Bad Caf BLACK CAT 15 EL84 User manual

Congratulations and thank you for
purchasing a professional tube ampli-
er from Bad Cat. As with all Bad Cat
products, your amplier is designed from
the ground up to provide the very best
tones possible in a rugged, reliable pack-
age. Each one of our pro quality models is
constructed with Bad Cat’s commitment
to making the highest quality, hand-built,
American-made ampliers.
CAUTION
With a little care and caution, your Bad
Cat amplier 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 sup-
posed 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 oating
grounds. Please do not cut or defeat the
ground tip.
Last updated: Feb. 12, 2013
FOR YOUR RECORDS, YOU MAY WISH TO RECORD THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION.
SERIAL NO._____________________ INVOICE DATE______________________
LIMITED LIFETIME WARRANTY
Bad Cat Ampliers warrantees our amps and cabs against workmanship or defect for
life. The warrantee does not cover tubes or cosmetic damage, or wear and tear or abuse.
This warrantee is transferable. Lifetime transferable warranty is only for North American
sales. Please see your local dealer and distributor for warranty information. Modifying or
altering the amp in any way voids the warrantee. Shipping to and from the warranty repair
center is the responsibility of the customer.
We have a new Lifetime Warranty on all new amps leaving the factory. We are extending
the Lifetime Warranty to all of our pre acquisition amps for $249. Simply send the unit
back to us and we will have one our technicians go through it from the ground up. And to
top it all off, we will pay for the shipping back to you. For more information please contact
us at [email protected] or directly at 800-730-0966.
When RETURNING merchandise to the factory, you must call for a return authorization
number.
HELP SECTION
1) AMP WILL NOT TURN ON
Check the power to the amp. Check for tripped circuit breakers, unplugged extension
cords or power-strip switches that may be turned off. Check the fuse. If a dark brownish
color or no wire can be seen within the glass tube, then replace.The amp may be perfectly
ne but occasionally a fuse may blow because of high AC voltage surges. After the fuse
has been replaced with the proper Slow Blow value and if the fuse fails again, the amp
will require servicing.
2) NO OUTPUT with POWER light ON
Tubes damaged in shipping will be the primary reason for your amp to not function
properly. Please give us a call to help guide you through this simple repair.
3) KEEP YOUR AMP LOOKING NEW
Use a damp cloth to wipe the controls on the front & rear chassis panels.Wipe the black
vinyl covering with a damp cloth.
IMPORTANT!
FOR YOUR PROTECTION, PLEASE READ
THE FOLLOWING:
WATER AND MOISTURE: Appliance should
not be used near water (near a bathtub,
washbowl, kitchen sink, laundry tub, in a
wet basement, or near a swimming pool,
etc). Care should be taken so that objects
do not fall and liquids are not spilled into
the enclosure through openings.
POWER SOURCES: The appliance should
be connected to a power supply only of
the type described in the operating in-
structions or as marked on the unit.
GROUNDING OR POLARIZATION: Precau-
tions should be taken so that the ground-
ing or polarization means of an appliance
is not defeated.
POWER CORD PROTECTION: Power sup-
ply cords should be routed so that they
are not likely to be walked on or pinched
by items placed upon or against them,
paying particular attention to cords at
plugs, convenience receptacles, and the
point where they exit from the appliance.
SERVICING: The user should not attempt
to service the unit beyond that described
in the operating instructions. All other
servicing should be referred to qualied
service personnel.
FUSING: If your unit is equipped with a
fuse receptacle, replace only with the
same type fuse. Refer to replacement
text on the unit for correct fuse type.
This symbol is intended to alert
the user to the presence of
uninsulated “dangerous
voltage” within the product’s enclosure that
may be of sufcient magnitude to constitute
a risk of electric shock to persons.
This symbol is intended to
alert the user to the presence
of important operating and
maintenance (servicing) instructions in the
literature accompanying the appliance.
CAUTION
RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK
DO NOT OPEN
REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL!
THIS UNIT CONTAINS HIGH VOLTAGE INSIDE!
PHONE [phone]
FAX [phone]
[e-mail]
WWW.BADCATAMPS.COM
5 TECHNOLOGY DRIVE IRVINE CA 92618
BAD CAT HOLDINGS LLC. USA
Operating Manual
BLACK CAT 15
DUAL CHANNEL, 15/7 WATT, EL84
DUAL CHANNEL, 15/7 WATT, DUAL EL84
If you have ever wanted the amazing tone and feel our Black Cat 30, only with a more manageable
volume, look no further than the Black Cat 15.
