Fryette Power Station

[CoreyT]

In the May issue of Guitar Player magazine is a gear review of the Fryette Power Station which is an attenuator and also a power amp.
It has two 6L6 tubes for 50 watts, so lets say you are using an amp with it that is under 50 watts, you can power your amp with more HP with this unit.

I have looked at other attenuators online before as I would like to be able to crank my master volume on my tube amps, mainly my new Mesa Boogie Mark Five 25 and not blow the roof off of my place getting that nice tube power soak sound we all crave.
For where I live now, the only way I could do this is take my amp to work and play it early in the morning when there is hardly anyone there.
Hey, I do this with my Blackstar ID15 all the time early in the morning cranked

So I am thinking if I got one of these I would be able to crank my Mesa in my living room and use the Fryette with it and have the Fryette's volume down and get that great sound.
Anyone own one of these or seen it demoed before?
Or should I stick with a standard attenuator instead?
If so, any recommendations?

 

[László]

He says that he can't hear the difference bypassed. I dunno. I think the tone was a little clearer bypassed.

Not that it's a big deal, quite obviously an attenuator is going to change something, and this one sounds very good indeed.

 

[CoreyT]

I am only about 10 minutes into the video now, but I just finished the part where he dimed the amp full blast, then used the Fryette's volume to play it low but mean sounding.
Sounded pretty good.
I just have to justify the $600 price when they come out later.

He did make a good point during the attenuator demo part, with other units you have a click dial verses a real volume control like this one has so you can control your sound better.
These even work to run without a head if you want to power an Axe/FX or a Kemper.

 

[Egads]

Bad Cat has something similar in the Unleash. The power amp side isn't tube-driven, but can push 100 watts. Someone here has/had one, but I can't remember who. They have a new version coming out shortly, too. The price is definitely lower than the Fryette. Both sound great, on paper. I'm really interested in hearing both of these in person. Amy attenuator is going to change the tone. It's just a matter of finding one that sounds the way you want it to.

I want to pull the old Randall Smith trick and show up at a bigger theater show carrying a little 5 watt 1x12 combo and crank out 100 watts!

 

[Fro]

"I have looked at other attenuators online before as I would like to be able to crank my master volume on my tube amps, mainly my new Mesa Boogie Mark Five 25 and not blow the roof off of my place getting that nice tube power soak sound we all crave."

I quoted this part of the OP because this is exactly how I'm using my Powerstation. My Mark25 sounds great with the master turned down, but it really opens up when turned up. It sounds its best with the masters between 11:00 and 1:00. At unity volume I can literally not hear a difference between the sound being bypassed and with the Powerstation engaged. With the switches and tone controls on the Powerstation I can retain that tone at low volume. I can also get 50 watts out of my 25 watt amp. It's a win win.
If I was going to use a setup like this playing live I would pick the BadCat Unleash. It's smaller and easier to carry, it's solid state so no tubes, it's 100 watts if you need it and I doubt you could tell a difference in tone playing with a band.

 

[CoreyT]

Thanks Fro for the feedback, especially how it works great with the same amp I want to use it with.
Can you set this directly on top of a cab, then set the head on top, or will too much heat come out of the unit and up into the head?

 

[László]

There's one thing I don't understand. What's the advantage/point of having the master volume up on the amp, then attenuating the volume, and then adding the built-in amplifier on the attenuator to increase the volume?

I don't get it. Can anyone explain?

Edit: I went to the Fryette website and I see that it's there to provide a variety of functions. Never mind!

Can you set this directly on top of a cab, then set the head on top, or will too much heat come out of the unit and up into the head?

Any attenuator will get hot, because even a circuit like this is going to be converting some amp wattage (energy) into heat, and that heat has to be dissipated. Plus this one has a tubes to add to the heat. You wouldn't want to cover the vents on your guitar amp, same with this.

The best way to use a device like this is to give it as much air space as you can live with. You would definitely want to leave a few inches of air space on top of it so it can cool.

In the studio the easiest thing to do if you don't want it on top of your amp is just to set it on a nearby table or speaker cab.

 

[CoreyT]

Thanks Les, if I get one later I will keep the Fryette separate from the Boogie.
Now in answer to the other in having the master and gain on the Mesa dimed is to get the tubes cooking for a great OD sound, and use the Fryette volume to have it down low but still get the OD sound and not have my neighbors call the police on me.

One thing I really dig about my Blackstar ID amps is I can get that great OD sound at any volume since they are solid state.

