Bandit 65

This is the 'how hard you push the front end' knob for the drive channel. Turning it up sends more signal into the distortion circuit, so more of it means more grit and sustain.

tip: Higher Pre Gain plus higher Saturation equals heavier overdrive; keep Pre Gain low and Saturation low for cleaner Lead-channel tones.

This is the overdrive/distortion amount knob. Low settings give a light, edge-of-breakup crunch; high settings give thick, warm, singing distortion with more sustain, mimicking a cranked tube amp.

tip: Pairs beautifully with Pull Thick (on the High EQ knob) for a fat rock lead voice. Roll it back for bluesy touch-sensitive crunch.

This is the Lead channel's master volume. It sets how loud the drive channel is without changing how much distortion you have.

tip: Set your distortion character first with Pre Gain and Saturation, then use Post Gain last to dial the final loudness.

This is the volume knob for the clean channel. Important: the Normal channel only becomes active when you plug in a remote footswitch — without one, you're always on the Lead channel.

tip: On the Normal channel, Pull Thick and Post Gain do nothing — the clean channel is deliberately kept simple.

The bass knob — turn it up for more thump and body, down for a tighter, thinner sound.

tip: Note: when Pull Thick is engaged, this Low control is bypassed and does nothing.

The midrange knob — turn it up for a punchier, more forward tone that cuts through a band; turn it down for a scooped, hollow sound.

tip: Note: like the Low control, Mid is bypassed when Pull Thick is engaged.

The treble knob — turn it up for brightness and bite, down for a smoother, warmer sound.

tip: Combine with the Presence control (which affects even higher frequencies) to fine-tune your top end.

An extra treble control that works on the very highest, airiest frequencies — even higher than the High knob. Turn it up for cutting sparkle and attack, down to tame harshness or fizz.

tip: Being 'active' it can add real energy up top — a little goes a long way for cutting through a live mix, but too much can get shrill.

Adds spring-reverb ambience — a sense of space, like playing in a larger room. Up for more wash, down (or off) for a dry, direct sound.

tip: The footswitch can switch reverb on/off, but note reverb is defeated (turned off) whenever the footswitch selects the Normal channel.

Pull this knob outward and the sound gets noticeably brighter and more cutting — great for waking up a dull-sounding guitar or helping single notes sing. Push it back in for the normal, darker tone.

tip: Pull it out when your drive tone feels muddy or buried in a band mix; it adds sparkle and presence.

Pull it out to brighten up your clean tone, push it in for a warmer, rounder clean sound.

tip: Great for adding snap and sparkle to clean chord work or funk rhythms.

Pull this out for an instant fat, midrange-heavy rock tone that's popular for lead work. When it's out, your Low and Mid knobs stop working. It only functions on the Lead channel.

tip: Use Pull Thick together with Saturation for classic thick rock lead sounds; push it in to get your Low and Mid controls back.

This is the main hole you plug your guitar into. It's designed for most regular electric guitars and gives you a healthy, full signal.

tip: Use this input for the vast majority of guitars. It's your default.

A quieter input for guitars with very powerful pickups (like some active or high-output humbuckers) that would otherwise overload and distort the High Gain input unpleasantly. Also: if you plug into BOTH jacks at once, both behave like Low Gain inputs.

tip: If your hot-pickup guitar sounds fizzy or mushy even at low volume, switch to this jack for a cleaner, more controlled tone.

A hum-fighting switch. Leave it in the middle. If you hear hum or buzz from the speaker in a particular room or outlet, flip it to the + or - side to find the quietest setting.

tip: If hum persists in every position, don't force it — get the amp checked by a qualified tech rather than assuming the switch is broken.

The main power switch. Press to On and the red light comes on to tell you the amp is live.

tip: Turn your volume/gain knobs down before powering on or off to avoid pops through the speaker.

The power cord that plugs into the wall. The third (ground) pin is a safety feature.

tip: Never break off or bypass the ground pin — use a properly grounded outlet to reduce both shock hazard and hum.

A send jack that lets you take your dialed-in preamp tone out to an effects unit, a mixing console, a recorder, or another amp — without disturbing the built-in speaker sound (unless you use it as an effects loop with the Power Amp In).

tip: For an effects loop, run Preamp Out into your effect and its output back into Power Amp In. This won't affect normal amp operation when nothing is plugged into Power Amp In.

An input that skips the amp's own tone circuitry and drives the speaker directly. Plug something in here (like the return of an effects loop or an outboard preamp) and it automatically cuts off the Bandit's own preamp.

tip: Whatever you feed here needs to put out about 1 volt to drive the power amp fully — most effects units and preamps can do this.

Where you plug in the footswitch. This is what lets you access the Normal (clean) channel at all and switch between clean and dirty with your foot; it can also toggle reverb.

tip: Always push the plug in fully — you should feel a second click — or the switching won't work reliably. Remember the Normal channel is ONLY available when this footswitch is connected.