Just like the 30-watt older brother, the Black Cat 15 is dripping in three dimensional cleans. Push
up the gain and go from soft chiming break- up, on through to thick complex gain. Running in Class
A, this rig is oozing with harmonics. Channel one is built on a 12AX7 treble, bass and cut tone stack
providing the warm and sweet tone with just the right amount of mid push to cut through the mix.
Switch over to channel two and experience the more aggressive, hi- sounding EF86 preamp.
More chime, more grunt. The EF86 can be switched between the ve-way tone selector or the bass
and treble tone stack. The tone selector offers a selection of ve-tone caps and enables you to adjust
the amount of low end content to t the guitar or situation. Global cut and separate master volumes
for each channel can be switched in or out.
Available with or without reverb.
ELECTRONICS
Power: 15/7-Watt Class A
Channels: 2
Channel 1: Volume, Bass,Treble, Cut, Master
Channel 2: Volume, Tone, Bass, Treble, Cut, Master
HARDWARE
Conguration: Head and 1x12” Combo
Cabinet Material: Head - Italian Poplar, Combos - 13 Ply Baltic Birch
Speaker Description: 12” Proprietary Bad Cat Celestion Speaker
Impedance: Selectable 4, 8, 16 ohms
Power Tubes: 2 - EL84s
Pre-Amp Tubes Channel 1: 2 - 12AX7s
Pre-Amp Tube Channel 2: 1 - EF86, 1 - 12AX7
Rectier Tube: 1 - GZ34
Shown as Standard Head Custom Black, Silver Sparkle Embossed Vinyl and Silver Piping
Speaker Impedance
On a combo this rotary selector knob comes set at 8 ohms
for a single 12 or 4 ohms for a 2x12. The selector knob can
select between 4, 8 and 16 ohms. Check Ohm’s Law if us-
ing an additional extension cabinet to select the right ohm
setting. Example: 8 ohms + 8 ohms = 4 ohm setting. On a
head, please be sure to select the proper ohms to match
your cabinet.
TROUBLESHOOTING
Your new Bad Cat amplier is designed for many years of
professional trouble free operation. Common sense will tell
you that if you notice any severe abnormalities in operation
like burning smell, smoke, etc.; you need to shut down the
amp immediately.Always consult your Bad Cat dealer if you
are unsure of the problems that you are dealing with; i.e.,
take your amp to where you purchased it.
No Power
ICheck the power source from the wall rst. Make sure the
power cord is properly seated at both ends. If there is still
no power, check the fuse and replace if necessary with the
correct rating only.
Weak Output Level
Verify the signal output from your instrument rst. Check
guitar’s controls and that the cables are working properly.
Also, check any effects pedals that may be connected in
between the guitar and the amplier.
Adverse Sounds-Hum, Whistle, Loss of Dynamics,
Feedback, Howling
Check loudspeaker cones, frayed guitar cables, controls on
your instrument, the guitar’s pickups and any other devices
that many be connected to your amplier such as effects
pedals or rack processors. Some of these devices are “am-
pliers” in their own right with gain and boosted volume
levels and they may cause hissing and unwanted feedback
if set too high in front of the amp. Shut down the amp and
check the tubes. Wait for the amp to cool down. Remove
the back panel of the amplier. Avoid handling hot tubes
as they can cause severe burns. Check the larger output
power tubes rst by carefully removing the tube shields
or loosening the clamps, and then unseat the tubes from
their sockets but note from which sockets you removed the
tubes. Inspect the integrity of the laments in the tubes. If
one or more of these tubes are bad, you will need to replace
the entire set of the power tubes. If all the tubes are OK, you
can eliminate the adverse sounds by swapping the location
of these tubes. If this fails to x the problem, you may need
to replace the entire set of power tubes with a new matched
set. Use of inferior quality (unrated) tubes may cause dam-
age to your amplier. You should also check the preamp
tubes, especially the rst input stage tube (far right if you’re
looking at the amp from the back). Microphonics (feedback
noise that cannot be controlled by turning down the volume
pot on you guitar) indicates a bad preamp tube(s). You may
want to swap the position of preamp tubes to see if this
will x the microphonics 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
inconsistencies. Please handle your amp with care when
transporting it. Although your Bad Cat amp is sturdily built
and designed to take years of rugged use, the tubes are not.
It’s always a good idea to keep extra tubes (both preamp
and output power tubes) handy, especially for performance
situations. An overwhelming majority of minor problems on
tube amps are tube-related and it’s just a matter of swap-
ping one or more out to have your amp performing like
brand new again.

OPERATION
If this is your rst all-tube amplier, 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 amplier. Vacuum tubes are “old world”
thermal devices that require more attention than transis-
tors, 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 the following points will
ensure maximum performance from your Bad Cat amp.
