Fryette LXII

That's maybe why it has taken them 8 years to release the LXII.
They needed a better(faster) fan to cool the tubes =)
 
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I am very interested to hear more thoughts on the LXII. I am close to pulling the trigger on one. I am debating between the LXII and the Mesa 2:90. I have heard a lot of great reviews on the 2:90 and it fits my style more, however, what draws me to the Fryette is the 1U and the fact you can get a very neutral sound from it.
 
I am very interested to hear more thoughts on the LXII. I am close to pulling the trigger on one. I am debating between the LXII and the Mesa 2:90. I have heard a lot of great reviews on the 2:90 and it fits my style more, however, what draws me to the Fryette is the 1U and the fact you can get a very neutral sound from it.

The LXII is very neutral and allows realistic representation of the different amps in the Axe FX. It has 6L6 tubes, but I can get the Marshall models to sound just like my Marshall amps, in fact better because I can fine tune them. It really sounds and - importantly - feels like I’m playing real amps, whether it be Fender, Marshall, Mesa, Vox.......

The Mesa is 2U, more expensive, very heavy by comparison to the LXII and less neutral. It looks cool though!

You should try both if you can as it’s the only way to know for sure.
 
The LXII is very neutral and allows realistic representation of the different amps in the Axe FX. It has 6L6 tubes, but I can get the Marshall models to sound just like my Marshall amps, in fact better because I can fine tune them. It really sounds and - importantly - feels like I’m playing real amps, whether it be Fender, Marshall, Mesa, Vox.......

The Mesa is 2U, more expensive, very heavy by comparison to the LXII and less neutral. It looks cool though!

You should try both if you can as it’s the only way to know for sure.
Thanks for the response. I likely won’t have the chance to try both. I have heard praise from people here and elsewhere saying it’s the best amp they have owned. While I love that Mesa sound (it’s what most of my presets are based around), I would like the flexibility. I have listened to some YouTube clips of Fryette amps (PowerStation, 2/50/2) and some sound harsh and brittle. Then again, it’s hard to know the setup. I have played enough with my Axe FX3 and Matrix to start getting some good tones, but it sounds like it is missing that dynamic response and sounds “digital”.
 
These days for the axe FX I think something flat response is best.

I have a 2/50/2 which I originally used with my axe FX II, and while it’s on the neutral side when it comes to tube amps, it’s still a tube amp and still influences the tone. It can sound great but also can be fiddly to set up. Some amps sound great with the full model, some need poweramp modeling disabled, some are in a middle-ground where neither sound right and I need to leave poweramp modeling on, but turn down the low and high freq resonance in the speaker page.

I’ve also ran into the FX loop of my recto, and while the 2:90 has more voicing options than just ‘vintage’ and ‘modern’ on the recto power amp, the recto is much more coloured and ‘Mesa sounding’. Pretty much have to have power amp sims turned off, and it kinda makes everything sound like a slightly different flavor recto. It’s absolutely crushing and sounds great, but it always sounds like a recto. The 2:90 is probably more versatile but I don’t imagine it’s any more neutral.

my favorite at the moment is a flat solidstate matrix power amp, since the axe power amp modeling is pretty damn good at this point. much quicker and easier to get a good tone. the LXII I assume would be just as easy as it’s flat response, and would require little fiddling with advanced settings. It’s advantage (I assume) being that extra dynamic response.

the only thing I’m unclear about (and it’s probably something we have to figure out ourself as it will depend on what we play and what amp models we use) is whether we should turn down the high res and low res on the speaker page of the amp block when using an actual neutral tube amp like the powerstation or LXII. I know that is Yek’s recommendation and he’s tried probably all of the popular power amps.

But I imagine it will depend on how sensitive the amp model you’re using is to the speaker impedence curve. For example my presets using the recto modern models into my 2/50/2 sounded weak if I turned down high and low resonance on the speaker page. This I guess is down to recto modern mode having no negative feedback in the (simulated) poweramp, whereas the Fryette 2/50/2 I am guessing has fairly high negative feedback (thus reducing the influence of the impedence curve). I can turn up the presence and depth knobs on the 2/50/2 to compensate but that just makes other presets less useable.

