly what you’re doing. High voltage transformers and especially capacitors are deadly if handled incorrectly… Amp sounds killer!

[@I.M.Guitar-Nerd]

Quick! Get a blindfold and grab a pile of pedals before Dan can leave!!

[@mikecross9479]

Dan and Marty Swartz were separated at birth

[@Poppateej]

dan-o!

[@Marc_Dehning]

Love Dan and Mick, everyone's favourite. Other than The Captain and Andertons. My wife mixes it up and calls them Dick and Man 😂

[@davidoliver3589]

I bought a couple of bad cat amps in the past. The only thing better than the sound was how nice John was. Thoroughly decent chap!

[@CraigFlowersMusic]

This amp is trying to move in on Dr. Z territory and specifically the Maz 18. Smart, but watch them one-up badcat. Dr. Z is not one to be sniffed at.

[@Xithz]

Whoop whoop! An jour or joy!

[@Mark_B585]

What's an Jour?

[@kungfumonkeyfluff]

Both Dan and Lee are sat on the wrong sides.

[@ToddTheJoker]

Amybody else sing Evenflow by Pearl Jam when Lee said "I ebb and flow"? no? ok...nevermind

[@thenicaron1]

God Anderton stop talking and make us hear the amp already!!!!!!

[@brazilianjosh]

Lee and Dan are the wrong way round…

[@AlonStark]

It’s embarrassing that they don’t make the cabs logos light up!!!!!!🤬🤬🤬

[@EJH-jn6mo]

$3899 for a 30 watt amp. Too many folks needing to get paid on this one apparently. I’m out.

[@hoboroadie4623]

This is the second time that you've stepped up to tell us that you are not up to the standards of this amplifier. Too bad for you, kinda looks like a winner to me. The EF86 is not meant for Peasants, but I aspire to run one or two someday.

[@EJH-jn6mo]

And once again, you feel the need to revisit your displeasure with my opinion. I may need to get a restraining order stalker. As I’ve already said, you do you and feel free to post your own comment instead of disagreeing with mine. As I’ve already replied to you, it’s not a question of peasantry, I have received two amps this week alone that are $4200 and $4500. It’s a question of value and with this amp I see it same vein as the SLO100 - you had to make sure both Soldano and BAD got paid which makes these amps significant more expensive. And by the way, I gladly purchased the SLO100 and still own it. Now, be gone with you.

[@jasonswitzer1748]

Holy hell, this was a long video. I just wanted to hear the amp (with minimal chit chat to add some color fun).

[@male3083]

I've never played one, but the internal construction of these amps, from photos on the internet, is an ugly nightmare. The rat-nest terminal strip construction looks like a badly done DIY amp. Sorry, but I would not go near these amps because of such sloppy amateurish construction technique. Which BTW looks like the same ugly difficult-to-maintain sloppy construction of Matchless amps.

[@lowercase3635]

$4,000 just ain’t it chief. I don’t care if Sampson gooped a load all over the circuitry. I’ll settle for digital recreations that do the exact same thing.

[@fram5199]

Almost 4000€. Are you serious? The market is going mad. Get a 1974x and don’t waste money

[@hoboroadie4623]

I used to know some fabulously attractive women, one of whom mentioned that she didn't go to the shows at some clubs where the cover charge was insufficient to keep out the riff-raff. I suppose its up to you. 🤷‍♂

[@buckbumble]

No matter where I skip to in this video, it’s just talking

[@Mark_B585]

Need a tissue?

[@srh361]

So?

[@yarbzag]

Love it. So interesting

[@IamtheFerryMan]

First!! Great amp! Eeeeeeek!!

[@NamelessSmile]

Not that boring pedal show fxcx. My dead grandma knows more about guitar tech, rather than just imaginary cork sniffing wine note nonsense

[@hoboroadie4623]

Nothing boring about you, is there! 🥁

[@djt6546]

💩

[@cyclesgoff9768]

😂😅. So the Clique comes together to flog you stuff you don’t need and don’t want. This, all from the high priest of cork sniffing who thinks it’s ok to wear a hat indoors. Frankly I’m surprised that it doesn’t come in purple tolex. The fat retired Kings Cross bacchá is missing from the whole tableau.😱🤣

[@ToddTheJoker]

wow, you have some issues..good luck with that

[@cyclesgoff9768]

Hmmmm, no, not more than anyone else. Can you offer some constructive criticism????

[@gavinhall4112]

@@cyclesgoff9768you might need to help out those of us who are a bit slow, but I'd need an explainer for each little bit of that 😂

[@TractorMonkeywithJL]

Dan is definitely a cork sniffer, no argument there. I'd love to have a Badcat but unwilling to spend that kind of money on an amp.

[@benlogan430]

Enjoy a free guitar video!