A battle of the Larrys

[DeathbyButterslax]

FYI, I fully admit I make the worst clips out there. It is what it is. I’m just not good at, nor do I have the energy to go balls to the wall with all the recording trickery to make an amp sound perfect. I think in some ways it’s a disservice to do it. That 802 is a great amp. But the demo I heard of it before makes the amp sound even better than it actually is in the room. I’m NOT knocking anyone or the amp, AT ALL. No offense to anyone. It’s a killer sounding amp, as is my 822.

Here’s a clip of the Hellion with the T75’s. I agree that a 57 doesn’t capture the essence in the room. The Hellion is noticeably tighter than the 802 or 822 and has a much bigger low end. I don’t think this is captured in the clip at all. You can hear though that the low mids are not as pronounced as the Dinos. This doesn’t mean my amp is better or worse, just different. There is no better, just preferences that are totally subjective.

I don’t post this to say my amp is better or worse. But your post got me thinking it would interesting to do. I could probably tweak the Hellion to be closer to the Larry, but it’s not a Larry so not really any point. I actually dig the T75’s with this amp.

This is all the same setup as I used to record the Dinos. I didn’t even move the mic.

Also, excuse the logo. I threw a bare CNC aluminum one on. But I like the black version better.

Sounds excellent Jeremy, easily as good as the Dinos. Suprised to hear that its tighter, I thought that was the Dino’s claim to fame.

More modern which I like.

Is gain boost engaged via footswitch here?

 

[Beyond Black]

I think this thread should be retitled, "Everyone battles Larry"

A Larry divided against itself cannot stand.

 

[shredi knight]

A Larry divided against itself cannot stand.

Oh, I thought it was, "A Larry full of himself, no one can stand."

 

[RedPlated]

Sounds excellent Jeremy, easily as good as the Dinos. Suprised to hear that its tighter, I thought that was the Dino’s claim to fame.

More modern which I like.

Is gain boost engaged via footswitch here?

Thanks, Aaron. I’m really liking the vented G12-T75’s with it. They are close to a G12-65. Not at all similar to the modern mid-scooped 75’s.

This clip was without the 4th gain stage boost engaged. Just 3 stages in this clip.

 

[Soundstorm]

OP amps sound killer. How long have the Dino models been around?

 

[MetalJim]

Do you guys really think that this Larry amps are way better in tone, feel, etc... than a Bogner XTC or a cameron modded marshall, or a red seven those new red seven amps from italy for the price are really high quality amp or mezzabarbas also fall into that category, I never played a larry they sure sound good, but do they worth the money? and wait?

 

[paulyc]

Do you guys really think that this Larry amps are way better in tone, feel, etc... than a Bogner XTC or a cameron modded marshall, or a red seven those new red seven amps from italy for the price are really high quality amp or mezzabarbas also fall into that category, I never played a larry they sure sound good, but do they worth the money? and wait?

No

 

[NowYou'rePlayingWithPower]

Do you guys really think that this Larry amps are way better in tone, feel, etc... than a Bogner XTC or a cameron modded marshall, or a red seven those new red seven amps from italy for the price are really high quality amp or mezzabarbas also fall into that category, I never played a larry they sure sound good, but do they worth the money? and wait?

I figure that by the time you get your hands on one you'll have gone deaf from old age, so probably doesn't matter much.

 

[FourT6and2]

Do you guys really think that this Larry amps are way better in tone, feel, etc... than a Bogner XTC or a cameron modded marshall, or a red seven those new red seven amps from italy for the price are really high quality amp or mezzabarbas also fall into that category, I never played a larry they sure sound good, but do they worth the money? and wait?

Better? No. Different? yes. An XTC has its own thing going on. I wouldn't use an XTC to play the same type of music as one of these amps. Camerons are mostly hot-rodded Marshalls—either cascaded Marshall circuits with diode clipping or a plate-driven tone stack with 4 stages. They have their own sound as well. Fortins? Well the Meshuggah is nothing different from a Cameron/Jose. The Cali is that same amp but with a switch for 4 stages. His older, non-extant models are slightly different but you know the story there with Randall, et al. The Bones? Not what I would consider a high-gain amp. So what's left? A bunch of pedals and digital amp sims? Never heard of Red Seven. And Mezzabarbas are SLO clones for the most part.