This is probably less of an issue for models that have moderate or high negative feedback levels.

I think this is fun stuff to figure out so I may have to get one at some point.
 
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So I’ve used the LXII in two rehearsals with the new band. I got to really crank it up Thursday and even the new band mates loved it. I’ve never had a band before to tell me to turn it up louder. It is very neutral and I love it with the AXE III. Very smooth and great feel.

I’ll try and shoot a quick video with it and the PS2 tonight or tomorrow. I also want to play through my Accugroove FRFR’s and see how those feel with the latest firmware.

I’m getting used to the fan. In a quiet studio setting I would hate it but in a live or rehearsal setting it’s fine.
 
Correct. It isn’t an issue other than at lower volume levels or if you are close to the amp. I just don’t like the way that they market it against the Matrix in that video because it is completely misleading and unfair to Matrix imo. I don’t like their ethics - but I do like the LXII.
Can you offer a reason why you claim that the video is deceptive and unethical? Do you doubt that Steve compared the actual units?
 
Correct. It isn’t an issue other than at lower volume levels or if you are close to the amp. I just don’t like the way that they market it against the Matrix in that video because it is completely misleading and unfair to Matrix imo. I don’t like their ethics - but I do like the LXII.
I still do not understand because you didn't point out specifically what makes the video "deceptive marketing" and "unethical." Perhaps you could post a video of your own Matrix fan and the LX-II so that we could compare. Both units have variable fan speeds depending on the load. At bedroom volume, both units are going to be at minimum fan speed, but the fan speed changes as you push the volume, i.e., a rehearsal, gig or a recording session at mid-range to loud volume. When these units have volume pushed and go into high speed fan mode, they sound different, the LX-II fan is louder than at bedroom volume playing, but when the Matrix gets hot, the fan whines like a jet engine. That might not make much of a difference in a live gig setting, but it does at a rehearsal and definitely does in a recording environment.
 
Well from a user I can tell you the fans are not at all silent like the video.....but not as loud as that Matrix either.

I owned 2 GT1000 Matrix amps and I don’t remember my fans being that loud.

I may try running my LXII with a different cab and see if makes a difference with the fans. I am currently running it in stereo at 16ohms a side.
 
Removing the fan would be dangerous, both in terms of safety and exposing the internal components to damage. It would also void the warranty. Not a good idea.
i asked a question...not expecting a lecture.
Every guitar amp and audio tube power amp i’ve ever owned did not have a fan...hence the question on whether this offerring REQUIRED ventilation EVEN in the absence of its case or whatever thermal constraints this design imposes.
 
Well from a user I can tell you the fans are not at all silent like the video.....but not as loud as that Matrix either.

I owned 2 GT1000 Matrix amps and I don’t remember my fans being that loud.

I may try running my LXII with a different cab and see if makes a difference with the fans. I am currently running it in stereo at 16ohms a side.
I recall hearing that the video showcased the two units after being run for a while, so they were both hot, and not cold. That might account for the difference in fan volume. The fan volumes on both units get louder when the units are pushed.
 
i asked a question...not expecting a lecture.
Every guitar amp and audio tube power amp i’ve ever owned did not have a fan...hence the question on whether this offerring REQUIRED ventilation EVEN in the absence of its case or whatever thermal constraints this design imposes.
As far as rack mounted amp gear is concerned, a lot of people even add rack cooling fans, and with rack mounted amps, you are dealing with more confined spaces where heat can be trapped. I get your point about amp heads, but amp heads generally are surrounded by more ventilation area.
 
Can you offer a reason why you claim that the video is deceptive and unethical? Do you doubt that Steve compared the actual units?

It is misleading because it portrays the LXII as being almost silent, but the reality is that the LXII fan is VERY noisy - it’s as simple as that. The LXII has by far the noisiest fan that I have ever encountered and I tried more than one LXII unit, so my unit is not defective. To portray it against a competitor product as being almost silent is disingenuous imo. The fan in the LXII is at least as noisy as that one in the Matrix in their video, possibly noisier.

I’m not knocking the LXII - I like it and I bought one. But that video is not at all reflective of reality.
 
