KOCH amps..new to me...what have you heard?

[GDSblues]

HI Folks I have just discovered the Koch series of amps and was wondering if anyone uses one and what they think of its tone quality, reliabilty etc. any input would be appreciated.

[MattT]

I played a multitone the other day. Only got to use one of its channels, but damn, did it rock. This sounds cliche, but when you play a chord you really could hear each note clearly ring out. I loved it.

[Steve Snider]

Owned a Koch Multitone Combo and absolutely hated it. Some people love it but not me.

[Eric Pykala]

Check out the Twintone (or newer Twintone II). Great clean channel that likes pedals, a drive channel (with footswitchable boost) that retains its definition even when cranked, and a footswitch that gives you even more tonal options including preset lead and rhythm volumes. By the way, the combo only weighs about 45 lbs., so it makes a fabulous grab 'n' go (even for old, fat farts like me...). To make it even more useful, the matching extension cab for larger gigs makes it sound huge. Doesn't have pretty colored lights, doesn't slice/dice/make julienne fries, just has easy to setup great Tone! Worth tracking one down, as you will Understand!-Eric

[Roe]

Some people don't like the clean sound - they say it is sterile or to clean (esp. on multitone and powertone, not on studiotone). others like the clean sound.
Most dig the overdriven/ classic crunch sounds (for instance multitone ch. 2)
The higain ch. can go from clean to scream, from metal to nasty rock to country. The distortion reminds me a little of a soldano (and perhaps some mesas). The higain ch. has a zzzzz-tone some love and others don't. Low prescence settings will minimize the zzz-tone.

For clips, check out my myspace site (left ch.).

[T.Wesley]

I've been playing a Twintone for a couple of years now and love it, especially the clean tone. I use it mostly for that and low- to mid-gain on the crunch channel and I've yet to throw anything at it that it couldn't handle.

As far as reliability goes, I've retubed it once and had no problems at all.

Great amp!

--chiba

[aleclee]

Thoughts on my Multitone from last year. My opinion hasn't changed:
When I first got mine, I loved the ultragain, liked the clean, and tolerated the middle channel. Over time, my affinity for the lead and clean channels diminished and I was frustrated with my inability to get a satisfactory crunch tone. After I got my Soldano Decatone, I can't say I missed the Multitone.
Of course, the Soldano got sold off a while ago because it was too compressed for my taste. :)

[badtoneno]

Thoughts on my Multitone from last year. My opinion hasn't changed:

I agree totally. I have nothing good to say about that amp and their resale value stinks.

[r9player]

I had a Classictone and I thought it was a great amp. Decent cleans (the reverb helps) excellent crunch.
a wondereful wealth of features: Good MV, Trem, Verb, FX, 2 Chan (all footswitchable with a MV defeat) and a recording line out.
I had a 2x10 and it was excellent, nice, punchy.

[Roe]

the main problems with koch amps IMO are the jensen speakers. while it is possible that newer koch/jensen speakers are better, the older ones just couldn't compare to celestions or webers. even a marshall 4x12 with g12t-75s sounded much better (in different rooms and with different guitars) than the koch/jensen vg90

[shallbe]

I'm not a fan. There is an artificial sounding high end sheen on everything, IMO. These amps have cool features, but I don't like the way they are constructed. I'm simply not interested in a tube amp that doesn't have the tubes mounted to the chassis.

[Madison]

I was at a NASCAR event awhile back and stumbled on a band who was using Koch amps. Only a dozen people were listening, but the band rocked...and the guitar players tone was stunning, flat out smokin' good live tone. Koch 100w head into what looked like a 1936 Marshall 2x12 cab. Turned out it was Paul Reed Smith & band.

[T.Wesley]

Paul Smith uses the Multitone.

I've got a head, so I've always run my Twintone into various Celestion-equipped cabs with 12" and 10" speakers. My favorite cab is a closed-back Marshall 4x10 cab. Amp sounds SMOKIN through it.

