Kustom 36 coupe, 72 Coupe

8) Lead Volume/Pull Bright—The Lead Volume control adjusts the gain

at the input of the ampliﬁer when the Lead channel is active. It is used in

conjunction with the Lead Master to adjust the amount of distortion and

volume for the channel. For cleaner sounds, this control would be set to

lower settings and the Master set higher...for slight breakup, the controls

would be set in their middle ranges...for heavier distortion, set the Lead

Volume higher and the Master lower. Pulling the Pull Bright will increase

the high frequencies of the signal, while also reducing low frequencies

for a chunkier, tighter attack. This function is very useful for ﬁne-tuning

the amp’s tone and feel for different guitars.

9) Lead Master—The Lead Master sets the overall volume of the Lead

channel, and can be used to balance the volumes between it and the

Rhythm channel. The interactions between Volume and Master are

described in detail in the previous section entitled 8) Lead Volume/Pull

Bright.

10) Bass EQ—This passive EQ adjusts the low frequency equalization of

the ampliﬁer. It interacts with the Middle and Treble as described in the

12) Treble EQ section. For a tighter low end, use the Bass EQ set to lower

settings. This is particularly helpful when using the amp at very loud set-

tings. This EQ works for both Rhythm and Lead channels.

11) Middle EQ—This passive EQ adjusts the midrange equalization of

the ampliﬁer. It interacts with the Bass and Treble EQ as described in the

12) Treble EQ section. For a heavier, more distorted sound, set the Middle

lower. For more of a vintage-style, cleaner sound, set the Middle higher.

This EQ works for both Rhythm and Lead channels.

12) Treble EQ—This passive EQ adjusts the high frequency equaliza-

tion of the ampliﬁer, but also interacts with the Bass and Middle controls

as follows: As the Treble is increased, the Bass automatically decreases

and the Middle slides down in frequency. Conversely, if the Treble is

decreased, the Bass automatically increases and the Middle slides up in

frequency. This interaction is typical of vintage-style passive EQ, and is

responsible for the increased effectivity of such a simple system.

13) Reverb Intensity—The Reverb Intensity controls the amount of re-

verberation effect in the ampliﬁer. This effect is created by an authentic

Accutronics spring reverb pan, and sounds essentially like playing the

amp in a large room. The Reverb can be defeated with the footswitch, or

by turning the Intensity control fully counter-clockwise.

14) Reverb Tone—A traditional Kustom feature, the Reverb Tone allows

the user to ﬁne-tune the sound of the reverb effect. Turning this Tone fully

clockwise yields a very bright reverb effect with emphasized “spring.” By

turning the Reverb Tone down, a warmer, less-springy sounding reverb

effect results. The warmer reverb tone allows for more reverb intensity

without dominating the sound.

15) Jeweled Pilot Light—Indicates that the ampliﬁer’s power switch is

in the On position.

16) On/Off Power—Provides AC power to the ampliﬁer when in the

“On” position—switched to the left.

17) Standby—This allows the ampliﬁer to be powered up, but with the

tubes in a non-operational mode. The Standby can be used instead of the

power switch between performance sets, since it allows the amp to “shut

down” while keeping the tubes warm and ready to go. It’s also best to

power the amp up with this switch set to the right/off position until the

tubes have had a few minutes to warm up, although modern tubes are

more tolerant of this.

‘36 Coupe Control Panels