What I've learned in the 30 years I've been playing guitar and building amps and chasing "tone" is: most amps within the same family/genre sound the same in the grand scheme of things. There are subtle differences here and there, but honestly... I can make any high-gain amp work.

It's fun to obsess over all the nuances and compare this amp vs that amp vs the other amp. But really... that's its own hobby. Hand me a 5150 or a VH4 or a Bogner or a KSR or a whatever, and I'll make it work.

 

[MetalJim]

I figure that by the time you get your hands on one you'll have gone deaf from old age, so probably doesn't matter muc

Better? No. Different? yes. An XTC has its own thing going on. I wouldn't use an XTC to play the same type of music as one of these amps. Camerons are mostly hot-rodded Marshalls—either cascaded Marshall circuits with diode clipping or a plate-driven tone stack with 4 stages. They have their own sound as well. Fortins? Well the Meshuggah is nothing different from a Cameron/Jose. The Cali is that same amp but with a switch for 4 stages. His older, non-extant models are slightly different but you know the story there with Randall, et al. The Bones? Not what I would consider a high-gain amp. So what's left? A bunch of pedals and digital amp sims? Never heard of Red Seven. And Mezzabarbas are SLO clones for the most part.

What I've learned in the 30 years I've been playing guitar and building amps and chasing "tone" is: most amps within the same family/genre sound the same in the grand scheme of things. There are subtle differences here and there, but honestly... I can make any high-gain amp work.

It's fun to obsess over all the nuances and compare this amp vs that amp vs the other amp. But really... that's its own hobby. Hand me a 5150 or a VH4 or a Bogner or a KSR or a whatever, and I'll make it work.

What type of amp you build?

 

[Smash]

Do you guys really think that this Larry amps are way better in tone, feel, etc... than a Bogner XTC or a cameron modded marshall, or a red seven those new red seven amps from italy for the price are really high quality amp or mezzabarbas also fall into that category, I never played a larry they sure sound good, but do they worth the money? and wait?

They do not worth the wait

 

[Smash]

Better? No. Different? yes. An XTC has its own thing going on. I wouldn't use an XTC to play the same type of music as one of these amps. Camerons are mostly hot-rodded Marshalls—either cascaded Marshall circuits with diode clipping or a plate-driven tone stack with 4 stages. They have their own sound as well. Fortins? Well the Meshuggah is nothing different from a Cameron/Jose. The Cali is that same amp but with a switch for 4 stages. His older, non-extant models are slightly different but you know the story there with Randall, et al. The Bones? Not what I would consider a high-gain amp. So what's left? A bunch of pedals and digital amp sims? Never heard of Red Seven. And Mezzabarbas are SLO clones for the most part.

What I've learned in the 30 years I've been playing guitar and building amps and chasing "tone" is: most amps within the same family/genre sound the same in the grand scheme of things. There are subtle differences here and there, but honestly... I can make any high-gain amp work.

It's fun to obsess over all the nuances and compare this amp vs that amp vs the other amp. But really... that's its own hobby. Hand me a 5150 or a VH4 or a Bogner or a KSR or a whatever, and I'll make it work.

Blasphemy

 

[novosibir]

You’re a conspiratorial idiot. He had a working prototype for his own amp line up and running by 2005. I played it. All his subsequent amps sounded similar to that one and absolutely nothing like yours. All MF ever did to you was inadvertently generate sales FOR you. Several sales at that and all a trickle down effect from me. Without MF, I never would have bought two, Disfigured two, KW one, etc. None of us like Iced Earth whatsoever lol. But you’re too stubborn to admit it.

I've had a Bones on my bench, a NATAS and a Randall Satan - and hence I exactly know what he did.

