Electro-Harmonix Abrams100 - another small head offering?

[Woody Sound]

Not quite as small as the micro heads, but maybe worth a look. 11.5"w, 3 lbs.

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[floatingpickup]

That looks like a really nice little amp. It’s nice to see one of these micro amps with reverb.
Keith

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

That looks like a really nice little amp. It’s nice to see one of these micro amps with reverb.
Keith

It's not exactly micro at a foot wide - it's too big to sit on a Toob Metro, and it's wider than my RevSound 8" cab. It does have features that I wish my BAM200 had - reverb, usable O/D, & effects loop. But the BAM has an XLR DI output that I use. The other limitation is its power output. The BAM200 makes 100+W into 8 Ohms, which is at least twice that of the Abrams if all other specs are the same. Doubling the power output means about 3 dB of increased clean headroom into the same load, which is audible (if not dramatically so) - like when using it with a small speaker to play a large venue or with a big or loud band.

Unfortunately, neither input signal levels nor distortion levels are provided for the rated output power of most musical instrument amplifiers. So we don't really know how these two would compare for maximum clean SPL from the same input signal level. If the BAM is rated for 100W into 8 Ohms at 10% THD from a 2 volt 1 kHz input signal and the Abrams is rated at 50W @ 1% THD from a 1 V 10 Hz to 20 kHz input signal, the two would probably be equally loud and have about the same clean headroom on a gig. But we have no way of knowing. Some of these little amps (like the Elf) are also audibly compressed at higher volumes, and this is obvious when playing.

So once again, the only way to compare the Abrams to the others is to try it. If it sounds significantly better than the BAM / Gnome / Elf / etc and is loud enough for the gigs I play with a tiny rig, I'd live with the limitations to have the O/D. But I've stopped buying stuff just to learn about and from it. The BAM for $119 new was a no-brainer, and it's so good that I sold my Elf. At $300, I'll wait for user experience to filter in on this one. Right now, I use a Zen pedal clone through the BAM / Metro or my Blu 6 and am happy with it.

[John A.]

It's not exactly micro at a foot wide - it's too big to sit on a Toob Metro, and it's wider than my RevSound 8" cab. It does have features that I wish my BAM200 had - reverb, usable O/D, & effects loop. But the BAM has an XLR DI output that I use. The other limitation is its power output. The BAM200 makes 100+W into 8 Ohms, which is at least twice that of the Abrams if all other specs are the same. Doubling the power output means about 3 dB of increased clean headroom into the same load, which is audible (if not dramatically so) - like when using it with a small speaker to play a large venue or with a big or loud band.

Unfortunately, neither input signal levels nor distortion levels are provided for the rated output power of most musical instrument amplifiers. So we don't really know how these two would compare for maximum clean SPL from the same input signal level. If the BAM is rated for 100W into 8 Ohms at 10% THD from a 2 volt 1 kHz input signal and the Abrams is rated at 50W @ 1% THD from a 1 V 10 Hz to 20 kHz input signal, the two would probably be equally loud and have about the same clean headroom on a gig. But we have no way of knowing. Some of these little amps (like the Elf) are also audibly compressed at higher volumes, and this is obvious when playing.

So once again, the only way to compare the Abrams to the others is to try it. If it sounds significantly better than the BAM / Gnome / Elf / etc and is loud enough for the gigs I play with a tiny rig, I'd live with the limitations to have the O/D. But I've stopped buying stuff just to learn about and from it. The BAM for $119 new was a no-brainer, and it's so good that I sold my Elf. At $300, I'll wait for user experience to filter in on this one. Right now, I use a Zen pedal clone through the BAM / Metro or my Blu 6 and am happy with it.

I've found that unless the gain channel built into an amp is something really special AND also foot-switchable AND affords the right balance between clean and dirty settings, I wind up with an OD pedal anyway. It's usually easier to balance clean vs. dirty with a pedal. A couple of times I've been able to dial in a Mark or Caliber style Boogie in just right, and those have been kind of "aha, now I get it!" moments, but it's really tricky.

I've also found that most OD's are so similar (through some portion of their setting ranges) that it doesn't make all that much differences which one (and I've been through a lot of 'em). Right now I have a Zendrive, an OCD, a Klon clone, and TS-9). Deciding which one to use is kind like deciding which pair of jeans to wear. In the end, they're all blue and made out of denim, with some variation in tightness and color that doesn't make a whole lot of difference at the end of the day.

[Gitterbug]

Makes you wonder why it's so difficult to put a reverb chip into a small enclosure. The Quilter SuperBlock is still a rare gem in this regard. It would of course look different with more output and a built-in power unit. And, as Never has pointed out before, heftier components offer more headroom even in Class D. I have done some testing and claim that a DV Mark Micro 50/60 - rather macro by today's standards - is louder than some 200W amps - no idea how much THD is involved.

