NAD Badcat Hotcat 30r

sweepy

What with all this Badcat activity I remembered that I had not done a NAD post, so here it is

https://i.imgur.com/kFBg9qJ.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/i1iswdi.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/nqgEwwB.jpg



https://i.imgur.com/c8o2tsE.jpg

Lodious

What's it like?

sweepy

Bloody lovely, the overdrive is rich and fruity and the cleans are very dynamic

markr76

I've been using a hotcat 30r head, 2014 version, with matching 2x12 cab for the last few years now. It's a great amp. Has one of the best drive channels of any amp to my ears. It's a very complex sound with lots going on. The clean channel is excellent  but can be overly bright at lower volumes. The low end/body seems to come once the volume is turned up on the clean channel. And it's a loud amp! I find the amp sits really well in a band mix and gets a stunning sound at the levels at which most of us can get away with these days. Like any valve amp though. Sounds best when cranked up!

stickyfiddle

Very nice. I've not tried a Hot Cat but assume it's like a wound-up Cub/Black Cat type of thing, i.e. more of the same but more gain on tap?

sweepy

The K Master System makes it very flexible as well as the dual reverb levels. I did get a bit of a bargain as it had a Flightcase Warehouse full Flightcase with it which takes it from heavy as f**k to “where is the forklift” . It would be interesting to try it into an extension cab, especially a 4x10 but the 12” speaker seems to suit it. Not terribly keen on the half power switch as it seems to have a tonality shift which I’m not 100% sure of so it stays on full beans 

markr76

Although the hotcat has that badcat/matchless character to the sound. It sounds very different to the black cat and cub models. The other 2 are much closer in sound to each other but the hotcat sounds different. It does have a higher amount of gain. But it's a much thicker sound. The hotcat runs on el34 power tubes the others el84's. But the black cat is their take on the ac30. I thought the cub had a very similar sound. Could be as both of them use an ef86 valve on one of the channels. 
Although the hotcat circuit started off as a ac30 based circuit it was modded massively to give it it's tone. I think it's got ac30 qualities to the sound. But there's Marshall qualities in there as well. Plus a load of low end. The gain is very smooth also.

welshboyo

Never tried a BC and I feel like I should and this sounds right up my street...hmm...

Happy NAD btw.

Lodious

Sounds interesting. I have a Cub 3 and often wondered what the Hot Cats are like. I see you have a mike in front of it....I don't suppose you have any clips?

sweepy

The SM57 was put there to demo my rather insane pedalboard, hopefully when I get some time to myself I’ll get some recording done
If you fancy a trip, bring your Cub and main guitar, tea, hobnobs and general silliness usually takes place

Lodious

Sounds like a great idea sweepy....a Cat fight :-)

sweepy

Indeed I’m easily accessible from the M40