Any Komets in NZ?

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murky
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Any Komets in NZ?

Post by murky »

Or anyone played one?

Knopfler used a K60 for a while.

The guy that designs them (Hoggy) is a bit of an institution, and has great ears.

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Re: Any Komets in NZ?

Post by Dharmajester »

I wish.
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Re: Any Komets in NZ?

Post by GrantB »

Great amps.
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Re: Any Komets in NZ?

Post by StratMatt »

I've got one... On my Axe Fx :D
Loving it so far

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Re: Any Komets in NZ?

Post by KNNZ »

in my Kemper as well :wink:

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Re: Any Komets in NZ?

Post by GrantB »

Image
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Re: Any Komets in NZ?

Post by clubhouse »

^ woah? Barge pole anyone...anyone?

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Re: Any Komets in NZ?

Post by JoeBlow »

Just listened to a demo of their Silver Cloud...what a beast 👹

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Re: Any Komets in NZ?

Post by Voxshall »

I came close to buying one, but they need to be played at volume to get the most out of them and they are really loud. With stage volumes coming down and my decision to be done with attenuators I decided against it. I'd love to try one though.

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Re: Any Komets in NZ?

Post by GrantB »

I played a smaller Komet in the USA...the name escapes me...huge sound, definitely raunchier than the vids re the 60. I seem to think it was only 20 watts, but it was 5 years ago and I was hung over.

I think this is where something like the ÷13 BTR23 shows how a well designed master volume can be integrated without losing much. That thing has a KT88 power section so it's fat and juicy, and even at lower volumes. The Komet is a bit sweeter but yeah, got to crank that baby....
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Re: Any Komets in NZ?

Post by Voxshall »

Two Rock is the same, the master volumes are so incredibly good now, it's at the point that the master volume sounds considerably better than an attenuator or reamping.

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Re: Any Komets in NZ?

Post by murky »

I dunno - a master can only do so much - but bottom line is it can’t get the power tubes cooking unless you turn it up.

Perfect if your amp is designed for predominantly preamp gain (e.g. Friedman, Tworock), or you don’t run it wide open. But if you’re after the power tube magic that happens after 3 o’clock, I recon a master’s pretty much useless.

Anyway, back on topic - some interesting AC30 wisdom from Hogy himself:
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Re: Any Komets in NZ?

Post by murky »

Voxshall wrote: Tue Nov 16, 2021 3:00 pm I came close to buying one, but they need to be played at volume to get the most out of them and they are really loud. With stage volumes coming down and my decision to be done with attenuators I decided against it. I'd love to try one though.
J - what model were you looking at?

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Re: Any Komets in NZ?

Post by GrantB »

I wish the JMI I had wasn’t so beastly loud and heavy. It was indeed as Hogy lays out. I’ve asked to buy it back. Not for sale. Ever.
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Re: Any Komets in NZ?

Post by Voxshall »

murky wrote: Tue Nov 16, 2021 4:52 pm
Voxshall wrote: Tue Nov 16, 2021 3:00 pm I came close to buying one, but they need to be played at volume to get the most out of them and they are really loud. With stage volumes coming down and my decision to be done with attenuators I decided against it. I'd love to try one though.
J - what model were you looking at?
I know Hogy's favourite was the Silver Cloud, I was looking at that when I first heard about it being released and the K60, I determined the smaller models are still way louder then where I needed to be.

I completely agree a vintage AC30 is one of the best sounding amps on the planet, I also agree there is no substitution for a cranked amp and the effect it has on power tubes and the speakers but for my taste at lower volumes I thought putting a NMV classic into an attenuator was less of a compromise to tone than a master volume preamp design (Dumble/Two Rock etc), but now master volumes have improved that's no longer the case.

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