From Mack Endorsing Artist Steve Gunner (Creedence Clearwater Revisited):
"I don't mind paying real money for a quality product, but the fact that Mack amps are so affordable makes the tone even sweeter!"
From Mack Endorsing Artist Doron Zor:
"August 8 2009. Here I am playing a high profile gig at Toronto's famous jazz venue The Rex Jazz Bar.
While setting up my gear I pulled the speaker cable from my Skyraider 15 Combo - by accident of course. Thinking I blew the tubes or busted the amp, 10min before my set starts I call Don Mackrill explaining the situation. Without skipping a beat Don replies with: "I am on the way with a new amp to your gig". Good thing I was only 20min away :)
Later that evening I get a call back from Don: "Doron the amp is fine, you just pulled the cable from the speaker when you rushed to get the amp plugged into the wall before your set". Next day Don shows up at my house with my beloved amp.
This just shows what an amazing guy runs this company. Really and truly cares about the player, and tries to put himself in the player's shoes. Thank you Don."
Email from Bill after receiving his Heatseeker HS-18:
"The amp is just fabulous! I love that power tube distortion! It's really the pure and unadulterated sound I've been looking for.
You're right - the amp is very responsive to my playing (it's extremely sensitive to picking dynamics) and that's going to make me a better player, for sure.
It's also amazing how one tone switch can shape my sound so dramatically. I'm using a solid-body guitar with a single soap bar pickup - the "hot" setting is fine for rhythm and most leads but I really like that "burn" switch when I need a boost.
Thanks, Don, for building a fine amp... everything you said on your website is true and I'm really excited about creating my own unique sound with this tone machine."
Email from Daniel about his Skyraider SR-15:
"This picture shows me with my Skyraider and my built-from-scratch strat. The single coil sound with the Skyraider has treated me well.
I recorded with it the other day and it came across as bright and smooth. Great studio sound!
A friend of mine compared the tone to his Matchless... which is high praise in the boutique world!
It's quickly becoming my go-to amp for just about everything. Thanks, Don!"
Note: A built-from-scratch Strat?! Well done Daniel!
Email excerpts from Mack Endorsing Artist Rob Roberge:
"The tone is FABULOUS. Man what a sweet sounding amp." - Comment regarding Rob's first encounter with his Heatseeker HS-18
"We (Urinals) played an impromtu gig in Pedro for a friend's art opening. I was tired, didn't feel like carrying shit, so I brought the Skyraider SR-30 and the cab and a tele with 'buckers and no pedals, save for a tuner. Sounded f'ing incredible... First time I'd used the 4-6V6 amp at a gig, and its potential was really shown live. My tone was monster. No pedals... just the volume knob on the tele, and I sounded as good as ever live. Incredible. I love these amps." - Comment regarding Rob's first gig with his SR-30.
This is a phone message left by Chris in Florida after he had just received his Heatseeker HS-18C Combo:
Don, how are you? Just got the amp. F****ing awesome, man!
Beautiful! Love it! Gonna take it in the studio with me. Really digging it, man! Appreciate it!
- Chris, Florida
Three emails from Bing in Chicago, Illinois:
The first email was sent a few days after receiving his new Heatseeker HS-18:
"Got the amp this Friday and I got to try it on band practice Saturday. My expectations were exceeded man. There's plenty of headroom and the volume, I was literally blown away. This amp is LOUD!!! I was hesitating on getting an 18 watt amp but you made me a believer. I was easily converted. I immediately sold all my effects this weekend. Talk about pure Valve burning tone!
I can't compare it to the other amps I have owned because it has it's unique tonal character on its own. The amp cuts through anything in my band, even if our drummer is a heavy hitter. I use to sacrifice tone to be able to be heard through the mix, but with the HS-18 no tone is lost.
Plenty of volume for a medium size gig with around 250 heads. I don't know about the big gigs, but what the heck there is always the PA to mic the amp or maybe I'll get your 30 watter when you bring them out.
Thank you Don! Stay true to your vision."
- Bing, Chicago Illinois
Another email from Bing in Chicago, Illinois sent a week later:
How much is the Heatseeker HS-36? This with the HS18 would be the ultimate match for large gigs.
I just gigged with the HS-18 and a Vox AC30 head A/B. I cranked the HS-18 all the way up at the Burn position for my crunch and added a Bad Bob booster for my high gain sound. Man, what a sound!
