I am new (memberwise) to this forum, but have read many posts and threads over the years.
By way of introduction:
I started playing at 16 (47 now), musical style started out 80s metal and before I was done I got heavily into the jazz and blues.
But I left electric guitar about 10-12 years ago. Largely because tone is everything to me and it is (was at that time) so difficult to find a rig that satisfied the ears. I took to acoustic only for a long time (never underestimate the natural tone of a good acoustic, it's got its own vibe and feel going on, and the feel/tone is immediate and not so rig dependent.
Then enter Dave and his bag of tricks and I was smitten all over again. And it comes just at time when my desire to do original music NOT LIMITED TO ACOUSTIC is at full boil!
About 6 months later I'm dorking around and I see the Runt is available for a price more like one of my old Mesas. The wheels start turning. The GAS intensifies.
So now, you guys know the drill, right? I'm on YT doing research. By day I'm a research scientist, so I get pretty anal about it all. And I get that the Runts are great for what they are, but not the be-all end all of my GASsing. I'm looking for the ONE amp that will be my TUMS for the GAS, right?
SO i've done okay, the wife and I have paid off a bunch of bills. I'm not 100% in the clear, but been working hard and ready to put some serious dime into a rig that will be my CURE, my solace, my mistress and my friend. At this point I'm set on a Friedman....But WHICH?
Long story (sorry) shorter, I almost go for the BE-50 deluxe at this stage. But it's new. Not a lot to research yet. Not a lot to HEAR yet. Not a lot to read yet. And the BE-100 meanwhile is already legendary. So I test my credit...I'm good, and I pull the trigger on a BE-100. I have sold my cabinets (and electrics too by now), but my brother--who is also an ex bandmate from our gigging days of yore--and who has suffered from GAS his entire life (and learned NOT to sell everything anymore, no matter what!) has a nice American Fat Strat for me to use indefinitely (Thanks bro!) and so I go for a Demo model to save $370 at Sweetwater and I add $9 to it and get a 1x12 Orange cab with a V30 to get me by.
My gear comes in and things are going pretty good. I was already a bit concerned I should have went with the BE50, but can you really go WRONG? with a BE-100? not really right?
But low and behold, I finally set up some reverb and delay peddles for the loop after playing the amp a while dry. And my sound goes to nothing. I'm talking there's a 80% drop in volume when the loop is engaged!
It's friday night. I send an email to SW and one to Dave. Dave answer me at 8:13 in the morning (I'm also west coast) (Awesome customer service) and basically I'm sending the amp back.
But rather than a BE-100, I'm now ever so anxiously awaiting my new BE-50 Deluxe!! I CANNOT WAIT!
Unfortunately SW is out of stock until end of next week, but I have to wait for the BE-100 to make it back to Indiana before they can ship the replacement BE-50 so it all works out. Hopefully once I get the amp and create something I'm not too, too embarrassed to share, I'll post a video and some commentary about the new amp.
Dave says it's the best amp he's ever made. I know I love the Buxom Betty clean and I WILL use the cleans so I'm really happy about that with the BE-50 vs. the BE-100. I almost went Small BOX for the clean, but I really believe the BE-50 Deluxe is going to be the answer to my ears and prayers.
Best to all!
And BTW, thanks LP freak for the videos! They helped!
By way of introduction:
I started playing at 16 (47 now), musical style started out 80s metal and before I was done I got heavily into the jazz and blues.
But I left electric guitar about 10-12 years ago. Largely because tone is everything to me and it is (was at that time) so difficult to find a rig that satisfied the ears. I took to acoustic only for a long time (never underestimate the natural tone of a good acoustic, it's got its own vibe and feel going on, and the feel/tone is immediate and not so rig dependent.
Then enter Dave and his bag of tricks and I was smitten all over again. And it comes just at time when my desire to do original music NOT LIMITED TO ACOUSTIC is at full boil!
About 6 months later I'm dorking around and I see the Runt is available for a price more like one of my old Mesas. The wheels start turning. The GAS intensifies.
So now, you guys know the drill, right? I'm on YT doing research. By day I'm a research scientist, so I get pretty anal about it all. And I get that the Runts are great for what they are, but not the be-all end all of my GASsing. I'm looking for the ONE amp that will be my TUMS for the GAS, right?
SO i've done okay, the wife and I have paid off a bunch of bills. I'm not 100% in the clear, but been working hard and ready to put some serious dime into a rig that will be my CURE, my solace, my mistress and my friend. At this point I'm set on a Friedman....But WHICH?
Long story (sorry) shorter, I almost go for the BE-50 deluxe at this stage. But it's new. Not a lot to research yet. Not a lot to HEAR yet. Not a lot to read yet. And the BE-100 meanwhile is already legendary. So I test my credit...I'm good, and I pull the trigger on a BE-100. I have sold my cabinets (and electrics too by now), but my brother--who is also an ex bandmate from our gigging days of yore--and who has suffered from GAS his entire life (and learned NOT to sell everything anymore, no matter what!) has a nice American Fat Strat for me to use indefinitely (Thanks bro!) and so I go for a Demo model to save $370 at Sweetwater and I add $9 to it and get a 1x12 Orange cab with a V30 to get me by.
My gear comes in and things are going pretty good. I was already a bit concerned I should have went with the BE50, but can you really go WRONG? with a BE-100? not really right?
But low and behold, I finally set up some reverb and delay peddles for the loop after playing the amp a while dry. And my sound goes to nothing. I'm talking there's a 80% drop in volume when the loop is engaged!
It's friday night. I send an email to SW and one to Dave. Dave answer me at 8:13 in the morning (I'm also west coast) (Awesome customer service) and basically I'm sending the amp back.
But rather than a BE-100, I'm now ever so anxiously awaiting my new BE-50 Deluxe!! I CANNOT WAIT!
Unfortunately SW is out of stock until end of next week, but I have to wait for the BE-100 to make it back to Indiana before they can ship the replacement BE-50 so it all works out. Hopefully once I get the amp and create something I'm not too, too embarrassed to share, I'll post a video and some commentary about the new amp.
Dave says it's the best amp he's ever made. I know I love the Buxom Betty clean and I WILL use the cleans so I'm really happy about that with the BE-50 vs. the BE-100. I almost went Small BOX for the clean, but I really believe the BE-50 Deluxe is going to be the answer to my ears and prayers.
Best to all!
And BTW, thanks LP freak for the videos! They helped!
