??-A little Friday- Fortin Cali - Metal test ??

[LunatiBSW]

Wow that sounds incredible. Was waiting to hear some palm mutes and when those triplets kicked in I had to stop listening to type this. Will go back and relisten to it all. Sounds incredible, I love the in the room clips best over a studio mix.

Thanks so much bro!
I think it gives a good interpretation of the amp also in the room.
I’m working on some studio tracking too, it’s a new world for me.

Tight, cutting, bright. The attack is lightning fast

Definitely sounds like it. This is probably the best Fortin clip I have ever heard tbh. The tone is stellar and it does sound like it would sit in a band mix very nicely.

How is the low end on this amp? I know that is what a bass is for but I still love when a guitar cab kicks you in the chest if desired.

What a compliment buddy, thanks for that! I’m enjoying the tones for sure!
I would imagine it would sit great as well.
Hopefully I’ll Get the opportunity to try it out in that context In the future.
The low end is super tight and punchy. It’s def not big like a recto or Uber. But for 50w, it is prob the punchiest ive heard, I also had a 50w wiz. It keeps up with some 100w TBH. But doesn’t have to be cranked to get the goods either.
The Friedman cab has those 15’s on the bottom, so it helps to fill out the lows a little deeper with this amp. It still punches hard on the 4x12’s though too. You can make the low end a little looser and bigger, but it doesn’t track as quick

 

[Wizard of Ozz]

Good stuff! Probably the best Fortin clip I've heard so far. Great work!

 

[Wizard of Ozz]

How many preamp tubes on these? I didn't take the back of TexMarks. The website says 3 but if the tone stack is of the cathode, like a Jose, the math isn't there to get 4 gain stages. The claimed the meshuga was 4 gain stages, but it's not. Just curious

It’s got 3 12ax7’s. Build is amazing.
If the loop is solid state, can’t you still get 4 tube gain stages from 3 preamp tubes?
His violence mod has always been an extra tube stage?
On the Cali, you can engage the Jose-or not, so it’s not on all the time like the Meshuggah?

The loop is probably just an insert loop. So no tube (and not solid state). To get 4 gain stages out of three preamp tubes like in these hot-rod Marshall circuits, you need to drive the tone stack from the tube's plate instead of using a cathode follower. But I'm not sure how you could make it switchable. Unless the 4th gain stage is from a transistor or something like that. I think the curiosity comes from the fact that with the Meshuggah, they said it had 4 gain stages when it doesn't. And now they're saying this amp has a 4th, switchable gain stage.

The Hiwatt Super-Hi 50 has a 4th gain stage that is switchable, for example. But also has 4 tubes. If this amp has that 4th gain stage switchable but also a plate-fed tone stack, that would be interesting.

Indeed. Curious. Would like to see some gut shots. 4 true tube preamp gain stages with 3 tubes is not the usual layout... for what appears to be a 2204 circuit... especially off the 4th stage is switchable or a flying gain stage as some like to call it.

 

[FourT6and2]

How many preamp tubes on these? I didn't take the back of TexMarks. The website says 3 but if the tone stack is of the cathode, like a Jose, the math isn't there to get 4 gain stages. The claimed the meshuga was 4 gain stages, but it's not. Just curious

It’s got 3 12ax7’s. Build is amazing.
If the loop is solid state, can’t you still get 4 tube gain stages from 3 preamp tubes?
His violence mod has always been an extra tube stage?
On the Cali, you can engage the Jose-or not, so it’s not on all the time like the Meshuggah?

Meshuggah has a push/pull for the Jose like the Cali too man

Meshuggah has zeners hardwired. Always on. Pulling out the knob just switches it over to a different clipping value.

 

[Metal1977]

Sounds crushing!!

 

[LunatiBSW]

Good stuff! Probably the best Fortin clip I've heard so far. Great work!

Thanks buddy!
That means a lot!

Sounds crushing!!

