Hughes&Kettner TubeMeister Deluxe 20

62

This item runs exclusively on an operating voltage of 230 V and therefore requires a voltage transformer to run in your country of United States.

Electric Guitar Amp Head

  • All tube
  • Power: 20 watts
  • 2 Channels: Clean and Lead with Lead / Boost function
  • Power Soak: 20/5/1/0 watts
  • Preamp tubes: 2x 12AX7
  • Power tubes: 2x EL84
  • Classic 3-band EQ
  • Red Box AE Ambience Emulation DI output with the settings Vint. / Mod. & Small / Large to connect the amp directly to the PA or recording setup
  • Serial FX loop
  • 1 Speaker output: 8 - 16 Ohm
  • Dimensions: 35 x 15 x 15 cm
  • Weight: 5 kg
  • Incl. bag
Available since April 2016
Item number 379473
Sales Unit 1 piece(s)
Power 20 W
Power Amplifier Tubes EL84
Channels 2
Reverb No
Footswitch No
$589
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Boutique sounds in a lunchbox format

The Tubemeister Deluxe 20 from Hughes & Kettner delivers the uncompromising boutique sounds for which the company's flagship TriAmp Mark 3 is already famous, packed into the popular lunchbox format. With its two channels and onboard boost function, this compact 20-watt head covers everything from crystal-clear cleans through to dynamic crunch and powerful high-gain sounds. In addition to a power soak to reduce the power amp's output to as little as one watt, the Tubemeister Deluxe 20 also features the legendary Red Box AE speaker simulation, which makes this amp ideal for recording in the studio. The obligatory effects loop is of course also included, as is a connection for the optional footswitch to allow the player to change between the two channels and turn the booster on and off.

Intuitive controls let you dial in an amazing tone in seconds

The control panel of the Tubemeister Deluxe 20 is clearly laid out and the controls themselves are illuminated in blue, ensuring optimum ease of use even in the darkest of corners. Both channels have a dedicated master and gain section, and share a powerful three-band EQ that allows the diminutive amp head's already impressive basic sound to be further enhanced. The panel also includes buttons for channel selection and for the booster (which gives the lead channel an extra push), and these functions can also be carried out using the optional footswitch. In order to properly push the amp's power stage into saturation, the rear panel also features a power soak, which allows the power output to be reduced from 20 watts down to five watts or even one watt. And should you wish to record without a speaker cab, the multi-mode Red Box AE will be a valuable asset.

A versatile lunchbox amp

Whether you are jamming at home or using it for live gigs, in the rehearsal room, or in the studio, the Tubemeister Deluxe 20 will always cut a fine figure with its power soak, Red Box AE, and two-channel design (with the booster effectively providing a third channel). Professional musicians will appreciate the amp's impressive sounds, which come extremely close to those of much more expensive boutique amplifiers, and it will also deliver plenty of power and presence in any situation when coupled with the right speaker cab. And at just five kilos, the Tubemeister Deluxe 20 is a real lightweight that is nonetheless manufactured to the same high level of quality for which Hughes & Kettner is known.

About Hughes & Kettner

Hughes & Kettner is one of the largest German suppliers of guitar and bass amplifiers. Founded in 1984 by Hans and Lothar Stamer under the name Stamer Musikanlagen GmbH, the manufacturer from St. Wendel in the Saarland can boast of its numerous innovations. For example, its first venture into the field of guitar amplifiers, the ASR64 from 1986, was the first programmable amplifier in the world. Thanks to its compact format, the Cream Machine of 1987 can be counted among the very first mini tube amplifiers. Equally influential were the Red Box analogue speaker simulation, the first six-channel amplifier (the Triamp), and the ZenTera, which used modelling technology in an integrated amplifier even before Line 6.

Jam in the morning, rehearse at midday, and gig in the evening

To make sure that you have plenty of headroom in a live setting and don't get drowned out by your bandmates, it is important to use a speaker cabinet of sufficient capacity. The TubeMeister Deluxe 20 is not picky in this regard, and it can be used with a 1x12", 2x12", or for larger gigs even a full 4x12" cabinet; what is more, the amp provides connections for speaker cabs with an impedance of eight or 16 ohms. For recording, on the other hand, speakers are not strictly necessary, since the Red Box AE with its different setting options provides a great-sounding solution which ensures that dynamics and thus an authentic playing feel are not lost.

