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Kustom Dart 10FX

 

Review of the Kustom Dart 10FX by The Man in the Jar

A surprising affordable rehearsal amp

The Kustom looks ready for business in its black leatherette, black corner protectors and silver-black grille. On the top face you'll find a sturdy rubber carrying handle and the recessed control panel. The knobs on the control panel are the chrome knurled type (that you might find on a Telecaster) and give a nice vintage kudos.

From left to right on the panel we have the input jack for your guitar. Next to that are the controls for the Lead channel, Gain and Volume, followed by the Volume control for the Clean channel and a push-switch to toggle between the two. Next is the EQ section with Low, Mid and High and lastly comes the Level control for the Effect and a push-switch to toggle between Delay and Reverb. The panel is completed by the power indicator light in a particularly bright shade of blue.

Through the open back of the Kustom can be seen the 16cm speaker. Tucked away in the back but still easily accessible are the power socket, the on/off switch, an external speaker output, a line out for recording, a headphone out and a CD input (all are jack sockets).   

 

Sounds of the Kustom Dart 10FX

The first thing I noticed was that the Lead channel is capable of far higher output volumes than the Clean channel. This isn't much of a surprise but do bear it in mind when using headphones and turn the volume down to zero on the Lead channel before switching over from the Clean channel.

The Lead channel has a lot of scope for distortion and heavy crunch, around one o'clock on the Gain dial is where you'll find the classic rock sound I look for as my "control" sound when I'm experimenting with an amp. Getting the 10FX off the floor helps widen the sound. I set up with the Kustom sitting on an adjustable office chair that brought the speaker level with my pickups. In this position I was getting nice harmonic feedback undertones at less than ear-splitting volumes. This is very useful for acquiring playing techniques that will work on the amplified stage.

Switching to the Clean channel means that the Kustom cannot hide behind the cloak of overdrive and some of the limitations of its physical size come into play. With all the EQ set flat, the Reverb off and driving with single-coils the sound was a wee bit boxy. This isn't a fault of the amp, it's simply the realities imposed by the laws of physics. Tweaking the High EQ to about 2 o'clock and adding a touch of Reverb solved this problem. But the Clean channel certainly sounded happier with a humbucker driving it.

The Kustom manual gives suggested settings for Country, Rock and Blues, Hard-edged Rock and Heavy Metal. Each of these works really well (the Country setting suggests the exact same High and Reverb tweak that I found made the Clean channel come alive) and can form the basis of your own tweaking to suit the instrument you're using.

In general the Reverb is useful in the lower reaches of the Level control. Towards full-on it does become harsh and pulses in a strange fashion. The Delay I found to be of limited use because the rate of echo cannot be altered.

 

Overall impressions of the Kustom Dart 10FX 

The Kustom Dart 10FX sets out to achieve an awful lot and for the most part fulfils its aspirations. The Lead channel is more fulfilling than the Clean channel, which would be so much better with a fuller Reverb option. But there's nothing to stop you putting a cheap reverb or chorus between the guitar and the amp to beef up this side of things. But the asking price for this robustly-built little piece of kit that delivers so much is an absolute bargain. At around £40 you can't lose. The provision of Line in and Line out in itself is such a boost to the learning potential the Dart 10FX offers. You can record your practise and listen back with a critical ear. You can record your own rhythm tracks to hone your lead playing skills or play along with the band of your choice and be Rock God of your own bedroom. If you need a practise amp then Kustom Dart 10FX provides what you need.    

Buy the Kustom Dart 10FX

Note: As with all amps equipped with headphone sockets, turn the Master Volume to zero before plugging in the 'phones.

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