OPERATION
If this is your fi rst all-tube amplifi 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 amplifi 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 airfl 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 fl 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 unverifi ed impedance loads. In other words, do not
clip on or otherwise attach additional speakers unless you
know the system impedance. Tube amplifi 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 confi g-
urations will work fi ne. If you are not familiar with “Ohm’s
Law”, please consult with a dealer or a qualifi ed amplifi 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.
BOBCAT 5 REAR PANEL
BOBCAT 5 FRONT PANEL
BOBCAT 5 FRONT PANEL
Gain
Tone
Master
Input
Front & Rear Panel Controls
BOBCAT
5
Reverb
FRONT PANEL
Input
Your guitar plugs in here…
Gain
The Gain knob controls the amount of gain applied. Set the knob low (approxi-
mately 9 o’clock to noon) and you will get punchy clean tones with the sig-
nature Badcat highs. Turn the knob clockwise past noon and you get for mild
bluesy overdrive. You will also notice that the gain is very sensitive to your
guitar volume knob adjustments and your picking attack. The touch sensitivity
of the amp’s gain control allows you to access a wide range of overdrive and
distorted sounds without having to readjust the Gain knob in between noon and
2 o’clock and use your guitar volume knob to go from bluesy with slight breakup
to crunch to searing leads.
RIP switch.
Use the RIP switch to engage a vintage sounding gain circuit that will clean up
when you back down the volume on your guitar.
Tone
This is a knob used for instant access to your favorite sounds. Turn it coun-
terclockwise for increasingly darker, thicker tones. Turning the knob clockwise
gives you more treble and bite.
Reverb
Control the mix between your direct guitar and reverb signal.
Master
This controls the volume of the Badcat output section.
Rip
BACK PANEL
A/C Plug
Plug your amp’s power cord in here fi rst, then to the wall.
On/Off Switch
This switch turns the amp on or off.
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. Place amp in the Standby mode when you will not be playing for awhile
(for example, breaks in between sets of your performances, etc.).
Footswitch
Plug in a single button footswitch to engage the RIP circuit. This makes for a
great solo boost.
Speakers
This single jack is for speaker connection. The internal single 12” speaker is
rated at 8 ohms.
Send and Return
These jacks are your FX Loop. Typically, “time” based pedals are placed in the
FX loop and “tone” based pedals are placed in the front of the preamp (the
Input jack on the front panel). “Time” based pedals would be delays, reverbs,
choruses, fl angers, etc.. “Tone” based pedals would be Wah, EQ, overdrive, dis-
tortion, etc..
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 solvents 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 cov-
ering 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 undesired results when old or not
working properly.
TROUBLESHOOTING
Your new Bad Cat amplifi er is designed for many years of pro-
fessional 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 prob-
lems that you are dealing with; i.e., take your amp to where you
purchased it.
CONSUMER NOTE***
There are NO user serviceable parts inside this amplifi er! Any
attempt to modify this amp will void the lifetime warranty!
No Power
Check the power source from the wall fi 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 fi 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 amplifi er.
Adverse Sounds-Hum, Whistle, Loss of Dynamics, Feed-
back, Howling
Check loudspeaker cones, frayed guitar cables, controls on your
instrument, the guitar’s pickups and any other devices that may
120 Volt
AC Voltage
Send
Return
Bad Cat Holdings LLC., Made in U.S.A.
F/S
Speakers
ON
OFF
Fuse 250V
On
Stdby