I used the AC30 for my cleans. I like the clean sound of the HS-18 better, but it just doesn't have enough headroom for a large gig. Regarding the clean sound, the HS-18 is kinda in the middle of a Fender and a Vox, punch with a hint of jangle.
If I can afford to buy the HS-36, the AC30 is going to be auctioned on eBay. For ten years I have been using Fender, Vox and Marshall reissues. None of them comes close to the tone of the Mack, yet they are at the same price range
- Bing, Chicago Illinois
And Bing writes again:
“The show we did last night was a huge success. We played with 6 other bands. The other guitar players were raving about the Heatseeker. They can't believe I wasn't using any dirt pedals. I had the smallest pedal board and the smallest amp (most brought their overkill 100 watters) but I had the biggest tone. They can't believe how loud the Heatseeker sounds. I had the volume set at 10 o'clock and in the middle of our set I saw the sound guy on the stage turning down the volume of the amp!”
- Bing, Chicago Illinois
“Picture it if you will... we're playing in a restaurant bar in beautiful downtown Ajax. The keyboard player stands on it and everything disappears in full-spectrum wash of electronic hash. Arghhh... it's the '80s again. My PRS via my new Mack Music Systems Heatseeker HS-18, though, cuts through it all with a warm, articulate, mid-rangey tone that belies its 18 watts. These are, after all, tube watts. The Heatseeker is in no way a forgiving amp. It is very sensitive to your touch and if you're struggling with technique, it will happily rat you out. It rewards, though, with great string articulation and note definition. This is a great little amp that goes toe to toe with high-buck boutique jobs. Get 'em while they're hot. And they are hot!”
- Rudi Engel, Head End
“I was leery about using an 18 watt amp at this annual fund-raiser gig. We don't mike the amps, so I usually use a 100 watt Music Man combo at this venue. But the Heatseeker sounded great and seemed to have plenty of headroom during our rehearsals. So I figured what the hell...
Well, the Heatseeker HS-18 completely blew me away. It had the clarity and lots of nice EL84 chime to handle chords without becoming muddy or distorted and I love the way the bottom end holds together at high volume. I could nail that sexy blues tone where you've got both some clean and dirt happening at the same time. Open up the guitar's volume and the ZZ Top stuff sounded perfect. With a little boost from my Blues Driver, I had single notes blooming into controlled feedback. Awesome!
I'm not a fan of amps with a bunch of tone-sucking extra features, but I'm finding the Heatseeker’s three position "Character" switch to be handy. The tone shaping it adds is subtle but I find it useful when switching from guitars with single coils to humbuckers.
The Heatseeker is an amazing amp. Especially for the price.”
- Rob Dobson, Centrifugal Chiller
I’m pictured here at home with my Heatseeker HS-18 and a few of my guitars. From my far right there’s my National Delphi Deluxe, my Gibson Les Paul Supreme, my Strat and, my Gibson doubleneck. I’m holding my Gibson L4 CES.
I’ve been playing for many years (30ish) and enjoy playing many styles of music (hence all the different axes). I’ve also owned many amps (Sunn, Marshall, Fender, Line6) over the years. During that time, I have settled on certain tones that I really like and the Heatseeker delivers those tones with no muss, no fuss.
I really like the Heatseeker for a number of reasons:
- It’s easy to use, not overloaded with so many features that I can’t possibly use them all. It’s a straight forward amp with GREAT tone. Any features I want to add I just hang effects pedals off the amp.
- The price is very reasonable for what you’re getting. Great value.
- Did I mention tone? You bet it has great tone! I can go from loud “punch and crunch” using my Les Paul (and it can get LOUD!) to smooth jazz tones to a really nice blues tone using my National (outfitted with a Highlander pick-up)
- Mack Music Systems was really easy to work with
The Heatseeker holds it’s own against the other amps I’ve owned. My biggest endorsement for the amp is this: I’d buy another one if the one I’ve got ever went missing…it’s an important part of my tone and I’d hate to be without it. If you get a chance to play one, you won’t be disappointed.
- Mike, Edmonton Alberta
You'll be happy to know that
when we played our CD release show in Vancouver on Thursday all five bands elected to use the Heatseeker HS-18 for their set! And no matter what style the bands were, everyone seemed to get a wicked tone out of it! Yah!!
- Valerie Mcleod - leader, singer, guitarist – Val Halla