The lead channel on these is very underestimated! I used the clean for a very long time mostly. Kinda didn’t care too much for the lead. But once I got in a band mix and compared it to say a Marshall in a Box style pedal…wow it’s a lot better and rips. Especially if you like the Marshall Super Lead type sounds at crunch gain. It’s not a chugger, but if playing lead or stuff like Queens of The Stone Age it nails those tones with zero pedals. I also use the lead as a way to reverse my pedal order so I have my Boss CE-2w Waza Chorus going into distortion Vs the usual way. So my lead side is kind of my dirty rhythm, and also my shoegaze channel. The amp is great at classic stuff, but as an Indie type artist it fits the bill very well for me! The Breeders are currently using an Imperial MK2 on tour, and it sounds killer. I also believe I spotted them with a Bartel Roseland on stage at Austin City Limits as an alternative or at least the extension cab.

This is gratifying to read. Thanks for letting us know!

@@PsionicAudiojust like to update that BAD back pedaled on me a bit. A lot of info sent to them, got lost in email it seemed with Sweetwater. The guy that got the amp in, had no idea what to do. He called me and told him what was told to me, emails Fwd ect. He said sure no issue..speaker and the board. Two months of silence went until last Monday. They said it was fixed and shipping it. Before I could email back or call, they shipped it. BAD is claiming the issue in this video being the ground plane in the power section, was fixed on later Rev D models now. And that the Rev E model included the fix on the later Rev D board, but did a new revision on minor placement and new parts/chain supply of parts they can use. So I’m very confused if that Rev E and later Rev D they claimed, included a board without grounding in the power tube section. Either it’s true or it’s not. I don’t expect a reply, but it was too personal to post on here. I sent an email instead, given they had a lot to say about the video here, and also changes and why. Some of it may be truly legit, and some I’m not smart enough to know if it’s a false claim. Initial contact was they send me the new board right away, or send to them. Sending to them took a turn of miscommunication. Amp is back tomorrow, where they fixed the top where if not screwed down all the way it buzzes, they fixed the speaker they said, and swapped a reverb tube for buzz. Sweetwater is still trying to work it out with me. As it was promised a Rev E, given I bought the amp right before production. No one wants to invest in such an expensive amp, only to have the thing the components sit on be the issue. Caps can be replaced, a PCB board that increases failures by a wide margin can’t easily be swapped if not readily available like Marshall or Fender. Also it was like my 3rd Rev D that finally didn’t blow a fuse, or a tube. So very puzzling to how things work over there. I try to be fare and nice, but never knew how weird the amp industry could get.

Yeah, I don’t think most EEs these days get this stuff in schools. I mean, I can’t design/build CPUs etc. It’s just a very different area.

Thanks Dennis!

PTP wired hiwatt i guess? I agree that a b- is maybe a bit harsh, the only visible issue being traces that were routed millimetres off is maybe a bit harsh

I sent mine in with the word my board would be replaced. I am now told the later Rev D models had the ground plain issue resolved…this is in later Rev D boards they identified on serial number batch. I’m not sure how true this is, without having it inspected now. They said the Rev E had nothing to do with these issues. And that it was more about new stock components they had to sub, and work with going forward. They claim they carried over the late Rev D fix to the new Rev E. I’m not sure if they can pull a Rev D board at the end of production, same placement and get a new board…that’s a tall order Vs a single component. So getting it back tomorrow and suppose to test. I’m still working with my vendor…it would of been super easy for them to replace the board, or at least took a picture with detailed info showing proof the fixed later Rev D. It’s a lot to deal with in a 6 month amp! Longevity is my concern here! You can replace a component easily with an amp tech. But if the components the board is on, has the issue..that’s not good at all and impossible to keep it going for years to come.

The board is already coated. But coating is no substitute for distance.

It’s likely there are lots of software programs that could have validated and flagged this issue in the design phase if the designer bothered. A board like this is very simple in today’s world. Most complicated boards and circuits would get checked by software.

It would have been more wonderful if it had been designed properly in the first place.

@@DeltaJazzUK well yeah obviously lol

I got it at an art center but most cutting mat vendors sell green and black.

It would be, but it's actually triggering a relay that does the actual impedance switching. So more than fine.

@@PsionicAudio A relay? That works, but seems unnecessarily complicated. But I'm sure they know their customers and what they want.

No, Bartel knows all this stuff. Mark does excellent work.

@@PsionicAudio thank you! I have one of those versions from 2014 and bought it as my dream amp. It’s been solid but was curious. Mark is a great guy….been lusting after one of his Bartel’s.

The circuit is Mark’s, the board layout is not. Mark is correct, but this was an example of how even a good circuit can be undermined by poor board design.

IIRC, they were hand-wired when Bartel was associated with the company. He’s a stickler for quality and reliability. My amp tech was really impressed by the construction of my Sky King when I took it in and had NOS tubes put in it. I sometimes wish I’d kept it because it sounded amazing, but it was too heavy and big and overpowered for the places I was using it in.

@@8sigreg Thankyou and I always thought they were handwired in Mark’s day. Lee’s comments ref talking to Mark are a bit confusing

Also, you should always make sure to populate your design rules correctly. If you do that and run your DRC, it’ll catch those clearance issues that otherwise slip by visual inspection.

You are absolutely correct. And don't call me Shirley.

@@PsionicAudio 😉

have is correct as well for a different reason. the redemption belongs to Tone King.

How many Tone Kings are there?

@@DeltaJazzUK if a would Chuck could Chuck Norris.