I am not wealthy, but I am single with no kids and I can afford to spend the money. I have absolutely no buisness at all buying an amp of this caliber as my playing is nowhere near the level that this amp is capable of. However...and this is a big however, I view amps as an instrument..... I have plugged into amps that have transformed my playing (such as a mint 65 blackface super reverb). I firmly believe that the amp is more important than the guitar in the tone equation. I've been saving my coin for my dream amp... and im kinda on the fence between a friedman brown eye.... or a bludotone high planes drifter.. with much energy leaning towards towards the bludo.. what do you think?
Talk me out of buying a High Planes Drifter
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Speedy454
Tele-Holic
Your first sentence answers your question.
You are single. Wise choice.
No (known) kids. Wise choice.
Buy what you really want, as long as it doesn't take food off the table or cloths off your back.
I'd go for the high plains drifter, just for the name.
Does it come with a height challenged individual wearing a top hat? A whip? Is it painted red?
Just kidding.
You are single. Wise choice.
No (known) kids. Wise choice.
Buy what you really want, as long as it doesn't take food off the table or cloths off your back.
I'd go for the high plains drifter, just for the name.
Does it come with a height challenged individual wearing a top hat? A whip? Is it painted red?
Just kidding.
GoldDeluxe5E3
Tele-Afflicted
Any of the amps you mentioned will serve you well on and off stage. If I were in your position, I'd ask myself, "which of these amps is most likely to encourage me to practice more?"
When all is said and done, most of your tone comes from your fingers.
xafinity
Friend of Leo's
talk-me-out-of-buying-a-high-planes-drifter
Spend the money on spelling lessons.
Seriously you must think its wrong or you wouldn't ask to be talked out of it.
Spend the money on spelling lessons.
Seriously you must think its wrong or you wouldn't ask to be talked out of it.
backporchmusic
Poster Extraordinaire
Save your money and use it to tip bartenders.
I also believe an amp is an instrument, but if I were buying my dream amp it would not be 150 watts.
Too loud for home and too heavy to move.
I also would not choose an amp with that many knobs unless I was already absolutely certain that no amp with fewer knobs would do all the stuff I needed.
I tend to believe that a great amp sound has a minimum price area.
The $6000 retail price on the Hi Plains would buy me numerous great sounding amps!
Big amps can certainly be played at lower volumes, I've been playing through a vintage non master 50w Marshall half stack lately while my wife out of town.
Too loud for home and too heavy to move.
I also would not choose an amp with that many knobs unless I was already absolutely certain that no amp with fewer knobs would do all the stuff I needed.
I tend to believe that a great amp sound has a minimum price area.
The $6000 retail price on the Hi Plains would buy me numerous great sounding amps!
Big amps can certainly be played at lower volumes, I've been playing through a vintage non master 50w Marshall half stack lately while my wife out of town.
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cabra velha
Tele-Afflicted
Buy it.
The only wisdom I have a arrived at is that life is too unpredictably short to deny yourself harmless (affordable ) things that may give you pleasure.
The only wisdom I have a arrived at is that life is too unpredictably short to deny yourself harmless (affordable ) things that may give you pleasure.
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Don't do it, man. At 150 watts, it's too dam much amp, and at SIX THOUSAND BUCKS it's too dam much money. Save that cash for a rainy day. You might get married, have kids, want a house, wreck your car, or get sick some day. Or you could spend 1/3 of that money and get an AWESOME amp that you can turn past 2 without shaking the nails out of the walls.
The only wisdom I have arrived at is that life is too unpredictable to assume that you won't need that 6 grand some day.
PS: I know this ain't gonna work (it NEVER works), but you asked us to try...
The only wisdom I have arrived at is that life is too unpredictable to assume that you won't need that 6 grand some day.
PS: I know this ain't gonna work (it NEVER works), but you asked us to try...
Mr. Lumbergh
Poster Extraordinaire
That's one of my dream amps; how can I in good conscience try to talk you out of it?
Steve Ouimette
Tele-Holic
Those are two very different amps for sure. I love what Brandon makes and had one of his excellent "Osiris" heads at one point. $6K for an amp is quite a huge chunk of cash but the resale is good on them if you decide to sell it. I don't know what Friedman's resale value is.
