Music Gear Review - Fryette Deliverance 60

These days, there's a pretty huge array of choices for guitarists seeking a new amplifier. When I decided it was time to treat myself to a new piece of gear, my past several years of playing in a band helped me narrow down all those choices and select a Fryette Deliverance 60.

I arrived at that choice by considering what I wanted in an amplifier:

First, it had to deliver modern high-gain tones suited to my music. Second, it had to be tube-powered. Third, it had to be relatively simple. Fourth, it had to be made in the United States (Why that last one? Well, I like to support American workers as much as possible. But I won't buy an inferior American product just to be American. Quality is a must). Finally, it had to be available as a head rather than as a combo amp. I already have an excellent and reliable Avatar cabinet, so I didn't want more speakers.

Those four requirements led me to three finalists: The Carvin V3, the Mesa Solo 50 and the Fryette Deliverance. As it happened, a very lightly used Fryette popped up on eBay for far less than its usual $1,600 price tag. It arrived in sparkling condition. It was an older model that was still labeled with the company's old VHT label. It has since changed its name to Fryette, after designer and owner Steve Fryette.

I've spent the past few years playing a THD Univalve, a low-wattage head that produces its distortion from overdriving its output tubes. The Fryette, however, produces the bulk of its distortion in its four pre-amp stages, with a pair of KT-88 output tubes amplifying that signal. Because it's a 60-watt amp, it's pretty loud. However, the volume control is not linear - most of the volume comes early, with less and less getting poured on as the master volume knob goes up.

Even with the master volume at the 10 o'clock position, it produces well enough volume for local clubs even without being mic'd. It has well enough volume for virtually any venue. Its preamp can cause a lot of squealing and feedback, so I don't max the pre-amp controls. Even with plenty of gain left untapped, the Deliverance produces a powerful distortion sound. Palm-muted chords results in a powerful thump, while open chords ring out for a good, long time before fading into a musical, controlled feedback.

Pinch harmonics also jump right out of the amp, for players that like a little George Lynch-style ornamentation in their playing. When it's time for guitar solos, the Deliverance has a speedy attack and excellent sustain. I notice that it also takes on the character of the guitar I use: My swamp ash Carvin sounds distinctly different from my basswood Charvel.

Since it's a single-channel head, I use a Boss Overdrive SD-1 pedal to push the pre-amp just a touch harder for solo sections. It makes notes jump out even more effortlessly.

As part of a guitar duo, it's also critical for my sound to mesh well with that of my co-guitarist. He's using a Mesa F-100 and a variety of mahogany-bodied guitars. We worked together to equalize our amps' settings. The result is two distinctly different yet equally aggressive guitar tones that stay crisp and distinct.

There's little I would change about the Deliverance. I have a hate for Tolex-covered amps. I'd prefer something a bit more gig-worthy that's less prone to scarring. But that's pretty minor.

I nearly wrote the Deliverance off because its output tubes are mounted to the particle circuit board rather than to the amp chassis. But I was mollified by the manufacturer and designer's insistence that, done right, it's not a compromise. Given VHT/Fryette's reputation for quality, I decided that it likely wasn't marketing babble. So far, I've been rewarded for shelving my prejudice. Nearly eight months of playing, and it's been solid and reliable. It's a treat to fire it up and let the riffs fly. The tone is inspiring, and its reliability lets me concentrate on playing rather than maintenance.

The bottom line is that I'm pleased with this amp, and would recommend it to any player seeking a powerful tone, a reliable piece of gear and an honest price.