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Hughes & Kettner

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The Hughes & Kettner GM40DH GrandMeister Deluxe 40 is the ultimate all tube guitar amplifier head. This 40-watt dynamo harnesses Deluxe Tone Technology to serve up a staggering variety of iconic tube tones at the touch of a button. Choose from crisp cleans, growling overdrive and face melting distortion—then save your favorite sounds to instant access presets. Built in modulation effects and reverb make it easy to sculpt your tone, while adjustable wattage lets you crank the amp at lower volumes. The GrandMeister Deluxe 40 also features a built in Red Box AE speaker emulator for direct recording and playing through PA systems without a guitar speaker cabinet. Whether you're gigging, recording or jamming at home, the Hughes & Kettner GM40DH GrandMeister Deluxe 40 is a formidable fusion of tube tone and modern technology.

Deluxe Tone Technology

At the heart of the GrandMeister Deluxe 40 is Hughes & Kettner's Deluxe Tone Technology, which provides a stunning range of iconic tube tones inspired by the brand's flagship TriAmp Mark 3 amplifier. From bold cleans to snarling high gain leads, Deluxe Tone Technology makes it easy to dial in the sounds of your dreams. Save your favorite settings to the amp's 128 user presets for instant recall whenever inspiration strikes.

Built-in Effects and Adjustable Wattage

Onboard modulation effects—including chorus, flanger, phaser and tremolo—and digital reverb let you sculpt your tone with lush ambiance and movement. And with five selectable wattages, from 40 watts down to 0 watts, you can achieve cranked amp tones at lower volumes that won't upset the neighbors or damage your hearing. The adjustable wattage is perfect for recording, practicing and gigging in smaller venues.

Red Box AE Speaker Emulation

The GrandMeister Deluxe 40 features Hughes & Kettner's renowned Red Box AE speaker emulation, which provides the sonic experience of a miked 4x12 guitar cabinet. Red Box AE lets you plug directly into mixing consoles, audio interfaces and PA systems without the need for an external speaker cabinet, making it ideal for recording, live playing and quiet practice.

Intuitive Control

Despite its formidable features, the GrandMeister Deluxe 40 is designed to be intuitive and player friendly. Familiar front panel controls make it easy to dial in your desired tones, while the optional FSM 432 MK III MIDI foot controller provides hands free switching between 128 user presets. The free GM40 Remote app for iPad also lets you control the amp wirelessly for an unparalleled level of tonal command and convenience.

Open Box Hughes & Kettner GM40DH GrandMeister Deluxe 40 40W Guitar Amplifier Head Level 1
Open Box Hughes & Kettner GM40DH GrandMeister Deluxe 40 40W Guitar Amplifier Head Level 1
Open Box Hughes & Kettner GM40DH GrandMeister Deluxe 40 40W Guitar Amplifier Head Level 1

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collapse expand iconReviews

4.4

15 Reviews

80%

of respondents would recommend this to a friend

Yes! Yes! Yes!

Most Liked Positive Review

4

Brutal.

I wanted a small head unit that could push a 4x12 orange cab with V30s and still give me my tone. I have tried other lunchbox sized that cost 3 times less, but they fall short. I like lots of amps, Mostly high watt combos. I tried the tubemeister 36 but it lacked some oomph so I decided I would just go for the deluxe series. The 36 was discontinued so I've been waiting months for this 40 to come in. I play jazzy metal/ djent and use Jackson, ibanez, BC Rich. I have used mostly Peavey, Marshall, stacks, combos, Maxon, Boss effects and mix match everything as needed. I already had a tiny bit of experience with this lunchbox style H&K so figuring out the controls was easy. Even getting use to the effects was easy. (Manually trying to figure out where your knobs were set after dialing in effects and switching back was and continues to be lame) This head has plenty of power and gives me a great tone with volume set as low as one. I didn't even have to soak to 1watt. i don't use the presence so all have to say is I don't like it past 1 and up. Yuck. The r so an extra is a great addition and helped huge in getting my tone, not that I crank it, but having that extra bit of modeling really helps. Reverb has plenty of headroom to the point of ridiculousness but sounds natural as do all the effects. The noise gate...awesome. Really tightens it up. I don't use the loop so no comment. The EQ is pretty nice. Good mids and treble, bass is a little weak, but then there's that resonance. The boost is ok but I almost always use a distortion pedal to help get my sound and no exception here. The clean is very nice with and without effects. The crunch, lead and ultra are all pretty basic in my opinion, like most amps. But like I said , I use a overdrive pedal and with that, I get a really killer and brutal metal sound that is not out of control. There's chunk and grit and tang and it wants to be loud to show you what it can do. The redbox is awsome. I'm really digging this head.