 

[László]

Thanks Les, if I get one later I will keep the Fryette separate from the Boogie.
Now in answer to the other in having the master and gain on the Mesa dimed is to get the tubes cooking for a great OD sound, and use the Fryette volume to have it down low but still get the OD sound and not have my neighbors call the police on me.

One thing I really dig about my Blackstar ID amps is I can get that great OD sound at any volume since they are solid state.

I completely understand the idea of the Mesa dimed, esp. the power tubes, but what I didn't quite get was why an attenuator needs a power amp. The whole idea of an attenuator is to have less volume, not more volume.

But then I saw that the idea is to have the thing kind of be a multi-function device, which is cool.

 

[CoreyT]

Yeah, you could take a small Pignose for example and dime it, then crank the Fryette to 50watts ad gig with it
I have cranked up my Pignose before full blast in my place and it sounded great, but alas it would even get me in trouble with the neighbors.
I need to move someday and have a gig room like Daryl Hall has at his home, what a sweet setup he has.

 

[László]

I need to move someday and have a gig room like Daryl Hall has at his home, what a sweet setup he has.

All you need is a few hits, right?

 

[Egads]

Come on, Les: it swings both ways! I KNOW you remember the swinging 30s (AD). Hanging with Caligula and his rowdy crew.

 

[László]

Hanging with Caligula and his rowdy crew.

You have to feel badly for Caligula. His father Germanicus was murdered for political reasons when he was a small boy, his mother was exiled and imprisoned to keep her away from power at the same time, and his uncle the Emperor made him a boy toy on his personal island retreat.

Then he was suddenly handed the reins to the most powerful empire on earth as a teenager.

He was truly screwed up. I doubt he had a chance of remaining sane.

 

[tiboy]

Plus Caligula hated that name as it was foist upon him by his father's guards. It means (meant) little feet.

 

[ozboy]

Doesn't the Mesa 25 have a built in cab clone?

 

[László]

Plus Caligula hated that name as it was foist upon him by his father's guards. It means (meant) little feet.

Actually it means "little boots." His father used to show him off to his legions (Germanicus was quite the Roman hero) and he dressed the little kid in a Legion outfit, complete with boots.

The Legion's soldiers gave him the name. However, it's a baby nickname, so no wonder he hated it.

Two of Caligula's pleasure ships were found at the bottom of Lake Nemi in Italy in the 20s, and Mussolini actually had the lake drained to recover them. The water had preserved a significant amount of the wood. They were amazed to find that the ships had heated decks, plumbing with valves, etc. Historians have theorized that by the end of his reign, Caligula was so hated that the ships were deliberately scuttled by pissed-off Romans.

Mussolini of course was obsessed with the idea of making Italy the third coming of the Roman Empire (the second was the Eastern Roman Empire that historians call the Byzantine Empire, that lasted from Constantine (4th Century A.D) .until 1452 and is amazingly virtually unknown or at best known in a hazy way by we Westerners;, a 1000 year empire is largely ignored?). So he was into archaeological projects like draining complete lakes to find Roman vessels.

Egads is wrong though. I wasn't around for Caligula. But I am 800 years old, so I was around for other stuff.

 

[CoreyT]

Doesn't the Mesa 25 have a built in cab clone?

Yes it does.

 

[vchizzle]

Bad Cat has something similar in the Unleash. The power amp side isn't tube-driven, but can push 100 watts. Someone here has/had one, but I can't remember who. They have a new version coming out shortly, too. The price is definitely lower than the Fryette. Both sound great, on paper. I'm really interested in hearing both of these in person. Amy attenuator is going to change the tone. It's just a matter of finding one that sounds the way you want it to.

I want to pull the old Randall Smith trick and show up at a bigger theater show carrying a little 5 watt 1x12 combo and crank out 100 watts!

I had an Unleash for a bit. I bought it to possibly attenuate my Friedman Naked head which sounded ripping when very loud. Unfortunately, the Unleash didn't play well with the Naked. Weird noises and such. It did work well with my Hot Cat 30 at home though. Those are the only 2 amps I tried it with. I picked it up used and it was one of the older purple ones. I sold it since it didn't play well with the amp I wanted to use it with. I've had very good luck with the Fryette/VHT stuff I've owned. They build great gear. Still use my 2/50/2 power amp live.

 

[CoreyT]

Hmmmmm, cannot understand a word, but it sounds good
Actually he mixes in a few words in English I can make out.
I am going to pull the trigger and order one of these by the weekend.

Fryette PowerStation Overview by Godspeed

 

[Mark Ace]

Let us know what you think when you get it. I'm intrigued.