Bad Cat Cub V Handwired 40-Watt Tube vs Bad Cat Mark Sampson Modified Black Cat

The Bad Cat Cub V Handwired 40-Watt Tube and the Bad Cat Mark Sampson Modified Black Cat are both amplifiers sharing glassy, dynamic, harmonically rich. The Bad Cat Cub V Handwired 40-Watt Tube leans warm. The Bad Cat Mark Sampson Modified Black Cat leans mid-forward.

Similarity
citedBlended 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.

71% — moderately similar

Shared genres
citedGenres both listings are associated with.
  • Indie Rock
  • Rock
  • Country
Shared tone character
citedDerived from overlapping tonal signals across both listings.
  • glassy
  • dynamic
  • harmonically rich
  • high headroom
  • transparent
Citation fame
citedCitation/mention fame — how often this gear is cited across artist rigs and gear discussion.
0%
0%
Price

$2350via Reverb

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Description

The Bad Cat Cub V Handwired 40-watt is a point-to-point hand-wired guitar amplifier in the Cub V series, using EL84 or EL34 power tubes at 40 watts with hand-wired construction on vintage-style turret boards. It delivers the chimey, touch-sensitive Vox-lineage character of the Cub with improved harmonic coherence and tactile responsiveness compared to PCB versions, at a wattage capable of handling medium and larger stages. A switchable EF86/12AX7 preamp tube and tube-driven spring reverb round out the feature set. It is the full-specification gigging version of the Cub V line for players who require stage volume alongside boutique Cub character.

The Bad Cat Mark Sampson Modified Black Cat is a 30-watt guitar amplifier representing Mark Sampson's direct revision of the Black Cat design he originally developed during his Bad Cat tenure. Based on the Matchless C30 circuit topology Sampson pioneered, the Black Cat features a Vox 1964 Top Boost-voiced tone stack. Sampson's modifications produce a tighter, louder, and more dynamically responsive character compared to the standard Black Cat, with improved note definition and harmonic character throughout the gain range. Available as a head or 1x12 combo, it delivers classic chime, harmonic bloom, and expressive overdrive in the Matchless tradition.

Genres
citedGenres this gear is documented as being used in.
  • Alternative Rock
  • Blues
  • Classic Rock
Tonal lean
  • warm
  • mid-forward
Good for
citedOccasions this gear suits — judged per model, or derived from its wattage, connectivity and category.
  • Live
  • Studio
  • Live
  • Studio
  • Worship
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