NLHAD!!

[Dirty_Boogie]

New Little Ho(tone) Amp Day!

So I decided to go a different route for amplification... I was a die-hard tube amp user for many years. Bought and sold as my interests/desires/wants/needs changed. Been using modeling amps for about the lat 5 years (haven't touched my pedals in that time) but recently decided I was sick of all the options (yeah, right!) - I really wanted to simplify things again. So I decided to experiment... What could I do for around $200? I decided on a little HOTONE (that would be "HOT ONE", not "HO TONE", for the uninformed! ) nano amp, as a platform to either use "as is", or for my pedals. My number one requirement was that it has an effects loop, which it does. So many cool models to choose from - wanted the "Purple Wind" (Plexi-inspired) but since my HO-dealer was out of those, I started with a "British Invasion" (AC30-inspired), and will get the Purple in a couple of weeks. So, $79 for the HOTONE and $160 for an "as-new" 1x12 cab off Reverb - a little over budget. This 10 ounce "monster" arrived today and I hooked it up to a Celestion G12H-loaded cab. This is a totally capable 5W amp! It's not a modeling amp, but really captures the essence of an AC30 - both clean and cranked - and responds really well to the guitar volume. At max volume/gain, it's loud, but not unbearable at all. Really good first few minutes with it. Will hook up the pedal board tonight and see what it's really capable of.

A few pics...

And for scale...

I thought it would be cool to get two completely different ones (e.g., the Tweed-inspired and the Recto-inspired) place them side-by-side on the cab, and then use something like the Radial Headbone switcher, which lets you connect both amps into the same cab, and footswitch between amps. Problem is the Headbone costs more than this entire setup!

Anyone else using any of these HOTONE Nano's? If yes, any suggestions, recommendations?

 

[bodia]

Never heard of them, but looks cool as he11!

 

[toothace]

Pretty cool!!

 

[Parralax view]

I may have to give Hotone another spin. I got caught up in that Wally Looper fiasco a couple of years back and sent the unit back and never thought of them again. They have since fixed their issue with the loopers, and it's time for something new and small.

 

[Dirty_Boogie]

I may have to give Hotone another spin. I got caught up in that Wally Looper fiasco a couple of years back and sent the unit back and never thought of them again. They have since fixed their issue with the loopers, and it's time for something new and small.

Do it! I've had it for a week now, and just ordered another one of these mini amps - this time the "Purple Wind" (Plexi-type gain) - from B & H Photo for $79. What have you got to lose? Try it out, and if don't like it, ship it back - it's not like you need to pay return shipping on a "big boy" amp. ;-)

BTW, these things take pedals so well! The effects loop is perfect for a reverb or delay pedal, and diming the front-end with an OD pedal, wah, phaser, etc. sounds really good. Or, set it cleanish, and use a distortion pedal - both my RAT and an MXR Super Bada$$ Distortion pedal really worked well. Not much clean headroom available at higher volumes (again, much like a low wattage real tube amp) but for a really clean amp, they have a new one coming out, based on a clean Bogner Shiva amp.