Ashdown has unveiled Killer Tone, a new range of affordable combo amps featuring pure analog signal paths and a suite of built-in digital effects.
Made up of two 15-watt builds – with one sans effects for a lower price point – and a 30-watt model, the amps have been “finely tuned to replicate the rich and warm tones of a tube amp,” with the designs catering to aspiring and well-versed guitarists in equal measure.
All three KT combo amps offer discreet electronics for zero latency playing and “enhanced dynamics” and pack two channels each – clean and overdrive. Enough gain has been weaved into the latter channel to push the amps “well beyond classic crunch tones,” and designed to be further pushed by a player’s choice of overdrive or boost pedal if needed.
Each channel has a dedicated dial for sweet spot finding, alongside a three-band EQ that operates for both channels.
Their connectivity is also bolstered by a line input for connecting an external device. The lack of a DI output does feel like a bit of a missed opportunity, but there is at least a headphone socket for shredding after curfew.
The KT-15 and KT-15 FX both offer an 8” speaker, with the latter furthered with 16 effects, while the 30-watt KT-30’s speaker is 10”, with that same 16-strong effects suite on hand.
Of that effect collection, there are six reverbs (Ambience, Room, Plate, Spring, Hall, and Cathedral) and three delays. A quartet of modulation effects is also built-in, consisting of Chorus, Phaser, Flanger, and Tremolo.
That all accounts for a fairly standard array of tone-altering options, but what is an atypical addition for a budget amp like this is its trio of combinations, which means its Chorus, Delay, and Phaser effects can benefit from the widening scope of a Reverb.
The effects are selected with a dial, and their intensity can be altered by a sister control.
“The Killer Tone series offers a range of options to suit different preferences, ensuring that every guitarist can find the perfect match for their playing style,” says Ashdown.
With prices starting at $133, Ashdown's new combos join a growing entry-level and practice amp market that Blackstar has been trying to gain a stranglehold of with the release of its ID:Core V4 amps, and the Debut 50R – which was recently treated a 100-watt version, too.
Alongside them, Positive Grid is continuing to revolutionize the digital amp world with the AI-bolstered Spark 2 – which has a fan in Steve Vai – and Boss is proving a key player with the newly revamped Katana amps.
The long-standing British amp builders have hinted that more releases are on the horizon, making for a busy end to the year. Earlier this year, it dropped a “groundbreaking innovation” with its OriginAL-EVO-C112T bass amp.
The KT-15 is priced at $134, with the K5-15 FX and KT-30 FX rising to $248 and $278 respectively.
Head to Ashdown to learn more.
