Randall KH103/Fortin Meathead

PurityS.L.G

Well-known member
Anybody have experience with this amp? I have a friend in AZ who has a friend/neighbor who's liquidating his shit to move out of state and this amp is one of the items thats going on the cheap. Problem is my friend knows jack shit about guitars and tone. The guy wants $1000 for it. I've already done my homework and know thats a great deal.

Just a heads up, I really want to know your guys' opinion on this amp. Even at that price, I don't want to pick it up and go through the headache and try to sell for a profit. I have intentions on keeping it, if its worth it.
 
I tried one many years ago and remember being unimpressed, but been too long to remember the details. I remember it being just another forgettable modern, compressed amp, nothing really stood out about it being anything special. Don't remember much else. I liked the other Fortin destined Randalls better like the Thrasher and Satan, but those seemed to be stupidly priced these days. I bought the Thrasher I used to have for $800
 
Had a meathead for a short time and flipped it for a huge profit. Honestly my fortin modded VTM smokes it and it's not even close. Found it very synthetic sounding and ultra compressed.
 
Kind of too early to reply to this thread but so far good info. Thanks guys. I honestly expected these answers based off my fuzzy memory of the early RT days. Only true "Fortin" I've ever played was the bones and it was a fkn monster. Smoked my Soldano Avenger, Framus Cobra and Diezel Herbie I had at the time. Back in the days when he was a hungry builder with something to prove. Funny how fame works huh? :D

All BS aside, I haven't really seen much talk, praise or mention of the Meathead/KH103 circuit, which is why I'm asking you fine gentlemen for help. So far I'm thinking pass and put it towards a Naylor I asked you guys about not too long ago instead.
 
Kind of too early to reply to this thread but so far good info. Thanks guys. I honestly expected these answers based off my fuzzy memory of the early RT days. Only true "Fortin" I've ever played was the bones and it was a fkn monster. Smoked my Soldano Avenger, Framus Cobra and Diezel Herbie I had at the time. Back in the days when he was a hungry builder with something to prove. Funny how fame works huh? :D

All BS aside, I haven't really seen much talk, praise or mention of the Meathead/KH103 circuit, which is why I'm asking you fine gentlemen for help. So far I'm thinking pass and put it towards a Naylor I asked you guys about not too long ago instead.

if it was me? I'd wish someone told me to get a naylor, lol
 
Kind of too early to reply to this thread but so far good info. Thanks guys. I honestly expected these answers based off my fuzzy memory of the early RT days. Only true "Fortin" I've ever played was the bones and it was a fkn monster. Smoked my Soldano Avenger, Framus Cobra and Diezel Herbie I had at the time. Back in the days when he was a hungry builder with something to prove. Funny how fame works huh? :D

All BS aside, I haven't really seen much talk, praise or mention of the Meathead/KH103 circuit, which is why I'm asking you fine gentlemen for help. So far I'm thinking pass and put it towards a Naylor I asked you guys about not too long ago instead.

Unless you were getting the meathead to flip it, which you could for ++$$$
 
Unless you were getting the meathead to flip it, which you could for ++$$$
Unfortunately it is the Randall version and not the actual MH. If it was the OG MH, I wouldn't have even made this thread LOL I'm assuming the KH103 is the same circuit which is why I asked for feedback.
 
Unfortunately it is the Randall version and not the actual MH. If it was the OG MH, I wouldn't have even made this thread LOL I'm assuming the KH103 is the same circuit which is why I asked for feedback.

Oh, lol.

probs not then, unless youre really curious. Even the fortin version isn't very good. All of the above comments about how it sounds apply.
 
Kind of too early to reply to this thread but so far good info. Thanks guys. I honestly expected these answers based off my fuzzy memory of the early RT days. Only true "Fortin" I've ever played was the bones and it was a fkn monster. Smoked my Soldano Avenger, Framus Cobra and Diezel Herbie I had at the time. Back in the days when he was a hungry builder with something to prove. Funny how fame works huh? :D

All BS aside, I haven't really seen much talk, praise or mention of the Meathead/KH103 circuit, which is why I'm asking you fine gentlemen for help. So far I'm thinking pass and put it towards a Naylor I asked you guys about not too long ago instead.
Pass and put it towards a Naylor.
 
Oh, lol.

probs not then, unless youre really curious. Even the fortin version isn't very good. All of the above comments about how it sounds apply.
I’ve played a Fortin bones and a Randall KH103.

