HUGHES & KETTNER STATESMAN QUAD EL84 £759

GUITAR AMPS
PHOTOGRAPHY GAVIN ROBERTS

102 Guitarist October 2007

GIT295.rev_hughkett 102 11/9/07 11:44:38


Hughes & Kettner
Statesman Quad EL84 £759
A giggable, portable, versatile all-valve amp for a sensible
outlay? H&K’s Statesman is running for your money
by Mick Taylor
H
owever you dress it up,
Hughes & Kettner’s
generally brilliant valve
amplifiers have faced criticism on
shop floors in the UK for being
expensive. Without five decades
of American or British rock ’n’ roll
nostalgia on which to pin high
prices, or the ‘boutique’ status of
some modern, small-scale
builders, choosing the German
brand over the likes of Fender,
Marshall and Mesa is a tough
decision, despite excellent
features, A1 build and fine tones.
Looking to address that head-on
is the all-new Statesman, which
brings H&K’s proven tonal know-
how in a more retro-inspired,
upper-mid price, all-valve
amplifier. It might seem
paradoxical, but simplifying
things – and lowering the price in
the process – might just be the
ideal route to attracting a whole
new batch of discerning guitarists.
The amps deserve the attention,
but will this Statesman do enough
to get your vote?
Brown’s in town
The Statesman’s brown and cream
livery conjures warm ’n’ cosy
nostalgia, remembering Fender’s
sixties brown Tolex/Oxblood
grille amps. That colour scheme is
more or less reversed here, and the
retro flavour isn’t by accident –
the stated aim is ‘classic amp,
without the classic limitations’.
That means two channels voiced
separately for classic American
and British tones, plus modern
touches like an effects loop,
footswitching, and easily
accessible valves and bias points.
The Statesman’s control panel is
simple: just a volume for the clean
channel, gain and volume for the
drive channel, plus a shared
three-band EQ section and master
reverb control. The uncovered
spring reverb unit is towards the
top of the chassis (not in the
bottom where you’d usually find
GIT295.rev_hughkett 103
it) and benefits from a balance pot
on the rear panel, so you can
assign more, less or equal amounts
of ’verb to either channel: a great
touch. Unfortunately our reverb
unit stopped working properly
two weeks into the review period,
but what we did hear of it before
that sounded bright and
voluminous.
The clean channel also has a
‘twang’ button, which is designed
to switch the overall EQ curve
between British (presumably Vox)
and American (Fender) voicings,
while the drive channel has an
extra boost mode which kicks in
more gain, and is footswitchable
too – clean and spanky, to dirty
and mid-rich without any hassle
whatsoever.
The powerful EQ controls serve
both channels. Product manager
Rudiger Forse explains more:
“The channels share the knobs,
but not the EQ circuitry – the
The drive channel has an extra boost
mode which kicks in more gain, and is
footswitchable too – clean and spanky,
to dirty and mid-rich
Adding the boost to your drive channel pushes the amp nicely over the edge
HUGHES & KETTNER STATESMAN QUAD EL84 £759
tracks 7
-8
circuitry switches with the
channels. Bypassing/activating
parts per channel is part of the
concept to achieve this quality of
clean and drive sounds combined
in one amp.”
H&K has gone for a selection of
very different power sections
across the Statesman range (20,
40 and 50 watts using EL84s,
6L6s and EL34s). This Quad
EL84 variant has four EL84s,
rated nominally at 40 watts,
which is usually a recipe for
toneful power amp drive and
dynamics at band volumes.
The chassis itself is a
wonderfully neat design that sits
upright in the back of the cabinet.
It’s a single piece of bent steel that
forms the control panel, then
drops down vertically at the back,
then tucks back inside the
amplifier, down and out again to
create a recess and ‘shelf’ for the
preamp and power amp valves.
GUITAR AMPS
These sit vertically in their
sockets, directly beneath the
control knobs, meaning you can
change them without going
anywhere near the rest of the
amp’s internals. Inside, H&K has
gone for custom-designed PCBs
and transformers. Bernd
Schneider, H&K senior engineer,
explains more: “Amp number 10
must have the same sound as amp
number 2,000, so with a properly
made PCB it is no compromise, it
is a benefit. The secret is: use less
parts and keep the ways on the
PCB as short as possible.”
The speaker used in the
Statesman combos is a 12-inch,
60-watt driver designed with
Eminence – dubbed the
Rockdriver Cream – to offer a
good balance of performance with
clean, crunch and heavy overdrive
sounds. Plenty of ‘grunt’ is what
H&K was after and, as Eminence’s
speakers are usually high
efficiency (100dB or more) with
good power handling, that’s
exactly what it’s likely to deliver. It
sits inside a quality ply cabinet
that’s finished and trimmed
expertly. All up, it’s a very classy
looking, well built package.
