Bad Cat announced that they were going to be releasing a new series of amplifiers called the USA Player Series. These Cub amplifiers are very similar to their PTP hand-wired brothers but the with the use of military spec PCB board construction. The amps controls are virtually identical with the exception of the handwired Cub Series having a 5 way tone positions switch. Both amps feature the same high end components, transformers and chassis’ you have come to expect from Bad Cat. Here is a snippet from the Bad Cat site.
Both amps are hand built at our headquarters in Irvine, California. Both amps essentially use the same components, transformers and chassis. The Legacy amps are built using point- to-point solder connections. The USA Player Series amps are constructed with military grade printed circuit boards. Still constructed by hand, the PCB construction offers repeatability and the ability to isolate grounding planes for reduced noise. From the player’s perspective, this can make an amp feel a little more forgiving. If done correctly the attack will compress a little easier, even in clean settings, which will smooth out variations in picking attack. – BadCatAmps.com
The biggest difference is the price. The hand-wired legacy series Cub III 15 starts at $1699 for a head without reverb while the USA Player Series Cub 15 comes in at $1099 with reverb. The USA Player Series is also available in a 15 watt 1×12 combo and 40 watt 1×12 combo and head. Combos and heads are available in standard black tolex with silver grill cloth.
Welcome to the Big Stage
When we heard about this series we knew it was going to make a huge splash in the Worship guitar world. We just didn’t know how big of a splash. Many guitarists dream of having a boutique point to point hand wired amp but family, careers, other hobbies etc often prevent guitarists from being able to justify the expense. With these new USA Player series guitarists can get that boutique high-end quality and tone that they dream of at a lower price point. When shown these amps many popular worship bands/guitarists around the world couldn’t believe their ears. Below are some of the bands/guitarists who have given the amps glowing reviews.
- Casey Moore of Leeland
- Mikey Wilson of Matthew West/Kari Jobe/Francesca Batistelli
- Both of Phil Wickham’s Guitarists
If you are interested in ordering a Bad Cat USA Player Series amp make sure to get on the train now because they are flying through their first run of the amplifiers. Check their dealer list for availability.