MatrixClaw
Roadie
- Messages
- 284
As some of you know, ever since the MI Audio Megalith Gamma showed up, it’s basically turned into a running experiment around here: what actually holds up against it?
So when a chance came up to pick up another Fryette Sig:X, I figured it was worth revisiting.
I had one of these a while back and, on paper, it should’ve been perfect - buut no matter how much time I spent with it, I could never quite get it there. Once the gain came up, it always felt a little muddy and like it was just shy of the punch and clarity I was after. I eventually moved it along, but I’ve always wondered if that particular amp just wasn’t right.
Round two:
And yeah… I was wrong the first time.
This one sounds exactly like what I expect from a Fryette: dry, immediate, and hits like a hammer. The low end stays tight, the attack is super responsive and it has that dynamic, percussive feel where your pick attack really matters.
The Gamma is still more saturated and a bit more polished overall. It has more gain on tap and a slightly more refined feel. But the Sig:X brings something different to the table - more raw, more open and it still has a similar weight to its sound. For the first time since getting the Gamma, this isn’t a clear win/lose situation.
The Sig:X absolutely holds its ground.
People call these amps “unforgiving” and that reputation makes sense - but I actually think that’s part of the appeal. The gain structure is cleaner and less compressed than most modern high-gain amps, so everything comes through. Good technique sounds huge. Sloppy playing gets exposed immediately. It makes you play more deliberately, which is a pretty cool change of pace next to something more saturated.
And the Plexi channel? Still a thing of beauty.
So the current scoreboard:
Gamma: still the king of saturation, weight and polish
Sig:X: raw punch and dynamics make it a legit contender
After running a lot of amps against the Gamma, this is the first one that’s felt less like a comparison and more like a complement.
Glad I gave the Sig:X another shot. This one’s sticking around.
So when a chance came up to pick up another Fryette Sig:X, I figured it was worth revisiting.
I had one of these a while back and, on paper, it should’ve been perfect - buut no matter how much time I spent with it, I could never quite get it there. Once the gain came up, it always felt a little muddy and like it was just shy of the punch and clarity I was after. I eventually moved it along, but I’ve always wondered if that particular amp just wasn’t right.
Round two:
And yeah… I was wrong the first time.
This one sounds exactly like what I expect from a Fryette: dry, immediate, and hits like a hammer. The low end stays tight, the attack is super responsive and it has that dynamic, percussive feel where your pick attack really matters.
The Gamma is still more saturated and a bit more polished overall. It has more gain on tap and a slightly more refined feel. But the Sig:X brings something different to the table - more raw, more open and it still has a similar weight to its sound. For the first time since getting the Gamma, this isn’t a clear win/lose situation.
The Sig:X absolutely holds its ground.
People call these amps “unforgiving” and that reputation makes sense - but I actually think that’s part of the appeal. The gain structure is cleaner and less compressed than most modern high-gain amps, so everything comes through. Good technique sounds huge. Sloppy playing gets exposed immediately. It makes you play more deliberately, which is a pretty cool change of pace next to something more saturated.
And the Plexi channel? Still a thing of beauty.
So the current scoreboard:
Gamma: still the king of saturation, weight and polish
Sig:X: raw punch and dynamics make it a legit contender
After running a lot of amps against the Gamma, this is the first one that’s felt less like a comparison and more like a complement.
Glad I gave the Sig:X another shot. This one’s sticking around.
