What would you get for a B-rig?

[laxu]

So ever since my Fryette PS-100 came back to life, I've been thinking of getting something to pair with it. That something has been a very difficult choice though.

The situation:

My PS-100 and Bluetone 4x10 cab with 10" Greenbacks are currently in my parents' basement, several hundred km from my current home town. I visit them 1-2 times a month so I get to have some fun with the rig. But it is pretty much my only "get to play loud" situation these days.

I've been hauling my BluGuitar with me to use as an amp, but I'd like to set up something a bit more permanent there.

The plan is to buy a small house in a few years, but that really depends on the world situation at that point. So for the foreseeable few years, this is going to be an "occasional fun B-rig". Turn it up, use a real guitar cab, rock out.

My options so far:

• Used tube amps. Selection varies, but there's quite a bit out there.
  • I'd rather buy something that is not Marshall-based. My BluGuitar covers that stuff really well as is. Otherwise I'd probably just find a used JVM410.
  • The forum favorite Mesa Mark V:90 interests me.
    • But they are expensive. About 2400+ € used, and they don't pop up that often. Seems like a lot of money for a "B-rig".
    • I really dread any potential repairs on these.
    • The Fryette might be largely irrelevant with this.
• New Synergy rig. Z-Wreck + some higher gain module. PS-100 as poweramp.
  • Kinda pricy for a "B-rig".
    • SYN1 + 2 modules = ~1400 €. Swapping modules sucks tho.
    • SYN2 + 2 modules = ~1800 €. Probably looks a bit weird parked under/on top of the Fryette, would probably want to rack the Fryette.
    • SYN20-IR + 2 modules = 2000+ € ?
• Use plugins (NAM/Helix Native). I tried this already and it sounded great, but it's not a setup I'd like to use. Computers, blah!
• Use the Hotone Ampero 2 Stomp. Going to test this next weekend and see how it works out.
  • It's no Fractal, but its cheap and easy to work with.
  • Wouldn't be too bad swapping for whatever new modelers might come out.
• Buy another Fractal FM3 Mk1.
  • Used ones are ~800 € which is not that bad.
  • It would offer pretty much any amp. Plus fx.
  • I know it sounds great, but it's not "muh real tubes and knobs".
  • It would have to be used mostly from the front panel. Which might mean grumbles from your resident UI complainer.
• Wait for BluGuitar Amp X. This was the original plan...but looks like a long wait. And I still don't know if I'll even like using it.

There's always the limitation of that one cab. I love it, but it's going to narrow down how much variance I get from modelers, Synergy etc. I'd rather not buy a bunch of cabs.

Then there's all this tariff nonsense going around. It might mean that if I buy a Synergy now, future modules are going to be really expensive if US and EU start throwing tariffs at each other.

I'm sure many of you would say "Dude, just buy a tube amp!" But the selection does narrow down if you rule out Marshall based amps, and of course the ones that interest me tend to be pricy even used.

The sensible option would be of course stick with the Hotone for no money spent, as a "good enough" option. I'll have to try it out if it is indeed good enough or not.

What would you do?

TL;DR: Want to make use of my Fryette PS-100 as a poweramp, but have a hard time picking what to buy.

 

[TSJMajesty]

Something with a great UI!

Too soon/too obvious?

 

[JiveTurkey]

Try the Hotone; get an FM3 if that doesn't trip your trigger. I ran the III through my LX and it is a great experience \m/

 

[spawnofthesith]

 

[TSJMajesty]

You probably know my vote would be the FM3. I mean, you do know the unit very well, right, even with its UI drawbacks?

 

[Sascha Franck]

Tone King Imperial pedal (when it comes out), handful of choice dirt pedals, delay and verb (maybe combined), done. No computer, no menus. Maybe add a little loopswitcher in case you're after fast switching.

 

[laxu]

Try the Hotone; get an FM3 bunch if that doesn't trip your trigger. I ran the III through my LX and it is a great experience \m/

Yeah I used the Axe-Fx 3 through the PS-100 and it sounded great, and felt too once I figured out the right impedance curve setting. 4x10 Brit JM45 matched closest to my real cab when comparing real tube amps direct to cab vs Fractal -> PS-100.

