Overlap between Smallbox and Dirty Shirley?

[marshall2553]

I currently have a Dirty Shirley and I've been GASing for a Smallbox lately. But I'm wondering if there's enough difference between the two to own both. Two channels would be nice, plus I'd like something a little more aggressive than the DS. Is the Smallbox basically the same preamp circuit as DS, but with a SS rectified EL34 power section? Anybody own both? Do they basically cover the same bases tonally? There aren't any Smallboxes around here to try, so I'm relying on clips and reviews.

 

[RACKSYSTEMS]

They are not the same circuit at all. Small box is tighter and more aggressive without going to far.

 

[John 14:6]

You can't go wrong with a Smallbox. I just got one a few weeks ago and love the thing. I have never read one review that said the Dirty Shirley and the Smallbox sounded or felt the same. The Smallbox has the tone, but it also has the feel under your fingers that is hard to beat. I too bought one just going by reviews and clips. I am glad that I did not let a rare bad review or clip scare me away from taking a chance on the Smallbox.

 

[theSmeeze007]

I do not have any experience with the DS, but I love my smallbox. I just don't think you can go wrong with it. I usually just stay on the BE channel and use pedals for different textures, but the plexi channels sounds amazing as well. It's a super flexible amp that is pretty much a Swiss army knife of sound. Depending on speakers / cab / guitar / pickup combinations you can really play ANY genre of music. And the master is just killer. I had a suhr badger 30 with power scaling that I sold because the smallbox sounded way better to me than the badger at lower volumes.

 

[bbe_rev]

I own both. First bought the Dirty Shirley, loved it, had been going through a bunch of amps the past year, and the DS just did it for me. After a couple months, and still loving it I wanted to try another Friedman, so I bought the Small Box. Love it, great amp. Personally I think there is enough difference between the two to own both. They do "kind of" cover the same ground, but at the same time are quite different. The Small Box can easily be "a little more aggressive", and with the two channels, definitely more versatile. I also have a Badger 30, which is a great amp, but it's been collecting dust since the Small Box arrived. Play mine through a Bogner 1x12 closed back ported with CL80, sounds great!

 

[slate]

I own both amps too - they're not the same and apart from the amount of gain available,they actually have little in common in terms of actual tone and feel.
It's this simple -
Smallbox : plexi based , tighter, more agressive with more pronounced mids and that famous plexi "bark"
DS : JTM 45 based , fatter bottom end, looser feel with the most wonderful sag, more upper mids, and at lower gain settings it's got that heavenly semi-clean breakup tone of a bassman.
Get the 212 V30 cab too if you get the smallbox - it's great .