Sounds
With a vintage-style Stratocaster,
the clean channel chimes and
rings as you’d expect it to in a
vintage-inspired combo – there
are obvious, bright and lively
elements of Blackface Fender and
some Vox AC30 all the way
through this channel. In terms of
gain, it stays clean up to around 11
o’clock on the volume knob. After
that comes progressively more
edgy break-up and, in that sense,
if you play in a very loud band and
The Rivals
Hughes & Kettner
Statesman Quad EL84
The venerable Fender Hot
Rod Deluxe (£659) is a popular
1 x 12 all-valve choice, with two
channels plus boost, powered
by a pair of 6L6 valves. The
Peavey Classic 30 (£489)
shares a very similar spec sheet
to the Fender, but for its EL84
output valves. More money is
the Mesa Engineering Express
5:50 (£1,295), but that amp
also brings more gain, more
versatility and more clout from
its dual 6L6 valves.
October 2007 Guitarist 103
11/9/07 11:44:44
 HUGHES & KETTNER STATESMAN QUAD EL84 £759
GUITAR AMPS
need über clean tones (not that
common in rock ’n’ roll) this won’t
be enough headroom for you.
What you’re sacrificing that
headroom for, however, are some
lovely power section dynamics to
add natural compression and
character for a versatile rootsy
crunch. Up the ante in the pickup
stakes, first to P-90s and then to
humbuckers, and you realise just
how dynamic the Statesman is,
edging all the way to a rockier
crunch. The difference between
the guitars is marked – great news
for those of us who really like to
hear the inherent differences
between classic instruments.
The ‘twang’ button really plays
its part here, tightening up the low
end slightly and adding a little
aggression to the mid-range.
Compared with a modern, multi-
mode or digital modelling amp,
these relatively subtle variations
might seem unremarkable, but it’s
these very subtleties that make
the Statesman’s clean channel so
well suited to classic Fender-, Vox-
and Marshall-inspired clean and
on-the-edge drive tones.
Switching to the drive channel
ramps up the gain in the front end,
starting with a heavy crunch with
H&K has adjusted its sights extremely
well, with a wide range of clean to real-
world dirty sounds that fit effortlessly
into roots and lighter rock music
The valves on the Statesman are deliberately easy to reach
104 Guitarist October 2007
GIT295.rev_hughkett 104
the gain pot at around nine
o’clock. Pushing it up brings in
progressively more dirt and
sustain to a full and saturated
distortion, but there’s always a
likeable edge to the drive where
some modern amps tend to
descend into super-smooth mush.
It’s not as polished, focused or
gainy as a classic Boogie-style
lead, for example, instead taken
a step or two closer to seventies
master volume Marshall. After
the projecting tones of the clean
channel, very high gain settings
can get a bit lost in terms of
projection, so it’s important to
keep plenty of mid dialled in to cut
through. For a 1 x 12 cabinet
there’s a respectable amount of
punch from the bottom end,
helped no doubt by the chassis
design which almost totally
encloses the rear of the amp.
For that push over the edge, the
footswitchable boost adds extra
gain to the more vocal frequencies
in the lead channel, making for a
slightly more focused tone. While
there’s plenty enough gain here
for any classic rock application,
perhaps an extra knob to regulate
the amount of boost would have
been a useful inclusion here so
that you can adjust it to taste.
Verdict
So who is the series aimed at?
“Experienced blues, country and
classic rock guitarists,” begins
Hughes & Kettner’s Paul Airey,
“who are looking for versatility
and user friendliness. And also
young, stylish ‘definitely-not-
metal’ guitarists who want an old
school look and feel plus the
added value of true flexibility.”
Playing this Quad EL84
version, you’d have to conclude
that H&K has adjusted its sights
extremely well, with a wide range
of clean to real-world dirty
sounds. In short, this is deep into
Fender’s Hot Rod Deluxe series
territory, but with a Marshall-y
drive channel – at this price, that
is very compelling indeed.
This 1 x 12 combo is likely to be
the biggest seller of the range for
its blend of portability and power,
but if you want extra power and
spread, there are 6L6 and EL34-
driven variants with different
speaker options in the pipeline.
We can’t wait to try them.
The bottom line
We like: Flexible clean channel;
dynamic tone; classy looks
We dislike: Should the clean
channel have a master volume
too?
