Bad Cat Panther R 35-Watt Guitar Combo Amp with Reverb 2008

I purchased this amp new from Chicago Music Exchange in 2008. I have owned the amp continuously since then. Other than replacing tubes, the amp has never had a problem and like other original Bad Cat amps, these amps are built like tanks and are built to last. I used the amp with my private event band from '08 until 2017. It lived in a road case so it looks just about the same as the day I got it. From 2017 on, the amp has resided in my home studio and has been used exclusively for recording. Since there are not too many of these out in the wild, I'll give an overview and describe how I used the amp.

What makes this amp special is the fact that it has two independent channels - one side is British EF-86-based and the other side is American 12AX7-based. The amp does come with the original footswitch or you could use an AB-Y pedal to switch between channels.

When I was using the amp live, I played my PRS through the EF-86 channel and my Strat through the 12AX7 channel. I was able to dial in each guitar perfectly from a tone and volume standpoint and never had to touch the amp during a gig. I needed single coils and humbuckers to cover the wide variety of music that my band played. It was great being able to switch guitars and have consistent volume between the PRS and the Strat. Since we covered everything from the Beatles to the Commodores, getting British AND American tones kept the guitar sounds legit for the entire gig.

The reverb is excellent-sounding and great to have on board - much better, in my opinion, than pedal-generated reverb. Also, the reverb in this amp is not splashy or fizzy like Fender-style spring reverb. The reverb control is on the back of the amp and is very easy to dial in. You can use a basic momentary switch to plug in the back to turn the reverb on or off.

There is a very useful full power/half power switch on the rear of the amp. This came in handy in smaller rooms. I would put the amp on half power for the dinner or early set and then go to full power when the event kicked into gear. There is also a switch labeled 1 (up) and 2 (down). This changes the bass response of the amp. You can voice the amp tighter or looser depending on the situation. That switch came in handy in woofy or bass-heavy rooms. Between this switch and all of the tone shaping tools on the front of the amp, you have plenty of options to really dial in your preferred sound.

You can change the speaker impedance to 4, 8 or 16 ohms. Other options include External Speaker Output, Line Out and Speaker Phase. THERE IS NO EFFECTS LOOP ON THIS AMP. I run all my pedals (time-based and otherwise) directly into the front of the amp. I don't think any of the original Bad Cat amps had effects loops. Since Mark Sampson designed the circuits for most of the original amps, I'm sure omitting an effects loop was a conscious decision on his part.

The amp always traveled in a high-quality road case when I used it live, so it is in excellent mechanical and cosmetic condition. It's rare to find one amp that offers Brit-style chime and American-style tones. This particular model was most famously used by Texas guitarist David Grissom in his Storyville period. I read where David had sold his original Panther R but recently re-purchased it from who he sold it to. Considering that he has his own signature PRS amps, that says a lot about the versatility that the Panther R offers.

The amp weighs approximately 80 pounds. For that reason, I'm advertising Local Pickup. I live in the Charlotte Metro area. I'm happy to answer questions that you may have. Thank you for looking.

ps - I posted a video link to David Grissom using the Panther R with his band Storyville. David used a Panther R head and 4-12 cabinet and I believe he almost exclusively used the EF-86 channel of the amp. If you search Storyville live at Antones on YouTube, there is an entire show of David using the amp with various PRS guitars.