Power amp suggestions

taliababa

Member
I've finally decided to make (nearly) full use of my Axe Fx 2 XL. Previously, I've only used it as an effects only unit hooked up with the 4 CM through my Diezel VH4 out to a Diezel frontloaded 212 or Mesa 412. I want to see how closely I can get to the sound of the VH4 and other tube amps, such as the Mesa IIC+ and Diezel Herbert. My primary musical tastes are thrash metal (Metallica, Slayer, etc), groove metal (Pantera, Lamb of God), and hard rock (Van Halen). All of my guitars have passive dual humbuckers.

The power amps I've been looking at are the Matrix GT800FX and Fryette two/fifty/two. I'll be using my Diezel 212 cab, as I'm not ready to go fully into FRFR realms. I'm a bedroom player, so I don't need anything too terribly loud. I just want to replicate the tones I can get from my VH4 and that I previously had with a Mesa Mark V.

What are your thoughts?

Any help will be appreciated.
 
A quick search on the forum would reveal that everyone here loves the Matrix. I have the GT1000FX and haven't turned back since.

The Fryette im sure is a great amp, but it's going to color your tone. Thats the problem with the Mesa poweramps that some people use. Your tones are going to sound like a Mesa! But is that bad...?
 
Especially if you are a bedroom player, there is no way I would go with a tube power amp for the Axe, in fact even if you weren't I'd still go SS, personally.
 
Gotta weigh in here. Many of you have read or heard my story so be warned, the record is broken and may cause some irritation.:eek:

I have owned CLR's and a GT1000 and a Bryston SS Power amp (which is an odd ball in these parts).

I currently use a mesa 20/20 tube power amp with a 4X12 and like you prefer the real cab over FRFR when playing for myself.

I would keep in mind that it is all a frame of reference. As far as I'm concerned tube goodness has not been fully replaced by SS. That's all I'm gonna say on that as I may have torched this thread by saying that much.

Since you still like the real cab experience, I can relate what I've experienced. It will probably make sense to you.

I sold all of my tube amps and went SS. I didn't get rid of my 4X12 cause I loved it too much. I bought 2 CLR's and a GT1000 to use with the 4X12. I began the A/B process over a couple of months and came to the conclusion that the CLR's weren't for me. (I want no part of any CLR discussions and will not respond to any replies regarding)

I carried on with the GT1000, a good amp I think. When I played it exclusively for weeks, I got to a point where I thought I had reached perfect tone.

I tried a Bryston 3BNRB (out of production) which I had bought for another purpose. I actually liked it better than the GT1000 because it colored the sound in a warm tube like way. All of a sudden the GT1000 sounded sterile in contrast. Hmmm...

I sold The GT1000.

Then I meet up with an brilliant electrical and mechanical engineer who wants to check out my rig and I'm excited! I'm finally gonna show off this accomplishment to someone who will really get it!! He's a DSP engineer and everything..No way right??!!

He listens to it and says, "not bad. Now check out my homemade EL84 20 watt and and this vintage Supro I have here."

I am immediately blown away and diminished at how 2 dimensional my sound was compared to his amps. Mine didn't sound bad, but was a departure from the real thing. My 4X12 was used for everything. He explained why tube amps have a more dynamic relationship with speakers than does a SS tube amp.(too much to explain here and I don't remember a lot of it it sadly) Steve Fryette actually explains it on a youtube video showcasing the LXII. You might want to wait for that product.

I ended up buying the mesa 20/20 tube power amp. I wanted something with less output that I could drive harder than a bigger head. It works. I don't play bedroom quiet though I do play in a bedroom/living room. I also bought a Bogner Shiva 20th anniversary to have a tube amp when I'm in the mood and as a frame of reference. FYI, the power amp does not color the tone so much that everything sounds mesa! Something to note.....The power amp section of the Shiva compared to the mesa power amp reminds me that not all power amps are created equal. Again, another frame of reference that I happened upon by getting hands on the gear. It may be difficult to nail your tones exactly between rigs. I never could. :ambivalence:


All I can say for certain is that I keep coming back to tubes when the frame of reference is there.. I'm not anti SS or FRFR either, but you mentioned wanting to match tones with a real tube rig side by side. I do not believe SS will get you there from what I've experienced. I'm only speaking to this particular scenario!

This caught my eye on tapatalk and I couldn't resist. Good Luck.
 
I love my Matrix GT1000FX. It replaced a Mesa 295. The thing to remember is that a direct a/b with a tube power amp will usually result in the tube amp sounding better. if you are careful and build a new patch for the SS power amp, and then a/b the new patch for the SS power amp with the original patch with the tube amp, and then do some careful listening and tweaking, you can get the two sounds very very close. In my case, I was able to get the Matrix to sound much better that the mesa. The power amp controls in the axe are very powerful, and can duplicate the power amp/speaker interaction very well, but it takes some effort.
 
