difference between the BE 100, SS and JJ

[journeyman73]

All three are damn near perfect amps for what they are designed to do. Just play them all and pick one or two or three or four I own all three and in addition to the Smallbox and love them all equally for different reasons! Dave is just a really talented dude with a great ear...

The tune in my signature is the BE and SS. SS was used on the Lead.

how would you describe the different design intents?

 

[Superunknown]

SS = Thick, Vintage, with plenty of sustain. Think high-gain vintage. Fatter than both the BE & JJ to my ear. Best clean of the three. Obviously designed for modern SS tone but can accomodate many styles. Love the mids on this amp!
BE = Versatile, Hot Rod, with a bit more high-end versus the SS. Great all around modded marshall tone. More tonal options versus the SS(C45, HBE, Saturation, etc.). Designed to be a swiss army knife of modded Marshall tones. The overall voicing is damn near perfect.
JJ = Clear, Articulate, Quiet, yet can get super heavy. Heavy distortion(JBE) is very clear with a ton of sustain. Great clean channel as well. Designed to suit Jerry but does so much more, especially with the foot-switchable mod. The BE is a killer rhythm channel but has enough gain to play leads as well. JBE kicks in some low-mids and additional gain that just make the amp fucking roar.

All three share the same basic DNA. You can't miss with any of them!

 

[journeyman73]

thanks bud!

the really surprising thing to me about the JJ was i think i was expecting just doom and gloom brutal drop-d stuff...dark and heavy.

it is shockingly bright - you can tame that of course, but with everything at noon and on BE mode its a very articulate, bright amp with lots of M-type upper mids...totally surprised i generally run the presnce below noon (total opposite of what i was thinking).

totally agree with you on the SS - the clean is THE best channel switching clean i've heard - tons of chime but never harsh.

i have the SS and the JJ but curious what was missing in the BE - so, thanks for the comparative.

i cant wait to try the X too. dave is basically pushing seriously addictive drugs

 

[mxr2000]

You would love any of those amps thats for sure!

 

[Jay Strange]

The JJ also has a KILLER lead tone and feel.
It's definitely not going anywhere for a LONG time
Choice amp.

 

[bonedarrell]

BE = The overall voicing is damn near perfect.

This

 

[dealmaker]

SS = Thick, Vintage, with plenty of sustain. Think high-gain vintage. Fatter than both the BE & JJ to my ear. Best clean of the three. Obviously designed for modern SS tone but can accomodate many styles. Love the mids on this amp!
BE = Versatile, Hot Rod, with a bit more high-end versus the SS. Great all around modded marshall tone. More tonal options versus the SS(C45, HBE, Saturation, etc.). Designed to be a swiss army knife of modded Marshall tones. The overall voicing is damn near perfect.
JJ = Clear, Articulate, Quiet, yet can get super heavy. Heavy distortion(JBE) is very clear with a ton of sustain. Great clean channel as well. Designed to suit Jerry but does so much more, especially with the foot-switchable mod. The BE is a killer rhythm channel but has enough gain to play leads as well. JBE kicks in some low-mids and additional gain that just make the amp fucking roar.

All three share the same basic DNA. You can't miss with any of them!

This guy ^ really knows what he's talking about........

I have all three - and if I'd written a response it would have been identical to Superunknown's. If I had to pick a favourite - no excuses - then by a narrow margin it would be the SS - just because it such a great range of talent - the best clean of the three - and the fattest meatiest tone in the gain sections......its horses for courses though - the BE cuts better.............and the JJ does indeed roar!

Have you played a PhilX Superunknown? i have one coming and wondering how it will compare to the others!?

 

[journeyman73]

the phil x is awesome!!!

 

[Superunknown]

Here is a very short iphone clip of the Phil X....just me dicking around at NAMM. Killer amp....you probably can't tell much from this clip but gives you a bit of an idea.

 

[JanMan]

I visited the Friedman booth at NAMM '15, and soaked up about 20 minutes of guys switching between the SS/JJ/BE. When I left, I was leaning toward the SS. Then I saw Steve Stevens playing live (with Billy Idol) at two gigs in the LA area. He does a ton of guitar, volume, tone, and distortion changes during his set. After that, I'm even more sold on the SS. A super versatile amp, not a one-trick pony.

