guitarmike
Well-known member
So I finally have 2 great amps, a CCV and a 1975 Marshall Dave Friedman modded. Both are killer amps at any volume. Now, mysteriously, 
a BE-100 arrives at my door today, brand new. Unfortunately I have to pay for it.
I sold my Friedman modded Marshall today, I am back to 2 amps, the CCV and the Brown Eye. Its hard to believe that I bought my first good amp, a Quick Rod back in 2006. Many amps later, I truly am done. The seeking is over. Sure I still want to collect amps but as far as finding 2 amps that will inspire me to be my best, I have them. When I first started reading about Cameron's they had all this mystique and when a Cameron modded Marshall would pop up for sale, it was common to see $3000 or more exchange hands for one amp! If I had money now, I'd buy up as many as I could, the prices will go back up. So 6 months ago I scored a King/Friedman/Cameron CCV. This amp is incredible, it cuts through a mix at any volume, sings like a Marshall and growls the way only a Cameron can. Plus 2 channels and a solo boost, a real versatile amp. You have permission to rip me to shreds if I sell this amp for any other reason than dire economic issues.
My first modded Marshall was a Lee Jackson modded 50 non master Marshall. It needed a total rebuild, I never got it sounding good and ended up returning it to stock. I owned every type of Lee Jackson amp since then and I had a couple that sounded killer. They were hit and miss. 3 years ago I bought my first Friedman Marshall, a 1975 00 watt superlead from LP Freak. To this day, it is the best sounding modded Marshall I have ever played. I had Dave F. mod a jcm 800 for me and it was good but not quite like the 1975. Last week I scored an incredible deal on a BE-100. I bought it thinking that even if I did not like it I could sell it for a minimal loss. I was willing to take the chance because I knew I would not have the opportunity at home for long (my wife of 27 years was ok with it so I hurriedly bought it before she woke up ).
At first it did not seem much different than the CCV and almost the same as the Friedman modded Marshall. It took a few days of tweaking, playing through different cabs to dial in the BE - 100. Right now the BE channel (no switches) is what I will use at church, HBE when playing Maiden. The amp just has something I can't quite place my finger on yet but the amp is the pinnacle of the modded Marshall genre of amps. You need to play one for a while to get into it but those Phil X videos are pretty close to what you could expect if you never heard one in person. I did not like the amp through the 1960BHW cab I own.
So hear is the question I get from non music people; Are these amps really worth $3500 a piece?
Yes
If you know what you want in guitar tone and it is the modded Marshall type of tone, these amps just kill. At 50 years old I hopefully have 25 more years of rocking, then I hope to give these to my kids. I will buy more gear in the future, I just will not sell these 2 amps.
a BE-100 arrives at my door today, brand new. Unfortunately I have to pay for it.
I sold my Friedman modded Marshall today, I am back to 2 amps, the CCV and the Brown Eye. Its hard to believe that I bought my first good amp, a Quick Rod back in 2006. Many amps later, I truly am done. The seeking is over. Sure I still want to collect amps but as far as finding 2 amps that will inspire me to be my best, I have them. When I first started reading about Cameron's they had all this mystique and when a Cameron modded Marshall would pop up for sale, it was common to see $3000 or more exchange hands for one amp! If I had money now, I'd buy up as many as I could, the prices will go back up. So 6 months ago I scored a King/Friedman/Cameron CCV. This amp is incredible, it cuts through a mix at any volume, sings like a Marshall and growls the way only a Cameron can. Plus 2 channels and a solo boost, a real versatile amp. You have permission to rip me to shreds if I sell this amp for any other reason than dire economic issues.
My first modded Marshall was a Lee Jackson modded 50 non master Marshall. It needed a total rebuild, I never got it sounding good and ended up returning it to stock. I owned every type of Lee Jackson amp since then and I had a couple that sounded killer. They were hit and miss. 3 years ago I bought my first Friedman Marshall, a 1975 00 watt superlead from LP Freak. To this day, it is the best sounding modded Marshall I have ever played. I had Dave F. mod a jcm 800 for me and it was good but not quite like the 1975. Last week I scored an incredible deal on a BE-100. I bought it thinking that even if I did not like it I could sell it for a minimal loss. I was willing to take the chance because I knew I would not have the opportunity at home for long (my wife of 27 years was ok with it so I hurriedly bought it before she woke up
).At first it did not seem much different than the CCV and almost the same as the Friedman modded Marshall. It took a few days of tweaking, playing through different cabs to dial in the BE - 100. Right now the BE channel (no switches) is what I will use at church, HBE when playing Maiden. The amp just has something I can't quite place my finger on yet but the amp is the pinnacle of the modded Marshall genre of amps. You need to play one for a while to get into it but those Phil X videos are pretty close to what you could expect if you never heard one in person. I did not like the amp through the 1960BHW cab I own.
So hear is the question I get from non music people; Are these amps really worth $3500 a piece?
Yes
If you know what you want in guitar tone and it is the modded Marshall type of tone, these amps just kill. At 50 years old I hopefully have 25 more years of rocking, then I hope to give these to my kids. I will buy more gear in the future, I just will not sell these 2 amps.
I dunno....
It was definitely a fun amp to play on. It just didn't end up fitting into what I'm playing anymore, and I'm trying to be a little bit more responsible in my gear hoarding, so it had to go. 