THE BEST AMP EVER - Tone King Imperial MK II
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 ก.ค. 2024
- Sam Ash Affiliate link - click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/...
0:00 Intro
0:40 A bit about the amp
3:15 Lead Channel
4:51 Rhythm Channel
8:27 Reverb
9:33 Tremolo
10:33 Iron Man Attenuator
11:55 Some Blues
13:46 Closing thoughts - เพลง
I recently worked on this amp for a customer and I was blown away by it. Easily the best amp I've ever played through, the attenuator is excellent.
That means a lot from someone who works on amps! Thanks for watching
What were you doing / modifying?
I’ve had this amp in turquoise for about a year. You’re right it’s the tone i’ve been, searching for. I’ve been playing for 40 years. I’ve had all the popular amps. And although I love Fender, this thing is a beast. After you learn how to use it, it just keeps getting better and better. Every tone I hear in my head I’m able to express through this amp. That hasn’t always been the case. I’m gonna subscribe to your channel on this video alone lol. Thanks for your contact.
Thanks David! This amp is indeed a beast. I'm learning more and more about it every day and it's just getting better. Had a gig with it yesterday and it was amazing
I’ve had this amp about 3 months and I can’t help it feels lifeless tbh. I’ve had many boutique amps including two rock, magnatone etc. any advice on how to get the best out of it
I have to say that your demeanor, being so laid back, initially had me not expecting much from this video. However after watching it I can say that you’ve done a great job presenting this amp and your phrasing on guitar is beautiful. I wouldn’t change a thing. Thank you.
Wow that's an awesome comment! Thanks so much. I am laid back by nature, I pride myself on being informative and honest. And of course the playing has to be decent or else people won't stick around 😉
Ive had mine for a little over a year and absolutely love it. I play a strat and Les Paul through it and both sound amazing!!
Super sweet, super versatile tone!
Hey George, great video.. appreciate the grind to bring us this content. Recently picked up the Neural DSP version of this amp and was sweet to hear the comparison to the real deal. Take care wishing you the best man ✌🏻
Thanks for watching, I appreciate you! How do you like the Neural DSP version?
I just got one the other day. In doing some research on these I found that the crunch does not come from the preamp section only. The attenuator drives the output section more. The sound one hears are the 6V6s clipping. I have had many amps that consisted of 6L6 and EL84s. 6L6s were imho a little flubby and the EL84s were harsh when driven. The 6V6s are the basis of the Deluxe Reverb and the Princeton sound, it also helps that this amp has a tube rectifier. Perfect, best amp I have ever owned.
I tried recording a recent video with another amp and then decided to do a take with the tone king and I immediately just used the tone king for everything. It's that good
Great Review... i got this amp in 2022 and it is really like you describe... he sounds organic, takes Pedals and sound like a Marshall JTM, Fender Bassmann, Tweed Amp and Blackface... and with an good AC 30 in a Box it sound like an AC... Heart what wish you more from an Amp! I dont need longer 4 Amps... i got a 4 in 1 🎉
Great playing by the way... good Review!
Thanks so much! I haven't even thought about getting another amp since I bought this one
great video, you've done an excellent job reviewing it 🙂
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it
great demo and playing; i really like the cleans demos
Thank you so much!
New subscriber here and great presentation of a stunning amplifier! I have the tone king imperial Mark 1 and I replace the stock speaker with an Alessandro 12-in speaker and it just sings Like a Bird! Not that it didn't with the stock speaker but it's just so much better with the Alessandro. It breaks up a little earlier and just has such a beautiful musical, organic tone. I highly recommend that speaker even if you're playing a blues junior! Thanks again for the presentation!
Welcome to the channel and thanks for subscribing! I'm really glad you enjoyed the video. I do have a blues Junior but unfortunately I have to part with a lot of gear soon. Maybe I'll make a video on it before it goes
@guitar_george I live here in Seattle and I had my Blues Junior Modified by a guy named John Fromel. Do you know of him? He makes beautiful hand-wired amplifiers and really cool effect pedals as well. His mod to my Blues junior took the fat switch and made it so there's a presence control and the Boost control. That amp eats Deluxe reverbs for lunch! If you want John Fromel's contact info just hit me up
I was looking at the specs for the 2 speakers and it looked like, on paper, the Tone King 33 speaker is almost the same speaker as the Alessandro- but of course, that’s on paper. What’s the main difference, to your ears?
