Anyone experienced with Fryette / VHT?

[Nadz1lla]

Hi all,

I've been watching some vids on YouTube (and listening to some clips) and I think that after all my Engl / Diezel love, I actually really prefer the sound of the Fryette / VHT Pittbull. Does anyone have experience with these amps? If so, pro's and con's? I like the idea of the second-stage EQ, that's a really big selling point for me.

Couple of questions about it (or rather points of interest)

1. Do you think there is any tone quality difference between the 100w and 50w versions, or is it literally just a volume and power difference?

2. What's the deal with the whole Fryette / VHT thing? Did one company buy out the other, or are they just different names depending on where you buy them (e.g Fryette in the U.S, VHT in Europe or vice-versa)? Following on from this, are there any advantages / disadvantages in going for either brand name on the front?

Ta muchly in advance for any info.

It really does sound tons better than anything else in the Monsters of Gain series of videos, and those vids really do show off some rather tasty amps! Close on it's heels are the Peavey and the Randall I think. Neither of the guitarists demoing the amps get my ideal tone out of it (even though I usually love Misha's tone), but I can hear the potential in it and I know that, with minimal tweaking, I could get my perfect tone. I can hear that all the building blocks are there, and it just needs some TLC when dialling my preference in.

Now I just need to find one locally to try....meh, fat chance!    :x

[Transcend]

I dont have much personal experience with them but the little i do i was very impressed.

That mosters of high gain series is utterly rubbish though they seem to make every single one of those amps sound cr@p when in reality most of them sound pretty awesome

[MDV]

I have a pittbull CL100EQ. And a powerball and a JVM, and have spent quite a bit of time with other engls, diezels (VH4 and herbert) and the deliverance (60). Anything more specific than 'pros and cons' you want to know?

As to your other questions: the CL, at least the one I have, has a half power mode, and its a little thinner, less chunk and depth in the low end. Its qutie marginal, but noticable. Theres only a small difference in headroom as well (running EL34Bs, which have a bit more headroom I believe....tony?) I daresay a 50W version would be fine, however.

The name change was because "VHT" was on loan/leased/whatever from some chinese (I think) company, steve fryette defaulted on it, the other company aquired the name, steve started calling VHT Fryette and the VHT Amplification that are out there now have nothing whatsoever, in design, to do with the original VHTs (pittbull, sig-x, deliverance, etc), which are all Fryette. Which is gay, but the amps are awesome.

[richard]

Steve Fryette WAS VHT, designer of the Pitbull,  but somehow lost the rights to the name. People say to steer clear of the new VHTs as they're nothing to do with Steve's designs. He now trades as Fryette.  never played one but they've always sounded tremendous to me.

[Nadz1lla]

Cheers guys! MDV - regarding the pro's con's thing, I was just hoping there wasn't anything odd with them like, for example, with the Randall V2 which needs a fuse change every time you turn it on etc. If they're mechanically sound amps and there aren't any common issues with them, then all is gravy!

Yeah I'm aware that those vids don't make the amps sound any good, but I think the fact that the Fryette jumped out at me even from that bunch-of-arse collection is a good thing, heh.

Oh and thanks all for clearing the name issue up, so basically stick to Fryette if I see them, then (unless I can guarantee it's a pre-trouble VHT)?  :D

[MDV]

No, theyre very high quality. 

[Dmoney]

i think the eastern VHT's made now are totally different to the Fryette range. small combos and stuff. they look very different apart from the VHT logo.

the current VHT are not making Pitbull's and Ultraleads. So there should never be confusion.

The VHT's are built like tanks like MDV says. tough PCB construction. the PCB's even call out corksniffers if i remember correctly or they used to.

[Transcend]

(running EL34Bs, which have a bit more headroom I believe....tony?)

The El34Bs do appear to have a bit more and have a slight 6l6 kinda flavour due to the higher plate impedance.

EL34 however do have a good amount more headroom and are tighter in the lows overall with a touch more bite too

And to Nadz. The difference between a 100w & a 50w is very marginal.

I arent sure how the half power switch works on the CL but i have a feeling its switching between pentode/triode which will be what changes the tone a bit.

[dave_mc]

yeah as mark said, that's basically what happened with fryette/vht (as i understand it, anyway). it was axl who got the vht name.

i've only tried fryettes when they were called vht (though as far as i'm aware they're still exactly the same thing, apart from the nameplate), and I thought they were awesome.

