Marshall Friedman Bogner content

[BadCat]

Got the posssibility to play some fine amps this week:

1. Marshall Silver jubilee mini: Fine amp. Nice overdrive sound. Maybe did i not fiddle long enough with the settings but can`t say that the clean tones i got from it where breathtaking.
2. Marshall Astoria custom: Nice overdrive sound. Couldn`t play very loud at that store but the amp sounds real good at lower levels. When turning down the volume knob on the guitar i only got a slightly distorted tone but couldn`t get it to sound real clean. Lack of dynamics is a bit of a deal breaker to me in a one channel amp.
3. Friedman Shirley mini: Fine amp but i need more gain and headroom.
4. Friedman smallbox: In my ears a fantastic sounding amp. Delivers plexiish clean sounds and has a killer second channel. Stellar amp for blues but for my taste i could wish for one more gain stage in that amp.
5. Bogner Helios 100: Didn`t play the Plexi input, just channel 2. Holy cow: That is a really mean sounding amp. There is a lot more Marshall DNA going on in this amp than i thought. This is a hotrodded Plexi with a little Bogner DNA that only adds to the flavor. With some volume this amp rocks bigtime. I found the dynamics very good too. Amp cleans amp very well when rolling back the volume poti on the guitar. And i wasn`t aware of that that amp can get that mean. And that amp has plenty of gain reserve.

To me this makes Helios first place and Smallbox second place but could be the other way around depends on what you prefer.

Would have loved to compare the 2016 BE to these.

 

[PBGas]

I'm afraid to try the Helios again. I did once already.

 

[BadCat]

I'm afraid to try the Helios again. I did once already.

You will not be disappointed. Helios is GAS inducing. For me it is between the Helios and the BE.

 

[Faded Abyss]

Helios has a foot-switchable effects loop

It's become a major pet peeve of mine

 

[odysplob]

Oh man that smallbox... I got the chance to check one out through a 1960tv cab last week and it sounded killer at all volumes, but especially once you get that power section working.

Granted, I did manage to weed out the LP's and find the best sounding one, who'd have guessed it would've been a studio faded. Multiple customs, standards, all beautiful, but sounded wayyyyy too bright and harsh for me. I've grown rather disgruntled toward the stock 498/496 set or whatever they come with now. The BB's felt right for me. Sorry to hijack your thread turning this into a gibson rant lol


P.S. this is my first post, been a lurker for a long time here.