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I decided to procure a Fryette LXII. I was going back and forth between that and the Mesa 2:90. My concern was over the coloration imposed by the 2:90, even though I have heard incredible reviews. I have listened to the video of the LXII with the Axe produced by Steve years ago when it was in beta form and I really liked how it responded. I am hoping with my Mesa 2x12 it will provide a much better response than my Matrix.

I am wondering if anyone has any setup advice? I plan on running it in Mono (single 2x12). Right now I think I have my Axe I/O setup for Copy L + R. Is that still right? I read regarding the Mesa, if you run it in mono you need to do something special. Is there something special I need to do for the LXII?
 
Hi guys! New to the forum here. I have had the Axe III for about six months now and just got the LXII + Cab setup. I'll leave some comments on my experience so far and wanted to ask you guys for some advice.

1. First, some background

Before getting the Axe, I have been using modeling for a long time, since I am only a hobbyist who plays and records at home and I currently don’t gig at all. Problem with modelers was that albeit for recording I found them perfect (way better than the hassle of mics and cabs), I did not really like them for just playing. With time, it kind of took the joy out of playing altogether and I found out that, unless I wanted to record something, I wouldn’t just pick up my guitars and play anymore.

I wanted to change that and was divided between getting a low wattage amp, or give modelers one more go by getting a really good one. I chose the latter and bought the Axe III. I heard the difference in sound and feel right away, but was still not where I wanted. Next thing, I changed my studio monitors to see how much that could improve sound. Bought a couple of Yamahas HS8s and got better results for sure, but still was not there yet.

I figured that I was probably one of those guys that were missing the “amp in the room”. Thus, I decided to go for the Axe III + power amp + cab route. I figured that although going through only one particular cab would limit my sound in some ways, it could be just what I was missing to get the sound I wanted while just playing. Plus, I wouldn’t have to go through endless lists of IRs anymore (except for recording, which I still would keep Axe directly to DAW via USB), which I find to be a pain.

2. LXII setup

Long story short, I bought a Marshall 1936V Cab (2X12 Celestion Vintage 30 tuned for Marshall) and the Fryette LXII (after days of indecision between the Matrix 1000 or just getting two Power Stations 2) and connected my Axe III to them.

3. The best part

I have never been happier with my sound (tone and especially feel) in my life. It really was what I was missing for just playing. Now whenever I pick up a guitar I do not want to stop. And I am sure there is still a lot of tweaking to be done in the Axe to make it sound even better with this setup.

I don’t know if it is the cab, the amp, or both that made it sound that good. I did not have the chance to A/B this setup with any other (such as a SS amp with a cab, different cabs, passive FRFR with an amp), so I am not really qualified to tell the difference. I can just tell you that this setup is amazing and it beats everything that I have tried so far (even tube amps that I played in the past and still play nowadays at friends’ places, due to the better control and flexibility I can get with this setup compared to those amps).

I am more of a clean sounds, edge of breakup and classic hard rock guy. I like clean sounds, I like tube distortion and I especially like when I can get in between and have amazing dynamic response depending on how hard I pick. And for that, I just loved how this setup responds.

4. What I might change

4.1. I went with a 2x12 cab to try to get some stereo imaging, although I knew it would be minimum due to speaker proximity. And it is. So, maybe 2 1x12 cabs a little more apart from each other could have been a better route compared to the 2X12. Again, I have not A/Bd this setup so I cannot tell for sure. The 2 1x12 setup may have disadvantages over mine which I am not aware of.

4.2. Since stereo imaging is not really great on this setup and since I don’t need that much power at home, I wonder if I would be just as satisfied with a Powerstation 2 setup. It would be cheaper, may be just as effective as the LXII, and the PS2 offers a lot of functions that the LXII does not have. Also, the PS2 has reachable presence and depth controls, which the LXII does not (the internal controls are kind of ridiculous). Maybe even a set of 2 PS2s for stereo would be interesting. Again, never A/Bd with a PS2, so I cannot know for sure.

