HB-20R : Inexpensive does not mean cheap, as this amplifier demonstrates nicely!

Objective: To determine whether the Harley Benton HB20-R amplifier is worth buying. Materials: Guitar- Harley Benton TE-20BK (modded, ifr) Amplifier- Harley Benton HB20-R (features: overdrive channel - gain, volume, channel switch; clean channel; shared - EQ [treble/middle/bass]; reverb [return depth]; line in, line out, headphone out) Method: Playing the guitar through the amplifier to find out how it sounds Results: Testing was done with volumes at 4/10, but amplifier has been used at higher volumes. Clean- tonal variation is quite good across the range, although the 8" speaker might affect the range (especially at volumes <5/10). The guitar sounded good in at least combinations of pick-up selection and tone cut/boost. Overdrive- Again, good tonal variation, with overdrive provided by a tube emulator circuit. Up to about gain at 5/10, this circuit produces a lovely drive sound, but after that you're getting into weird pseudo-metal territory. It can be fun, but don't expect it to sound exactly like valve distortion. That said, in informal playing with the volumes higher (~7/10), the difference isn't so great. And the sound is very enjoyable. Discussion: This amplifier was bought to be used as a recording amplifier in the Sound Lounge, where very good sounds have been got from playing through it. So, this has influenced the conclusion has been influenced by this informal playing. The results are, given the price paid for this amplifier, very acceptable. Conclusion: The range of sounds achievable with this amplifier is - for the price - very good. The amplifier is sturdy, but not heavy. It is very easy to operate, and - if one is using it only for recording - the amplifier's channel lack of a footswitch is not a problem. Otherwise, pedals are the user's saviours on this matter. Is this amplifier worth buying?: Yes. Rating: handling- 5 features- 4 (lack of footswitch, small speaker) sound- 4.5 overall- 4.5