Next amp advice

[guitarisgood]

Hi all. I own a Runt 50 head + 2x12, and after playing it for awhile I'm really not liking the lack of bottom end sound I get from it. It also seems that even when the gain is dimed it's still in that classic rock lane and I'd like to have a higher gain option available w/out needing to add pedals. I've tried a bunch of guitars through it to make sure it wasn't just the pickups. Don't get me wrong - I like it, but for an amp like this costing real money I need to love it. So now I'm wondering should I sink more $ in and look at smallbox or BE 50 and keep the 2x12? Since that will mean spending another ~2k even after selling the Runt I'm debating whether I'm insane and should just get rid of amp + cab and look for an alternative. I'm sure the BE will give me all I want and then some, but $$$. Is the smallbox a good option? I appreciate any input. Thanks.

 

[Chubbs]

How loud can/ do you play? Your problem may be more speaker related due to lack of volume. The small box and runt are pretty similar gain wise when played at gutiar shop volumes.

 

[MetalHeadMike]

Splawn QR, Fryette CLX, Morris Perplexed will all give you a ton of available low end thump and a boat load of gain for venturing into high gain territory.

 

[DanTravis62]

Yeah there's a million options that would work.

It might help if you narrow down the high gain tone you're aiming for OP

 

[guitarisgood]

How loud can/ do you play? Your problem may be more speaker related due to lack of volume. The small box and runt are pretty similar gain wise when played at gutiar shop volumes.

Fair point. The Runt is crazy loud so Dave actually recommended a passive attenuator in the effects loop so that I can lift the volume on the head and cut it back on the attenuator to play in the house. I'm not gigging with it so it doesn't get up very high often. I'll have to set it somewhere that I can turn it loose to see how that changes the sound. Thanks for the intel on the small box.

 

[jchrisf]

Hi all. I own a Runt 50 head + 2x12, and after playing it for awhile I'm really not liking the lack of bottom end sound I get from it. It also seems that even when the gain is dimed it's still in that classic rock lane and I'd like to have a higher gain option available w/out needing to add pedals. I've tried a bunch of guitars through it to make sure it wasn't just the pickups. Don't get me wrong - I like it, but for an amp like this costing real money I need to love it. So now I'm wondering should I sink more $ in and look at smallbox or BE 50 and keep the 2x12? Since that will mean spending another ~2k even after selling the Runt I'm debating whether I'm insane and should just get rid of amp + cab and look for an alternative. I'm sure the BE will give me all I want and then some, but $$$. Is the smallbox a good option? I appreciate any input. Thanks.

I finally figured out that pedals are what give the amp the tone I am looking for.. so IMO don't be afraid of pedals.. it takes an amp like the Runt 50 to a whole new territory that I love. Also you can put a cheap EQ pedal in the loop and boost up some thump really easy.

 

[ClintN667]

I would definitely add a pedal. Getting something higher gain will typically just mean someone built a pedal into the amp. I know an SD1 with the V2 Caldera(which isnt that high gain) I had took it into the same territory as my other high gain amps.

 

[Smash]

Yeah. boost is not a cuss word. People here will try to convince you it is. But there are few amps that sound better without a boost. There is a magic of boosting a slightly loose classic sounding amp that you aren't going to get with a metal amp.

 

[311boogieman]

All good replies so far. I have very little Friedman experience but what I do know is that peeps say they have a bit looser gain and are easier to play. Maybe like a DSL. Don't know how true that is. Doesn't mean they are bad. Even the Butterslax to me is a bit loose in that regard.

I like the question of 'what kinds of music do you play most'?

How loud can/ do you play? Your problem may be more speaker related due to lack of volume. The small box and runt are pretty similar gain wise when played at gutiar shop volumes.

My 2x12 is equally as loud as my 4x12 but maybe that was not really your point. To me though, for a 2x12 to sound its best you have to get it up off the floor onto something to project the sound better. Maybe even angling it up a bit. That and slant 4x12s will sound louder too. But all else equal, you are only talking 3 dB.

Plug for Monomyth and Splawn as well. Huge low end.

 

[Chubbs]

All good replies so far. I have very little Friedman experience but what I do know is that peeps say they have a bit looser gain and are easier to play. Maybe like a DSL. Don't know how true that is. Doesn't mean they are bad. Even the Butterslax to me is a bit loose in that regard.

I like the question of 'what kinds of music do you play most'?


