Hughes & Kettner Debuts Switchblade TSC Tube Safety Control

Apr 08, 2009

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Careful selection and matching of vacuum tubes are the sonic fundamentals of every tube amp. Here, in particular, the meticulous matching of the bias according to the tube's characteristics is of paramount importance. Unfortunately enough, these characteristics change over time, so an amplifier never really sounds the same. Especially not if one or more of the tubes are replaced, normally a task inevitably to be followed by a thorough bias matching, administered by a trained service technician. And that's why Hughes & Kettner developed TSC (Tube Safety Control), the onboard tube management.

This all-new circuit constantly messures the characteristics of the tube and adjusts the bias accordingly, thus providing the best possible tone under all conditions. Your amp sounds as good at the beginning of the first show as at it does at the end of the tour. And what if a tube fails during a gig? No problem at all! TSC identifies the defective valve, indicates it with its LED display and switches it off. The show can go on! And after the culprits have been replaced? Simply turn on your amp and thanks to TSC you get perfect tone — instantaneously. One of the biggest disadvantages of tube technolgy has finally lost its scare. Also a nice-to-have feature: Using a plectrum you can recall each tube's characteristics and have them displayed via LEDs.

The first amplifier to incorporate this groundbreaking technology is the Switchblade TSC. Like the original Switchblade it is foremost a four-channel all-tube amp, offering a wide range of sounds from the brightest of cleans to the most merciless of highgains. Being an amplifier of the 21st century, the Switchblade TSC also comes with an first-class fx section covering a wide range of effects like reverb, modulation and tap delay, that will keep every guitarist happy. Although the fx are generated in the digital domain, the original signal never leaves the analog path. This is due to our clever design that allows for the fx part to be added in parallel, therefore providing a guitar sound that never fails to amaze with its punch and clarity. To make all this sonic flexibility easily available on stage, the Switchblade TSC is fully programmable. Storing one of the 128 user presets is child's play and recalling them reassuringly safe and fast with our included floorboard.

The Switchblade TSC will be available as a 100 W head, a 2 x 12" combo (100 W) or a 1 x 12" combo with 50 Watts end of April.