mmolteratx
Member
I actually got the Rhodes about 3 months ago, but haven't ever done a NAD for it, and I got the Fryette on Tuesday. But yea, both are awesome, and exactly what I had hoped to get from them. I'll post my thoughts, and I guess I'll start with the Rhodes since I've had it longer.
The Rhodes is their Gemini model. Hand built by Kyle Rhodes and (IIRC) an assistant or two in Indiana. It's on par with any other high end, high gain channel switcher, maybe better. Easily as rugged as the Diezels and CAAs I've had through here, and probably more rugged than many of the rest. Boards are mounted solidly to the chassis, with regular mounting screws so they don't flex much. Usual high end parts including an O'Netics hi-def output transformer.
The machined field panel looks killer, and is definitely a nice touch. Was an upgrade over standard and cost a bit of money, but totally worth it, IMO. One awesome thing about it is that the logo changes colors depending on channel or how you program it, so you can instantly tell what tone you've got pulled up from across a stage. Incredibly useful, IMO. On the topic of programming, I also sprung for the matching footswitch, which has way more functionality than any other I've used. It's got two modes, instant recal, and patch. Instant recall lets you change channels and switch the functions of the channels (fat, voice, mode, bright) along with the master and effects loop. Patch lets you set up patches with several settings, and have up to seven tones on instant recall. You switch between the two by holding down the two right most switches (loop and master) for a couple seconds. Great feature, IMO. You can also program it so that it works as a basic MIDI controller utilizing the MIDI out on the back of the amp, but I haven't used that feature yet.
The clean channel is one of the best I've heard in a high gain channel switcher, on par with that on my 100B and the CAAs I've owned, and a bit more versatile. The fat switch obviously adds some low end thump, and is really useful for single coils, or if you play at low volume. Bright adds treble, and is useful for humbuckers. Voice adds mids and gain, and you can get a little bit of crunch out of the channel with the gain turned up, and push it over the edge with the voice switch. This channel is pretty much always fat, and never thin in any way. I think it's great for pretty much anything, and is an excellent clean pedal platform. If I had to compare it to any other amp, I'd say it's a bit of a mix between a clean Plexi and a Hiwatt DR103. Very warm and round.
The crunch channel is great as well. Awesome low gain sounds. Tons of thump, and it sits great in a mix. Gain ranges from a pushed clean through early 70s classic rock in the lower gain mode, and the voicing is perfect for that genre. Not quite as dynamic as the Plexi-ish amps I've had, but more than adequate for my purposes. Higher gain pushes it into the 80s, though it also adds some low mids to my ears that make it voiced a bit too modern. I haven't found a whole lot of use for that particular setting yet, TBH, and it's probably the only one in the whole amp I'm not overly fond of.
The lead channel is definitely the highlight of this amp though. Four modes, ranging from hair metal levels of gain through ridiculous sludge/doom overkill. All of the modes are pretty tight, though the last (red) starts to get a little fuzzy at the higher gain ranges. I tend to use the lowest gain mode for hair metal rhythm tones, blue for hair metal leads, and then purple is my mainstay. Purple and red introduce a second gain control (shared with the crunch channel) to fine tune the level of gain and aggression. The treble has a pretty wide range, so you can dial it back to smooth and subdued, or more aggressive up to buzzy once you introduce the bright control. Fat has three settings, in addition to off. Green adds a little bit of fat, while blue and light blue add quite a bit of thump. Voice off is super tight, while green is a little more balanced, and orange adds a bit of low mid girth and wool. Obviously, with the various combinations of switches, tons of tones are available, and it's basically an encyclopedia of high gain sounds from the 80s through present.
Oh, did I mention that everything is switchable via MIDI? So you can set up a ton of tones and have them instantly recallable. It's an insanely practical amp, and the most effective use of MIDI I've found in an amp yet.
Onto the Fryette, I'd guess many of you guys are familiar with these since they've been around for so long. Another killer clean channel. Bright's function is obvious, while shift shifts the whole range of the tone stack, and seems to have the greatest effect on the treble and mids. Boost adds some grit and output. The clean channel has a ton of spank and treble on tap. Excellent for funk. I prefer the warmer cleans of the Rhodes, but could definitely live with just these.
The lead channel is really fat with a ton of low end punch. Not quite as much gain on tap as the Gemini, but that's really not necessary for most players. The entire range is very useable though. The edge switch is subtle, but adds a tiny bit of hair in the high end, and is great for lead work. Shift works just like it does on the clean channel. I tend to keep it brighter with more high mids. The Gemini is tighter, but the UL is more than tight enough for most players on its own, and it works great with a boost up front to tighten it up further. Outstanding clarity at any gain setting, and it works for rhythms and leads equally as well.
The rhythm channel is a bit less tight than the lead channel, with less gain/compression and more thump. Has the same edge/shift controls as the lead channel, but also has the boost function like the clean channel, so you can have two levels of gain at your feet. Great for any level of gain from classic rock through modern metal, and most players would probably live on this channel. Surprisingly dynamic as well, and you can even get it to clean up pretty well. For such a simple amp, there are a ton of tones available with a bit of finesse.
The EQ has a ridiculous amount of range. A bit too much, IMO. You can easily screw up a good tone by pushing any of the sliders too far. I tend to keep them right around flat, with small boosts/cuts, and leave it on all the time.
Didn't bother to take a pic of the Fat Bottom cab, but I've got mixed feelings about it. It's a little dark, and doesn't play well with much other than the UL, Gemini and my modded 6505. The 100B sounds awful through it, and is 100% unusable. The rest of the frequency range is pretty balanced though. Haven't tried recording with it since I get ludicrous amounts of interference and noise in my apartment, but I think it might record better than it sounds in the room. It is the best match with the Ultra Lead though.
