Conference napalm::guitar

    Haven't tried one out, but from what I've heard they're superb amps
    that sound fantastic.  I also understand they're VERY expensive.
    Don't know models/prices, but supposedly they are more expensive
    than comparable Marshall amps.
    
    I'll also be eager to hear more . . .
    
    Steve

    Yo GH,
    
    Are you refering to Reb Beach?  yeah, he's a cool player with a great
    tone.  A tone somewhere between Warren DiMartini and Eddie.  I don't
    know if he used his kitty hawks on the lp, I guess the interviews will
    tell.  

    or maybe you mean Dan Toler, the guy with Greg Allman?  He endorses
    Kitty Hawk, but then I read in an interview where he actually uses
    a custom boosted Marshall (with Kitty Hawk cabs, big deal).

    /rick

    I was referring to Reb Beach, I'm going to see them (Winger) tomorrow
    night, so I can let everyone know how the amps sound in a club setting
    (provided he uses them...).  I understand that Leslie West is now
    using Kitty Hawks too.
    
    Greg

    Just a quick note to let everyone know that Reb Beach and the other
    guitar player in Winger both used Kitty Hawk amps and they sounded
    great.
    
    I noticed a device in both of their racks that also bore the Kitty
    Hawk logo too.  Do they make a pre-amp module?
    
    Greg

      
      I have a Kitty Hawk M3 amp. I picked it up in Portsmouth , NH
    ( Music Warehouse ) while in that area. I live in Syracuse , NY
    and at the time I would have had to travel to NYC to buy one in
    my state just so I could pay sales tax ( plus a 9 hour round trip ).
      
      I have a Marshall Jubilee Series 2554 and a KMD GV100s stack.
    The marshall is a 1 X 12 practice combo. I was using the KMD playing
    out,  but the early models had weak power supplies and twice the
    same year I popped the main rectification diodes , so now it's
    my travelling spare amp.                                     
    
      The Kitty Hawk M3 I'm using is a 60 watt all-tube head. The KMD
    speaker stacks I still use have 4 10" Celestions each and are much
    easier to move than 4 X 12's , yes they sound good. I run my guitar
    into a Roland GP-8 then out to the M3. The channel switching is
    controlled thru the GP-8 using ext-1 parameters. I tried using the
    effects loop but had trouble matching levels. I've looked inside
    the amp and I'm impressed with the construction and quality of
    everything inside. the galvanized steel chassis is ugly, but nobody
    really sees it except for the repairman ( infrequently , hopefully)
      Soundwise the Kitty Hawk is as good as anything  I've played.
    Just like anything else it takes experimenting. I noticed the bass
    control tends to mud up the sound when above 6, but I have settings
    that work well and that's what counts. The amp has been used three
    to five  times a week ( I practice with the Marshall mostly ) under
    travelling conditions and has been very reliable. I carry the amp
    and guitars myself. 
      Being a tube amp the Kitty Hawk runs very warm to hot. Especially
    since it's a sixty watter and the master is anywhere from 6 to 8
    depending on the job ( We do weddings and private parties as well
    as the regional rock clubs ). I used to put my GP-8 rack on top of 
    the head but found that the amp stayed a lot cooler when the top
    was bare ( there are no slots ).
      I'm very pleased with the amp, they aren't cheap but then again
    they're not cheaply built. I'd recommend them to anyone considering
    Mesa Boogie, Seymour Duncan, or Marshall. I like my Marshall too,
    but it's not as versatile as the Kitty Hawk. When you're spending
    that much it's not too much to ask that you're very pleased with the 
    versatility and reliability.
    
    	re: .5 
           Kitty Hawk has a new line of rack mount gear that includes
    	a tube pre-amp (with four modes of operation), a 120 watt tube
    	power amp, and some type of patch bay (MIDI?)
    
    
    
      

    Great information, just what I was looking for.  
    
    Greg

      I'm adding this info as Greg requested some specifics:
    
     The Kitty Hawk line of amps (all guitar amps b.t.w) is broken down
    into three models with the only variations within each model being
    power and speaker config. I've included prices (retail) that I'm sure
    of.
    
    	M1 - top of the line, available in 60 or 100 watt versions.
             head only or combo w/one 12" 100 watt celestion. The
     	     primary feature or this all tube amp is its quad-mode
    	     preamp. Gain levels are variable from clean to saturated
    	     ( like a Boogie ) as well as two in between. The 100 watt
    	     head lists for $1379 , the combo is approx $1500 and the
    	     60 watt head is 150 to 200 less than the 100 watter.
                               
    	M3 - the power amp section is identical to the M1. The preamp
    	     is a simpler two channel layout. The tone controls are
     	     common to both channels. The price is roughly $1150 for
    	     100 watt and $1020 for the 60 watt head. Combos are available
     	     for slightly more.
    
    	M5 - entry level combos. 25 and 45 watt . $650 and $1000
   	     respectively.
    
      It's not hard to get the price down 20 % or so but don't expect
    much more. I paid $ 750 for my M3 60 watt head and I have a 100
    watt M1 head on order for $ 1100.
    
    				    	

    Thanks again.  Pretty heavy prices.  I presume you think very highly
    of them, since you are ordering another.  
    
    Do you know anything about the rack preamp module?  Are these heads
    available in rack mount versions?
    
    Greg

    
      I've had my M3 head since September and it really took the limelight
    away from my other amps (Marshall Jubillee 25/50 and KMD GV100s).
    The M1 that I should have next week I expect to be that much better.
    I agree that the prices are up there but so are Mesas and Marshalls.
      A lot of the justification on spending that much comes out of
    how you use it and how much you get out of it. I'm playing out 
    every weekend with my band , Chemistry, so the equipment gets a
    workout. I've had nothing but good comments about the Kitty Hawk
    from my other band members as well as other musicians in the area 
    that come out to hear us play (and I'm no Reb Beach). The band is 
    good steady income and I've done a lot of equipment turnover in the 
    last year. I'm selling two of my old KMD heads to cover the cost of 
    the new Kitty Hawk. Effectively I only have to come up with $650 
    and the band's income is enough to justify it.
      The preamp you asked about runs around $650 and features the same
    quad-mode operation found on the M1 as well as some additional tone
    controls.

    Sounds great!  Thanks again.
    
    Greg

      The M1 amp I mentioned in a previous note came in! I have been
    experimenting with it for a few days and it really delivers . The
    M3 I've had is now a back-up amp if I run into any problems. The
    M1 is just that much more to keep my enthusiasm up on this line
    of equipment. The new amp is a 100 watt head and features the 
    quad-mode switching and a full four tube preamp and four EL34's
    on the output. The clean channel is even more versatile due to the
    seperate tone and seperate gain and master controls. The M3 shared
    a common master volume for both channels as well as the tone controls.
      The other plus with the M1 series is the three different types
    of overdrive characteristics available. The "red" mode is the same
    as the M3 , not a heavy overdrive but a lot of low-end edge that
    actually sounds good for choppy rythms. The "green" mode might as
    well be labeled "marshall", a smooth sustain with a upper-midrange
    boost. I have a Marshall and I don't mind doing an A-B comparison.
    Last is the combination mode , I wouldn't do anything but a screaming
    lead in this mode, it works well if you stay away from the lower
    strings and any rythm. 
      Altogether this thing is fantastic. I've put my KMD stack up for
    sale and a Kitty Hawk 4 X 12 cab should be in next week. It took
    six months but I turned over all my previous amp gear ( except the
    Marshall Jubillee) and Kitty Hawk came out ahead. In the course
    of things I managed to get a local music store ( Syracuse, NY )
    to carry the line. They got in a M5 combo, M3 100 watt combo, and
    my M1 100 watt head. 
      The heads in the regular line are not available in a rack-mount.
    The rack-mount preamp and amp together would run around $1650 list!
    The 4 X 12 celestion cab lists for $749. It's easy to run up a good
    tab with this gear. A lot of guitar players I know bought the Peavey
    Butcher cab as a good lower cost alternative to other 4 X 12's.
    

      Here goes again-
         I finally managed to locate a Kitty Hawk quattro tube pre-amp
    at a dealer in Schenectady, NY. He's shipping it to me today. These
    are really selling out there and I had the distributor help me find
    one. They owe me a few favors after all the gear I've bought from
    them.
         Now I can sell the M3 head (listed in topic 2) and cover all
    my requirements with the newer M1 head and the rack set up. Even
    though the Quattro is fairly new I hear they are coming out with
    an even higher end pre-amp ( like a $1000 list!) called the
    Testarossa, We'll see if Ferrari sues for trademark infringement.
    

    I got to play the cheapest one at Steves in danvers for a good
    half-hour. WOW. I thought the sound was real warm, sorta made me
    think of a old Fender deluxe brought up to 80's/90's technology.
    I'm thinkin' about it....
    

      re: 14  Must've been an M5 model. They come in 25 and 45 watt
    flavors and use 6V6 tubes which are considerably warmer/rounder
    sounding than 6L6's. For my large amp (Kitty Hawk M1) I prefer the
    sound of the EL34's over 6L6's (it's switchable). Not that 6L6's
    sound bad! 
      re:13 (me)
              I've been putting the Quattro pre-amp through its paces.
    I was in error when I said the quattro was a rack mount version
    of the M1's pre-amp. I'm sure a lot of the design from the M1 was
    retained but there are a few advantages in the quattro. A nice touch
    operationally is the addition of a rotary switch on the panel for
    accessing all four modes (Quattro, ya know) without the foot pedal.
    On the M1 only three modes could be accessed on the panel and the
    fourth could only be used by the footswitch (combination mode with
    both red and green leds on). Also the quattro has indicators on
    the pre-amp itself as well as on the footswitch. 
      Also the controls on the pre-amp have seperate tone controls for
    clean/crunch rythm and lead modes. That's two set of tone controls.
    There are six different volume/gain controls! The clean mode has
    its own volume , the crunch rythm mode has a volume and a master
    so there's a lot of flexibility there. The two lead modes each have
    their own gain and a common master for both lead modes. I'm impressed
    with this pre-amp but I have been praising Kitty Hawks since I started
    using them back in September of 88. I realize the ADA MP-1 is somewhat
    more flexible in a MIDI controlled rack but I prefer the sound of
    the Quattro and I've set up my Roland GP-8 to switch modes
    programmably. BTW, they also have a rack mount tube power amp that
    should work well with the pre-amp. 

      If you've been watching the guitar mags recently you may have
    noticed that after the initial push of the Kitty Hawk line, then
    the Quattro , that the ads have vanished. There's a reason! I found
    out from LP Music that they will no longer be distributing the line.
    They mentioned something about the owner getting divorced and the
    wife had something to do with the financial backing, etc. Soap Opera,
    ya know. The distributor said he could've sold every Quattro pre-amp
    he got his hands on but the other amps sold moderately well. There
    are deals to be had on units in the warehouse, send mail to me if
    your interested! All the Kitty Hawk stuff sounds great (IMO) and
    a lot of stuff can be had for less than half retail. 
      It's a shame since the mags had a lot of good press on the KH
    gear as of late. A few other things a happening with these new
    developments. LP Music is going to market its own pre-amp loosely
    based on the Quattro. It will be made in Taiwan to keep the cost
    down and will be at least a four tube unit like the KH. It's expected
    to come out later this fall. LP also mentioned they will still
    be supplying parts for the Kitty Hawks that are out there and some
    second sources are set up for things that aren't off-the-shelf like
    transformers and such. AND there is a possibility that the Kitty
    Hawk line may continue to be made and imported but with another
    distributor. Only time will tell.
      The distributor called all the major endorsers and let them know
    what was shakin'. I understand Reb Beach of Winger was upset, He's
    being approached by Rivera and Laney for endorsement. I'll keep
    using mine until it blows up and can't be fixed. Then I'll have
    to start looking.
      BTW- I picked up the Kitty Hawk footswitch for $250 from one of
    the dealers that the distributor told me had them. It's a great
    MIDI controller with a list price of $529. For only $100 more than
    I could have got the cheapo ADA MC-1 I jumped on it. Yet another
    collectors item!

      Now I've upped the ante! Since the KH stuff is harder to get,
    items like the Quattro are close to impossible! I found a straight
    4x12 cabinet at the House of Guitars in Rochester, NY. They had
    two 100 watt heads (M1 and M3) and two cabs. I finally convinced
    them to let me but JUST the bottom cab. Anything they don't sell
    soon they may ship back to the distributor. They offered to sell
    me the 100 watt M1 head for $725. I paid $1100 for mine! I HATE
    when that happens. I called three stores before I bought mine.
      Anyway, I now have a full stack, two tube heads, and a rack 
    system all based around KH gear. I wasn't gonna buy the cabinet
    I just got until spring but I don't think I'd have much luck
    unless Kitty Hawk finds a new U.S. distributor. That would
    be nice.
    
      Hey Steve G. , How do ya like yer M1!
    
    						- john R 

    Re: .17
    
    Yo John!  You know the answer to that!  The 60W M1 head I bought
    is the best sounding amp this cat's ever played thru!!!  And thanks
    to all the helpful info in this note, I was able to pick it up for
    a mere $495.00. When I first started looking at them, I was expecting
    to pay between $900-$1000 for it. By the time this whole Roy Electric/
    LP Music Group situation came unravelled, I seriously considered
    buying two (for the price of one!)
    
    If it's any consolation about having paid $1100 for the 100W which
    ultimately came down to a $725 blow-out price,  I believe that Kitty
    Hawk equipment is such high-quality in terms of materials, construction
    and performance that they will hold their value well into the future.
    If Roy Electric ceases to exist altogeter, I'll bet that the value
    of Kitty Hawks will eventually rise.
    
    BTW-I bought some 6L6GC's for mine just to see what the difference
    in sound would be.  As LPMG says, there is more bass punch, but
    slightly less mid crunch.  It's great to be able to switch between
    6L6's and EL34's (not to mention Class A/Class AB).
    
    /Steve

    re: -.1
    
      Egad! $495 for a M1. That's a great price, I'm happy for ya (jealous).
    I played out with my stack this weekend, but instead of the M1 on
    top I used my rack. Now it's six and a half feet high! I don't have
    my programs fully set up for the M1 yet and I'll have to make a
    longer cord to control the channel switching on the M1 head from 
    the rack since it's up there. 
     My KH Quattro pre-amp runs off a short cable from KH MIDI patch
    bayette to switch channels. I played the KH rack/stack in a rock-em-up
    club Saturday and was incredibly pleased with the sound. My bass
    player's girl friend came up to me after the first set and said she
    never heard a Les Paul sound so good. Made my day! She hears
    a lot of bands and is fairly knowledgable about equipment. Of course
    the Les Paul deserves some credit but I'll pass the kudos over to
    the Kitty Hawk Quattro and Metaltronix SP1000 power amp. These two 
    pieces are the essence of the sound I've been trying to attain for some
    time. The ART SGE is a great effects unit but to really sound top
    notch has to be mated to a rig that's already HOT. Also- for the
    first time I ran my guitar signal direct into the board through
    a Red Box. Forget everything you ever heard aboud direct boxes sounding
    wimpy, it doesn't apply to the Red Box. I run from the speaker out
    of the SP1000 to the Red Box and out of the Red Box to my stage
    speakers. Full Sound out the fronts, no lie!
      Oh, I forgot one other reason I was so pleased with my sound-
    
      I played well- I'm usually modest, and I'll admit when I'm not
    playing at 100%. But I feel I played at my upper limit because I
    was happy with the rig.
      Also- A GTR player I used to play with just snapped up a KH Quattro
    preamp for $550. It came out of a dealer in Tennessee that shipped
    it back to the distributor when he heard about the rumblings in
    the company. He had played through my Quattro, loved it, and after
    four weeks of calling around finally found one.
    
      Set Mode/verbose=OFF
      In closing (finally) The M1 guitar head and Quattro preamp are
    the best pieces KH made. If any one can get a deal on them they
    are well worth the investment.

    I'm compelled to continue raving about the M1!  Last weekend
    was the first opportunity I've had to really crank the beast.
    I pushed the overdrive and master both up to 8 on the lead
    channel.  The tonal quality of the sound that followed was a
    religious experience!  This amp, which sounds incredible at
    low volumes, is absolutely unbelievable when opened up.  I'm
    now fully convinced that Kitty Hawks blow Boogies totally away.
    I know those are fighting words for alot of players so I wouldn't
    say it unless I really believed KH had the tone to back it up!
    
    I'm just lucky I selected the 60 watt, rather than the 100, so
    I have at least some small chance of retaining what's left of
    my hearing.  ;^)
    
    Steve_who_believes_Kitty_Hawk_would_have_been_more_appropriately_
    named_Tiger_Eagle

      Good, at least now everyone in the notes won't think I'm totally
    crazy for continuing to rave on KH (actually I've been quiet lately,
    I've been letting the amps do their own talking). You are absolutely
    right- the M1 has very few equals at lower volumes, where a lot of big
    name amps really s*ck. Then people say it can't sound like a
    Marshall when you crank. I agree with them. It's much better! The
    Kitty Hawks have both edge and definition, not to mention versatility!
      
    Status on Kitty Hawk:
        LP Music is still supporting the equipment it sold and parts
      aren't a problem. Some new equipment is still being sold from
      stock as well as some shipments that arrived from Germany. Even
      a few preamps! (Quattros and Testarossas)
        Apparently ROY Electric is still in business but the spinoff
      company, KH, is in question. Nonetheless Roy Electric has access
      to all components for the amp line.
        All M1, M3, and M5 models are available still at around half
      list. Sometimes more, sometimes a little less. 
    

>      <<< Note 1103.22 by USRCV1::REAUME "Supreme Court- Syracuse Hoop" >>>
>    Status on Kitty Hawk:
>        All M1, M3, and M5 models are available still at around half
>      list. Sometimes more, sometimes a little less. 
    
    Do you happen to have a number I could call to see where I can get more
    info (i.e., dealers)?
    
    Mike

    Kitty Hawk's exclusive U.S. distributor:
    
    	LP Music Group
    	160 Belmont Ave.
    	Garfield NJ 07026
    	(201) 478-6903
    	"Josh" handles KH product line
    
    Dealers in Northeast U.S.:
    
    	Providence Music, Providence RI
    	Hermies Music, Schenectady NY
	Music Warehouse, Portsmouth NH
    	Steves Music, Danvers MA
    	Northern Kingdom, Rockport ME

    
      I've had the best luck dealing with Alan @ Hermies Music in
    Schenectady, NY (518) 374-7433. He's seems to be able to get even
    the hardest to get Kitty Hawk gear (preamps). Not only did he get
    a Quattro for me, he got one for a friend of mine who went nuts when 
    he tried my Quattro. Other dealers told him they were unavailable!
       Now he's come up with a Testarossa preamp. This unit was introduced
    just as the sh*t was hitting the fan with the distributor. I bought
    it! It's similar to the Quattro with a few modifications. I'll
    elaborate when I give it the work out. I'm fairly sure there were
    VERY few Testarossas imported. The ads for it never even hit the
    mags. 
       I've considered selling my M3 KH head, but I need a practice
    amp, so now I'm thinking of taking the celestion G12-70M in my
    basement and turning my spare head into a combo amp for practice.
    Besides, every small amp I've tried for around $300 sound sh*tty
    compared to the M3. 
       I like a lot of amps (usually expensive ones), but I really
    haven't found much to beat KH. ( but d.b., I'll bet the Rivera is
    piece I'd find hard to knock as well). I'll get back after I take
    the Testarossa for a few laps (couldn't resist!).

      TESTAROSSA! Now I want the Ferrari to match the pre-amp. I know
    everyone expected this, but this is another great preamp. I'm sure
    a lot of people would think this unit would be competitive with
    the Quattro that already sold quite well, but there are some
    differences.
       For starters the input is moved to the rear ( on the Quattro
    the input was on the front, output was rear) and there is a seperate
    studio output with it's own independant level control. There are
    additional controls. The Quattro had 13 knobs, the Testarossa has
    16. There is a Hi-cut control that only affects the crunch rhythm
    mode. It controls the "bite", and is different from the treble control.
    The two lead modes have their own gains and masters, the Quattro
    had a common master for both lead modes. Also the main output is
    on the front (studio out control is in the back). The overall design
    is based on a five tube (12AX7) system, the Quattro is a four tuber.
    I've only had a day to mess with it, but it is every bit as good as 
    the Quattro that has only had raves, and some of the additional
    features seem to be an enhancement.
      There are two Quattros available through Hermies music (see -.1).
    Considering there aren't that many things that can go wrong with
    a preamp, anyone interested should check it out. I'm sure they won't
    be available for long. 

    
    	Mr Postman, look and see - if there's a M1 in your bag for me.
    Yikes!  In a moment of irrational consumer spending, I just bought a
    K/H M1 60w combo.  I heard that list was $1399.  I got it from Steve's
    Music in N.J., for $595.  I'm grateful to all (especially Steve), that
    helped me out.  Looks like the ole Dean Markley will be reassigned to
    backup duty.
    
    -pat
    

      Another one sold - you won't miss Dean Markley (not that they're
    that bad, the M1 is that good). Even with my rack rig, I still love
    firing up the M1 stack with the ART SGE in the effects loop (it
    matches levels real well, my Roland GP-8 didn't because there were
    no input/output adjustments in the unit). If you don't have a decent
    cabinet, check into a KH 4X12 or the Peavey 2X12 w/celestions would
    probably fit under the M1 head since it isn't full width (30") and
    it will easily handle the sixty watt head.
      I picked up the exotic wood combo cab (without amp chassis or
    speaker) for $75, the distributor had one sitting around!
      I'm putting my M3 sixty-watt head in the new cab with a spare
    G12-70 celestion I have. So now I'll have a sixty watt M3 combo,
    the M1 100 watt stack, a two piece rack system (one KH 1X12 speaker
    cab and the same cab converted to a rack cab), and the rack can
    use either the Quattro or Testarossa preamps and be controlled by
    the Kitty Hawk MIDI patch bayette which is switched by a KH foot
    controller.
      As far as the company goes, I got the word that the parent company,
    ROY Electric, is definitely still in business, AND there are still
    Kitty Hawk ads in the British guitar magazines! Maybe if someone
    has contact with someone in the U.K. they can get the scoop on the
    status of Kitty Hawk from the European side.
      Pat - enjoy your M1.

    O.K. I managed to read all of the replies to this note without falling 
    asleep. And I must say it hasn't been *that* bad until .30 came along.
    
    Frankly, I'm surprised it took you guys (STEVE) this long to cut up 
    Boogie (where BTW is how Kitty Hawk came into being).
    
    Yes, (save all the replies) I know that Boogie recieved its heritage
    from Fender. But Kitty Hawk (admit it Steve-arino) is a blatent copy 
    to the degree that they will be in court (ala Randall Smith) for
    copyright violations. (Steve - do you have the testicular fortitude to
    let the world in on the *real* story?)
    
    Yes they're GOOD amps. They rank up there (obviosly this is IMHO) with 
    Marshalls and Boogies (except for the Colliseum series Boogie). The
    slight differences between Kitty Hawk and a Boogie are plusses for some 
    and negatives for others. 
    
    BE THANKFULL THAT KITTY HAWK IS GOOD ENOUGH TO BE MENTIONED IN THE SAME
    SENTENCE AS MESA BOOGIE.
    
    :^)  :^)  :^)  ;^) ...........
    
    -BAP
     

      re: .32
       
      How do you know about the lawsuit situation. Was there anything
    in print or just something from the ugly rumour mill. I had heard
    (for what it's worth) that Boogie had tried to convince some
    music dealers (Sam Ash for one) not to carry Kitty Hawk because 
    they intended to sue them. There really can be only so many variations
    of the good old hot-rodded tube amp! The main distinction comes
    in the quality of components used and the gain and tonal qualities
    that result from a well concieved design. I really don't know if
    Boogie has enough ammo in the arsenal (money and evidence) to pull
    off a full blown international court case. One of Kitty Hawks claims
    to fame was that it achieved higher quality control by building
    its transformers in house. On top of that Kitty Hawk equipment was
    supposedly designed on a in-house CAD system. 
      The lawsuit I assume only applies to the amp heads. In particular
    the M1 model because of its class switching capabilities. Is there
    really more than one way to accomplish class switching in a tube
    power amp stage without violating the Boogie Simul-class patent
    if that is the matter of concern in court. 
      I'm sure the KH rack gear is a whole different story. There doesn't
    seem to be much of a resemblence there.
    
      I won't cut down Boogie, Marshall, Rivera and most of the other
    mega-priced equipment. At the same time I feel that Kitty Hawk deserves
    a place among those names and offers some differences. BUT --- Nothing
    can touch Kitty Hawk in the price range the dealers have been blowing
    stuff off for. I'm glad a few people in this file have taken advantage!

>    its transformers in house. On top of that Kitty Hawk equipment was
>    supposedly designed on a in-house CAD system. 
    
    CAD systems are plenty proof also.  There was a lawsuit recently
    settled here in Arizona where a golf club company had to pay damages to
    the Ping Golf club company for copying a design.  The final pieces of 
    evidence presented were CAD drawing overlays showing the duplication.
    
    Re: the new owner of the M1 (Pete?)
    
    How do you like your new Kitty?  Was it worth buying something you
    haven't seen or heard?
    
    Mike

      re -.1  You mean your Marshall has a coffee maker built in? 
    WOW, that beats anything out there (agagagagag). That would be great
    for the all-night jams! 
      Hey, seriously, if someone from this conference ( I know who you
    are ) wants to check out my "cats", I'm in Syracuse, NY, drop me
    a line. If that's too far to travel you'd probably have to find a 
    dealer near you to check one out. I'm sure Steve and Pat didn't
    buy based on just my praise! I do have more KH gear than most dealers,
    AND it's all configured to ROCK out!
      Also Alan ( @Hermies Music ) mentioned that a dealer he knows
    in New Jersey was putting the Kitty Hawk rack preamps in package
    deals with the Metaltronix SP1000 power amp. I mentioned to Alan
    that that's my set-up Along with the ART SGE and it works really well. 
    I play out with that rig every weekend. Alan plays in a band called 
    "Triffid" and uses the Kitty Hawk tube power amp in his rack with 
    the KH Quattro preamp and a Korg A3 multieffects unit.

With respec to the lawsuit by Boogie, according to my local ex_boogie dealer
Randal told him that they were in fact suing as Kitty Hawk stold the preamp
design that Paul Rivera did for boogie years ago...

for what it's worth

dbii in Rivera land...(I'm sure the Kitty Hawks are real nice)

    I don't doubt that, nobody (but NOBODY) EVER blows out Boogies!  I've
    never even seen one on sale...  Pretty much the same with Marshalls. 
    These are high demand amps, there's no reason for dealers to have to
    compromise on the price.
    
    Greg (how says if he didn't get a good deal on an MP-1 he'd have been
    looking at Kittys REAL hard)

    re: .44
    
    The point we Kitty Cats have been trying to make here is that
    Kitty Hawks *do* beat the sound of *any* Boogie (or Marshall
    for that matter.) Their marketing attempt seems to have failed
    in the USA but they are definitely superior amps, IMHO.
    
    Actually, an amps sound quality is such a subjective area, we
    could continue to go round and round here indefinitely . . .
    I prefer the sound of my M1 over the Marshall 2205 I used to
    own . . I also like the M1 sound better than a friend's Boogie
    Simulclass.  Marshalls and Boogies are great, but I prefer the
    sound of the Kitty Hawk.
    
    I should probably apologize for starting this rumble! I was
    just overly enthusiastic about my new amp!!
    
    Ciao,
    Steve

    
      Damn- I hate it when I miss a rumble! I log in after a few days-
    BAM! - 50 replies! I don't think I could tune any of my Kitty's
    to sound any better. One other KH plus that I haven't elaborated
    on. I've noticed that the idle volume even in the high-gain modes
    on both my rack preamps and M1 are considerably quieter than a
    lot of other amps. It sort of sets you back when you first crunch
    out a lead. 

      My exotic wood cab should be here any day now. BTW- Is there an
    official Boogie Bashers note or is this it? (agagagag). I've been
    really fired up on my Testarossa. I'm thinking of putting it in
    my main rack and putting the Quattro in the back-up rack. Both have
    great sounds (notice the plural). 
      Also, I know where Quattro seconds can be obtained for less than
    $400. There might be a few scratches on them, but they are
    functional. And don't tell Randall Smith. Send mail to 
    USRCV1::REAUME if interested. 
						-john r.

	Dare I admit that the 6L6GC's I put in my M1 were Boogie tubes?
	(Oh no!  I can already hear the replies - "No wonder your Kitty
	Hawk sounds so good . . .")

	And in a demonstration of my peaceful intentions, I even put the
	Boogie bumpersticker (which was included with the tubes) on my
	car!

	I wonder how Randall Smith would feel about that?  He probably
	would've sent me mismatched tubes if he'd known what I was going
	to do with them!!  B*)

	Steve

      I went home for lunch today - UPS left another box for me! My
    cabinet showed up and it is really sharp. Mucho better than the
    Carvin Oak combos they used to sell in their mail order catalog.
      Nice finish (that I'll have to protect). I've already mounted 
    my M3 chassis and celestion in it. That took approximately 
    15 minutes. Now I have an empty head (no jokes folks). 
      $75 for the cabinet,  I'm not complaining! 

    
          Hey Pat - are you still waiting? 

    re: .44
    
    >      > ...never seen Boogies(or Marshalls) on sale.
    >
    >Then you havn't looked good enough.
    
    I suppose I've seen Marshalls on sale...but not for HALF price like
    they're dumping the Kittys for.  I think they are good quality amps and
    are definately an excellent deal right now.  I suppose with a larger
    market you could find Boogies (or other high demand items) on sale, but
    I live in Colorado Springs and there's a lotta demand, so sales are
    rare if ever.
    
    You seemed to insinuate that I don't like Boogies or Marshalls, but
    that's not true at all.  I like Boogies and Marshalls!  
    
    re: Will
    
    None of the dealers in the Springs carry (or carried) Kitty Hawk. 
    There may be somewhere in Denver, but I wouldn't count heavily on it. 
    
    Greg

    As I read about more and more ecstatic recent KH owners, I can see
    that this note is not a Boogie-bashing note, but rather a discussion
    about price versus performance.  For instance, not very many people
    jumped in when the 60 Watt M1 was priced at $1500 - but now that
    it is about 600 we have people happy with their sound...  So what
    I hear is that the recent proliferation of hot-rodded tube based
    amps is seriously overpriced.
    
    As a second point, I can't help but wonder where this current 
    re-evolution of tubes is or can go - in the opening note the
    writer was candid in saying that the amp sounded like a
    heavily processed KH.  The trend toward heavily processed has
    certainly arrived.
    
    In looking for maximum bang for the buck, I am happier every
    day with SGE that I have been tinkering with.  I still can't
    figure out why they chose those factory presets - they have
    way too much treble and distortion - after some rather
    basic modifications I am hearing some good sounds, in
    stereo with real-time midi patch and parameter change.
    (Yeah, you need a device to generate the data, but the
    point is that a processed sound is not too hard to build.)
    
    Lastly, I certainly wonder if the amplifyer manufacturers
    are listening to people like us, and if so, when can we
    buy a reasonably priced amp built with tubes and great
    sound processing ?    Seems like the current alternative
    is a rack full of equipment with eaxh device filling some
    sort of specialized need, and once again costing more than
    a used car...
    

    
    Re: .57
    
    I think manufacturers have shied away from including lots of processing
    because of the "all-or-nothing" syndrome, that is, what do you do if
    you love the clean sound, hate the distortion, love the chorus, hate
    the reverb, etc. 
    
    While it hasn't happened in tube amps yet, the trend in solid state is
    amps with on-board distortion, chorus and reverb, in stereo....witness
    all the stereo chorus amps that have been marketed over the last few
    years.  Peavey has already marketed amps with MIDI-programmable presets
    and digital reverbs, and with the Rockman XP-100 finally on the street,
    we can expect to see more of these beasts.  
    
    							Brian

    Pat or John R.,
    
    Do either of you know what the M5 (45 watt) entry level combos are going 
    for now?
    
    Mike

    We're all waiting patiently for Pats amp to come home so we can
    go over with our guits, drink his beer, play his amp, and generally
    be quite obnoxious.  Perhaps he knows this and isn't telling us
    that his amp HAS arrived and he is selfish enough to want to play
    it first...without all of us twisting knobs and pushing buttons
    over his shoulder.  Hmmm...Some friend Pat.   ;^)
    
    jc

	The praise continues to roll in from people who hear my M1:

	Last night my band auditioned a new vocalist. He commented that
	my Les Paul had the ballsiest tone he'd heard in a long time.

