HOLY VHT/Fryette D60!!! Where have you been my whole life??? Versatilty beyond words!

[SinglecutGuy]

Ok I'm gonna keep this short and to the point (I hope)...

So after going through numerous high-end amps trying to find something that had a unique tone that would actually cut through in a mid-high gain setting, I kept buying and selling and getting more frustrated.

That has now ended.

I was in Pittsburgh a few weeks ago seeing a friend's band play, and we had a few hours to kill before sound check, so we hit up one of the local GC's. I thought I'd just check out the guitars because I knew what amps GC carried, and I'd been through many of them and wasn't satisfied, so didn't care to search for an amp there. Luckily they had a few used PRS guitars, so I wanted to try them out, and found a Tiny Terror combo which I love the tone of, so I started jamming. Just as I was about to finish and head out, I turned around and to my surprise, there was a used VHT D60 Head. I'd played one years ago when they first came out, as I heard that Unearth (big metal band) was playing them live and always liked their stuff.

So anyway, I thought this was strictly a metal amp. Boy was I wrong!

I was pressed for time so I played it real quick on the high gain settings, and loved it for a metal tone. I didn't think at the time that this would be "the one" I'd been searching for, but for the price that they were asking I figured I'd snag it just to have it around. Ended getting them to knock off $100. So I scored it for $799. Took it home, started messing with it ended up finding out it had a bad tube which is why the lower/mid gain settings were lacking. Just got the new tube in the other day, replaced it...

MAIN POINT:

WOW! I can't get over how killer this amp is! This thing nails older Marshall Plexi tones, beautiful overdrives, killer rock tones, all the way to the most amazing metal tone I've ever heard. Every knob does exactly what it's supposed to do, without effecting things it shouldn't. I've never played an amp, listened to it, wanted to adjust something, and went to the knob that was supposed to adjust it and had it do JUST that. This amp is set up so perfectly, with NO BS. It's the most versatile non-clean amp I've ever played, and it's extremely responsive to the volume knobs on my guitar. I'm so pleased with this amp. It's THE ONE!

 

[stephen sawall]

Congratulations ....

The Deliverance is one hell of a amp.
My Deliverance 120 is used more than my other amps these days...Clean and point of break-up sounds are huge. Medium & high gain all there. The dynamic and the way it reflects what my hands do works for me...

 

[diagrammatiks]

great amp. miss mine.

 

[dr.morton]

It's such a great amp...but sadly also a very loud bastard.

 

[SinglecutGuy]

My 60 isn't too bad...especially through a 2x12. I have decent saturation at a reasonable volume.

It kinda makes me want another one now, and A/B them. One for the lower gain "plexi" tone, and the other for the full out heavy.

 

[Kelly]

Welcome to the club!

 

[splatt]

phreaking brilliant cleans available, too, if you want them.

if these amps looked kinda "vintage-y" or "classic", less "hard" B&W,
if they had a cosmetic vibe that sat more within the narrow visual constraints of the bulk of the marketplace,
i betcha they'd be all over the place.

sadly, i believe that many folks might think like this:
"it's made for metal.",
"it doesn't look nice w/my relic'ed tele.",
"it doesn't suit the look of my current shoe-gazer/jazz/fusion/alt-rock/country combo",
and, then?
then, they kinda just walk on by.

great amps; phreaking great amps.
at the top end of the best guitar amps, ever, imo, AND:
i own some other truly great amps that i still dig to play.

i love the whole of the fryette line, including the 2 unique pedals;
i have four very different fryette heads, each offering something(s) that i've found in no other amps.

the d120 is my #1, the sig-x is my #2.

 

[lespaul6]

I like VHT/Fryette stuff.. but the only thing that makes me hesitate on the D120/60 is the power tube choice... if it was EL34's I would be all over it.. I just dont think I would like the tone of of the kt's...

 

[midnightlaundry]

I like VHT/Fryette stuff.. but the only thing that makes me hesitate on the D120/60 is the power tube choice... if it was EL34's I would be all over it.. I just dont think I would like the tone of of the kt's...

I don't think this amp was build for power clipping FTMP.

 

[sfryette]

I don't think this amp was build for power clipping FTMP.

On the contrary. Real musical and harmonically balanced power amp clipping is achieved by carefully matching driver stage, power tube and output transformer behavior. The D60 design goal is an amp that has the punch and clarity of a 100W amp combined with the distortion character and harmonic balance of a 50W amp. KT88s have the clean, dynamic quality of 6L6s and the transparent upper harmonic quality and smooth transition into clipping of EL34s. As a result, EL34 players get what they want and 6L6 players get they want without the compromises inherent in designs that offer tube switching which don't really produce an optimum version of either.

