Buxom Betty...

Sp8ctre said:
That's the thing, I'm not looking for much break up at all. That's why I just sold the VOX...breaks up to soon and to much...
Click to expand...

No break up, eh? Does not compute. I guess I just assumed you wanted some power tube saturation, but that's just my own narrow world-view coming into play.

Anyway, yeah, maybe the Buxom Betty is for you after all. I mean, if what you are looking for is a ton of headroom and you aren't looking for something to CRANK, then you'd be hard-pressed to find a better-built amp than the Friedman. It didn't work for my friend because he's in a Metal band, and it was just too loud before the power amp gave up the goods, and he really wasn't a fan of it's preamp distortion so he had to resort to using a pedal which just seemed silly when he could get all the nasty he wanted from his Marshalls and Oranges.
 
Very nice... A Gibson Memphis 1959 ES-335 Played Through a Friedman Buxom Betty:

 
Last edited:
nice amp if it fits your needs, I like the TRinity too.
I'm going the other way - looking to build a 1 or so watt i can really get the power tube grind at home.

You still have a running Silkyn Super 50?
Those Fendery cleans are very nice, and loud if you want it.
I swear the reverb on mine has gotten better from use, even after reverb cathode resistor mod and a reverb tube swap.
Maybe its speaker break in, dunno.
 
gball said:
34's are great, arguably a better sound because the bottom end is so tight, but they need to be So. Freaking. LOUD. to sound their best that I just can't use a 34-based amp any more (or a 6L6-based one for that matter). Too much of what I like about those amps is the power-tube breakup and you are at the point of hurting yourself and drowning out a damn drum kit before they really start to grind, so I use EL-84 amps. They don't have the punch of a big bottle, obviously, but they get such sweet saturation at moderate volume it makes up for it for me. IMO Mesa/Boogie does the best job with them of any manufacturer at any price. The Dyna-Watt thing really works and really tightens up the bottom end/adds dymamics.
Click to expand...

I must agree, I never was a fan of the 84's till I got my Mesa. They know how to voice the 84's for sure. At least for my taste.
 
ChasFred said:
I must agree, I never was a fan of the 84's till I got my Mesa. They know how to voice the 84's for sure. At least for my taste.
Click to expand...

I've run my Mark 5:25 alongside 6V6 and 6L6 amps and it, a.) crushes 6V6 amps, and b.) hangs with 6L6 ones. I don't feel like I am giving up anything except the requirement to turn it way up to get the power section sweating.
 
gball said:
Attenuator would do the trick. Caveat: a really, really good attenuator.

Honestly, usable volume is the reason I switched to 25-watt amps. Still plenty loud through a 4x12 with the band but also able to give up satisfying tone at living-space volumes. I’ve found that any big-bottle amp needs to be cranked before it starts feeling greasy, but 84’s in particular can give you plenty of grind at conversation levels.
Click to expand...

I bought a Weber 100watt and it's absolutely great for playing at home!!!!

Weber.jpg
 
Sp8ctre said:
That's the thing, I'm not looking for much break up at all. That's why I just sold
Click to expand...

So after watching a couple of demos...I can totally see the attraction. Sweet amp...I like the combo too.
My only reservation is that there’s no loop in an amp that I really like the breakup on.
Not a dealbreaker by any stretch, as I don’t have a loop in my favorite amp. The Silkyn didn’t have one either.
I was debating one of these for a similar reason...I really liked the apparent headroom, compact form, flexibility to go either EL34 or 6L6....when my Silkyn first went south on me.
https://www.victoryamps.com/v40-the-duchess

But that Friedman does have some mojo to it.
 
I have read more negative than positive about attenuators but have never tried one for myself.
I find even 14 -18w all tube watts in my basement lair is aye aye oh shake your foundations loud in suburbia lots / houses not very far apart and family members above.

More so in the house than the neighbors.
 
Thatbastarddon said:
So after watching a couple of demos...I can totally see the attraction. Sweet amp...I like the combo too.
My only reservation is that there’s no loop in an amp that I really like the breakup on.
Not a dealbreaker by any stretch, as I don’t have a loop in my favorite amp. The Silkyn didn’t have one either.
I was debating one of these for a similar reason...I really liked the apparent headroom, compact form, flexibility to go either EL34 or 6L6....when my Silkyn first went south on me.
https://www.victoryamps.com/v40-the-duchess

But that Friedman does have some mojo to it.
Click to expand...

I still have both my Silkyn amps. Neither ever blew a transformer and I have two new transformers to install. One amp is totally taken down
and ready for the install, but I've been super busy. I may take one of them to an amp shop and pay to get it done...
 
jtcnj said:
I have read more negative than positive about attenuators but have never tried one for myself.
I find even 14 -18w all tube watts in my basement lair is aye aye oh shake your foundations loud in suburbia lots / houses not very far apart and family members above.

More so in the house than the neighbors.
Click to expand...

They change the tone and feel a bit...even the best ones. I sure wouldn't want to play through one all the time.
 
Thatbastarddon said:
So after watching a couple of demos...I can totally see the attraction. Sweet amp...I like the combo too.
My only reservation is that there’s no loop in an amp that I really like the breakup on.
Not a dealbreaker by any stretch, as I don’t have a loop in my favorite amp. The Silkyn didn’t have one either.
I was debating one of these for a similar reason...I really liked the apparent headroom, compact form, flexibility to go either EL34 or 6L6....when my Silkyn first went south on me.
https://www.victoryamps.com/v40-the-duchess

But that Friedman does have some mojo to it.
Click to expand...

The Victory sounds great!

 
Do you all think the Victory amp will be a good choice if I'm looking for something similar to a Hiwatt or the Buxom Betty I posted?
I want a lot of clean headroom. I only do mild distortion and I like reverb, tremolo, delay and chorus.
 
Sp8ctre said:
Do you all think the Victory amp will be a good choice if I'm looking for something similar to a Hiwatt or the Buxom Betty I posted?
I want a lot of clean headroom. I only do mild distortion and I like reverb, tremolo, delay and chorus.
Click to expand...
Sounds like you might enjoy a Blackface Fender Deluxe Reverb.

Or, since I'm biased towards Allen Amps... their semi-clone of BF Deluxe Reverb... the Accomplice. 22 to 35 watts. You should have enough clean headroom to be semi loud and be a nice platform for pedals. And, if you want to dime-it, it'll sound pretty nasty. Plus its already got a great reverb.

Linky: Allen Amplification - Accomplice Amp

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top