	I didn't bother to clarify that there was really nothing special
	about my Les Paul . . that the tone was being produced by the
	Kitty Hawk.

	Steve

    I just called Josh at the distributor to see what he had left.  Sorry
    to hear that he's out of the M1 60wt combo (he said they're the most
    popular).   Sounds like he knows John, Pat, and Steve pretty well :-).
    He also told me that they did distribute to the Guitar Shop in
    Scottsdale, AZ and Workshop Music in Tucson, AZ.   He thinks they still
    have some models and I'm going to go down there tomorrow to check out
    these Kittys.  What Josh had:
    
    M1    100wt    $475  (listed for $1560)
    M3     60wt    $385
    M3    100wt    $425

    Well, the beast (M1 60w combo) arrived last Friday.  I played with it 
    til midnite before I cashed in my chips.  It was like going several 
    rounds with Ali.  I would *carefully* adjust the knobs to a high setting 
    and then jump back.  I was afraid it would bite me.  I now use completely 
    different settings on my guitar (strat) and amp than I did with my Dean 
    Markley.  This amp has unreal low end, mid, and treble.  The distorted 
    settings like my bridge pickup while the clean setting likes neck/rhythm 
    pickups.  The clean channel can also be overdriven nicely also by jacking 
    up the clean volume control and varying the clean master control.  As 
    Steve noted (he's already wailed on it), you can strum lightly for a true 
    clean sound and then get nasty (strum harder) for a biting, natural(?) 
    distortion (ala SRV).  One bummer.  The reverb don't work.  LP Music said 
    I could get it fixed locally though and they'd pick up the tab.  I heard 
    LP is out of M1 60w combo's as of last Monday.  Considering I got mine 
    for $595, I'm a very happy camper.  I'd like to try it thru another 
    speaker cab some day to see how it drives more than one speaker.  I'll 
    bet it will Boogie...

    -pat

	re: .-1

	It actually took me a couple of weeks to become completely
	familiar with my M1.  The eq section has an amazing range
	to it, which can be used to produce a wide variety of sounds
	for different playing styles.  As KH's promotional brochures
	say, the amp has 'unprecedented bass response.'  If you want
	to use your neck pickup for some lead work, experiment with
	the presence control.  A very interesting transition occurs
	when the presence is set to 8 or above.  I leave the treble
	on the clean channel set to about 5 - that way it's not too
	piercing when I use the bridge pickup in the rhythm mode. If
	you want a really smooth, natural overdrive, you can switch to
	class A operation. In that mode it becomes easy to overdrive
	the amps output section.

	That's bogus that your reverb doesn't work, but it should be
	pretty simple to have repaired and if LPMG will pick up the
	tab, then you're all set.

	I've been running mine thru a 4x12, half open, half closed
	celestion loaded cab - the sound is incredible.

	The following are a few pointers (some obvious) to keep
	your Kitty healthy, happy and fat:

		. Make sure the bias switch is in the correct
		position for the output tubes you're using.
			(M1's come stock w/ EL34's)

		. Don't power the amp on without a speaker of
		the correct impedance connected.

		. Make sure the amp is in standby mode for 30
		seconds each time you power it on.

		. Don't switch between Class A and Class AB
		unless you're in standby or powered off.


	Anyhow, congrats on your new amp!  Give us an additional
	review after you've played with it for awhile.

	Steve

    re: .78
    
    I wouldn't count on it . . they've been blowing these things out
    since before I bought mine back in August.  From what I gather,
    their inventory is getting pretty low . . perhaps there would be
    some left, but probably not the more popular models.  It remains
    to be seen if another distributor will emerge . . .
    
    re: .79
    
    Sure,  I work up at DDD on Amherst St. in Nashua . . . how about
    sometime after the long weekend?   Send me some vaxmail and we'll
    set up a time.
    
    Steve

    
      The remainder of Kitty Hawk gear seems to be moving fast out there,
    with a little help from EASYnet! First to sell out was the rack
    preamps. It looks like the M1 will be next. The 60watt combo's are
    history unless some obscure store has them in stock. There may be
    a few M1 heads around though. I bet they would sit well on a 2X12
    speaker cab! 
      Here's a few places to call:
         Lentine's music  	(216)434-3138   Akron, Ohio
         Hermie's music store   (518)374-7433   Schnectady, NY
    	 Real guitar    	  n/a   	San Francisco, CA
    	 Bremer music          ad in back of guitar player (Wisconsin?)
    
      	Hermie's has a 60 watt M1 head in stock at a great price as well
       as a 60 watt M3 and 45 watt M5. He also has 3 Quattro pre-amps
       and he seems to be the only one that ghets them! Alan is the
       guy to talk to at Hermie's.
        Lentine's has 3 M1 100 watt heads and some M5 combo's. They
       have moved quite a bit of KH gear as well.
    
        Pat- I'm glad you got your amp finally. 
    
    							-john r.

    I gather from all the ravings that these are great sounding amps.
    I have to wonder what Kitty Hawk owners plan to do in the event
    of a breakdown. Is there any guarentee that you will be able to
    have them serviced? What if you break things like knobs, switches,
    etc? Is Kitty Hawk totally defunct, or are they just not being
    distributed in the US any longer ?
    
    What would be considered a "blowout price" on a Quattro preamp ?
    How does the Quattro compare with say, a Mesa Boogie Quad ?
    
    Just curious !!
    
    Mark
    

    
    re: -.1
    
    Ah yes Mark, you have captured the essence of the gamble, for it is
    indeed a gamble.  Nothin' is free, and we're gambling on both good
    reliability and our own ingenuity to get repairs done if needed.
    I'm sure most all the KH owners asked for schematics.  Also, the amp 
    design is such that I doubt if any one part could not be replaced
    with either KH (ROY Electric) or other make parts.  Personally, I intend 
    to base our Field Service group's customer satisfaction inputs solely 
    on their ability to fix my amp when needed.  How long parts will be 
    available is a big issue, but again, part of the gamble when weighing 
    price vs. quality/performance.  
    
    Did I mention I drive a '68 Dodge Charger (and a '68 Chevy truck)?
    I have to deal with parts/service issues everyday!
    
    -pat
    

    
      There are only a few parts in any tube amp design that are 
    proprietary. Those are usually the transformers. Kitty Hawk's
    transformers are of the highest quality , ROY Electric (the parent
    company) has been making industrial transformers for years in Europe).
    Tubes are the most common thing to break down but are also the easiest
    to replace. Yes, I would be careful of the knobs, switches and things
    that could break due to abuse, but there are suppies available.
    The relays used to switch channels are off-the-shelf Siemens parts
    so that's not a real problem. LP Music has found a second source
    for transformers in the event there is a problem with one.
      The best price I've heard for a Quattro pre-amp is $525. Keep
    in mind this was Kitty Hawk's hottest seller. I would say from prices
    I've gotten ( and others on the net) that the M1 is the biggest
    STEAL as far as a deal to be had. If they were originally selling
    at these prices I don't think they'd be able to keep up with the
    demand. IMHO, but WTF. 
    						-john r. 

	Serviceability is a concern . . . but virtually all electronic
	components within the M1 are 'off-the-shelf' type stuff which
	can be purchased at any electronic supply house.  After all,
	vacuum tube technology has been around for decades.  With the
	schematics, a good technician should be able to repair about
	99% of what might go wrong . . . the only parts that I really
	worry about are the transformers-those suckers are essentially
	hand-built by ROY Electric.  If a transformer were to fry, it
	would be a mad scramble to try and find a replacement.  I've
	gotten into the habbit of performing a pre-flight checklist
	before powering it up.

	But in the final analysis, the sound quality is well worth the
	risk.  Wouldn't you agree, Pat?

	Steve

       	  Keep in mind the second sourcing on some of these components.
    	There are a few companies that will custom build transformers
	to original specifications. I think that's what LP music is
    	doing. Steve's idea of a "pre-flight" checklist is a good one.
        A lot of failures come out of not doing the right thing! The
    	30 second warm-up period is a good idea. Hey, you're not supposed
    	to pop a car in gear right after starting it up either. And
   	I wouldn't think throwing the class switch during operation
    	would be healthy for any amp equipped with one. 
          Hey Pat- I'm still waiting for my M1 combo! I'm glad mine
        didn't beat yours. I think you would've got upset.

	I took a trip to the pet store (I mean music store) over the
	long weekend and saw a lonely little kitty (hawk) in the window.

	I knew that my kitty back home longed for a playmate, from its
	constant bluesy wailing, so how could I resist? Now I have twins,
	and I don't mean Fenders.  

	Please welcome a new member to my family of Kittys: a second M1
	60W head.  A must for using stereo effects! Update the inventory
	check in a previous reply: Hermies Music no longer has an M1 head
	in stock.

	Also, a gypsy woman told me that there's another noter out there
    	tuned into 1103 who has become afflicted with the M1 strain of
    	Kitty Hawk fever.  We're patiently waiting for a review, Bill.

    
    
    	  TWO more Kitty Hawks sold! Looks like you talked to Alan
    	at Hermies. I knew what the price was on the 60 watt head.
    	Are you saying Bill bought one? What model? Is he a convert
    	from Boogie or Marshall land? 
    	  M3's are probably still available. I can't really knock them
    	since the M3 was my first KH amp. And the prices on those are
    	really low.
    
    						- john r.

    Yeah, I talked to Alan - he's a nice guy.  I didn't tell him I
    already had one though. They had the M1 marked at a discounted
    price of $799. When I tried it out, he told me he'd let me have
    it for $650.  I talked with him for awhile and he came down to
    $500.  Sold.  Bill bought one too, but I'd better let him tell
    his own story.
    
    Hermies still has 3 or 4 M3's, an M5,  a quattro and some other
    rack gear, and a 4x12 cab.  Josh says LPMG still has a few M1
    heads left,  more 60's than 100's.
    

    re: -1
    
    I'm not really adament about Marshalls for any good reason...it's just
    that it was the first amp I had (50wt 2x12 combo), and I've owned about
    12 different Marshalls since then.  I just always seem to come back to
    one cuz they do what they do very cool, and I happen to like that
    sound.  If you don't like what they do, then you don't like them, but
    they are their own beasts and can't be imitated!
    
    I like a Boogie for some stuff, and would like to hear a Kitty Hawk.
    I'm open minded.  I think they Metaltronix amps sound great..too bad
    they re-arrange furnature when you play through them!  I even heard
    a solid-state Crate recently that had a nice tone to it.

      	  I got my M1 "factory second". Yeah- there's a small rip in
    	the grill cloth and a little ding in the tolex (really little).
    	But LPMG said they couldn't sell it as new so it's MINE! The
    	M1 chassis is already mounted in my exotic wood cabinet 
        (which BTW is in perfect condition) and the M3 is moved into
    	the "second" combo cabinet ready to roll out to a friend of
        mine who wants to buy it. Both amps went through flight testing
    	on completion of the swap- all systems go. My M1 combo is a
    	KILLER is looks and sound.
    	  Anyone wanna hear a drawback to my swapout deal? I betcha
    	do! I found out the four holes on the top of the amp chassis
    	didn't line up with the cabinet holes. This was not a difference
    	between M1's and M3's. Later models of the heads and combos
    	added metal corners to the top front of the cabinet case where
        before it was just tolex. This neccessitated moving the mounting
    	holes for the front two screws back behind the metal corners.
    	The back two screws still line up. So I'll drill two new holes
    	in the chassis and either tap them or use the clip-on nuts 
    	(and make sure they are secure). It's a minor price to pay for
    	the price I paid!
      	  Two other things that changed on the M1 and M3 during the
    	production run. Later units used new pots with metal shafts.
    	You can tell by looking at them. The metal shafted pots will
    	stick out about a 16th of an inch from the faceplate, plastic
    	shafts are practically flush. Also the output transformer in
    	the newer amps used lead wires to the output circuitry, earlier
   	ones had the transformer wires tied right to the circuit board.
    	The change allowed the circuit board to have better isolation
    	from the chassis. 
    
    		Well Bill?
    
    							-john r. 

    re: -1
    
    Ok, I *was* confused on your KW setup...now I'm *REALLY* confused!!!
    
    How many of thsoe suckers do you have, and how are you running them?!?
    What's with these wooden cabinet things you mention?
    
    Herr Confusedmeister

      Ya know- I'm confused too, but if I write everything down I know
    what I got ( a freaking warehouse ). I haven't sold anything yet.
    I can assure you of this. I DO use this gear a LOT. It's my practice
    gear, main gig-rig, back-up gig-rig, and a cover-yer-ears stack.
    I honestly will only play out with the stack around 4 times a year
    when we do a showcase job (big bucks,big promo). I use the rack
    systems on most jobs, and will use the combo for practice.
      Keep in mind I sold ALL my other amps (Marshall, KMD) and wouldn't
    have bought as much Kitty Hawk gear if I didn't get some incredible
    prices. I would probably just have one rack system and a M1 head
    as well as a coulple speakers. 
      Since I'm 99% sure I've got all the KH gear I could possibly get
    here's the inventory:
    
    
    		RACK #1				RACK #2
     
	     KH Testarossa preamp	     KH Quattro preamp
    	     KH MIDI patch bayette	     KH MIDI patch bayette
    	     ART SGE multieffects	     Roland GP-8
    	     Korg DT-1 pro tuner	     
     	     Metaltronix SP1000 power amp
    
    	Both racks are MIDI controlled thru a KH MIDI foot controller
	
    		 	Kitty Hawk M1 100 watt head
    			KH "slant"    4X12 speaker cabinet
    			KH "straight" 4X12 speaker cabinet
			KH "compact"  1X12 speaker cabinet
    			KH M1 60 watt exotic wood combo (1X12)
    
    
      The 4X12 speaker cabinets are essentially Marshall clones loaded
    with celestion G12-70M's. I usually run the stack just through the
    top cab since it's really adequate like that. 
      The racks I usually fire up into the compact cabinet but have
    used the slant 4X12 on occasion. I D.I. out of the rack through
    the H & K Red Box since it sounds so good. 
      The exotic wood combo cabinet is a hardwood cabinet with dovetailed
    joints. It has a nice sealed finish on it and a cane-type grill
    cloth. It's the same dimension as the black tolex cabinet just
    really nice looking. Taking care not to ding it up is gonna be a
    b*tch. I hope I've cleared up some of the confusion.

    Yo John, just out of curiosity, which patch bayettes have you
    got?  KH makes a model I and a model II, but I'm not sure what
    the difference is. Also, shame on you for using the Metaltronix
    power amp. You should have got the KH all-tube stereo power amp.
    Ya know, dis German equipment verks bettar ven de bloodline is
    kept pure!
    
    Steve
    (who values the differences between Kitty Hawks and other amps)

      re .101
    
        Sure, If I could have gotten the KHPWR-1 rack power amp at
      a good price I'm sure I would have it. I had mentioned it a 
      while back that these were near impossible to find. I have 
      NO shame for using the Metaltronix power amp. It really does 
      sound great with either KH preamp, your rack can sound only as
      good as the weakest link in the audio chain. I'm a very jaded
      tube amp man (especially M1's!) so my praise for the Metaltronix
      didn't come easy until I'd put it to the test.
    
        re: 102 

        Hey J.C.- the racks and combo don't take up that much space,
      it's the stack that helps fill my basement.     
    
    						-john r.
    

    John, Steve, Pat,
    
    Have any of you tried an acoustic through the KH amps yet?  If so, how
    did you feel about the results?
    
    Mike

    Mike-
    
    No, I haven't had the opportunity to try an acoustic thru the M1,
    however I do believe that there is enough flexibility with this
    amp that you could make it do just about anything you wanted it
    to. (Obviously, you're getting a biased opinion here.)
    
    BTW, if you have trouble locating one to demo during your trip to
    Chelmsford, send me some vaxmail and we can arrange for you to stop
    over and check out mine (I'm situated fairly close to Chelmsford.)
    I'll also extend that offer to anyone who's interested and hasn't
    been able to get to a KH dealer, just send vaxmail.
    
    Steve

    re .112 
       I've put my Ovation through the Kitty Hawk M1 and both preamps
    with good results, but I think that if you were strictly playing
    acoustic you really can't use the channel switching and that's where
    the KH shines. The clean and crunch rhythm sounds are warm on all
    my kittys and the acoustic guitar can be prone to feedback in the
    crunch setting. The lead channels would just be total feedback with
    an acoustic unless you really cut down on the gain. 
       BTW - I am using the MIDI patch bayette 1, not the 2. Mine has
    two assignable function switches for amp channel assignment and six effects 
    loops that can be MIDI switched. The #2 bayette has the two function
    switches and 6 additional function switches. I think it might have
    something like an A/B out for MIDI switching to different amps but
    I'm not sure  since I don't have the literature with me. KH was
    coming out with a new high-end MIDI patch bay called the Auto-switch.
    It has four MIDI outs and from what I understand could route
    different information in different MIDI channels. It is two rack
    spaces high and also had programmable function switches that could
    be on/off or momentary. I've never seen one but I was asked if I
    wanted to buy it. You might find it hard to believe but I refused
    it. I was also offered a "Grand Lead" amp. Essentialy that is a
    M1 amp before it became that designation. Early M1's had "grand
    lead" etched in the circuit board. The M3's were originally called
    "ringleader". I prefer the M designation better.
      I've been using my Testarossa a lot (in rack #1) and really like
    it. Having two Lead Master controls instead of one is real nice.
    I have one lead channel set to cut over the top, but it doesn't
    quite make it if  our drummer is really pounding. That's what
    Lead channel two is for. I have that set to cut through anything!
    I'm still trying to get schematics for it though. I might even 
    try writing to Germany for them.
    						-john r.

    
    I tried out some 6L6's I picked up at a electronics shop (GE's $14.25 ea)
    just for fun.  There was a subtle difference, but I liked it.  Made my
    M1 60w combo have a deeper/smoother bass.  It also seemed to take a
    little edge off through out the freq range - kinda warmer (do we got a 
    different word for warmer?).  This animal already had an outrageous
    bass sound and I didn't expect it to get better.  I also like the stock
    El34's but it seems like the 6L6's reproduce the bass more accurately.  
    BTW, I also wold like to extend the offer to anyone visiting Greenville 
    (S.C.) to hear this beast.  I feel like I'm beginning to get comfortable 
    with it lately and I am just pleased as hell.  I just can't imagine
    what the 100 watt unit sounds like.  I've never played any Boogies or
    Marshalls, but if I saw one at a red light I'd drag race 'em!  

    Pat-
    
    I figured it would take a while for you to get familiar with the
    M1. I also knew it would blow you away when you got to that point.
    
    Did you get the reverb fixed yet?  I've had the opportunity to play
    the 100-watter.  It's just the same sound with more b*lls, if you
    can imagine that. (I know it's not easy!)
    
    Steve

      WELL.... isn't Bill (who supposedly bought the M1) gonna speak
    up, or is he a R.O.M. (read only member)? I wondered if there was
    really more than three of us that grabbed up M1-60w combos. 
      And if anyone came near MY rack with water I'd jab with the 
    pointed headstock of my B.C. Rich.
    						-john r.

re .83
    
	Actually in response to Mark buyin a Kitty Hawk is no worse than 
buyin a vintage Fender even though with a vintage fender you know there are 
plenty of them around which you can get parts from. It's cheaper to buy another
amp for those parts than to purchase individual transformers. For example a 
power transformer for a Super Reverb could run you $150 to$170 plus instal-
lation. 
	I've heard there are places(around Worcester)which rewind your old 
Transformer,however I've never heard how much and where.
	The Kitty Hawk saga? Well it's up to the Lawyers now........

	I tip my hat to Randall Smith,for promoting Copyright and Patent
	laws here in the USA by protecting what belongs to his company.
	Beside's I bet most of you guy's would never have your KH's if 
	it wasn't for him. Right? Or is it a KH marketing scheme?
        	
						:^) ... :^)...

						Rick

    
        A replacement tranformer for the preamps runs $40. I'm sure
    the output transformers in 100 watt M1's would be around $100.
    LP Music had a price of $62 on the 60 watt output transformers if
    obtained through ROY electric. Second source prices may be different
    depending on volume (quantity of Xformers built, not amp volume).
    I'll be the first to post if I have a problem. 
        A "junker" parts amp isn't a bad idea. There's a lot of things
    you can use off one. Hopefully the part you need isn't the reason
    it's a junker! 
    							-boomer
                                                               

    	I would also find out what a power supply transformer will
    run you. I'm not advocating stocking parts or scrap amp's,but
    consider 10 years down the road when you want to repair you
    "Vintage" amp.....
    						Rick
    

    
    Last night at band rehearsal, my Kitty was making some awesome
    new sounds . . . I think it was in heat.
    
    8^)

    
    Yee - Haw!  Field Service fixed my reverb!  Five bucks in parts.  
    As soon as it powered on I could tell it was fixed.  A shorted diode
    and a blown amplifier chip.  I think the chip caused the diode to 
    fail - or maybe it was the other way around.  I'm so glad I'm such 
    a patient guy...
    
    -pat (gotta ear to ear grin)
    
    
    			-	-
    			0	0
    
    	(o				        o)
    			    >
    
    	\________________________________________/
    
    			    

      Hey- where U at? Maybe we should set up a KH repair depot!
    I don't need anything fixed, but it's nice to know where to go
    when you do. I'm in customer service and I know we'll do anything
    (almost) to make a buck. I've worked on more Emulex, Systems
    Industries,Kennedy, and Fujitsu crap than I care to see. Actually
    I should set myself up with a dummy speaker load and check out more
    on how these tubes work. I'll admit I'm only vaguely familiar with
    vacuum tube operation. 
      It's great that you're back at 100%. Are you gonna bill LPMG
    for the service? I'm sure they won't mind coughing up some money
    but don't hit em with out minimun charge ($300). So, I'm gonna
    check the DEC maintenance options book for a DECKH-M1.
      
      I've been wailing on my M1 "second". Whatadeal! The M1 is really
    an impressive sound when set up as a stack or combo. As a combo
    you just don't expect such a big ballsy sound, it really catches
    you off guard. 
      Once again (I'm getting used to it), a guitar player from a 
    rival band made it out to see us Saturday night. He came over after
    the first set and said "What the hell are you playing through".
    He's always been a big "Marshall Roooolz" fan, like Buck, but I'm
    not surprised he was interested in my rig. He didn't believe it
    could be so good at clean, and then switch to MEAN. That's my
    Testarossa! 
    						-john r.

   Time to come out of the closet.  I got an M1 60W combo from Steve's in
   Danver's a couple weeks ago.  At the time, they had one M1 combo left
   (hardwood, a little used, asking $899), and at least one each M3 and M5.
   The hardwood looked great -- anybody hear of an empty case, let me know...

   I'd like to tinker with the direct out for recording.  Are there any
   special hints?  The schematics show a balanced tap from the the speaker
   transformer to a tip/ring/sleeve guitar jack.  It appears I need to wire
   an adapter cable with a TRS plug at one end and a male XLR at the other.
   Then use an XLR to HI-Z transformer to get into the guitar jacks on my 244.
   Right?   Is there a convention for mapping the tip/ring/and sleeve to the
   1-2-3 pins on an XLR?

   I'm trying to quiet all the little buzzes.  The carrying strap and the
   transformer have both been tightened/shimmed/quieted, but there's one
   left around Eb and one a little softer at Bb.  I've tried touching
   and wiggling everything I can reach whilst sustaining the note, but
   can't find the source.  Any ideas?

   Enjoy,
   Dave

    
    Dave, I too had a strap handle and transformer buzz.  The strap buzz
    kinda embarrassed me.  Some other ideas.  One is check the heat/radio 
    shield right above the chassis.  I removed mine and applied a thin layer 
    of silicone then put it back with a lot more staples.  Also, I noticed 
    the handle screws were about an eighth inch too long and consequently 
    made contact with the heat shield.   I hack sawed 'em off.   Also, you 
    can use some thin fiber or rubber washers on the chassis mounting screws 
    to isolate it from the cabinet.  I also put "dabs" of silicone on the top 
    corners of the chassis and let them harden before I reinstalled it for 
    more cushioning.  If that doesn't work you can make a test stand from 
    wood to hold the chassis while you check for other vibrations.  Remember 
    to keep the speaker hooked up when powered up.  This will help you to 
    determine if it is the cabinet or the chassis.  If the buzz goes away 
    during bench testing, it is probably the chassis.  I did all this shit 
    including putting a silicone bead around the inside of the speaker board 
    and adding additional screws w/finishing washers PLUS I put foam rubber 
    inside the walls and floor of the cab before I found the the stinking 
    transformer - Aarrrgg!  Once I fixed the tranformer buzz, I decided my 
    other mods were WAY cool and thus time well spent (sure Pat).  My M1 is
    now a bullet-proof 60w on steroids.
    

   Thanks, Pat.  I got lucky and found the strap/Xformer troubles right
   away.  Seems like the other two fixes must be more elaborate. :-(
   The RFI shield/chassis grommets inside the top could be a good guess.
   The Eb buzz was semi-stoppable when I *really* leaned on the cab.

   What's a Traynor?  Izzat an insult?
   Dave

    
    Re .130
    	Dave, just (A) use a regular guitar cord from the TRS jack to
    	the Hi imp input on the board, or (B) make a cord with a A3M
    	Cannon plug on one end, and a 1/4" stereo plug on the other.
    	
    	If you use (A), the signal is no longer balanced, and you really
    	don't need a lo to hi transformer in line. All this does is con-
    	nect one side of the balanced output to ground. 
    	If you use an inexpensive inline lo-hi transformer, your
    	frequency response suffers, besides being redundant. The signal
    	is already coming off a transformer. Although it is balanced,
    	(center-tapped), using only one tap will accomplish the same thing.
    
    	If you use (B), use it between the TRS output and a MIC input
    	and the signal remains balanced. It is important that this
    	cable be assembled correctly to maintain phase integrity of
    	the balanced feature. 
    	On both the TRS and the A3M, Pin 1 is gnd (shield), Pin 2 is +,
    	or hot, which is the industry standard on most units EXCEPT Peavey,
    	where they use Pin 3 as hot. This is connected to the TIP of
    	the TRS. Pin 3 is -, or return, and is connected to the RING
    	of the TRS. If you have the schematic for your mixer, check the
    	XLR input wiring.
    	
    	Neal
    

    
    
          Thanx Neal- I've run into the peavey XLR reversal problem
    	in our monitor amp set-up. I bought a switchcraft adapter for 
    	reversing the reversal (made the 180 a 360!). I haven't used
        the "direct injection" output on my M1's yet. I do run the
    	speaker out into the H & K Red Box then out to the speaker
    	cab. My Testarossa preamp has a second output on the back labeled
    	"studio out" with a pot for output level. This is in addition
    	to the regular output that feeds the rack. I've gotta try it
    	into my multitracker sometime.
    	  Also- I haven't had a problem with the buzz in my KH M1 stack
    	set up or rack gear, but I have run across the resonant handle
    	in my combo and 1X12 extension cabinet. It's easy to shim it
    	out. I did tighten down one transformer mount on the M1 combo
    	that was recently shipped. Other than that it was rock solid.
    						-john r. 

	hey! yooz guyz from south carolina!  The yangtzee river
	just called to let me know that they can't continue to
	keep your food warm for ya!

	Seriously, it was great to be able to connect node names
	with faces!!!  Mike is right, we should try to get together
	more often.

	BTW- Mike, so what'd ya think of the M1?  Was it worth all
	this ranting and raving???

	and Buck, just let me know whenever you want to be converted
	over from those Marshalls!  8^)

	Steve

      
      I'm not sure if it's still available but Josh at LPMG had
    the exotic wood cabinet in the warehouse. It was loaded with 
    a celestion but w/o a amp chassis. I bought my wood cab as
    a shell and put  the amp and speaker in it.   Looks great.
    I mounted the KH logo horizontal instead of vertical though,
    since all my other KH's are horizontal. I think Josh wanted 
    around $135 for the cabinet. If someone does buy one I highly 
    recommend a road case to keep the wood looking good. 
       My Testarossa prints are (hopefully) coming from Germany. 
    That should complete the file!
    
      Sometime in the next three to four weeks I'm having t-shirts
    made up w/ the KH logo on the front and the slogan "dedicated to the
    art of sound" on the back. Black tees w/ yellow printing on it.
    Should run around $7 apiece. Any KH users, or wannabees, or t-shirt
    collectors can send mail to me at FREEBE::REAUME. All I need is
    a dozen to make a go of it and I'm getting three for myself!
    
							-john r.

    
    John, does the wood cab have the identical shape as the tolex model?
    I was curious if the wood model had better protection for the control
    knobs.  Great idea on the Tee's.  Way cool.  
    
    -pat

      Yes Pat- The cabinets are identical in shape. If the top four
    chassis screws line up it's a 5 minute job. But, as I stated in
    .97, later amps (check serial #'s) have a slightly different 
    pattern to the screw mounts. It's not hard to redrill the chassis
    to match the cabinet, just watch those metal scraps. The exotic
    wood cabinets do not have the chrome corners guards so you have
    to be careful not to bang it around. It really looks nice though!
    						-john r.

>                   <<< Note 1103.138 by ARCHER::GOODWIN_S >>>
>	BTW- Mike, so what'd ya think of the M1?  Was it worth all
>	this ranting and raving???
    
    As some of you know, Steve was nice enough to give us a KH demo after
    lunch last Wednesday.
    
    My opinion, based on my hearing, is 
    
    Anyone that is looking for a high-end amp would have to be crazy to not
    consider the KH amps, especially at the current prices.  It was a
    competitive amp at list, but at the current prices, it isn't a contest!
    
    Any tone I managed to get out of a Simulclass Boogie, the KH can
    reproduce, along with it's own unique sound.
    
    I hope Santa is generous for Christmas.  I think I'm going to grab one
    before they're gone and worry about a new guitar later.
    
    Mike

    Hmmmm...I'm gonna have to try one of these babies soon!
    
    Buck, still a die-hard Marshall freak (Hey...several guitarists
    commented on my tone at rehearsal yesterday!)

    I told my wife about the demo and she enthusiasticly asked, "So did 
    you buy one?"  Mama didn't raise no fool, I have my license now.
    
    Mike_who_better_hurry_before_she_changes_her_mind :-)

    
      Is Buck bending? Don't say the M-word! Is KH the amp of choice among
    DEC professionals, I can here the endorsements now. Seriously I
    never thought that many of us would have snapped them up, or that
    I would have snapped up a few extra for that matter. 
      We've got another one out there in notesland looking at a Quattro.
    One plus is that between a few of us out there we have schematics
    for just about the whole KH line. 
    							-john r.
    

    
    	John, since we depend on each other for KH schematics, part 
    	sources, etc, does this mean we can never leave DEC?  (Oh sh*t!)
    	BTW, has anyone tried to explain Notes conferencing to an outsider?  
    	Did you feel stupid tryin'?  This is the only place I know where 
    	computers and guitars really come together.  

      As I mentioned in .139, I'm doing up some t-shirts. Now that the
    holidays are past I'm getting on it! They will run $7.00 but 
    postage will run around around $1.00-1.50. I'll check into that.
    INTERESTED? Send mail to USRCV1::REAUME and include quantity
    and sizes. I have about 2 dozen accounted for based on previous
    replies. I can't guarantee I'll be printing any more after this
    batch is done!
    
    						- john r.

     Sorry about that (.152). I got interrupted and my note went blank!
    
     Here's the NEW address for Kitty Hawk (it's a long way from Jersey!)
    
    
    		Kitty Hawk Electroakustic
    		GmbH ; Box 65
    		5247 Gebhardshain
    		West Germany
    
     Notice the funky spelling (Electro-what?) It's correct!
    

    
    Dumb question.  Is it ok to use the "direct injection" output on my 
    Kitty combo for a tuner output?  I sure HOPE so.  It seems to work ok.
    I'm trying to clean up some of my cabling and get my strat to the amp
    in a more direct fashion.  The literature says the output is for
    mixers.  Perhaps it would be smarter to ask about tricks in general
    for slicker tuner/cabling configs.
    
    -pat

      Ya know Pat- it should work OK, BUT- Keep in mind that the D.I.
    output is fed from the power tube stage (not off the preamp like
    many other amps). This was done in the KH amps to give a better
    sound out to a mixer. As line as it's a tuner that accepts line
    level as well as instrument level you shouldn't damage the tuner.
    Keep in mind the more gain that is on the signal, the less likely
    the tuner is to respond accurately to the pitch becaouse of the
    harmonics. You've probably found that the tuner acts much better
    when the amp is on the clean setting. My tuner is after my KH
    preamp and before my effects (effects and tuning don't mix obviously).
      I know what I'm getting for my birthday from my wife! I'm finally
    going wireless with a Samson Stage-22. And I thought I was getting
    a sweater!
    
