Ok---Mesa Power amp or VHT/Fryette or anything else HELP!

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Mrevol

Mrevol

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Looking for a power amp to use with a Mak4 and a Mesa Studio Pre. Im looking at a VHT/Fryette 2/90/2, mesa 2:90, or mesa strategy 500 (maybe randall rt2/50)

Anyone played through all three? Opinions?

I would like to save money but do want the best sound.
 
Mrevol":p17z6bmf said:
Why do you suggest those two? More insight plz
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I have the 2:90. The switching options are nice for that last bit of tone shaping.
I have a Marshall 9100 (50 watt) and it kills also. the 9200 is the 100 watt per channel version

One has a Mesa flavor, the other has a Marshall flavor. I'll never sell either one of them.
 
VHT-Fryette power amps are what all other power amps are judged by............ :thumbsup:
 
Right now I have 4 power amps around - Mesa 2:90, Recto 2:100, 20/20, and a VHT 2/90/2. My fav is the VHT - had one before and never should have sold it. I've played most of the others (with the exception of the 9100/9200's and the VHT 2/50/2). For me the VHT is the king of the castle, its big, punchy, and sounds great. I do like the 2:100, its almost as big sounding as the VHT but its stiffer, and to me isn't as 3d sounding as the VHT. The 2:90 would be the one I would keep if I didn't love the VHT so much - as its really a killer amp (especially with 6L6's and EL34 in the class A slots) - and the options are really icing on the cake - really like the modern and deep - didn't really use the half drive much. I have the 20/20 in my backup/grab and go rig (a 4 space rack with everything) - so it stays.

Another one that should get an honorable mention is the older Carvin T100 - with E34L's biased right - sounds great, is lighter weight then most amps - can be bridged to 100 watts mono - nice option to have, and their really cheap in comparison to most other tube amps. So I'm keeping the VHT and 20/20 and letting the other two go (though I keep thinking I should keep the 2:90 as a backup - but i've got the 20/20)
 
nitro":2a510b47 said:
VHT-Fryette power amps are what all other power amps are judged by............ :thumbsup:
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Depends on who's doing the judging. :D
 
Alot of your amp builders such as bogner,soldano,diezel agree to what im saying about VHT-FRYETTE power amps,those are just some of the people who are judging.........
 
2/90/2 kills with the Dorado, 2/50/2 kills with the makoplex. I like the 2/90/2 better overall with the Mak4

Lol. Funny... Yesterday I was almost gonna offer to trade you my Fryette 2/90/2 for the Roadster you listed since I sold my Mak4 and you just got one. Plus I already have the 2/50/2 for the Axe, but the 2/90 sounds so good with the Axe too. :doh:
 
nitro":2r89dzjx said:
Alot of your amp builders such as bogner,soldano,diezel agree to what im saying about VHT-FRYETTE power amps,those are just some of the people who are judging.........
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I'm sure they do. I'm just saying the VHT-FRYETTE power amps may not be for everyone, that's all. But we all know it's a good power amp. :yes:
 
I didn't like running my MAK4 through the power section of my UL - the resulting combination is too tight, IMO (and I'm a dude who likes tight amps).
I'm a lot happier using my Carvin T100 with the MAK4 because it has a little bit of give to soften up the razor-sharp Mako.
 
What tubes do you want to run? That's an important question IMO. That's why I like the Randall RM50. Tons of tube options, and the ability to switch between them like channels on the fly. Very cool. And, it sounds great too of coarse :rock:
 
What is a UL? Sorry might be a dumb question.

Leaning more towards 6l6's, KT's, or 6550's
 
Mrevol":3oze8had said:
What is a UL? Sorry might be a dumb question.

Leaning more towards 6l6's, KT's, or 6550's
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VHT-FRYETTE "ULTRA LOUD" :D
 
mhenson42":vb97p9cy said:
2/90/2 kills with the Dorado, 2/50/2 kills with the makoplex. I like the 2/90/2 better overall with the Mak4

Lol. Funny... Yesterday I was almost gonna offer to trade you my Fryette 2/90/2 for the Roadster you listed since I sold my Mak4 and you just got one. Plus I already have the 2/50/2 for the Axe, but the 2/90 sounds so good with the Axe too. :doh:
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Why'd you sell the Mak4?
 
~Abstract~":2chmfqyh said:
mhenson42":2chmfqyh said:
2/90/2 kills with the Dorado, 2/50/2 kills with the makoplex. I like the 2/90/2 better overall with the Mak4

Lol. Funny... Yesterday I was almost gonna offer to trade you my Fryette 2/90/2 for the Roadster you listed since I sold my Mak4 and you just got one. Plus I already have the 2/50/2 for the Axe, but the 2/90 sounds so good with the Axe too. :doh:
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Why'd you sell the Mak4?
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I don't know really. :lol: :LOL: I liked it well enough. I guess I wish it had a little more low-end. I'm used to playing my Herbert and Uber and my friends ENGL SE. I didn't like the bass response on the pre-amp unless the bass was kept around 10 to 11. When I turned the depth way up on the power amp to compensate it didn't do it for me either. Just me being picky I guess. This pre-amp owns the mid-range though. Sounded best when mixed with an amp with alot of low-end like the SE or Uber.

I didn't want to keep it for the sake of keeping it when I enjoyed playing my other stuff more. I've had some serious GAS for a 20th XTC and when the opportunity came up to sell it fast - so I took it. I wasn't really planning to sell it at the time.
 
I agree that the pre is a little light on the low-end, and it's really picky about where you boost it.
I'm using a Parametric EQ to boost the low end at 100hz, and it's damn near perfect...but there's not a lot of room for error.

80hz and 120hz don't really make it thump like a boost at 100hz does, so I could see how a Deep control with an unknown frequency response could either be great or totally miss the mark.
 
This might sound crazy but what about the old Peavey Classic power amps. The one's with the resonance and presence controls? Would save alot of dough that way.
 
That's a good option, too - and if you're handy with a soldering iron, you could even tune the Resonance knob to be optimized to the preamp. IIRC, on the Classic 50/50 that I owned, the Reso knob didn't do a whole lot, but it's there and ripe for experimentation...and for the prices that they usually go for, you can't really go wrong.
 
Also - there's a Classic 120 (mono) on my local CL.
Shoot me a PM if you want me to look into it.
 
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