Bad custom 20?

[matt3310]

I picked up a used 2 Channel Custom 20 yesterday. I didn't get to try it until I got home. The clean channel is ok, but the overdrive channel is HORRIBLE! I'm hoping its just bad tubes, It sounds like a fuzz pedal is turned on somewhere. And the bass is so loose it almost makes it sound like a blown speaker.

Anyone have any insight on these amps?

 

[andy474x]

I would characterize the lead channel of the Custom amps as not necessarily fuzzy, but yes the bass is big and not particularly tight, especially depending on the cabinet and speaker. The lead channel has a lot of gain but also very open and uncompressed, if that makes sense. It allows for wonderful transparency and therefore a good tone shaping boost pedal will do a lot for the low end and mids. I’m a big, big fan of the Tumnus with that amp.

I ended up modding mine a tad too, pm me if you’re interested.

 

[Herr Squid]

It's an amp that wants to be run loud on the dirty channel. If I've got the master below about 10:00, I almost always have the (preamp) volume below noon, otherwise yeah, it's kind of a fuzzy mess.

However, if you get that master up towards 10:00 or noon (which is loud!), then you can wick up the gain a bit and get that amp sounding (and feeling) glorious with a beautiful bloom and swell on sustained notes. If I dial it in right, it kills my Budda Superdrive II 18 watt, which used to be my favorite combo amp.

 

[matt3310]

Theres gotta be something wrong with mine then. Because even cranked it sounds bad!

 

[mad monk]

Tubes. I love mine. My lead channel isn't fuzzy at all, and has a good crunch tone with the volume and master around noon-ish. Clean channel is fantastic.

 

[cmedcoff]

I would characterize the lead channel of the Custom amps as not necessarily fuzzy, but yes the bass is big and not particularly tight, especially depending on the cabinet and speaker. The lead channel has a lot of gain but also very open and uncompressed, if that makes sense. It allows for wonderful transparency and therefore a good tone shaping boost pedal will do a lot for the low end and mids. I’m a big, big fan of the Tumnus with that amp.

I ended up modding mine a tad too, pm me if you’re interested.

Not sure how to PM here but I'd be interested in learning more about your mods.

 

[Tucson Thump]

Not sure how to PM here but I'd be interested in learning more about your mods.

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