      Deadline for T-shirt orders will be January 23 and I should have
    them by the first week of February. To keep it simple I'll charge
    $8 a shirt and that shoulod cover shipping and everything. These
    WILL be black shirts with a bright yellow logo printed front and
    back. Send size and quantity to USRCV1::REAUME
    					-john r.
    

    
    Thanks John.  Should I interpret that either the D.I. output (on clean)
    or the effects output jack would work equally well with the tuner?  I
    get nervous about just plugging stuff in anywhere w/o a warranty (of 
    course, I do it anyway).  BTW, that brings up an interesting point.
    I am using a Peavey chorus and a crybaby wah pedal before the KH preamp.  
    What are the advantages of using the effects loop instead?  I.e., what is 
    better - before or after the preamp for effects?  
    
    -pat

      OK! Finally I have an answer with some substance to it! It's not
    just speculation this time. Kitty Hawk WILL be at the winter NAMM
    show representing themselves! They presently do not have a U.S.
    distributor but maybe this appearance will change that. Until a
    new distributor is signed, I have the word that dealers can still
    obtain K.H. parts through L.P. Music group. Good news for all us
    M1 owners. With these changes keep in mind that the price structure
    for these products is going back to the pre blowout days. If there
    are any M1's or other pieces to be had at the low-dough sell-out
    then they are sitting at one of the dealers. LPMG has sold its
    supply out to dealers.
    						-boom
    

    Well I made the move, I'm a new owner of a 100wt M1 combo!!!
    
    Now comes the wait... :-(  Too bad they can't ship VAXmail.
    
    Mike

      
      I knew you'd do it! Yer gonna have a blast (especially with a
    100 watter!). If you need the manuals/schematics we can help.
    I'm surprised you found an M1 combo, it probably took a few tries!
    Hope you got a good price and the shippers are careful and expedient!
    						-boom
    

Congrats Mike!  Good amp choice!  Now for the encore...how about a guitar?

BTW- apparently these kitties have 9 lives... while transporting my equipment,
I was carrying one of my M1 heads down a flight of stairs... I failed to see
a bottle that had been left standing on one of the steps...I tripped and fell,
by reflex I released my grip on the amp which fell about 6 feet down the
remaining steps and landed on a concrete floor.  I was in shock!  When I
got home, I pulled the chassis and did a careful visual inspection, it looked
ok, so I powered it up... and behold, it still works fine. Whew!  The only
evidence of the accident are some minor cosmetic scratches on the case.
Eight lives left to go...

Steve

    John, my neighbors will love me with the 100 watter! :-)  Believe it or
    not, it only took 1 phone call.  LP Music group still has a few left,
    but most are factory seconds.  The one I bought had a new chassis put
    in it, but works perfectly.  Josh tests them out before he sends them. 
    I also got a great price!  Can't complain when you get a $1600 amp for 
    $300!!!
    
    They also had a "Grand Lead" M1 amp that was serial number 60.  A real
    collector's item.  It was a German version that was reconfigured for
    the U.S.  I like the M1 insignia better.
    
    If anyone is still interested, Josh still has 100wt seconds left for
    $300.  Get them before they're gone.  He also has lots of M3's.
    
    As always, keep it under your hat.
    
    Mike

    Reverb question:
    
    Those of you that have digital reverbs, which do you use more often,
    the KH reverb or the digital?  Would you recommend a digital reverb
    over the KH reverb?
    
    My guess would be to go with the digital reverb, but I want to hear
    some owner's opinions.
    
    Mike

    GH is currently a happy MP1 owner.  Greg, can we twist your arm to buy
    an M1 100WT Combo?  C'mon, trash that old Hiwatt and get hip, man!
    ;^)
    
    While you're at it, get an RG760 and a metaltronix M1000, JUST IN CASE!

    re: the reverb issue
    
    I also agree that reverb has limited usefulness on guitar.
    The M1 has a nice sounding 3 spring reverb unit, but I don't
    use it on mine.  I use digital delay and dimension (chorus).
    A digital reverb will definitely sound better than springs.
    
    BTW- Mike, did Josh say why his remaining M1's are 'seconds'?
    For $300 I might just wanna go for a couple.  8^)
    
    Steve

    I think digital reverb is useful (in small doses) in live situations,
    but it is best-suited for the studio.  I mean why try to create
    a "medium-sized room" sound when you're in a f*cking medium sized
    room anyway?  Spring reverb, on the other hand, is totally unique
    when used with a guitar amp, because it has its *own* sound and
    texture (i.e. it's not an attempt to simulate an x-sized room, but
    to add depth to the sound of the guitar).
    
    And chorus is so...oh Andy Summers-ish.  Chorus was killed by 1982!
    
    joe (of course just as guilty as the next person for using digital
    reverb, chorus, etc...) ;^)

>    BTW- Mike, did Josh say why his remaining M1's are 'seconds'?
>    For $300 I might just wanna go for a couple.  8^)
    
    Steve, he told me that some are scratched, some have slightly torn
    cloth over the speaker, and some don't work.  He's been busy replacing
    tubes, etc. to repair them all.  He also says that he plays through
    them all before he sells them to make sure all is well.  These are the
    $300 units.
    
    The one I bought was actually $325.  It only had the chassis changed
    out and was in almost new condition.  I almost went for the "Grand
    Lead" collector's item version (the one with serial # 60).
    
    Mike

    
    
    Is LP Music the distributor, or can you buy an amp directly from them? 
    When -? said that there we m1 combos for sale for $300 I got the
    impresssion that LP Music had them?
    
    Just asking 8-)
    
    Kevin
    

    re: .168    Hey G.H. - you started all this!
    
    Not me, man.  The only kittys at my house have four legs and fur all
    over 'em.  Not to say I wouldn't *like* another amp...   8^)
    
    re: .170  -< Let Buck do the shopping for you! >-
    
    That could prove quite fatal!  I could handle losing the Hiwatt for
    something else, but if it cost, like, real money I might as well just
    sign my death certificate first!  I think the current rack setup is
    about as hip as I can afford to be (and yet live).
    
    You shoulda seen the look on her face when I started talking about
    trading off the Charvel for an Ibanez...   8-o   You still got that 550
    for sale, Buck?  ;^)
    
    M1000 kicks totally, and the Kittys sound really hot (I still haven't
    heard one), but I've spent way too much on this stuff lately.  ROI not
    to big around my place, if ya know what I mean, so I gotta let the dust
    settle on my wallet a bit...  8^)

    >While you're at it, get an RG760 and a metaltronix M1000, JUST IN CASE!
    
    "Just in case", huh?  You're crackin' me up, man!
                          
    Greg  (clearly not hip enough with that Hiwatt)

      
      TACT - That's a good choice of words for dealing with the distributor
    and dealers. L.P. Music is not obligated to sell direct and recently
    has gotten pissed off at people going back to dealers saying they
    can get stuff cheap from the distributor. I can see Josh's point
    in this, LPMG has their business interests to protect for all the
    remaining products they sell. On the other hand LP has been interested
    in clearing out its warehouse of KH gear at great prices. Except
    for the empty hardwood cabinet and M1 "second" I've gone through dealers.
      The best way to approach the deal if calling on LP is to ask the
    best way to get a deal on a M1 or whatever. Because my M1 second
    went in the hardwood cab it isn't really a second anymore! There's
    not a scratch on it and it runs great! I don't think anyone in this
    topic did the number on LP (according to what Josh told me), but
    let's protect the interests of all of us that have already picked up 
    equipment! 
      Even though all the prices I've seen are great deals, it would
    be wise not to judge by price alone. I'm sure the "seconds" have
    different prices depending on why they aren't firsts. I preferred
    my M1 combo to be a later serial number and the chassis to be 
    like new. In other words, I asked for a "second" with cosmetic 
    damage to the cabinet because I wasn't using the cab anyway! And
    the cosmetic damage wasn't really that bad!
      

    It shouldn't be hard to keep a secret when the prices are this good. 
    Situations like this don't happen often.
    
    Re: Chassis
    
    I have a question on this John (or anyone else) since you said you
    preferred a chassis in good condition.  What are we talking here when
    we say chassis?  The bracket where all the electronics are mounted or
    the actual enclosure of the whole combo?
    
    Josh said mine only had a new chassis put in it, so it was a little
    more $$ than the others (no electrical defects).  Was this a better
    choice?
    
    Mike

    Question !  Will RnR go Kitty up ??
    
    I'll go on record here as saying that Rack stuff is much more 'hip'
    than combo amps and stacks of different brands amps lining the back
    of your stage etc...
    
    But...
    
    With the prices that these Kitty's are going for, and the recent
    bookings RnR is swamped with I can't see any reason why Steve and
    I SHOULDN'T get one...  I mean with all the hype in here, and the
    lack of a demo in a store to play with, I guess I'll just have to
    buy one to see if they are really that hip... ;^)
    
    Actually, I think Steve is the Combo type of guy...I'm more of a
    head-man I think.
    
    Tell me all about the M3 100wt head eh ??
    
    BTW - I was recently informed that because RnR does Atlanta Rhythm
    Section and Beatles tunes that I'm no longer a card-carrying Metal
    Head.  Can this be true ?  I mean I still listen to Metallica at full 
    volume in the morning...  ;^)
                                 
    jc

	re: .184

	The basic differences between the M3 and the M1 are:

	. the M3 has dual mode preamp switching (clean & lead),
		the M1 has quad switching (clean & 3 lead modes)
	. bass, mid and treble controls are common to both
		clean and lead channels on the M3, as opposed to
		two seperate sets of controls on the M1
	. the M3 is class AB push-pull only, as opposed to
		either class AB or class A on the M1
	. the same power amp is used in both the M1 and M3,
		including EL34, 6L6GC bias switching

	The M3 is great sounding amp, just not as flexible (hip)
	as the M1.  ;-)

	John, you own both- are there any other differences??

	Steve

    No 'presence' knob on the M3 ??
                
    Thanks,
    jc

    re: .-1
    
    Both the M1 and M3 have presence and reverb...
    
    M1 has volume & master for clean,  overdrive & master for lead
    
    M3 has volume for clean, overdrive & master for lead and a
    second overall master for both clean & lead.

      M1/M3 differences:
        yes tone controls on the M3 are common to both channels
    	yes presence and reverb are on the M3
    	 - the M1 has a seperate master volume for each channel
	 - the M3 has a common master vol, one volume for rhythm
    	   and a overdrive AND volume for lead.	
    	 - the one lead channel on the M3 is similar to the "red"
    	   overdrive of the M1. 
    	 - the M1's lead channels include "green" (hi-mid boost),
     	   and combination mode "red & green" (boost everything sorta)
	   as well as the "red" (mid-low boost). By color I'm referring
    	   to which LED is lit on the footswitch.
    	 - the power amp in each is identical with the exception of
    	   the class switching on the M1.
     

    Can someone define class switching ??
    
    I know it means A and AB class, but what does that mean sound wise? 
    I can still switch tube-type if I want right ? (From EL34's<stock?>
    to 6L6) Seems to me thats one of the nicest features...Other wise
    it's pretty much a 100wt Marshall with a different logo ??
    
    jc 

    Yeah the M1 has a bias switch for different types of tubes.
    
    Mike

    No, no the M3....
    
    Does it have one too ??
    
    jc

    re: last few
    
    Both the M1 and M3 have bias switching for EL34 or 6L6GC power tubes.
    
    Class AB push-pull means half the output tubes work on the negative
    portion of the wave, the other half work on the positive. In Class
    A operation all output tubes work on the entire wave. This results
    in a reduction of output wattage, as it is less efficient than AB
    push-pull. Most modern amps offer Class AB only. Soundwise, class A
    provides a smoother overall response than class AB. In class A it
    is also easier to overdrive the amps output section, which provides
    a unique sounding distortion.
    
    Steve

      re: -.1 
      
      That's all correct - Class A operation gives you a smoother sound
    becase it eliminates switching distortion. This type of distorion
    is not like a overdrive. "Distortion" taken literally means a diviation
    from the original waveform. Class AB amps would show a glitch in
    the waveform at the output when crossing from the negative half
    to the positive half of the signal. 
      Kitty Hawk is not the only amp that works with Class A. The original
    Vox amps (the British AC series, not the American made transistor
    ones) were class A, and they were very much desired for their smooth
    sound when  overdriven. The diffence in output? On the 100 watt
    KH M1, which is its rating in class AB, class drops it to 30 watts.
    That helps a lot when you don't want to be too overpowering, but
    still get a good sound. I'm not sure what the 60 watt drops down
    to, but it's got to be around 20 watts. It sure seems louder than
    that though!
    							-BOOM

    Sign me up !
    
    I just got off the phone with Josh at LP Music.  I got a M3 100wt
    head coming as soon as he gets back from NAMM.  Sheesh !  What a
    time to have a Convention !  $200 even (tax included) !
    
    Anyway, at my request, he'll send me one with EL34-s2's in it.
    He mentioned that he might become DEC's personal supplier for all 
    the business that he gets from this confernce !
    
    Kitty mania has HIT Greenville in a big way !!
                                                 

    Yo, Coop!
    
    'grats on the M3...what's to become of the MP-1?

    Ahh Coop, you should've got the M1.  What are you going to do with only
    2 channels? :-)
    
    Mike

    
    Gee Coop,
    
    Ya didn't tell all these guys that I bought mine too!  M3 head for 200
    Samolians!  WoW!  It seems that LP is down to "garbage" on M1's and he
    had 14 "new" M3 heads (until me & Coop drew our charge cards and
    fired).  My Les Paul is in for a whole new experience!
    
    Stevo

      
      Ok Buck - yer between a rock and a hard choice! Coop and
    Steve D. on the bandwagon, what next? I mentioned to J.C. that
    I decided to hold on to my M3 to keep some variety in my warehouse.
    Keep in mind I had played out with my M3 for six months
    before I started dumping all my other gear and going strictly with
    Kitty Hawk ( my Marshall could scream, but my Kitty's purr AND roar!). 
      When I did think of selling it (briefly), it finally dawned on
    me how many amps are sitting in the music stores with >$500 price
    tags and don't sound anywhere near as good as the M3 ! Compare it
    to say a Fender Super 60 in functionality but with a better 
    overdrive sound (and a celestion speaker in the combo).           
                                                                      
      Anyone keeping a tally? total = 6 M1's / 3 M3's (I think).
    
    						-boom

    hey jc & steve d- nice price on the M3!  Is pat b. aware that
    he started a trend down there in the heart of dixie??
    
    as far as the KH tally goes, I know of at least one 'closet' M1
    owner who bought his after reading note 1103.  I'll bet there
    are other read-only KH owners out there too...
    
    Steve

      I can see LP music/dealers running low on gear pretty quick.
    As I mentioned earlier, it will be interesting to see what 
    happens after next weeks NAMM show as far as prices/distribution
    on KH gear as well as all the other new products.
      LP Music will have their SOHO Acoustics preamp up for show.
    Looks like a nice unit - four 12AX7's, four modes of operation
    like the KH Quattro, and two rack spaces high with ventilation slots
    in the front and rack handles. Ads should be out next month.
    
      Congrats to the newest members of the KH club!
    

Well, at $200 a pop, I just couldn't resist trying one of these babies out. So 
count me in on the KH club!!!! 

I figure that if I like it, I can sell my .22 calibre off. And if not, I can 
always recoup at least the $200 for an amp like this. Its a no-lose situation!

Alan S.
The_proud_owner_of_new_M3_100_watt_head!_

    Well, no less for the wear n tear...I tried calling Josh myself this
    afternoon...his "lovely" secretary told me he was on the phone, and
    took my #.  Needless to say, he didn't call me back, and my return
    phone call caught them out of the office.  Well, looks like this boy is
    going to have to wait til ole Josh gets back from NAMM to talk to the
    dude!
    
    Buck, who'll probably wind up with a $1100. prince tag stuck under his
    nose...it's my luck!

    We must be up to 10 or 11 by now.  Should we rename the conference to
    GUTIARISTS_WITH_KH_AMPS ? :-)
    
    We need to start circulating prints too before someone quits DEC!
    
    Mike

    Yeah!
    The total tally is growing, BUT I think me, Coop, and Alan set an
    unprecidented record yesterday with no less than 3 axe slingers making
    the plunge in one day!  John, and Steve G.....check the record book,
    please?
    
    Steve D...8)

    
    KH is history.  I sold all my gear and bought an ACME Ace 100MWatt.
    Comes with it own trailer.
    
    ;^)

   <<< Note 1103.31 by RAVEN1::DANDREA "Bad Company, 'till the day I die" >>>
                     -< Pat, can I touch yer new "Kitty"? >-

   > If you guys don't stop this sickening drooling, I'M GONNA buy one of
   > those suckers, and I don't even know what they look like!  8*)  AND
   > I CAN'T afford it!!  Sheesh.....
    
   > Steve
    
    
    It worked, boys......the drooling didn't and I bought a KH.  Now if
    only I'd predicted that I became rich, and the lawyers brought beer....
    shucks.
    
    Steve  8)

    
    How does one go about becoming a new KH owner?
    Is there anyone willing to share this guy Josh's phone number?
    After Alan Starr said it was a no-lose situation on the M3
    I realized that it would be easy to sell the idea to my wife.
    
    Any info on picking up one of these kitties would be appreciated.
    
    Mark C 
    
    (come to think of it she's been pestering me to get her a cat anyway)
    (how bout a 100wt kitty????)
    
    
    
    

    You can contact Josh at LP music in New Jersey at 201-478-6903.  He is
    the only guy that handles the KH line.  He is a distibutor, not a
    dealer.    He's a good guy! 
    
    P.S.  He's at NAMM this week, so you can't reach him until next
    wednesday...ack!
    
    Steve

re: Buck

>    Well, no less for the wear n tear...I tried calling Josh myself this
>    afternoon...his "lovely" secretary told me he was on the phone, and
>    took my #.  Needless to say, he didn't call me back, 

The same thing happened to me, but he did call me back at about 4:30 yesterday 
afternoon. I was on the phone at the time, but called him right back, waited 
10 minutes on hold, then got through to him.

(Of course, with the problems dialing long distance yesterday, it took 4 
attempts before the phone would even ring. Maybe he tried to call you and 
couldn't get through....)

re: no-lose

Yeah! I was even thinking of getting 2 of them! But then I woke up and hosed 
myself down.....8^)  Gotta remember that I live on a budget.....

Alan S.

    Well, mines for sale too then...  ;^(
    
    ;^)
    
    As far as my rig is concerned...
    (Don't worry, I'm still going for the killer-rig-of-the-year-award)
    
    Okay, my MIDI controller will switch things like the channels and
    reverb on the Kitty (or so the book sez).  I'm gonna A/B between
    my rack (ADA MP1 and Metaltronix SP1000), and let my controller
    switch it.
    
    My two b*stardized Marshall 2x12's sit far enough apart so that
    my Marshall Microstack cabs (stacked and loaded with PAS 12 inchers) 
    will fit between them with my rack on top...With the Kitty on top of 
    that (driving the 1x12's) and MIDI control for both.  Should be
    pretty killer.  I can't wait.
                                 
    I sold my SGE BTW.  I'm out of the multi-FX biz for a while.  I'm
    gonna wait for them to build one that works as good as the glossy's
    say.  ;^)
             
    jc

Christ you guys are making me want one...

dbi

    Re: Coop
    
    Long live tube gear! :-)
    
    Re: Shipping
    
    For those of you that have already purchased Kittys, how long did it
    take you to receive them?  I realize I'm on the other side of the
    country, but I'm getting anxious!!!
    
    Mike

      It's hard to estimate shipping times, especially over-the-road
    stuff. My Kitty's from Jersey arrived within three working days
    but Upstate N.Y. isn't that far to ship. Luckily I never had any
    problems in any of my gear that was shipped except for reseating
    a tube in my Quattro. I'm waiting patiently for new Subwoofers
    for my P.A. system that are due to be shipped, and they're coming
    out of Canada!
    						-BOOM

    RE:  Tube gear...
    
    Well, with the exception of my power amp, my stuff is tube gear!
    MIDI makes it all happen though...
    
    ;^)

     
      Does this mean a bulk shipment of T-shirts to Greenville?
    Maybe I better hold off on the orders until the M3's are all gone!
    
    							-BOOM
    

    Might be a good idea  !
    
    You got my order already right ??
    
    

    John,
    
    Sign me up for an X-large, please! Aint no "little" Bulldawgs in this
    band.  
    
    8*)..Steve

    
      C'mon "Marshall Roooooollzzz" Buck - FESS UP! In the ultimate
    A/B comparison test it's my understanding there's another M3 on
    its way to a formerly dedicated Marshall user. I really think 
    the M3 will end up being the best value you've ever gotten in 
    an amp. List price of the M3 100 watt head was $1179! The M3
    60 watter was $1019. And yes Virginia, It can kick the sh*t 
    out of a lot of other amps (THAT one included). 
      
      Now all we need is just a little patience (whistle inserted here).
    
    					-BOOM

    Sigh...
    
    When does this guy Josh get back?  Is there someone else there that I
    can deal with?

    Josh said he would be back on Wed...1/24.
    Hang in there, Greg...
    Steve

    Yeah, what Steve sez...  Oh BTW, I don't think anyone else deals
    with Kitty's...
    
    jc (On his way out the door...gig-night :)

I think it would take more than an M3 to convert me over from Marshalls.
One of the reasons why I dumped the 2205 I used to own was the lack of
a midrange control on the clean channel.  One set of eq controls common
to both clean and lead channels (as on the M3) is even more of a drawback.
An M3 would be kinda like a Boogie MKIII without graphic eq assignable to
the lead channel.  Don't get me wrong- they're capable of getting a full
range of sounds, but you've gotta mess with the controls to do it. I eq my
clean and lead sounds very differently,  and I like to be able to hit the
footswitch rather than tweak knobs.

Of course, $200.00 for a brand new M3 100 watt head is almost too good to
be real- it's probably worth more than that for the parts alone.

On another subject.... in response to note 1640, here are the approximate
standard settings I use on the M1. The eq settings vary somewhat depending
on volume and whether the speaker has an open or closed back. Bear in mind
that I use either a les paul or an SG w/ humbuckers- I would use completely
different settings for single coil pickups.

clean settings:
	volume-5
	treble-6
	middle-8
	bass-4
	master-variable

lead settings:
	overdrive-8
	treble-8
	middle-4
	bass-2
	master-variable

presence-8
reverb-0
class switch-A
output tubes-EL34

effects loop runs thru a digital delay and dimension

I use the quad mode footswitch depending on choice of clean (no leds),
crunch (red), lead (green) or hot lead (red&green).  Note: from the
front panel, you only have three preamp choices, not four as provided
by the footswitch.

The M1 has enough tonal flexibility for anyone to be able to develop
their own characteristic sound. The tone controls interact with each
other, so it takes some experimentation to find your own sound(s).

Enjoy,
Steve

    Aw, common' Sam!!  My basement's not big enough for a "Hawk AND a
    Marshal!!
    
    :-)
    
    
    			GONZO

    Oh blast,  think I'll call this dude next week myself, maybe I can a
    backup tube head cheep. 
    
    Shows you how little some of us care about brand-names,
    as long as it ain't broke it's OK with me.

    Sheeesh,
    
    Who woulda though that Kitty Hawk Mania would have swept thru DEC in
    1990?  I mean, it was just months ago everyone was talking about
    'That weird dude from NY who plays thru those weird amps'  ;^)
    
    I think we need a head count here!

    RE:  .223
    
    Sam,
    
    When I ordered my KH, Josh said he had 5 M3 combos left.  I *think*
    they have one 12" speaker, and I *think* they are the same size as the
    M1 60w combo.  Josh did tell me he did not recommend the 100w combo for
    a working musician as they tend to "rattle" themselves into
    unreliability over time...speaker combined in cab with amp = stress on
    both.  He said he would sell the M3 combos for $250.  I was tempted,
    but opted for the head only.  As far as speaker config and cab size,
    maybe John or Steve G can help?
    
    
    Steve D.

OK folks- the official tally thru reply .227 is:

	. known KH owners - 4
	. known closet KH owners - 1
	. known "marshall roooooolz" addict flirting w/ a kitty - 1
	. waiting for delivery of KH gear (soon to be owners) - 4
	. waiting for Josh to return - 5
	. waiting for Godot - ?

We also need numbers for the following:

	. number of t-shirt orders
	. number of t-shirts ordered

It is impossible to calculate the actual number of KH units sold
because John R. has bought a number greater than anyone can count.

re: KH combo physical characteristics-
	The M1 & M3 combos are 1x12 w/ a celestion speaker and
	have the same amp chassis and controls as the heads.
	They are very similar in size and appearance to Boogies.

      A quick guess on the size : 28"H X 21"W X 12"D @ 50lbs. I can
    verify if it's critical. Both of my combos are 60 watts and my
    M1 head is 100 watts. I agree that the heads will be more reliable
    because of vibration isolation from the speaker cabinet. You can
    modify the combo to be more vibration resistant, just ask
    Steve G! I haven't had any problems with my combos though.
      The M3 head would sit nice on a 2X12 slant cab!
    							- BoOm -

    re:-.1
    
    Sam, I am pretty sure that the M1/M3's come in either 60 or 100 
    watt varieties.  I believe John (or Steve) did a good comparison
    of the M1 vs M3 a few replies back.  Built in reverb?  Yes, with
    a footswitch jack and variable pot on the back of the chassis.
    
    -pat

    Re: shake into unreliability
    
    Sure now you guys tell me AFTER I buy a 100wt M1 combo!!!  How do I
    prevent this from happening?
    
    Mike

    re: .232
    
    >How do I prevent this from happening?
    
    Easy, don't play it.                     

    Or get a Marshall. 

    RE:  .232
    
    "keep this from happening".....
    
    The way Josh explained it to me was the wear and tear from vibration of
    the speaker being housed with the cab is a risk for the "working
    Musician";  I think he means playing out often at medium to high
    volume.  One of your options is to build a cabinet to house your
    speaker.  This also opens the door for a 2 X 12, but defeats the
    purpose of buying a combo.  Pat Blair did some very clean and effective
    mods to his 60w combo for vibration dampening, you might write him for
    tips.
    
    Good luck....
    
    Steve

    
    re: .232
    
    Mike, as Steve mentioned the key is to isolate the vibration of the
    speaker from the chassis best as you can.  I put a detailed note
    somewhere on how I "bullet proofed" mine.  Give me a call, it's easier
    to explain over the phone.  Also, some periodic tightening of screws on 
    the transformers, reverb machanism, circuit board, etc, would probably
    be smart.  Actually, I think the "rattle into unreliability" comment
    is bullsh*t, but I do respect Josh's opinion.  Only time will tell.  I 
    can't understand why a KH 100w combo would have a different mtbf than 
    a Twin, for instance, but what do I know...
    
    -pat (354-7491)

      This vibration thing should apply to all combos, not just KH.
    If you always played a 100 watt combo at full bore you'd probably
    trash the single speaker as well. I think chassis isolation from
    the cabinet would be the way to go on all combos!
      Another neat thing that could be done to the transformer mounts
    is putting perma-lock on the threads of the mounts. This is not
    a glue, but a fluid that keeps nuts/trimpots from loosening. It
    will break loose if you need to.
      BTW - my first weekend playing wireless was a thrill. Just like
    I thought, I don't miss my cord at all.
    
    							-BOOM
    

    I'm hoppin' up on the soapbox here....
    
    I had the pleasure of riding over to Pat Blair's house with Jerry
    "Scary" White last night and taking Pat's 60wt M1 combo for a test
    ride.  Impressed isn't evewn close to descibing how I like his little
    brute.
    
    I've played around with quite a few amps in my time, and this is
    the MOST amazing amp I've ever played thru.  I've never heard a
    single-speaker combo produce the sound presure and colour that this
    thing did.  
    
    Powerful, thick and juicy is the way I might describe it.
    
    Pat had his set up with 6L6 generic tubes (Philips, GE whatever)
    and the overdrive was just a *little* clean for my tastes, but 
    was punchy and powerful.  The clean mode was SO thick !  Wow.
        
    Keep in mind that the 6L6 tube isn't known for it's distortion
    characteristics...I bet with EL34's rated at S2-S8 (from GT's), the
    kitty will peel back the ears of the descriminating metal head.
    
    I can't go on.  ahhh.  I can't wait for my kitty.
    
    jc
      

Well..... finally other noters are beginning to realize what John and
I have been trying to say all this time!!!  Your reaction was similar
to mine the first time I plugged into an M1.   The only part of your
description that doesn't sound like any kitty I know is the part about
overdrive...being a little clean. M1's are very capable of full shred.
Maybe it's the tubes... I run with EL34's 'cause they crunch better.

RE: vibration- Tubes are the components which are most susceptable to
damage from excessive vibration and they can take other components out
with them when they fail. It's a concern with any combo, but especially
with KH because they are such hi-gain and can put out sooo much bass.
I wonder if it would help to insulate between the chassis and cab with
a rubber gasket material... I think Boogie has some sort of patented
shock-mount system that uses something like that.

Steve

    Pat, thanks for the pointer.  Your "bullet-proofing" note was in .132.
    If I run into problems, I'll call.
    
    Thanks,
    Mike

    Ask Buck...  I'm notorious for saying things like "Doesn't overdrive
    enough..."  It's my GK upbringing.  I think my point was that I'm
    sure it WILL OD with EL34's in there...
    
    My idea of overdrive is probably more on the lines of Metallicas
    guitar sound that Claptons...FWIW...
    
    jc ;^)

    -1
    
    It's not that GKs have tons-o-overdrive, it's the megadeath compression
    overkill that gives the illusion of tons of distortion.  Same goes for
    the Rockmans.  The Kitty's have a lot of gain available, and, with S2 -
    S4's in there, you should be able to obtain some addition compression
    factors (not that you'll need it!).
    
    B.
    
    PS - The true test will be to convert Toenail over to a Kitty!

      I'm set up with EL34's in both of my M1's. My M3 has a pair of
    6L6's. I get all the OD I need, then again everyones taste is different
    when it comes to amps. And I'm very much in agreement that the Kitty's
    clean sound is a step above any other tube amp I can think of.
    But - so far I haven't heard any complaints from any noters 
    on KH's sound! I'm gonna isolate my M1/hardwood cab for vibration
    using some of Pat's tips. 
    						-BOOM
    

    
    	One little trick I didn't talk about 'cause it was a bit risky.  
    I'll bet it could apply to most combo amps.  If you use thin washers, 
    you may ignore the rest... I wanted to "drop" my chassis down about an 
    eighth inch by installing fiber washers between the chassis and the heat 
    shield but the speaker mounting board prevented me from going that far 
    down.  I.e.; the chassis did not have enough clearance.  Sooooo, I 
    removed the speaker, peeled back the grill cloth enough so I could 
    *slice* off the eight inch I needed with my table saw.  Yikes!  I then 
    re-stapled the cloth back on.  While the chassis was out, I put six 
    "dabs" of silicone on the top ridges of the chassis and let them harden 
    before reassembly.  I also super-glued the washers (plumbing type) onto 
    the tapped chassis holes to make it easier for reassembly.  The hardened 
    silicone dabs add to the cushioning/dampening.  I realize this shows 
    what a deep down weird dude I am but so be it.  When I owned street 
    bikes I had to hide the screwdrivers.
    
    -pat

    Interesting that the concern should be to vibration, I built my cabs
    for Maximum vibration  ( solid wood, classical-guitar like struts ,
    mounting the Celestions between 5/8 maple and 3/4 mahogany )
    and wondered about damage to my Marshall  when I got it up,
    Actually, I wondered about knocking the Marshall off, the laquer is 
    slippery.
    
    I'm real retiscent about messing with KH before hearing one,
    but I'll see what the dude has for tube-heads when I give 'em a 
    call.  The price certainly is a consideration!
    
    But I still wanna build my own amp, 1 power tube, 1 preamp,
    volume control on each, discrete transformers - one for each string.
    
    Toenail, wanting too much. Way too much. :-$

re: .244

Sheesh.... some people are *serious* about preventing amp vibration!!
I chose the lazy way out- I bought heads instead of combos!  ;^)

Keep quiet about your mod of lowering the chassis or Randall Smith will
add your name to his lawsuit for infringing on his patented SUS-4 shock
mount system... 8^)

Steve

    Well I played my Les Paul thru Pat Blair's KH 60w combo last night, and
    I have only one question....
    
    In light of the fact that I have a 100w M3 head on order, what am I
    gonna do with the extra 40 watts?  YOW, that baby is AT LEAST 60w!
    