The Hotone sits in that weird spot where I can find all kinds of little problems with its amp modeling, but it still sounds/feels pretty good and does most of the right stuff so it's not a "ugh, I don't like this" reaction at all. Like, just missing that extra attention to detail you find in Fractal, Helix or captures.

I've tried it loud only through the BluGuitar's poweramp and I thought it performed well for similar tones to the Blug's own preamps, just darker in general.

You probably know my vote would be the FM3. I mean, you do know the unit very well, right, even with its UI drawbacks?

I do, so it's really more of a question of how much it would annoy me. Maybe not enough if I'm not using it all the time but just a few days a month? I know I stopped using the Axe-Fx 3 front panel pretty much completely, but that was more because it wasn't particularly conveniently on my desk.

I sold my FM3 (as I had an Axe-Fx 3) at the start of 2023, before the gapless switching and Dyna-Cab updates. I remember it felt a bit like too much block Tetris sometimes, but the gapless switching would solve that easily.

Meanwhile the Axe-Fx 3 was overkill for my uses, so I sold it at what I thought was well in anticipation of new Fractal products. But I think my timeline was off by a few years.

Tone King Imperial pedal (when it comes out), handful of choice dirt pedals, delay and verb (maybe combined), done. No computer, no menus. Maybe add a little loopswitcher in case you're after fast switching.

I'd rather get the SYN-1 + Tone King module for that, can swap it out for something else if/when I get bored.

I've got a Strymon Compadre, Riverside, DIY Browne Protein and Hudson Broadcast so certainly no shortage of good drives.

But I can do the pedal platform thing with the BluGuitar as is, its clean channel is very nice.

 

[The-Kid]

Something simple.....


Affordable relatively speaking....



Can do it on its own without need of pedals....





Can hang with the A Tier rig.





Katana Artist Gen ll/lll.

 

[laxu]

Katana Artist Gen ll/lll.

I've honestly considered just getting something like that, but once the Fryette PS-100 sprung back to life I think I'll set my aim higher.

 

[metropolis_4]

Dude, just buy a tube amp!


(Somebody had to say it…)

 

[madhermit]

I always end up back with a good tube amp, so that is my suggestion. I still own the first tube amp I bought (saved up for a good one, a Rivera) and I still am super happy with it. I love the immediacy of an amp. I always get annoyed with menus etc, and I work in the tech field and am very versed with that stuff.

Over here in Canada, used Vox AC15s are pretty reasonable. Rev and trem built-in. Can get old-school raunchy, or stay clean pretty loud.
Maybe a 2 channel Orange Terror head?

 

[laxu]

Over here in Canada, used Vox AC15s are pretty reasonable. Rev and trem built-in. Can get old-school raunchy, or stay clean pretty loud.
Maybe a 2 channel Orange Terror head?

I prefer the AC30, except it's real heavy. The heads are rare, and really stupid designs anyway. Vox + Greenbacks is not my favorite though, need that Alnico chime.

From Orange, I like the Rockerverb and OR15 at least, but I think they are well into Marshall style territory nevertheless. Plus a white 4x10 with an orange head?

 

[Byrdman]

I would get a Marshall

 

[2dor]

Dimehead NAM Player?
Since you're looking to give the PS-100 more prime time, maybe that Synergy setup would be worth it. Should be pretty flexible & I'm sure it'll sound good. With 2 modules you could pretty much be set for pretty much anything.

 

[Sascha Franck]

I would get a Marshall

The new MIC edition?

 

[GuitarBilly74]

One of the Friedman IR pedals. My IR-D sounds great with the Power Station. So much that I sold the Dirty Shirley head I had.
Go from the FX send into your effects and into the Power Station Line in.

Plus you can use it direct too when you need it.

 

[Byrdman]

The new MIC edition?

As of right now, nothing is being made in China, but if it does get made in China, If it's a good amp and made well and I wanted it, that would not stop me from buying it. I would probably consider other options as well like Ceriatone before I pulled the trigger, but just being manufactured in China would not prevent me from owning anything.

You, and everyone else, probably has more bits, pieces, and parts of everything electronic in your house that came from China, so spare me false outrage please...

 

[maguchi]

First time I heard the term B-rig. Will have to give that some thought. So far I been buying stuff what I consider to be A-rig material.

 

[TubeStack]

There is no plan B.

 

[deadpool_25]

There is no plan B.

How dare you, sir.