Budda amps-anyone using them?

[Kid Metric]

Looking at a Budda Superdrive 118-your thoughts?

[mullenski]

Have had mine for about a year. In no particular order...

This thing is L O U D! Master volume is very effective, i.e pretty usable tone at lower volume. I still use an attentuator to try to keep the amp cooking at lower volume.

Very full, thick tone. Haven't found anything shrill or buzzy nor have I found a "bad sound".

Headroom? We don't need no steenking headroom! With humbuckers, breakup starts at about 9:00 on the MV with the gain only at 9:00 or 10:00. A little more room with singles. Does clean up well from guitar volume. If there is a "Fender" clean tone in the amp, I haven't found it.

Two channels. "Clean" channel, again, is a relative term. With the gain up, plenty of distortion; very much in Marshall land. Bright switch works just right -- never gets shrill, helps cut through. The dirty channel goes on from where the clean leaves off. Mid-scoop switch on the dirty channel significantly changes the scoop -- both settings usable. Huge distortion if dimed and scary loud!

Channels do not balance. You have to either set the clean and dirty gains to balance when you switch channels, however might not be the tones you're going for. Or, if you set the gains to get your tone, you'll likely experience different volume between channels. There is a mod (simple) to install a channel balance pot. My tech did it and it works. Instructions available from Budda. Something to be aware of.

I replaced the Sovteks with Brimars (preamp tubes) which seemed to take a little of the "darkness" out of the amp.

Effects loop is a win -- no complaints. Takes pedals fairly well. However, amp breaks up so early the subtle differences between different OD pedals can seem to get lost. For example, can hear a lot more differences between a Blues Driver (Keeley) and a Fulldrive 2 run through my Deluxe Reverb than through the Budda. I run the ODs through the front of the amp, modulation and delay in the effects loop. Loves wahs! Have really found that if I've got one mild distortion or boost for the clean channel it's really all I need in combination with the dirty channel and responsiveness to the guitars volume. More real estate on the pedal board for the "fun" stuff.

4 ohm/8 ohm switch is kinda cool -- can get a little bit more compressed tone on the 4 ohm setting.

Build quality is excellent. It is solid; no rattles, buzzes, etc.

The Budda guys are great. Answer emails promptly, send spare parts if needed (even tubes!). Really, really good guys.

FWIW, I use mine primarily for worship; relatively gained-up distorted stuff (Crowder, Redman, etc.). Works great for blues to Stones to Black Crowes. Again, it's all relative. Can't really say if it would work as a heavy metal amp...

PROS: Lots of different, great tones. Controls very effective and enable significant tone changes. Likes pedals. Great customer support.

CONS: Does not do clean, clean. Definitely doesn't do loud clean. Channel balance.

Hope that helps.