What can you tell me about the Fryette/VHT Pittbull 100cl?

[Reaper of Doom]

Been offered a trade for a 100cl and fat bottom 4x12 for a PRS I don't play and before I go traveling to see the rig I thought I might seek some info. I already run a 5150 so how does it differ? I've read mixed reviews all over the net and can't find decent videos on YouTube. Is the Ultra Lead the one and the CL really that bad? I thought the only difference was the power tubes and a 3rd channel.

Sent from my LT26i using Tapatalk

 

[karpathion]

Re: What can you tell me about the Fryette/VHT Pittbull 100cl?

What would you like to know? I have the 50CL. They should be pretty close to the same thing. If I can't help you, Van Nord, "I believe that's his username," can. He has a UL.

There is nothing bad about the CL. Steve Fryette, will tell you that the green channel on the CL is the Fryette sound. I love it. You can't compare it to the 5150.

 

[Reaper of Doom]

Re: What can you tell me about the Fryette/VHT Pittbull 100cl?

I hear the term 'dry sounding' used a lot but not quite sure what that means. How is the gain on them. I'm after a high gain rock tone with some chunk.

Sent from my LT26i using Tapatalk

 

[karpathion]

Re: What can you tell me about the Fryette/VHT Pittbull 100cl?

I guess you could use dry as a term. I would say articulate, percussive, very responsive to your guitar, and a much tighter arse end than you would ever expect out of an EL84 based amp. There is a reason thrash players love these things.

Gain wise, it's pretty jam up. It just depends on how you flip the switches and push the buttons as to what you can get. Each of the 2 channels can go from a very usable clean, to ballz out. They're just voiced a little different.
Some like the red channel for modern and the green for classic, some like it the other way around, like me. The point is, if you can't find something you like on either channel, with all the options you have at your disposal... It's probably broken! If you don't like the "wild" nature of the 5150, you'll love the Pittbull.

 

[Rockstar216]

Re: What can you tell me about the Fryette/VHT Pittbull 100cl?

Dry sounding usually means very tight, percussive, open sounding, and unforgiving as far as feel goes.

 

[Van Noord]

Re: What can you tell me about the Fryette/VHT Pittbull 100cl?

The gain on the UL is just as feirce as the 5150, except it reacts more to your pick attack. Meaning, the UL will clean up better with lighter picking or strumming. The vht gain is more percussive, and less compressed than the 5150 too. I have both amps and don't feel the need to replace one with the other. Although similar in nature, they each feel, react and sound different from each other.

 

[misterwhizzy]

Re: What can you tell me about the Fryette/VHT Pittbull 100cl?

I'm pretty sure Fryette amps are the best value in the high-gain world even though they're expensive. They're AWESOME. You'll trade what you use the least for what you'll use the most.

 

[Van Noord]

Re: What can you tell me about the Fryette/VHT Pittbull 100cl?

I'll also add that the vht has immense clarily and note seperation at high gain levels. The 5150 can get hairy/fizzy and murky in that context. But that's part of its attitude and charm though. That is also why players use boost pedals with their 5150s, to cut and tighten the low end and add clarity to the gain. The UL does not suffer from that and requires no boosts.

 

[UberMetalDood]

Re: What can you tell me about the Fryette/VHT Pittbull 100cl?

Dry sounding usually means very tight, percussive, open sounding, and unforgiving as far as feel goes.

This. I owned a 50CL and it was absolutely fantastic. I bought it NOS so it had reverb and the slider EQ's. In the back, it came stock with a cool looking extra preamp tube suspended on a clip that was built into the head case. Everything about that amp was solid. It was a bit dark sounding and not as loud as a Marshall 50w DSL that I had next to it, but with Vintage 30's, it cut through nicely. The slider EQ is a MUST because I was never able to quite get the EQ I wanted with just the tone controls. The reason I sold it was a sad story, and I wish I still had it, but those kinds of things happen sometimes and there's nothing you can do about it.

Anyway, you just can't go wrong with a Fryette. The SigX is probably the best value overall because it's very versatile and you can get them fairly cheap in new condition. I have seen them sell here and there for $1100-1200 in unopened boxes the last few years. Fryette isn't a cool sounding name so perhaps that's the reason their amps don't get more popular. They are super expensive to begin with, so most people seek them out on the used market. Fortunately, they're affordable to buy on the used market because although they're known to be among the worlds best amps, people just don't seem to attach the same prestige to owning them as they do say Bogner.

