Gremlin 5-watt 1x12" Tube Combo Amp with Attenuator - Cream Review

Very Disappointed

I read all the reviews and did my research. I was very excited to get this amp. There aren't any Tone King Gremlins in any of the guitar stores near me so I took a chance ordering one. I play mainly a Les Paul and I was hoping to use the lead channel on it and get the cranked tube breakup without disturbing my neighbors. I was hugely disappointed! It sounded cheap and nasty. Not… read more a usable tone at all. Maybe it's the attenuator making it sound like crap, but the built in attenuator and the reviews on it were why I got this amp in the first place. I played with the tone, volume and attenuator knobs in every way possible and not getting any decent cranked tones. The rhythm channel at a clean volume isn't too bad, but I already have my CDR for my cleans and it is way better. The lead channel is meh at a very low volume. Crank it and it just sounds ugly. It did not make me want to play it so I switched back to playing on my CDR. Maybe I'll have to stick with pedals for my overdrive...I don't know. I'm going to try my best to give it another shot for the next few days and if no luck it's going back. Definitely NOT worth the price! I've heard people compare the tweed sound on it to the Fender Champ. I've owned a couple of them and I can tell you it does not. If you want that sound get the Champ...it sounds amazing and is less expensive too! If you play something with single coils it may be ok...I don't know, but with humbuckers I do not recommend.

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Lives up to it’s name...in a good way!

Talk about a mischievous, three knob, tone for days, little gremlin beast. But little is an understatement, as the 5 watts are loud thanks to the 12" speaker. Classic Blackface tones with the amazing touch sensitivity present at any volume. The renowned Tone King built-in attentuator was what first sold me on this amp, as with all the major guitar shops using a Tone King as their… read more go-to for demos on high-end guitars. Clean tones are great, as easy to achieve, but a few small setting adjustments and you"ve got this amp breaking up, even under low volumes. Truly a surprise for me as I typically don"t gravitate towards KT66 amps with my Les Paul. And, of course, I always appreciate the professional and knowledgable help from Sweetwater.

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GREAT TONE-GREAT FEEL

This has become my main gigging amp! I mic it with an SM-57 using a Cab Grabber, which is a cool unit in itself as it saves having to drag another mic stand along. I did some tube tweaking using the suggestions in the owner's manual because, for me, it broke up a bit earlier than I like, even in the rhythm channel. The bands I play in are primarily Classic Country-Country Rock and… read more Classic Rock based, so I needed it to have a little more headroom before breakup(and it does break up beautifully!) I experimented with 5 pre-amp tubes and settled on a 12AY7 I liked the sound of. I also experimented with power tubes and settled on a Gold Lion KT-88. This suits ME to a "T", but we all have "THAT SOUND" in our head that we chase passionately!! I believe anyone can find his or her tone with this amp. It's probably not for the Metal crowd, but who knows?!? The amp I purchased was actually the Sweetwater crews Gear Fest 2018 demo. I thought COOL! It's already broken in!! I have a Mesa Lonestar Special 2x12 that I dearly love, but honestly, this thing sounds as good at 1/3 of the weight!!

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Stunning!

I test drove the Gremlin and was completely flabbergasted - stunning tone for days, regardless of where you set the tone control, which channel you use, or what guitar you plug in. This thing is an absolute mind-bender. The Shawn Tubbs video demo does not lie - if anything, it understates what this amp can do. Every Tone King I have tested has been superb and worth every cent you… read more spend on them. Fair warning: once you turn this thing on, you may be playing for hours without eating or drinking. It is seriously that hypnotic! The only reason I didn't buy it is that lacked enough raw power for the need I had. There was positively nothing wrong with the amp, the tone, and the sheer creative energy it created - I just can't do a proper mic-up with our current set up. If you can get a good mic in front of this thing, buy it NOW.

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