Howitzer 15-watt Power Amp Pedal Review

I don't do reviews very often, but made an except for this, wow!

I've played just about every amp in a pedal, including all the Quilters etc, and all of them just miss "something" or some everything, no eq, no loop, either sounding fizzy, buzzy, not sounding correct with vintage pedals like Germanium Fuzzes, lousy EQ, it's always been something is not quite right. FWIW, I go for Hendrix-Angus Marshall tones, so mids up, bass down, bright on and… read more treble to suit and just NAILS that Marshall vibe and plays nice with all my OD and vintage Fuzz/Boost pedals AND the effects loop is great! Not to say it's a one trick pony, turning down the mid's & gain, and putting the treble and bass up and fantastic deep cleans too. This is NOT a metal amp on its own, for that you will need a pedal in front and takes them like a champ. The Howitzer checks all the boxes EXCEPT one, they need to make a LARGER one, Its plenty loud for small gigs or if mic'd up, but if playing outside or larger gigs it's not going happen. Also, I'm an older guy with a not so great back anymore and I've already got a nice light 2x12, and rather not lug around amp heads so would LOVE a 100w version of this. Remember a 100w solid state is like a 50w tube amp volume wise. So HOPEFULLY they have something planned for a larger version, and I actually emailed EHX to ask them this :)

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Great quality, value and a potential solution for flat response amplification

After 24 years of playing I recently shifted to primarily using digital/direct in amps (Iridium and Pod GO) opposed to traditional amps. And I love it! Sold off my big amps but wanted something economically priced to power my remaining custom 1x12 cab. This amp does that with no problem, and sounds good considering solid state and price point, however that isn't how I am using… read more it. I am using it to power a 5" full range ('flatish' response) PA speaker with the Pod GO's output into the Howitzer's effect loop return. This set-up bypasses the gain and EQ section providing a theoretically uncolored amp/speaker platform perfect for amp modelers. I am very pleased with this desktop setup and prefer it over running the Pod GO into my HiFi setup, which technically is a 'flatter' response with +/- 3db 40Hz-20kHz, however I feel the paper cone PA style speaker better reproduces those amp tones and sounds more realistic. If I were still using traditional amps for live play, this would be a no-braining to have in your bag as a back-up. I took off a 1/2 star because I think it should have power switch. Highly recommend.

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Excellent Amp

I am very pleased with the Howitzer. Tone-wise, it sounds exactly like my tweed Champ - even the overdrive sounds identical but it can get way louder as it is connected to a 1x12 and has more wattage. With a Howitzer and my 1x12, one could probably gig a small venue like a bar or a cocktail party but for a stage, it'd probably need to be mic'd or at least use a bigger cab. I only… read more play in my bedroom and it is more than loud enough for that. If planning to gig, I would think of it as having the same tone, headroom and loudness as a Princeton. One cool feature is that since it's 24V, I am able to power it directly from my Cioks DC7 power supply mounted underneath the pedalboard.

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Excellent value and practicality!

After 24 years of playing guitar I recently made the move to direct in options as my primary tone - Strymon Iridium and POD Go. I did, however want a cost-effective 'real amp' option after selling off my traditional amps. This little EH Howitzer looked to be the perfect option to drive my custom 1x12 cab. Size and build quality is great. After a quick sound sample with my strat… read more direct in, I was very pleased with the tone and it more than enough power to drive my highly sensitivity Eminence GB128. What makes this little amp especially awesome is that I can use my POD Go output into the effects return of the Howitzer, bypassing the Howitzer's gain and EQ section, giving me access to all the POD Go's amps and effects (cabinet IR's off). After years of being a staunch tube amp guy, I am very pleased with this amp and the options it provides. I highly recommend this amp as a daily go to or just to have a pedal-sized backup amp.

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Awesome!

I love this amp. Bought it to power my 112 in my living room for some lower volume practice sessions. Cup of coffee and a early morning jam! This amp takes pedals very well and the crisp "clean" is what I love. The only half-star issue was that I could not get it to operate with my xvive wireless... I kept getting some sort of "tremolo"

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