1. Place the amp at least 6 inches away from any wall or
obstacle to provide adequate ventilation around the amp.
Good airow around the amp will go a long way in prevent-
ing the amp from overheating, especially the tubes. Do not
place covers, clothing, or any other materials on or in the
amp that can obstruct the free venting of the chassis to the
outside air. Trapped heat in the chassis may cause a condi-
tion known as thermal runaway. To put it simply, to warm
or cook the tubes is good, to heat-cycle or fry the tubes is
extremely dangerous and will also shorten the life of the
tubes considerably.
2. Vacuum tubes will last longer and sound more musical
when they are allowed to warm up prior to introducing an
input signal from your guitar. A full ow of electrons from
the cathode can only be achieved when the tube is heated.
This requires some time. Please allow at least one minute
of warm-up time before playing through the amp.
3. Avoid long idle periods with no input signal. The vacuum
tubes prefer to see a signal present. When taking a break
between practice sessions or in between sets of a perfor-
mance, use the standby switch or turn off the amp.
4. Avoid unveried impedance loads. In other words, do not
clip on or otherwise attach additional speakers unless you
know the system impedance. Tube ampliers are very sen-
sitive to speaker impedance matching. This is due to the
relationship between the internal resistances of the output
transformer, the output power tubes and the load that is
required to drive them. Unbalanced loads can cause de-
structive arcing; the transformer and the tubes may actually
burn themselves out. This is not covered by our warranty.
With proper impedance matching, multiple speaker cong-
urations will work ne. If you are not familiar with “Ohm’s
Law”, please consult with a dealer or a qualied amplier
technician. Do not attempt to operate the amp if you can-
not verify system impedance after connecting the speakers.
Never operate your Bad Cat amp at 2 ohms or less.
5. Avoid unapproved “Power Soak” devices or attenuators
that are not recommended by Bad Cat as they can shorten
the life of your power tubes considerably. Attenuators burn
out tubes prematurely because they require the power
tubes to overwork continuously. Also, please note that pow-
er tubes are best replaced as a matched full set whenever
any of them fail.
high-end denition turn this knob past noon. For a warmer and rounder sound,
turn this knob below noon in conjunction with turning up the Bass knob.
Reverb
The reverb circuit is a completely new Bad Cat design that adds spatial dimen-
sion to the tone produced by the amp. Incorporating the very best 3-spring
reverb tank with newly designed reverb tone circuit, the reverb can go from
subtle classic spring reverb effects to rollicking surf reverb to cavernous hall-
like setting with a simple twist of this knob. This reverb circuit was carefully
designed to be useful across the entire sweep of the reverb range. It adds a
wide range of spatial effects that you just can’t duplicate with pedals and digital
effects processors.
Channel 2: Volume
This volume knob controls the output level specic to Channel 2. With the Mas-
ter Volume switched “out” this is solely responsible for the loudness of this
channel. With the Master Volume switched “in” this pot works tandem with the
Master. In that case, the higher settings of this pot will give more gain and the
Master will be used for overall volume.
Tone
This is a 5-position knob used for instant access to your favorite sounds. Turn it
clockwise for increasingly darker, thicker tones. Turning the knob counterclock-
wise gives you more treble and bite. The 5-position switch gives you a distinct
advantage in being able to recreate the tone you want time after time.
Tone Switch
This switch gives you the option of using the 5-position tone knob above or us-
ing the bass and treble knobs that follow. Switch in the left position gives you
the 5-position knob. Switch in the right position gives you the bass and treble
knob. The amp uses either the 5-position or the bass and treble knobs for tone;
they are not used in conjunction with one another.
Bass
The Bass EQ knob has been carefully tailored to cover the critical low-end fre-
quencies in the electric guitar’s sonic range. Whether you need depth in your
sound or low-end punch, this control will allow you to dial in just the right
amount of bass frequencies.
Treble
The Treble EQ knob allows you to control the amount of high-end frequencies
that determine the cutting character of your sound. For more sparkle and high-
end denition turn this knob past noon. For a warmer and rounder sound, turn
this knob below noon in conjunction with turning up the Bass knob.
Cut
The Cut knob is universal to Channel 1 and Channel 2,
meaning it is always in the circuit an always affecting the
tone. The knob is appropriately named because turning it
up gives your tone more cut; turning it down gives a darker,
mellower tone. This is similar to a presence knob on some
other amps.
Master “In” and “Out” Switch and Master Volume
This switch activates and deactivates the master volume
for Channel 1 & 2. When the switch is “In” the Master knob
now controls the overall output level of Channel 1. When the
switch is “Out” the Master knob is now out of the circuit and
does not affect the amp.