VS

Most Liked Negative Review

1

I would NOT buy this amp

Sounded great until just about the 3 month time then board failure & nobody KNEW why. Waited way to long on back order stared at a $600 cab and a $200 midi board for months what a waste. H&K pretended they wanted to help but that was a dead end like the amp. My goal is to warn other musicians if you dont have the funds to gamble then dont at least until they give the 3 year warranty as promised.

Filters
Best Uses
  1. Home Studio7
  2. Amateur Recording6
  3. Performances6
  4. Outdoor Events / Games3
  5. Professional Recording3
Cons
  1. Limited Functions1
  2. NOT DEPENDABLE WARNING1
  3. Weak1
Describe Yourself
  1. Experienced4
  2. Professional Musician2
  3. Novice1
Pros
  1. Excellent Sound7
  2. Good Power Output6
  3. Portable6
  4. Easy To Use5
  5. Warm / Comfy4

Reviewed by 15 customers

  • Versatile amp from clean to distortion

    5

    Verified BuyerVerified Buyer

    submitted2 years ago

    bySam

    fromJersey City, NJ

    Submitted as part of a sweepstakes

    Sounds great, has an iPad app that can control the sound. Has build-in boost. Note that: 1 - You need to attach a Bluetooth midi adapter to the midi port of the amplifier to use the iPad app. 2 - when you change channels where the knobs were set doesn't matter. It remembers the previous values on that channel, can be confusing at the beginning. If you intend to use the DI / cab emulated out I recommend a dedicated attenuator / cab emulation (like captor x) and not the one built-in, it will sound better.

  • Excellent & A Bargain for the Quality

    5

    Verified BuyerVerified Buyer

    submitted3 years ago

    byEva

    fromBellingham WA

    Practice & Live

  • Killer amp

    5

    Verified BuyerVerified Buyer

    submitted4 years ago

    byDave G

    fromLA

    Light in weight, heavy in features

  • Yes! Yes! Yes!

    5

    Verified BuyerVerified Buyer

    submitted5 years ago

    byStas

    fromSan Mateo

    The construction and lights up inside just makes you want to spend time next to it

  • Definitely what I was looking for

    5

    submitted5 years ago

    byBryan

    fromColorado

    This little AMP is a ripper! Clean to high-gain and everything in between. H&K put a lot of thought into this design. The only downside is the extra cost of the wireless adapter and it would have been nice if they had that functionality built in. I am running this through a Fender Supersonic 2x12 cabinet (V30's) and I am most impressed with the power soak function in a smaller room @1 or 5 watts is all you need without having to upset the entire neighborhood. Turn it to 40 watts at any volume this thing produces a high power punch than I have not experienced with any 100W Solid State amp I have owned in the past. The Redbox capability is top notch and works like a charm running through the PA system. That said, IMHO so far running it directly into the 2x12 cabinet offers a much better sound experience.

  • Worth It

    5

    submitted5 years ago

    byBluesman

    fromMetro Detroit

    This is an all around amp. Love the setting (especially Ultra), effects, noise gate, The power watt settings work great as well. This in my opinion is one of the best sounding amps out there. God knows I own a few!

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collapse expand iconQ&A

Have a question about this product? Our expert Gear Advisers have the answers.

  • submitted3 years ago

    asked byScott

    frommoline, il

    does the foot pedal come with it

    does the foot pedal come with it

    Open Reply - Kenneth
    Pedal not included

  • submitted3 years ago

    asked byEric

    fromAlbany NY

    Does this head come with a foot peddle ???

    Does this head come with a foot peddle ???

    Open Reply - Ronald
    The pedal is not included.

  • submitted3 years ago

    asked byCassio´n´roll

    fromDOWNINGTOWN

    Do you guys have any hard case for this amp?

    Do you guys have any hard case for this amp?

    Open Reply - Thomas
    Unfortunately, no. Please give us a call if you would like some help 877 687 5403

  • submitted3 years ago

    asked byEric

    fromMiramar Florida

    What does Blemished mean?

    What does Blemished mean?

    Open Reply - Thomas
    BLEMISHED: Gear returned in great condition, with only minor signs of use, such as slight scuffs or pick marks. It looks and plays like new and may be considered an equivalent to display units found in retail stores. Includes 45-Day, No-Hassle Returns Includes full manufacturer's warranty Includes 2-Year Free Warranty on all guitars and basses Gold coverage plan available for 1 or 2 years coverage