The following amps contain more or less similar IcePower (100W and 200W are the same size) modules but differ a lot in terms of weight and size. Let's put the Metro hat on and look at width only:

R-E Luna 200R 250 mm
Milkman the amp 100 225 mm
Seymour Duncan Powerstage 200 157 mm
Darkglass Microtubes 200 150 mm

All except S-D have a preamp, while only the Luna sports on-board reverb.

As for the Abrams, the demos I've seen so far are shred-oriented, although the amp seems capable of Fenderesque cleans. But what's the value of the amp's overdrive these days, when self-respecting rock guitarists have elaborate pedalboards or modeling devices needing a power amp only at best? It's like a hotel's restaurant - everybody knows where it is but prefers venturing into the night for culinary adventures.

[Christian Miller]

The lack of DI out is a swing and a miss.

[Woody Sound]

The reverb sounds pretty nice to me, compared to most micros. I suppose you're trading out DI for reverb. In either case, you'd need to have another little box to have both. Either a reverb pedal, or a DI box.

[Christian Miller]

Makes you wonder why it's so difficult to put a reverb chip into a small enclosure. The Quilter SuperBlock is still a rare gem in this regard. It would of course look different with more output and a built-in power unit. And, as Never has pointed out before, heftier components offer more headroom even in Class D. I have done some testing and claim that a DV Mark Micro 50/60 - rather macro by today's standards - is louder than some 200W amps - no idea how much THD is involved.

The following amps contain more or less similar IcePower (100W and 200W are the same size) modules but differ a lot in terms of weight and size. Let's put the Metro hat on and look at width only:

R-E Luna 200R 250 mm
Milkman the amp 100 225 mm
Seymour Duncan Powerstage 200 157 mm
Darkglass Microtubes 200 150 mm

All except S-D have a preamp, while only the Luna sports on-board reverb.

As for the Abrams, the demos I've seen so far are shred-oriented, although the amp seems capable of Fenderesque cleans. But what's the value of the amp's overdrive these days, when self-respecting rock guitarists have elaborate pedalboards or modeling devices needing a power amp only at best? It's like a hotel's restaurant - everybody knows where it is but prefers venturing into the night for culinary adventures.

The milkman has a reverb?

I think these days, power amp is the way to go. That said, my Quilter functions as a perfectly good power amp if you go in through the effects loop.

[Gitterbug]

Yes, my bad. The Milkman has a reverb. I think the 50W model has vibrato, too.

[Stringswinger]

Yes, my bad. The Milkman has a reverb. I think the 50W model has vibrato, too.

Regarding Milkman amps:

Their pedal amps are the only small "head" amps that they make (other than their all tube 5 watt mini-amp), and not all have reverb.

The 50 watt hybrid pedal amp has reverb and vibrato

The 100 Watt hybrid pedal amp has Reverb (a better reverb than the 50 watt model) and a boost feature, but no vibrato

The 100 Watt all solid state stereo pedal amp does not have reverb or vibrato

The 100 Watt Hybrid pedal amp made in conjunction with Benson amps has reverb and the boost feature but no vibrato.

[Woody Sound]

Yes, my bad. The Milkman has a reverb. I think the 50W model has vibrato, too.

Yeah, the Milkman really delivers.

[jads57]

Quilter TB 202!

Tone Block 202
– Quilter Laboratories

[omphalopsychos]

Milkman remains top of the heap for me for portable solid state amp that is good for jazz.

The milkman 100 is capable of very convincing Fender blackpanel sounds.
The benson 100 sounds more tweed.

They sound good through a variety of different cabs. You can't go wrong.

[Woody Sound]

Milkman remains top of the heap for me for portable solid state amp that is good for jazz.

The milkman 100 is capable of very convincing Fender blackpanel sounds.
The benson 100 sounds more tweed.

They sound good through a variety of different cabs. You can't go wrong.

Do you miss a Mid freq control?

[omphalopsychos]

Do you miss a Mid freq control?

I played a princeton for so long that learned to survive without one. Also my vibrolux doesn't have one and it's the best amp i've ever played

[Christian Miller]

Yeah, the Milkman really delivers.

Definitely 1970s risqué UK ‘comedy’ vibes

Speaking of amps it’s probably impossible to explain to Americans how funny I find the amp name ‘Bogner’

I invoke the last words of King George V

Mind you since D’angelico decided to name one of its guitars after my home town, I’m going to have to accept that gear companies are going to name gear after British seaside towns. It’s just a thing they do.

