Kustom Introduces The Defender All-Tube Guitar Amplifier

Jan 21, 2007

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Kustom® ushers in a new era in tube amplification with the introduction of The Defender™, a 50-watt, all-tube guitar combo. The Defender provides an intoxicating blend of hot tube amp tones, never-before-seen features and a "less is more," stealth-like approach to its controls and functions.

To maximize the amp's inherent tone, The Defender is crafted using 1960s-era solid Pine construction, and includes a Birch Plywood Baffle Board. All-Pine construction gives the amplifier a rich, resonant tone that will inspire any lover of classic tube amps. It costs more to produce the amp this way, but the tone and responsive feel are well worth the expense. The cabinet is covered in high-quality black Tolex with a raised stitching pattern that invokes classic motorcycle aesthetics.

To launch the project, Kustom engineers first developed an exclusive new preamp circuit that operates unlike any other on the market. Called Duo-Mod™, the proprietary Kustom circuit utilizes traditional Volume and Master Volume controls, but that's where the similarity ends.

Here's how it works: When turning the Volume control down to get cleaner tones, the Duo-Mod™ circuit progressively reduces gain in multiple locations throughout the preamp, unlike competitive amplifiers. The result is stunning clarity throughout the Gain control's entire range. In other words, clean tones get cleaner and medium-gain tones stay chunkier and dynamic, while not sacrificing their higher-gain potential. In the medium-to-high gain ranges, the Kustom Duo-Mod circuit progressively adds gain in multiple locations throughout the preamp. The result is smoking hot rock tones with punch and clarity that set it apart from the competition. In essence, the Kustom Duo-Mod circuit produces a wide variety of tones from a deceptively simple one-channel amplifier without the need for additional gain switches or controls.

Another first: The Defender's Master Volume doesn't merely control the overall amplifier level. It also optimizes the amp's overall EQ to produce perfectly tweaked tonal results no matter how the input Volume and Master Volume controls are set. For example, when the input Volume is cranked for distortion and the Master is set lower, the amp's midrange and high-end are adjusted to eliminate any harshness. This system lets players make large changes in gain settings with minimal adjustments of tone controls.

For added flexibility, there is also a Master Volume Bypass switch, which lets players entirely disable the Master from the circuit to achieve the penetrating tone and headroom of vintage, non-Master type amplifiers. It's perfect for players who like to use outboard overdrive and distortion boxes to spice up their sound. For even more power amp gain, a variable Power Amp Boost control provides up to 10db of footswitchable volume that is perfect for making guitar solos stand out in the mix.

Features include two EL34 output tubes, three 12AX7 preamp tubes, a 12-inch speaker and a Bright switch, which provides either a fuller, American-style bass response or a tighter, British flavored low-end. A player's preference of either EL34 or 6L6 power tubes may be used in The Defender, thanks to a switch which adjusts the amp's bias circuitry accordingly - perfect for guitarists who like to experiment with their tonal options. A classic spring reverb circuit provides everything from a warm, ambient effect to an all-out cavernous wash of sound.

For more information, visit their web site at www.kustom.com.