Tweaker-40 112 1x12" 40-watt Tube Combo Amp Review

Incredibly familiar sound

The first time I heard an Egnater Tweaker 40 another guitarist was using it with a similar setup to mine. The second time I was able to play a Tweaker 40 when trying out a used guitar. The owner allowed me to (pun unintended) tweak settings. Literally it was capable of everything I needed from an amp for live and studio use. This cemented my decision to buy one. In the distant past… read more I used Orange, Hiwatt, and modded Ampeg stacks at various times. While not as epic in volume (thankfully!) this amp can get very, very close at a fraction of the price while offering modern capabilities. I"ve had the Tweaker 40 combo for over four years and still think the world of it. If you"ve considered modelers think of this amp as the next step. Besides the beautiful tube sound you get some freaking awesome tonal abilities. Using it in band settings was great. My drummer was relieved that he could play without worrying that such a small amp would be too quiet. This amp is loud but can be mostly whatever you need. As others have stated the toggles are subtle though I"d add the cumulative effect is stunning. I found the Tweaker too loud for practice use. Calling the company they advised that lower wattage power tubes could be safely swapped out without biasing hassles. For me this works quite well. It"s an extra expense but worth it.

---

Cancel Comment

Tweaker 40

This amp has it all, any tone you want and sounds good with my Strat or my 69' Les Paul. Get a good delay and reverb pedal and your set. This amp is very pedal friendly and sound even fatter when you plug in an extension speaker. It has plenty of punch for a small or medium venue. For the $ totally worth it.

---

Cancel Comment

Classic Tones

I have owned this amp for a couple for about 6 months, and I can say that I am very pleased with the overall tone and quality of the amp. I was in the tube world for about 15 years until my Crate Vintage Club (30w) self destructed. So, instead of getting that fixed, I foolishly went for a Fender Frontman 212, a decent solid state amp but way too much power, and missing that nice… read more warm breakup. I sold the Frontman and was able to pick this one up. This is a warm, sweet amp that sounds best onstage with some volume to it. It works in a bedroom, but the higher wattage means to have it sound best, you need to crank it a bit. I went with the 40 rather than the 15 for those occasional times I play out. It is a good compromise. I have found that usually I find a certain sound on an amp and I stay there. But, unfortunately, when you go from a clean to dirty channel, one is always better than the other. What I love about this amp is that you start with two identical channels, each you can custom mold to sound like you want, with little compromises. I tend to favor the Brit tones with a deep sound and less high end. I was able to fine tune the amp to get there. The AC switch nicely emulates the Vox sound. I haven't played too much with the "modern" tone, but I have found that these "tweaker" switches are more subtle than overt, and again allow you to "dial in" a tone that you want much more precicely. To get a lot of overdrive, the hotter the pickup, the more you get. I have a John 5 tele which has a high output pickup, and I get a lot of sustain and cruch with that, and my strat less so (lace sensor gold pickupx). I have not been able to get a really extreme overdriven metally sound, but I have my Roland Cube for that. This is an entirely different animal and so good for vintage and retro tones. I did set up a reverb/delay unit through the effects loop, and it seems to take pedals really well, as I use tremelo and chorus. I have not had the need to use any distortion boxes with this. I found I did miss the reverb when it was not on the amp, but putting a pedal in the loop works just fine. This is a bit heavy for an old guy like me, but it actually weighed in at 7 pounds less than my Frontman, which I do not miss at all. Overall, I am very pleased to be back in the tube world. Absolutely love the amp. Recording with it has gone well, and it is easy to mic and get good sound out of. I am very pleased.

---

Cancel Comment

My Egnater Tweaker -40 112 fits my needs with perfection!

The Egnater Tweaker -40 112 is my first all tube based guitar amp. I've been playing in the industry (as a guitarist) for around 25 years. My first amp I used was a carry-over Peavey keyboard amp from my keyboard years. Nice down the middle sound; basically a PA system sound. I then gravitated toward VOX amps. My primary amp has been my VOX AC15VR in the last 5 years. Kinda tube… read more kinda not. Still though, I love that sound. However, it's been nagging at me for years to try something a tad different and new to my ears. Enter the Egnater Tweaker series. From the start I was sold on the control of flipping a switch here and there to adjust the sound just so. I've also used solid state amps with nice modeling but I have a great multi-FX board and really just wanted a basic amp that offered me two channels for supreme clean and for dirty crunch. But the Tweaker takes it to a different level without offering up another modeling amp. Again, those switch flips create just the slightest changes in sound. Want a modern sound? Done! Want a vintage sound? Done! My favorite tweak is the BRIT to AC to USA. This gives you an amp that suddenly has Marshall tones or a VOX AC30 or an unmistakeable Fender guitar amp tone. You can also play with the tight and deep switch for a sound of crisp tones versus a more bottom-heavy tone. Whatever the case, it's all up to your ears and liking. This amp also comes with a foot switch to easily switch between the clean tweaks channel you've made and the distorted crunchy tweaks channel you've made. Gigging, this amp by itself could easily be all a guitarist needs. I would consider adding a nice Reverb pedal for the effects loop feature (also switchable on/off from the foot switch) as this amp does not come with reverb but to be honest, I'm thus far not missing the reverb. I'm still enjoying all the various tweaks this amp offers. Bruce Egnater created this amp and he makes it feel like he created an amp just for the guitarist at heart and in mind. I know that sounds lame - I mean it's not like he was thinking of a flutist when he engineered this amp - but in a huge sea of corporate designed amps with a bazillion overwhelming features (which definitely have their place at the table too) -- I don't know; this amp is kind of a meat and potatoes amp with some great sizzle, seasoning and overall superior taste. It will satisfy most appetites with great pleasure.... I would strongly encourage this amp for the guitarist seeking an amp with a strong sound with basic needs plus some much needed tweaks! Enjoy!

---

Cancel Comment

Versatile and all tube, what else could you ask for...

I was looking for amp to do fender cleans in the studio and was just about to purchase a Hot Rod Deluxe when my Sweetwater rep suggested the Tweaker instead. What I got was fender tones and more. I am very pleased with the recommendation. Now I did have a problem on week three while recording I could hear strange vibrating noises on certain low notes. It sounded like a bad tube… read more or something was loose inside. I sent a recording to the manufacture and Sweetwater. The manufacture suggested I take the amp to a repair center which I was not really happy about, but then I received an Email from Sweetwater tech department saying they are shipping a replacement amp. Less than 24 hours after reporting the issue a new amp was on its way. So two days later receive the new amp, used the same day to record and all is well. I guess that’s the Sweetwater difference.

---

Cancel Comment