Dana Olsen
Platinum Supporting Member
- Messages
- 7,909
I got to play through a Fryette Memphis at NAMM. As we all know, NAMM offers perfect listening conditions in which to evaluate an amp (Yeah, that's the ticket - perfect conditions).
Still, even though the conditions were not perfect, coupled with the fact that Fryette was located across the aisle from Mesa, made listening a challenge, but we DID get to turn it up a bit, and I loved it - both channels.
Stevie Fryette makes great amps - that's a given. That said, I was particularly impressed with the Memphis. The gain sounds go from classic to PDH (Pretty Dang High) gain, with a couple of really useful voicing switches and gain level switches. I was able to get a ton of different tone styles from the lead channel - med gain, treble way up and mids and bass down, I got Johnny Winter tones, and I could easily roll all the way up to Metal with the flick of a switch or two.
The Clean channel was truly stellar - WAY more clean headroom than I was expecting in a Fryette/ (the artist formerly known as) VHT amp. Several voicing switches are present in the clean channel too, and they all work very well indeed. I was able to get a number of "classic" style clean sounds quickly and easily - the knobs seem to work very intuitively and did just what I expected, from Fender style cleans to lots of other style cleans.
In both channels, the voicing switches work very well and do not detract from the ease of operation or the sound quality. There's reverb - much deeper and darker sounding than say a Fender, no "boing" springy sounds here -but it's very effective for giving a little cushion on the clean sounds.
I was able to get low gain "Americana" sounds by using lower gain settings and rolling the guitar's vol back just a crack, and I was able to get Metal level gains by throwing a couple switches into different positions.
I though it was incredibly "contained" sounding, neither the gain sounds nor the cleans "spilled out" of the cab design, but it's not at all small sounding - that's a great characteristic for a 1x12" combo that weighs 50 lbs. It's one of the most versatile channel switchers I've heard to date, and did I mention it goes from PDH gain to spanky clean?
There is an FX loop, but I didn't get to try it out.
Extremely gig-able, very nice sounding, easy to dial, looks really cool. I think Stevie Fryette has hit another home run with this one, ESPECIALLY with guys like me who want access to a good med-to-high gain sound but can't always have a 4x12 cab and head, and can't always turn up very loud.
Great amp Steve - I dig it a bunch! I heard David Torn (Splatt here on TGP) use a Memphis live on Fri pm at NAMM, along with Tony Levin, Pat Mastellato and Terry Bozio. The volume was padded way down, and Torn sounded great through the Memphis. The thought occurs to me that this particular player's skill level, in this particular case, may have had something to do with the great tone (GRIN).
And of course, I want one. Stevie Fryette says they hope to start shipping them real soon - perhaps the end of Feb.
Thanks, Dana O.
Still, even though the conditions were not perfect, coupled with the fact that Fryette was located across the aisle from Mesa, made listening a challenge, but we DID get to turn it up a bit, and I loved it - both channels.
Stevie Fryette makes great amps - that's a given. That said, I was particularly impressed with the Memphis. The gain sounds go from classic to PDH (Pretty Dang High) gain, with a couple of really useful voicing switches and gain level switches. I was able to get a ton of different tone styles from the lead channel - med gain, treble way up and mids and bass down, I got Johnny Winter tones, and I could easily roll all the way up to Metal with the flick of a switch or two.
The Clean channel was truly stellar - WAY more clean headroom than I was expecting in a Fryette/ (the artist formerly known as) VHT amp. Several voicing switches are present in the clean channel too, and they all work very well indeed. I was able to get a number of "classic" style clean sounds quickly and easily - the knobs seem to work very intuitively and did just what I expected, from Fender style cleans to lots of other style cleans.
In both channels, the voicing switches work very well and do not detract from the ease of operation or the sound quality. There's reverb - much deeper and darker sounding than say a Fender, no "boing" springy sounds here -but it's very effective for giving a little cushion on the clean sounds.
I was able to get low gain "Americana" sounds by using lower gain settings and rolling the guitar's vol back just a crack, and I was able to get Metal level gains by throwing a couple switches into different positions.
I though it was incredibly "contained" sounding, neither the gain sounds nor the cleans "spilled out" of the cab design, but it's not at all small sounding - that's a great characteristic for a 1x12" combo that weighs 50 lbs. It's one of the most versatile channel switchers I've heard to date, and did I mention it goes from PDH gain to spanky clean?
There is an FX loop, but I didn't get to try it out.
Extremely gig-able, very nice sounding, easy to dial, looks really cool. I think Stevie Fryette has hit another home run with this one, ESPECIALLY with guys like me who want access to a good med-to-high gain sound but can't always have a 4x12 cab and head, and can't always turn up very loud.
Great amp Steve - I dig it a bunch! I heard David Torn (Splatt here on TGP) use a Memphis live on Fri pm at NAMM, along with Tony Levin, Pat Mastellato and Terry Bozio. The volume was padded way down, and Torn sounded great through the Memphis. The thought occurs to me that this particular player's skill level, in this particular case, may have had something to do with the great tone (GRIN).
And of course, I want one. Stevie Fryette says they hope to start shipping them real soon - perhaps the end of Feb.
Thanks, Dana O.
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