 

[Mixman]

Not having the chance to compare these amps it seems like the JJ is for me, but does the SS have a more biting tone or just less compressed sounding at full gain?

 

[RiffEmAll]

BE = The overall voicing is damn near perfect.

This

 

[dealmaker]

I just got my PhilX - to add further complexity to the decision.

They are all different and bring something to the party that the others don't - I can justify ALL of them!

Of the four heads - I would still say my favourite by a very thin margin is the SS100.......

 

[journeyman73]

i keep trying to part with at least two of the JJ, BE, SS or X but they are all different enough that losing one means going without something the others don't have or do as well

 

[Adambomb]

I've compared all three and here's my take on them, but they are all really close with the base overdrive:

JJ: just the meanest overdrive with a hint of scoop for a more modern sounding "Cantrell" sound. Has this kind if 3D with overtones and has great bit and articulation. Best for metal. Can't comment on cleans. Basically a BE100 with a few components changed or taken away as the circuit board look almost identical. Would buy this amp if metal was my main style but good classic rock tones.

SS: definatly fatter tone with about the best lead tone of all three I think. Also THE best clean Ch. Sounds like a BE100 with a differnt kind of fatness too it to my ear. Good classic rock tones and blues tones. Played this one the least so can compare JJ-BE better.

BE100: As stated the most neutral hot-rodded "M" sound. Great articulation like all 3 amps. Has some "sponge" to it and blooms well (like the SS also). With certain pedals I imagine you can get amp close to sound like the JJ, but can get closer to the SS with the mod switches. Cuts extremely well with bass down and gain kicked up as I'm sure the all do. Best classic rock and blues tones, and can also rip some metal better than most metal amps. Cuts better than you'd think for being so refined.

You really can't go wrong with either of these 100 watt tube monsters regardless of what style you play. But if you like either of the signature artists tones better then I imagine you'd like that amp best .

 

[Rayneman]

I haven't played the SS yet, but having owned the BE100 and now the JJ100, I know that I could be happy with either the BE or JJ. They are not the same amp, but they both have the same "heritage" if you will, just different flavors. The JJ has, I guess, more gain, but that is not to say the BE isn't a gain monster, because it is, IMO. The BE channel on the JJ is a little hotter I think than on the BE100. Options are good, like the various ones on the BE100, but sometimes less is best. JJ is a little more raw and immediate, perhaps, while the BE has a little sag to it that makes it soooo much fun to play as it makes the strings seem elastic and NOT stiff. I'd prefer to have both!

My good bud has an SS, so I will be checking that out soon enough. He really likes it, and he has played my BE100, so my guess is that all these amps kick ass, in slightly different ways.

 

[journeyman73]

exactly- all awesome, in different ways!

 

[GearFanNZ]

The BE is not a metal amp but could do the 80s glam stuff with the HBE.

What is it with people who say that about BE's? I've come across 2-3 people saying so, on youtube or other forums, and it's laughable to suggest an amp that is a high gain modded Marshall in reality, couldn't do metal.... how many metal bands have used just that, to record metal albums? When I play metal, I play Sabbath, NWOBHM and 80's Thrash - and the sound is there in spades, with more than enough gain.

 

[Adambomb]

The BE is not a metal amp but could do the 80s glam stuff with the HBE.

What is it with people who say that about BE's? I've come across 2-3 people saying so, on youtube or other forums, and it's laughable to suggest an amp that is a high gain modded Marshall in reality, couldn't do metal.... how many metal bands have used just that, to record metal albums? When I play metal, I play Sabbath, NWOBHM and 80's Thrash - and the sound is there in spades, with more than enough gain.

Yes sir lets clear this up... If you can't play metal on the BE100 then you have very soft low-gain hands. It will melt faces.

 

[Erock4455]

The BE is not a metal amp but could do the 80s glam stuff with the HBE.

What is it with people who say that about BE's? I've come across 2-3 people saying so, on youtube or other forums, and it's laughable to suggest an amp that is a high gain modded Marshall in reality, couldn't do metal.... how many metal bands have used just that, to record metal albums? When I play metal, I play Sabbath, NWOBHM and 80's Thrash - and the sound is there in spades, with more than enough gain.

Agreed the be can def do metal, especially in hbe with the sat switch on. Just through a gate in the loop. If your thing is the scooped sound throw a 10 band in the loop. Sounded heavier than my mesa mark V. IMO