That said I think unless you have an excellent attenuator you'll never get the real joy out of a 150 watt amp. The Freyette Power Station is fantastic for just such a task and I use one all the time for my Marshalls, Voxes, Fenders, etc.
Have you got the HPD already lined up or are you going to put in an order for one to be built? From what I understand there is a seriously long wait for them...unless that has changed. That would be a deciding factor for me.
Good luck!
DonM
Friend of Leo's
If you can afford it and will use it, I would say get it. If you buy it and it’s just going to collect dust, then of course, no. I’m of the position that anything that can make me sound better is on my wish list.
FenderLover
Poster Extraordinaire
Ah, I'm gonna go ahead and say that you should buy that amp, and then talk me into it. OK?
MilwMark
Doctor of Teleocity
Are you regularly playing Wembly in the 60s? If not, don't buy the amp.
Endless Mike
Friend of Leo's
I think I wouldn't buy *anything* called a 'brown eye'
FWIW, it's a 'clean' amp, not really meant to be cranked up for distortion. The wattage is for (low frequency) bandwidth and making sure the amp stays very clean when you dig into the strings at stage volumes. Also, let's remember doubling wattage only yields about 3dB change in volume. The difference in overall volume between a 100 watt and 150 watt probably would not even be discernable. The HPD has that wattage to drive punchy full sounding low end, and stay extremely 'clean' which is pretty much the main purpose of this sort of circuit. Generally, pedals are used to achieve distortion (if the user wants it)
Keep in mind, that not every guitar player uses a 6 string tuned to standard. Use of a baritone or extended range or drop tuned guitar will generally require more power to drive the low frequencies, especially, clean. (Think pedal/Lap steel)
It also has a 'half power' switch.
To the OP, the only thing I can say to talk you out of the HPD is that there's several other clones of the SSS that can easily be had in this price range (or $2K cheaper) that will be just as nice.
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Buy a Peavey all-tube 50watt, have it cleaned up, recapped, retubed (maybe), about $ 600 all in, I would think. Or a Yamaha G-50.
What does your investment portfolio look like? I have lusted after far too many guitars/amps/pedals that I just "COULDN'T LIVE without". I didn't buy them, I lived, and I highly doubt my musical life was negatively impacted.
What does your investment portfolio look like? I have lusted after far too many guitars/amps/pedals that I just "COULDN'T LIVE without". I didn't buy them, I lived, and I highly doubt my musical life was negatively impacted.
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homesick345
Poster Extraordinaire
there is cheaper alternatives
WAY cheaper - same quality, imho
PM me if interested
WAY cheaper - same quality, imho
PM me if interested
buddyboy
Tele-Meister
I can only advise you based on my own perspective, not yours. If I were YOU, I wouldn't do it. A 150 watt behemoth for someone who, admittedly, maybe has limited skills? I play a lot, and gig a lot. I play old rock and roll (50's/early 60's), honky tonk and old R&B. I pick my amps according to the musical styles I play and the power required to do the job (i.e. I don't play Vox-style or Marshall-style amps, as great as they may be). There are inspiring amps out there that are more manageable and cheaper than a HPD.
i can't think of a place I've recently played where I could unleash the real potential of a 150watt amp, no matter how stellar it may be. Really, it's just not in the cards.
i can't think of a place I've recently played where I could unleash the real potential of a 150watt amp, no matter how stellar it may be. Really, it's just not in the cards.
Mike_LA
Friend of Leo's
No Way ANY AMP is worth that much.
Cleans? Yes you need power for headroom, 100watts is Enough
BEST Cleans outside of Fender . . . .. MARSHALL 6100
The limited edition brass chassis model can be found for 1/2 of the Drifter.
Marshall 6100, carry on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Cleans? Yes you need power for headroom, 100watts is Enough
BEST Cleans outside of Fender . . . .. MARSHALL 6100
The limited edition brass chassis model can be found for 1/2 of the Drifter.
Marshall 6100, carry on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
I'll chime in with the "talk you out of it' crowd. So loud, so heavy, so expensive, I'm gonna guess you'll be wanting to pick up a Super Champ that will travel so much easier, and the big dog will collect dust. Why not get the Super Reverb you liked so much? Use the left over dough to upgrade speakers, transformers, tubes, etc.
