Should I trade for a Friedman Runt 20?

[Jarick]

I was browsing the old FB Marketplace last week and came across a local seller with a Friedman Runt 20 Combo. Out of curiosity I asked if he'd be up for a trade for my Kemper Profiler. Surprisingly he responded yes, so now I actually have to decide!

From what I can tell, value is pretty similar. Both seem to go for $1100-1200. I was trending towards selling my Kemper anyway as it overlaps too much with my Axe FX 3 which I prefer. And I was looking to see if there were any interesting tube amps out there, as neither the Boss Katana nor Blackstar HT-5 are doing much for me. I've always wanted a Friedman tube amp too.

But on the other hand, a 20 watt amp is a lot of juice for home use when I barely crack the masters on my end. I do also have a Torpedo Captor 8 I can use for either attenuation or as a reactive load.

Sonically, I'm not sure if the Runt is really going to blow up my skirt (need to do some research), or if I'll just keep wanting to use the Axe FX 3. Perfect world what I'd like is a modded Marshall (Plexi or 2204) type amp that sounds great at bedroom volumes. Maybe with a boost and chorus out front, and a delay in the loop. I'd rather have an amp with a dynamic gain channel that cleans up really well than an amp with a sterile clean and then super high gain (like the Blackstar).

What's the group think? Could it be the missing piece in my revolving door of modelers and cheap amps? Or is it going to sound as ugly at low volumes as every other amp I drag in the house?

 

[-BOOGIEMAN-]

In a heartbeat…

 

[la szum]

You seem to like the Kemper.

 

[Life Eats Life]

We don’t know until YOU do it.
For me, it doesn’t matter tube/solid state or alarm clock amps..
-It all boils down to the force behind the speakers & the speakers opening up.
How much of that you hear is what
you f’n hear..HELLO??

So I’m gonna take the heaviest of all Hetfield right hand muted punch in the crunch & expect that to sound like some sort of monster at mouse fart volumes?
It’s all a compromise, every situation..whatever it takes to get you back to having fun playing music & stop wrestling with the answer.

 

[laxu]

IMO the Runt 20 combo and cab sounds pretty boxy. The amp is fine, there's something about the cab I didn't like.

 

[Jarick]

Well the dude backed out, so kind of off the table. As intrigued as I am, I think 20 watts is just plain loud for home use.

I'm still very intrigued by something like the Revv D20 for a versatile single channel thing with bells and whistles for silent use and a low power mode. But I'm also going to keep exploring things like the GT-1000 into the Katana input as well.

 

[JiveTurkey]

I thought it said Runt 50. I'm retracting my trade suggestion on that fact

 

[Gearzilla]

Used JJ-Junior or Pink Taco V2 everyday of the week at that price point instead of a Runt.

*Especially since you already have a Torpedo Captor.

 

[laxu]

Well the dude backed out, so kind of off the table. As intrigued as I am, I think 20 watts is just plain loud for home use.

I'm still very intrigued by something like the Revv D20 for a versatile single channel thing with bells and whistles for silent use and a low power mode. But I'm also going to keep exploring things like the GT-1000 into the Katana input as well.

20W on a master volume amp like the Runt is totally fine. They sound quite fine without powertube distortion ever entering the equation.

 

[Achilles]

They sound quite fine without powertube distortion ever entering the equation.

I'm pretty sure this was one of Dave's design intentions from the very beginning.

 

[hemmelight]

Can confirm the Pink Taco V2 sounds great at even minimal settings on the Master.

 

[Achilles]

Can confirm the Pink Taco V2 sounds great at even minimal settings on the Master.

PLEASE stop talking about the PTV2! I really don't need one and the money could be better spent, but you got me gassing for one like crazy!

 

[paisleywookiee]

I've got a JJ Jr. on loan right now; it's pretty damn killer.

 

[Achilles]

I've got a JJ Jr. on loan right now; it's pretty damn killer.

Be careful with how you route the FX loop cables. With the one I had if they were anywhere near the power supply it'd start buzzing.

 

[Jarick]

Used JJ-Junior or Pink Taco V2 everyday of the week at that price point instead of a Runt.

*Especially since you already have a Torpedo Captor.

How are they at mid gain Plexi tones?

Can the Pink Taco clean up? I should say can you clean up your pink taco?

 

[Achilles]

Can the Pink Taco clean up? I should say can you clean up your pink taco?

I had the V1 for a while and the answer is yes based on that one. The 3 position gain/structure switch is the key. Position one can easily do lower gain Marshall, especially if you like using your guitar's volume knob. Friedman's are really good with that. Position 2 ups everything and then 3 is the top which is where I lived 90% of the time - that's the baby sister BE100 voicing.

 

[Gearzilla]

How are they at mid gain Plexi tones?

Can the Pink Taco clean up? I should say can you clean up your pink taco?

