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Post by zpilot on Dec 15, 2016 19:30:29 GMT -7
I just ordered a Fryette PS-2 to use with my MAZ 8. I have been thinking about getting one even before I bought the MAZ 8. In Pentode mode the "8" is loud enough for what I normally do but in Triode mode it isn't quite enough and I am becoming really fond of the amp in that mode. It responds a lot like the '58 tweed Deluxe I used to have which was one of my all-time favorite amps.
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Post by Sean on Dec 15, 2016 20:04:18 GMT -7
These have always interested me - would be great with my fractal ax8 as well as with the z28 and matchless...I just always balk at the price. I shouldn't but I do. Please let us know how it works out!
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Post by zpilot on Dec 15, 2016 20:11:01 GMT -7
Will do. The price was a little stiff for me also but if this works works out well I will be able to sell my MAZ 18 and a couple of other amps and that will more than pay for the PS-2. I'm at a point where I'd really like to trim down my amp inventory.
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Post by premiumplus (Dave) on Dec 16, 2016 6:07:27 GMT -7
I've been on the fence on these for a year or so, and it's going to be great to hear your review.
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Post by doctorice on Dec 16, 2016 7:02:51 GMT -7
I too am eager to hear your impressions.
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Post by pcns on Dec 16, 2016 8:35:59 GMT -7
I really liked the Maz 8 triode mode too. I never owned any of the really old vintage amps but I just know that I loved how that amp sounded in Triode.
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Post by zpilot on Dec 20, 2016 21:14:38 GMT -7
My Fryette PS-2 arrived at zpilot HQ yesterday and I now have at least 2 hours on it. Here are my thoughts. This is as much of a game-changer as when I've gotten any piece of gear I can think of. I mean this.
I hooked it up to the MAZ 8 and set the switches and controls flat. I switched in the PS-2 and dialed it to unity gain and I could not tell any difference when switching it in and out of Bypass. None whatsoever. The "attenuator" is on all of the time the PS-2 is not being bypassed. The MAZ 8 was in Triode mode which puts out about 5 watts. That's just not enough for me to gig with so I turned up the PS-2 to what I thought was about 20 watts. It had the same feel and I think the slight difference in speaker frequency response was totally due to it being pushed harder which is absolutely normal. I liked it that way but if I wanted to EQ it back to the lower volume sound there is enough range in the on-board controls. These aren't drastic controls. Just enough for this purpose.
There was more clean headroom than the 20 watts but I don't need that. If I was going to turn it up farther I'd use more than the one 12" C-Gold in the combo amp. The whole point of using this was to make the amp louder but not add any dirt to the sound. It does that. I didn't play with it much below unity because there was no need since the MAZ 8 was at 5 watts already and it has a good master volume.
Now I have an amp that I can play at home at low volumes and I will only be using one fairly inexpensive EL84. No need to buy matched pairs or quads. Then I can take it out to ANY venue I would possibly play and have the same sound but I am only working the tubes in the PS-2 at that time.
The PS-2 is about as quiet as any amp I've owned and it has an effects loop which, of course, would be after my MAZ 8, pedalboard and guitar. My main guitars are single coils and the MAZ 8 is single ended so there is some noise from them. This can be an issue at church so I'm interested in trying a Hush pedal in the effects loop instead of constantly riding my volume controls. Also trying some delays and reverbs post-MAZ 8.
I didn't try the PS-2 at all with the MAZ in Pentode mode. I was having too much fun in Triode.
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Post by premiumplus (Dave) on Dec 21, 2016 9:23:49 GMT -7
Thanks for a great review. This looks like such a great tool, and the frequency compensated line out is icing on the cake. I'm curious to see how it works out. Do you expect to run a line from the Fryette to FOH? If that sounds great I'm going to have to buy one.
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Post by zpilot on Dec 21, 2016 10:36:13 GMT -7
I really don't know much yet about the line out or the lp filter. I assume that means it is a low pass filter. Fryette doesn't have a manual posted on-line for the PS-2 yet and it didn't come with one. I'll probably use a mic if that is needed. A line out to the FOH is convenient but all the ones I have heard (and I am mainly a sound engineer nowadays) are kind of neutral sounding and don't get the nuances of a great speaker like my C-Gold. What is the point of spending the money on a speaker upgrade if the audience doesn't get to hear it?
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Post by purpletele on Dec 21, 2016 11:26:45 GMT -7
Good report!
I concur with the review, I have been using mine to play my big boy amps quietly.
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Post by nicholas on Dec 21, 2016 17:53:39 GMT -7
Nice info. Thanks for that. It seems like a great, very useful piece of gear. I really want to try it, but I've spent the last decade getting rid of big 100w amps and finding amps in a useful range. (It seems for me 30-35 watts is perfect.) I'm afraid if I get that I'll be re-buying 100w Super Leads, 2204's and stuff ;-) Or buying back into the 5 watt club which I left because they never had enough headroom with my LP's. I'm afraid the initial purchase price would be just the beginning...