 

[midnightlaundry]

On the contrary. Real musical and harmonically balanced power amp clipping is achieved by carefully matching driver stage, power tube and output transformer behavior. The D60 design goal is an amp that has the punch and clarity of a 100W amp combined with the distortion character and harmonic balance of a 50W amp. KT88s have the clean, dynamic quality of 6L6s and the transparent upper harmonic quality and smooth transition into clipping of EL34s. As a result, EL34 players get what they want and 6L6 players get they want without the compromises inherent in designs that offer tube switching which don't really produce an optimum version of either.

I am not ready.

 

[lespaul6]

On the contrary. Real musical and harmonically balanced power amp clipping is achieved by carefully matching driver stage, power tube and output transformer behavior. The D60 design goal is an amp that has the punch and clarity of a 100W amp combined with the distortion character and harmonic balance of a 50W amp. KT88s have the clean, dynamic quality of 6L6s and the transparent upper harmonic quality and smooth transition into clipping of EL34s. As a result, EL34 players get what they want and 6L6 players get they want without the compromises inherent in designs that offer tube switching which don't really produce an optimum version of either.

Is it possible that you will develop an El34 based amp again like the classic series? or have you given up on that platform?

 

[splatt]

Is it possible that you will develop an El34 based amp again like the classic series? or have you given up on that platform?

i used to primarily play el34-based amps, myself.
it might serve ya well not to pre-judge KT88's sounds, feel & capabilities
w/o having spent some real time with a d60, a d120 &/or a sig-x.
really; no kidding.
not just smoke.

 

[Kelly]

if these amps looked kinda "vintage-y" or "classic", less "hard" B&W,
if they had a cosmetic vibe that sat more within the narrow visual constraints of the bulk of the marketplace,
i betcha they'd be all over the place.

Sometimes I find myself wanting a Germino just because they look so darn nice.

 

[Just1more]

i used to primarily play el34-based amps, myself.
it might serve ya well not to pre-judge KT88's sounds, feel & capabilities
w/o having spent some real time with a d60, a d120 &/or a sig-x.
really; no kidding.
not just smoke.

True, power tubes don't always dictate tone. Transformers and circuit design can play a bigger role. I need to check out a D60, going to hunt one down from one of the rental companies in L.A. so I can really hear one.

 

[midnightlaundry]

The reason why I said I didn't think power clip was in the equation was that the amp already has a truckload of gain at low volumes; for what I'm used to anyways...

 

[stephen sawall]

On the contrary. Real musical and harmonically balanced power amp clipping is achieved by carefully matching driver stage, power tube and output transformer behavior. The D60 design goal is an amp that has the punch and clarity of a 100W amp combined with the distortion character and harmonic balance of a 50W amp. KT88s have the clean, dynamic quality of 6L6s and the transparent upper harmonic quality and smooth transition into clipping of EL34s. As a result, EL34 players get what they want and 6L6 players get they want without the compromises inherent in designs that offer tube switching which don't really produce an optimum version of either.

This is exactly how I feel about KT88 in the right amp. Your design here works perfect for me.

....including the 2 unique pedals;

The SAS is my favorite distortion pedal .... I highly recommend it. With my Sig X and Deliverance 120 it opens up a lot of different sounds from clean to over the top distortion. .... It sounds great with my other amps also....

The reason why I said I didn't think power clip was in the equation was that the amp already has a truckload of gain at low volumes; for what I'm used to anyways...

I agree it has enough gain in the preamp for what I do.... but the poweramp distortion that it is capable of is more important for the way I play. Most of my life I have been more into poweramp distortion. I grew up at a time when few people had amps with high gain (started playing in 1969, very young) .... so it has always been a big part of how I play.

 

[rob2001]

I never played one but from the descriptions it seems like an amp I'd REALLY like.

 

[sfryette]

Is it possible that you will develop an El34 based amp again like the classic series? or have you given up on that platform?

We never stopped. CLX (formerly Classic), CL and 2502 power amps all still use EL34s. It's no secret. They're on our website

 

[sfryette]

The reason why I said I didn't think power clip was in the equation was that the amp already has a truckload of gain at low volumes; for what I'm used to anyways...

It's unfortunately a common misconception that high preamp gain is interpreted to preclude power amp clipping. To me it's a palate from which to choose. A little of this, a little of that. You don't use a whole bag of flower for pancakes just because it's available.

Preamp gain is easy to get wrapped up in because it makes you sound good at low volumes. Power amp clip is harder because you have to play at band volume to get it.