I got mine last day in November.
Nice amp. I did compare this to the Multi-watt Dual Rec. Very similar but different. Sub-harmonic content has been reduced considerably. Still has plenty of low end to get the job done. I would not have noticed this if it was not for the Badlander. When I compared the MWDR to the Roadster, thought they fixed the low end drone. Also tried running 6L6 tubes (SRT440 grey which is the same color code in my MWDR), thought they sounded lame when comparing to the MW with the same tubes. EL34 perform much better in the Badlander. Just my opinion. Running both amps (Badlander and Multi-watt Dual Rec) is amazing. This new amp has not taken away any desires to run the Multi-watt Dual Rec or even the Roadster. It is different but with some similarities. I find the crunch voice on the Bad to sound similar to the Modern voices on the other two. Some have compared it to the vintage voice. Crush is one step further into compression, which is lacking in the other Rectifier amps. Midrange content is there in a musical way. The other two have more of a scooped tone. Also tried the variac power mode which does bring the Bad closer to that of the Multi-watt on the bold power setting. Most important, the tone stack is also different. Bass, Midrange and Treble actually do something, they do not appear to be dependent on one another. Presence control is also more reactive. Yes, the Badlander will fit onto the vertical 212 cab. Shell is basically the same as the TC series but without the reverb tank. That is about all of what is similar to the Triple Crown except for Mesa tubes installed. Transformers are different, not the same numbers as found in the MW or TC. Comparing the Bad to the TC, there is non. TC sound thin in comparison and that is with the TC red channel vs crunch or crush on the bad. Feedback and harmonic characteristics is very similar to the JP-2C but darker in some characteristics. I have run the JP-2C in tandem with a Marshall Silver Jubilee JCM2555x reissue, now that was something I thought would be unique. Not anymore as that is what I feel the Badlander sounds like in crush voice. JP-2C + TC-100 would be a similar comparison to the Badlander (for those who get offended when a different brand of amp is mentioned). Have not found any issues with the FX loop either. I have not tried any instrument level pedals though, I tossed all of that gear after I got the Mark V 90w as it was not compatible. I now use Strymon stuff in my loops, in addition to two or three boss pedals (Boss DD-200, Boss EQ-200, Terra echo TE2, Strymon: BigSky, BlueSky, Brigadier, DIG, Volante). I still have a tone sucking delay pedal (Line6 DL4) that does not work in the Mark V but does ok with the TC and JP-2C. I should pull that out of its little coffin and see it if it sucks or performs well as it is an instrument level pedal based on what specifications I could find. Interesting amp, something new but familiar. Not very hard to dial in, no decoder ring needed. I personally would get the 100w model. Bigger iron goes a long way even with the 50W and 20W power modes. That 20W power is no lame duck either. The 50W is almost the same as the 100W with one exception, there is more saturation at the 100W power than at 50W. Will need to explore this more at gig levels. I have not been pushing my hearing threshold lately. Don't expect the Badlander to be a duplicate of the Rectifier amps, it is not, similar yes, identical no. If there was such a scale to gauge where the Badlander sits in the tone farm, based on the amps I have, the Roadster would be to the far left (in terms of darkness and sub harmonic content). Mutli-watt would be next but not at the same location. Badlander, then JP-2C, TC then Mark V. I put the MarkV90 in its location due to its ice pick issues and upper midrange peak in tone. This may be exaggerated to some extent.
Bass amp------------RDSTR------MWDR-----BAD----------------JP-2C---------RA100-----TC100---TC50----------------------MKV90----------Crash Cymbals
