Hughes & Kettner's Puretone 50 brings switchable-wattage tube tone back to the amp market
The 50-watt head switches down to 5 watts and covers everything from Marshall-plexi crunch to high gain, with a built-in noise gate.
Sep 27, 2026
Credit: Hughes & Kettner / gearnews.com (via source)
Hughes & Kettner has unveiled the Puretone 50, a new tube amp head shown at Guitar Summit 2026 in Mannheim. The head runs a full 50 watts of tube power but can be switched down to 5 watts, letting players move between stage volume and a level that's actually usable at home or in a small studio without losing the amp's core character.
On the tone side, Hughes & Kettner is pitching the Puretone 50 as covering a wide span — from classic Marshall-plexi-style crunch through to modern high-gain territory — with a controllable noise gate built in to keep things tight once the gain gets pushed. A two-way footswitch with a switching system for selectable functions rounds out the control set, giving players some real flexibility for live use without extra outboard switching gear.
Hughes & Kettner says the Puretone 50 should be available by the end of 2026.
Credit: Guitar Bonedo (via source)
Why it matters
It's a genuinely flexible tube head from an established German amp brand, aimed at players who want real tube tone at both gig volume and bedroom volume from the same amp rather than owning two.
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