Gear Review: Framing Hanley Guitarist Brandon Wootten on His Hughes and Kettner TriAmp MK2

Brandon Wootten, guitarist for the alternative rock band Framing Hanley, recently sat and chatted with me about his favorite piece of gear. The band is currently prepping for their third release, The Sum Of Who We Are, due out on April 29th – their first CD in 4 years on their new label, Imagen Records. Here is what Wootten had to say about his Hughes & Kettner amp.

What one piece of gear do you use to obtain your signature sound?
Wootten: My signature sound is my Hughes & Kettner TriAmp MK2.

What about it makes it so important to you?
Wootten: To start the amp has 3 channels to choose from. So, I’m never limited to certain tone while using the H&K. I like to have the option to use a super clean tone with lots of effects and then be able to switch to a heavy distortion.

What are the major pros and cons?
Wootten: The pros of the H&K are the 3 channels to choose from Clean, Overdrive, and Modern Distortion. The amp can also be run at 50 watt or 100 watts power output. The only con I have found is it doesn’t go to 11.

How long have you had it, how do you use it, would you ever chance it?
Wootten: I’ve had the amp for about 6 yrs and have only taken it to the shop for repair twice. It’s a workhorse. I use it for studio and live shows. I wouldn’t trade it for any other amp on the market right now.

Any final thoughts or comments on the gear?
Wootten: My final thoughts would be that if any guitar player hasn’t had the chance to play through an H&K TriAmp, they should go to their local music store and rock it! It might change your mind forever. MUHHHAHAHAHA.

Check out the song “Crooked Smiles”