    Steve

    
    
      Any of you KH experts know if you can do a class switching
    mod to M3 so you can use a class A type output section rather
    than the AB? You know like the M1...
                
    Mark C

    >In light of the fact that I have a 100w M3 head on order, what am I
    >gonna do with the extra 40 watts?
     
    Keep up with Cooper!!!
    
    ;^)
    

	re: .248

	My guess is that it wouldn't be too tough to accomplish because
	the M1 and M3 both use the same power amp.  The schematic shows
	the class switch in the circuit,  and it's labelled 'M1 only',
	which would lead me to believe that it would just be a matter
	of putting that switch into the M3. The switch looks like it's
	changing the bias voltage on the output tubes.

	Steve

    RE: Buck...
    
    Never happen.  I'm gonna A/B between the 100wt Kitty and the 
    125 wpc SP1000.   Overkill ?? Naw, just versitile.
    
    Sorry Bulldawg.  ;^)
    
    jc

    No need to apologize Coop, I gotta feeling I'll have no trouble keepin'
    up witchya with my new toy! (after hearing the 60w combo and my LP,
    besides, I'm hanging with ya now with a 45w Peavey, and how loud can WE
    play anyway?)
    
    ;^) backatchya.....

    But dude...I been tellin' ya...  You been hangin' with me, cuz I
    haven't turned mine up yet.
    
    Preamp on 4...power amp on 2 = pain   ;^)
    
    jc (Who sez: Pain is PAIN!)

    Yo Bulldawg !
    
    If ya wanna borrow my Marshall 4x12 to put Coop in his place, let
    me know.		8^)
    
    
    
    				Scary

    re:  .255
    
    Hmmmmm......|)
    
    Naw, yer right...we'd just kill some unsuspecting fan on the dance
    floor....Coop and I would hit the 1st string 21st fret at the same time
    with our distortion on and splatter the poor guy's brains all over the
    dart boards at Shooters.
    
    But thanks for the offer, it IS tempting.
    
    Bulldawg  

    Update of the Greenville Guitarist waiting on Kitty Hawks.
    
    I just placed another on order (for Jerry "Scary" White) a few minutes
    ago.  Josh is going to the warehouse tomorrow to pick up the heads and
    test them out. Steve warned him that there would be a further influx of
    DEC people posting orders.  According to the look on Steve's face, I
    guess he's not too disturbed by the fact that we're (DEC) cleaning out
    his Kitty stock.  ;^)   Better hurry though ! 
    
    Lets see future Kitty Hawk-ers (who can't wait!):
                                
    (Some body fix this if I screwed it up !)
    
    Jerry White
    Steve Dandrea
    Jeff Cooper
    Alan Starr
    Mike Heiser
    Greg House
    
    (Come on Buck, it's your turn dude ! ;)
    
    Already have their and are rubbing our noses in it:
    
    Mike Goodwin -(Is it Mike ?)
    John Reaume  -(How many John ?:)
    Pat Blair                             

    re: -2
    
    well... we may be rubbing your nose in the fact we already have
    our kitties, but you can rub our noses in the prices that you're
    getting 'em for..... I'm jealous- if I hadn't already blown all
    my cash, I'd be calling Josh too!  8^) 8^)
    
    Steve

    Good point.  Sorry.  ;^)
    
    jc (Who sez: Here kitty-kitty...Nice Kitty-kitty)

    How come everyone on earth except me can get through to this guy
    anyway???  I've called him like 7 times since 6am my time, left two
    messages and haven't gotten a call back.
    
    I really want one of these amps, but it looks like things are working
    against me!
    
    Greg  (whine)

      My reply with my KH inventory is WAY back at .99! Everything is
    the same except I also have my original M3 60 watt combo, that I
    was going to sell but couldn't part with it.
      Good Luck to all you order makers! If Josh never heard of Digital
    before, he sure has now! It's like a reverse DECdirect!
      I'll be posting a topic on the new SOHO tube preamp from LP Music
    shortly.			
    							-BOOM

    Yo, Housemeister...
    
    You're ordering a Kitty now?!?
    
    Damn!
    
    Buck

    Well I would if I could ever get the guy on the phone.  Shoot, the
    phone bills are gonna cost more then the amp.  MCI is gonna *love*
    me...
    
    Just kills me that Coop and this other guy I work with here call up and
    get right through to him.  :-(
    
    Greg

    I shudder at the thought of almost having to buy a Peavey with my $300!
    
    Thank God for inexpensive Kittys that ROAR, this conference, and
    DECnet.  Never would've happened otherwise.
    
    Mike

    Well, I spent the better part of my free hours last night cruising
    through this topic !  I can't wait.  1 question though ... are the
    100W heads about the same physical size as, say, a M______l 100W
    head ?
    
    
    				Scary
    (who'll probably hang on to his Marshall - it'll keep the flies
    off my Kitty ... )

    re: -1
    
    Negative.  They're the exact same size as the 60 watters.
    All M1's and M3's use the same size chassis- the 100 watters
    just have larger transformers and two additional power tubes.
    Same as Marshall 100W and 50W chassis are the same physical
    size too- BTW why does Marshall make 'em so damn big anyhow??
    
    Steve

  A music store called Quality Stringed Instruments, or just String Instruments,
in Portland Maine has a whole bunch of Kittys on display.  This was just last
weekend.  I don't know the phone number.  


						Tom Boilard

    
    
    I really hadn't been paying too much attention to this note 'til
    I realized this morning that the replies are pushing 300!!!
    
    So what's the latest price on the M1 and M3 heads if I decide
    to try and call this Josh dude??  And what form of payment will
    they take?  MC/Visa???
    
    Ralph (who's really interested in one of these babies after wading
           through all 270 replies this a.m.!!!)  :^)
    
    

    >                     -< Buck, you're next!!! ;^) >-
    
    Yeah, I know, they keep telling me that!!!
    
    ;^)

re: -.1
    
    Hmmmm...
    
    I wonder if he'll sell his 100wt heads for $200 ! ??
    
    Jerry, from what I understand, the Kitty Heads are about the same
    size as your MOSFET Marshall, or approx. the size of a Fender Bassman
    head....
    
    Am I right guys ??
    
    jc (who is still waiting !)

    RE: Buck
    
    Call that place in Portland Buck... Maybe they've got one...
    Come on no dude...We're countin' on ya !
    
    ;^)

    re: size of M1 & M3 heads
    
    approximately 10" high x 21" wide x 11" deep... they're kinda small.
    the M1 60W head weighs 38lbs.
    
    Steve

    re: .268
    
    I wonderin' why Marshall's are so big too after looking at Coop's jcm.
    Do ya think it's cuz they look/fit good on top of the Marshall cab's?
    
    -pat (pondering in the piedmont)

RE: .276                -< My, that's a big one... >-
            
    Thats what she said.  Agagagagaga...
    
    

    RE: .277
    
    Oh yeah, Pat's M1 Combo has a F/X loop and a reverb level knob,
    two four ohm speaker outs, and one 8 ohm (I guess this means
    the Kitty's want an 8 ohm load eh ??)
    
    I didn't see a DI Output, but I think PAt would know...I was too
    dazed to remember much.  ;^)
    

      The direct injection out is a balanced line out from a tap
    off of the output transformer. So- You're actually getting the sound
    of the power tubes out of this form of a line out. Neat stuff!
    Definitely better sounding than a line out from the preamp!

      Anyone getting a M1 or M3 head, be sure to check the position
    of your bias switch that it matches your type of output tube. 
    It's located just to the left of the power tubes when looking at
    the amp from the rear. 
    
      Anyone looking for a M1 will have to call a dealer. Maybe the
    store in Portland that was mentioned or Lentine's that was listed
    in a previous reply.  Any luck yet G.H.?
    							-jr

re..277,251,248


	The M1 changes from Class AB to A by changing grid voltages
from the power supply output from 500v to 250v,according to the schem's
Also the bias voltage does change,when you go from 6l6's to El34,via a switch. 
There is also center tap to the output transformer which goes up the page and 
then to the right and just end's. Whether this is part of the "class switching"
that the M1 does is hard to tell......Someone could make this mod for
you as long as the center tap is not part of the class switching. There
are probably easier mod's to lower volume if that's what you are looking
for.....And without question it's always a matter of money.
	From looking at numerous replies there seems to be plenty of amp
to satisfy most players,why bother?


							Rick

    re: John R.
    
    No mon.  I called again this morning and was told that Josh wouldn't be
    in at all today.  Guess I'll try tomorrow...
    
    Greg

        re: .284
    
    
>Does this imply that the combos don't have this switch, or am I trying
>to read to much into that statement?
 
    Yes, you are reading too much into that statement.  ;^)
    
    Pat's 60wt M1 combo did have the switch anyway...
                                                    
    Also, Pat's M1 Combo DID have room for two 4 ohm extendtion cabs.
    
    Question about impedence:
    
    If an amp is set up for an 8 ohm load, is it cool to run 16 ohm
    or 4 ohm...  I can't remember the rule.  Seems liek ti was okay
    to run MORE of a load (i.e. -16ohm) but not less.
    
    Or am I way off base ??
    jc

>    size too- BTW why does Marshall make 'em so damn big anyhow??
    
    Poor transformer design.  Kitty Hawk = German technology = Mercedes
    Benz, BMW, Porsche...
    
    you get the idea
    
    Mike :-)

    re: -1
    
    Bah!
    
    8^P

    Ditto Buck!
    
    I hear those Mercedes Benz' are REALLY quiet!!
    
    ;^)

    Seriously, anyone that goes through the trouble to manufacture their
    own transformers is off to a good start.  Anyone can utilize "buyouts".
    
    I'm sure KH purposely came up with a transformer that is less bulky so
    that they can make the housing smaller.
    
    Mike

    Actually, the transformers in the 60W M1 are larger than the
    transformers in the Marshall 2205.  Also, as far as I know
    Marshall uses Drake transformers which are reputed to be very
    high quality.  I think one of the earlier replies was on the
    mark by suggesting that Marshall heads are sized to the same
    width as the 4x12 cabs for appearance sake.
    
    Steve

    re .277 (and for all those who are wondering about the features
    		and controls on what they just bought 8^) )
    
    Layout of back panel of all M1 & M3 combos and heads-
    from left to right:
    
    . power cord
    . fuse
    . polarity switch
    . 8 ohm speaker jack
    . 4 ohm speaker jack
    . another 4 ohm speaker jack
    . direct injection line out jack
    . reverb potentiometer
    . reverb footswitch jack (footswitch not supplied w/ amp)
    . effects send jack
    . effects return jack
    
    tube bias switch is located on underside of chassis
    
    Front panel of M1 (left to right):
    
    . instrument input jack
    . quad mode footswitch jack (footswitch supplied w/ amp)
    . clean channel volume pot
    . clean treble
    . clean middle
    . clean bass
    . clean master
    . lead channel overdrive
    . lead master
    . lead treble
    . lead middle
    . lead bass
    . presence
    . tri-mode channel select switch
    	(to be used if quad footswitch isn't connected)
    . class a/ab switch
    . standby switch
    . power switch/pilot light
    
    Front panel of M3:
    
    . input jack
    . dual mode footswitch jack (footswitch supplied w/ amp)
    . treble pot
    . middle
    . bass
    . lead overdrive
    . clean volume
    . lead master
    . overall master
    . presence
    . dual mode channel select switch
    . standby switch
    . power switch/pilot light
    
    Crank it up!!!!
    
    Steve

    This is going to be a  L O N G  wait !		8^(
    
    
    				Scary  

    C'mon Buck !  You gonna be the only kid on the block without a Kitty
    Hawk ?  Anybody ever seen Eddie Murphy do his little bit about kids
    going crazy when they hear the Ice Cream truck roll into the
    neighborhood?I can picture him now with a M1 head on his shoulder
    saying ....
    
    
    	"I got my Kitty - I got my Kitty - You haven't got one - You
    haven't got one ...."		8^}
    
    
    
    				Scary

    I'm sure the Marshall 50-100wt heads are sized in connection to
    the cab they sit on.  Jerry's MOSFET is sized to fit on the 4x10's
    so....  
    
    Besides, I would take the Marshall 50wt head and put the guts on
    a different chassis that was smaller...There is a LOT of room in
    there.  It's a Marketing thing.
    
    I wouldn't say Marshalls were cheap either...They don't have as
    many bells and whistles, but they aren't cheap....
    
    What am I saying ??
    
    >SSllaaappp!<
       
    Sorry.  Wrong topic I guess.
    
    jc

    I played at this club last night, and received compliments on my 
    MARSHALL tone from EVERY guitar player in the joint!!  So there.
    :^P

    
    Time out!  Let's not get into peepee contests between Kitty's and
    Marshall's.  Sheesh, we're already approaching 30 replies!  We're 
    gonna blow out somebody's disk space fo sho.  ;^)
    
    ALSO.  Nobody, NOBODY, power up without checking to make sure their
    speakers are hooked up (combo's too)!  Remember, this a no warranty
    situation...
    
    odie won

    
    Guess what?
    
    
    I just wanted to be the 300th reply.  Geez you guys like to talk.  

    I just got off the phone with Josh at LP.  He has not been able to test
    or ship our amps that are on order.  Part of the reason is the deluge
    of phone calls from those of us who have already placed our orders and
    are following up to find out if they have shipped.  Josh says he is
    getting "annoyed" (quoting him verbatim).  I quickly reminded him that
    he asked ME to call him back today, and I told him that I'd ask those
    of us who have our orders placed to give him some breathing room so he
    can do his job, so we can get our new toys.  So, guys, if yer not
    callin' to place an order, let's give the man some slack!  Thanks...
    
    Steve  |)

    For those of you that already ordered Kittys from LP Music, I called
    there this morning (still trying to order one).  When I asked for Josh
    concerning Kitty Hawks, the person that answered the phone told that he
    said to tell people calling about that that he was testing them now and
    would send them out today.
    
    When I said I hadn't ordered one yet and wanted to she put me on hold
    for a couple of minutes and told me he'd have to call me back.  That's
    message number five...  :-(
    
    re: Buck
    
    What kinda Marshall did you use last night?  Still working with the
    little 3005s?
    
    Greg

    Yo Housemeister...
    
    Good luck on receiving a call back from Josh...I'm still waiting on
    mine!!!  ;^(
    
    I didn't use the 3005 head last night, I was using my trusty Reverb 12
    1x10 combo amp plugged into my trusty power amp and piped into the
    larger Marshall cabs.  I also used a DSP-128+ program to make it a bit
    bigger, I confess!

    Woops, notes collision!
    
    How is it that pretty much anyone else around here can actually get to
    talk to this guy on the phone?  
    
    Maybe I don't need a Kitty Hawk that bad.  Since he's getting annoyed,
    he probably won't sell me one anyway.
    
    Greg

      DITTO - Unfortunately for us Josh still has a job to do. Granted
    we're helping him out by unloading some stock, but he's been deluged
    this week. He's got a whole Digital file now. Calling a hundred
    times won't help until he knows how many amps he can sell! 
    And DON'T call him to CHAT about Kitty Hawk, call ONLY to place
    an order! All the info you need on KH is in this file. 
      He was impressed that I never had any problems with my KH gear,
    apparently a lot of bands abuse them. Sh*t I use my gear every 
    weekend and for practice. Any new owners of these amps, be sure
    to read some of the tips from early in this conference on keeping
    your amp on-line! Steve G's pointers at .77 is a good start!
    
    						-BOOM

    
    I've got about five or six messages with the secretary from hell
    too. Maybe next time I call I won't mention Digital. This is gettin'
    real frustrating. 
    Mark C.
     

    re: Mark
    
    Nice to know it's not just me.  It just kills me when I hear other
    people saying that they talked to him within minutes of when I called
    and was denyed.
    
    re: John
    
    I wouldn't keep calling if I thought that nobody was talking to him.  I
    called Wed. morning and left a message (the first one).  I thought I'd
    probably get a call back.  Then someone here in my office tells me
    about an hour later that they just got off the phone with him.  Then I
    read here in notes about two people that called and got an order in.
    
    I assure you, *all* I wanted to do was place an order, not chat.  I
    didn't expect it to take more then about 5 minutes of his time. 
    Everyone has a job to do, myself included.  My job doesn't include
    sitting around my office waiting some indetermined amount of time to
    get a call back from someone concerning personal business.  Nobody here
    will answer my phone if I'm not here, so unless I *have* been around my
    desk I have no way of knowing whether someone tried to call or not, so
    I may try them back.
    
    Perhaps I seemed overly anxious since I knew there were only a limited
    number of amps left and I wanted to get one.  What *I* find annoying is
    that other people called him up, got him, and ordered amps while I was
    sitting around waiting for a return call. 
    
    Now don't get me wrong, I don't blame Josh for this at all.  I believe
    he's probably doing the best he can.  I'm sure he's all backed up on
    other stuff too, having just returned from NAMM.  If I thought there
    were plenty of amps to go around or had any form of assurance that I'd
    get one, I wouldn't have kept calling.
    
    I know life's not fair, and nobody owes me a good deal on a nice amp, so
    you have to try hard or you miss out on these opportunities.  I wasn't
    trying to make him mad, just to get the deal, you know?  I do think
    that after leaving four messages two days ago he could at least try and
    return my call once.  I actually have been available...went way out of
    my way to do it too.
    
    I won't bug him any more.  If he doesn't call back by sometime next
    week, I'll try and call one more time.  My MCI bill is gonna be
    outrageous from this as it is.  I guess it's probably not worth it,
    it's just an amp.                  
    
    Greg (not exactly happy about this)

Since KH has been generating so much interest lately, I thought I'd write
a little bit of what I know about their background / history. Kitty Hawks
were conceived by a man named Wolfram Roy who, in the 70's, was making his
living by hot-rodding amps (mainly marshalls) for European musicians. I've
also heard that there was at one point a business relationship between Roy
and Randall Smith, whereby Boogie would send un-assembled boogies to Roy
and Roy would assemble them in Germany for European distribution, thus
allowing Mesa/Boogie to avoid some of the import duty on their products.
As many amp hot-rodders eventually do, Wolfram Roy decided to design and
build his own amplifiers, and he formed with his brother Gundolf, a small
family owned company called ROY Electric and began producing the Kitty
Hawk amps. As was mentioned earlier, ROY had made the decision to build
their own transformers in-house, because they felt that the transformer
is the heart of an amps sound, and that they could ensure higher quality
than was available from other companies. Sometime after they entered into
an agreement with Latin Percussion Music Group (LPMG) for the exclusive US
distribution of Kitty Hawks, and for reasons which aren't completely clear,
ROY Electric began to experience financial and legal difficulties.  There
are many rumours floating around, including one about a potential lawsuit
by Boogie for patent infringememt on the circuitry design of the MKIII
Simulclass. Eventually, after an initial aggressive marketing push, LPMG
decided to drop the Kitty Hawk line, which is about where this note topic
picked up. The rest is history and a continuing saga of crazy prices and
inventory blow-outs. Apparently ROY is still in business and seeking another
means for US distribution.

      It's my understanding that Josh does want to sell off these M3's
    and he intends to call the Digital people that left messages! So
    hopefully Mark and Greg won't miss out. I'm not jumping on anyone
    for leaving a message with Josh. If you add up the people that got
    through and those that didn't there must've been quite a few calls
    from DEC. I know that in a few instances Josh called Digital only
    to be put on hold, I know how all of us hate that!
      Hope this is resolved soon- I hate to see people with happy feet
    get bummed out!
    							-BOOM
    

    re .308
    
      YES - ROY Electric/Kitty Hawk is still in business! They were at
    last weeks NAMM show in Anaheim (those Germans love Mickey Mouse!).
    I'm not sure if they picked up a U.S. distributor but I do know they
    announced new products this year!
      I'm mailing away to Germany this week for more info!

    Greg,
    
    I can understand your frustration.  I don't know if this will work, but
    you might try calling and asking for the "sales" department.  She will
    probably put you thru immediately.  Explain what's happening, give the
    salesperson your "ship to" and credit card info, and which amp you
    want.  The salesperson will probably tell you that Josh is the KH guy
    and that only he can help you, but they might be willing to pass the
    details on to Josh for ya.  Might be worth a try?
    
    FWIW,
    
    Steve

    I'm guilty of calling too much also, but I'm trying to find out where
    my amp is!  The one I bought, Josh said was in perfect working
    condition.  I ordered it January 10th and still haven't received it!
    
    Mike

    
    re: .311  
    
    Good idea Steve.  Use the "Land Shark" technique.  This stealth 
    approach will make use of the smoke screen technique.  
    
    Also, ask the secretary from hell (or whomever) if they have a FAX
    number.  If so, maybe one could fax in their order(s).
    
    -pat

    
        Just talked to the secretary from hell again, She's so sweet.
    I tried the salesperson approach. Guess what.... The person you
    have to talk to is......JOSH. She took my number again and told
    me Josh would not be able to talk to me until Monday...yeah right.
    I guess I'll have to go buy a dog or some other type of animal
    because a kitty doesn't look like its in my future.
    
    Mark C
    
    
    

    I think we should start haunting the dude at the Portland, ME
    store!

    You folks are dealing with supply and demand here.
    
    When the demand his higher than the supply, then the dealer
    has the upper hand.
    
    Mike

    Something else to keep in mind...
    
    If he (Josh) was pi$$ed before, more calls will just make it worth.
    He may not return the calls just to spite us (DEC).
    
    I mean he's got what we want.  We have to play by his rules...
    One the other hand, he should be wanting to unload these things;
    I'd assume that's why he's blowing them out for $200.              
    
    I know your frustrated, but hang in there and give him a few days
    to get to ya....
    
    jc
    

    Re Buck,
     It always surprizes me that the Marshall Sound coming out of even
    a 12 watt just can't be duplicated.  
     How do you like the DSP128+? They seem to have enuf of what I need
    and are alot cheaper than the ArtSge.
    
    Besides, just what does the ArtSge 'Chucken Pluck' Pre-set do?
    

    
    
    
    	Pawtland Maine... why that's just 45 minutes from heah!!  Is there
    any help I can give you folks being in the Portland vicinity????
    
    	Hey, Greg, I called Josh, told him I was you, and gave him a huge
    raft of (substitute your favorite waste product here)!  You should be
    all set now, dude. <grin>
    
    
    Steve
    gosh, I just bought my Fender...

    RE:  Toenail
    
    Nah, I actually don't like the DSP-128+.  I like MIDIverb IIs for
    guitar, but we were using all of them for vocals!  ;^(
    
    I playing with the DSP one day for like 6 hours and came up with a
    really cool patch...its like stereo chorus with EQ.  It makes things a
    tad beefier.

    Why don't the Augusta folks post the phone number of the Portland
    store?
    
    MAJOR TEASE:  While I was eating lunch today, a UPS truck pulls up in
    front of my house.  I yell, "GREAT THE KITTY IS HERE!"  My wife thought
    I was spazzin' out.  Then the doode brings us a trial size of Gerber
    baby formula for the new baby.
    
    :-(

    re: .319
    
    Thanks Steve, that's exactly what I needed!  I'm dying laughing!!  I
    knew something would break my bad mood...   8^)
    
    Greg

    Sorry to read about all the frustrating attempts to get hold of
    Josh and order a Kitty.  I don't know if it will help, but just
    in case, here is LP Music Group's FAX #: (201) 772-3568.
    
    Also, for anyone who is trying to find a model that the distributor
    no longer has left, don't rule out the possibility of tracking one
    down thru a KH dealer. When I bought my M1 from Hermies, Alan told
    me that for each KH unit sold, the dealer gets a substantial rebate
    from LPMG.  For that reason, you should be able to get a very good
    price from any dealer, though maybe not as low as LPMG was blowing
    them out for. You might have to negotiate a bit, because the dealer
    obviously wants to get as much as possible, but from my experience
    they are also very interested in 'getting rid' their KH stock.
    
    Anyhow, best of luck to all who are trying... I hope everyone can
    find one... and of course, IMHO, the reward of owning a Kitty Hawk
    is well worth the aggravation of your effort.
    
    Steve

    
    
    
    	Daddy's Junky Music's number in Portland is 207-772-3239.  Last
    time I was there, they had a princeton reverb for 350 and a twin for
    500.  Both were old as the hills and in what I would call "good"
    condition.
    
    
    Steve

    re: -1
    
    yo dude... you got the right note???
    
    I think Randall would be very unhappy if Daddy's was sellin' kitties. ;-)

    Is it too late to order one of those Kitty shirts ?   8^}
    
    
    				Scary
    
          (who'll be playing his Alvarez until the Kitty's arrive )

      Nope - It's not too late. Shirts will be ordered on 2/20. 
    DEC noters can send me their orders via VAXmail (FREEBE::REAUME)
    and I'll let you know the arrangements. I need sizes, quantities,
    and a shipping address.
      Again - the t-shirts will be 50/50, black with yellow print.
    The logo on the front will be "heart size" and full width on the
    back.
    
    						-john reaume

    Well, get this...
    
    After all my complaining and what have you, Josh just returned my call
    and sold me an M3 100wt head!  So count me in on the bandwagon.
    
    For those of you that called and left messages, he says he's returning
    all the calls now.  He says there are still about a dozen 100wt M3
    heads (and about that many messages).
    
    Greg

  Does Josh have any M1 heads left?

						Tom Boilard

    I guess I'll have to put a T-shirt order in... 
    Josh just sold me an M3 combo. Anyone have predictions for
    the final Kitty count?
    
    Mark C

    Sheeesh, not to sound like I jumped on the bandwagon or anything,
    but...
    
    
    I just ordered myself a Kitty!!!
    
    That's one Quattro preamp to go!
    
    Buck, psyched to rock!!

    re: .329
    
    Sorry, Tom.  He has no M1s left.  Just M3 heads and combos.
    
    re: Buck
    
    You ordered a Quattro?  Did you get it from LPMG?
    
    Greg

    re: Housemeister...
    
    Not to start a riot in here...
    
    Yeah, I got it from LPMG.   Josh said he was diggin through the
    warehouse and found a couple of Quattro's.  I can deal.
    
    
    B.

    
    
    Well, add ANOTHER one to the list!!
    
    Finally got through to Josh about 5 minutes ago.  Got an M3 head
    on the way!!  I only wish I had gotten through sooner....new
    studio project starts this weekend.  :^(
    
    If this thing is as great as you guys are makin' it sound,
    watch for a Boogie for Sale note in a couple of weeks! ;^)
    
    Ralph
    
    

    Cool!
    
    I might add that Josh said the M3s he had left were all the 100 watt
    version.
    
    Greg

    
    
    All he said to me regarding shipments, was that I should see
    the amp in about a week.
    
    He also sounded amazed that yet ANOTHER caller was from DEC! ;^)
    
    Ralph
    
    

    When I called, I avoided the "D" word (Digital), lest I be put on hold
    or some other hellish fate by that evil secretary of his!  After the
    order, he said "You're from Digital, right?"  I was like, "Yeah, how'd
    ya know?"

    Yeah, he knew I was from Digital too, even though I never mentioned
    that in any of the messages I left.  Maybe someone else tipped him off. 
    
    re: delivery times
    
    Ralph, did you just order your amp today?  Mark C. and I were talking
    offline wondering when we'd expect the amps.  I was so excited that
    he'd returned my call and had some amps left that he'd sell me that I
    forgot to ask how long it would take to get it.
    
    Greg

    I think it is defferent, cuz Ralph and I are both just a few states
    away (New Jersey to Mass.)...he also told me about a week.  I could
    see how shipping a combo or whatever cross country may take a bit.
    
    B.

    Well, he said it would be shipped UPS, so the difference should be
    minimal, just a day or two.
    
    I'm hyped!
    
    Greg

    Sorry if some of my previous notes sounded like I was confused, I had a
    bit of a notes collision and got ahead of some of the ones that were
    already there with questions...

    I think BOOM will be proud of us!
    ;^)
    
    PS - won't he have a few notes to catch up on?
    ]:^>

    I love it when a plan comes together .... 8^)
    
    
    				Scary

>    <<< Note 1103.341 by CSC32::G_HOUSE "It's just a jump to the left..." >>>
>                                   -< Good >-
>
>    Well, he said it would be shipped UPS, so the difference should be
>    minimal, just a day or two.
>    
>    I'm hyped!
    
    Greg, that is what I thought, only I ordered my combo exactly 20 days
    ago!!!
    
    Mike

    Well, PLEASE post the exact instant you get yours so the rest of
    us can *try* and figure when we'll get ours !  Mine's supposed to
    be here this Friday, but I'm trying to be realistic about things,
    maybe next Friday, maybe ...	8^|
    
    
    				Scary

    The word I got was that he (Josh) had gone to the warehouse
    to see how many he had that were working. When I talked to
    him he had 4 M3 combos and 11 M3 heads. He also had about that 
    many phone calls to return. If he got hold of everyone yesterday
    I think I believe that the amps will be shipped today or tommorrow.
    Seemed to me like he was pretty pysched up to get rid of them.
    
    MC

    LPMG called me yesterday to inform me that my order had been processed
    and would be shipping yesterday as well.  I should see my amp by
    Friday, I hope!  I've got a gig this weekend!
    
    Can't wait..........
    
    Steve

    
    
    I sure hope so!!  I'm itchin' to get mine too!  If I wasn't
    afraid of provoking him by calling him back, I'd ask that
    he ship in second day air.....'course that would probably
    cost more than the amp itself!! :^)
    
    Ralph
    
    

    YES !
    
    Buckley, I knew you couldn't hold back !  Agagagagaga...You crack
    me up !
          
    WHo's gonna figure out the tally now ??
    
    Owners and future owners ??
    
    jc

    
      FINALLY - the mighty Buckley succumbs to peer pressure! Now I
    can sell all my KH gear (yeah, right). Congrats on the Quattro!
    It's a great preamp. I have all the manuals/schematics for it as
    well. I'm assuming you got a great deal on the preamp. They were
    up to $839 list after they got so popular. I'm really surprised
    he had any in stock! 
      I'm glad Greg got his order in, after all he is 1103.0! It wasn't
    that long ago I was shocked that this topic hit 100 replies. Who
    would've thought? But then again you don't see Boogies or Marshalls
    being sold for 80% off in the notes either!
    
    							-BoOm

    Awright, I'll do it then.  This is getting impressive !
    
    Kitty Hawks On Order			Kitty Owners
    --------------------			------------
    Steve Dandrea				Pat Blair
    Jeff Cooper                                 Steve Goodwin
    Jerry White                                 John Reaume
    Alan Starr
    Ralph Crowley
    Bill Buckley
    Mike Heiser
    Greg House
    Sam Lambert
    Mark C (?)
    
    Total amps (or preamps- Buck)) on order:		10!
    
    I guess DEC took care of most of Josh's inventory !  
    I say he owes us !
    
    Any addiitons ??
    jc

    
    
    Geez, I thought there was more than 3 people who already
    owned one.....How many of you guys have actually HEARD
    one of these things??
    
    Ralph
    
    

     
    	That's Steve Goodwin X  2
     	  and  John  Reaume  X 10

    
    	... this is getting real scary! 

    And Jerry White (x2) as of a few minutes ago (he just ordered another
    M3).
    
    Josh has TWO M3 100wt heads left, per Jerry.
    
    jc

    don't forget Dave George and the mysterious read-only Bill who
    both own M1's too...

    Buck, did you ever demo Dave George's M1?  I'm still waiting for a
    product review :-)
    
    Mike

    Dear Mike,
    
    Naw, been to busy to head over to Dave's to check out the M1!!!
    I bought mine on the spur of the moment!  Reviews to come soon!
    
    B.

    I just got off the phone with Josh.  It seems he couldn't find a
    working M1 combo out of the 2 left so I bought I broken one at a
    reduced price that I plan to fix myself.  A lot cheaper than what I
    already paid.  It didn't have tubes (Josh is supplying me with EL34s)
    and the speaker/grill piece is falling out.
    
    I couldn't make myself get an M3.  He also had a M1 exotic wood combo 
    with no sound, he thought it would need a transformer.
    
    Now for the questions: what is involved in putting the speaker/grill
    in?  Is it a case where the screws are just stripped out of the wood?
    
    Mike

    Mike,
    
    Pat Blair totally dissassembled his M1 combo for bulletproofing.  He's 
    probably a good source for assembly instructions, even though when you
    look at the amp, it'll probably be self explanatory.
    
    Steve

    
    
    
    	Hee, Hee you guys are killin' me, Mr. Kitty-Wrench!!  Haw, Haw..
    stop! Stop!   I've always wanted to see what happened when a topic hit
    .999
    
    
    Steve
    

    
    So, out of all of the people who have ordered KH's, only a few have
    actually heard one?  
    
