The Bad Cat Cub V EL34 is a Bad Cat amplifier, currently around $2350. Close alternatives include the Strymon Iridium and the Bad Cat Cub V Handwired 40-Watt Tube. It pairs well with the ProCo RAT 2 and the Black Arts Toneworks LSTR Fuzz.
Bad Cat Cub V EL34
Bad Cat · amplifier
The Bad Cat Cub V EL34 is a 40-watt point-to-point hand-wired guitar amplifier using two EL34 power tubes, delivering the chimey Vox-lineage character of the Cub V with more punch and midrange authority than the EL84 version. The EL34 power section provides a slightly more British-influenced breakup character and greater stage headroom, while the switchable EF86/12AX7 preamp tube and tube-driven spring reverb expand the tonal range from pristine clean to harmonically rich overdrive. It suits players who want the Cub's expressive touch response and chimey personality at volumes where the 15-watt EL84 version runs short.
What stands out
“The EL34 power section is punchier and more mid-forward than EL84, shifting the chimey Vox character toward a slightly more British tone”
— from the reviews
“The EL34 power section provides a slightly more British-influenced breakup character and greater stage headroom, while the switchable EF86/12AX7 preamp tube and tube-driven spring reverb expand the tonal range from pristine clean to harmoni…”
— from the listing
“Switchable EF86/12AX7 preamp provides two distinct clean voices with meaningfully different harmonic density”
— from the reviews
“It suits players who want the Cub's expressive touch response and chimey personality at volumes where the 15-watt EL84 version runs short”
— from the listing
“The Bad Cat Cub V EL34 is a 40-watt point-to-point hand-wired guitar amplifier using two EL34 power tubes, delivering the chimey Vox-lineage character of the Cub V with more punch and midrange authority than the EL84 version”
— from the listing
Trade-offs
“hand-wired construction ensures long-term repairability and a tactile feel that pcb versions cannot match”
— from the reviews
- chimey
- tube
- stage
- british
- touch
- headroom
- punch
Good for
- Live
- Studio
Price updated Oct 24, 2026
Genres the Bad Cat Cub V EL34 is commonly used in
- Indie Rock
- Blues
- Country
- Classic Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Alternative
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
Pedals that stack with the Bad Cat Cub V EL34
ProCo RAT 2
Proco
31% matchclean platform takes the driveA clean, high-headroom stage takes on dirt it can't generate by itself. (high headroom → low gain)
Push the Cub V's chimey British headroom with the RAT 2's bright, cutting distortion and the two stack into real dirt.
Goes in front of the amp
Black Arts Toneworks LSTR Fuzz
Black Arts Toneworks
30% matchgain stackingStacks two gain stages for more saturation than either produces alone. (mid-forward → fuzzy)
Push the Cub V's chimey British headroom with the LSTR's scooped, sludgy fuzz and it turns into something a lot heavier.
Goes in front of the amp
Beetronics Swarm
Beetronics
30% matchgain stackingStacks two gain stages for more saturation than either produces alone. (mid-forward → fuzzy)
The Swarm's experimental, modulated fuzz gives the Cub V's chimey British headroom a genuinely strange texture to work with.
Goes in front of the amp
MXR Phase 90
MXR
18% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Run the Phase 90's classic sweep after the Cub V's chimey British headroom and the modulation has real touch-sensitive dynamics to color.
Goes in front of the amp
Caline CP-10 Hot Mushroom Compressor RED Script
Caline
15% matchshapes the dynamic responseShapes how the tone responds to picking dynamics rather than its frequency or gain. (dynamic → compressed)
Caline CP-10 Hot Mushroom Compressor RED Script's own compressed character is the real reason this is worth trying
Goes in front of the amp
Dunlop MXR M299 Carbon Copy Mini
Dunlop
11% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Keep the Carbon Copy Mini's dark, ambient slapback delay in the Cub V's loop, clear of the amp's own chimey British headroom. — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Sits in the amp's effects loop
Electro-Harmonix XO Deluxe Memory Man
Electro-Harmonix
10% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
The Memory Man's lush analog echo belongs in the Cub V's loop, clear of the amp's own chimey British headroom. — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Sits in the amp's effects loop
Electro-Harmonix EH-1335/EH-3075 Hot Tubes
Electro-Harmonix
tonal matchGoes in front of the amp
Into Bad Cat Cub V EL34, Electro-Harmonix EH-1335/EH-3075 Hot Tubes is right at home: it's built around a clean amp's front end
Cheaper alternatives
Audiocade Royal British Velvet AC30 Overdrive/Preamp Clone
Audiocade
72% similarityAudiocade Royal British Velvet AC30 Overdrive/Preamp Clone recreates this amp's tone in pedal form
Vox Valvenergy Mystic Edge
Vox
72% similarityVox Valvenergy Mystic Edge recreates this amp's tone in pedal form
Mooer Micro Preamp 004 Day Tripper
Mooer
72% similarityMooer Micro Preamp 004 Day Tripper recreates this amp's tone in pedal form
Mesa Boogie Lone Star Head
amplifier
52% similarityShared character: reverb, punch, touch
Blackstar ST. James 100 Head
Blackstar
46% similarityShared character: wide tonal range, headroom, crunch
Fender Bassbreaker 45 Head
Fender
45% similarityShared character: crunch, stage
Boutique & premium upgrades
Similar charactersee all similar tone character →
Strymon Iridium
Strymon
72% similarityStrymon Iridium recreates this amp's tone in pedal form
Bad Cat Cub V Handwired 40-Watt Tube
Bad Cat
59% similarityShared character: hand wired construction, reverb, headroom
Hiwatt T20/10
Hiwatt
52% similarityShared character: reverb, headroom, touch
Bad Cat Cub V Handwired 15-Watt Tube
Bad Cat
52% similarityShared character: hand wired construction, reverb
Bad Cat Cub V Hand-Wired Head
Bad Cat
50% similarityShared character: hand wired construction, headroom, touch
Bad Cat Cub V EL84
Bad Cat
49% similarity“At 15 watts the amp reaches natural power-tube saturation and bloom at studio and small-venue volumes — its primary advantage over the EL34 variant.”
See all alternatives to the Bad Cat Cub V EL34 (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the Bad Cat Cub V EL34?+
The closest matches in character are the Strymon Iridium, the Bad Cat Cub V Handwired 40-Watt Tube, the Hiwatt T20/10. Budget picks: Audiocade Royal British Velvet AC30 Overdrive/Preamp Clone, Vox Valvenergy Mystic Edge, Mooer Micro Preamp 004 Day Tripper. Boutique upgrades: 3rd Power DRGN-100.
What pairs well with the Bad Cat Cub V EL34?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: ProCo RAT 2, Black Arts Toneworks LSTR Fuzz, Beetronics Swarm — Push the Cub V's chimey British headroom with the RAT 2's bright, cutting distortion and the two stack into real dirt..
How much does the Bad Cat Cub V EL34 cost?+
Around $2350 (live listing price, updated Oct 24, 2026).