GPDI/IR owners — how close does it get to SLO and early Marshall tones?

[brunocormack]

Looking hard at the Fryette Valvulator GPDI/IR and trying to get a read from people actually running one. I know it's a real 1W tube amp with its own three voicings (Clean / Deliverance / Pittbull) plus the analog filter and IR loader — so I'm not asking whether it's a good DI, I'm asking about its own voice.

Two targets I care about:

• Soldano SLO — that liquid, singing high-gain lead and the glassy clean. Can Pittbull (or Pittbull + a boost) get into that ballpark, or does it land somewhere clearly its own?
• Early Marshall — plexi/JMP crunch, EL34-style midrange grind, edge-of-breakup. Does Deliverance scratch that itch?

Real-world experience is what I'm after, not spec sheets:

• Which voicing + gain settings got you closest, and to which target?
• Analog filter vs the onboard IRs vs your own IRs — what worked best for these styles?
• With the Sag dialed in, does it actually breathe, or does the 1W stage give it away?
• Clips very welcome if you've got them.

For context, I'm chasing SLO-style leads (the smoother Hagar-era Van Halen lead sound is the reference in my head) and old-school Marshall crunch, and I already run a reactive-load/DI rig — so this would be about having those voicings on tap silently, not replacing my main amp.


So: does it genuinely get there, get close, or is it its own great thing that isn't really "SLO" or "Marshall"?

 

[Kelly]

 

[brunocormack]

How did I miss that? so the Marshall early era is answered

 

[Rottweiler]

 

[brunocormack]

I saw this one and I really like his reviews but for this one I think he only covered one tone range here.

 

[Alpha Stryke]

Apples & oranges.

 

[stephen sawall]

These settings work on the GPDI-IR and GPRI

 

[Greazygeo]

I would say you will have better luck with SLO like tones than early Marshall tones.

 

[brunocormack]

I would say you will have better luck with SLO like tones than early Marshall tones.

Interesting - most of the videos and opinions say it sounds more like a Marshall.

 

[brunocormack]

Apples & oranges.

can I get an orange that is close to an apple or vice-versa?

 

[stephen sawall]

There is some Marshall flavor in there. I would say more Hiwatt.
All the Fryette amps have a similar voice. It's more defined and less hairy than Marshall.

If you are using the same guitar, cab and speaker as the Marshall you could get it close. But the Fryette would be a bit more refined and less raw.

 

[Rottweiler]

 

[Rottweiler]

 

[Greazygeo]

Interesting - most of the videos and opinions say it sounds more like a Marshall.

By people that have no clue what a “Marshall” sounds like is my guess. I have and have had plenty of Marshalls, owned an UL that saw years worth of gigs, a Classic and when I was a VHT dealer have played virtually every model they have made. An early Marshall sound, no. Can you lower the gain to the level of an early Marshall? Yes…Does it sound like one? To you, possibly. To me, no. The attack is different, bottom end is different, mids sit in a different place, feel is different.
Like Stephen said, it is more Hiwatt. And a Hiwatt sounds nothing like an early Marshall. I have a 74 DR103, great amp but has more in common with Fender than Marshall.
I mean listen to the vid Kelly posted, if you think that sounds like an early Marshall that’s great.

That said, the GPd/ir, Ul and Deliverance are great amps, but Marshalls, they are not.

 

[Kelly]

By people that have no clue what a “Marshall” sounds like is my guess. I have and have had plenty of Marshalls, owned an UL that saw years worth of gigs, a Classic and when I was a VHT dealer have played virtually every model they have made. An early Marshall sound, no. Can you lower the gain to the level of an early Marshall? Yes…Does it sound like one? To you, possibly. To me, no. The attack is different, bottom end is different, mids sit in a different place, feel is different.
Like Stephen said, it is more Hiwatt. And a Hiwatt sounds nothing like an early Marshall. I have a 74 DR103, great amp but has more in common with Fender than Marshall.
I mean listen to the vid Kelly posted, if you think that sounds like an early Marshall that’s great.

That said, the GPd/ir, Ul and Deliverance are great amps, but Marshalls, they are not.

Ya. My point in posting the video was to show Fryettes can cop some recorded VH tones. They don't do that thing in the mids that good Marshalls do. I've had my Deliverance in a room with tons of amps. It's more in the SLO/5150 range than anything else, just more versatile.

 

[godgrinder]

I'd say you would have better luck looking into a Synergy Syn-1 with SLO module if you want the small form factor.

Fryette are on the dry/articulate side which is the polar opposite of Soldano.

 

[brunocormack]

By people that have no clue what a “Marshall” sounds like is my guess. I have and have had plenty of Marshalls, owned an UL that saw years worth of gigs, a Classic and when I was a VHT dealer have played virtually every model they have made. An early Marshall sound, no. Can you lower the gain to the level of an early Marshall? Yes…Does it sound like one? To you, possibly. To me, no. The attack is different, bottom end is different, mids sit in a different place, feel is different.
Like Stephen said, it is more Hiwatt. And a Hiwatt sounds nothing like an early Marshall. I have a 74 DR103, great amp but has more in common with Fender than Marshall.
I mean listen to the vid Kelly posted, if you think that sounds like an early Marshall that’s great.

That said, the GPd/ir, Ul and Deliverance are great amps, but Marshalls, they are not.

Thanks, this helps a lot. I never had a Marshall. What I do have is the Kingsley Constable (JTM) + Hatchet running thru PS100.

I was trying to find a solution that would give me both early Marshall and some flavour of Soldano-ish high gain but I believe this does not exist today. I was tempted that Fryette GPDIR/IR could come close with some compromise.

I believe now the only solution would be to get a SC20H and a Soldano Astro to have both worlds.

 

[stephen sawall]

Thanks, this helps a lot. I never had a Marshall. What I do have is the Kingsley Constable (JTM) + Hatchet running thru PS100.

I was trying to find a solution that would give me both early Marshall and some flavour of Soldano-ish high gain but I believe this does not exist today. I was tempted that Fryette GPDIR/IR could come close with some compromise.

I believe now the only solution would be to get a SC20H and a Soldano Astro to have both worlds.

The JTM is kind between the Marshall and Fender flavors. Definitely more bass than most JMP and JCM.

The Deliverance is more than capable of English crunch. The Pittbull mode can do high gain.

If you want particular sounds or flavors just buy the original amp that does that sound. Anything else is going to have differences.

 

[Alpha Stryke]

Soldano SLO's use 6L6 / 5881 "tetrodes" while The Marshall sound comes fron EL-34 "pentodes".
If you buy a Soldano you get the "Soldano" sound.
If you buy a Marshall you get the "Marshall" sound.
Not much in between.