Metropoulos Forum

gnugear,
Are the Freds worth it? Did they increase your dynamics?

Guest wrote:gnugear,
Are the Freds worth it? Did they increase your dynamics?

I would like to know this too.

thanks

I like them ... they seem faster and a little more clear.

I have two amps set up the same way and the one with Freds sounds quicker.

very interesting thread here thanks for the great review.
and the tone you like is the evh tone correct?

Great review, and your patience must be fantastic gnugear! One question though: is the clips available and explained somewhere?

/Himmelstrutz

Good question. I'd like to hear them too.

Hi Gnugear I agree with you about the fred diodes, I have them in a 1987x modded to ptp and those diodes really made a difference ,no harsh highs really smooth with a bit of sag that suprized me. when I first got the amp it was stock and sounded awfull really harsh and hard no matter what tubes. Bluze

Does anyone have a pic on how these FREDs are wired up? How many would you need for a '68 12k build? 4?

Does anyone have a pic on how these FREDs are wired up? How many would you need for a '68 12k build? 4?

They look and install the same as a regular 1N4007 Diode, but are fast recovery diodes.

See attached jpeg.

Here is the datasheet:
http://www.weisd.com/store2/nte575.pdf

Hi
i replaced 1N4007 with WISHAY UF5408 ultrafast recovery diodes
Great clear tone
bye
Hot

hotguit wrote:Hi
i replaced 1N4007 with WISHAY UF5408 ultrafast recovery diodes
Great clear tone
bye
Hot

Where did you get your Vishay UF5408 from?

I have the FREDS in my 1987 RI and I don't hear a difference. To be honest I don't hear a big difference in most of the things I have done, to my amp. I went from stk board, to a metro PTP (this was great for modding, but sound difference, I didn't hear it) I went to sozo's, (not a biggie) then Mustards (still not much difference) then a new OT, less filtering, slight difference. I guess it all adds up but, i think the major changes can be, the bright cap on the volume pot and the NFB resistor value. after that, you can mess forever (get a PTP for this) with different values. I guess if you hear a difference and it makes you happy, great.

jamme61 wrote:I guess if you hear a difference and it makes you happy, great.

You should be happy, because when you can't hear differences which others can hear, then you'd save lots of money in your future life... cheaper guitars, cheaper amps, cheaper speaker cabs, aso.

Larry

If you have bad cables between your head and your cab and bad wires inside your cab you didn't hear any difference just the color of the wires/cables.