Hughes & Kettner Grandmeister 36

  • Thread starter Thread starter mudf00t
  • Start date Start date
I've been looking at the demos for the TM18, and I know there are some differences...but man what a good sounding amp....at least from what I can hear in the demos. And I'm a sucker for led/backlit stuffs :lol: :LOL:

This is the 18...and I can't understand a friggin word but I like this guys demo. He rolls the volume pot up and down and shows how responsive it is. Nice. I imagine the 36 will do all this and more.

 
I was pretty underwhelmed by it. The gain seemed really grainy and somewhat sterile. I only spent about two weeks with it so others may have better insight.
 
I played with the Lead and Ultra channels a bit and I thought the Lead channel was a little fizzy but Ultra sounded pretty killer to me. I got a crazy good deal at $1050 for the head, 1x12 cab, the midi controller and a soft case for the head.
 
I had one a while back. It was cool for a while but I got bored with it pretty quick. It does respond pretty well to tube changes. The Chinese tubes in mine where pretty bad.
 
I had one for 2 weeks just not big and it was underwhelming
 
I gig one steady, in a variety of different bands. I absolutely love the amp.

Is it my best sounding amp? No.

Does it easily get a plethora of different sounds that cut through the mix, and still sound damn good? Yes.

I run it through a Recto 2x12, with a GMajor in the loop most times. I play a few guitars with EMG 81 and 85, Dimarzio 36th and Super D's, and Duncan Screamin Demon and Hot Rails in them. I play modern dance, classic rock, 80's metal, and anything in between on it.

I relate the amp to what Yngwie would say about Strats...it's up to you to make the sounds. It doesn't have those sounds other amps are known for. Like most H&K amps, it has it's own thing. It's clean, and refined. It may be hi-fi. I just like their tone. It can be a bit fizzy if you crank the gain with the right pickups. But it can also get some great tones with lower gain.

As a gigging musician who makes his living from it, the Grandmeister is a great amp. I have a Triamp MKII as well, a 6505+, a Triple Rec, A Red Bear MK60, and a few other H&K amps sidelined with mine. It's been a reliable companion, that's gotten me a lot of compliments on it's tone.

Here's a few clips of it. The two from the same gig are with an iPhone, the one with a different band is a Samsung. None are really the best quality. Sorry I have no studio recording of it. Not the best, but'll give you an idea of what it sounds like.

https://youtu.be/utn8d1p4h-Q

https://youtu.be/JAHPqvJ0C5s

https://youtu.be/x2h9qYvRvJE

Sorry, the youtube links aren't working right tonight for me.
 
Fuego":3im2x9r3 said:
Wtf is modern dance?
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Also including Pitbull, Ke$ha, Neyo, Lady Gaga, and other crap like that. It's terrible music, but it pays the bills.
 
bish0p34":2o7j3r11 said:
Fuego":2o7j3r11 said:
Wtf is modern dance?
Click to expand...


Also including Pitbull, Ke$ha, Neyo, Lady Gaga, and other crap like that. It's terrible music, but it pays the bills.
Click to expand...

:lol: :LOL: I hear that! I was in Beaufort, SC a couple years ago at a wedding. I was talking with the bass player in the "party band". They played, 50,60,70, and some 80's rnr...lot of Ottis Redding sort of stuff, or was it Otis Day and the Nights.. :confused: anyway. He told me he was in 3-4 different working bands, one of which was a kid's birthday party band. They played all sorts of hokey-pokey, and mickey/minnie on a moonlit night music. Sounded like he hated it (the music) for the most part, except it helped pay the bills. :rock: -on brother!
 
MrDowntown":2qh8b1sd said:
bish0p34":2qh8b1sd said:
Fuego":2qh8b1sd said:
Wtf is modern dance?
Click to expand...


Also including Pitbull, Ke$ha, Neyo, Lady Gaga, and other crap like that. It's terrible music, but it pays the bills.
Click to expand...

:lol: :LOL: I hear that! I was in Beaufort, SC a couple years ago at a wedding. I was talking with the bass player in the "party band". They played, 50,60,70, and some 80's rnr...lot of Ottis Redding sort of stuff, or was it Otis Day and the Nights.. :confused: anyway. He told me he was in 3-4 different working bands, one of which was a kid's birthday party band. They played all sorts of hokey-pokey, and mickey/minnie on a moonlit night music. Sounded like he hated it (the music) for the most part, except it helped pay the bills. :rock: -on brother!
Click to expand...

As Eve 6 said...."I Would Swallow My Pride". You spend years perfecting your chops, and I think I play 3-4 solos a night in this band.

I actually forgot about this. This actually a live studio recording of the GM. I used the house cabinet which sounded good. No idea what was in it. But this is a better representation of it, as it's not left to a random soundguy and a cell phone.

 
I had the TM18 and as stated above the distortion was very grainy. It was pretty sterile sounding. A real PITA to change tubes too,you have to take the clear case apart.Also it did not have a presence control which I think the bigger TMs have. It was always tough balancing the highs without it,to bright or to dark using just the treble and mid control. The built in red box sounded really good for recording though. Better than the Mesa Cab Clone IMO.

bish0p34, I dug the clips. I'm in a similar type band. I get some flack from some people. But I don't care, we play to decent sized crowds of dancing chicks, and people out to party instead of sweaty moshers looking to brawl. It's actually FUN and we get paid, free beer and food while they play their originals for free for 40 minutes to a crowd consisting of sweaty dudes and the girlfriends and wives of the other 4 bands of the night. And they are always tying to sell tickets to their shows. I did that for years, I'll stick with the party band. ;)
 
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