The Bambino was born out of a single design objective: to build a low power amp that had the feel and nuance of our favorite larger amps. We're pleased to say that the Bambino has met that objective and exceeded expectations!

The key to the Bambino's "big amp feel" lies within its power amp, where a pair of NOS 6AQ5 Beam Power tubes work in Class AB push/pull. Feeding the power amp is Reason's proprietary StackMode SM front end. The Bambino's Normal and Bright channels deliver a broad range of classic voices while StackMode provides an unparalleled level of control over the texture, gain and feel of the amp.

In addition to being a great low power amplifier, the Bambino has several features that take it's usability to a new level. A front panel switch allows you to select between the full 8 watt output or a modest (but still delicious) 2 watts. And a balanced line out with sophisticated cabinet emulation, allow for direct recording, re-amping or plugging into FOH for bigger venues. There is even a Headphone out with Level control for silent rehearsing and recording.

The Bambino is the smallest thing in big amps! Learn more here: Specifications Tube Compliment: (2) 6AQ5, (3) 12AX7
Output: 8watts switchable to 2watts.
Operating Class: Class AB Cathode Bias, Push Pull
Channels: Normal, Bright, StackMode
Normal - Volume, Tone, Pull "Thick" switch
Bright - Volume, Treble, Bass, Pull "Bright" switch
StackMode - Normal & Bright channels active, plus Stack Volume
Balance Line Out - Electronically balanced on a TRS ¼" connector
Head Phone Out - ¼" stereo out.
Level Control: For Line Out and Head Phones
Speaker Simulation Circuitry: Inductive load network, cabinet response emulation
Internal Load: for safe silent recording and rehearsal
Footswitchable: Two button footswitch is optional Downloads

Despite the Bambino Combo's diminutive size, it boasts a 12" Eminence Private Jack speaker- no boxy "small amp" sound here! A front panel switch allows you to select between the full 8 watt output or a modest (but still delicious) 2 watts.

Want a plug and play combo with expanded usability? The Bambino Combo Deluxe has features that take it's usability to a new level. A balanced line out with sophisticated cabinet emulation allows for direct recording, re-amping or plugging into FOH for bigger venues. There is even a Headphone out with Level control for silent rehearsing and recording


Want to know how this gumbachi Bambino sounds? Go to reasonamps.com and get plugged into some really fine Obeid Kahn sounds through the baby maker. Who is Obeid Kahn?  He designs the Reason circuits, and our other pal, Anthony Bonadio does the very customish cabinet fabrication.  Here's Obeid with one of the 'babies' just making its' first cries of life.










"Bandy, I'll give you a ride in my Porche if you let me hear that Bambino sing some sweet tubatater music."  Gretchen is always tempting Bandy with exotic rides and skimpy clothing.  It's a shame she's so plain looking and Bandy never really pays much attention to her. Oh, the unfairness of natural selection and the heartbreak of never getting noticed.
 

Ok vatos, hike the ball and go LONG!  In the ever popular Vintage/Modern category, comes a screamin' piece of history that every serious tube amp man should own. For 2009, the V/M winner is the Kendrick Badassman 2410,  Gerald Weber designer/builder   Kempner, Texas (give me freedom, lots of freedom, under starry skies above, and don't fence me in)

Since the idea here is a modern amplifier that looks, feels, smells and plays like a vintage amp only better cuz it's MODERN, let's take a peek at the original '59 Bassman amp.

Here she is banditos, our second most famous Old Glory.....Sail on my ship of state, sail on

Kendrick 20th Anniversary 2410 BadAssMan

““It was 20 years ago today!”” Well almost! It has been nearly 20 years since Kendrick introduced the 2410 combo amp. In the late 80’’s people were using transistor stereo power amps and rack-mount guitar amplifiers! The 2410 was the first point-to-point all-tube guitar amp to hit the scene in over 15 years. It changed everything for the 90’’s. To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the introduction of the 2410, we will offer a 100-piece limited edition 2410 BadAssMan amp. These are serialized from #B001 to #B100. There are many improvements over the original 2410 such as:
•• 175 year-old, unbelievably resonant antique pine cabinet covered in two-tone lacquered tweed (nico-tweed with brown pin-stripe)
•• Beautiful, baked-epoxy, gold metalflake powder-coat faceplate with black epoxy lettering
•• All the standard controls found on the original 2410 (and the original 5F6A Bassman), plus Reverb! Tube/spring reverb ala Twin Reverb circuitry
•• 5AR4 Rectifier with special ““invincible”” circuitry. It will never go down during a performance.
•• Lead and Clean channel with better voicing. The Clean channel offers three-dimensional clean tones without scooping the mids. The Lead Channel gives up complex lead tones that rival cellos playing in unison.
•• Two 6L6, four 12AX7 and one 12AT7 vacuum tube
•• Kendrick Quik Bias system with external pinjacks (like Gerald Weber Signature amp), so you can set the bias of your tubes in about 1 minute using only a digital voltmeter.
•• Optional built-in Power Attenuator to bring the wattage from 40 watts to 10 watts or 2.6 watts.
Some of the features will be the same as the original 2410:
•• Four 10”” Blackframe speakers made from NOS Donal Kapi cones (original supplier for Jensen)
•• Custom-made cloth-covered wire, Custom-made epoxy glass component board, and custom-made paper-bobbin transformers
•• 100% Point-to-Point handwired construction. The circuitry will feature improved layout with all the components cleverly laid out with a minimum of hook-up wire (similar to the Gerald Weber Signature amp). This makes for a better sounding and more stable amp tone; just perfect for blues, country, rock-a-billy, jazz, rock, or fusion. And there are three inputs. One for the lead channel, one for the clean channel and one labeled BOTH. The BOTH input will allow you to blend both channels together to get those multi-amp, Stevie Ray Vaughan tones. You can actually blend the lead and clean channel!
With two decades of empirical wisdom gained from building thousands of tube amps, and with the wisdom and hindsight gained from servicing nearly 17,000 vintage tube amps, the 20-year anniversary ““Limited Edtion”” 2410 BadAssMan, will be our crowning achievement of what a four-ten combo amp could aspire to be. If you own an original 2410 Amp or 5F6A Bassman, I promise the BadAssMan will eat it alive! It is a Bad Ass.

