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Bad Cat Hot Cat 30 vs. Budda Superdrive 45


Meatbeard

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Cant say much about either, but I absolutely love my Budda SDII18, for me its the most versatile and sonically pleasing amp I have owned.

 

Are you planning to use them for gigging? I have heard that the SD30 has a lot better headroom in the clean department....

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Cant say much about either, but I absolutely love my Budda SDII18, for me its the most versatile and sonically pleasing amp I have owned.


Are you planning to use them for gigging? I have heard that the SD30 has a lot better headroom in the clean department....

 

 

Definately using it to gig.

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  • 3 years later...
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Man, I have now sold my Mesa Roadster and have the opportunity to potentially pick one of these up and the same price. But, I cant freakin decide!!! THEY BOTH SOUND INCREDIBLE!!! DAMN IT!!!

 

I know this is an old thread but it is something that needs to be said from someone who has heard both through the ears on his own head...

 

I played through the Superdrive 45 for a good period of time and I own a Bad Cat Hot Cat:

 

The Bad Cat Hot Cat is far superior in beefy-ness and thick quility tone. Steller cleans much like some of the best from Mesa (Lonestar) and lead channel easily has enough brutality for modern metal think 5150 crossed with Mark V dry thickness with a little saturation :) I would say more brutal than the 5150 but not quite as brutal as the Recto Solo series.

 

The Budda superdrive has a similar clean but more glassy think vox ac30 etc. A bit more of a crunchy edgyness to the distortion Orange Rockerverb on steriods and voiced a bit more modern. The Superdrive gets just as brutal but in a different way more of an edgy crunchy vibe which I usually really dig however on the Superdrive 45 for some reason it is just really thin sounding even though it sounds big ...Hard to describe until you hear them both.

 

I would choose the Hot Cat over a 5150 but I would chose the 5150 over a Superdrive... However I would choose a Recto, Roadster, Roadking, Mark V and a few other amps over both. If the Hot Cat was 100 watt with option to still flick it down to 30 and 15 and had 3 channels and reverb with a little more sizzle on the top end I would choose it over any amp in the world period.

 

Due to recommendations - I now have a 50 watt Bad Cat Lynx on order so I hope it is even more brutal and punchier again :)

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So, you're gonna get opinions on the Hot Cat 30 that are all over the place -- everything from "ZOMG, it's teh bestest evar!" to "Sounds like ass". I've owned a Hot Cat 30R, Budda SD30 and 80,.....and I've played through the 45 several times..

 

Hot Cat cleans are excellent and lean more toward Fender side,....sort of Twin'ish. The gain channel tends to divide people. Plenty of gain, lots of compression, kinda thick with lots of hair on the top,...very toothy and overall more modern in it's presentation. It's got a unique quality. I always wished for a more power as I think it would help the preamp section of the Hot Cat -- would have loved to try the 100 watt version. I did like the amp but ended up selling and getting a Lynx 50. Different preamp and a 50 watt power section -- it's my main amp for my hard rock gig.

 

The Budda's are great amps -- wish I still had my 80, that amp just slayed. The Superdrives lean vintage but have plenty of gain for most applications outside of modern metal. They're overall smoother, less toothy, although I found the 45 to have more edge than either the 30 or 80. Cleans are big and round and breakup really nicely when pushed. The KT66's work well in this amp and I'm not generally a fan of those tubes.

 

So, in conclusion. Both amps have great clean channels. If you want a more modern drive the Hot Cat would be the choice, more vintage leaning, the Budda.

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