 

[Reaper of Doom]

Re: What can you tell me about the Fryette/VHT Pittbull 100cl?

Awesome, thanks everyone. Might go and check it out.

Sent from my LT26i using Tapatalk

 

[Toe-Knee]

Re: What can you tell me about the Fryette/VHT Pittbull 100cl?

Awesome sounding amps to play (if you are into the ultra modern metal sound). However they're an absolute nightmare to repair.

 

[SirJackdeFuzz]

Re: What can you tell me about the Fryette/VHT Pittbull 100cl?

Dry sounding usually means very tight, percussive, open sounding, and unforgiving as far as feel goes.

. . . that is also how i 'see' the term dry, when it comes to amps.

Listen to youtube clips of the ENGL E530 pre-amp . . . to me, that is uber dry sounding. (but in a GOOD way)

 

[karpathion]

Re: What can you tell me about the Fryette/VHT Pittbull 100cl?

Awesome sounding amps to play (if you are into the ultra modern metal sound). However they're an absolute nightmare to repair.

I can see that. But, Fryette only charges a $60 service fee, minus parts. You can't go wrong with that.

 

[Van Noord]

Re: What can you tell me about the Fryette/VHT Pittbull 100cl?

My tech is a wizz so repair is a none issue. It's a 1993 model and has a clean bill of health with some tasty new Kt88s.

The crunch channel tones aren't all modern either. Classic rock your @$$ off and grin the whole time while doing it. Throw in all the shift & edge buttons along with sliders and the tonal options are wide. Another thing is that every little eq tweak and all the buttons actually DO something noticeable. Not all amps can profess that.

 

[Reaper of Doom]

Re: What can you tell me about the Fryette/VHT Pittbull 100cl?

And is the fatbottom cab essential for the head? At the moment I've run both a 1960a and a 5150 straight 4x12.

Sent from my LT26i using Tapatalk

 

[SirJackdeFuzz]

Re: What can you tell me about the Fryette/VHT Pittbull 100cl?

My tech is a wizz so repair is a none issue. It's a 1993 model and has a clean bill of health with some tasty new Kt88s.

The crunch channel tones aren't all modern either. Classic rock your @$$ off and grin the whole time while doing it. Throw in all the shift & edge buttons along with sliders and the tonal options are wide. Another thing is that every little eq tweak and all the buttons actually DO something noticeable.

Not all amps can profess that.

That is probably the only draw-back i have about the 5150's.

The EQ knobs does not create a major tonal shifts in any direction - it is all very subtle, compared to many other gain'y amps :banghead:

 

[Toe-Knee]

Re: What can you tell me about the Fryette/VHT Pittbull 100cl?

I can see that. But, Fryette only charges a $60 service fee, minus parts. You can't go wrong with that.

Yup unless you are in the UK where they have no service centers and ask you to ship the amp overseas.

 

[karpathion]

Re: What can you tell me about the Fryette/VHT Pittbull 100cl?

Yup unless you are in the UK where they have no service centers and ask you to ship the amp overseas.

Yeah, I can see that being a problem.

 

[Rockstar216]

Re: What can you tell me about the Fryette/VHT Pittbull 100cl?

And is the fatbottom cab essential for the head? At the moment I've run both a 1960a and a 5150 straight 4x12.

Sent from my LT26i using Tapatalk

To get the most out of that head yes but Fryette offers two types of cabs the Fat Bottom and the Deliverance. Ironically the "Fat Bottom" cab is the tightest most directional sounding cab while the Deliverance cab fills out the room a bit better and is not as directional but is still tight as ever in the bottom end.

The Fat Bottoms are meant for the PitBulls while the Deliverances are for the Sigx and Deliverance amp. I've heard great things about both cabs.

 

[Rockstar216]

Re: What can you tell me about the Fryette/VHT Pittbull 100cl?

Also a reason why many people feel the amp is "dry" is because the gain isn't as saturated as other amps like a 5150,Uberschall,Dual Rec etc you always maintain string clarity at high gain levels with very little to no compression. Also it's a very clean and clear amp very "honest" sounding so that also turns people off when playing it because if your technique is lacking it will show.

It's somewhat the same thing that people say about BareKnuckle pups in that they feel they aren't "hot" enough but what they are really looking for is that saturation and compression and the clarity to them means it's not "hot" enough.