Bad Cat Cub V Hand-Wired 112 Combo vs Blackstar Series One 45
The Bad Cat Cub V Hand-Wired 112 Combo and the Blackstar Series One 45 are both amplifiers. The Bad Cat Cub V Hand-Wired 112 Combo leans edge of breakup. The Blackstar Series One 45 leans transparent and crunchy. Current prices: $3261.33 vs $814.95.
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Blended from circuit-archetype lineage, dynamic feel, tone-signal overlap and tone-vector distance — the tone vector itself is derived from editorial description text, not a measured acoustic signal, so this reflects how similarly the catalog copy describes the two, not a lab measurement. Shown only within a gear class, and only where there's enough evidence to be meaningful.45% — somewhat different
Bad Cat Cub V Hand-Wired 112 Combo
Bad Cat · amplifier
Blackstar Series One 45
Blackstar · amplifier
cited
Citation/mention fame — how often this gear is cited across artist rigs and gear discussion.$3261.33via Reverb
$814.95via Reverb
The Bad Cat Cub V is a hand-wired, point-to-point 15-watt EL84 combo built in Costa Mesa, California, featuring switchable 12AX7 and EF86 preamp tubes that let a player access two genuinely different gain and character options from the same chassis, alongside a tube-driven spring reverb, dual master volume controls, and a UK-made Celestion 12-inch speaker custom-voiced for Bad Cat. The company also offers it in a 40-watt EL34 configuration and as either a head or combo, but the 15-watt EL84 combo version reviewed here targets players wanting genuine boutique hand-wired tone at more studio and small-venue-friendly volume levels, backed by a five-year warranty reflecting the brand's confidence in its build quality.
The Blackstar Series One 45 is a 45-watt all-tube guitar amplifier available as both a head and a 2x12 combo. Multiple channels span clean warmth through crunch and high-gain saturation, all shaped by Blackstar's ISF tone control for American-to-British character adjustment. The DPR (Dynamic Power Reduction) system scales the output continuously from full 45 watts down to approximately 4.5 watts, allowing power amp distortion characteristics at manageable stage and studio volumes. The clean channel delivers wide EQ range suited to humbuckers and single-coils alike, with warm bass and generous midrange. Reviewers found it one of the most tonally complete all-in-one tube solutions in its power class.
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Genres this gear is documented as being used in.- Rock
- Blues
- metal
- rock
- alternative
- edge of breakup
- transparent
- crunchy
- full
- warm
- high gain
- saturated
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Occasions this gear suits — judged per model, or derived from its wattage, connectivity and category.- Live
- Studio
- Worship
- Practice
- Live
- Studio