OK, got the SYN-1 and Friedman HBE. On the SYN-1, great product. Well made & I love the size. Biggest complaint was that the channel selector button was depressed into the foot controller. Just had to pull it up and tighten the nut. No biggie. It would have been nice if the Syn-1 passed a signal empty but that's a minor quibble. Inserting & removing the module was pain-free, easier than installing or removing 500 series units from my lunchbox for my studio.
As to the Friedman HBE, I expected it to clean up a bit on low gain settings & using the guitar's volume. Was able to get a bit of that "in between" sound on the blue channel but only using the stock single coils on my SSH Fender Japanese Strat. Definitely usable tone for Rolling Stones or AC/DC style of rock but still too much gain for subtler styles. With the gain at 10 o'clock and greater, getting that 80's metal sound comparable to the guitars on Megadeth's Peace Sells for example, was very easy. I have yet to try my Les Paul or my Hellraiser guitars but I am really digging the sound, tone & feel of this very playable amp...and I'm using the cab sim only. Going to order a Mesa closed-back cab and power amp this coming week to see how it sounds with a cab.
So far, so good.
As to the Friedman HBE, I expected it to clean up a bit on low gain settings & using the guitar's volume. Was able to get a bit of that "in between" sound on the blue channel but only using the stock single coils on my SSH Fender Japanese Strat. Definitely usable tone for Rolling Stones or AC/DC style of rock but still too much gain for subtler styles. With the gain at 10 o'clock and greater, getting that 80's metal sound comparable to the guitars on Megadeth's Peace Sells for example, was very easy. I have yet to try my Les Paul or my Hellraiser guitars but I am really digging the sound, tone & feel of this very playable amp...and I'm using the cab sim only. Going to order a Mesa closed-back cab and power amp this coming week to see how it sounds with a cab.
So far, so good.