    I hope you guys all like your new toys. 8-)
    
    WJB, I'm particularly curious why you bought a preamp when you just
    sold your MP-1.  Does the Quatro provide a less-processed sound than
    the MP-1?  Or is it because the Quatro is a straight-ahead preamp and
    not a midi-madness showcase?
    
    
    Kevin
    
         

    >WJB, I'm particularly curious why you bought a preamp when you just
    >sold your MP-1.  Does the Quatro provide a less-processed sound than
    >the MP-1?  Or is it because the Quatro is a straight-ahead preamp and
    >not a midi-madness showcase?
    
    Well, a few reasons.  One, I just couldn't bring myself to get an M3.
    It would have been ok, but I really would have preffered separate tone
    controls for the clean channel (as I reminisce back to my GK days!).
    
    Since there were no M1s available, I went with the Quattro, since:
    
    a) they are virtually impossible to find
    b) are similar to an M1
    c) I knew it could produce an insane amount of gain!
    
    So...
    
    

    FWIW:
    
    A friend of mine just grabbed one of those M3 100WT heads.
    
    Hurry up there Kevin and order yours today!!!

    
    
    >   Hurry up there Kevin and order yours today!!!
  
    
    If I hadn't recently bought a second guitar, I would have made the call
    a while ago!  There is also a new tone-pot-mounted preamp already made
    for the new Swede that is about to consume $70.   I'd told that it's
    red hot. 
   
    
    I've never heard the KH's, but for the prices I'd say that
    it was a real good risk.  I almost dragged out the MC for one more
    attack..... 
    
    
    -Kevin
    
  
    

    Josh told me this morning that he still had a couple more Quattros.  He
    told me that he uses one himself.
    
    Mike

    
      How ya gonna keep em down on the farm after they played a Kitty?
    The Quattro is a killer preamp with few equals. Yes, it's more of
    a straight ahead type of preamp w/ its four 12AX7's doing what they
    do best. It's more versatile than your standard amp, but the DEAL
    on the M3's are still one of the biggest. C'mon- look at the prices
    of the tubes alone when picking up a head for two bills! And I still
    think they sound damn good. This topic is gonna EXPLODE when these
    cats start showing up!
    							-BOOM

    Check this out ... I called the secretary from hell yesterday morning
    at 9am.  I asked if Josh was in, and she said in a very sarcastic
    voice, "... you must be one of those Digital people wanting a Kitty
    Hawk.".  "Yep", I said.  So she took my name and number - informed
    me that the sales folks get there around 10 - said she'd tell Josh.
    I work 3rd, and couldn't sleep, so I called back at about 10:20am.
    I asked for the sales department - she asked who was calling - I
    told her - put on hold for about 5 seconds - Josh pops on the phone.
    I thought you guys said he was hard to track down ?   8^)  Anyway,
    I ordered my second M3 head, and we shot the breeze about computer
    conferencing.  He said he wasn't mad at folks for calling so much,
    he was just blown away 'cuz he never knew this sort of thing existed.He
    said this M3 should be knocking on my door in about a week, and
    since I work 3rd, heh heh heh, I'll be home - won't have to go pick
    it up somewhere.  I had planned on selling this one locally to pay
    for the 1st one I bought, but I'm sure once I have them stacked
    on top of eachother, I'll probably hang on to both of 'em.  $200
    for a back up head is a good deal.
    
    
    				Scary

    Scary, your killin' me...
    
    I'm fixin' to try an get a midi patch bayette if John Reaume will
    get off his butt and call me back !  <hint,hint>
    
    ;^)

	What are the Quattro pre-amps going for?

	Dan

    I think $300...  But don't quote me...
                             
    jc

    re -1, -2
    
    yeah, Josh told me $300 also.
    
    Guess what- this topic has just gone past the for sale/wanted
    note to become the most active note in the guitar file...
    
    I can't believe it!
    
    Steve

    Yeah, well when we receive our KittyHawks, it'll really be crankin'!
    
    jc

    -1
    
    I like your choice of words- crankin' ... that's just what the
    Kitty Hawks do best!

    
    
    
    Steve G and John R...
    
    
    
    
    
    Orville and Wilbur, the Wright bros !
    
    sorry,
    -pat
    
    

    Don't apologize, Pat...I thought it was funny, but then again
    
    
    I would!
    
    Steve D

    re: hard time getting Josh last week.  
    
    He told me when he called that he'd purposefully made himself hard to
    get because he wasn't sure of how many amps he had and what condition
    they were in.  He said he didn't want to sell any more until he knew
    exactly what he had.  I can appreciate that.
    
    The problem that Mike H. had is a perfect example of what he wanted to
    avoid.  I'm sure he though he had a good M1 combo when he originally
    sold Mike that.  Mistakes happen.
    
    Greg
     

I taked to Josh this morning - he said he sold 28 pieces of Kitty Hawk gear in 
two days, almost all of it to DECcies - he couldn't believe it!

He also said that he has ONE Quattro left as of this morning.....

Alan S.

    
    
    re -.1 -< and my M3 was already shipped! yeah!!! >-
    
    When did you order it?  
    
    Ralph
    
    

    His was one of the ones that were ordered before Josh went to NAMM...

Can someone mail me Josh's phone number please.  I don't have the time to go 
looking for it.

						Thanks in advance.


							Tom Boilard
							SPKALI::BOILARD

    re: .375
    
    What a RIOT!!!!   I'm blushing....
    
    Sincerely,
    Wilbur    8^)

>    He told me when he called that he'd purposefully made himself hard to
>    get because he wasn't sure of how many amps he had and what condition
>    they were in.  He said he didn't want to sell any more until he knew
>    exactly what he had.  I can appreciate that.
>    
>    The problem that Mike H. had is a perfect example of what he wanted to
>    avoid.  I'm sure he though he had a good M1 combo when he originally
>    sold Mike that.  Mistakes happen.
    
    I may end up getting the best deal of all.  The M1 I ended up buying
    didn't have tubes, but Josh is throwing in a pair of EL34s.  The
    speaker/grill unit was falling out, but I'm thinkin' this is more of a
    carpentry problem (i.e., stripped threads) and that isn't a big deal to
    me.  Nothing else is wrong with it that we know of today.
    
    I paid less for the M1 than you guys did for the M3s.  
    
    Mike

    re: Mike
    
    Like I'd rather get a better deal on an amp that's damaged (at least
    when I can repair it myself), but not everyone has that attitude.  I
    know a lot of people would have been mad or disappointed with that
    deal. 
    
    I'm glad you were happy with the deal.
    
    Greg

    Steve Dandrea just called me from home.  He'd gone early to nap
    before our gig tonight.  His Kitty was waiting for him when he got
    home.  There goes the nap.
    
    RnR will be BLAZIN' tonight !
    
    jc (Who is OUTTA here NOW !)
    

    I might be in trouble if the kitties are starting
    to roll in. I FORGOT to tell the wife I spent HER
    money....oooopppsss!!! Hope I get to play it before
    she kills me.
    
    MC
    (who might as well lay down because he's a dead man 8*) )
    

    Weel, dem Kitties are gettin Looooow over at LPMG.  I just got off the
    phone with good ole Josh!  Moi?  Well, I haven't picked up an M3 (yet),
    but I couldn't resist a MIDI Patch Bayette 1.  Esp. since it seems as
    if the footswitches are hard to find now.
    
    Order your own KH *now* while supplies last!
    
    PS - Thanks Boom for the info.

    I'm going to have a nice little set up by the time I'm finished!  You
    guys can have your MIDIot stuff.  I'm not ready for that.
    
    Mike

    Well, I'm home now and after an hour and a half with my M3 I'll
    say I'm impressed...To say the least...  And thats saying a lot
    for a MIDIot... (MIKE!)
    
    As nice as the amp is, it can't even come close to touching my
    rack (MP1-SP1000)...No way, no how...But for $200...  For 100watts,
    it ain't very loud...I had it cranked to 10...Scared the hell out
    of the cats and Cindi, but my ears aren't bleeding.  :)
    
    The clean channel is nice though...And the OD is nice too even with
    6l6's...(Mine was supposed to come with EL34's...Oh well).
    Steve is bringing his to the gig...More tomorrow.   
    
                                                         
    jc

        Okay, now, what I want to know is when are you guys having your
     1st annual Kitty Hawk Owners Association convention and where?  ;^)

        This is such fun to watch ... a total Kitty_frenzy!  It's
     great!!

        Vicki

    The convention will be in Pat Blair's garage !  I guess we can leave
    the time up to him (he's such a good sport !).  There'll be 5 of
    'em there.  I got some dumb questions for some of you Kitty owners.
    I'm thinking about using 1 of the M3's as a pre-amp, line out to
    my rack, and back into the other M3.  
    
    Question #1 - Will I fry M3 #1 if I don't have a speaker attached to it ?
                  How can I safely use a M3 as a pre-amp ?
                  
    Question #2 - JC said it appeared that the guts of an M3 could be
                  rack mounted .... anybody know for sure ?
                  
    
    JC ordered my 1st M3 the day after he ordered his - I'm hoping Josh
    shipped 'em in the same order.  Yo Coop .... I think I'll sleep
    over at your house today .... just in case ... 8^)
    
    
    				Scary

    Bummer of Bummers......
    
    Good news:  M3 head arrived yesterday....
    
    Bad news:   There's technical trouble in river city....
    
    Here's the scoop....
    
    Opened up the shipping box, removed the head, inspected it.  Everything
    is cool; cleaned the anxiety slobber off of the top and plugged it in a
    Peavey 300w 4 ohm PA speaker (4 ohm jack to Peavey speaker, obviously).
    
    Carefully followed fire up instructions, bias switch, standby
    procedure, etc.  Finished reading the manula and fired 'er up.  It
    kicks ass!  Nice tone, good crunch, great distortion, etc.  I noticed
    that there was a hisss of a sort when I struck each note; I figured
    that the PA cabs wouldn't handle guitar frequency?  I unplugged
    everything in anticipation of borrowing Coops' micro stack Marshall
    cabs (which are retrofitted with 150w PAS 12 inchers).  Arrived at the
    gig, hooked up the two micro's into the 4 ohm jacks, only to notice
    that this amp is incredibly quiet for a 100w tube head.  During the
    first set, the performance degraded to a point where I couldn't be
    heard with the amp cranked to 10.  Our drummer noticed that one of the
    power tubes was glowing "blue" and the glow would swell with every
    chord.  The clean channel started to distort badly, so I unhooked
    everything, fired the 45w Peavey Pacer combo and blew away the Kitty
    as it's performing now.  What gives?  Any ideas on where to start
    trouble shooting?  I'm gonna call Josh and see what he recommends, my
    understanding of our "guarentee" was that these babies would work upon
    delivery.
    
    
    Steve (severly bummed)

Severly Bummed Steve

******* I'd say you have two problems not one,however one might have caused
the second.

      	I noticed that there was a hisss of a sort when I struck each note; 
    I figured that the PA cabs wouldn't handle guitar frequency?  

******* Nope they should have a passive crossover,your probably lookin at a 
preamp tube for the hissing... I've also seen this happen when going from
an outside temp to room temp without ample warmup time.

	During the first set, the performance degraded to a point where I 
    couldn't be heard with the amp cranked to 10.  Our drummer noticed that 
    one of the power tubes was glowing "blue" and the glow would swell with 
    every chord.  The clean channel started to distort badly, 

******* It could be a tube or a discrete component dragging down your power
supply. It could be your phase inverter tube which is a 12ax7.(next to the
power tubes) I'd suggest you find one of your other KH owners and do a one 
for one swap tubewise until you find the culprit. If this doesn't identify 
the culprit then it get's a little more techie......and a scope and schems 
will come in handy. 


	I'm gonna call Josh and see what he recommends, my understanding of 
    our "guarentee" was that these babies would work upon delivery.
    
****** Good luck....once you've found the tube,I'm sure Josh would be wise 
to send you a new one.....He's probably made $8k off of Dec sales alone in
immediate cash whereas a dealer would be paying installments with interest.
	I wouldn't get too bummed.... it's fixable....better now than in a 
year or two when you can't find parts or have to wait for them to come from
Germany.....

							Rick

    Thanks Rick,
    
    I'm not TOO bummed, after all I only have $200 invested and the basic
    package is complete.  I'm gonna trouble shoot tubes with Coop this
    weekend.
    
    Steve

    >Question #1 - Will I fry M3 #1 if I don't have a speaker attached to it ?
    
    YES!!!  DO NOT USE THE M3 (or any head) WITHOUT A SPEAKER LOAD ATTACHED
            TO THE OUTPUT!!!!!
    
    >              How can I safely use a M3 as a pre-amp ?
     
    There are those load boxes that Bradshaw uses on the amp heads in his
    systems.  Or, hook a small speaker to the head, just to take the load.
                 
    >Question #2 - JC said it appeared that the guts of an M3 could be
    >              rack mounted .... anybody know for sure ?
    
    Well, maybe...I assume the transformer and tubes tak up some addl.
    (height) space?  Otherwise, I could not see why not?  I thought someone
    said the unit was 21" wide?!?  

    I quickly ran a tape measure over the amp chassis last night.  It's
    about an inch short of the 19" EIA (or whatever)...Some ears, and
    you should be ready !  I'd say three to four spaces EACH.
    
    Jerry, if you want my opinion (it's worth the money-none) you should
    run out of your GP8 in stereo into both Kittys...  Yeow !
    
    RE: Our new Kittys:
    
    As I said in last nights note, I thought mine was pretty subdued.
    Steve's is down right lame.  I've got a fist full of 12ax7's at
    home and I'm gonna grab the Bull(dawg) by the horns and see if we
    can't get it straight at lunch.
    
    Am  I wrong in assuming that with the OD and Lead-master set to
    10, and the AMP master set to 6-8 that plaster should be cracking
    and stuff ?3  I mean I can't get my rack over 3 with out the women
    and children running for the bomb shelters and such . :)
    
    Whats the scoop ?  I thought these things had b*llz?
    
    jc

    Marshall Rules, you boys. 

    Well, my very sick 50wt Marshall blows my "new" 100wt Kitty into
    the weeds...So far.
    
    :)

    Hello!
    
    My name is Per Lorentzi and I work for DEC in Stockholm. I've just
    found this notesfile and have been spending all day reading note 1103. 
    
    I've been using a Kitty Hawk M1 60W combo for about half a year now so 
    you can add another DEC KH-owner to the statistics...
    
    /per
    
    (Is it possible to order a Kitty T-shirt from Sweden?) 
    

    >Am I wrong in assuming that with the OD and Lead-master set to
    >10, and the AMP master set to 6-8 that plaster should be cracking
    >and stuff ?  I mean I can't get my rack over 3 with out the women
    >and children running for the bomb shelters and such . :)
    
    Well Coop, there are a few thing you have gotta remember.  For one,
    your SP-1000 is 100watts per SIDE.  The KH is just 100wts!  As far as
    100wts go, I have a 100wt Carvin that is loud, but its not LOUD.  Also,
    a friend of mine has the 100wt Randall all-valve head.  It only gets 
    so loud (not death loud either!) before it goes into compression.  He
    has two of these stacks...both have great tone, but you can crank both
    to 10,10,10,10,10,10 etc. and not die from it, ya know what I'm sayin?
    A Marshall 100wts may not be the same as someone else's 100wts.  For my
    tastes, I would be more concerned with the tone I was getting and not
    with how much air I was pushing.
    
    I have also had tube amps act in the same mannar as Bulldawg's (heavy 
    blue light in tubes as output is produced)...you'll find that running
    the mast volume at 10, and then the dist volumes work better
    volume-wise.  As also rec., I'd put the amp on a scope and see just how
    many watts the thing is producing!

    
    #400!!!  :^)
    
    Ralph
    
    

    
    
    Awww, Buck, ya snuck in there and ruined my fun!! ;^)
    
    Ralph
    
    

    -1 
    
    Sorry!
    
    403!!!
    ;^)

    
       WOW - another country heard from (sorry- couldn't resist). I
    may look into arrangements for shipping the t-shirt. Must've shocked
    you to see all these replies!
       Steve D. - I had considered the possibility that one or two of
    the amps wouldn't fire up without a problem. Hopefully the tubes
    will take care of that. When troubleshooting I would keep the volume
    lower until it starts checking out. It sounds like a tube problem.
    Do you need schematics? I got em!
       J.C. - Your 100 watter isn't that loud? That's weird. My
    100 watt M1 is lots louder than the rack w/ the SP-1000 power amp.
    Actually my 60 watt M3 combo can be fairly rude when it comes to
    loudness, the same with my M1 60 watt combo. Also keep in mind that
    the way the effects loop is set up on the KH affects the overall output
    volume, and if that effect is instrument level you lose a lot of
    vol.
        
						-BOOM

    John,
    
    I would appreciate a copy of the M3 schematic.  Our local field service
    tech is also our Kitty support crew.
    
    Thanks,
    
    Steve

    Oh yeah,
    
    Send that schematic to GSO/V3 or 24 Windemere Dr.  Greenville SC 29615.
    
    Thanks again....|)

      
      Hey - You're in a hurry aren't you? I'm gonna FAX it to ya!
    Jeff needs some info anyway, just got off the phone with him.
    Yoou'll see it this afternoon. How's that for response time.
    
    						-BOOM

    
    re:  gso kh owners
    
    I *have* the M1/M3 power section schematics.  You'll still need the 
    preamp stuff tho'.  You really want me to mail 'em?  Somebody give 
    Coop a valium til his amp checks out ok...
    
    ;^)
    
    -pat

    Well, I'm gonna run to the local shop and pick up a quartet of EL34's
    and see if I can kick some fanny...
    
    I gotta get Josh to send me a MIDI Patch Bayette II !!
    
    jc (Who is gonna 'metal' the *snot* out of Crossroads tonight...:)

>    jc (Who is gonna 'metal' the *snot* out of Crossroads tonight...:)

Ack! Robert Johnson will be turning in his grave!!!  8^)

re: KH problems

Well, y'all got me a little worried after hearing the problems people have 
been having so far. I'm getting mine in today (got a slip from UPS yesterday), 
so I'll know more after this weekend about how things are.

Interesting side-note: When I talked to Josh yesterday, he told me that mine 
was already shipped out. Quote - "Yours was one of the first ones I found in 
the warehouse, so you got a good one". Wonder what he meant by "good"??? Just 
cosmetically? Or otherwise??? I wonder.....

Like Buck mentioned - I'm not so much concerned with the volume as I am with 
the tone. Coop - how does it *sound*????

Alan S.

    It sounds pretty good...Just not loud enough for performance.
    I don't think I should need a power booster to perform in a 1300sq
    foot club... :)  Steve played the first set last night thru his
    (that isn't as loud as mine) and was running WIDE OPEN and was very
    subdued... By the end of the set, his tone s*cked.  (Nothing persona;
    Stevie, I'm talkin' amps here...Your LP sounds great...BTW - You
    looked/sounded good playing that Charvel ;)
                
    I'm real impressed with the clean and overdriven sounds of it...But
    keep in mind that I've only played it for like an hour and a half...
    
    More as time goes on.
    
    jc                                           
    

    
    Hey Orville/Wilbur, could one you's guys go on record with a
    recommendation for EL34 rating for rock/blues?  You know, H1-10;
    S1-10.  Which is the Jimmy Vaughan rating.  You know, no sustain,
    a lot of twang ;^).  FYI, I'm talking Groove Tubes here.
    
    Thanks mon,
    -pat

    el34's go s1 to s10, it's the 6550's that run h1-h10
    the lower the number the softer the tube, the more distortion
    
    BTW u kitty's, I can't push my Marshall past 1 or it blows me out of the
    house  :-) haha marshall rules

    But, Andy, you blow up your Marshall about every 6 months, right?
    
    8^)

    OK, I bought it for 350$ snuffed
    new tubes, biasing	100
    Playing with all knobs open wide open,
    through a speaker in no cab, probably shorted outouts
    			300  xformer, tubes
    shorted outputs	100
    			___
    			850.
    
    			I got it in 86 after an airline had lost my
    luggage,	and gave me 350 for my ratty clothes.
    
    In this time frame, 3 years, 3 sets of tubes would have cost me 300,
    given a quartet a year, theoretically.
    
    At one  point I decided I wouldn't use the thing until I had a cab
    finished, so I did finish one before I used the marshall so I wouldn't
    snuff it again.  Now I'm gonna hook up my other cab to my Memphis 2.4 
    watt amp and have True Stereo.
    
    Although I am disapointed the Kitty's might not be as good as new for
    some of you, I enjoy raggin' ya'll :-) 
      

	It sure sounds like ol' Josh had a few of his last kitties
	neutered before he shipped them.  Or maybe he shipped the
	b*lls seperately in another package?!  I hope new tubes
	provide a cure for these cases of feline distemper...
	As far as the loudness is concerned- I agree that tone is
	more important, *but* the 100W kitties should be able to
	blow the windows out of an average size club. My 60W M1s
	will chew up and spit out a Marshall 2205 any old time...
	I would expect the 100 watters to do the same to a 2210.

	Has anyone tried calling Josh and giving him a piece of
	their mind?  Or does the number now give a recording that
	says: I'm sorry, the number you have dialed is no longer
	in service?

	Seriously, good luck with your trouble shooting.

	Steve (who_still_believes_that_*healthy*_kitties_roooool)

    My Marshall Master Volume 100 watter is spit out by no-one!
    Furthermore, it  and me challenges anyone to Volume War
    Anytime!  
    
    :)   smiley with nose blown off at '3' 
    
    
    :-)

    RE: Volume war
    
    Oh puh-lease!
    
    Is this Digital or the 5th grade?
    
    Besides, volume is all relative...tone is another issue.  A 200wt
    Marshall Major is LOUD alright...much louder than any Fender amp,
    but it doesn't sound as good as, say, a the 22wt Caliber Boogie!
    The 180WT Boogies are much louder than the Major, and the 100WT
    Metaltronix M1000 would give the 180wt boogies a run for their
    money.  What does it all matter?

    Really Toenail, grow up dude :)  'Sides, my rack will beat up your
    amp anyday... :)
    
    jc (Who will buy some EL34's for his Kitty Monday )

    Maybe I'll piece my Kitty's together and make 1 good one !   8^)
    
    
    
    				Scary
    
    (who has an Alvarez that will blow away Marshalls, Boogies, Kitty's,
    NASA, and some South American countries !)

    
      Well I know of another Kitty that arrived in Virginia last 
    friday and all is in working order. I have to keep tabs on who
    is p*ssed at me for recommending they lay out their hard earned
    cash. I agree with Steve G that the KH amps put out AT LEAST their
    rated power. I have a lab sheet for my M3 sixty watt that lists
    a 63 watt reading. I think J.C.'s problem is mismatched tubes.
    My 100 watt M1 can peel paint with the master vol on 7!
      I sent out two sets of schematics last friday, then I got a note
    that one of my fax's went to the wrong place, WHO didn't get it?
    With my luck the KH info went to K.O. and I'm out of a job. I can
    see the look on whoevers face that got the transmission. 
    						-BoOm 

Got my Kitty in on Friday......

I guess I was lucky - I seemed to have gotten one of the "good" ones! 
Everything seems to be working fine. When it first arrived, one of the tubes 
had fallen out, and all the others were loose. Besides that, all I had to do 
was plug it in and I was all set to go!

Didn't have much time to play with it, but I'm very impressed so far. Seems 
very similar to a Boogie, tone-wise, which is fine by me! I'll give a more 
detailed review when I find time to play with it more.

Regarding volume - I didn't play this with the band yet, so I'm not positive 
about relative volume. But this baby seems to CRANK!!!! I had it pluggd into a 
4x12 cab. With the master on 6, I stood 10 feet away from the cab and couldn't 
hear the person standing next to me! At 7 (as loud as I dared turn it up), it 
was heard outside my house, 100 feet down the street!!!!

I'm sure I'll have no problems in the volume department.....

Oh, while I'm here - Ignorant Question #1 - how do I tell whether I have 6L6s 
or EL34s? There are no markings at all on any of the tubes! (I looked all over 
all four of them!) I'm assuming for now that they are 6L6s, but I really don't 
know!

Alan S.

    No!

    I just spoke with Josh at LPMG.  He is sensitive to my "volume" problem
    and is mailing me a new set of power tubes ASAP!  What a guy!  To quote
    him "that baby is a measured 100 watt head; if you had it wide open in
    a small night club, you would have had the police dragging you
    downtown".  Needless to say, he agrees that since my 45w Peavey was
    much louder than my "new" Kitty, I must have an output problem.
    
    More later....waiting for my new tubes, now    sheesh!
    
    Bulldawg

      
      Alan - generally if your KH has groove tubes they are 6L6's. The
    original tubes from germany would have been EL34's. The EL34's
    are smaller in diameter, almost the same as the tube socket.
    Shouldn't be hard to figure out.
      Interesting fact #214335 : I just made my final purchase from
    Josh. (seriously). In one fell swoop I picked up a M5 45 watt combo,
    another Patch Bayette 1, and one of three brand new Testarossa preamps
    they found in an office. There are two Testarossa's left for $300.
    The list on these was close to a grand! I have a person in Syracuse
    dying to buy my Quattro, but I wouldn't sell it. Now that I have
    two Testarossa's I'll consider it, and make most of my money on
    this recent purchase back right away!
    
    						- KH sonic BoOm -

    
    
    Steve,
    
    		While you're waiting you could "ohm out" your output
    transformer to see if you've got an open or short (well 1 ohm or less)
    stage.... at least you'd be sure of the last part of the output stage
    being OK... I'm a real non-techie though (this IS how I'd check an
    output winding, right??)
    
    
    Steve

    Thanks, Steve...I'll pass that tip on to my "mechanic".  He's field
    servicing in Atlanta until the middle of the week.  Another thing Josh
    suggested was to throw the tube bias switch to the other side and see
    if I get more output.  He said that the swith might be installed
    backwards or the sticker may have been.  I think Coop is gonna buy a
    new set of tubes today....maybe he'll let me trouble shoot my amp wiff
    'em.  |)
    
    More later....
    
    Steve

    Yeah, EL34's are tall and skinny, and 6L6's and short and fat...(The
    sound is like that too :)
    
    I wanna talk to Josh before I go buy these tubes...
    
    I'm gonna replace the 6l6's with EL34's.  
    
    jc (Who wants CRUNCH !)

> generally if your KH has groove tubes they are 6L6's. The
> original tubes from germany would have been EL34's. The EL34's
> are smaller in diameter, almost the same as the tube socket.

Sounds like I have EL34s then. They weren't Groove Tubes (no marking at all!), 
and they were rather thin, about the same as the socket size. I guess I'd 
better change the tube switch, eh?  8^)

Alan S.

    I have a question about the direct injection output that can be run to
    mixers.  Can this output also be connected to a tape loop in a hi-fi
    system?  I need to ask first so I don't blow up my Nakamichi.
    
    Mike

    
    
    I talked to a friend of mine who does equipment repair. 
    Seems that he was going to be a factory-authorized KH shop.  He got
    the service kit, etc. and then the whole process kind of died.  He's
    really not sure what's going to happen.
    
    In any event, he did get some schematics and is willing to work on KH
    gear.  He is ..Dave Luiz, Plaistow, N.H. (603) 382-5110.
    
    
    Kevin
    
    
    
    

    Excellent !!!  A factory authorized repair kitty-god !
    
    Alan, the EL34's are about 1" in diameter, and about 3" high (not
    including the socket)...Ummm the 6L6's are about 2" in diameter...
    
    I got my EL34's at lunch, and Josh gave me credit in leiu of the
    tubes so I bought a patch bayette 2 :)...  He really is a pretty
    cool guy.  He told me that he dropped the KittyHawk line because
    of reliability problems and problems with Roy Electronics.
    
    He also said that Boogie has been THREATENING a suit on ROY.
    Apparently ROY used to *Assemble* Boogies...and Boogie figures that
    is where ROY learned how to SIMULCLASS.  Yuck, nuck, nuck.  Those
    sneaky dawgs.  :)
    
    jc (Sign me up as a MIDI-KITTY-ADA-Metaltronix rack puke from hell!)
                                                                        
    PS - Of course I had to buy a new rack while I was out |^\

    I called him too so I'd know when to expect Kitty #2 (#1 should
    be here any second now ...).  He said it was on the way (right,
    the check's in the mail too ...).  He was friendly as usual, but
    I did notice him take a deep breath when I said "... Hi, I've got
    a question about one of those Kitty Hawks you sold me ...".  I guess
    he heard a number of horror stories today.  I'm still psyched though !
    
    Hmmm, a Testarosa for $300 ?  No, I can't, I CAN'T !!!  I can see
    it now ... I've got a house full of Kitty this and Kitty that, and
    2 cans of generic chicken noodle soup in the pantry !
    
    "Honey ?  How does chicken noodle soup sound for dinner tonight?"
    
    Shouldn't push my luck, should I guys ?	8^)
    
    
    				Scary

    More trouble in Kitty City....
    
    I tried a new set of Groove tubes in my M3 (Coop's new tubes) last
    night.  My amp now seems to operate at 100 watts, including (at no
    extra charge) the most g*d awful buzz in the clean channel.  It swells
    with each note or chord, then drops out suddenly.  ACK!  I'm gonna call
    Josh back........SH*T!
    
    Bummed out Bulldawg....

    Always somethig to look forward to !   :^|
    
    I'm beginning to wonder if we helped someone take out the trash!
    
    
    
    
    				Scary

    re: .434
      DAMN! Sorry getting your amp on-line is getting to be a chore.
    Is the problem just in the clean channel? Do the new tubes work
    O.K. in Coop's amp? If it's any consolation, at least it looks like
    your output section isn't wiped (that is if the lead channel works).
    You have a M3 head, right? 
      My M3 that I've had since September '88 has been solid. And I
    still use this amp every week at practice. I almost alway use
    the rack with the Testarossa when gigging. Occasionally I'll switch
    to the Quattro or the M1 head.
      						-BoOm-

    The tubes brought Coop's amp to life, my lead channel is working ok,
    the problem is in the clean channel.  My amp still isn't putting out
    the same output as Coop's.  We'll see what Josh recommends....
    
    Steve

    You think you're impatient!?!?  I ordered mine weeks before the
    Carolina gang and still haven't received mine!!!!!
    
    Mike

    Yep, the EL34 tubes did the trick to mine.  Suddenly I can't stay
    in the same room with mine with the master on more than 5...
    :)
    :)
    :)
    
    Warning !  If you 'blues type' dudes want a non-distorted tone at
    a reasonable volume, DON'T put EL34's in your head ! The EL34's
    I put in are crunchy and compressed as he!!...
    
    <Insert pictures of heavy metal heads banging in unison here>
    
    Now, if you want that emulated "blown out marshall" tone, EL34's are 
    for YOU!  Instant feedback and squeels beyond your wildest dreams...  
    It's gonna be a great addition to my rig when I get my MIDI patch 
    bayette in.
    
    The cleanest it gets (at performance vol. levels) is still dirty
    enough to make Clapton gag.  If you want those ringing clean tones, 
    better stick with 6L6's.
    
    jc

    re: Steve D.

    Try swapping your preamp tubes with Jeffs.  If it's not the power
    tubes, chances are its one of the others.  

    One thing I'm wondering about.  Since one of the reasons LPMG dropped
    the line was reliability problems, I wonder if these leftover units
    were ones that stores returned because they didn't work right.  That's
    the usual thing a store will do with something that arrives broken,
    return it to the distributor.  Hmmm...

    Greg

    Thanks, Greg
    
    We tried that first.  Jeff gave me what he believed to be "known good"
    12ax7's and they are in the amp now.  I haven't swapped with the
    pre-amp tubes in Jeff's amp, tho....hmmmmm.
    
    Another go at it!
    
    Steve

  What is a Midi Patch Bayette?

						Tom Boilard

    RE: .443
    
    Oh NO!  The flood gates are gonna open now!  Way to go Tom; get ready;
    
    Coop's gonna write a dissertation!  Just kiddin' guy.  |)
    
    RE: fixin Steve D's amp....Josh aint in today....AHHHHHH!
    
    |(

      I knew someone would ask! The patch bayette is similar in function
    to the Rockman MIDI octopus. There are two versions of the P.B.
    The Patch Bayette 1 has two progammable function switches (on/off
    type) that can control amp channel switching or any function that
    has a non-momentary type footswitch. Any LED's that were in a
    footswitch can be ignored because the bayette already has them!
    In addition the #1 bayette has six effects loops that can be programmed
    to be in or out, this is great for all those old MXR pedal freaks
    out there! The Patch Bayette #2 has six function switches, no effects
    loops, and a A/B out for routing to different amps assigned by MIDI.
    Both Bayettes have 128 program locations, battery backup (preset
    retention) and in general are in a nice looking functional package.
      Any LED freaks would appreciate this in their rack! Each switch
    has it's own indicator. All the function and loop connections are
    in the back as well as MIDI in and out.
							-BoOm-

    re: .440
    
    Ah yes, Coop!  [obviously an anit-Marshall man!]  :^)
    
    Anyways, generally anyone who brags about how their amp can 
    blow out Marshalls, well, usually know they CAN'T!!
    
