Amp Review: Hayden Mofo 30W Amp Head

Every once in a while I come across guitar-related stuff that I feel is worth a review.
And this time I came across an amp from Hayden that I find worthy of a few words of my own.

This all tube 30W valve Mofo amp head by Hayden (from Ashdown) with its namesake emblazoned across the front grill. Used by bands such as Biffy Clyro (I love what they did on "Mountains") and Eagles of Death Metal (never heard of 'em).

Powered by 4x EL84 and 3x 12AX7 (not A7X) tubes that provide the different UK and US voicings that you can get from the respective inputs. And with both 8 and 16 Ohm speaker outputs, the Mofo can drive a wide range of cabinets from a boutique 1x12 in the studio right up to a 4x12 on the concert stage. It has a single jack for the FX loop. But heck, I don't know how that works since I don't plug my effects there. And it doesn't have a standby switch, so I suggest getting a drink before coming back until the tubes have warmed up.

But what irks me to no end is the Stealth switch.

Which is located under the damn thing.

This switch cuts down the output to 2 Watts which allows you Mofo to scream without your neighbours screaming at you. But then its still pretty loud if you're living in a HDB pigeonhole. But as for me, what do I care? I still play with levels at 12 o'clock setting so I can't vouch for anyone.

It's basically a one-channel amp that thinks that it has 2, thanks to the Mofo boost. Think of it as a built-in boost for the built-in overdrive. Think of it as an Orange Tiny Terror on steroids and you'll be in the ballpark.
Maxed out, one can probably dip one's toes into metal territory, but you won't get far without a distortion pedal.
The controls (MOFO, Gain, Middle, Bass, Treble, Presence, Master) are all very responsive and you'll definitely be able to dial in something that you'll like.

And as for the different voicings, maybe it's just me, but I find that the US sounds a bit more British than the UK.
*shrugs*
But then again, I'm a Marshall kinda guy. So what do I know?
I'd imagine this Mofo (see what I did there?) would sound good if you're looking to channel Queen, Led Zeppelin or AC/DC, though.

Oh, and if you don't know what Mofo means, I'd suggest to look at the non-abbreviated version of the word that's printed on the circuit board under the bottom cover(if you don't mind getting zapped, of course).

Overall a nice boutique amp (yes, I said boutique) for the heavy rockers out there, and great value for the price.

Get yours from Musicark @ Peninsula Shopping Centre.

And no, I don't know how much it's going for. But I think there's a sale. Then again I may be wrong.