this, then can you do this?’ Once the conver- sation starts, then we have a real insight into what the root problem is that they’re trying to solve, not just the superficial,” Steven said. GENERATIONAL RESONANCE Solving problems without compromise is best shown in Fryette Amp’s most popular product, the Power Station. Designed as an attenuator, the Power Station allows guitar- ists to get more out of the amplifiers without stripping away the tonal character and play- ing response that make those instruments special. Its appeal is particularly strong among players with vintage and legacy gear. “It basically reinvigorates gear that you thought that you wouldn’t be able to use any- more,” Steven said. “What it does is it causes people to go into their legacy stash and haul everything out and re-experience those things all over again. Every new amplifier that comes out by any other manufacturer also benefits from using the Power Station with it.” Rather than replacing that gear, the Power Station gives it another life. It allows players to revisit the amplifiers they have collected, loved and perhaps forgotten about, creating an opportunity to experience familiar instru- ments in an entirely new way. “An attenuator is a device that makes a loud amp quieter,” Steven said. “Sound systems are much more sophisticated and better, so you don’t need big amplifiers to be heard in a large audience. However, legacy tube amplifiers sound better when they’re louder, even if you don’t need the volume, and there have been devices on the market for years that attempt to turn that amplifier down without losing any of its personality when playing it. I believe that the Power Sta- tion has resonated with guitarists because it preserved and enhanced the playing relation- ship that they have with their favorite gear.” BUILDING FOR WHAT COMES NEXT That same commitment to solving practical problems continues to shape what Fryette Amps is developing for the future. Among its latest releases are the Valvulator Mini, a tube buffer intended to improve the way a guitar interacts with a modeler, pedalboard or digital amp. The Pittbull Ultra-Lead, a new three-channel, 100-watt tube amplifier that brings Fryette’s high-powered approach to a compact format. “It’s a three-channel, 100-watt tube ampli- fier, with a couple of interesting twists; it’s in a two-rack-space housing that’s very light- weight, and features all of the performance and power of a full-blown large tube amplifier
head,” Steven said. “It allows touring players to carry a high-powered, great-sounding guitar amplifier on a tour, but in a very flexible, small and lightweight package.” The Ultra-Lead is part of a broader pe- riod of expansion for Fryette Amplification. Over the past three years, the company has seen significant growth in demand while expanding its dealer network, broadening its reach and giving more players access to its products than ever before. That expan- sion has also created a closer relationship between the company, its dealers and the
musicians they serve. For Fryette, the mo- mentum reflects a continued demand for high-performing amps while also creating new opportunities to respond to players’ changing demands. “We’re committed to working in a close partnership with our dealers to better un- derstand how our design decisions can posi- tively affect their bottom line,” Steven said. “It coincides with all the development that we’ve been doing for the last three years on new products, so there’s a nice convergence going on right now.” MI
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