--chiba

[p.snail]

I have a Koch twintone head. For a channel switcher it has about the best clean channel I've ever heard. It takes pedals beautifully and the reverb is really nice and usable. The OD channel is huge. There is tons of gain on tap and when you turn the eq controls they actually do something (novel concept). I think the build quality is excellent. I know they aren't popular with a lot of people on this forum, but I dig these amps. The only reason mines in the emporium right now is because I have an opportunity to buy back my Matchless Clubman.

[GDSblues]

thanks to all for the responses... I found a store in Toronto that sells KOCH so I think I'll take some time and try one out. Clean tones are my thing so this could be match.

[Fixxxer]

thanks to all for the responses... I found a store in Toronto that sells KOCH so I think I'll take some time and try one out. Clean tones are my thing so this could be match.

I sold my dual recto for one, and was happy for some time. I then came the realization this amp does not exceed at one particular aspect but does everything well.

I sold hte Koch, and bought a Mesa Boogie Rectoverb. The rectoverb seemed to pop! IT was in your face, and ballzy, and the clean was comparable......

[toneman335]

The Multitone I played sounded great. Just like any tube amp you have great tubes for a great tone.

[theflyingturtle]

I've got a Multitone and I love it. I think it matches my PRS very well but I don't know much about amps.

[Redfish]

I've owned a studiotone for about a year and a half and I love it. I will say the OD channel is a little ZZZZ sounding for my taste so I use the clean channel and just add OD pedals for that and I just kick in the OD channel if I want that Soldano sound. If all of the Koch amps have a clean channel like the studiotone then I don't understand the negative things I'm hearing on this forum. My clean tone is incredible. I have to wonder if the critics let the speaker have time to get broken in. Mine sounded good from the start but it really opened up after a few months use. I will say that I have a tweed deluxe that has a scumback speaker in it and I ran the studiotone through that speaker the other day and it sounded even better. I'm now thinking about upgrading the speaker but I still like it as is. It's suprisingly loud for such a small amp. Mine has been totally dependable.

[tuberider]

Regarding the Studiotone. I've found that every speaker I've tried makes a huge difference in the character of the amp.I feel the same as you about the overdrive channel. Which Scumback did you try with it and which pedals are you using with your Studiotone?

[picnic]

I traded for a Twintone I here last summer and love the amp. I had a Allen Accomplice at the same time. The Allen is gone because I felt the Koch did the clean Fender thing better. And the Allen gets glowing reviews across the boards. The gain channel can be too fizzy if you dial the gain up high. I keep the gain around 10:00. Just enough breakup and boost for soloing. It's adjustable too.
I run KT77's and they have added more nads jto the tone than the EL34's did. I put in a Weber California and last night the amp just smoked at practice. It loves my Menatone Red Snapper. Reverb is fine. Nice portable cab, smaller size but it puts out some powerful sound. The build quality is excellent.

I don't get the MSRP's on these amps. On the high side IMHO. The resale value really takes a dive which is great if you are the second or third owner. I met Dolph Koch and crew at NAMM. Nice bunch of people.

I'm only familiar with the TT, but I am extremely happy with it

[Roe]

the koch amps have a very clean or sterile clean sound. it's much cleaner than a fender or a vox. one exception is the studio tone. I prefer the fender clean tone.

after 7 years the OT of my multitone blew up. tube bias and everything seemed to be correct. koch has changed the trannies later on

[toneman335]

Koch Multitone is an amazing 3 channel amp. Some don't like it....go figure. But then again some don't like alot of things that others love.

[K.E.P.]

StudioTone is one of the most versatile amps out there. Does Fendery clean to mesa recto when pushed.

Great Amp.

KP

[robyogi]

I had a Twintone - liked it much better with KT77 tubes rather than EL34s. That seemed to add some "life" to the cleans and girth overall. The volume boost function on the footswitch was a great feature, as was the half-power switch.