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Post by premiumplus (Dave) on Dec 22, 2016 7:31:33 GMT -7
I really don't know much yet about the line out or the lp filter. I assume that means it is a low pass filter. Fryette doesn't have a manual posted on-line for the PS-2 yet and it didn't come with one. I'll probably use a mic if that is needed. A line out to the FOH is convenient but all the ones I have heard (and I am mainly a sound engineer nowadays) are kind of neutral sounding and don't get the nuances of a great speaker like my C-Gold. What is the point of spending the money on a speaker upgrade if the audience doesn't get to hear it? Absolutely, the speaker nuances make all the difference in the world. Being that you're doing a lot of sound, maybe sometime you could set up a test to compare the sound of your amp mic'd vs the Fryette line out. I've found that it is helpful to use a good delay/sampler like my TC Flashback X4 delay to record a loop of guitar licks, and play it back through my rig. Then you can get back to the desk and switch between the mic and line out, and have the identical sound reference to compare them.
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Post by zpilot on Dec 22, 2016 15:02:19 GMT -7
Here is my rule-of-thumb when running sound. If the room is small to medium sized but still wide and most of the coverage will come from the speaker cab then I am mostly concerned with filling in the off-axis corners of the room. In that case a compensated line out works well enough. What most of the audience hears is pretty true to the source.
If it is a big hall or outdoor venue then most, or maybe all, of what they hear is from the sound system. In that case I use a good mic. Usually a Sennheiser e906.
Also sometimes there is so much noise coming through from other instruments that you have to use a line-out. Snare drums are really bad about bleeding through the guitar amp mic.
There are a few amps with line outs that I really like. The Quilter Aviator comes to mind.
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Post by premiumplus (Dave) on Jan 9, 2017 9:15:37 GMT -7
Have you had the occasion to try the line out yet? Really curious how it sounds.
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Post by zpilot on Jan 9, 2017 10:28:55 GMT -7
Have you had the occasion to try the line out yet? Really curious how it sounds. Sorry, no. I would be surprised if that wan't excellent though since the line level signal from the attenuator is routed to both the line out and the input of the internal tube amp and the tube amp sounds very transparent.
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Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Jan 9, 2017 11:16:36 GMT -7
I'm afraid the initial purchase price would be just the beginning... +1000. I always tell people, if you think OD pedals are addicting, just wait until you can properly crank a tube amp to its sweet spot. You'll want them all...
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Post by zpilot on Jan 9, 2017 13:39:01 GMT -7
I just got a notice that Humbucker has the Bad Cat Unleash V2 back in stock. I was researching both it and the Fryette PS-2. They are going for $500 which is only $200 less than the PS-2. I think the PS-2 has better features. I've been told that the Unleash attenuator is not quite as good. Even so, it is another option and it is lighter since it has a SS Class-D power amp.
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Post by premiumplus (Dave) on Jan 9, 2017 16:38:12 GMT -7
I know it shouldn't make a difference, but I just don't like Class D power amps all that much. I've probably heard or played too many bad examples of Class D. I just prefer a good ol' Class A or AB. They seem to have an immediacy or a connectedness that the Class D amp can't usually achieve. I will say that I've been pleasantly surprised lately though, my wife gave me a big gift certificate for GC and I ended up buying a Fender Mustang III V2 with it. I'm pretty sure it's Class D. Don't shoot me for saying so, but the thing really has some nice tone in it. I was really surprised, and it'll be nice to carry around for rehearsals.
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Post by zpilot on Jan 9, 2017 22:12:13 GMT -7
I know it shouldn't make a difference, but I just don't like Class D power amps all that much. I've probably heard or played too many bad examples of Class D. I just prefer a good ol' Class A or AB. They seem to have an immediacy or a connectedness that the Class D amp can't usually achieve. I will say that I've been pleasantly surprised lately though, my wife gave me a big gift certificate for GC and I ended up buying a Fender Mustang III V2 with it. I'm pretty sure it's Class D. Don't shoot me for saying so, but the thing really has some nice tone in it. I was really surprised, and it'll be nice to carry around for rehearsals. I'm the same way. I didn't care for the early ones but the products I've heard the last couple of years with Class-D amps are nice.
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Post by zpilot on Jan 28, 2017 12:40:01 GMT -7
Here's a short but pretty good demo of the Fryette PS-2 used as an attenuator. It doesn't really touch on it's use as a re-amplifier to be used with low powered amps. It's worth watching. The section on the PS-2 runs from approximately 39:00 to 46:00.
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Post by purpletele on Jan 28, 2017 12:58:23 GMT -7
Here's a short but pretty good demo of the Fryette PS-2 used as an attenuator. It doesn't really touch on it's use as a re-amplifier to be used with low powered amps. It's worth watching. The section on the PS-2 runs from approximately 39:00 to 46:00. It's quiet? No film Z
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Post by zpilot on Jan 29, 2017 3:53:53 GMT -7
Sorry about that. I fixed it.
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Post by KeithA on Jan 29, 2017 11:16:47 GMT -7
I think I need to get one of these. I've looked at them before but never got round to picking one up.
On another note, I have one of those Yamaha THRs (the smaller one) and that's what I use in the Man Cave 95% of the time). Great little practice amps.
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