My 2x12 is equally as loud as my 4x12 but maybe that was not really your point. To me though, for a 2x12 to sound its best you have to get it up off the floor onto something to project the sound better. Maybe even angling it up a bit. That and slant 4x12s will sound louder too. But all else equal, you are only talking 3 dB.

Plug for Monomyth and Splawn as well. Huge low end.

I was more speaking in terms of moving air. Most every speaker and cab combo I've dealt with needed to be moderately loud to open up. And assuming he has vintage 30's they may still need to be broken in and warm up a bit.

 

[Techdeth]

Yeah. boost is not a cuss word. People here will try to convince you it is. But there are few amps that sound better without a boost. There is a magic of boosting a slightly loose classic sounding amp that you aren't going to get with a metal amp.

I agree.it just depends on the amp . Some need it some don’t . I have like 10 boosts I try

 

[Racerxrated]

+1 on the boost factor...I used to refuse to boost. Don't know why; but when I finally tried a simple EQ pedal it was glorious. Changed any and every amp I owned then on, into a fire breather; or at minimum at least added some new frequencies that improved the tone.
Now I boost everything, and love it.

 

[MetalHeadMike]

Yeah. boost is not a cuss word. People here will try to convince you it is. But there are few amps that sound better without a boost. There is a magic of boosting a slightly loose classic sounding amp that you aren't going to get with a metal amp.

Yeah, many here will tell you that you're ruining a good amp by throwing a boost in front. I've had very few amps that sounded better unboosted. A boost out front and an eq in the loop is a must for me.

 

[the rossness]

I’m not really into Froedman amps. The only one I’ve ever liked was the JJ100.

If I was going to get an amp in Marshall-land, it would be a Splawn Quickrod with all the options. It has gain for days and days. If not a splawn, the 3rd power Kitchen Sink would be on my shortlist too.

 

[Bxlxaxkxe]

Hi all. I own a Runt 50 head + 2x12, and after playing it for awhile I'm really not liking the lack of bottom end sound I get from it. It also seems that even when the gain is dimed it's still in that classic rock lane and I'd like to have a higher gain option available w/out needing to add pedals. I've tried a bunch of guitars through it to make sure it wasn't just the pickups. Don't get me wrong - I like it, but for an amp like this costing real money I need to love it. So now I'm wondering should I sink more $ in and look at smallbox or BE 50 and keep the 2x12? Since that will mean spending another ~2k even after selling the Runt I'm debating whether I'm insane and should just get rid of amp + cab and look for an alternative. I'm sure the BE will give me all I want and then some, but $$$. Is the smallbox a good option? I appreciate any input. Thanks.

Have had the runt, smallbox (wildwood version with the SAT switch), and BE100 dlx. The runt does need a boost to push it into saturation. On the cheap, a Friedman buxom boost would be a great option to try before you sell the amp. Think of it as the SAT switch in a pedal (basically the Jerry Cantrell sound).

If you do decide to sell the runt, the Be100dlx (and likely the be50 deluxe) had the best master volume I've experienced. It was better at low volumes than the runt and JJ Jr. I had. Kinda weird, but that's what I noticed for sure. The deluxe also had a beefier low end. Seems kinda weird to recommend a 100 watt amp here but if you like the Friedman sound, that head would work out very well for you.

 

[311boogieman]

Have had the runt, smallbox (wildwood version with the SAT switch), and BE100 dlx. The runt does need a boost to push it into saturation. On the cheap, a Friedman buxom boost would be a great option to try before you sell the amp. Think of it as the SAT switch in a pedal (basically the Jerry Cantrell sound).

If you do decide to sell the runt, the Be100dlx (and likely the be50 deluxe) had the best master volume I've experienced. It was better at low volumes than the runt and JJ Jr. I had. Kinda weird, but that's what I noticed for sure. The deluxe also had a beefier low end. Seems kinda weird to recommend a 100 watt amp here but if you like the Friedman sound, that head would work out very well for you.

Just goes to prove further that watts do not equal volume but have a lot to do with low end and punch.

Buying a little amp because you can't play loudly is not the answer.

That was not to the OP, that is a general consensus.

 

[ClintN667]

I am a big fan of Ceriatone, Splawn, and Monomyth. If I was playing Thrash to classic rock I would go with Ceriatone or Splawn. I play a good bit of Death Metal so my Monomyth does that quite good.

I prefer to buy amps that dont "need" a boost but that will take them. A hot mod would probably work really well with your friedman so thats another choice.