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Bad Cat Hot Cat Series Amplifier 

Owner’s Manual 

 
 
 

Welcome to the Bad Cat Family of Amplifiers 
 

Congratulations and thank you for purchasing a professional tube amplifier from Bad Cat. As 
with all Bad Cat products, your amplifier is designed from the ground up to provide the very best 
tones possible in a rugged, reliable package. Each one of our pro quality models is constructed 
with Bad Cat’s commitment to making the highest quality, hand-made, American-made 
amplifiers. 
 

Caution 
 

With a little care and caution, your Bad Cat amplifier should provide you with years of trouble-
free operation and enjoyment. Please avoid damp areas and moisture during operation of the amp 
and in storage. This includes placement of beverages near or on the amp that could spill into the 
amp’s chassis. Liquids can easily damage tubes, switches and other parts. Immediately 
disconnect the amp from power source should a spill occur and dry the amp thoroughly prior to 
switching on the amp again. Drying may require the complete removal of the chassis from the 
cabinet and the removal of the tubes for cleaning. Avoid tipping the amp, using it in unbalanced 
positions, or lifting it unassisted to awkward heights. A little common sense will go a long way 
in making sure the amp does what it’s supposed to do: provide you with dependable operation 
and great tone on a consistent basis. 
 

Grounding 
 

Please check thoroughly that the ground tip on the power cord plug is connected to true ground 
prior to operation of your Bad Cat amp. Using unfamiliar junction boxes can cause potentially 
dangerous floating grounds. Please do not cut or defeat the ground tip.  
 

Operation 
 

If this is your first all-tube amplifier. Please become familiar with a few issues that differentiate 
your amp from solid-state or hybrid amp products. Only a few precautions are required but they 
will insure that you will get the most of your new all-tube amplifier. Vacuum tubes are “old 
world” thermal devices that require more attention than transistors, but that’s the reason they 
sound so much sweeter and more musical than integrated circuits and other solid-state 
components. A little heads-up on following points will ensure maximum performance from your 
Bad Cat amp. 
 
 
 
 

Summary of Contents for Hot Cat Series

Page 1: ...moval of the chassis from the cabinet and the removal of the tubes for cleaning Avoid tipping the amp using it in unbalanced positions or lifting it unassisted to awkward heights A little common sense...

Page 2: ...rs unless you know the system impedance Tube amplifiers are very sensitive to speaker impedance matching This is due to the relationship between the internal resistances of the output transformer the...

Page 3: ...nds to meet the requirements of various performance situations The Hot Cat can operate in three modes clean channel overdrive distortion channel and a combination of both via the included footswitch T...

Page 4: ...e gain on the Hot Cat is very sensitive to your guitar volume knob adjustments and your picking attack The touch sensitivity of the Hot Cat s gain control allows you to access a wide range of overdriv...

Page 5: ...ng from around noon on the knob setting to around 2 3 o clock Combine this with the active Bass circuit to dial in just the right amount of balance of firm clear lows and sweet yet cutting highs Rever...

Page 6: ...ets of your performances etc High Tension Fuse 100R High Tension is just another way of saying High Voltage Voltages at this point can be anywhere from 350 500 volts depending on the model so it is al...

Page 7: ...is another volume level control that becomes active when you have your effects loop engaged The loop must be closed i e the send and return jacks are both used for the Return level control to functio...

Page 8: ...onal trouble free operation Common sense will tell you that if you notice any sever abnormalities in operation like burning smell smoke etc you need to shut down the amp immediately Always consult you...

Page 9: ...phonics problem Preamp tubes can go bad without warning but can also last many years without any problem whatsoever As you can see when handling tubes they are sensitive fragile and somewhat prone to...

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