I was fortunate enough to get one a few months back ,I'm in love with it
We're both in love with it 💗
Four and a half years on and it still remains, by far, the best amp I’ve played through.
Thank you for this clear video. It was a great help when deciding to buy one. I was so happy with it, especially when I played it through my Marshall 4 x 12 I ended up selling the combo and going for the head. Have you tried it through your 4 x 12 I can see in the background yet? I especially like it with the lead channel and a bit a bit of mid bite dialled in. Also hit the lead Chanel with a Klon is heaven.
That's a 2x12 mesa cab and yes I have tried it with it and it sounds great! Thanks for watching and I'm happy I could help
great vid about our amp !
Thank you!
A really good review. It was tonefull and not just focused on overdrive.
Thank you! More to come on this amp for sure
I was blessed with a right place, right time deal on a 1 yr old TK Imp MkII from reputable local shop that had one of the limited edition lacquered models originating from Chicago Music Exchange. So many sounds in my head can be easily found in this Amp. Plays so well with all of the drive pedals that I've tried and goes from beautiful airy cleans to raunchy early Marshall territories and all points in between. Both channels sound great when pushed into overdrive with and without pedals and both sound great clean. LP, Strat, Tele, 335, they all sound great in both channels. It's just an all around winner of an amp with two channels that could stand on their own if they were put into separate single channel amps. Add the wife-friendly attenuator and the price of the Amp can be justified as an overall value proposition.
The lacquered models look so good. The real winner here is the wife friendly attenuator though 😅
…and if anyone is interested in a British flavour…
Just putting this out to fellow enthusiasts who might be considering the brand new ToneKing Royalist mkiii…. It’s awesome. Today I’ve played/compared a Marshall ST20H, Friedman TwinSister Head and ToneKing Royalist mkiii through a 2x12 cab loaded with Celestion V30 and G12H30. The guitar was a Gibson ‘68 LP custom reissue.
The Royalist could be dialled back giving snap & quack with rich tone and dialled up with a lot of texture and grunt without going dark. It remains bright (but not too spiky brash) with the HF switch even at the high attenuation levels and yet remains rich throughout a range of volume. I didn’t really find compromise of note. It’s bright and rich all at once, has amazing woman tone and fantastic harmonic feedback loop/interplay and you can get there below 90db. That’s why I say it’s awesome. I was blown away by how much it put these other two amps in the shade.
The ST20H is great fun for the UK price but IMO you’d have to be a die hard nuts Marshall fan to pay the US price when the Royalist mkiii is so far ahead in fidelity and feel. Plus the Royalist has the versatility of attenuation included which you’d have to buy separately to get the ST20H where you want it to be without going over 100db volume level.
The Friedman TwinSister was also flat and dark compared to the Royalist. Its master volume works superbly as expected from Friedman but it didn’t have the same flexibility in tone or feel compared to the Royalist. It certainly didn’t allow for the same dynamic range. There was no snap or quack like the Royalist for lower gain settings and the harmonic interplay just wasn’t exciting like the Royalist. The woman tone and sustain was lack lustre by comparison.
It’s amazing how much more alive the same guitar felt and sounded through the Royalist compared to the other two amps.
Hope this helps some. Have a great weekend everyone. Cheers
I just heard the Royalist and it sounds killer!! My pockets aren't happy though
I just wish the royalist wasn’t so damn heavu
@@MrNachoponchoIf cost and weight puts you off the Royalist then I have a killer alternative… Buy a used Dr. Z Maz 18 mkii with or without reverb. I have one as well as the Royalist and the Dr. Z can sound quite similar with the included boost/foot pedal. The Dr. Z Maz 18 is a slightly softer/warmer sounding amp but it has the added bonus of giving killer rock tones even at bedroom volume. It’s more natural sounding at low bedroom volume than the Royalist on max attenuation. 🙂
Just purchased this amp today, was heavily influenced by your video and awesome showcase here. I LOVE IT! do you recall what your settings on the intro sound might have been? I’m going to work on recreating as best I can tomorrow. Thanks for this video and putting me on to an awesome amp!
