Guitar players around the globe praised Bad Cat’s Black Cat amp for its tone, but wanted more punch. Its ear twisted, the company delivered by doubling the output and tweaking the EQ to create the Jet Black.

A 38-watt, two-channel combo amp with Celestion Vintage 30 speaker, EL84 power tubes, and 12ax7 preamp tubes, the Jet Black’s aesthetic and backlit logo lend an ominous appearance. Its control panel is straightforward, with independent Volume and Master controls on each channel, shared Bass, Mid, and Treble, global Reverb and Tremolo, a buffered effects loop, line out, and a two-button footswitch for tremolo on/off and channel switching.

Channel 1 is low gain, ranging from squeaky clean to light crunch. Rich and musical, its sounds bring a bouncy, easy-to-play feel. Plugging in a Les Paul and a Telecaster with all three bands of EQ set at noon, Volume at 3 o’clock and the Master 1 at 10 o’clock, the amp’s chimey cleans swirl with harmonics and clarity. Push the Volume for sweet edge-of-breakup tones, or dime the Master and Volume for gut-kicking crunch. Though “clean,” the channel has enough gain to get you into Tom Petty territory when pushed.

Channel 2 is where the Jet Black comes alive. A rock-oriented amp, it can nail any tone from classic to modern, with its own unique personality. With Volume at 11 o’clock and Master at 2 o’clock, the Jet Black exuded clear, open crunch with a punch that would bring smiles to Angus and Malcolm. Crank the Volume and Master for endless gain and sustain along with harmonic feedback that holds a note forever. Seriously! For wide-open Black Crowes tones with clarity and definition, just roll Volume down to 10 o’clock. With all three bands at noon, EQ is nicely balanced, yet responsive to tweaks. Reverb and tremolo are lush and natural-sounding, adding impressive depth and dimension; both sound great on their own, but together they create a dreamy soundscape that’s so captivating you won’t want to stop playing.

The Jet Black offers a wide range of tones from clean to mean, with fantastic dynamics and responsiveness. It’s versatile enough to cover a lot of sonic ground, but make no mistake, this amp wants to rock!

This article originally appeared in VG’s January 2024 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.