Amp Recommendations? Fortin? Friedman? Other?

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OldMetalHead

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As someone who does not play professionally but is a fan of quality tone, I've been thinking about pulling the trigger on a Fortin Cali or a Friedman BE100 Deluxe... two different amps, I realize, but I can only get one and this will most likely be my only chance at getting such a quality piece of gear for a very long time. Anyone have experience with either or both preferably? I'm really into Metal but also love Classic Rock.

Look forward to any suggestions you guys might have.

Thanks!
 
Haven't played either. Im sure each can do both but for metal some of the Cali clips ive heard were pretty nasty.
 
I'm very curious on the Cali as far as how much gain does it have with no clippers engaged.
 
I would add Wizard in to the search also.

Edit: Fryette D60/D120 also
 
Yep, can't go wrong with BE, Cali, Wiz, and maybe a JP2C? Different tones in the JP BUT you can drop the gain and add a mid flavored boost to get it into Marshall territory.
 
Ceriatone Yeti or Chupacabra for a grand used will hang with either one, all day long.
 
I’ve listened to a bunch of ceriatone amps online too and they seem real nice too. I also have a fortin grind on the way so looking forward to boost my Marshall SL-X 100... but my Marshall cuts off all the time and I just had it serviced by a reputable amp tech in the Philly area. I also have a tiny terror but that thing is really just a one trick pony. Looking to make the next leap so I can actually keep up with my buddies drums and bass lol
 
Racerxrated":2uoytt1y said:
Yep, can't go wrong with BE, Cali, Wiz, and maybe a JP2C? Different tones in the JP BUT you can drop the gain and add a mid flavored boost to get it into Marshall territory.
Click to expand...

Wonder if I need the extra headroom with a 100 watter or if a 50 like the Cali would bee good as well... also I have a few nice pedals and have a Fortin 33 on the way (hoping I’ll like it and if not I can always sell it). Really like the Petrucci and other Mark style Mesas but for some reason gravitating towards the more Marshally territory. Really looking for the holy grail because I doubt I’ll ever be able to get another amp.
 
Any reason those two in particular? There are lot of other great (and better IMO) amps out there...

I'd sooner go for a Diezel or Soldano (obvious bias), VHT/Fryette Deliverance or Cornford (if you can find one). I don't think the EVH amps should be overlooked either.

FWIW I've never heard a Mark series amp ever come anything close to approaching Marshall tone. Always too smooth, they never have the "kerrang". Not a fan of Marks for mid gain rhythm work. I find they are best for high gain i.e. metal rhythm/leads, cleans and classic Boogie leads i.e. Santana & Knopfler (Love Over Gold, Brothers in Arms etc).

Also a Ceriatone Chupa or Yeti is basically a cut price a Cali, but probably not worse - just slightly different.
 
Diezel123":36md3aq0 said:
Any reason those two in particular? There are lot of other great (and better IMO) amps out there...

I'd sooner go for a Diezel or Soldano (obvious bias), VHT/Fryette Deliverance or Cornford (if you can find one). I don't think the EVH amps should be overlooked either.

FWIW I've never heard a Mark series amp ever come anything close to approaching Marshall tone. Always too smooth, they never have the "kerrang". Not a fan of Marks for mid gain rhythm work. I find they are best for high gain i.e. metal rhythm/leads, cleans and classic Boogie leads i.e. Santana & Knopfler (Love Over Gold, Brothers in Arms etc).

Also a Ceriatone Chupa or Yeti is basically a cut price a Cali, but probably not worse - just slightly different.
Click to expand...
I'd agree with adding the Diezel/Soldano/Cornford/VHT to the list...but I don't agree with the EVH. Just not at the same level with those others IMO. I've tried the 50w versions and the 6L6 Stealth and they just don't measure up to the rest in my experience. The Mark stuff, it is a different tone than a good Marshall but you can add some upper mids with a decent TS type pedal and the result can be a nice changeup that still has some cut to it. My experience with the Ceriatone stuff wasn't very good. Blown transformer the day after a gig. No thanks. Order one without the transformers and put your own in..I'd never buy one with the stock transformers that's for sure.
 
Metlupass2":1ze4gl3a said:
What's your budget?
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Going to part with a PRS custom 24 artist so probably around the 3k range... but this will be a one time opportunity for me so wanna make the correct choice (as much as that’s even possible)
 
Diezel123":2lromclx said:
Any reason those two in particular? There are lot of other great (and better IMO) amps out there...

I'd sooner go for a Diezel or Soldano (obvious bias), VHT/Fryette Deliverance or Cornford (if you can find one). I don't think the EVH amps should be overlooked either.

FWIW I've never heard a Mark series amp ever come anything close to approaching Marshall tone. Always too smooth, they never have the "kerrang". Not a fan of Marks for mid gain rhythm work. I find they are best for high gain i.e. metal rhythm/leads, cleans and classic Boogie leads i.e. Santana & Knopfler (Love Over Gold, Brothers in Arms etc).

Also a Ceriatone Chupa or Yeti is basically a cut price a Cali, but probably not worse - just slightly different.
Click to expand...
Thanks man... just after lots of listening over the years... Frayette was on the list too... but I’ve heard they can almost be too unforgiving. As for Soldano, I was sooo close to pulling the trigger on an SLO when they were still on sweatwater but a cousin talked me out of it... wish I would have... that is basically my dream amp.
 
MetalHeadMike":3jbrsvxb said:
I would add Wizard in to the search also.

Edit: Fryette D60/D120 also
Click to expand...


Not to make it any harder OldMetalHead but you can add Splawn to your list as well as a lot of the others listed including the EVHs, Bogner, Egnater, Randall, Orange, custom builders, etc.