    ;^)  
    
    cheers/mike
    
    P.s. Yo Sam, you got your Kitty yet?  What are they doing, sending
    it Slow Cockroach Express?

    
    re: 6L6 vs El34
    
    Yup, the 6l6's are wider at the middle than at the socket.  Also, the
    6L6's use less pins than the EL's.  That is, if you look at the base 
    of the 6L6, it will look like a pin (or 2?) is missing.
    
    Steve, try swapping amps with Jeff and see if the problem goes away.  
    
    
    
    Yuk yuk yuk.
    

    JC, with the EL34's or even the 6l6's do you get a clean
    tone from the clean channel when you have balls to the wall
    crunch on the lead channel. I've heard complaints from Boogie
    owners that the clean channel doesn't really sound clean if
    the lead channel is really crunching. Does this happen with the
    Kitty or will I be able to get a clean and a dirty tone?
    
    Mark Crombie (king of the run-on questions)
    

    In the Authorized Repair Center manual from Kitty Hawk, it says to
    replace EL34s with 6L6s because the "EL34s are less reliable and can
    damage the amplifier".
    
    Mike

    Does LPMG have footswitches for the Reverb jack?
    
    Mike

    I played Coop's M3 yesterday and ....
    
    .... this kittens got BIG claws !  I was VERY impressed.  His has
    EL34's and is quite nasty.  The clean channel has a very slightly
    overdriven tone to it.  I love it !  After finally hearing one,
    I think that even if you have to spend a *little* money to get one
    of sloppy Josh's bargain basement kitty's running, it's money well
    spent.  I can't wait to get mine in ... and I can safely say that
    I'll be keeping both of 'em.  If I *did* sell one the price would
    be way up there.  Just like in DEC ... pay for performance, and
    these Kitty's are a solid "1" in all categories.  Besides, the
    footswitch has an LED on it, which makes the unit compatible with
    a rack ..... 8^)
    
    
    				Scary

    RE: .446   - By MPGS::MIKRUT
                
  >  "Anyways, generally anyone who brags about how their amp can 
  >   blow out Marshalls, well, usually know they CAN'T!!"
   
    Well, normally I'd agree with you... But in my music room, I have
    my MIDI rack (which obviously kills Marshalls {like, no contest:}), 
    My Kittyhawk M3 (which KILLS Marshalls) and my Marshall 2205...Poor lonely
    thing sittin' in the corner with no one to play it...  :(  But if
    it's a consolation, the Marshall is used to not getting played.
     
    :)
    
    jc  (slippin' into his asbestos suit :)

    re -1
    
    I hear ya, Coop... I sold my 2205 after the dust on it got too
    thick... all these die-hard Marshall fans don't know what they're
    missing until they've heard a Kitty.
    
    Steve  (I'll put on my asbestos suit too)  8^)

    John Reaume,
    
    I recieved the schematics.....thanx!
    
    Steve D.

      Ya know - the only problems so far has been with Steve D's 
    amp and hopefully that's on the way to being rectified one
    way or another. We should set up specialists here. Pat can handle
    cabinet re-construction and general anti-resonant frequency problems.
    Jeff will be matching up tubes that turn Kittys into Tigers. 
    Mike H will take the dead cats and give them eight more lives.
    Steve D is gonna buy a rabbit's foot before he orders ANYTHING
    again. ME? I'm gonna take over Kitty Hawk USA and supply parts
    from Germany when needed. I think I'll call it BOOMCAT LTD.
    Oh yeah , and Buck is gonna be a Quattro powered manaic and he's
    gonna say "What was that amp that starts with an M?"
      It's my turn, Now I'm waiting for the UPS truck! 

      Two Testarossa's left! 
    						-BoOm-

    I'd like to A/B next to a Boogie...  I haven't heard a boogie in
    a while.
    
    My Kitty is hungry...
    

    Hey, anybody get a chance to see the MetalMania concert they held over
    in Russia this past august that was aired on Channel 25?
    
    Ohhhhhhhh, all those WALLS of MARSHALLS!!!!!
    
    Didn't see many Kittys, though!
    
    ;^)   ;^)  ;^)
    
    Anyways, seriously though, this note is for Kitty-Hawk owners, and I
    don't want to knock anyone's amp.  From what I hear, though, they're
    pretty decent amps.  Sorry to hear about the problems some (or was it
    just one) has had with their KH.  Lookin' forward to seeing Sam's smile
    on his face when he gets his.
    
    cheers/mike_who_STILL_thinks_Marshalls_and_Boogies_rule!!  :^)

    Seen any Winger vids lately ?  :)
    
    Kittys WILL be collectables...Maybe...
    
    jc

    Regarding comparing Boogies to amps in the Marshall vein...
    
    It's apples and oranges.
    
    A boogie ain't gonna give you that "crunch" sound that lots of 
    hard rock and metal players seek.
    
    Boogies, IMO, are more for finesse type of playing.  What they do
    well is sustain (that well known "singing" quality of the Boogie),
    and give you more expression of tone through dynamics - that is,
    you can pull more variety of tone without even touching the controls
    just by ... well... dynamics (how hard and just "how" you hit the
    string).
    
    It's been a fairly consistent observation that out-and-out rockers generally
    don't like Boogies.  Folks who get into lighter kinds of playing (jazz,
    country, older rock) or just folks who have to be able to handle a LOT
    of different styles (like GB players) swear by their Boogies.
    
    	db

    I just had an interesting phone call with LPMG.  The "secretary from
    hell" (Ruth) told me that it Josh only had two more days "here" and he
    wasn't taking any more calls about KH equipment because he had to get
    caught up on his work.  I hope it means he's travelling and not
    leaving!  I stood my ground as the "customer from hell" and said that
    Josh owed me a moment of his valuable time to help me trouble shoot the
    defective equipment he sold me.  I immediately got Josh's supervisor,
    Angelo, who calmed me down and ensured me that I would be taken care
    of.  Hope all the other Kitty's have shipped!!
    
    Steve D.

	re: KH/Boogie A/B comparison

	I've had the opportunity to A/B the M1 against a friends MKIII
	Simulclass.  You could probably guess the results: I liked the
	M1 better, my friend liked his Boogie better, but we both had
	to admit that both amps sounded great.  IMO, the sound of the
	M1 is closer to a Boogie than it is to a Marshall (there may
	be something to that rumour of 'borrowed circuitry design').
	There are still some subtle differences between KH and Boogie-
	for example, M1's are not 'simulclass'. The Boogie simulclass
	involves two seperate power sections, each running their own
	set of output tubes, which are coupled together in the final
	output stage. One section runs in class A, the other in class
	AB and the Boogie can switch between class A only, and class
	A and AB 'simultaneously'. The M1 only has one output section
	which can switch between class A *or* class AB, not both at
	the same time.  The Boogie has three preamp modes, where the
	M1 has four, both have clean, crunch and hot lead, but the M1
	has an additional lead mode somewhere between crunch and hot.
	Then there is the eq section. Boogie only has one set of tone
	controls, which forces you to set up for a clean sound, and
	then use the graphic eq to fine-tune the lead sound. The M1
	has two sets of tone controls, one for clean, the other for
	lead. All things considered, there are a lot of similarities
	between the two amps in both sound and appearance.

	In the final analysis though, when I consider that I paid less
	than $500 for the M1 and my friend paid almost $1500 for the
	Boogie, I'd say I got a much better deal.

	Steve (who really doesn't mean to be bragging
		even though it sounds that way)

re: borrowed design

According to my local boogie/rivera dealer the suit has been filed...

dbii

    Anyone got thru to Josh yet today?
    
    Buck, who bets the "secretary from hell" is throwing my messages away!
    
    ;^(

    My workstation has Valid's schematic editor on it.  When I receive a 
    legible copy, I'll enter the KH schematics in and make them available
    on the net.  
    
    The schematic editor has a built-in PostScript converter.
    
    Mike

      Yes, Josh is leaving, but not before he ships my Testarossa!
    And Angelo should handle any KH fixup situations. AND LP music
    is where I'd call first to get parts, until I get a message back
    from Germany.
      KH Schematics on the net , Oh yeah!
    						-BoOm-

    Yeah, I hear that Josh got fired for selling a bunch of stuff to
    private individuals...

    Maybe his band made it big? :-)
    
    I found out that my M1 combo was shipped yesterday.  Almost 1 month
    after I ordered it.
    
    Re: Winger & KH endorsees
    
    I don't know if he's an endorser, but Phil Keaggy has a Quattro in his
    rack now.  He said he's using it on his latest album, which provides
    some interesting tones.
    
    Mike

      No surprise there, LPMG had no problem selling every Quattro 
    they could get in from Germany, they were sold out before the M1's
    got scarfed up. I also understood Alabama uses Quattros as well.
    Seems weird though because these preamp really scream, I'd expect
    more endorsements from heavier bands (like Winger). And the
    Testarossa is just as good as the Quattro! I'm surprised nobody
    else has considered one of the TR's for $300. Everyone must be like
    me, close to their credit limit (I'm not at the banks limit, but
    I'm at MY limit where I keep my sanity).
      I think one of the things Josh is doing is sending out any gear
    he's promised us noters that hasn't been shipped yet.
    	

    >And the Testarossa is just as good as the Quattro! I'm surprised nobody
    >else has considered one of the TR's for $300.
    
    I have, and if Josh or *someone* ever f***ing calls me back, I'll
    order one!
    
    Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr, can you tell I'm p*ssed?!?!?
    
    B.

I talked to Josh the other day, and he recommended the Quattro over the 
Testerossa. He said the Quattros have a little more of that overdriven/metal
sound, while the Testerossa is a little more raunchy, and not quite that 
compressed pop/metal tone. He said that almost everyone who bought the 
Testerossa said they preferred the Qauttro (even though the Testerossa has 5 
tubes instead of 4, and more features than the Quattro).

Alan S.
_who_ordered_a_Quattro_two_weeks_ago_

    I'll ask again, is there a switch/pedal available for the reverb jack?
    
    Mike

    RE - The "Marshall" mentality ...
    
    I'm not going to say that "X" amp blows away "Y" amp, 'cuz actually
    "K" blows away "A" through "Z", but here's a story that showed me
    how loyal (to the point of being humorous ..) some Marshall-aholics
    can be ...
    
    I used to be in a band playing top 40 metal, like Dokken, Ratt,
    and Ozzy.  I was using a Marshall slant cab (the one Coop bought
    and cut in half ...) loaded with mongrel speakers, a 40W Peavey
    Pacer (the one Steve Dandrea bought), and a Rat distortion pedal.
    This set-up (because of the Peavey) did not LOOK very metal, so
    I started placing the Peavey behind the cabinet out of sight.  I
    put a 100W Marshall head on top of the cabinet, with no guts in
    it !  You'd be surprised at how many guys came up and told me how
    much better my tone was since I started using the Marshall head.
    I couldn't help but laugh !  
    
    The point I'm trying to make is this - it must be pleasing to the
    ear, not the eye.  I've heard Marshalls that sound like poop, and
    I've heard Peavey's that absolutely rip.  So I think it's all in
    what you like to hear, regardless of a name brand.  
    
    
    				Scary

    Back to Kitty's ...
    
    I hope Josh is living at the UPS counter !  I called a few days
    back, and got the default response ..."it's already been shipped".
    I sent a PA head to MA from SC Tuesday morning - it should be there
    Friday morning, and I sent it the cheapest way too.   D*mmit, I want 
    my Kitty's !!!  8^(   8^(     <--- 1 for each missing feline ...
    
    
    				Scary
    

    Is it standard practice to ship the speaker seperately from the 
    rest of the amp. The UPS guy brought me a 12 inch celestion
    yesterday. I said, "anything else come with this?" He said,"
    Maybe tommorrow.." Its not even half a kitty. Talk about being
    teased.....
    
    Mark C
    

    RE: .471
    
    Yo Mike,
            
    I would imagine that there is a switch for the reverb.  I didn't
    notice a reverb switch in the literature that John sent me...
    
    Then again, *any* DPDT switch will work with it.  You could make
    one from 'Radio Trap' parts really easily.
    
    jc

    Well boys, I'm back in business.  I put *ALL* of the tubes from
    Koop's Kitty into my chassis and she roared to life!  Musta been a
    pre-amp tube.  I'm gonna call Angelo and have him ship me a complete
    set of tubes.  I'm sure he'll be pleased to hear that the Kitty isn't
    comin' back at him!
    
    Can you believe I didn't try that first?!  Watta bonehead!  I'll blame
    Koop, he SAID that those 12ax7's he gave me were GOOD! ;^)
    
    Bulldawg
    

    Got home yesterday and found a note from Mr. UPS. Cant deliver without
    a signature. So, Im bumming cuz I gotta wait a day when a neighbor
    calls and says that she's got 2 parcels for me. Yahoo. I take 15
    minutes to insert the Celestion into the cab. (M3 combo). and another
    10 minutes to look for the missing foot pedal. Crank it up. Ears
    bleed. Wife packs her belongings looking for higher ground. This
    little thing could rip. So, I got no problems with tubes. Until....
    
    The lights flicker and the M3 putts and cries. I shut it off (reflex)
    wondering if my house'll burn down. I pull out the fuse and it looks
    kinda weird (to me). I've never seen a fuse that was completely
    crystalized (for lack of a better word) inside. Is this normal??
                                                                   
    Of course, after I turned it back on , I got nothing.
    
    I had no other fuses, so I threw in a 5 amp car fuse and I got sounds
    but very full of garbage. So, I figure I gotta buy a fuse. Right?
    
    Bg

    
    re: Mike
    
    Yes, reverb switches are available - at Musician's Friend (sorry).
    Seriously, my doc set says it ain't included.  
    
    -pat

    re: .477
    
    Bummer on the blown fuse.  Make *sure* you replace it with the *same*
    rated fuse as the original.  When you fire it up again, watch the power
    tubes to see if one is glowing (or dimmer) than the other.  With all 
    these tube problems (on Coop's/Bulldawg's) ya gotta go for the obvious.
    
    I get this vision of Josh sitting in front of a whiskey barrel of
    tubes, picking his nose and saying "Gee this one looks pretty good"...

    Just spoke with Angelo at LPMG.....my new tubes are shipping today. 
    They seem to be anxious to have satisfied customers.  Here I go doing
    the waiting game again.....sigh.
    
    Steve D.

    RE: .478
    
    Rut-roh...  Sounds like a bad tube ya got there bud...
    
    Note !  If you blow fuses, you probably have a bad tube !
    If you crank it back up and it sounds like dukies, then start the
    tube-swap boogie...(no pun intended).
    
    To quote the service manual: "Most of your problems are going to
    be tube related"...
    
    They aren't kidding.
        jc
    

    RE: .478
    
    I addition to what jeff said, if you are blowing fuses a lot, it it
    often a sign of bad output tubes.  This is most commonly noticed in
    Marshall amps when the H.T. fuse blows.
    
    Buck, psyched he FINALLY got thru the SFH (secretary from hell) and 
    got a Testarossa!  One TR left there kiddies.

      re: .478  Buck, Betcha can't wait to take it on a test drive!
    The Quattro/Testarossa comparison is really an objective thing.
    You'll be in a great position to A/B them. If your other goods
    have shipped already them I'm hoping mine is on its way as well.
      RE: .* concerning reverb switching. All the heads with reverb
    have a 1/4 jack for a reverb footswitch. I checked the schematics
    and it shows up in both the M1 and M3 preamp sheets. In both prints
    it is slightly up and to the right of the component marked "hammond
    delay".
					
						-BoOm-

   Well, my 60w M3 "amp kit" finally arrived last night.  :-)

   The damages: 1" hole in the grill cloth.
		No speaker in cab, but that came seperately
		All tubes were loose - almost out of their sockets
		Smaller xformer was loose by about 1/2" on it's mounting bolts
		No foot pedal (clearly marked on amp's box - so why didn't they
				ship a replacement?) 
		No manuals/schems
		And when I took the grill face off to install the speaker
		(brand new Celestion 12" in unopened box) I found a small
		crack in the support that holds the screws for the grill.

   Since there was so much "loose stuff" I took the amp completely apart
   and made sure everything inside was tight, glued the crack and clamped
   it, my wife stitched over the hole in the grill cloth (God love her :-)),
   I installed the speaker, and found that an old Roland on/off footswitch 
   I happened to have worked fine for channel switching.
		
   This sucker sings, screams, yodels, and roars.  I've never played thru
   a nicer amp.  Late last night I had to turn it way down due to said wife
   going to bed, and I *still* got a great tone and sustain, even at very low
   volume.  I'm impressed.

   Not having another Kitty to compare it to I don't know if mine suffers
   the volume deficiency seen by Coop (?), but I was able to rattle dishes
   and send the cats running for cover at about "8".  :-)  Also, I'll be
   able to compare it to a 50w Marshall tonight at practice.  (Though he
   does use 4 12s compared to my 1 12....)

   One little thing:  The amp chassis had a hole poked through the back
   which had then been repaired with a metal plate and rivets.  No idea
   what the hole was meant for, but if was pretty jagged.  Also, the amp
   is supposed to be the 60 watt version of the M3, yet there's a big
   sign on the back that says, "50 watts", and no other indication of
   amp wattage.  It has two 6L6 power tubes.  Is this really the 60 watt
   version?

   I'm still going to call Josh and find out about getting a footswitch,
   manual, etc.  All in all, I'm really pleased with my $234.20 investment,
   though!

   -- Sam

    Is UPS like US Mail in that packages automatically go Air Freight over
    500 miles?
    
    Any Coloradans order something from the east coast and have it shipped
    UPS?  How long did it take?
    
    Mike

    Suggestion:
    
    Josh's last day is tomorrow...I suspect he is trying to tie up loose
    ends.  I would suggest contacting Angelo with further KH
    questions/concerns, lest you incur the wrath of the SFH!

Here's a question for the technical minded (Rick) concerning class A
operation on the M1:

	Is there any advantage to using matched power tubes for
	class A operation?

I can see where matching would be important for class AB push pull, but
when all tubes are working in unison on the entire wave,  it would seem
to me that it wouldn't matter if one were a bit stronger or weaker than
the others.  In other words, am I right in assuming that the purpose of
matched tubes is to minimize crossover distortion  (which doesn't exist
in class A operation)?

Steve

    
      Well Buck. Between you, me and somebody unnamed (I don't even
    know if it's a DECCIE) the Testarossas are GONE! Glad you got through
    today. I got through to Josh today because I'm a legend at LP Music
    Group. I'm their second biggest dealer in the country and I never
    made any money off it! I even got called the "kingpin from Digital".
      Any late arrivals in this topic should be aware that this is like
    the end of line. I was told we cleaned out the warehouse, If there
    is anything left I don't know what shape it would be in. All told
    we've moved almost 30 pieces of KH gear! 
      Angelo will be taking care of the KH needs, any inquiries on the
    SOHO gear will be directed to dealers only. If you wanted a Quattro
    the SOHO is your best bet! Also I was told that SOHO electronics
    should have its own tube power amp soon, for anyone looking into
    that type of gear.
    							-BoOmCAT-

    Yes, Steve Dandrea got a footswitch with his. As a matter of fact, *my* 
    footswitch was found IN STEVE'S AMP, jammed behind the power tubes!
                                                                      
    No wonder his amp was so sick !!!    
    
    Jerry White (Scary) called a little while ago and he's in receipt
    of his Kitty...
    
    jc

My Quattro preamp arrived yesterday - I'll review it after I have time to play 
with it this weekend.

re: footswitches

I didn't get a footswitch for my M3 head nor the Quatrro. I didn't worry about 
the M3, because its just a basic single channel switch - I figured I can pick 
that up anywhere. But the Quattro has 4 channels, and a stereo plug on the 
footswitch (and matching LEDs), so I definitely needed one of those.

I called Angelo at LPMG - no problem! He's gonna ship out both switches to me 
right away! This is great service - I'm one happy camper!

Alan S.

    
    
    YAAA HOOO!!!
    
    Guess what UPS just delivered to our dock?? :^)
    
    I'm PSYCHED!!!!
    Ralph
    
    

> <<< Note 1103.361 by DNEAST::GREVE_STEVE "If all else fails, take a nap..." >>>
>                 -< Kitty Humor.. Please, I'm a sick person.. >-
>    	Hee, Hee you guys are killin' me, Mr. Kitty-Wrench!!  Haw, Haw..
>    stop! Stop!   I've always wanted to see what happened when a topic hit
>    .999
    
    Steve, I've seen it in other conferences.  It turns to .1000.
    
    Trust me :-) (in my best Joe Isuzu voice)
    
    Mike

    Sheeeesh, Mike, that was bad....
    
    Alan !  What TF do you mean you'll review it 'later'...
    
    Don't give me that crapola, your just a tease !  Let's hear about
    it !!!
    
    jc

I'm always amused by how much people will go through trying to find a 
non-marshal amp that sounds like a marshall only better...

hee hee

dbii

    Actually, what I want is an amp that *sounds* like a Marshall,
    but doesn't break, cost too much, or weigh to much.
    I also wanted an amp that sounded like a Marshall that was flexable....
    
    So I went MIDI...
    
    jc

>I'm always amused by how much people will go through trying to find a 
>non-marshal amp that sounds like a marshall only better...
    
    How would you describe that Rivera, eh Dave?  ;-)
    
    For me the issue was cost.  Marshalls tend to be overpriced (IMO) like
    any other really big name item.  So I was looking for something that
    sounded like a Marshall, but cost less.
    
    Greg

Well, it didn't have schematics like I was promised (and like it stated on 
the invoice ...), but I can get them, from the Sick Kitty Support Group.

.... and it didn't have an owner's manual as promised, again, I'll hit the 
group up for one ...

.... it also didn't have a footswitch, BUT ...

......................... IT  WORKS ..........................

I had to tighten almost all of the chassis screws .... the tubes (EL34's) 
were all nice and snug ..... no scratches, dents, or dings ..... the knob 
for the reverb isn't *quite* tight enough to be functional, so I took it 
off.

I played it almost non-stop for 5 hours after I unpacked it and gave it a 
physical.  I work 3rd shift, my wife woke me up when Mr. UPS brought it in. 
So, I'm in here trying to function on about 3 hours sleep.  Words can't 
express how this beast impressed me !  But in all fairness, I was used to a 
Marshall so I knew it wouldn't take much to give me an amp-boner (just kidding 
guys ...).  The feature I really like is being able to slightly overdrive the 
clean channel.  You can get a real good Stevie Ray Vaughn type sound without 
actually buying a Strat.  And of course, using the bridge humbucker and the over
drive on "10" you can neuter yourself if you're not careful !

I was almost considering selling the other Kitty (which will probably land 
Friday), but my price would be ridiculously high, so I might as well keep 
it too.  Now the Marshall's gotta go - you wouldn't want to park an Edsel in a 
parking lot full of Turbo 911's now would you ?		:^]

All kidding aside - so far, I'm mega pleased.  Now, I understand that the 
thing may vaporize tomorrow, but until then, let the neighbors beware .. 
there is a rude Kitty in the house !


				Scary
 
                    (presently in non-MIDI mode)

                                   or 
            
                        -< The Blind Man Sees! >-
    
    
    Well, I spent all last night playin with my new Kitty (Quattro Preamp).
    The results?....
    
    
    F***in' MEOW!
    
    This thing SCREAMS!
    
    I'm going to leave all those hi-ho Marshall rooolz notes in this topic
    to remind me what an idiot I was!
    ;^)
    
    I'm throughly impressed!  All the modes sound great...which is nice,
    cuz Peasant Kings have tunz that go from Country squawk to Metal grind!
    This covers all the bases wonderfully!
    
    The only things that don't suit my tastes are:
    
    1) I think I need 12" speakers to get the bass response I want from the
       Lead & Hot Lead modes (10" sound too midrangey with this unit).
    
    2) I think the Rhythm channel could use a midrange notch or presence
       control.  The Crunch channel is very boogie like.  For that Marshall
       Crunch it would need more high end and less middle, but it is ok as
       is (or, if you're thinking in terms of Boggie stuff).  Maybe the 
       control on the Testarosa Takes care of this?!?
    
    
    Anyhoot, I'm totally psyched!  This is the best sounding unit I have
    heard to date.  It blows away the MP-1, the Groove Tube, the GP-1000
    tube preamps in all aspects!  I can't WAIT for the TR, and I must say
    that the KH stuff is THE single best musical investment I have ever 
    made!!! 
    
    Buck, whos GLAD he didn't buy a Marshall now!
    
    PS - Anyone wanna buy some lil Marshalls?!?

    Oh yeah...
    
    The Lead mode on the Quattro is *incredible*, and this is a
    self-proclaimed gain-fiend talking!  Coop, you'd love this thing man, 
    on the HOT LEAD channel, you really can't turn all the overdrives all
    the way up, it's just way too much distortion and sustain!!!  I can't
    wait to hear how the TR sounds with that extra 12ax7 in there, it must
    be totally unbelieveable!!!  I have all the gain in the world now, I
    don't even need my trusty BOSS gain device I used to use with the
    M-word!
    
    

re: What about the Rivera...

Got me...costs mega $$$ but...it sounds like just about any amp I'd care to 
emulate, Fender, Dumble, Boogie, Marshall...what it sounds like when I use it
is hard to say :-)

Actually if I had had a spare few hundred $$$ I'd of got one of these feline
beasties too...I could use a more portable amp for small rooms and rehersals..
though what I'd do with a 4th amp is probably get killed by my financial 
controller...

dbii

    re: Buck
    
    My, my, my.... the harder they come, the harder they fall!!!!!!
    
    Welcome aboard laddy Buck.... you were one of the most difficult
    to persuade.  Please indulge me for a moment and let me say:
    
    			"I told you so"   8^)  8^)  8^)
    
    You see, I've felt all along- I don't care if ROY stole the
    design from Boogie because they improved it!!!!
    
    Enjoy,
    Steve

    -1
    
    I somehwat agree...I mean, I persoanlly think that ROY got the "Crunch
    factor" more together in that type of design than boogie has done.
    

    
    
    I checked out a friend's 100wt M3 head last night through a Marshall 2-12
    cab.  I'll ditto the raves on the sound: this thing can kick MAJOR
    butt.  Good overdrive, plenty of punch, nice clean channel, too.  It
    gave him a nice distorted sound with his Strat with no fx.  I didn't
    really need the preamp in my guitar to get it to scream, but I switched
    it in anyway. 8-)  Put the sound pretty close to the edge. 
   
    His amp sure sounds like it's putting out 100wts.  
    
    Not everything was rosy right out of the box. We had to reseat all
    of the power tubes 'cuz not one of them was well seated. The amp
    actually came with a REPAIR tag on it that said "Does not work -
    tubes."  The knob for the treble control broke off with little or no
    provocation.  No manual, no footswitch, etc.
    
    Overall, I'd say that he's one happy camper!
    
    Kevin
    
    
    
    
    

    re: .503
    
    you ought to hear class A on the M1!

    
    
    Well, I raced out of here yesterday to go home and try out the
    new beast.  No footswitch, and no manual....no biggie, ya
    don't have to be a rocket scientist to use an amp! ;^)
    Anyway, I'll leave my finaly judgement til Monday, after
    I've had a chance to crank this sucker up in the studio over
    the weekend.  Last nights test was at low to moderate volume
    (I live in an apartment complex, and the neighbors get
    pissed enough when my birds do their jungle calls, so....)
    and at that volume I was decidedly uuuhhh, unimpressed!!
    Sorry guys!!  Maybe some real volume will change my mind
    on the tone I was getting, but it just didn't cut it for me
    at that level!
    
    So shoot me! ;^)
    Ralph
    
    

      To hear this coming from "Marshall ROOOLZ" Buckley is quite some
    statement. BUT, I crossed over to KH from Marshall and KMD, A good
    friend of mine went Quattro rack from Marshall JCM land, and the
    Virginia KH buyer (another long-time friend) doesn't believe how
    much better his M3 sounds than the Carvin X-amp (as a matter of
    fact, the Carvin is now his ex-amp). Keep in mind these two referrals
    were to people I've known for over ten years, nothing like sticking
    my neck out in to the guillotine!
       A lot of buyers out there were happy with their KH Quattros when
    stores were selling them for $550-600 a crack. Imagine the ear-to-ear
    grin on Bucks face! I'm interested in hearing what he says on the
    Testarossa. Keep in mind I like the TR slightly better, and the
    hi-cut on crunch rhythm channel and second lead master  should do 
    the trick for that little extra flexibility WJB is looking for.
       Ya know - I really think Marshalls are nice amps, BUT compared
    to a Quattro or TR rig they are dinosaurs. And I do prefer the 
    sound of our $200 M3 specials to them as well! 
      If someone is still interested in a KH Quattro, there are a 
    couple available at Hermie's Music. Call Alan at (518) 374-7433.
    Don't expect a warehouse price, but it would be a decent deal,
    Alan has sold more KH rack gear than anyone else on the East Coast!
    And DON'T tell him DECdirect takes on new meaning when it comes
    to buying amp gear!
    						-BoOmcat-

    RE: Ralph...
    
    Hmmm, I'm surprised.  Well, crank it up and see what cha think.  I'll
    let cha try my Quattro and see what ya think of that.
    
    All I can say is if the Quattro sounde this good with my Peavey power
    amp, it's going to be the sickest when my SP-1000 comes in!!!  Those
    two items are a match made in heaven!

      If Ralph is unimpressed, then either he was playing REAL low,
    or he's a victim of tube sickness. As we found with Jeff and 
    Steve D, bad tubes will make the best amp sound like sh*t. It's
    nice to hear when you get a nice set, and I'm sure when people 
    replace the tubes that came in the amp with known-good matched 
    sets. I called for the Audio-Glassic literature a while back and
    never received squat. 
      Interestingly enough, when I talked to Alan (at Hermie's music)
    he told me he finally got a chance to put his Quattro through
    a SP-1000 power amp. He really like it! He originally had the KH
    tube power amp, and I think he's used the new Marshall 9000 with
    his Quattros as well. He also agreed that the other stuff from
    Metaltronix (GP1000 preamp and M1000 tube head) didn't impress him.
    I've tried them and I agree. Talk about reliability problems, don't
    mention the M1000 and reliability in the same sentence! 
      
    							-BoOm-

    Marshall are dinosaurs, yea like Ramirez are dinosaurs, which is to say
    balogna. I am interested in what the Testarossa sounds like,
    but considering I am sick of ripping equipment up just to get it
    running, glad I ain't Kitty-ed. 
      You guys are sounding like used- car salespeople

>      You guys are sounding like used- car salespeople
    
    Jealousy will get you nowhere :-)

    I'll glady "rip" up and M3 head (about a 45 second task with my
    electric screwdriver) to put new tubes in.  Now I've got a 100 watt
    GREAT sounding amp for $200.......8)
    
    Steve D.

    
    re .509
    
    That's definately a possability that I'll have to get into
    more tonight.  I found no physical problems with the head,
    ie, chassis was nice and tight, all the tubes were seated
    correctly etc.  I have to say, the AMOUNT of gain on this
    thing is incredible....but what bugged me what the tone
    was rather muddy (for my tastes) and the distortion I was
    getting was real grinding....not smooth.  I've got a bunch
    of extra tubes at home that I'll try switching around tonight.
    It didn't sound so bad that I thought something was wrong,
    but maybe the tubes I got are just borderline....though they
    looked brand new (Groove Tubes)
    
    Ralph
    
    

      OOOPS- I really didn't mean .507 as a Marshall bash, I know it
    came out like that. I jam with a LOT of Marshall maniacs and I 
    don't put down their sound, otherwise I'd probably end up playing
    by myself. What I really meant it to come out like was the fact
    that the Quattro/TR preamps offer so much more versatility w/o
    sacrificing the SOUND. FACE it - amps hadn't really changed that
    much until recently, and the first influx of new generation 
    techo-gizmo amps couldn't cut it next to the good old standard
    tube gear (Marshalls/Boogies/Twins). Remember the TUSC amps?
    Peavey's PROGRAMAX MIDI amp? KMD's? Too many to name really. 
      Anyway, as for the type of person that would have ordered a
    blowout special Kitty: Most of us are technical enough to try to
    isolate a tube problem, turn a few screws, and in general look
    under the hood to see what's wrong! If not we usually can find
    the help we need from someone within noteshot/earshot.
      If 80% of the people are happy with their deal then I'm glad
    this note did so well! 
    	