Guitarist says: Here’s an
amp that stares straight down
the barrel at Fender’s Hot Rod
series. It’s a portable,and
extremely toneful valve amp
option for blues, country, rock
’n’ roll and classic rock
Hughes & Kettner
Statesman Quad
EL84
PRICE: £759
ORIGIN: Germany
TYPE: All-valve combo with solid-state
rectification
OUTPUT: Approx 40W RMS
VALVES: Two12AX7 preamp, four EL84
power amp
DIMENSIONS: 620 (h) x 490 (w)
x 250mm (d)
WEIGHT (kg/lb): 48.2/21.9
CABINET: Partially open-backed, ply
construction
LOUDSPEAKER: One 12-inch custom-
designed Eminence Rockdriver Cream
CHANNELS: Two, plus boost mode
CONTROLS: Clean channel: volume,
‘twang’ switch. Drive channel: master,
gain, ‘boost’ switch. Shared bass, middle,
treble and reverb
FOOTSWITCH: H&K FS-2 two-button
(channel and boost) included
ADDITIONAL FEATURES: Four
extension speaker jacks, two footswitch
jacks (channel/boost and FX loop/
reverb), FX loop send and return with -10
dB pad, reverb balance pot
OPTIONS: Extra footswitch for reverb/FX
loop available
RANGE OPTIONS: Currently only the
20-watt Dual EL84 (£659), but coming
soon are the Dual 6L6 combo and Dual
EL34 head formats too
SCV London 020 8418 1470
www.hughes-and-kettner.com
Test results
Build quality
Features
Sound
Value for money
GUITARIST RATING
11/9/07 11:44:50
 HUGHES & KETTNER STATESMAN QUAD EL84 £759
GUITAR AMPS
Bernd Schneider (left) and Rudiger Forse observing a chassis on the production line
What’s in State
We talk to the team behind Hughes & Kettner’s
new Statesman amplifier range by Mick Taylor
B
ased in St Wendel, south
west Germany, Hughes &
Kettner has been producing
innovative amplifiers, simulators
and pedals for well over 20 years.
From the AS64 programmable,
MIDI-controlled amp all the way
back in 1985, to 1995’s Triamp, to
2006’s Switchblade, H&K has lived
by its ‘technology of tone’
philosophy with constant product
development and new ideas.
2007 sees the release of the
Statesman series (reviewed on the
previous pages), a range of
amplifiers that have a more retro
appeal and inspiration. According to
H&K it contains the genes of both
the DuoTone and Edition Tube 20
amps, but in terms of technology
and build, is a very different beast.
First up, what prompted the move
towards this more retro feel?
“It was requests from guitar
players for a real boutique amp with
versatility and affordability,”
explains product manager Rudiger
Forse. “While the fully
106 Guitarist October 2007
GIT295.rev_hughkett 106
programmable Switchblade series
launched last year is a revolution in
tube amp technology, Statesman is
more an evolution of classic tube
amps. There are a lot of classic
clean amps and many classic lead
amps, but Statesman can do both.
Of course, we listened to the Fender
Twin and Fender Bassman as clear
historical reference points for the
clean channel, and likewise to a
Marshall ‘Plexi’ 50 and to our
Triamp Channel 3A for the drive
channel.”
“We invested a lot of thought into
how to get this sound without the
constraints of the classic way of
construction,” continues senior
engineer Bernd Schneider.
“One example is the upright
mounted preamp and power amp
tubes of all Statesman combos.
They are seated in a self-contained
chamber that is easily accessible
from outside, including bias
trimmers and measuring points.
This prevents the tubes from
vibration and guarantees proper
ventilation, and it only takes two
minutes to unscrew the upper rear
panel for instant access.”
Expanding options
Involved heavily in all matters of
tone at H&K is Thomas Blug, the
jaw-dropping guitarist who regular
readers will know well from these
pages (and indeed our issue 290
DVD). What are his thoughts on the
Statesman series?
“Classic, retro, timeless, to give
you the look and feel of a classic
amp,” he begins. “Warm colours,
big knobs and reduced to what is
really needed, so that everybody
understands the amp immediately.
I designed the sound with Bernd
Schneider. It is an amp that I dig
myself – I wanted to have a new
amp, for smaller gigs. I find the
Quad EL84 very powerful and best
when you want a punchy, all-round
combo. The Dual EL84 I can crank
so the sound is a little dirty – the
way I like it – plus it fits perfectly in
my cabriolet! I use my Hughes &
Thomas Blug was
heavily involved with
the sound design of
the Statesman series
Kettner Tubefactor with it, and here
we go! I have as many great tones as
with my big Triamp set-up. It sounds
great with my ’61 Strat and my ’68
Les Paul.”
Along with the 20- and 40-watt
EL84 combos, H&K is also planning
a 50-watt, EL34-driven head and a
60-watt, 6L6 2 x 12 combo. With so
many options, is there a danger that
customers might be confused?
“No,” replies Forse. “The EL84
combos are all-rounders, they
deliver the whole world of classic
tube sounds in the most compact
format for clubs and small stages.
The EL34 and 6L6 are made for the
big stage.”
“But they do not only differ in
power tubes,” adds Schneider,
“They have more features than the
EL84 models: each channel has its
dedicated EQ, and they come with
serial/parallel switchable FX-Loop,
a second master volume for solos,
and the full range of speaker
outputs.”
Hughes & Kettner is one of the few
companies that successfully builds
great all-valve amps and impressive
digital modelling amps. So with
plenty of experience in both
technologies, how does Forse see
them developing in the future?
“Both concepts have their
benefits,” he explains. “At the
moment, all digital modelling amps
sound – or try to sound – like an
‘original’: there is no ‘original’
modelling amp on the market. The
progress of sound, new standards
or even new styles of music can only
be created by originals, so the
future of Hughes & Kettner will be
analogue first, and maybe digital in
the second step.”
11/9/07 11:45:01