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#270604 - 09/04/09 12:59 PM Not happy with the lunchbox amp....
captain Russ Online   content
Senior Member

Registered: 01/02/04
Posts: 7285
Loc: Lexington, Ky, USA
Tried to see a new 200 watt "lunchbox" amp at NAMM, but the company backed out at the last minute. Should have known better, but I ordered one. It came in today, and is not worth owning.


The main problem is, there is a persistant hum, too loud for most of my gigs. The solution is to turn up the gain and minimise the volume setting, which, of course, produces distortion. So those are the options....hum or distortion.

Also it has a "reverb" control, which is supposed to create the effect of an open back cabinet. It's not a conventional reverb at all. It's really LOUD and have no doubt that it would drive a cabinet with 4 12's as the promotional copy states.

All in all, not worth owning. It's cute as hell, but that's about it!

Damn! I wanted tro use it for single guitar jobs and for short 1 hour keyboard jobs.


Russ

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#270605 - 09/04/09 01:41 PM Re: Not happy with the lunchbox amp....
Diki Offline


Registered: 04/25/05
Posts: 14182
Loc: NW Florida
How about letting us know which one, so we can avoid it...?
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An arranger is just a tool. What matters is what you build with it..!

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#270606 - 09/04/09 03:08 PM Re: Not happy with the lunchbox amp....
cassp Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 03/21/03
Posts: 3748
Loc: Motown
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#270607 - 09/05/09 07:21 AM Re: Not happy with the lunchbox amp....
--Mac Offline
Member

Registered: 05/16/08
Posts: 307
Loc: Chesapeake, Virginia, USA
Sounds to me like that particular amp is malfunctioning. May be due to shipping or something else, but today's amp designs certainly should not be humming on the master bus like that.

Send it back.

Contact them first, they may offer a warranty repair/replacement to you.


--Mac
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"Keep listening. Never become so self-important that you can't listen to other players. Live cleanly....Do right....You can improve as a player by improving as a person. It's a duty we owe to ourselves." --John Coltrane

"You don't know what you like, you like what you know. In order to know what you like, you have to know everything." --Branford Marsalis

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#270608 - 09/05/09 08:36 AM Re: Not happy with the lunchbox amp....
Anonymous
Unregistered


Not to change the subject, but speaking of small amps, does anybody remember the original Pignose amp?


A couple of weeks ago I sat in with a group using my Hammond 44 and decided it would be smart to take my own amp. I had the little pignose sitting along with some of my old antique radios and decided to give it a try. VERY surprising at how good it sounded.

Dave

------------------
Wm. David McMahan
LearnMyKeyboard
JazzItUp Band
The Modulators

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#270609 - 09/05/09 09:09 AM Re: Not happy with the lunchbox amp....
DonM Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 06/25/99
Posts: 16735
Loc: Benton, LA, USA
Had a pignose back in the 70's. It was pretty good!
DonM
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#270610 - 09/07/09 12:50 PM Re: Not happy with the lunchbox amp....
captain Russ Online   content
Senior Member

Registered: 01/02/04
Posts: 7285
Loc: Lexington, Ky, USA
The Roland Cubes are pretty good. Have a 30 and a 60 and use them a lot. I, too, have the original Pignose, plus a 30 watt Hog from the company...a bass battery operated unit that works pretty well. Battery life is an issue.


The Lunchbox I got Friday is the 200 watt small one with a 6/5" speaker. The only other product these folks have is a 2nd unit in a bigger container and effects in the pipeline.


Right now, I'm using my JazzKat PhatCat on most short jobs. It has a tube pre-amp which can be shut off. 2nd choice for guitar is an 85 Fender Super Champ. The Rolands are next.

Russ

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#270611 - 09/07/09 12:51 PM Re: Not happy with the lunchbox amp....
captain Russ Online   content
Senior Member

Registered: 01/02/04
Posts: 7285
Loc: Lexington, Ky, USA
Just Google "Lunchbox amp"

They're all over the place.


R.

[This message has been edited by captain Russ (edited 09-07-2009).]

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#270612 - 09/07/09 01:40 PM Re: Not happy with the lunchbox amp....
Diki Offline


Registered: 04/25/05
Posts: 14182
Loc: NW Florida
Sorry, Russ... just thought that lunchbox was a generic term... never knew there was an actual company
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An arranger is just a tool. What matters is what you build with it..!

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