Hell yeah

 

[scottosan]

How many preamp tubes on these? I didn't take the back of TexMarks. The website says 3 but if the tone stack is of the cathode, like a Jose, the math isn't there to get 4 gain stages. The claimed the meshuga was 4 gain stages, but it's not. Just curious

It’s got 3 12ax7’s. Build is amazing.
If the loop is solid state, can’t you still get 4 tube gain stages from 3 preamp tubes?
His violence mod has always been an extra tube stage?
On the Cali, you can engage the Jose-or not, so it’s not on all the time like the Meshuggah?

Meshuggah has a push/pull for the Jose like the Cali too man

Meshuggah has zeners hardwired. Always on. Pulling out the knob just switches it over to a different clipping value.

Yeah, as I suspected. Zeners do not ad any gain, the add clipping, which as we know is not the same as gain. While people using the term "gain" loosely and not scientifically, but certainly not a gain stage.

 

[scottosan]

I'm wondering if the violence is a built in boost circuit. We haven't seen the guts yet, so just a guess. the phase inverter uses both triodes of the 3rd tube. V1 is 2 gain stages, V2 is 1 gain stage and cathode follower. Unless he went the plate fed tone stack route, but that is not synonymous with a jose based amp

 

[FourT6and2]

I'm wondering if the violence is a built in boost circuit. We haven't seen the guts yet, so just a guess. the phase inverter uses both triodes of the 3rd tube. V1 is 2 gain stages, V2 is 1 gain stage and cathode follower. Unless he went the plate fed tone stack route, but that is not synonymous with a jose based amp

It's gotta be plate-fed is my guess, like an Aldrich. Have you played around with making that switchable?

 

[scottosan]

I'm wondering if the violence is a built in boost circuit. We haven't seen the guts yet, so just a guess. the phase inverter uses both triodes of the 3rd tube. V1 is 2 gain stages, V2 is 1 gain stage and cathode follower. Unless he went the plate fed tone stack route, but that is not synonymous with a jose based amp

It's gotta be plate-fed is my guess, like an Aldrich. Have you played around with making that switchable?

Since plate fed is essential off the B+ rail, I can't imaging putting that on a relay or switch.... one failed coupling cap from a bad day. I don't think it's plate fed

 

[WarHed]

The 3 or 4 stage plate fed EQs is basically what all Engl amps are.. I havent looked at them for a while but I'm pretty sure all those amps have relays on the coupling cap

 

[scottosan]

The 3 or 4 stage plate fed EQs is basically what all Engl amps are.. I havent looked at them for a while but I'm pretty sure all those amps have relays on the coupling cap

They're not switching between cathode and plate fed. On the engl there are least 2 caps in series before the relay

 

[Pulsonic]

I'm wondering if the violence is a built in boost circuit. We haven't seen the guts yet, so just a guess. the phase inverter uses both triodes of the 3rd tube. V1 is 2 gain stages, V2 is 1 gain stage and cathode follower. Unless he went the plate fed tone stack route, but that is not synonymous with a jose based amp

It's gotta be plate-fed is my guess, like an Aldrich. Have you played around with making that switchable?

so:
E651 > plate-fed (possibly)
Mesh > diodes

have both heads, hate artifacts & the Engl is bit smoother =\

 

[FourT6and2]

I'm wondering if the violence is a built in boost circuit. We haven't seen the guts yet, so just a guess. the phase inverter uses both triodes of the 3rd tube. V1 is 2 gain stages, V2 is 1 gain stage and cathode follower. Unless he went the plate fed tone stack route, but that is not synonymous with a jose based amp

It's gotta be plate-fed is my guess, like an Aldrich. Have you played around with making that switchable?

so:
E651 > plate-fed (possibly)
Mesh > diodes

have both heads, hate artifacts & the Engl is bit smoother =\

I don't know anything about Engl amps unfortunately.
If you want the Meshuggah to be a bit smoother, you can play with the NFB a bit. Maybe try 47K/8ohm tap and see if you like that more. It will be less raunchy.