Congrats! It is a killer amp and I'm sure you'll love it. The settings were pretty simple, rhythm channel with the volume and bass just above half way and the treble at about half. A touch of reverb and tremolo to taste. Strat neck pickup. Thanks so much for watching !
@@guitar_george Thanks for the info! Wasn’t sure if it started with the Rhythm or the Lead. This thing is addictive…
Great video George. Appreciate you sharing this with us. So many crap videos and yours is straight up and on the mark.
I appreciate you! Glad you enjoyed
Great playing. Great amp. New sub
I appreciate you!
Great video. Looking for a serious amp for home use and think this is the one.
You won't be disappointed!
Great tones from a versatile amp. I've noticed the versatility seems to be a big focus with Tone King. Does this amp have discreet circuitry or PCB's? I know the Royalist MK III is military grade PCB's. Maybe the use of PCB's is required to offer such versatility. It's definitely less costly. The difference between discreet circuitry vs. PCB's...who knows?
Had my Imperial MKII since 2019 and it has been such an inspiring piece of gear. My only gripes are that it doesn't have an FX loop for my time-based effects and I'd really like a switch to defeat the reverb on the footswitch (seriously, why do they let you turn off the tremolo, but not the reverb?!). Otherwise, it's my desert island amp. I toy with the idea of flipping it for a Two Rock occasionally, but I know I'd regret it.
It's my most inspiring amp as well. I think it's hard to describe that factor when reviewing a piece of gear. You gotta play it to really experience it
I just clicked on the bell. What great sounds with you Gibson Le Paul. What brand of strings do you use and what is the gage? Super nice, I will listen regularly to your channel.
Thank you so much! Check out my most recent Les Paul video is your liking the tones. I use either DR blues or Ernie ball 10-46
Thanks so much, I will do.@@guitar_george
The Bruno Underground 30 rocks my world. Unfortunately, not being built anymore and I couldn't afford one anyway!
Great video!! What was the blues piece you did??
Thank you! Not sure.. just something I made up on the spot
love mine cs strat / cu22 prs
1. TONE YES
2. love the attenuator can play it even when others are sleeping in other room. 6 settings on att. /max when late or early. /next to max position for just practicing normal bedroom or coffee shop style gig. / next position (straight up and down dial) is small bar volume. then one click from full is for MAX headroom and someone that really uses gutar vol knob. /after that the full setting, I really dont ever use the 1st setting- no attenuation.
I love the tremolo on it too!
@@guitar_george YES
I have one and upgraded speaker to Celestion Ruby - sounds GLORIOUS!
How did the change to the Ruby effect the sound?
@@guitar_george warmer rounder sound..no shrill in higher register.
this is ridic
they are great amps, it really blows you away if you dont use the attenuator and let all those high come through. I used the attentuater for months before turning it off and realizing what I was missing. I dont plan on selling mine, too damn nice.
Yeah the attenuator really takes away high end and head room if you attentuate it too much. One or two notches back and the amp still keeps its voice. I think anything more is just a bedroom practice tool! Enjoy the amp 😁
That first intro riff is the exact tone I have been looking for! My decision is head through a 212 or combo?
Can't go wrong either way!
I've been using a 15 watt Princeton Reverb clone as my main workhorse amp for the past 5 or so years and while it's been great, I'm finally reaching the limits of its power. I'll be out on gigs where I find myself wishing I had just a little bit more headroom and oomph, but it just isn't there in those situations. Would you say the Mk II fits the bill for that, or should I really be looking at something that has a little bit more power? I'm extra intrigued by the Mk II because of the attenuator. Seems like it would be great for small gigs and jams, or at home, but still might have enough power to hold up for medium sized indoor gigs or outdoor gigs. Great playing and video man, cheers!
Thanks! The imperial definitely packs more power than the Princeton thanks to the wattage and larger speaker. Id put it in the deluxe reverb level of volume which is loud enough for most gigs. The lead channel has what seems like even more power and volume (with less headroom). I can't imagine a gig where this amp wouldn't be loud enough. At my last few gigs I've attenuated it down 2 notches as well because it was too loud for the venue we were at. Hope that helped!
