ZT Lunchbox Amplifier

[masked elwood]

http://www.ztamplifiers.com/lunchbox.html

wierd little item...i've heard good things about them but....i don't know..... ....seems funky...

elwd

[Ghost Hip]

200 watts?

[jrmy]

Hm. I am intrigued. I've been looking for a smaller bass amp that sounds good for a looooooooooong time now, since I've also been without a practice space for a long time, and it sucks lugging a 4 x 12 around to practice. Interesting.

[dronemachine]

Very interesting indeed...and the price seems right,if the amp really delivers everything they mentioned.

I'm a little confused by the clean sound samples,however,nothing impressive,sounds like a regular solid state amp to me

On the other hand,I'm not a fan of the crunch sounds,but the crunch sound sample is really cool.Eh...it's best to try it first hand,and use yr ears.

It looks really cool,though.

[masked elwood]

i tried one .....not impressed at all.


elwd

[smile_man]

www.hottieamps.com

[masked elwood]

http://www.hottieamps.com

i remember those...i think they are made here in portland. i'd much prefer to plug my guitar into a toaster than anything else.

elwd

[Another Drone]

..

[masked elwood]

digital amps meh

i didn't really expect it to be a great guitar amp .... i thought maybe perhaps, it was an interesting amp though.

elwd

[ken kantor]

So talk to me...

Where did you try one, and what could we have done better/different?

-ken kantor

http://www.ztamplifiers.com

i tried one .....not impressed at all.

elwd

[Roseweave]

I'm pretty sure it's analogue, not digital.

As for Ken's questions, most of the demos of the Lunch box sound quite harsh. I think you focused too much on getting it LOUD. I've heard SS amps that have a much warmer sound. While it's handy to take around as a good amp head, I don't see why someone would buy over saving up for something like a Tiny Terror. I don't think it'd be hard to study some warmer sounding SS amps, Vox's amplug sound very good to my ears, and make it sound a little less harsh.

The other thing I'd like to see on it would be an F/X Loop. It's great there's some reverb so it doesn't have to sound dry, but you can't really use delay up front into a dirty amp. Either that or some kind of delay built into the amp. This is the thing, i'm a bit f/x head so most of the WHOO SUPER PORTABLE AMPS so far like the TT haven't appealed to me - I need delay, man.

If these two improvements were made, I'd probably invest in one.

[ken kantor]

Roseweave,

Thanks. The amp has plenty of analog signal path, but also some digital sections. Not at all a "modeling" amp, though. Input, preamp, output, overdrive and power supply are analog. Digital does the tone stack, and tracks the dynamics and safe operating area.

I hope you listened to it in person, not over a computer. We take our tone very, very seriously, and set pretty high standards for ourselves in the gear we brought in to listen against and analyze over the past two years. (Personally, I've played through tubes for 40 years, and most of us are pretty hard core.) "Harsh or SS-sounding" are words we have not yet heard from any of our endorsers, or in any review. That's not to say you, or anyone, will like our choices and results, obviously.

So, is there anyone on this BBS who has a particularly good ear and could report that would be both honest and generally believed? I'd be happy to send them an amp to try, just to get the feedback, whatever it is.

-ken kantor

zt amplifiers

[Roseweave]

If you have digital chips in it, then I'd definitely suggest doing a version with digital delay as well as reverb, or an F/X loop. If there was a model like that I'd be interested. Delay is just too important to me. All other effects can be run up front to some extent. I would be very interested in the amp then.

I actually play through SS amps a lot, maybe "harsh and SS like" was unfair. I have heard that kind of sound from some older tube amps too. It could be the recordings. But there is a kind of scratchy like quality to my ears. I don't know where I can hear one in person though, as most of the music shops in Ireland are a bit rubbish and don't stock cool stuff like that. Unfortunately all I can judge it on are the recordings.

Since you're interested in sending out amps, I could give you the name and address of one of the better, larger stores I go to here. They may well be interested.

[metalmariachi]

the link isn't working for me.

I no one objects I would like to try the amp out.

I believe i do have exceptional hearing.

Well enough so that a local studio owner trusts me to check out his vintage gear to make sure it sounds right and I can hear the difference in the sound of my Aenima vs my son's and niece's. Yes they do all sound different.

I would run through an EVM which usually allows you to hear the amp and not speaker coloration.

Let me know.

MM

[Roseweave]

Send one to MM, I want to hear what Devi pedals sound like through it