      My band is doing a big gig at Syracuse University tonight.
    My cats are gonna howl!
    						-BoOm-

Anybody want to demo a kitty next week? I'll be in Bedford for indoctrination
into some more VMS secrets...

dbii

    Yo db_II, wanna try a 2nd time to hook up for a jam/Kitty demo?
    
    RE. 514
    
    TUSC amps?  Bleck!  I remember those horrid things...they were like the
    worst, man!  Well, the Sunn Beta Lead stuff is a close contender for 
    'worst amp of the last two decades' award!

    
    
    	I'm only a bass player :-) but the M3 head kicks some 
    serious butt! Alan S. fired his up at the gig last night 
    and it sounded better than anything he's used yet, including 
    his studio .22. Great Amp!
    
    -Tom
    

    I got to use my M3 for the first time at stage volume yesterday,
    and it really has a great tone !  It seemed like it ran awful hot
    though, but then again, I'm not used to a tube head.  The tone was
    consistent throughout practice though, no loss due to heat.  I'll
    probably end up buying a little fan for my Kitty in heat.
                                                            
    One problem I did have was finding a good signal coming out of my
    rack to feed the Kitty.  I was used to going guitar --> Tube Driver
    ---> GP-8 ---> BBE ---> power amp or Mosfet Marshall, worked fine.
    But when I used this arrangement going into the Kitty I got an enormous
    hum/buzz !  So I just used the GP-8 and it does fine. (?)
    
    Questions:	1)  Should I use "instrument level" input on the Tube
    		    Driver, then use the "line out" or "inst out" to
    		    the GP-8 ?
    		2)  On the BBE, should I be using the "line in/out"
    		    or "hi z in/out" ? 
    		3)  If I use the BBE in the effects loop of the GP-8,
    		    which jacks should I use ?
    		4)  Could my buzz/hum problem have been coming from
    		    using the Tube Driver as a pre-amp, and then using
    		    the GP-8 as a pre-amp ? (methinks this was me problem) 
    
    I was kinda bummed at first 'cuz at home (without hooking up the
    rack) the kitten was purring.  Then at practice it sounded like
    it had a big fur ball ... but I got the beast in order, now it's
    patch building time ...
    
    BTW, is anyone else having any troubles with a hum when the reverb
    is set above "6" or so ?
    
    
    				Scary
    
    	      (who's not complaining, just fine tuning !!!!)
    

    RE: Inst/line levels
    
    Just take the end devide into acount, and run everything accordingly!
    If its a power amp, ALL devices should be set a Line level, if its a 
    guitar amp, set all to Inst.

    I should've bought a Kitty, my marshall is lonely. 
    You guys were right all along, now all the testarossa are gone
    OhWell at least I don't have to make up cat jokes 

re: M3 100-watter

As Tom mentioned, my M3 was put into emergency use last Thursday night, with 
awesome results! (Its not worth going into, but there weren't enough plugs for 
my rack - never mind, you don't want to know...)

Anyways, I used the lead channel all night, and went straight from the guitar 
to the amp - no effects, and they weren't needed! Got a great tone with 
minimal fooling around of knobs - nice crunch, good distortion, warm sounding, 
and nice controllable feedback when I wanted it. And, plugged into a 4x12 cb, 
I had NO problems being heard, with the Master set at about 7 (and this was 
before the cab was miked - I had to turn it down after they finally miked it!)

I am one happy owner right now! I can't *believe* I bought this amp for 
$200!!!

re: Quattro pre-amp

And if you think you're impressed by the M3, you should hear the Quattro!!!!

This is great!!!! On the clean channel, I have a tone similar to my old Fender 
Twin at low volume. In the Crunch channel, I have that Boogie tone. I'm not 
toally happy with the Lead channel yet - I have to do some more fiddling 
there. And, of course, the Hot Lead channel is every metalheads dream! 
Going straight from guitar to Quattro to amp, it sounds better than most rack 
systems I've heard. And without all those extra effects, its nice and quiet.
This is gonna be a permanent part of my setup!

One nice thing I really like - the Bright control on the Lead and Hot Lead 
channels (for the very high frequencies). Its a really big help in the 
fine-tuning of the sound you're looking for. (I find that I can't keep the
Bright much more about 4, with the overdrive about 7 - its great at those 
settings!)

Once I get the footswitch in, I'll be ready to go!!!

Alan S.

      OK - finally someone admits they missed the boat! (.520). I demoed
    my rack to some friends of mine ( in a music store no less ) and
    when I told them I picked up a Testarossa for $300 their jaws dropped.
    tehy wanted to know where they could get one or a Quattro. I told
    them I MIGHT sell the Quattro when my new TR comes in. I definitely
    have a few people interested. These ARE the best preamps out right
    now! (IMO)! It's too bad there weren't that many M1's to go around.
    They went for a little more money than the M3, but it has some extras
    and is capable of everything these Kitty's are becoming known for!
    							-BoOM-

    I didn't miss it, I found my funds pre-dedicated when I got to the
    pier!

    It's really making me jealous reading all these replys from people that
    have received their amps already.  
    
    Greg (still waiting impatiently)

    Greg, I'd rather have no amp at all than just the 12 inch speaker
    that I have received so far. It really bugs me seeing that box with
    the speaker in it just sitting in my living waiting for the rest
    of the amp. I guess I should have got the head instead....
    
    Mark C

    ...also still waiting...

    Don't feel too bad, Greg.....I have a dead Kitty waiting on tubes.  My
    Freakin' amp is here and I can't use it!
    
    Steve D.

    Hey, I got mine and Angelo had me send it back. Still waiting for
    UPS to come by house to pick it up. So you're not alone in the waiting
    room.
    
    Bg

      Came and went? Did it die or was the wrong one sent. And like
    Daltrey said "who the f*ck are you". I thought I knew everyone in
    this topic that had stuff coming, then you pop up. Hopefully you're
    getting another amp! I think there's still five of us waiting for
    more gear from KH, myself included. I've been going home for lunch
    to see if the big brown truck had come by. 
      Did someone besides me or Buck pick up a Testarossa? There were
    three and now they're gone.

    .529
    
    I'm the guy who wrote .477 moaning about blown fuses. I told Angelo
    to send me new tubes and he replied that I better send it back to
    be replaced. He said that he had another M3 combo out back to replace
    it. I'll probably get the same one back with new tubes or one from
    the dumpster. You know what its like having a new amp in your living
    room and not being able to use it. 
    
    Bg

       The third Testarossa is accounted for. It belongs to Angelo
    at LP Music. Guess he wanted a collectors item! I guess Buck and
    I got through in the nick of time. This is the first time I talked
    to Angelo. He seems to be easy to deal with, Josh said he's a damn
    good guitar player.
       I'll be looking for the truck soon. My order was shipped on the
    9th. ALRIGHT! He mentioned a lot was shipped last week.
    
       T-SHIRTS! Mail orders to me at one at:
    
    		John Reaume 			Digital Equipment Corp
    	           SYO		or		290 Elwood Davis Road
    						Liverpool, NY 13088

    						ATTN : John Reaume
    
       I'll need a check for $8.00 a shirt. Postage will be covered!
    Include size and quantity. Yellow logo on a black tee.
    
    						-BoOm-

    Hurray!  My Kitty was waiting when I got home last night.  

    I eagerly pulled it out of the box and checked it carefully, everything
    looked ok, only one small scar on the Tolex covering.  I pulled off the
    back plate and reseated the tubes.  All the preamp tubes were loose.

    Then I hooked it up to the ole Ampeg 4x12 and fired it up.  It came
    right up without problems!  

    I'm REALLY impressed with this amp!  I think the only amp I've heard in
    ages that sounded this good was a Metaltronix M1000.  I think the only
    thing the M3 lacks that the M1000 has is better channel separation.

    Yes, the clean and lead channels are very much dependent on each other. 
    You can't get the clean channel clean until the volume on the clean is
    below 4 and the lead overdrive is about that.  Beautiful warm clean
    sound when you finally find it though.  I love the warmth of a tube
    amp!

    I think the lead channel sounds great too!  It doesn't have near the
    gain of my MP-1, but it's got a wonderful tone to it.  It's sooooo
    thick.  What really blows me away is the bass response of this amp! 
    I've NEVER heard an amp with the bottom end this thing has.

    I'm also pretty impressed with the flexibility.  I played with it for
    about three hours last night (yeah, I know, but I got tired...) and was
    able to get a lotta different sounds.  I got everything from a warm
    clean jazzy kind of sound, a John Fogerty kind of clean sound with an
    edge, a crunchy AC/DC kind of sound, a George Lynch kind of sound...

    I did a little bit of comparison between the M3 and the MP-1 (through a
    little BGW power amp).  The MP-1 has substantially more gain and a
    better top end.  The additional gain gives good mid-high sustain that
    the M3 lacks.  The M3 however is a MUCH more full sound.  That bottom
    end fills everything out.  Compared to it, the MP-1/BGW sounded pretty
    thin.  My patched may have something to do with it, but even playing
    around with the thing, I couldn't get that bottom like with the M3 (and
    couldn't get RID of it on the M3).  I see both of these as having
    different desirable characteristics that complement each other well.

    Needless to say, I couldn't be more pleased with the purchase!  It's a
    great sounding amp at a phenomenal price!
    
    re: Steve & BG
    
    Sorry to hear about the problems, I guess I was lucky.
    
    Interesting, on mine there was a piece of masking tape with "#18 GOOD"
    written on it.  Must be a result of Joshs testing.
    
    Greg
        

    Yeah,
    
    Mine said "#5 good".....hah!
    
    Steve D.

    re: Steve D.
    
    Wait a minute, I thought you said you swapped all the tubes from Jeffs
    amp and yours was fine.  Don't tell me that you gave them back??
    
    Greg

    
    
    Well, I got to doing some tube swapping this weekend, and
    things sound MUCH better now.  Totally different story
    now....I'm happy!  I took it into the studio to do basic
    tracks on my new project, and was real pleased with the
    way it took to tape.  This was my first chance to really
    A/B it with the Boogie at real volumes.  I still like the
    cut I get from the Boogie live, but after some comparisons,
    the Kitty won hands down when putting a sound on tape.
    The Boogie sounded alot thinner in comparison!
    
    The next experiment will be to try some EL34's I've got
    hanging around from my old 'Marshall from Hell' a few
    years back (ask Buck about the sound from that one...
    wish I could track one down)
    
    Ralph
    
    

  Re. .465
    
   |
   |   Yes, Josh is leaving, but not before he ships my Testarossa!
   | And Angelo should handle any KH fixup situations. AND LP music
   | is where I'd call first to get parts, until I get a message back
   | from Germany.
   
    Is LP Music committed to supplying KH parts, or is it
    call-Germany-and-wait for parts?
    
    Kevin
    
    
    

     Well GEntlemen;
    It appears that this outbreak of KittyHawk Fever is
    starting to wind down...and I can't say you're getting
    bad deals however:
    in spite of all the MARSHALL-BOOGIE-PEAVEY_bashing that 
    has been flying around,I know of noone who ever got any
    of these in the condition of some of these described here.
    I also hope you guys have some kind of warrantee on these
    "new" amplifiers. I saw no mention of any in the notes and
    it kind of surprised me. Seriously though, I hope you all get
    your stuff operational and best of luck with it...the real test
    of these "new kitts on the block will be the regular playing,
    gigging,practicing etc...etc...etc.... So lets's see you all get
    down to it !!!!!!!!
    Bill (Peavey_or_die!!!)    :^p  :^) :^)  

   re: .537

   Well, in spite of all the Kitty-bashing that you and one or two others
   seem to insist on slinging around, I'd like to point out that *I* at
   least understood I was buying a FACTORY SECOND that L.P. Music had not
   been able to sell through normal dealer channels.  I took my chances,
   paid the ante, and won the gamble.  So I now have a $1200 amp that I
   got for $235.  And it works fine.  If others didn't have the same luck
   then I'm sorry for them, but I hope they realized what they were getting
   into.

   If I spent, say even $800 on this amp I would've expected it to be 
   in perfect, showroom condition when I received it.  Conversely, if I paid 
   $150 for a factory 2nd Peavey, I wouldn't necessarily expect it to be 
   pristene.

   So what's your point?

   -- Sam

My Kitty said #2 and GOOD on it...

It wasn't good... But it is now...

I've called LPMG twice today and got no answer?????

Just wanted to check my shipment of my patch bayette...

Yo Greg, judging by your MP1-M3 comparison, I bet 
you wished you'd gotten the Patch Bayette eh ?
I can't  WAIT to really A/B the kitty to my rack!

My M3 also had a piec of tape on it. I forget the number, but it also said 
"good". And the Quattro had a repair tag on it! (But works fine....)

BTW - it looks like shipping prices vried dramatically from area to area. I 
see that some people paid about $235 for their amp. Mine was only $208. And 
the Quattro had a $3 shipping charge on it (total was $303 and change). Not 
that we are gonna nitpick about $10 or $20, considering the bargain we got 
- its just interesting....

Alan S.

    re: Alan
    
    Shipping prices certainly varied, but the amps varied too.  I think the
    one you mentioned that said $235 was an M3 Combo.  The heads went for a
    little less.
    
    My invoice said $219.xx, FWIW.
    
    re: Bill
    
    I'd agree with what you're saying to some degree, but we all knew that
    we were buying leftovers from a distributor with no guarantee.  Face
    it, we got these things for less then half the USED price.  Where you
    going to find a used Marshall/Fender/Boogie or virtually any tube amp
    in operating condition for $200?  If I payed $200 for a used amp (and
    it would probably be very used), I'd expect to have to re-tube it, no
    big deal.  If my Kitty Hawk had needed replacement tubes, that would
    have been ok.  It didn't, so I was even happier.  So what I got was
    essentually a new amp with a small (1/2 inch) rip in the tolex for 1/4
    the price.   You get what you pay for, we took our gamble...
    
    Quite honestly, I didn't expect a Mesa-Boogie for $200 with this deal,
    but I feel that I got something very close.
    
    Greg
                                  

    Here's a good story guys....
    
    Called Angelo yesterday to see if my new tubes had shipped.  He calls
    me back and says he doesn't have any more power tubes and he doesn't
    know when he'll have any.  I remind him of his agreement to get my amp
    up and running and his response is: "hey, you got a $600 amp for $200,
    what else do you want?"  I erupt at this point.  "What I want is for
    you to keep your word" (imagine tone of voice).  To make a long story
    short, this New Jersey hoodlum lets me know what a nightmare this whole
    Kitty Hawk experience is and that he is a "national" sales manager, and
    he doesn't have time for this.  I admitted that as customers go, I am a
    "nobody" but I expect LPMG to stand by their promise.  He says that
    he'll ship me tubes, but he doesn't know when.
    
    The "tuesday from hell" Part II:
    
    I get home and find a UPS box with 4 brand new Groove 6l6GC's in it. 
    Josh musta came thru and Agelo doesn't know it!  I go out and buy 3 new
    12AX7's load my KH up and fire away.  It works great for 1 hour and
    then just F*cking dies.  No sound, no nuthin.......I'm about to toss
    thing off a cliff!  It's been a bad month guys.......
    
    Steve D.

    Were we given the option to send the amp back to LPMG and
    get our money back if it doesn't work. I know that Josh
    told me the warranty was that the amp should be in working
    condition out of the box if not I was under the impression
    that they would help fix it. I'm seriously considering
    sending the thing back when I get it and putting the money
    toward an MP-1.
    
    Mark C.
    

      RATS! I don't believe getting Steve's amp up to snuff is getting
    to be a nightmare. MAYBE they'll just take it back and credit you.
    So far almost every problem seems to have been tube related. I dare
    say that Steve's amp problem might run deeper. I'm not sure if another
    crack at power tubes is in order. No sound at all? Check the usual:
    filaments lit? fuse? speaker conn? I'm sorry , I know it sounds
    redundant.
      I'll have to wait and see what kind of response I get from Germany.
    Maybe they might set up a U.S. repair depot with another company
    besides LP. Hopefully someone that knows a lot about tube amps!
     
       I received all my new pieces yesterday. The new Testarossa fired
    up with no problem, sounds GREAT! The patch bayette was the new
    rev with write protect, so I had to figure out that you have to
    press the loop 1 and switch B buttons simultaneously to write
    enable it. After figuring it out I like this feature! It's gonna
    be in my main rack! The M5 came in. Looks brand new! Just like all
    the other combos I had to reseat tubes. I looked at the tubes at
    first and they seemed to be okay, then I was testing it and got
    what sounded like a wicked speaker buzz in the clean channel. Tried
    another speaker, no luck. Reseated the preamp tubes and everything
    checks out fine. Nice little amp , 45 watts is great for practice!
    
    							-BoOm- 

    Thanks BoOm,
    
    Yep, tubes lit, fuse ok, spaekers connected....it just DIED!
    
    I'm gonna call Angelo....
    
    Steve D.
    

    Just got off the phone with The New Jersey Hoodlum. He wants my amp
    back, gave me a return authorization, and says he'll replace it.  With
    what I don't know yet, but he son of a b*tch better work when it gets
    here in a year or so......I'm getting bitter aren't I?   SHEESH! 8)
    
    I'm smilin', it can't get any worse......

Steve,

We never really got a chance to look at your M3 last night after it went south...
I personally suspect the internal fuse that in the chassis...

On the other hand (and on the lighter side :), look at it from the amps 
stand point...  You fire it up and as it takes it's first breath of life, 
it looks across the room and sees my ADA/Metaltronix rack-from-hell... Sheesh
if I were an amp, I croak too... Kinda like waking up to see Tyson standing
at the end of your bed goin' "come on sucka, I'm gonna cross your eyes...:)

jc

I got my Patch Bayette yesterday...

No manual...  Yo !  How the hell does this thing work ??
There isn't even a little LED thingie to show me my patch number!
Help !

Oh, John...How about a quick programming lesson ??

:)

jc

    Finally!  I received my M1 combo yesterday.  (BTW - final price was
    $227)  For an M1 that they said had problems, it sure is in cherry
    condition, not a mark on it!  The speaker screw threads are slightly
    stripped but Mr. Kittywrench told me how to fix that.
    
    I can't give a review yet (I've heard one before anyway) because the
    following are missing:
    
    Quad Mode footswitch (I didn't ask for one because I figured it as a given)
    No EL34 or 6L6 tubes, all 4 are missing (Josh promised a quartet)
    No logo on the grille (no biggie but I'll ask for one)
    No manuals (no biggie again but Josh promised one)
    
    After I call Angelo, looks like I'll have to wait another week to try
    her out.
    
    Mike

    Sorry to hear about the problems, guys.  I hope they get resolved to
    your satisfaction...
    
    On the bright side, my M3 is still cooking along great.  I took it to
    band practice last night thinking I'd just play with it before we got
    started and maybe on a song or two to see how it fit with the rest of
    the band.  It sounded so good, I ended up playing it most of the night!
    It's a much fuller sound then my rack setup which really helped in the
    three piece.  This gave me an opportunity to really do a good A/B
    comparison.  I'm planning on using it a LOT!
    
    Re: Mark
    
    See if it works and how it sounds before you go sending it back to opt
    for an MP-1.  That's the basis of my rack...give the Kitty Hawk a
    chance, you may like it.
    
    A couple of questions though...
    
    Is the effects loop line or instrument level?  How about the "Direct
    Injection" output?
    
    Greg
                      

    Horray!!  I went home at lunch and the Testarossa was waiting for me!
    Quickly unscrewed the top and made sure all the little 12ax7s were
    seated properly, etc.  I fired it up for just a bit and it sounds 
    great!  I think I'm going to like this better than the Quattro preamp,
    but don't get me wrong, they are both killer preamps, and I plan to use
    the quattro in my setup as well.
    
    I like the layout on the TR better as well...it's a bit more logical.
    
    an excited Buck

      RE: the rare TR's - Gain and MORE GAIN ... who could ask for 
    anything more. I'm glad I'm not the only one that thinks the 
    Testarossa isn't a tad better than the Quattro, I heard a lot of
    opinions to the contrary but not that many people have even 
    heard the Testarossa! My Testarossa looked like it wasn't even opened
    up here in the U.S. , just like it was packed in Germany! BRAND
    NEW! And I agree with Buck that the layout and even general appearance
    is somewhat better than the Quattro. 
       Hey Steve D- Wanna make Jeff jealous? Tell Angelo to trade your
    M3 for a Quattro! It'll make his rack cringe in horror like a
    B movie!
    						-BoOm-

    Are there any Quattros left??? I was under the impression when
    I ordered my M3 that all they had left were M3's. I'll really be
    bummed if there are Quattros still available. I was really in the
    market for a pre-amp type thing rather than something like an M3.
    I should really pay more attention I guess. 
    
    Mark C.
    

>     Hey Steve D- Wanna make Jeff jealous? Tell Angelo to trade your
>    M3 for a Quattro! It'll make his rack cringe in horror like a
>    B movie!
 

Pfffft...Y'all can't even store EQ setting can ya ???

;^)

>    Quad Mode footswitch (I didn't ask for one because I figured it as a given)
>    No EL34 or 6L6 tubes, all 4 are missing (Josh promised a quartet)
>    No logo on the grille (no biggie but I'll ask for one)
>    No manuals (no biggie again but Josh promised one)
    
    Just in case, what other footswitches can be used with the M1?  I sure
    hope Angelo & LPMG honors Josh's promises!
    
    Mike

    Lotsa luck getting tubes (or anything for that matter) outa those guys. 
    I have to send my amp back and I'm not real confident about the whole
    situation after my last conversation with Angelo...stand yer ground!
    
    Steve D.

    are the quad mode footswitches supposed to come with the M1s?  They're
    2 different line items on the price list.
    
    Mike

    -1
    
    Yeah, the quad switches work with the M1s and the Quattro/TR preamp
    line.
    
    B.

    
      Waitafreakingminutehere (izzataword). One of the concerns here
    is somewhat unfounded. I realize that one of the risks here was
    there might have been a dead duck in the lions cage. It seems like
    every problem (except for two) was tubes, for that matter Bulldawgs
    could've been tubes again. If you have a hundred watter you can
    run with just two tubes to check things out or just because you
    don't need the volume. In this case the sockets used would be 
    on the right as you look at the back of the amp (toward the output
    transformer). In other words they will be one behind the other when
    viewed from the back of the amp.
      AND the conditions of sale were that the equipment would arrive
    in working order. If there are no alternatives to getting an amp
    fixed by LPMG and you bought in with a credit card, they have to
    issue a credit (provided you return the unit). If they refuse to
    credit you , and your claim is valid, then LPMG could lose their
    plate, making them unable to take card orders (and they wouldn't
    like that!). Set legal_mode off.
   
      I got more of a chance to wail on my M5. I'm really impressed by
    the "vintage" type sound of the 6V6 output tubes. The clean channel
    has a real special tone to it, I can see me dragging this baby cat
    into the studio just because of these incredible sounds.  
    The lead channel is OK, but I'm the first to admit it's not as 
    good as the M1, M3 or any of the KH preamps. MAYBE a preamp tube might
    fix this up. A lot of people might not think the lead sound is that
    bad, but I get to A/B it with my other gear and even though it is
    raunchy and compressed it doesn't have the edge I get out of my
    other pieces I know a lot of you have been waiting for mye to complain
    about something, that was it!
      I have two extra M1/preamp footswitches, one is new and the other
    just needs a stereo plug. Also the dual footswitch CAN be used on
    the M3, only one side (red led) will work. I probably will sell
    my M3 (which BTW has run since 9/88 with only one output tube change
    cause I wore them out) and a patch bayette 1. No doubt I have more
    KH gear now than they have in the warehouse!
    							-BoOm-		

    Re: M1 Quad mode footswitch
    
    I know they work with the M1, but is Kitty Hawk's the only switch that
    will work with it?  Are these supposed to come with the M1 amp?  Or do
    you have to pay extra for them?
    
    Mike

    Since I don't have a footswitch and tubes yet, I decided to start
    bulletproofing my M1 last night.  
    
    Per Mr. Kittywrench's procedure, I added the wood glue to the speaker
    mounting holes and rubber silicone to the PWB mounts.
    
    Outside of the PWBs, I'm surprised at how little their is to building
    combos.
    
    Mike

      YES - the footswitches were supposed to be included with
    all of the KH gear. A standard on/off (non-momentary) footswitch
    will do the job, but having the LED helps a lot. My M5 didn't come
    with one, but my new TR came with two, they probably expect me to
    use it with the M5, even though it has an extra button and LED.
      Once again, there may be a Quattro or two left at Hermie's music
    in Schenectady. (518) 374-7433.
    							-BoOm-

I was pretty amazed at the whole amps contruction.  Looks like 
someone made the chassis is their garage...But they work good...

jc

    I just talked to Angelo and he seemed good natured.  He just asked for
    a few days to gather up all the stuff I'm missing since he's in
    transition.
    
    Ya gotta know how to deal with people :-)
    
    Mike

I've been playing phone tag with him all day...

I still haven't gotten the amp I ordered for Scary... WTF, over ?

jc

      Somebody shoot me! I snagged a patch bayette 2 for a C note!
    WTF anyway. I've got everything else. I wanted more LED's in
    my rack. realistic? rational? me? NEVER!
    					    -boom/broke/many_toys-

Boomer,  your an animal.  :)

I'll give my bayette 2 a try tonight.  I A/B'd my rack to my GK last 
night, and it seemed to work pretty good.  I little noizy but...
VERY cool lights.  I even light up loops that I'm not using just to 
see different designs...

Snigger,snigger...
Kitty,Kitty...

Capt. Krunch !

    What a week....this one goes down as "the week from Hell" in my book:
    
    * LPMG tries to weasel out of a tube delivery committment.
    * LPMG has already shipped me tubes and doesn't know it.
    * I install the new tubes (7 of 'em) and my amp fries 1 hour later.
    * I cave in due to lots of "other" personal stress and decide to ship
    my KH back for replacement.
    * LPMG ships me yet another set of tubes by accident.
    * I overreact to various "other" stresses by now and absolutely confirm
    my friends' suspicions that I'm really not a very nice guy.
    * I'm preparing to ship my KH back by putting the original tubes back
    in;  I fire it up just for grins while I have the chassis out and
    discover that one of the pre-amp tubes is not lit.  I replace the tube
    put the bias switch in the proper position (for a change) and my amp
    kicks ass again....for the entire practice.
    
    I've just gotta learn to relax.......with all the tube swapping while
    trouble shooting, I had the !@#$%%^&** bias switch in the wrong
    position!!!!!
    
    Anyway, I think I'm back in the KH business.  This weekends gigs will
    tell.....wish me luck!
    
    Steve D.

    
    Steve, have you tried less salt in your diet?  
    
    ;^)

    Yeah Steve, cut out excess caffine too.  8^)
    
    Greg (addicted to caffine)

    I don't use salt or caffeine....a good woman will fix my ailment.
    
    Steve (lookin' forward to tonight's gig and "other" carricular
    activities)
    
    8)

    Well, my kitty will be kickin butt tonight on a gig!
    
    MEOW!

Yo Bullpuppy !!!

Keep in mind that I had the cover over my rack when your Kitty opened it's eyes
last night.  :)  :)

Tonight will be the real test...When it opens it's eyes and see all those human
beer disposals starin' at it.  Agagagagagaga...

jc (ROCKin' in Greenville tonight !)

      EGAD - That Bulldawg's a real spazz, maybe he'll calm down if his Kitty
    acts nice during the weekend. Lemme see, that's at least four KH's going
    out gigging tonight. Don't anyone break off any knobs! 
      Yo Buck, which KH gets the nod to go to work this weekend? My
    guess is the Testarossa, but I was wrong once in my life before!
    I'm using my original TR and the new bayette.
    							-BoOm-

    Yo, BoOm!
    
    Yup, U-R wrong!  It's Quattro city this weekend!  Whist I like the
    clean/Crunch channel on the TR the best, I like the Lead/Hot channel on
    the QT better.  The QT lead channel has more "chunk" to it...the lead
    channel on th TR is very Boogie like (singing gain)...while the tone is
    better on the TR, I wanna chunk this weekend, so....
    
    Buck, who wants a Patch Bayette II as well!

My Kitty is staying home to watch TV tonight.
I don't feel comfortable enough with my new rig to 
use it live yet.  It's gettin' complicated.

jc  :)

      In reference to .571, I predict bulldawgs evening:
    
      An extremely attractive young lady will be drawn to bulldawgs
    stage presence and axemanship. 
      She will offer tcarry his guitar after the gig and asks if he
    would join her for breakfast. Try hard NOT to act desperate Steve
    says "sure thing".
      One thing leads to another and they end up watching the sunrise,
    (this is the edited version). It's like he was shot with a tranquilizer
    gun, bulldawg is much calmer.
      He gets a little more inquisitive. He asks "I've never seen you
    around here before, where do you work?"
    
      She replies "I used to work for a music distributor in New Jersey,
    but I have an offer with Digital here in Greenville!"
    
    							-BoOm-

    Scary thought there Boom!!!
    
    Sheeesh, I think your mind is cracking under the weight of all that
    KH gear!!!

     RE: .579

Yeah John, 

that ought to do it...

What he needs is an evening with this gal that came out to Shooters one night
and tried to rub the plating off the door knob while we were playing.  
Man this gal was suggestive to say the least !

jc (Who got lost three times in that tune... then saw his SO watchin')

			"Hi Honey"...

    Buck let me demo his Testerossa and his Quattro. I found the testerossa
    to be pretty lame with the exception that it has a great deal of gain
    but other than that you can get that sound out of a number of amps,
    most notably boogies...Buck did mention that the clean sound was
    slightly better than the Quattro..I didn't spend much time in that mode
    so I didn't notice if that was true...the clean sound was definately
    better than the dirty sound IMHO.
    
    The Quattro was another story altogether...it screamed, it sang..and if
    I had the jangs one of these would purr from my rack...nice unit! I
    could forsee needing some effects loops to control it in conjunction
    with the rivera.
    
    So are there any more quattros out there?
    
    dbii

    RE: .579
    
    Thanks for the fantasy, BoOm!  Maybe if I read it often
    enough.......nah.
    
    The Kitty ran up a total of 9 trouble free hours this weekend.....what
    an amp!  What a tone!  I TRIED to TELL you guys it was just tubes, but
    no one would listen.....yuk!
    
    P.S.  should I power the head down during breaks or just leave it on
    standby?
    
    Steve D.

Yeah, Steve's Kitty was a screamin' this weekend at Studio B in the 
beautiful sunny south (where it's rainin').  The Les Paul and Kitty make a 
beautiful tone together.

Dude, I'd keep it on standby when not in use.

jc

      Yer absolutely right about a Les Paul through the KH amp. The
    combination of body mass and an amp with great bass response is
    impressive!
      re .582 , I guess I'm the only one that thinks the Testarossa
    is a hot unit. I used my TR this weekend with great results. I 
    really don't think I could get rid of my Quattro since I paid 
    a pre-blowout price ($600) for it, at least I got a deal on the
    TR's! Both preamps are extremely flexible and you can really do
    some serious tweaking on the tone and gains to get what you want.
      I'm gonna revamp a empty KH M3 head (I mounted the chassis from
    it into a combo which held a M1 chassis until I moved that to the
    hardwood cab. I'm gonna put rails in it and mount the Quattro, a
    patch bayette and save 1 space for another SP-1000 amp, it'll be
    tight but I think I can pull it off. That should look wild on top
    of the stack. I gotta put this rack sh*t somewhere. My rack is full!

    
    Re: last few.  
    
    Les Paul?  Kitty Hawk?  Hah!  It was the Pat Blair/Jethro Bodine
    speaker cab design from hell that made it all work!  ;^)
    
    Steve, have you located any DeSoto chrome emblems for the finishing
    tough yet?  
    
    -pat bodine

    The TR is a hot unit, but it's is very much like a Boogie...in the way
    that you really do have to play with it and tweek it to fine tune a
    sound.  It is a very sensitive unit...not like a Marshall (set it all
    to 10) type thing!

      If anyone is interested in a Quattro, check the store I mentioned
    in .562. I know they had two in stock last week.
      Buck- what did you put the Quattro through this past weekend,
    you're still waiting in the SP-1000, right? Did you switch channels
    via patch bayette or footswitch. Just being inquisitive! I betcha
    people were surprised how little you paid for your newest additions.
    
      I'll tally up the t-shirt total at the end of this week, I should
    be able to have them done in less than two weeks. Send me a mail
    message if you can't repond as posted in .531.
    