I eagerly await the release of the new Collings Bexhill-on-sea

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[Cunamara]

I invoke the last words of King George V

Which ones? So far I found at least three different statements he is purported to have uttered.

[Christian Miller]

Which ones? So far I found at least three different statements he is purported to have uttered.

Try ‘king George the V’ and ‘bogner’ into Google


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[John A.]

Try ‘king George the V’ and ‘bogner’ into Google


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You must especially appreciate any conversations involving both Bugera and Bogner.

[Stringswinger]

I've found that unless the gain channel built into an amp is something really special AND also foot-switchable AND affords the right balance between clean and dirty settings, I wind up with an OD pedal anyway. It's usually easier to balance clean vs. dirty with a pedal. A couple of times I've been able to dial in a Mark or Caliber style Boogie in just right, and those have been kind of "aha, now I get it!" moments, but it's really tricky.

I've also found that most OD's are so similar (through some portion of their setting ranges) that it doesn't make all that much differences which one (and I've been through a lot of 'em). Right now I have a Zendrive, an OCD, a Klon clone, and TS-9). Deciding which one to use is kind like deciding which pair of jeans to wear. In the end, they're all blue and made out of denim, with some variation in tightness and color that doesn't make a whole lot of difference at the end of the day.

+1

I have been through a lot of OD pedals and have settled on an OCD. My Quilter has on board OD, but I prefer the pedal. IME, Mesa is the only amp maker that ever made an on board OD that I liked enough to not use a pedal.

I also agree with Christian than the lack of a DI on th Abrams makes it less suitable for professional use.

[John A.]

+1

I have been through a lot of OD pedals and have settled on an OCD. My Quilter has on board OD, but I prefer the pedal. IME, Mesa is the only amp maker that ever made an on board OD that I liked enough to not use a pedal.

I also agree with Christian than the lack of a DI on th Abrams makes it less suitable for professional use.

I don't use the line out on my amps and wouldn't miss it if it weren't there, but I guess it's more important to some people.

Yeah, the OCD is really all I need. 5-ish years ago I went through a gear-decluttering and sold everything I had except the OCD and a reverb pedal. That included a couple of OD's that I never used because the OCD did everything they did and was better in terms of noise and overall quality/robustness. In the last couple of years I've been doing more blues gigs and got curious about other OD flavors that I had never really tried. My conclusion is that it they're all fine. It was a cheap enough experiment, and there's room (for now) in the pedal drawer, but I think the level of online discussion of OD pedals is wildly out of proportion with the actual differences between these things ... unlike anything else on the internet

[Arnesto]

The problem that I personally notice about these amplifiers is that they are more oriented to rock and do not have the tonal characteristics of a jazz amplifier that DV, Henriksen, quilter and polytone do have.

[Stringswinger]

I don't use the line out on my amps and wouldn't miss it if it weren't there, but I guess it's more important to some people.

Yeah, the OCD is really all I need. 5-ish years ago I went through a gear-decluttering and sold everything I had except the OCD and a reverb pedal. That included a couple of OD's that I never used because the OCD did everything they did and was better in terms of noise and overall quality/robustness. In the last couple of years I've been doing more blues gigs and got curious about other OD flavors that I had never really tried. My conclusion is that it they're all fine. It was a cheap enough experiment, and there's room (for now) in the pedal drawer, but I think the level of online discussion of OD pedals is wildly out of proportion with the actual differences between these things ... unlike anything else on the internet

Agreed about the OD, but the OCD does the tube screamer thing along with the Distortion plus thing and it does not add the mid range bump that the tube screamer and it's clones all add. So for me the OCD was the winner. I do keep a Big Muff for the 60's fuzz sound (The OCD does not get that sound). and I am covered for dirt pedals with the two.

Those of us who play big venues (concerts or large private events) do find that a DI is great for working with sound reinforcement. They are also good in the recording studio. One can live with a microphone in front of the amp, but with a DI, you can sometimes do the gig with just a head (pedal amp?) though I always like an amp (or cabinet) even if just to use as a personal monitor. After having a DI on most of my amps over the last 20 years, it is a feature that is as important to me as onboard reverb. All 4 of my amps that I own today have a DI and I do not think i would purchase another amp that lacked a DI. YMMV

[Christian Miller]

DIs with speaker simulation simplify things a lot for live work in theatres etc


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[Woody Sound]

I played a princeton for so long that learned to survive without one. Also my vibrolux doesn't have one and it's the best amp i've ever played

I’ve wondered if raising both bass and treble on a two-band amp is like scooping out the mids. (Which is the sound I prefer.)