Channel 2 Master only works when Bass & Treble is
selected.
BACK PANEL
A/C Plug
Plug your amp’s power cord in here rst, then to the wall.
On/Off Switch
This switch turns the amp on or off. Please make sure that
the Standby Switch is in the Standby mode before turning
on or off. This will help increase the life to the power tubes.
Standby Switch
Leave this switch off when turning on the amp and let the
amp warm up for a full minute before turning this switch
on. It’s best to let tubes warm up before playing. Also, turn
the Standby switch to Standby when you will not be playing
for a while (for example, breaks in between sets of your
performances, etc.).
Channel Switching Jack
Plug in your amps footswitch here to allow you to switch
between channel 1 and 2 and also bland channels.The foot-
switch must be used to access the channel blend feature.
Full/Half Power Switch
In the up position this switch allows the use of full power of
your amp. For more headroom, full power mode is a must.
Full power mode also provides a bigger, bolder tone. The
down position of this switch is Half power mode. Half power
is very useful for getting the amp to break into desirable
distortion at lower volumes for home use or use in smaller
rooms. The tone character is slightly different between the
modes and a little experimentation is worthwhile.
Reverb Footswitch Jack
This is the footswitch jack to turn the reverb on or off. You
can use any conventional shielded cable latching on/off
footswitch with this jack.
Speaker Jack
On a combo amp, this jack is for adding an extension
speaker cabinet to be used with the internal speaker of the
amp. The internal speaker runs at 8 ohms for a single 12 or
4 ohms for 2x12 and is parallel with the extension speaker
jack. On a head, this jack is for connection to your speaker
cabinet. Please be sure to select the proper ohms to match
your cab.
Speaker Phase Switch
This switch changes the phase of your amp’s speakers.
When the amp is played by itself, either position will sound
good, but slightly different. Here is another case where a
little experimentation is worthwhile to nd what is right for
you. This switch becomes very important, though, when the
amp is used in conjunction with another amp in a dual amp
setup. If the speaker in the two amps are set “out of phase”
with each other your tone could be weakened considerably.
So when you’re running the amp simultaneously with an-
other amp, be sure to check this switch to see if one posi-
tion or the other is giving you a better result.
Front & Rear Panel Controls
BLACK CAT 15
MAINTENANCE
Your Bad Cat amp is a professional instrument that does not require much in
maintenance. Use a clean dry cloth to wipe cabinet as required but avoid sol-
vents of any type as they may tarnish or discolor the vinyl. If you’re going to
store the amp with a cover, please allow the tubes to cool before covering the
amp. A cover cloth or vinyl amp cover will prevent dust buildup in the amp.
Weak or dull tones from your amp may indicate that the tubes are old or tired
and need replacement. The tubes in your amp are like tires on your car. They do
wear out. If you notice change in tone and tactile response from the amp, it’s
most likely that the power tubes need to be replaced. As advised earlier in this
manual, replacement should only be done in complete matched sets. Preamp
tubes will last much longer than power tubes, but these should also be checked
occasionally. Preamp tubes tend to go micro-phonic and also produce unde-
sired results when old or not working properly.
The Black Cat is a 15 watt Class A amplier. Class A amps have their power
tubes running at full power at all times unlike Class A/B. Class A/B amps are
push-pull amps which essentially means that the power tubes alternate turns
handling current. Many classic Marshall and Fender amps are Class A/B. Class
A or Class A/B is neither better than the other but they do offer differences in
tonal character.
FRONT PANEL
Channel 1: Volume
This volume pot controls the output level specic to Channel 1. With the Master
Volume switched “out” this is solely responsible for the loudness of this chan-
nel. With the Master Volume switched “in” this pot works in tandem with the
Master. In that case, the higher settings of this pot will give more gain and the
Master will be used for overall volume.
Bass
The Bass EQ knob has been carefully tailored to cover the critical low-end fre-
quencies in the electric guitar’s sonic range. Whether you need depth in your
sound or low-end punch, this control will allow you to dial in just the right
amount of bass frequencies.
Treble
The Treble EQ knob allows you to control the amount of high-end frequencies
that determine the cutting character of your sound. For more sparkle and
Dual Master Volume
controls that can
be switched out
of the circuit.
Volume1
2
Bass Treble Volume Tone Bass Treble Ch-1
Ch-2
Cut
In
Out
CH 1-2
BLACK CAT 15 FRONT PANEL
CH-1
Footswitch
Channel
Switching
On On Full Power
Off Stdby Half Power Speaker
BLACK CAT 15 REAR PANEL
Bad Cat Holdings LLC., Made in U.S.A.
16
8
4
120 Volt
AC Voltage
2 Amp