Very nice demo of a very nice amp. Well done - your content and presentation is very well thought out without being too "clinical", haha. Quick question - how did you capture tones for this video? Miced or DI with a load box (and what did you use)? Also, is this running the stock Tone King 33 speaker and stock tubes? Yours doesn't sound as bright as mine. Do you recall where you were running your treble on the Rhythm channel? Thanks - two thumbs up!
Thank you for the kind words, my friend! I had the treble around 4 on the rhythm channel if I recall correctly. I recorded it with my sm 57 straight into my audio interface. It has the stock speaker and stock tubes as well
@@guitar_george Thanks! I've been down a speaker rabbit hole with mine, and after watching this it has convinced me to give the stock speaker another try 👍
Awesome! Glad I can help. Are you finding the speaker too bright? How long have you had it? I know mine took a bit to break in
@@guitar_george it sure seemed bright when I got it. I did put some hours on but then tried an ET65 (very briefly) and then a Fat Jimmy C1270. The FJ was really nice but it emphasized the scooped American thing a bit too much, at the expense of some of the more dirty tones. So this morning I popped the stock speaker back in. It sounds really good to me now 😄. Our ears are funny things, or at least mine are. Anyway, once more, thanks for the inspiration to do this - I think I like this amp as much as I ever have now.
Yes it is,,the best combo tube absolute
Is it the best warm clean and Price ever ?
I think it is itz own,,and the best
Such a versatile amp, dig the look
Thanks brother
I´m thinking of getting one but i'm a bedroom player and i wonder if the attenuator is good enough to maintain good tones at low volume. Would it be a good choice in my case?
Thanks man.
You can definitely play it at low volumes and not disturb anyone... But honestly if that's all you need it for I would get a less expensive alternative. If you're looking to gig with it in the future, it's the perfect amp
Try the tone king gremlin.
I see you have a mesa amp, so not sure if you had the. Glance to try it but if money is no object, for an early fender tone 6V6, which of the Mesa California Tweed or ToneKing Imperial mkII would you pick?
I've played both and I liked the versatility of having two channels and a tremolo on the tone king. The Cali tweed is no slouch but there's not many amps that could do all the things the tone king can do, as well as it does it.
I'm thinking about getting one now. However I'm wondering if there is a MKIII version coming very soon since MKII was released in 2016. They just updated the Royalist, so maybe this is next. I'd hate to purchase and then miss out on any new features.
You could always buy a used one and sell it if a new one comes out! They tend to hold their value if you buy em right at about 2k
what new features would you want? would get too modern at a certain point
A wonderful amp, for sure. But honestly. - is the built-in Ironman attenuator design really that good? I had an iron man mini with a number of classic vintage amp designs, and in any situation it was far too much overcompressing. A good PPIMV does it much better, imho.
George hopefully you answer me a question: IMO the reverb of the MK II is a bit low. I mean not really hearable. Could be more in front (louder). What do you think? With the Fender Amps I had other experience. Geetings from Germany 🇩🇪🎸🎸🎸
I would say it's lower than the average fender amp for sure, but I think it's super usable however you set it. On a fender amp when you go above 3 or 4 it's just too much IMO. Also if you have attenuator on I think the reverb is lower as well, so try it without the attenuator
I have one as well my reverb sounds great
Do you notice the back chassis getting super super hot when you're playing it?
It's warm like any of my other amps, but I wouldn't say hotter than normal
Questo è realmente il suo suono o passa da qualche effetto????
take pedals well? have an effects loop?
Takes pedals very well but no effects loop. Think deluxe reverb
I agree, best guitar amp ever
Is that hand wired ? The new royalists are printed circuit boards . I need to look into tone king more.
no, but it is not a printed cheap type board. rather a thick board with what looks like hand soldered components
@@theuserthatishere thank you for your feed back. It's much appreciated 🙏
Yes, it's a fantastic amp. But so are some Magnatones and others. If money were not object, I'd go for a Magnatone Twilighter Stereo. Otherworldly, room-filling tone.
