Do yourself a favor and check out this amp.

I am not one to get crazy over an amp because I like so many different sounds but I think I would be doing a disservice if I didn't recommend every guitar player hear go out and check out this new head James Brown has designed with Kustom. The range this thing can not only cover but cover well is amazing. James Brown was recently featured at the end of a documentary over the evolution of amps and where they are today showing off the new design of the double cross.

I spent the better part of last night playing thru one and I was floored.

Kustom Double Cross Demo Video Featuring Amp Designer James Brown (http://www.doublecrossusa.com/video.asp)

Here are some of the metal/rock styled samples for the lazy

First, here's Lead II: (http://www.ramzmusic.com/kustom/Kustom_DblCross_1.mp3)

Lead II, thick stage: (http://www.ramzmusic.com/kustom/Kustom_DblCross_2.mp3)

Lead II, tight, bright: (http://www.ramzmusic.com/kustom/Kustom_DblCross_3.mp3)

Lead II, tight, gain: (http://www.ramzmusic.com/kustom/Kustom_DblCross_4.mp3)

Lead II, bright, gain: (http://www.ramzmusic.com/kustom/Kustom_DblCross_5.mp3)

Now hear the amp in context in the following piece: (http://www.ramzmusic.com/kustom/kustom-double-cross-full.mp3)

First off, let me say that James is an amazing amp designer and clearly has his ears open to what players want to hear from his amps. I used to work for SSI, who built cabs for Kustom in the same building, and I knew their designers, who at the time sucked. They had no idea what a good amp sounded like.

This amp sounds awesome - it's got a modern edge. It's not really my style - I'm stuck on the Dual-Rec tone for now. I noticed a fizziness in the tone that I wasn't really into in the high gain sounds, but I think that could be dialed out.

The one thing I miss in these tone samples is the sound of the actual guitar. All I hear is mega-gain amplification which masks the sound of the guitar itself.

Yea those tone samples aren't from kustom they are from a review over the amp where the guy clearly liked heavy :) I do like how the Lead I and Lead II are voiced differently instead of the norm of both being high gain. This is 1 is high gain with some scoop and the other is classic amp voicing. I ran the head into my Mesa cabinet and didn't get the fizziness you got. I am used to my mesa though so I don't put the gain on 10 perhaps that could be the difference?

Goto Kustom (http://www.Kustom.com) and check out a ton of their sample videos and sample settings right on the site.