Both amps:
The Rhodes is their Gemini model. Hand built by Kyle Rhodes and (IIRC) an assistant or two in Indiana. It's on par with any other high end, high gain channel switcher, maybe better. Easily as rugged as the Diezels and CAAs I've had through here, and probably more rugged than many of the rest. Boards are mounted solidly to the chassis, with regular mounting screws so they don't flex much. Usual high end parts including an O'Netics hi-def output transformer.
The machined field panel looks killer, and is definitely a nice touch. Was an upgrade over standard and cost a bit of money, but totally worth it, IMO. One awesome thing about it is that the logo changes colors depending on channel or how you program it, so you can instantly tell what tone you've got pulled up from across a stage. Incredibly useful, IMO. On the topic of programming, I also sprung for the matching footswitch, which has way more functionality than any other I've used. It's got two modes, instant recal, and patch. Instant recall lets you change channels and switch the functions of the channels (fat, voice, mode, bright) along with the master and effects loop. Patch lets you set up patches with several settings, and have up to seven tones on instant recall. You switch between the two by holding down the two right most switches (loop and master) for a couple seconds. Great feature, IMO. You can also program it so that it works as a basic MIDI controller utilizing the MIDI out on the back of the amp, but I haven't used that feature yet.
The clean channel is one of the best I've heard in a high gain channel switcher, on par with that on my 100B and the CAAs I've owned, and a bit more versatile. The fat switch obviously adds some low end thump, and is really useful for single coils, or if you play at low volume. Bright adds treble, and is useful for humbuckers. Voice adds mids and gain, and you can get a little bit of crunch out of the channel with the gain turned up, and push it over the edge with the voice switch. This channel is pretty much always fat, and never thin in any way. I think it's great for pretty much anything, and is an excellent clean pedal platform. If I had to compare it to any other amp, I'd say it's a bit of a mix between a clean Plexi and a Hiwatt DR103. Very warm and round.
The crunch channel is great as well. Awesome low gain sounds. Tons of thump, and it sits great in a mix. Gain ranges from a pushed clean through early 70s classic rock in the lower gain mode, and the voicing is perfect for that genre. Not quite as dynamic as the Plexi-ish amps I've had, but more than adequate for my purposes. Higher gain pushes it into the 80s, though it also adds some low mids to my ears that make it voiced a bit too modern. I haven't found a whole lot of use for that particular setting yet, TBH, and it's probably the only one in the whole amp I'm not overly fond of.
The lead channel is definitely the highlight of this amp though. Four modes, ranging from hair metal levels of gain through ridiculous sludge/doom overkill. All of the modes are pretty tight, though the last (red) starts to get a little fuzzy at the higher gain ranges. I tend to use the lowest gain mode for hair metal rhythm tones, blue for hair metal leads, and then purple is my mainstay. Purple and red introduce a second gain control (shared with the crunch channel) to fine tune the level of gain and aggression. The treble has a pretty wide range, so you can dial it back to smooth and subdued, or more aggressive up to buzzy once you introduce the bright control. Fat has three settings, in addition to off. Green adds a little bit of fat, while blue and light blue add quite a bit of thump. Voice off is super tight, while green is a little more balanced, and orange adds a bit of low mid girth and wool. Obviously, with the various combinations of switches, tons of tones are available, and it's basically an encyclopedia of high gain sounds from the 80s through present.
Oh, did I mention that everything is switchable via MIDI? So you can set up a ton of tones and have them instantly recallable. It's an insanely practical amp, and the most effective use of MIDI I've found in an amp yet.
Onto the Fryette, I'd guess many of you guys are familiar with these since they've been around for so long. Another killer clean channel. Bright's function is obvious, while shift shifts the whole range of the tone stack, and seems to have the greatest effect on the treble and mids. Boost adds some grit and output. The clean channel has a ton of spank and treble on tap. Excellent for funk. I prefer the warmer cleans of the Rhodes, but could definitely live with just these.
The lead channel is really fat with a ton of low end punch. Not quite as much gain on tap as the Gemini, but that's really not necessary for most players. The entire range is very useable though. The edge switch is subtle, but adds a tiny bit of hair in the high end, and is great for lead work. Shift works just like it does on the clean channel. I tend to keep it brighter with more high mids. The Gemini is tighter, but the UL is more than tight enough for most players on its own, and it works great with a boost up front to tighten it up further. Outstanding clarity at any gain setting, and it works for rhythms and leads equally as well.
The rhythm channel is a bit less tight than the lead channel, with less gain/compression and more thump. Has the same edge/shift controls as the lead channel, but also has the boost function like the clean channel, so you can have two levels of gain at your feet. Great for any level of gain from classic rock through modern metal, and most players would probably live on this channel. Surprisingly dynamic as well, and you can even get it to clean up pretty well. For such a simple amp, there are a ton of tones available with a bit of finesse.
The EQ has a ridiculous amount of range. A bit too much, IMO. You can easily screw up a good tone by pushing any of the sliders too far. I tend to keep them right around flat, with small boosts/cuts, and leave it on all the time.
Didn't bother to take a pic of the Fat Bottom cab, but I've got mixed feelings about it. It's a little dark, and doesn't play well with much other than the UL, Gemini and my modded 6505. The 100B sounds awful through it, and is 100% unusable. The rest of the frequency range is pretty balanced though. Haven't tried recording with it since I get ludicrous amounts of interference and noise in my apartment, but I think it might record better than it sounds in the room. It is the best match with the Ultra Lead though.
Both amps:
Very informative.