The Fortin bones kicked it’s ass any day. The Randall had more channels and modes than anyone needs and really is compressed on the highest gain channel. I will say the only thing it did well was played great - it was effortless and didn’t wrestle with you at all. It was fun to play but it really only needed the clean channel and the last high gain channel, just overkill in design and not much forethought for function.

Before the economy went to shit I hard passed on the Randall when I found one for $1400. My Marshall and Bogner would both shit on it anyday.

Here’s the embarrassing part, I once had a lead on an RT members Fortin bones that had the dedicated 2 Channel and midi options. To this day I kick my own ass for not buying it.
 
I’ve played a Fortin bones and a Randall KH103.

The Fortin bones kicked it’s ass any day. The Randall had more channels and modes than anyone needs and really is compressed on the highest gain channel. I will say the only thing it did well was played great - it was effortless and didn’t wrestle with you at all. It was fun to play but it really only needed the clean channel and the last high gain channel, just overkill in design and not much forethought for function.

Before the economy went to shit I hard passed on the Randall when I found one for $1400. My Marshall and Bogner would both shit on it anyday.

Here’s the embarrassing part, I once had a lead on an RT members Fortin bones that had the dedicated 2 Channel and midi options. To this day I kick my own ass for not buying it.
The meathead is the fortin version of the KH103; the bones is a completely different amp. I'm not 100% but i suspect the bones is based on the larry british circuit or some variation, just based on the time period and the other "designs" fortin "came up with."
 
Had both a Natas and a Meathead. Like mentioned above, very generic and very compressed. Could never dial in a tone i like.

My Peters Gryphon has always been my reference of a perfect tone. Sold it...... But to get a triple channel FSM. Crazy amp. Love it. Liked the Gryphon just a little bit more, for its throaty mids. But the FSM smokes!!!
 
Kind of too early to reply to this thread but so far good info. Thanks guys. I honestly expected these answers based off my fuzzy memory of the early RT days. Only true "Fortin" I've ever played was the bones and it was a fkn monster. Smoked my Soldano Avenger, Framus Cobra and Diezel Herbie I had at the time. Back in the days when he was a hungry builder with something to prove. Funny how fame works huh? :D

All BS aside, I haven't really seen much talk, praise or mention of the Meathead/KH103 circuit, which is why I'm asking you fine gentlemen for help. So far I'm thinking pass and put it towards a Naylor I asked you guys about not too long ago instead.
By Fortin I've only tried the Natas and Meshuggah and was quite disappointed in both, but haven't tried a Bones or Meathead

The KH103 and Naylor would be very different flavors, but I think anyone with at least half an ear drum would recognize how much higher quality of a tone the Naylor would have over a KH103. Those amps really shouldn't be in the same sentence or paragraph lol
 
As much as I love my Naylor (in my top 5 of high gain amps I've got), I'm honestly not sure if you'd find yourself using it much next to your Larry for the stuff at least I hear in your clips. I have said of what I've got currently it's the closest amp I've got to getting a tone in that ballpark when I put EL34's in it and boost it with my Klon, but still not there, especially in the palm mutes
I think he was speaking as if he was the op; in that if someone leads him away from the fortin gimmick straight to the naylor, then he has avoided wasting time.
 
For $1000 it's a no brainer. KH103 vs JP2C



Or you could go for one of those amps that are "way better" but can't find. 🤣
 
For me, the "jumbo gumbo switcher's"
become counter productive to finding multiple
useful sounds.
It's due to all that heap of circuitry pushing & pulling on the power & output same transformers,
resulting in the core sound of the amp is always there, making most of the channels excellent fart paper.
If you don't like something about the core of it,
you'll be hair on fire at the core of your brain
later on..,turning & twisting controls..
-Change your f'n strings man or something dude!
"No, I'm too into it man"...,
"Then dude, go f*** off with your R2D2 amp".
(Still twisting & turning knobs & flicking switches
with very little use of the guitar going into it).
 
And with pedals being pretty freakin' killer nowadays, you can actually get different flavors
from different components that kick all kinds of arse'.
Personally, I use not so great stuff but make
that stuff sound killer and create sounds that the
new "concentrated" big boy' stuff..plummets at.
*Braintheory*, BRILLIANT analogy dude,
regarding boutique "heavy on the concentrate" amplifiers.
You're officially in the squad with that one dude!
 
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