I think I'll eventually get a Fryette 2/50/2. It'll be a little bit as I just bought an AF2 XL and a Diezel frontloaded 212. I might fiddle around with using my Diezel VH4 for power. This will greatly color the tone, but I'll try out the Diezel Herbert model.
 
I run a Matrix GT 1600 FX with two Matrix FR212 FRFR's and couldn't be happier but you obviously don't need that kind of firepower. Matrix all the way. GT800FX should do you fine.
 
I love my Matrix GT1000FX. It replaced a Mesa 295. The thing to remember is that a direct a/b with a tube power amp will usually result in the tube amp sounding better. if you are careful and build a new patch for the SS power amp, and then a/b the new patch for the SS power amp with the original patch with the tube amp, and then do some careful listening and tweaking, you can get the two sounds very very close. In my case, I was able to get the Matrix to sound much better that the mesa. The power amp controls in the axe are very powerful, and can duplicate the power amp/speaker interaction very well, but it takes some effort.

That's the same experience I had.
 
Matrix GT 1000FX works for me on stage with Zilla Fatboy cabs. at home I use CLR's and studio monitors.
 
What's the story on the Fryette LX11 amp? Any sign of these being released yet? The kickstarter for it was what seems like years ago.

It was supposed to be the 'missing link'
 
I've purchased and tried many tube and SS power amps, as well as several FRFR solutions (passive and active). I've come to believe that the ideal combination results when Axe FX and power amp (or active FRFR) is optimized to work with the speaker(s) being used. There is a point where the amp and speaker(s) interact and give us that special magic (for lack of a better word). I find this to be true with both tube and SS power amps and both guitar and full range cabs. Regardless of whether the end result is "flat" in response or not, it's the point at which the two interact that I look for. This may require subsequent EQ'ing (ie. and EQ block) in the chain, either with or without a cab block (FRFR/traditional cab). Using a separate EQ block (I think of it as a cab tuning block) in this manner has been my method (right or wrong) to achieving the best result in either case. Once you remove the undesirable frequencies and boost the desired frequencies, the interaction between your guitar and speakers begins to happen. Once you reach that point, all amp and cab blocks begin to sound great, just different. In my case, this has been more important than which power amp (or cab) to use. I've seen no benefit to using a tube power amp vs. a SS power amp, it's just a matter of optimizing your amp/cab to work together.
 
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Is Fryette still making the 2/50/2 and 2/90/2? I've looked at many dealers and no one has either in stock. The LXII appears to have all the features I want, but at this point it's vaporware. Who knows when they'll release it.
 
Is Fryette still making the 2/50/2 and 2/90/2? I've looked at many dealers and no one has either in stock. The LXII appears to have all the features I want, but at this point it's vaporware. Who knows when they'll release it.

Did you see the one for sale on eBay? At the time of this post seller claims refurbished but @ $1,290 seems a bit on the high side. Usually they sell around the $8-850 mark with life left in the tubes. Personally I would get the Matrix for that kind of money.
 
I've found a listing on Craigslist for 2/50/2 selling for $400. The gentleman selling it is also a member here. We're working out the details. The amp has some minor issues, but considering the low price it'll be worth it.
 
I've found a listing on Craigslist for 2/50/2 selling for $400. The gentleman selling it is also a member here. We're working out the details. The amp has some minor issues, but considering the low price it'll be worth it.

If your going for a tube amp that's a good one to use with respect to transparency even at rock'n bedroom volumes.
 
Just putting in my two cents;

I know from experience that the search for the ideal poweramp can lead to some more than satisfying results. That is to say, I found my holy grail right here:

http://forum.fractalaudio.com/amps-cabs/91176-axe-fx-amp-room-sensation-wireton-meyer-amps.html

No doubt there’s always a lot of personal taste and preferences involved and my ideal poweramp just might not be yours (and vice versa) but if the response I get from the people who hear my prototype are anything to go by I’m kinda expecting that these Wiretons will make a lot of circels in the pond once they hit the market. Just to be clear; the Wireton is a mosfet amp “with a little secret” that, at least to my ears, really gives you the best of both worlds (valve and FRFR).
 
I have been collecting a few power amps and I have a Marshall EL34 100/100, Mesa rectifier 2:100, Matrix gt1600, and two VHT 2/90/2 amps. The Marshall sounds good, the Mesa is awesome and will knock your dick in the dirt and the Vht sounds incredible with just a hint of a scooped sound. When I first got the Matrix I thought it was good and used it for my gig amp and one day I hooked up my VHT out of boredom and it was a WHOA moment and I never went back to the Matrix. The VHT and the Mesa are the best sounding to me.
 
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