FWIW, I have a (AXL) VHT special 6, and it's actually really nice for the money if you're into the small low wattage vintage tube amp thing. Though obviously completely different in style from old VHT/new Fryette.

[Sancho]

VHT used to be top quality amps. The fact they are now sold under the Fryette name shouldn't make much of a difference.
My regular guitar shop is going to become Fryette dealer, so I'll have the chance to check them out. I was very interested in the SigX, but my Splawn has taken care of amp GAS somewhat.

No experience whatsoever with current VHTs, but I guess they're pretty generic far eastern fare.

[Loomer]

I did a few gigs with a VHT Deliverance head a couple of months ago.

'twas glorious, I tell ye!

[VESmedic]

Well, people that know me on the forums, and in real life, know that I am one of the BIGGEST VHT/Fryette Fanboys around!!!

I use a VHT stereo rig, consisting of an Ultralead and a Deliverance 120 head,, running through 2 Deliverance 4x12's. I have owned everything under the sun, and for ME personally, the VHT/Fryette stuff is my sound, and are absolutely the best sounding amps on the planet. They can give you the most hellish tone on earth, or have the sweetest singing lead tone, yet they are always the clearest amps out there. There is no mush, no flub, no nothing. The biggest reason being there poweramp sections are HUGE, with never ending headroom, and no breakup. Thats why they use KT88s in alot of their heads. There poweramps are bar none the best on the planet, and the industry standard. If you get a chance to play a CL100, or a UL, run the master volume (the knob alll the way to the right) up around 2 or 3 oclock, and use the channel volumes as your volume control. This will bring the amp to life at low volumes.

I have been through Engl, Splawn, Marshall, mesa, numerous 5150s. bogner etc, and to me, I feel at home with VHT. There tone is just incredibly organic, raw, and huge. My friends boogie markIV literally sounded like a toy compared to my Deliverance 120 running next to it (again, personal opinion :P ).  You definetly have to use there cabs to get the best sound out of a VHT/Fryette head though, more so than any other company I have come across. Like, REALLY......USE THEIR CABS WITH THEIR HEADS!!!


Oh, and no there is absolutely NO difference between VHT of the past, and Fryette of the present, they are the same exact amps, just with a different name.



*EDIT* Also, they are the most unforgiving amps you will ever play, and also probably the absolute tightest amps, nothing I've heard or played is as tight or as unforgiving. If you suck, you will suck worse with one, if you are good, they will make you sound amazing: Really an amplifier that rewards the player .


Most clips online do absolutely NO justice of these amps at all. NONE. check out netmusicians.org, there are a few pretty awesome Fryette/ VHT clips there though. I'll drop a link to a few good ones

[VESmedic]

http://netmusicians.org/?section=id&value=7963   (VHT Ultralead doing thrash)


http://netmusicians.org/?section=id&value=4016   (Ultralead doing jazz!)


http://netmusicians.org/?section=id&value=1705  (ultralead covering summer by deftones, this is SICK!!!!)


http://netmusicians.org/?section=id&value=1693  (ultralead sweet lead)


http://netmusicians.org/?section=id&value=1515  (ultralead with boost, MY FAVORITE CLIP!!!)

http://netmusicians.org/?section=id&value=6314  (VHT Deliverance doing blues)


http://netmusicians.org/?section=id&value=3324  (Deliverance doing iced earth cover)

[Nadz1lla]

There is no mush, no flub, no nothing.

Also, they are the most unforgiving amps you will ever play, and also probably the absolute tightest amps, nothing I've heard or played is as tight or as unforgiving. If you suck, you will suck worse with one, if you are good, they will make you sound amazing: Really an amplifier that rewards the player .

Cheers dude! Funnily enough that's the kind of impression I got when watching the Monsters of Gain videos, even though the sound quality / micing up / dialling in that they use is pish poor, I could still recognise that the Fryette was distinctly much better and clearer than all the others, hands-down.

I'm pretty sure after I get my next Axe that this is the Amp I will be aiming for!

[MDV]

http://soundcloud.com/mdv/rooted-seek-solace-in-ruin

Mix isnt finished yet but thats a pretty untreated (some EQ, nothing major) pittbull CL in drop A.

Edit - its not my song, I just recorded it.