Depends on how picky you are though it’s not a plexi. Can clean up okay with volume knob at the guitar.

However, here’s my grab bag pick for super low watt plexi-ish for quiet homes:

Marshall 50th Anniversary 1970’s JMP-1C | Reverb

Mint form only studio use…Marshall's JMP-1C all-tube combo amplifier! Commemorating 50 years of Marshall amplification, the JMP-1C is a single channel, 1W/.01W combo with a custom voice Celestion 8" speaker. It's voicing sounds like a vintage Marshall from the '70s, and its era-correct cosmetics ...

reverb.com

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

Well the dude backed out, so kind of off the table. As intrigued as I am, I think 20 watts is just plain loud for home use.

I'm still very intrigued by something like the Revv D20 for a versatile single channel thing with bells and whistles for silent use and a low power mode. But I'm also going to keep exploring things like the GT-1000 into the Katana input as well.

Have you ever tried the Synergy stuff? I know this is "I really like my current rig this week, so you should get it too" kind of advocacy, but I THINK it might be a really great fit for you.

While at GC yesterday I was trying out the Cali Tweed 20 watt and...

On one hand, was really impressed with how much it was able to sound like a cranked tweed amp at low volume.

On all of the other hands...

- even in 2 watt mode, I was running the master well below 1/2 way at GC volume levels (i.e., higher than a lot of at home playing I do). Which just kinda feels like "why am I bothering with a tube amp?" and also super tempting to wanna crank it up to get a taste of the sweet sweet goods that must live there. I'd also just feel like "what's the point of all this stuff...big ol' transformers, tubes, etc., for this?

- While the master volumes are good, they're also still less than optimally sensitive for super small tweaks to achieving the perfect at home volume.

So if I'm basically running the power amp well within its headroom limits (and thus getting very little if any compression/harmonic distortion), why not just run a tube preamp and whatever power amp makes sense at the moment? I resisted the Synergy approach for a long time, thinking "meh, I'd rather just go modeling than that". I don't necessarily find it tonally superior to modeling, but I do fine having a two channel amp sitting on my desktop with all the knobs to be SOOOOOO much better. Have it set up in its form of 4CM with my Helix rack so I can use the Synergy, or bypass it and use a Helix amp, and can run all the post effects I want in the Helix. All my pre-effects are coming from pedals. I have one output from Helix going to power amp/cab, and the main outputs still just going to my monitors, so I can either run a cab block in Helix and go direct with the Synergy pre, or send it without cab sim to power amp (currently using a class A/B fan-less solid state amp designed for powering studio monitors (Samson Servo 120a).

Only module I have so far is the BMAN and it...sounds surprisingly good for "preamp only imitation of an amp known to only get good with loads of power amp grind". I mean, it sounds really good regardless, but surprisingly good when you think through the technology being employed.

 

[Mongillo19]

Have you ever tried the Synergy stuff? I know this is "I really like my current rig this week, so you should get it too" kind of advocacy, but I THINK it might be a really great fit for you.

While at GC yesterday I was trying out the Cali Tweed 20 watt and...

On one hand, was really impressed with how much it was able to sound like a cranked tweed amp at low volume.

On all of the other hands...

- even in 2 watt mode, I was running the master well below 1/2 way at GC volume levels (i.e., higher than a lot of at home playing I do). Which just kinda feels like "why am I bothering with a tube amp?" and also super tempting to wanna crank it up to get a taste of the sweet sweet goods that must live there. I'd also just feel like "what's the point of all this stuff...big ol' transformers, tubes, etc., for this?

- While the master volumes are good, they're also still less than optimally sensitive for super small tweaks to achieving the perfect at home volume.

So if I'm basically running the power amp well within its headroom limits (and thus getting very little if any compression/harmonic distortion), why not just run a tube preamp and whatever power amp makes sense at the moment? I resisted the Synergy approach for a long time, thinking "meh, I'd rather just go modeling than that". I don't necessarily find it tonally superior to modeling, but I do fine having a two channel amp sitting on my desktop with all the knobs to be SOOOOOO much better. Have it set up in its form of 4CM with my Helix rack so I can use the Synergy, or bypass it and use a Helix amp, and can run all the post effects I want in the Helix. All my pre-effects are coming from pedals. I have one output from Helix going to power amp/cab, and the main outputs still just going to my monitors, so I can either run a cab block in Helix and go direct with the Synergy pre, or send it without cab sim to power amp (currently using a class A/B fan-less solid state amp designed for powering studio monitors (Samson Servo 120a).

Only module I have so far is the BMAN and it...sounds surprisingly good for "preamp only imitation of an amp known to only get good with loads of power amp grind". I mean, it sounds really good regardless, but surprisingly good when you think through the technology being employed.

Synergy stuff is absolutely killer