Review: Fortin Bones

[RedB4Black]

Does it have as much gain as the Dorado channel of the Mak4?

As for the low-end on the Mak 4, that was the one down-fall for me. Of course playing next to an Uber, Herbert and ENGL SE is gonna make anything else feel like it's lacking for low end. To get a bass response I liked, the bass had to be kept below noon. I guess playing in a band with a bass player, you don't need all the low end and the Mak 4 would be fine. Bedroom rockstars like me need a little more bottom and girth.

 

[Sixtonoize]

All the Fortin amps are particularly sensitive to output tube changes.

Thanks for the heads up. I think I'm going to put a set of 6550s on before the next practice and see what happens.
I'm definitely not writing the Bones off just yet. If it becomes a substantially different beast with the 6550s, I'm keeping it.

Does it have as much gain as the Dorado channel of the Mak4?

I don't think so. The overall voicing is similar, but the level of gain on the Bones is maybe half way between the Makoplex and Dorado channels. Of course, I never run the gain on my Dorado channel above 10:00, so it's plenty for me.

As for the low-end on the Mak 4, that was the one down-fall for me. Of course playing next to an Uber, Herbert and ENGL SE is gonna make anything else feel like it's lacking for low end. To get a bass response I liked, the bass had to be kept below noon. I guess playing in a band with a bass player, you don't need all the low end and the Mak 4 would be fine. Bedroom rockstars like me need a little more bottom and girth.

I agree. I just added a bump at 100hz with a para EQ, and it's perfect. It's really punchy without being woofy.
It's still not the ridiculously controlled low-end punch of the Bones, but it's close enough for government work.

 

[RedB4Black]

Does it have as much gain as the Dorado channel of the Mak4?

I don't think so. The overall voicing is similar, but the level of gain on the Bones is maybe half way between the Makoplex and Dorado channels. Of course, I never run the gain on my Dorado channel above 10:00, so it's plenty for me.

Yeah. I thought the Dorado sounded best with the gain at maybe 9:00 to 10:00 as well. So the bones gain dimed would still be less than say 10:00 on the Dorado channel?

 

[Sixtonoize]

No, I'd say that the Bones gain at 1:00 is in the same ballpark as 10:00 on the Dorado channel.
The Bones dimed would probably be equivalent to the Dorado channel at 2:00 or so.

 

[jcj]

Good, honest review

I'd like to try a Bones, but at the end of the day (as much as I love amps), they're all just amps

I currently have a CCV, a Herbert, a couple of Aldrich mod's and an Axe Fx....all cool in their own way, all good for something different.

 

[Devilinside]

Thanks for the honest review as well, but I'm a bit confused. Before I ordered my bones Ive heard nothing but incredible things on this amp, but now it seems people can't rid them quick enough. I understand totally having amps that do the same thing would be redundant but from the review it sounded like the bones did everything better, yet your already thinking about moving it. I'm hoping when I get mine it's giong to totally kick ass as I suspect, Then I can sell it within 24hrs.
I am glad I ordered mine with a 6550/EL34 combo to keep the tightness and headroom with the EL34 mids.

 

[jcj]

Thanks for the honest review as well, but I'm a bit confused. Before I ordered my bones Ive heard nothing but incredible things on this amp, but now it seems people can't rid them quick enough. I understand totally having amps that do the same thing would be redundant but from the review it sounded like the bones did everything better, yet your already thinking about moving it. I'm hoping when I get mine it's giong to totally kick ass as I suspect, Then I can sell it within 24hrs.
I am glad I ordered mine with a 6550/EL34 combo to keep the tightness and headroom with the EL34 mids.

Honestly, when you can't readily try something before you buy, this happens. All makers, all styles.

It's no reflection on the Fortin stuff, or any other amp maker.

One man's Holy Grail is another man's meh.

Hell, I love the Axe Fx, and the Quickrod, some guys wouldn't even turn those on

 

[Digital Jams]

Thanks for the honest review as well, but I'm a bit confused. Before I ordered my bones Ive heard nothing but incredible things on this amp, but now it seems people can't rid them quick enough. I understand totally having amps that do the same thing would be redundant but from the review it sounded like the bones did everything better, yet your already thinking about moving it. I'm hoping when I get mine it's giong to totally kick ass as I suspect, Then I can sell it within 24hrs.
I am glad I ordered mine with a 6550/EL34 combo to keep the tightness and headroom with the EL34 mids.

The flipping of amps will never end, some are looking for something in their head while others just like shipping amps back and forth as a hobby to try different things. One man's grail is another man's meh, you have to figure out who is out there that has simular tastes as your own.

That said you just have to figure out what you are looking for and find like minded people to discuss tones, there are several aspects of the Bones that were not covered in the review that maybe you would like to know but the OP has zero interest.

In the end find something and just play your guitar

 

[ttosh]

In the end find something and just play your guitar

I agree with this, before the forums many years ago I played the same amp for many years without even a slight hesitation of concern for trying other things. I never got insults on my tone, and always had a great time. After 2 years of insanity on these forums, many amp builders tryouts and finding that every amp I end up with usually gets setup to sound similar and my playing style and fingers seriously do dictate a lot of my tone in the end. I opted for an amp that had a lot of versatility and could cover a lot of ground if I can ever evolve as a guitarist and need it. I now try to spend my time writing and practicing and the guys I am playing with thank me for this as well.

 

[Digital Jams]

In the end find something and just play your guitar

I agree with this, before the forums many years ago I played the same amp for many years without even a slight hesitation of concern for trying other things. I never got insults on my tone, and always had a great time. After 2 years of insanity on these forums, many amp builders tryouts and finding that every amp I end up with usually gets setup to sound similar and my playing style and fingers seriously do dictate a lot of my tone in the end. I opted for an amp that had a lot of versatility and could cover a lot of ground if I can ever evolve as a guitarist and need it. I now try to spend my time writing and practicing and the guys I am playing with thank me for this as well.