In case of the NATAS:
A to the California & Scream channel stripped down 100% rip off of my Dino 939 with just 5 component values different (in words: FIVE)
Ok he didn't have my transformers, nor my NOS tubes, nor my LCR electrolytics and nor my heartblood by building this amp...
... so this amp even can't sound like a shade of a Dino

Or let me illustrate it with another example:
During my now 36-year career as an amp designer, I had 7 different original Dumble amps in my house - and I had all colors of Dumble clones in my house, also well-known brands like Two-Rock, Van Weelden, Bludotone, Fuchs, aso.
Believe it or not, but none of these all (with the exception of the Bludo) could touch an orig. Dumble soundwise

And now look into the mirror and tell me, who is the conspiratorial idiot

 

[novosibir]

Sounds excellent Jeremy, easily as good as the Dinos. Suprised to hear that its tighter, I thought that was the Dino’s claim to fame.

More modern which I like.

Perhaps, to be fair, should you better compare these amps not with Marshall amps that I rebuilt in 1992 and 1995 with Marshall (Drake/Dagnall) transformers and circuits still built on solder strips, but with amps from my current series such as a Dino 962 or better yet, with my Pure Metal Machine, in which my own custom transformers are installed and the circuits are built on eyelet boards (due to other/larger components)?

What do you think?
Could that maybe still make a difference?

 

[thegame]

I've had a Bones on my bench, a NATAS and a Randall Satan - and hence I exactly know what he did.

The Randall maybe, those were presumably easier to get. I’ve never tried the Randall stuff. But you ALMOST had a Natas until I warned the owner you’d do something shady to it, during the rebuilt process which you suddenly found time for, making it an instant priority. I bet your waiting customers would’ve loved to learn they’d been bumped back further for that. Why in the world would you even entertain the idea of stuffing your circuits inside a Natas chassis anyway? I know, you wanted to punish another person with a MF connection. Circuit destroying epoxy resin wouldn’t have been enough for that project. Oh no no no. There would’ve been something to the effect of a bomb inside the amp.

 

[midnightlaundry]

Real talk here.. Hey Larry, what is the life expectancy of modern production Power Tubes with regular play, say 5 hours a week??

 

[novosibir]

The Randall maybe, those were presumably easier to get. I’ve never tried the Randall stuff. But you ALMOST had a Natas until I warned the owner you’d do something shady to it, during the rebuilt process which you suddenly found time for. Blablabla...

You sound like Mike Fortin only built one NATAS.
But since I had one on my bench and could even prove it with enough good shots, he must have built at least two of these amps - maybe even three or four or...

 

[DeathbyButterslax]

Perhaps, to be fair, should you better compare these amps not with Marshall amps that I rebuilt in 1992 and 1995 with Marshall (Drake/Dagnall) transformers and circuits still built on solder strips, but with amps from my current series such as a Dino 962 or better yet, with my Pure Metal Machine, in which my own custom transformers are installed and the circuits are built on eyelet boards (due to other/larger components)?

What do you think?
Could that maybe still make a difference?

I would love to, I can PM you my address and you can send one my way to do so

 

[novosibir]

The Randall maybe, those were presumably easier to get. I’ve never tried the Randall stuff. But you ALMOST had a Natas until I warned the owner you’d do something shady to it, during the rebuilt process which you suddenly found time for, making it an instant priority. Blablabla

And to lighten up your gloomy murmurs, my dear thegame, I'll actually take the time for you (which you don't deserve) and explain to you why I was so interested in the NATAS from FH.

It was at the time when I still had the intention of suing Mike Fortin for plagiarism. FH didn't want a mod, but a complete rebuild of his NATAS into a Pure Metal Machine.

In this case I would have had a complete original NATAS circuit board left over. And an original board is much better evidence in court than just numerous photos

But I then rejected the idea of suing Mike Fortin because he has already been punished enough due to his obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and impotence - I don't need to add another

And again, look into the mirror and tell me, who is the conspiratorial idiot

 

[novosibir]

I would love to, I can PM you my address and you can send one my way to do so

I have a better idea. Take both amps, one on your left shoulder, the other on your right and come to me in my house. Here you can compare for 2-3 hours and I doubt that you really need that much time to reach a result