62 Customer ratings

4.8 / 5

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41 Reviews

S
What a sound!!!
StergiosCozy 02.09.2019
For starters i have to say that this is a beauty... From the second you unpack it captivates your sight. But that is nothing compared to when you finally open it. Blue light emerges out highlighting every detail and all the knobs. Simply stunning... But now to the serious stuff... I got this for my home studio to record guitar. That was my only purpose since i didnt care about taking this on live stages etc. The amp is amazing for recording. Has a very nice clean channel but the phenomenal is the lead one. Amazing tone and by raising the gain it can produce a pretty heavy tone for all of us who want to play heavy metal from time to time. For even more heavy tone there is a boost button that gives even more gain to the lead channel and it gets pretty crazy. I am not playing thrash-death metal etc so i only used the boost button on some solos and not in rythm guitar cause it is too heavy for my style but well it is there for anyone who wants it. The red box is amazing to record with and it is nothing like other cab sims that sounds terrible.
This thing is LOUD. i mean really LOUD. That is why there is a switch to set the amp on 20 watts, 5 watts, 1 watt and even 0. Great for late night recordings!
Trying to get a con but i cant find anything serious... I'll just say that when it is on for quite a lot of time it gets pretty hot and you cant really touch it from above but then again it is not to be touched there since even if you want to move it has great handles on both sides and they re not warm at all.
In general you cant go wrong with this amp if it is recording what you are after but even in live stages you wont be dissapointed cause this thing has a lot of power!
5 stars cause i cant get more.
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R
Ugly overdrive
RubenV87 25.07.2023
Pros:

- Beautiful looks with the blue lights
- Insanely loud for such a small amp
- Ideal for both home and stage use because of the ability to switch from 0 Watt (silent for line), 1, 5 and 20 Watt
- Sound: the amount of bass makes you tremble, incredibly loud
- Clean channel sounds crystal clear
- Overdrive/boost channel can be nice for guitar solo's exclusively
- Comes with a nice bag

Cons:
This is about the overdrive & boost channel only:

- EQ function is very limited. You either get a HUGE extreme bassy gritty tone OR a super thin tone with poor attack. I totally miss the versatility in this function. If you are a (hard) rock/heavy metal riff/rythm guy, this amp won't make you happy
- Lack of mid tones. I just couldn't dial in a warm, stable driven middy sound, because the extreme grit keeps overruling every setting you apply. Turning down the gain, treble and/or mid knob, makes a terrible thin and dull sound
- It's too fuzzy. I love a stable drive/distortion, but this amp doesn't seem to be able to offer that. It sounds like either the overdriven tone is peaking all the time (the fuzzy sound) when you turn up the gain OR your tone doesn't have attack when turning it down. Adjusting the EQ didn't help. Also tried combining a Tubescreamer and an Empress distortion pedal with it. Clean channel with both pedals didn't help either. I guess this just is the amp's sound and I don't like it.

Beautiful clean sound. If you like constant fuzz tones and extreme grit and bass in your overdrive, this is a nice amp. Don't buy this when you search for a warm, punchy and clean overdrive sound.
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j
Brilliant straight out of the box
jimjames 19.12.2018
The approach that H&K have taken to the design of the amp and the compromises they have made for the lunchbox format work really well for me. I had been considering options for an upgrade to my current amp for a while. Wanted something that would work well with my overall set up and be useful for both stage and studio work. I play ST type guitars for the most part, have used H&K amps in the past but, like others, have tended to find them on bright side and better suited to LP derivatives. That said I have always liked the format and the build quality. I read reviews and decided to give TM Deluxe 20 a go and am not disappointed. The only con I have is that it doesn't come bundled with a foot switch as this is pretty essential in any live setting. Within hours of arrival it was on the way to the rehearsal room. I use the amp with a 2x12 cab loaded with celestial V30s. Plugged in the amp, plugged in the footswitch, set the tone controls to mid setting, adjusted the levels of the channels to give a mild crunch on the clean channel and an overdriven "rhythm" tone on the lead channel with the same volume on each channel and ran through the entire set without changing anything. Several gigs in and I still haven't tweaked much. We play a mix of fairly hard edged R&B as a power trio and I get full and rounded tones from this little amp that sit well in the mix with more than enough balls for most of the venues we play. IMHO H&K's approach is perfect for the lunchbox format. They've concentrated on creating separate channel voicings that are fit for purpose and what they have chosen works great for me. If you are used to using the tone controls on the amp to get the sound you want, this amp takes a different approach. As I see it the tone controls allow you to tweak the sound for the room and stage dynamics you're dealing with. If you don't like the basic channel voicings H&K have given you then this is probably not the amp for you, though I struggle to see what is not to like. It also take the guess work out of things. I toyed with giving the amp four stars for features as it is a lunch box and lacks the versatility of it's grown up brothers, but given the sheer useability of the amp combined with power soak, red box DI and a effects loop I believe it rates 5 stars for the format.
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DimaAkai 17.11.2019
Overall it's a great portable amp which I wish was a bit cheaper. But who doesn't want that? That it.
I've bought the amp for a home recording and practice. This is what it was made for. At least in my opinion. Also, it's convenient for a rehearsal or a small gig with friends.
To be more precise, I can tell that the amp sounds great on clean and very gradually starts to break up. Got some nice tube warm tone clean. Overdriven sounds great either. Really good cuts through the mix. Also, I liked a lot a built-in boost, which gives a fat powerful sound.
I personally love the EQ. It's not linear and a bit confusing at first but makes the amp sound great even with some extreme EQ presets. I wish it was separate for each channel, as on TubeMeister Deluxe 40.
For recording purposes, it got all you need. Nothing more to say.
Also, worth mentioning that despite the compact size it's not overheating and remains safe to touch even after a couple of hours of work in summer.
The last thing is that it looks good. Not everybody's preference, but it definitely grabs attention. And not only from guitarists but from ordinary people see it.
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