Yup, same way here. I found what I like and have zero interest in other brands at this time. I have more pressing issues like fixing my stupid sloopy legato work

 

[RedB4Black]

The OP got to play the Bones before he traded locally for it - so he knew what he was getting. I think it was an easy way for him to dump the KR7 he's been trying to sell for awhile now and the Bones will sell alot faster. I'd have done the same thing in his shoes regardless of whether I liked the Bones or not.

I agree with this, before the forums many years ago I played the same amp for many years without even a slight hesitation of concern for trying other things. I never got insults on my tone, and always had a great time. After 2 years of insanity on these forums, many amp builders tryouts and finding that every amp I end up with usually gets setup to sound similar and my playing style and fingers seriously do dictate a lot of my tone in the end. I opted for an amp that had a lot of versatility and could cover a lot of ground if I can ever evolve as a guitarist and need it. I now try to spend my time writing and practicing and the guys I am playing with thank me for this as well.

Did you get it yet? How do you like it? el34s or 6L6s? There's a 6l6 version on ebay right now, but I want el34s.

 

[Digital Jams]

The OP got to play the Bones before he traded locally for it - so he knew what he was getting. I think it was an easy way for him to dump the KR7 he's been trying to sell for awhile now and the Bones will sell alot faster. I'd have done the same thing in his shoes regardless of whether I liked the Bones or not.

.

I was being nice about it but yeah that is what I was thinking as well

 

[Sixtonoize]

Thanks for the honest review as well, but I'm a bit confused. Before I ordered my bones Ive heard nothing but incredible things on this amp, but now it seems people can't rid them quick enough. I understand totally having amps that do the same thing would be redundant but from the review it sounded like the bones did everything better, yet your already thinking about moving it. I'm hoping when I get mine it's giong to totally kick ass as I suspect, Then I can sell it within 24hrs.
I am glad I ordered mine with a 6550/EL34 combo to keep the tightness and headroom with the EL34 mids.

It's not so much that it did everything better than everything, but it did do certain things better than either the Mako or the UL. For example, for punchy bass it did better than both amps, but the UL isn't far behind. With enough tweaking of the GEQ vs. the tone stack, I'm sure you could get even closer. However, it can't really get close to that nasty mid-snarl that's the VHT trademark and a lot of what I love about the UL. It's also what a lot of people don't like about the company, so for someone who isn't really into the VHT sound, it would be perfect.

But really, the deciding factor for me is that there's only one set of tone controls. You can get good cleans, but you still have to compromise between the high-gain sounds and clean. I don't have to do that on either of the other two.

And it's totally true that the Bones will move, whereas I had the KR7 for a while.
The KR7 is a cool amp, but nobody will touch it because of the Slipknot association.

 

[Digital Jams]

Yeah I can see the K7 being tough to move, have to give you some credit for coming up with an idea that could solve multiple issues.

 

[Gsxrbusa]

The OP got to play the Bones before he traded locally for it - so he knew what he was getting. I think it was an easy way for him to dump the KR7 he's been trying to sell for awhile now and the Bones will sell alot faster. I'd have done the same thing in his shoes regardless of whether I liked the Bones or not.

.

I was being nice about it but yeah that is what I was thinking as well

Pretty fuckin smart, if you ask me. Win..Win

 

[Gsxrbusa]

In the end find something and just play your guitar

I agree with this, before the forums many years ago I played the same amp for many years without even a slight hesitation of concern for trying other things. I never got insults on my tone, and always had a great time. After 2 years of insanity on these forums, many amp builders tryouts and finding that every amp I end up with usually gets setup to sound similar and my playing style and fingers seriously do dictate a lot of my tone in the end. I opted for an amp that had a lot of versatility and could cover a lot of ground if I can ever evolve as a guitarist and need it. I now try to spend my time writing and practicing and the guys I am playing with thank me for this as well.

ttosh, you are always so serious and logical..........

 

[ttosh]

In the end find something and just play your guitar

I agree with this, before the forums many years ago I played the same amp for many years without even a slight hesitation of concern for trying other things. I never got insults on my tone, and always had a great time. After 2 years of insanity on these forums, many amp builders tryouts and finding that every amp I end up with usually gets setup to sound similar and my playing style and fingers seriously do dictate a lot of my tone in the end. I opted for an amp that had a lot of versatility and could cover a lot of ground if I can ever evolve as a guitarist and need it. I now try to spend my time writing and practicing and the guys I am playing with thank me for this as well.

ttosh, you are always so serious and logical..........

Just wait a few weeks and then my little sense I have will start thinking, hummm I wonder what that amp would sound/feel like. Maybe I should sell this for that, and trade this for that as well, then I can be out x number of dollars and want back a, b and c from last year. Why did I sell that one again?

 

[stephen sawall]

Personally I think it is funny how one of these threads can turn GAS on and off for a lot of people. Some people are just at that gear flipping state that a lot of musicians hit. 5 years ago I flipped about 30 amps in 4 months. Now I buy 2/3 a year.

I am very glad I live in a place that has a over abundance of new and used gear. In most cases I can try out any thing I read about with less than a 30 mile drive.

It just like women for me .... I want the ones I have not plugged into the most. .... or at least I think I do.

 

[orion848]

Great review, I was wondering if you find the UL similar to the MAK4?, as I am thinking about getting a 2nd preamp, I currently have a VHT GP3 but like you I want something that sounds different, I suppose I'm looking for something high gain but with more saturation.

 

[Wizard of Ozz]

Way to pump the amp before you sell it!

The pump... followed by the dump.