sweet spot where the cleans started to warm
up and sag a little. Dropping the volume
control on the Tele about 1/3 or so helps
eliminate some grit. That was much harder
with a Dimarzio Tone Zone and Evolution-equipped Charvel So Cal. The pickups just
drove the amp a little too hard for playing
crystal cleans at medium to high levels.
Still, the light gain raunch that resulted
sounded fantastic, if a little bit piercing in
the highs. A quick adjustment of the Treble
will nip that problem in the bud, however.
Red Box speaker-simulator output
Power Soak for
cranked-amp-like
response
It’s the presence of the signature
Hughes & Kettner hi-fi quality that
really impresses though—a foundation
The amp’s Treble control is also vital to
dialing in the Drive mode, which is the
real star of this show. The EQ controls
each take on a different sweep, dynamic,
and personality in the Drive mode, but
none has a more noticeable effect than the
Treble control. Move it up from the 12
o’clock position while playing the D and G
strings in unison, and you can hear it sweep
through a huge range of high-end frequencies ranging from warm to razor-like. It
really works like a combination of a presence and treble control and can really help
the amp rise above a crowded mix.
of luscious mids and tight lows that
belies the amp’s tiny dimensions.
controls—making them more sensitive for
shaping mid and high gain tones.
A Telecaster and a 2x12 demonstrated
the Tubemeister 5’s capacity for high detail
and the ability to be super punchy and
thick for its size. It’s the presence of the
signature Hughes & Kettner hi-fi quality
that really impresses though—a foundation
of luscious mids and tight lows that belies
the amp’s tiny dimensions. The combination of the Tele’s bridge pickup and my
increasing pick attack revealed the amp’s
touch sensitivity, giving me a bright stinging lead tone when I cranked the Gain control up to about 1 o’clock.
In the Drive mode, the Charvel and the
amp’s raging distortion were a perfect match
for quick, heavy riffage and sky high runs
and bends. Even at extreme volume levels—which were always much louder than I
expected—the lows stayed focused with galloping triplets and hand-heavy swipes.
The Tubemeister 5 was designed to essentially be a highly portable, studio-ready version
of their larger models—including the already
diminutive Tubemeister 18. In keeping with
this train of thought, the amp comes packed
with an integrated Red Box XLR direct out,
which makes it a cinch to run the amp directly
into a mixing console. The direct out has
speaker simulation, so for players who want to
lay down a few tracks without lugging a speaker cab around, it’s a great option. Activating it
is as simple as pressing the Power Soak button
on the back of the amp or unplugging your
speaker from the output jack.
The Verdict
Despite the company’s best intentions
to deliver the most clean tone possible,
the amp gets dirty once you set the Master
and Gain controls past noon—right at the
For studio cats that love high gain tones,
the Tubemeister 5 is a killer choice. The
amount of overdrive on tap is impressive,
focused, and full throughout the amp’s
range. The cleans are nice, even if the
heavy-duty transformers can’t quite overcome the limitations of low wattage to get
really clean at loud volume levels. But if
you’re in the market for that quintessential
hi-fi tone that put Hughes & Kettner on
the map, and you don’t want to lug around
one of their larger, weightier amps, it’s
worth giving this little monster a try.
Mini-Me
Just like its bigger 18-watt brother, the
younger Tubemeister kicks out serious
grind that is quintessentially Hughes &
Kettner with surprising volume to back it
up, too. It’s not always the cleanest amp
with certain pickups—par for the course
with an amp this small—but it’s got very
surprising range.
RATINGS
Pros: Great high-gain tones with quick response. Very useful
treble control.
Cons: Clean tones can distort with humbuckers.
Tones
User Friendliness
Build
Value
Hughes & Kettner, TubeMeister 5, Street: $349, hughes-and-kettner.com
