Fryette Ultra Lead II

[paisleywookiee]

Good at building amps. Bad at doing business. That's my guess.

Yup. There’s no denying they make some really cool shit. The Power Stations in particular are extremely cool. But I’ll never buy a damn thing from them.

Dave Friedman is a bit of a pompous ass at times in his public persona, but he DOES answer support issues.

 

[JiveTurkey]

Steve himself will tell you that he's an asshole. As best I can assess from my vantage, Steve and crew are really nice to those they like and they will ignore you / treat you badly if you happen to get on their bad list. Getting on the bad list is easy to do and might simply involve sending an email on the wrong day.

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Thought this was a Neural thread for a second

 

[spawnofthesith]

Veery interesting

 

[Orvillain]

Steve himself will tell you that he's an asshole. As best I can assess from my vantage, Steve and crew are really nice to those they like and they will ignore you / treat you badly if you happen to get on their bad list. Getting on the bad list is easy to do and might simply involve sending an email on the wrong day.

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I could accept that kind of ego if their amps didn't fucking die all the time.

 

[MatrixClaw]

The design is likely similar to the PS-100 or 1U Synergy SYN-5050 stereo poweramp:

PS-100 (mine):

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Synergy SYN-5050:

By making it 2U and staggering the output tubes they can save some space. Transformers are likely to be more like the PS-100 where they are narrow but taller.

...but what about the (presumably) 5+ preamp tubes?

 

[Chocol8]

...but what about the (presumably) 5+ preamp tubes?

I don't know why you think it would be a problem? A 2U tube power amp is nothing new.

 

[MatrixClaw]

I don't know why you think it would be a problem? A 2U tube power amp is nothing new.

Sure, except this is a power amp, preamp and a bunch of digital components.

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

I don't know why you think it would be a problem? A 2U tube power amp is nothing new.

(a 2U power amp doesn't have 5-or-more preamp tubes).

 

[Chocol8]

Sure, except this is a power amp, preamp and a bunch of digital components.

These are not big things to fit in a 2u box.

 

[OrganicZed]

In case someone thinks I'm a Fryette hater based on the comments in this thread; the truth is quite the opposite. Here are the Fryette / VHT products that I currently own:

Sig:X
Power Load
Power Station
GP/DI
GP3
2/90/2
Valvulator 1
Fatbottom 4x12 straight
Fatbottom 4x12 angled
Fatbottom 2x12

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

Sure, except this is a power amp, preamp and a bunch of digital components.

It would be nice to confirm whether the transformers are square-wound or toroidal, but otherwise...is the concern that it is not the tube amp it purports to be?

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

These are not big things to fit in a 2u box.

I'd say fitting a multi-channel 120 watt all tube amp into a 2U box is...not a trivial task. I'm guessing this is back to the olden days where the thing is as deep as it is wide, and likely dense as a MFer.

 

[laxu]

...but what about the (presumably) 5+ preamp tubes?

If they can cram 3 preamp tubes into a Synergy Tone King Imperial module, cramming 5 of them into a 2U rack is no problem.

I'm sure it's cramped AF tho.

 

[JiveTurkey]

I'd say fitting a multi-channel 120 watt all tube amp into a 2U box is...not a trivial task. I'm guessing this is back to the olden days where the thing is as deep as it is wide, and likely dense as a MFer.

It's going to be pretty crowded. So as much as I like the 2u aspect on a "form factor level" (barf); I can see the concern. Especially from a company that doesn't answer support emails but puts cocky crap on the circuit board

 

[Chocol8]

I'd say fitting a multi-channel 120 watt all tube amp into a 2U box is...not a trivial task. I'm guessing this is back to the olden days where the thing is as deep as it is wide, and likely dense as a MFer.

Deep and dense are still 2u. The power amp in a 2u format is old hat. Adding a bunch of preamp tubes could be done by making it an inch deeper...or less. I think you guys are making a huge mountain out of a molehill that was crossed decades ago. I don't get it, but what we think doesn't matter considering they seem to have already overcome the challenges.

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

Deep and dense are still 2u. The power amp in a 2u format is old hat. Adding a bunch of preamp tubes could be done by making it an inch deeper...or less. I think you guys are making a huge mountain out of a molehill that was crossed decades ago. I don't get it, but what we think doesn't matter considering they seem to have already overcome the challenges.

Being a common dude is old hat. So is being a millionaire. Why don't you commoners just be millionaires.

Of course it's possible and totally doable. But anyone that's ever poked around in a Synergy-type system; Boogie Studio Pre, looked at the above gut shots of other Fryette power amps, and not thought "huh, 3U definitely would have made their lives a loooooooot easier" is as overconfident as Mr. Fryette himself.

 

[Chocol8]

Ahh, so it's an emotional distaste for Steve not an actual technical concern. In that case never mind, it simply can't be done and they will all break within a week.

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

Ahh, so it's an emotional distaste for Steve not an actual technical concern. In that case never mind, it simply can't be done and they will all break within a week.

It's not a concern; it's actually giving props to the technical skill required to pull that off. I mean, not many folks are gonna look at this and think "yup, let's do it in a 2U chassis":

 

[JiveTurkey]

L-shaped chassis ftw

 

[Chocol8]

Yeah, no one would put switchable rectification and 3 rectifier tubes in a small rack unit, but there is a big difference between a triple rectifier and the Fryette power amp. I don't see it as any big engineering challenge, and I am sure Steve did not either.