5. What is bothering me

5.1. Fan noise
. Well, this has already been covered here, so I won’t get into too much detail. Suffice to say that fan noise is there and it can be a bit of a pain especially for playing at home. It bugs me to think that if the LXII was a 2U amp, this would be less of an issue. I would be ok with 2U or even 4U if the fan noise was reduced to a minimum. Heck, I may even try to mod it that way some day. I wonder if the PS2 has the same fan noise issue. If it doesn’t, this would also be plus for the 2 PS2s setup.

5.2. Hum. Now, I may be spoiled since for a long time I have been using modelers connected to active monitors and no hum at all comes from a setup like that. My LXII setup, on the other hand, has a LOT of hum. It is still playable and I can live with it, but I would really like it to go away, or at least reduce it.

I have isolated where the hum is coming from. If the LXII is connected to the cab, but nothing is connected to the LXII’s inputs, there is no hum at all. As soon as I connect the Axe III to the LXII’s inputs, I get a humfest. This also happens when I connect other devices to the LXII's inputs (such as the line outs from my Focusrite Scarlet). Thus, I figured it is probably ground loop hum. I bought humbuster cables to connect the Axe to the LXII, but the improvement was minimal.

I am kind of stuck and don’t really know what to do to reduce hum. It may be the case that this amount of hum is simply normal and, if so, I kindly ask you guys using the LXII to share your (hum) experience.

If yours is silent, I need to figure out how to silence mine. I just hope there is nothing wrong with the unit itself. I am from Brazil and bought this while I was in the US. I simply cannot return it and try another one to see if the problem goes away.

If anybody has any ideas, they are more than welcome. Sorry for the long post and, if you feel that I am hijacking this thread with my hum issue, please let me know and I will start a new one.
 
5.2. Hum. Now, I may be spoiled since for a long time I have been using modelers connected to active monitors and no hum at all comes from a setup like that. My LXII setup, on the other hand, has a LOT of hum. It is still playable and I can live with it, but I would really like it to go away, or at least reduce it.

I have isolated where the hum is coming from. If the LXII is connected to the cab, but nothing is connected to the LXII’s inputs, there is no hum at all. As soon as I connect the Axe III to the LXII’s inputs, I get a humfest. This also happens when I connect other devices to the LXII's inputs (such as the line outs from my Focusrite Scarlet). Thus, I figured it is probably ground loop hum. I bought humbuster cables to connect the Axe to the LXII, but the improvement was minimal.

I am kind of stuck and don’t really know what to do to reduce hum. It may be the case that this amount of hum is simply normal and, if so, I kindly ask you guys using the LXII to share your (hum) experience.

If yours is silent, I need to figure out how to silence mine. I just hope there is nothing wrong with the unit itself. I am from Brazil and bought this while I was in the US. I simply cannot return it and try another one to see if the problem goes away.

If anybody has any ideas, they are more than welcome. Sorry for the long post and, if you feel that I am hijacking this thread with my hum issue, please let me know and I will start a new one.

FAS sells Humbuster cables which should eliminate what you are hearing. I have never experienced this nor have I used the cables. However, I did purchase them for the LXII. Perhaps others can share their experience.
 
FAS sells Humbuster cables which should eliminate what you are hearing. I have never experienced this nor have I used the cables. However, I did purchase them for the LXII. Perhaps others can share their experience.
Hey Fletch, thanks for reaching out. I am using humbuster cables. Although they may have provided a little improvement over regular ones, nothing relevant and still a lot of hum.
 
Hey Fletch, thanks for reaching out. I am using humbuster cables. Although they may have provided a little improvement over regular ones, nothing relevant and still a lot of hum.
Sorry, I missed the part where you are using Humbuster cables. Unfortunately, it might be an issue with the LXII.
 
So I’ve used the LXII in two rehearsals with the new band. I got to really crank it up Thursday and even the new band mates loved it. I’ve never had a band before to tell me to turn it up louder. It is very neutral and I love it with the AXE III. Very smooth and great feel.

I’ll try and shoot a quick video with it and the PS2 tonight or tomorrow. I also want to play through my Accugroove FRFR’s and see how those feel with the latest firmware.

I’m getting used to the fan. In a quiet studio setting I would hate it but in a live or rehearsal setting it’s fine.
Hey there, anymore you can share about the comparison?
 
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