Magnatones are great too. Money was a factor but also weight. The twilighter stereo is like 70 lbs... I can't lug that around haha
I'm happy to hear it's too heavy for me! I own this Imperial... Love it. And I agree a Twilighter would be my money is no object other amp. But I don't want to lug that around either.@@guitar_george
Sometimes practicality wins!
Panoramic Stereo… lighter, same deliciousness… still pricey, but best sounding amp I’ve ever had. Love this amp too… the two together is all you’d ever need. Except maybe a Champ or similar… for that “small amp push” for recording…
Can you get a Clapton beano tone from the lead side?
Yes I'd say so. The lead channel with a Les Paul gets you close
I recieved myne today only had about 1hr playtime so far. I play a r9 les paul and on the rhythm channel 4 seems the sweet spot no attenuation. I haven’t dialled in the lead side as of yet. Coming from using a Princeton reverb, the reverb is extremely subtle in comparison. I’d say 10 on the toneking is equal to 4 on a Princeton reverb.
I agree the reverb is very subtle, especially when you attenuate it. Yeah 4 on the rhythm channel is amazing
I get a great clapton tone with my clapton strat
Louis Electric Deltone or Clark Blackface smoke that thing. I have tried and owned both. That is a paperweight to me. But that is just one mans opinion.
My old Fender vibroverb would blow any Tone King out of the water!
Hard to beat a vintage Fender!
how do you measure that? plus like my old bandmaster, volume gets too loud so like most folks i use a drive pedal but then what's the point of the amp crunch?
there are 10000 videos who say some amp is the best ever made :D
Indeed! Thank you for clicking on mine! Hope you enjoyed
@@guitar_george yes I did my friend
🙏🎸
Prefer the Magnatone woody tone.
2nd best..... why? because the Tone King Sky King is the best ;)
Is it really the best amp EVER..?
Well.. what do you think ?😜
It’s the best amp I’ve ever played. Don’t own one… yet.
Yep!
Super, great....not best ever...my Hampstead Artist 20 RT is more inspiring to play.....says who? Me, my son, his friends.... Gonna keep my TKing anyway to gift my son as I can't gift him my lefty guitars. Oh, TK is more versatile for sure....love it, worth it.....just not 'best amp ever'...to me. When it causes Rabea and Danish Pete to wet their pants...THEN it takes on legendary status. 😀. Nice review!
Thanks a lot! I haven't played a Hampstead. I'm excited to try one out though
You never know they might own part of the company
They’re certainly well made but they sound overly bright to my ears. The dreaded icepick.
It´s good but NOT the best. Sorry bro!
What's your favorite?
@@guitar_george I love point to point amps. For the Imperial price I prefer the Morgan RCA35. Regards
"Best" is subjective. Maybe not best for you. I prefer this to any Morgan amp on the market (though the AC20 sounds great). One negative thing about Morgan is that they've had a lot of reliability complaints. I'm not an amp tech, but I've read some bad things about some of their circuit design choices causing issues with tube life and blown fuses. Point-to-point amps can be great, if executed well, but the construction method doesn't inherently make one amp better or worse than another. These Tone King amps use PCBs but they're high-quality PCBs with top shelf components and smart circuit choices. Also... I love the Imperial MKII because it's cathode-biased, so I can swap the power tubes myself without needing to worry about getting a tech to bias the amp. Very convenient.
@@reverb508 I have 2 Morgan and have NEVER had a problem with them. I also have a TwoRock and both are much better than the Tone King. However, I don't say “the best amp ever”. The MATCHLESS, AMPLIFIED NATION, BARTELS AMPLIFIERS, and many, many others, are much better than the Tone King. I've played with all of them and this is my opinion. Regards
@@reverb508 "THE BEST AMP EVER" It´s the title. Better than Tone King is Two Rock, Bartel or Mattchless. It's not a question of taste, it's a fact. Regards
Stop with the juvenile superlatives. Just say it's a great amp and give the reasons for thinking so.
Sir yes sir!
Jesus, why are people getting so butt hurt over such an insignificant statement? That's pretty juvenile if you ask me.
Seems like you're acting more like the juvenile here with your snarky comment. Would you speak to him this way in person, or are you empowered by your anonymity? Relax dude.