    							-BoOm-
      

RE: John R. and his full rack...

I can relate...

I also seem to wear out the threads from unscrewing units and adding new 
stuff/getting rid of old stuff...  Ack !

SP1000's ROCK !

jc (Who played his rig with the volume set to 2 :)

    re: hermies music
    
    ...and then there was one...
    
    kitty mainia hits maine soon...
    and a quattro hits my rack soon...
    
    John R. when I told them I heard one and was most favorably impressed
    the fellow on the phone says "Was that John Reaume's?"
    
    dbii anxiously awaiting my kitty

    GeeZ!  I can't believe I didn't post credit to Mr. Kittywrench for the
    performance of his cabinetry skills.  "We" built a 2 X 12 (side by
    side style) that BELONGS under an M3 head!  It has a slight slant front
    with two ports and incredible bass/mid punch!
    
    Way to go Jethro! (Pat Blair)
    
    Steve D.

      I'll trade you 35 kitty hawk t-shirts for a Kittywrench cab. 
    You GSO people crack me up, what next? Seriously, a slant 2 X 12
    is just the thing for a M3 head! I'm looking at doing  something
    like that with my compact-rack set-up. The empty KH head thing I
    mentioned is just one way to package a complete rig in a small
    package. My compact-rack is two Kitty Hawk KH112 speaker cabs with
    one of them converted into a rack unit, I'm looking at making it
    a 2X12 type though, and similar to the kittywrench design that matches
    the width of the other gear.
      I, for one, was totally impressed that a Rivera owned (DB) picked
    up a Quattro. Knowing what I know about Riveras, it's gotta take
    something damn good to impress DB. Don't get me wrong! I don't think
    the TBR-2 is gonna collect dust (izzat the right model Dave?). I'm
    sure he'll give the Quattro playing time.
    

    
    
    	Yo kitty, dudes,  dbii said he and I screwed up and we shoulda
    bought kitties..... this from a died in the wool rivera owner!! 
    Sheesh, Buck what did you do to him??   I just found a Fender single
    channel foot switch in my music locker... would it help one of you
    kitty guys without a footswitch??
    
    	Steve

    Moi?
    
    Well, I had the Quattro and the Testarossa out for db_II to try. I
    never expected he would wanna buy one!  I mean, the Rivera is a great
    amp, but I guess this has its functions, too.  The Quattro's main
    highlights are the clean channel and the Hot lead channel...both are
    great sounding extreme's!
    
    Quick Steve, it's not too late!
    ;^)

    
      We're gonna have to wait a while now for the final tally! Not
    only do we have more owners than anyone who first ventured into
    this topic could have imagined, But we have quit a sizable amount
    of multiple KH unit owners. Buck with 3 (TR,QT,PB), Jerry with 2
    M3's (hopefully), J.C. with a M3 and a bayette, Steve G. w/ two
    M1's. That's impressive in itself! And we have the first product
    in the Kittywrench line as well!
    							-BoOm- 

    But still, dudes, you got them cheep.
    Why if the Kitty hawks are so good did they fail in the open market?
    
    Not that I'm knocking you guys, you were smart to buy when you did.
    I didn't because I'm a Gross Amatuer and 1 head is enuf when it's 
    working. 
    
    Still u guys ( who buy alotmore equipment ) knew of KH before
    the price dump, and weren't so impressed ( or impressed enuf )
    at full price.
    
    What gives, dudes? 
    	Is it really the Sound that gets you up
    	Or the feeling of getting a 900$ machine for 200$ that gets u?
    
    No flames, But Enquireing minds Want to Know!
    

    -1
    
    I worte a note in here WAY back when I first noticed the KH line in an
    ad.  It said:
    
    "Unbelievable gain and sound pressure like nothing you've heard"
    
    Well, at the time I wasn't looking for an amp with "unbelieveable sound
    pressure" as I personally don't go the the '400wts is better' school.
    Gimme a 30wt amp you can crank to 10...that's my motto.  Also, these
    amps were nowhere to be found.  It's like the Carvin stuff...which was
    all mail order, and you couldn't actually hear one til you bought it. 
    I tried a Carvin guitar and 2x12 amp back in college when some kid
    bought the package and I though the entire set up sounded like s***! 
    So, until the rave reviews started flowing in, I was hesitant about the
    kitties as well.
    
    I like what I'm hearing now though...my Marshalls are now collecting
    dust!
    
    Buck

>    	Is it really the Sound that gets you up
>    	Or the feeling of getting a 900$ machine for 200$ that gets u?
    
    YES!

    RE: -2
    
    The topic I mentioned about high gain amps is Note 674.0.  Check it
    out...the date of the note was like around the time I first started to
    notice the Kitty Hawk amps kicking about.

    600 Replies!!!

    RE - 1103.596 by VLNVAX::ALECLAIRE        
    
    An answer ....
    
    <But still, dudes, you got them cheep.
    <Why if the Kitty hawks are so good did they fail in the open market?
                                      
    Probably due to a combination of steep prices and poor advertising.
    The first time I ever heard of the Kitty Hawk line was on Winger
    videos.  And I really didn't think too much about it because most
    guitar players (pros I'm talking here) may use Marshalls or something
    but they have a 97 space rack loaded to the gills, not much of the
    Marshall (or whatever brand ...) "tone" left.  But I saw Winger
    on a New Year's Eve show on MTV, and Reb Beach's rig looked total
    Kitty Hawk, and he had a GREAT tone, for my tastes ... I was impressed
    but still not in the mood to buy.  Hey, I had a Marshall ... what
    more could life offer me ...
    
    <Not that I'm knocking you guys, you were smart to buy when you did.
    <I didn't because I'm a Gross Amatuer and 1 head is enuf when it's 
    <working. 
                                
    True.  When (*if*) the other M3 arrives, I'll have 3 heads with
    1-4x12 cabinet.  I gig rarely, but I like to have a good handle
    on my tone when I do.  I was in the market to buy a Tube Driver,
    but the M3 is a killer "tube driver", plus the 100W feature is nice
    too !		8^)
    
    <Still u guys ( who buy alotmore equipment ) knew of KH before
    <the price dump, and weren't so impressed ( or impressed enuf )
    <at full price.
                           
    I think if most of us had heard of a deal like this involving Boogies,
    or Marshalls or whatever, the excitement would have been about the
    same.  I had a chance to hear Pat Blair's 60W combo before I got
    the fever, and probably wouldn't have bought one without hearing
    one.  Still, warranty or not, show room condition or not, this is
    still a fantastic deal ... and that says a lot right there.  I was
    in no way in the market for another head, let alone 2 more, but
    this deal was one I felt like I would have hated myself for not
    taking advantage of.  Even though I'm still waiting on one of 'em
    I'm very pleased with my purchase, so far.  I know it might vaporize
    tomorrow, so I guess I'm taking a calculated risk.  But it's nothing
    like the risk compared to buying something used sight unseen with
    no warranty.  Plus, the folks in this conference seem to be fairly
    knowledgeable about this product and I fewel like I could get some
    information if the Kitty loses a life or 2.
    
    What gives, dudes? 
    	Is it really the Sound that gets you up
    	Or the feeling of getting a 900$ machine for 200$ that gets u?
                                               
    Like I say, it's a little of both ...
    
    No flames, But Enquireing minds Want to Know!
    
    None taken ... but now you know !	  8^D 
                                        
    ps - I'll make ya a real good deal on an M3 ...
    
    
    			$900
    
    
    				Scary                                         
    

re: Rivera it's a TBR-1M

I'm not certain how I'm going to use the quattro, but it will definately get
used. The extra flexability combined with the very fine sound sold me. To be 
able to set up 4 footswitchable sounds vs 2 will make a big addition to my
ability to play live....

The rivera will still drive the speakers, and if I can gom out a way to do it
I'll still use it's preamp some of the time...when the quattro shows up I'll
experiment and get back to ya....

yo Steve I can always use another footswitch...

dbii 

re: footswitches

Well, it looks like Angelo came through on half-a-promise (but that's ok!).
He said he would send me a footswitch for the M3 and for the Quatrro. I 
finally received the package, but there was only the Quattro footswitch. 
That's fine by me - the M3 can use any normal footswitch. But I needed the 
Quattro footswitch because of the matching LEDs and stuff.

Glad I got it! And they were pretty quick about it, too!

Alan S.

      re .596   If you go back far enough (<.100) it's evident that
    I was up on KH back when the prices were way up. I paid $1100
    for my M1 100 watt head and had no regrets, it sounds incredible
    and held its own with anything in its price range. In fact , it
    still does! And I am certain that with out the price blowout, I
    would have less than half the KH gear I have now. I just can't
    resist a deal. Without the "clearance sale" I would've had
    the M1 stack, the Quattro,the Testarossa, one patch bayette,
    and my first KH (a 60 watt M3 head and 1X12 cab). I got GREAT
    deals on my second M1, my second TR, three more PB's, and the
    KH MIDI foot controller.
      As to why they failed in the market, this is it in a nutshell:
    Yes, the list prices are up there. The cost to import these wasn't
    small either. A couple of key things came into play. Kitty Hawk
    was one of the first companies to jump on the high-end rackmount
    bandwagon. Sure M.B. got there early and so did ADA, but even 
    Marshall didn't jump in until a few months ago. Even though the
    combos and heads were selling slowly, LP Music could move as many
    preamps as they could import. They realized that this product has
    a higher margin because of its lower cost to produce (spoken like
    a true DECCIE). In order for the dealers to pick up the rack products
    they also had to take on other products. At the same time LP figured
    they could have a preamp made in Korea or whatever and drop the
    price and have an even higher margin. Thus the conflict, the deal
    with ROY Electric was doomed when LP made this decision to produce
    a competing product that is VERY similar to the KH Quattro. Keep
    in mind that Kitty Hawk is still operating in Europe!
      Without this topic (this conference as well) a lot of these deals
    wouldn't have been made!

    
    re. .604
    
    I can't say that ALL of KH's problems are related to LP Music.  A
    friend of mine with a 100wt M3 head is now waiting for it to be
    repaired.  From what he has told me, it's suffering from the usual
    defective tube problems, plus there were metal shavings in the
    transformer?!!
    
    It also looks like many of the amps purchased through this file
    were amps that dealers sent back to LP Music because of defects.
    
    It's a great sounding amp for sure, but I wonder about it's
    reliability.
    
    

re: reason for buying KH... tone vs. $$$

I definitely bought my M1's based on sound rather than price... case in point:
Before I knew anything about KH, I had heard that they were great amps (refer
to reply 1103.1) and it took me a long time before I located a dealer where I
could test drive one. When I finally did, I spent two hours of total amazement
in the store trying out all modes on the M1. I wouldn't have bought one without
hearing it first. Anyhow, I liked it enough to go back the next day with a wad
of cold cash in my pocket, hoping to negotiate an agreeable price.  The dealer
had the 60W M1 head marked down from its list of $1219 to a $975 'discounted'
price. After some haggling, we ended up at a Mexican stand off with me offering
$900 and he refusing to drop below $925.  In hindsight,  thank God he refused
(someone up there likes me!),  but at that time I left the store disappointed,
with only some KH informational literature which identified LP Music Group as
the distributor. I called to find out who else sold them and Josh gave me the
list of dealers which I posted in an earlier reply. He told me that I would be
able to get 'a great deal' because they were discontinuing the line at closeout
prices.  I tried to convince Josh to sell one to me direct, but he was not yet
prepared to do so.... so I set out calling dealers and managed to find my first
M1 at a price of $495. The events that followed are now public domain! If that
first dealer had bent $25 more dollars, I would have paid $900.00 for it... and
I agree with John, I still would've been very happy with it.  I hope that with
careful use, they will prove to be reliable, because I have become addicted to
the M1 class A sound and I don't think I could live without it!  8^)  8^)

As for why KH marketing failed in the US? I think it was a combination of poor
marketing strategy and *brutal* competition from the industry giants such as
Marshall, Fender, Boogie, etc...I think their first mistake was to target Mesa
Boogie because they have a loyal cult following and are priced too high for the
vast majority of the buying public.   I think that if KH had aimed at a larger
audience in, for instance, the $500 to $800 price range, they would have had a
much better chance gaining recognition and surviving in the U.S. marketplace.

Wilbur

     	
re. 605

	Metal shavings? that rates right up there with 2 amp fuses in
	place of 5 amps. Sounds like a Quality control problem....
	        
	Yep you are at the mercy of your local amp tech :^(  Plus
	you're guaranteed to shell out $100 for new tubes if you
	lucky. However if it was my KH I'd put in 6L6's over EL34's.
	for reliability reasons anyway. And definately retube it.
	rather than risk no sound and smoke....	
    
	Without question they do sound nice,but reliability is really
	a big question,maybe well know in 5 years.
	It's a shame the design was a ripoff,as the consumer is really
	the one who will get the shaft in the end.  I really hope KH
    	can make back into the american amp market,they seemed to have
    	some potential.....

	Like the guy said "what do you want for $200?"

	Besides it would have probably cost him that much to ship it 
	back to Germany..... :^)
    
			        		Rick

    I received 4 EL34s, a manual, and the logo yesterday.  Still no Quad
    footswitch.
    
    Anyway, I powered the sucker up to test it out and I believe I may have
    a preamp problem.  There are 4 new (they look new) GT 12XA7s? in there
    and they all light up, but:
    
    - clean channel is nice and clear, but the Lead A and Lead C modes have 
      a very audible, annoying hum in them.  I tried different settings of
      the AC polarity switch with no differences.
    - the Lead channels don't sound much different from the clean channel. 
      I'm not hearing that distortion like I heard from Steve Goodwin's M1.
      I tried the sample settings in the manual too.
    - I also get an occaisional squeal or microphonic in the Lead channels.
      
    I'm using a single coil guitar (Fender Mustang) that looks like it has
    the original pickups in it.  There may be a problem with them.
    
    Since this is my first tube amp, I have a Standby question:  the switch
    stays in the upright position until the tubes warm up and then switch
    it on to make the amp operational, correct?
    
    Mike

RE: Mike

Correct.  The switch on the right supplies the power to the unit from the wall.
When you switch it on, the standby switch should be ("up").  After 30+ seconds
Come off standby, and you be rockin'.

RE: Reliability.

Well, I'm not too impressed wwith the reliability or like I said, the 
workmanship.  I mean welded on tube protectors with weld-smegma not 
even wirebrushed off, holes where the welder burned thru...Unfinished
galvanized steel chassis...  Ehhhh...


jc (Who thinks his kitty is worth what I paid for it...)

    BTW - When I took my amp out of the cab, I noticed Wolfram's signature
    on the inside as part of some QA check.
    
    Mike

      That's right! Wolfram Roy's signature was on my M3 spec sheet
    and inside at least two pieces of my KH gear. I'm sure this whole
    shop in Germany isn't really all that big to start with!
    							-BoOm-
    

pant pant it's here it's here!!!!!

can't wait to go home...

dbii

      OK, I'm sure somebody has been wanting to see something like this
    in here. FWIW I talked with Alan at Hermie's music regarding the
    best places to geet KH gear serviced. He uses the rack gear and
    has sold quite a bit of their product, so I figured he was a good
    one to ask. Alan has a lot of confidence in this guy and every
    indication I've gotten is that these guys are on the up and up.
    Don't tell them you bought any of the gear direct (for obvious
    reasons). The number is (518) 374-7433. 
    						-BoOm-
     

>    - clean channel is nice and clear, but the Lead A and Lead C modes have 
>      a very audible, annoying hum in them.  I tried different settings of
>      the AC polarity switch with no differences.
>    - the Lead channels don't sound much different from the clean channel. 
>      I'm not hearing that distortion like I heard from Steve Goodwin's M1.
>      I tried the sample settings in the manual too.
>    - I also get an occaisional squeal or microphonic in the Lead channels.
    
    Do the symptoms above sound like preamp tube problems to you experts
    out there?
    
    Mike
      

	Yo MH- sounds like it could be a preamp tube problem to me.
	If your clean channel is working fine, that precludes problems
	with the output section. As you face the back of the amp, your
	preamp tubes are numbered v1 to v4 from right to left.  As I
	recall from the schematic (I could be wrong) v3 is responsible
	for adding the overdrive in the lead modes. You might want to
	pick up a spare set of 12AX7's (I've got full spare sets for
	both my M1's) and try swapping them out one at a time.

	Good luck...

	Steve

    Steve, never mind, I fixed the problem.  I can't believe how LOUD the
    100w M1 is compared to yours!!!  I can't get the volume above 2 with
    women & children in the house!
    
    Now all I need is the Quad mode footswitch and I'm ready.
    
    Mike

    re -1
    
    So what was causing your lead channel problem??
    
    I know what you mean about the 100W volume- I've played thru 'em.
    I went the 60W route because I can't resist cranking up for crunch
    and I still want to be able to hear when I'm 64!  8^)
    
    Wilbur

      Originally I had said that at least 80% of the problems have been
    tubes. I'll change that, it's more like 90%. That probably explains
    some of LP Music group's problems. Keep in mind that LP stands for 
    Latin Percussion (have you ever let your drummer set up your amp?) 
    Now that's a scary thought!
      BTW - my new M5 performed exceptionally well at rehearsal. 
    Those 6V6 tubes have a sound all their own. I'm real happy
    with this little monster ( I know, I sound like a broken
    record). 
      MH - sounds like you got a real deal!

Jeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesssssssuuuuuuuuuummmmmmmmmmmm!

Don't I just love this little toy!

put the quattro in the rack last night....surprise surprise
the Rivera makes a nice front end for it. The pre preamp out of the rivera into
the quattro, the quattro into the quadraverb the quadraverb into the stereo
returns on the rivera (power amp in). So I can still use the rivera for two
sounds, I can switch on the effects loop and use the quattro and the quadraverb,
and better yet; the PCOMP (pre preamp gain control, assignable to either of the
rivera channels) can be used to give me a boost into the quattro by assigning it
to the lead channel on the rivera, stomping the effects loop (quattro) in and 
stomping the rivera lead channel in. So in reality I get about 10 different 
gain/distortion/volume settings with this setup.

And does it howl. Like a frenzied mountain lion!

purr purr

dbii

>    So what was causing your lead channel problem??
    
    I justed reseated the preamp tubes.  They looked brand new so I gave it
    a shot.
    
    Mike

>      MH - sounds like you got a real deal!
    
    Yeah Boom!  An M1 in perfect condition for $200!!!

    Just out of curiousity, what are the main differences between the
    Quattro and the M1 preamp section?
    
    Mike

      The main differences are the control set up. The Quattro offers
    volume and/or gain for all four modes. The M1 really doesn't have
    a "crunch rhythm" mode. I'm sure that there are some similarities
    but if you look at all the controls, that pretty much says what
    the Quattro is all about.
      BTW - I have received orders from : SG,JW, and Dr. Kitty-wrench.
    
    						-BoOm-

    
    Well I tried out some GT EL34's in my M1 last night.  These were the 
    S-6 matched variety.  I have to admit that the lead modes had more 
    crunch and were more easily overdriven than the 6L6's.  However, I 
    really believe that the 6L6's had a much better clean sound.  Better 
    (truer) bass response and less microphonics (I mean tube rattling).
    I bought the 6L6's at a wholesale electronic place and told the guy
    to make sure the Sylvania's came outta the same box cuz I wanted 
    matched tubes.  I cracked myself up, but the salesman only raised his
    eyebrow at me (that happens a lot to me).  Anyways, I guess I like both
    types.  
    
    -pat 
    

    
      Today I get a message from yet another DEC guy who bought not
    one, but two KH units. I hadn't seen his name in here before.
    I should clarify the two units. He's got a 100 watt M3 (combo, I
    think) which works. He also has a Grand Lead, which is really the
    predecessor to the M1. The grand lead is a fixer upper, no tubes
    or transformer (one or both). He's looking into the parts situation.
      Well Mr K., ya gonna speak or are you a read-only?
    
      Off to the weekends gigs -----
    
    			       -----> 		-BoOm-

    Angelo said my Quad footswitch is already on its way.  I can't wait to
    get the last piece of the puzzle!
    
    Mike

      Alright - what's going on with my favorite topic? Is there
    something locked up here? .627-.629 aren't readable. 
    
    				-justa inquisitive BoOm-

    Well, as *I* said in .627...
    
    My quattro is fried!  Mr NE_Kittywrench (Dave Luiz) called me Saturday
    am to rap about it.  The transformer is operating at a 'dangerous'
    level...like, major fire level!  Damn...gonna have to get one
    somewhere!  Oh well, while he has it, we rapped about what I didn't
    like about the QT, and he is gonna re-wire the thing for me, so it 
    should be awesome when I get it back!  The TR checked out ok, but we're
    gonna change the EQ section around on that thing so it will scream.
    
    B.

Yo Buck say some more about the proposed modifications to the QT...

dbii

    Well, on the quattro, the only thing I don't like is the "crunch"
    channel...it really doesn't crunch...it's more boogie-like.  In
    heavier grunge modes, there is little high end response (IMHO),
    and the definition isn't there.  So, he noticed that the eq section
    is post gain in that mode, and felt that rewiring the eq section
    pre-gain would help immensly.  Also we're talking about making the 
    presence (bright) control common to both channels.
    
    There are some other ideas he has on the TR to make the EQ section come 
    alive in the unit.  Right now it too is post gain, and with so many 
    stages of gain, its hard to get any real definition.

       The transformer is running at a dangerous level? He probably
    means that in respect to the tubes operating voltage, right?
    LP Music has a second source for the transformers since their
    SOHO preamp is in many ways a QT clone. The Testarossa transformer
    would probably have to come from Germany. 
       In either case, I want to know what these modifications do for
    the sound and/or reliability. I betcha I can't see .627 cuz Buck
    was cussin'. 
    						-BoOm- 

    On a happier note ... I used my M3 at it's first gig this weekend
    and it performed to the letter !  I had it powered up for almost
    5 hours straight, no problems (other than getting too loud once
    or twice ...).  It also seemed like it ran a bit cooler than it
    did during practice (?).  But with all of the Kitty Hawk horror
    stories, I'm a little leary of getting too dependent on this beast.
    I might try and scarf up an MP-1 to add to my collection ...
    
    
    				Scary
    
       (who wonders now if a GP-8 and an MP-1 will work together ...)

    I borrowed my teachers Martin the other night because I was too curious
    as too how it would sound through the M1.  I'm not sure of the model
    but it is a $1200 guitar with stock (thinline?) pickups.

    I can't believe how great this acoustic sounded through the clean
    channel!  I couldn't put it down and played/practiced most of last night
    with it.  It sounded pretty good through the Lead channels too (I
    couldn't resist :-)).

    This M1 purchase has to rank right up there as far as purchases go.  I
    was looking for an amp versatile enough to play acoustic and electric
    with no compromise.  The M1 does a great job at both!

    Mike

    
    
    Well, I haven't had any problems since I had the tube problem
    when I first got it (knock on wood!)  Last week was the real
    test....three nights in a row recording anywhere from 6 to
    8 hours for each session.  My M3 went on and stayed on.....
    and sounds great when cranked up to about 8 or 9!  Talk
    about LOUD!  Its totally replaced the Boogie as the main
    amp on this project, and only sat out two tracks that I
    went with a Marshall on!  
    
    Ralph
    
    

      I got my first patch bayette 2 in. It checks out OK. I like the
    A/B out idea! This unit also has the write protect feature, which
    leads me to believe that J.C. was right when he assumed his P.B.2
    had it as well. 
      I've been cleaning house with my rack system. I couldn't resist
    stacking up all my rack cats after pulling them out. What a wild
    looking arrangement! Four P.B.'s and three preamps! The ONLY problem
    I've had was when we knocked the power out in a club and my rack
    came back on with everything still powered on and my P.B.1 popped
    a fuse, no big deal.
      I want to make all my AC line cords removable at the back.
    It'll make the rack a lot neater. Why did they put such long line
    cords on them anyway, unless they thought a lot of people weren't
    gonna rack em.
      BTW - I talked with Dave Luiz this morning, he seems to be up
    on this stuff. I'll let him know about any info I come across that
    may help us keep the Kitties up to snuff. He does recommend fan
    cooling in the KH heads, especially if you push the amp fairly hard.
    
    
						-BoOm-

    >  I want to make all my AC line cords removable at the back.
    >It'll make the rack a lot neater. Why did they put such long line
    >cords on them anyway, unless they thought a lot of people weren't
    >gonna rack em.
    
    Great idea!  Why don't the manufacturers do this???  I have to keep an
    empty slot in my current rack just to put the power cords in because
    it's not deep enough to get them behind the units easily.  It would be
    GREAT if all the companies that make rack mount gear would standardize
    on a removeable power cord, maybe something like the ones used on the
    VT terminals or something. 
    
    My Hiwatt amp has this, it's just a socket on the back for the power
    cord which will take most standard three prong extention cords as
    input.  It's very convenient, since you don't have a cord constantly
    coming loose and dragging behind you when when moving it, and if the
    cord becomes worn, you just toss it and go buy another one.  No
    soldering, no hassle.  I wish all the manufacturers of amps and rack
    mount gear would do this.
    
    Greg

      I'm wondering how long it takes to get a reply back from Germany.
    Hopefully it will include my schematics to complete my set!
    Here are some excerpts from the letter I sent:
    
      I am writing in the interest of myself as well as many other
    Kitty Hawk users here in the United States. I have built up quite
    an inventory of Kitty Hawk equipment that I use and I am in contact
    with many other users over a computer network. ....
      ...In many combos we have isolated the amp chassis from the cabinet
    as much as possible to reduce vibration problems.    
      ...I would appreciate any service documentation you could send
    me on the Testarossa preamp, patch bayette 2, and M5 45 watt combo.
    I have service documentation for everything else and it has helped
    immensely. Also any information on new products or a recommended
    service center would be appreciated. Many of us are hoping for your
    return to the U.S. market.

      I will post something when I get a response. 
    
    						-BoOm-	

    Finally got the replacement M3 combo that I had been promised so
    long ago. The last one was in much better shape physically but this
    one plays. The presense control knob had been chewed off by the
    company doberman, I'd guess, but at least they sent a replacement
    knob and internals in a very secure paper towel. Now, to just figure
    out how to replace it. 
    
    Bg

      re -.1   The knobs are secured by a philips screw. To get to it
      	     you'll have to remove the cap on the knob, it pries off
    	     the knob base. I'm not sure what direction the Philips
    	     screw has to be turned, but I can check the manual. There's
    	     a section that covers knob replacement. One part that I
    	     know isn't easy to get right away is replacement pots if
    	     you break the shaft. So DON'T bang yer knobs!
    
                Artwork on the t's is just about finished, I have received
    	     quite a few orders, it's enough to justify the first run.
    	     I also have t's for my band "Chemistry", but that's another
    	     topic.
    							-BoOm- 

    I played out with my Kitty M1 for the first time Sunday night (will
    again tonight).  I had to put up with all the compliments of my tone as
    others have in here :-)
    
    The M1 sure makes that old Fender Mustang sound good!  The Mustang
    does have a fantastic neck on it though.
    
    BTW - I received 2 offers to join 2 different bands that night too. 
          They probably just want my Kitty :-)
    
    Mike

    I was getting ready to buy some new 12 inchers for "our" home made
    2x12 slant front, when I happened across a used Peavy 4x12 cab in great
    shape.  I got it for the amount given to the previous owner on trade
    ($125) and it's in "like new" condition.  I simply cannot believe how
    my KH M3 head hs come to life thru this 4x12 cab!  It's unreal!  And
    I was gonna return my Kitty.....sheesh.
    
    Steve D.
    

    re: .644
    
    The 2 x 12 slant front is going back to the designer/builder.  He's got
    more time in it than I had money....Mr Pat Blair (aka Patman, Mr
    Kittywrench, etc.)  Thanks, Pat!
    
    Bulldawg

    Ruh-roh,
    
    looks like the volume wars are off and running in the R n R camp!!
    
    Buck, who can see it now...Shooters in 6 mos. with Marshall 4x12 cabs
    piled wall to wall and stacked 4 high!!!
    
    ];^>

    Now Buck,
    
    Don't get Coop started...remember: "he wins ALL volume wars"
    
    |)
    
    BTW, will you PLEASE ship that d*mn Ibanez to him, he's driving me
    nuts!
    
    Steve D.

    Oh yeah, Buck
    
    I heard yow were shopping for a *real* guitar!  Congrats...8)
    
    Steve D.

RE: -.1

Sheeesh.  Actually Buck was wanting to get into some body building but
didn't have time with his guitar play, so he's gonna kill two birds
with one stone and buy "built of granite" Gibson.

Buck, you and me have *got* to have a talk...Selling an Ibanez for a 
Gibson ?  Thats almost like Slash turning his needles in for a brandy
snifter !   Agagagaga ... Sorry, no more Gibson bashing, I promised.
:)

RE: -.2  

Thats right...And don't forget it !  
:)

jc ("Who sez I got 2.5 Kittyhawks in my 14lb single space 
     rack mountable SP1000")

    
    I say we have the moderator lock Coop out of this topic til he tries
    out his damn KH.  No more, "I'm not comfortable with it", whining,
    wimpering bullsh*t!  
    
    re:  a few back.
    
    My combo (M1) has nuts - not philips screws - beneath the knob covers.
    I had to use needle-nosed pliers to get at 'em.  I found out the hard
    way...  I was trying to set all the knobs evenly and one of 'em would
    not play ball.  I *thought* they were just pressed on, so I pulled a
    little harder, then a *lot* harder.  I apparently applied a few too
    many inch-pounds cuz all of a sudden I was sitting on my butt with 
    the knob in my hand and staring in terror at the end of a BROKEN
    shaft.  I considered crying while I read the correct way to remove
    them in the manual.  I regrouped and applied a spot of superglue 
    and put it back together.  What a bummer that was.  I just can't 
    talk about it anymore...  Boo hoo hoo.

Hey !  I've used it.  I'm just a rack snob.  The Kitty is now sitting in
the corner of my music room with two unused GKs, an unused Marshall and
two broken Marlboro amps...Actually, I think it's at Hunters house.

jc

    The 100W M3's rooool !  I've been listening to a tape of my band
    from last week's gig, and the Kitty simply howls.  We've got a gig
    this weekend and I doubt that I'll even bother to take my GP-8.
    Hell all I really use it for is switching channels on the kitten,
    so why bother ?
    
    RE - Coop ...
    
    You really ought to give the M3 a "REAL" try.  Seems like you'd
    get a warmer tone if you ran the Kitty at "5" as opposed to running
    your power amp at ".4".  Plus I would think the MP-1 into the Kitty
    (tubes for days ...) would sound unreal !
    
    
    				Scary

I might do dat.  :)

I'll try anything once... Things I like I try twice...
(Skynyrd quote for you yankees)...

jc

    
      Yeah, I've been accused of being a rack snob as well! This weekend
    I'm gonna rack-it on Friday, then use the M1 head on Saturday because
    it's a rip-em-up club and that's where the M1 shines. I'm fine tuning
    my rack by adding a fan to cool the preamp, re-cabling the AC line
    cords, and doing my KH 1X12 grill cloth over in metal mesh. I'm
    considering angleing the speaker up about 15 degrees for better close
    range coverage. I'm still using the M5 for practice, it works great
    for that, but I still wouldn't use it playing out unless maybe at
    a wedding.
      							-BoOm-

    >I'm still using the M5 for practice, it works great
    >for that, but I still wouldn't use it playing out unless maybe at
    >a wedding.
    
    Not even that!  Take the M1 Stack and the Rack Stack and hook em up
    together for the wedding gig!!!

> I'll try anything once... Things I like I try twice...
> (Skynyrd quote for you yankees)...

who?  

a_dumb_yankee

8^)

P.S. Besides, the actual quote is "I've tried everything in my life, (uh-huh), 
     things I liked, I've tried twice - you got that right!"

Yeah, yeah...

;)

     .. and the Canadian version :   Yeah , A !
    
     .. and all the way up to ten :   YEAH , YEAH !
    
     .. I'm digressing , can I go home?
    
    						-BoOm-

    re: Alan
    
    You gotta remember that Coop's really a Yankee...
    
    re: Kitty Hawk  (isn't that what this note's about?)
    
    I've been playing a lot with my M3 lately and I've found some things I
    really like and some things I'm not sure I like much.  First, I *love*
    the thing for both crunchy and clean rhythm sounds!  It's wonderful,
    very full sounding.
    
    However, I hate the way it sounds for leads on a lotta stuff.  It seems
    to squelch the sustain or something and that kind of annoys me.  I'm
    not sure if I just haven't found the right setting or what, but I'd
    rather use my rack stuff for most of the leads.
    
    Greg