Editorial comment:  In the early days of America, if you worked in a trade, you had to practice the trade and advance by showing you were mastering the intricacies of the work e.g. carpenter, painter, auto body, brick layer etc.  I grew up learning from master builders who were perfectionists on every job site.  No minute detail was ever overlooked and the customers had a 'thing of beauty' when we were done.  They were proud of their homes or offices and couldn't wait to pay us.  Well, you know, and I know that a lot has changed since the 40's, 50's and yes, even the 60's.  But Gerald Weber is a master builder in the old tradition.  Not one minute detail is left un-touched by him in his quest for tone perfection and vintage beauty.  This 20th Anniversary Badassman amplifier is truly a work of art.  Only 100 will be produced and that tells you that Gerald knows the world of high quality art as well as what makes a Tweed godess sing.  Excellent work Gerald. I can't wait to show it off at my next holiday ball.

Be sure you visit kendrick-amplifiers.com and check out the brand new sound clips of the Badassman amp.  Ok, banditos, in the past some have seriously questioned Bandy's grip on reality. You know, stuff like, "that b.s. can't be real!" and "this guy slings more caca than Bill Clinton at a cheerleader convention." But, I'm gonna get as real as I can possibly get right here, right now.

  When I listened to the new Badassman clips in Gerald's 'Demo Room' I was transported to another celestial plane.  Clip #3 began and I found myself in an ivory and gold chapel listening to angels sing and beat their wings.

   Then I floated down to #6 and there, on stage at the Fillmore Des Moines, was Jimi Hendrix and Jerry Garcia sword fighting with golden Stratocasters.

  If you're not afraid of the spiritual things in life, you better be going to the 'Links' page and get over to Kendrick-Amplifiers....Bandy don't lie!

Here's the big dog lookin' good with his popular Kendrick Tejas guitar.  Be sure to visit the Kendrick website and peruse all of Gerald's art work. And, if you're serious about learning more about tube amps, Gerald offers informational books, DVDs and you can even go to his famous 'Amp Camp' and build your own tube amp with his guidance. Say it ain't freakin' so Bandy!!!!! 

Best Fender Blackface Sound and Look Award goes to Allen Amps "Old Flame"   David Allen builder/designer

A lot of years ago, before your Bandito slipped into America on an innertube raft from Costa Rica, I had the pleasure of owning a Fender blackface Super Reverb. It got lots of use and played for thirty years without as little as a fuse blow. Too bad I needed some travelin' cash in the late '90's and sold her off. The guilt and remorse has been enormous and the therapy bills are kickin' my puchini.

But, the good news has broken out across the land for all of the lamenting, post-affair lovers of the Fender blackface amps.  David Allen is now building the Allen "Old Flame" which he refers to as a one-channel amp with strong Super Reverb tendencies.  I think that's his way of saying, I've got the Super blackface mojo available if you've got the itch for one?  And we all said, HELL YEAH!

So, without further Bandy "run-on" let's take a closer look.

Output Power	40 Watts (6L6GC power tubes and GZ34 rectifier tube) 25 Watts (6V6GT power tubes and 5U4G rectifier tube).
Tube Compliment	(4) 12AX7, (2) 6L6GC and (1) GZ34.
Class	AB push-pull with adjustable fixed bias.
Equalization	Bass, treble, and midrange controls, BRIGHT switch, and RAW control.
Reverb	All-tube long 3-spring medium delay tank in a heavy vinyl reverb bag with Dwell, Mix, and Tone controls. Shielded cables.
Master Volume	Post-driver using dual potentiometer and (4) coupling capacitors.
Chassis	18-gage non-magnetic stainless-steel with welded corners.
Potentiometers	Full-size (15/16") chassis-mount with 3/8" bushing, solid metal shaft, damped action.
Circuitry	Hand-wired point-to-point with tinned solid-core PVC wiring, G-10 glass epoxy circuit board with brass eyelets. Carbon film resistors, Mallory M150 and CDM silver mica tone capacitors, Switchcraft jacks, Carling switches, and U.S. made molded type sockets.
Transformers	Cool and quiet running Allen TP40 200ma power transformer, TO40MT upgrade paper bobbin interleaved winding output transformer, TR reverb transformer and TRCH choke are all U.S. made. See the TRANSFORMERS page for details.
Topology	Design is loosely based on the mid 60's Fender Super Reverb™ but without a normal channel or a vibrato function. Design is enhanced with 3-knob reverb control, master volume control, "RAW" control, front panel power switches, impedence switch, and rear panel bias adjustment jacks.