Splawn has Gears, half power, massive iron, foot switchable, decent cleans, awesome loop, new bell and whistle options and amazing quality, workmanship and customer service. New ones are in the $2,200 range and used ones can be found in the $1,000 range.

What kind of metal and classic rock are you into and what are your plans for the cab/speakers? Home use only?

Welcome to RT :cheers:

Better get used to this :doh:
 
311splawndude":30yguit1 said:
MetalHeadMike":30yguit1 said:
I would add Wizard in to the search also.

Edit: Fryette D60/D120 also
Click to expand...


Not to make it any harder OldMetalHead but you can add Splawn to your list as well as a lot of the others listed including the EVHs, Bogner, Egnater, Randall, Orange, custom builders, etc.

Splawn has Gears, half power, massive iron, foot switchable, decent cleans, awesome loop, new bell and whistle options and amazing quality, workmanship and customer service. New ones are in the $2,200 range and used ones can be found in the $1,000 range.

What kind of metal and classic rock are you into and what are your plans for the cab/speakers? Home use only?

Welcome to RT :cheers:

Better get used to this :doh:
Click to expand...
Hahaha thanks man... I've seen so many amp shoot outs over the past few years. Splawn, Fryette/VHT, Bogner, Fortin, etc... I probably should have mentioned that I currently run an Orange Tiny Terror (hand wired edition that I got for a steal) and a Marshall JCM 900 SL-X that I used to gig heavily with when I was still playing out in an old metal band I was in. I also invested in a few pedals (Tumnus, Fortin 33, HM-2, and some reverb and chorus stuff). The Marshall just got serviced and retubed but it is still cutting out on me and somethings just not right with it - and the Terror is great but I get lost whenever I jam with my buddies (drums and bass).

As for the type of metal and classic rock... that's a tough one because I really do like almost everything. For metal, I'd have to say I gravitate more towards thrash/groove metal (Power Trip, Meshuggah, Cattle Decap, Pantera, etc...) but I like really anything from Torche to D-Beat Nails/Trap Them and even Dark Throne or something like Sulphur Aeon (I'm all over the place). As for classic rock, Zeppelin is my go to. I'm no Jimmy Page but I still love to play those types of leads... also Hendrix and Clapton are a big influence. Basically, my one trick pony would be to be able to play that super tight (hate to say Djenty) chuggy metal and still be able to dial the gain back a tad and play whole lotta love or red house.

The only cab I have is the 1960a that came with my JCM - I think Celestion G12 x4...

I have a smaller orange cab for the terror but not sure what's loaded in there...
 
glip22":1zzv15yb said:
I'm very curious on the Cali as far as how much gain does it have with no clippers engaged.
Click to expand...

It wasn't saturated enough for my taste without the pull sat. Definitely liked the tone with the diode clipping, but I couldn't get the high headroom cleans I wanted at the same time. Actually, for mid gain tones the Cali is the best I've played, and it's crossed my mind to buy it again just for that. But alas, I'm a metal head...

I recently acquired a Butterslax, and it's been my favorite modded Marshall tone so far for the brootz. From what I've read, it has a more aggressive voicing than the BE100 Deluxe, even though that amp has plenty of gain on tap.

To the OP, for 3k your options are nearly limitless. FWIW, the H&K Triamp Mark 3 has a really bad ass JCM800ish channel, along with 2 tremendous high gain channels. I can highly recommend it for what you are looking for!
 
Meeotch":zv91oyi7 said:
glip22":zv91oyi7 said:
I'm very curious on the Cali as far as how much gain does it have with no clippers engaged.
Click to expand...

It wasn't saturated enough for my taste without the pull sat. Definitely liked the tone with the diode clipping, but I couldn't get the high headroom cleans I wanted at the same time. Actually, for mid gain tones the Cali is the best I've played, and it's crossed my mind to buy it again just for that. But alas, I'm a metal head...

I recently acquired a Butterslax, and it's been my favorite modded Marshall tone so far for the brootz. From what I've read, it has a more aggressive voicing than the BE100 Deluxe, even though that amp has plenty of gain on tap.

To the OP, for 3k your options are nearly limitless. FWIW, the H&K Triamp Mark 3 has a really bad ass JCM800ish channel, along with 2 tremendous high gain channels. I can highly recommend it for what you are looking for!
Click to expand...
Thanks man - that's what's making this so difficult and I can't screw it up lol. Been looking at the Shiva 20th too (with the KT88s) and that thing seems like a versatile beast too...
And thanks for that recommendation! I will definitely check out the Triamp Mark 3 too...
 
Friedman, Fortin, Bogner, Wizard, Soldano, Diezel, Fryette.....etc...
When you get to this level and quality of amps, they are ALL outstanding amps.... they all sound f 'n incredible....
What differentiates them is the way they FEEL.... how they respond to your pick attack, how they saturate, how they compress etc...
One isn't better than the rest, they are just DIFFERENT.
The only way to make sure you get the amp of your dreams is to PLAY the damn amps, because it's impossible to get a handle on those qualities by listening to videos or reading forum posts. If this is your one shot at buying a high end amp, and you buy ANYTHING without playing it first, you are really rolling the dice.....
Guys on here have bought Wizards and and hated them because they feel too stiff. Fryettes are too dry, Friedmans are too smooth, Bogners are too dark, Diezels are too compressed bla bla bla bla ......but other guys will tell you the exact same amp is the the most badass amp ever!

You can get a pretty good handle on which amps are in that top tier by hanging out here and reading the forums, but the rest is up to you
If we all liked the same shit, life would be boring as hell.....

Welcome to Rig Talk :cheers2:
 
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