Friedman JJ vs BE Deluxe

[Cap217]

I have or had....

be100 newer version
be100 dlx
ss100
jcm 800 2203 kitchen sink
marsha

I still have the ss100 and marsha. The be100 was great and did everything it needed to. The dlx was hard to dial in and I never could get it where I wanted it to be. The jcm800 was good but I didnt love that amp so I sold it. I have stock 800s that I like. The ss100 is the best to me. More punchy in the mids and fuller.

I usually use my amps on the be channel, c45, and sat/fat off. I like that the ss doesnt have a ton of options to mess with. It sounds great with the gain up and everything around noon. I dont like HBE channels because they get noisy to me and hard to control but the SS+ channel sounds great. I dont know how or why or what the differences are but they are noticeable.

 

[Apex1Rg7X]

I have or had....

be100 newer version
be100 dlx
ss100
jcm 800 2203 kitchen sink
marsha

I still have the ss100 and marsha. The be100 was great and did everything it needed to. The dlx was hard to dial in and I never could get it where I wanted it to be. The jcm800 was good but I didnt love that amp so I sold it. I have stock 800s that I like. The ss100 is the best to me. More punchy in the mids and fuller.

I usually use my amps on the be channel, c45, and sat/fat off. I like that the ss doesnt have a ton of options to mess with. It sounds great with the gain up and everything around noon. I dont like HBE channels because they get noisy to me and hard to control but the SS+ channel sounds great. I dont know how or why or what the differences are but they are noticeable.

The BE 100 Deluxe was easily one of the most disappointing gear purchases I've made in recent memory.

 

[Junk Yard Dog]

I was an apartment & live gig player & used the 50 DLX, Slax, 2017 BE, & JJ100.

Master volumes were best of any other amp I've owned.

The key to the JJ for me was using the Presence knob before Treble. At lower volumes, the JJ woke up a lot more when I started doing that. The higher the volume, the more I dialed back the Presence.

When we compared the 50 DLX to my JJ100, all EQ the same, the JJ was in fact darker in comparison, but you can EQ it to get brighter, more cutting. Presence knob is your friend for that.

 

[SQUAREHEAD]

The BE 100 Deluxe was easily one of the most disappointing gear purchases I've made in recent memory.

Really?!
I just about did a trade deal recently for one of these and I Watch the whole whack of YouTube videos in a matter of a few hours, they all sounded great, but I guess I was hoping for the best and drinking the pre-wedding Kool-Aid pretty fast…
How did it disappoint, Apex?

 

[Apex1Rg7X]

Really?!
I just about did a trade deal recently for one of these and I Watch the whole whack of YouTube videos in a matter of a few hours, they all sounded great, but I guess I was hoping for the best and drinking the pre-wedding Kool-Aid pretty fast…
How did it disappoint, Apex?

I didn't feel like it was that aggressive, or as much as I was hoping it would be. I liked my buddies JJ 100 much more after playing them both in a span of a couple weeks.

 

[LP Freak]

I didn't feel like it was that aggressive, or as much as I was hoping it would be. I liked my buddies JJ 100 much more after playing them both in a span of a couple weeks.

I’ve never known the BE DLX to be marketed as an aggressive amp so I’m not sure why you would be disappointed. Personally I think it’s a killer sounding amp on every level and there’s absolutely zero that disappoints me about it.

 

[Apex1Rg7X]

I’ve never known the BE DLX to be marketed as an aggressive amp so I’m not sure why you would be disappointed. Personally I think it’s a killer sounding amp on every level and there’s absolutely zero that disappoints me about it.

Yeah I guess it is too smooth and polite, like many have mentioned. But either way, for the type of music I tend to play, this amp was just boring and didn't work for me.

 

[Anxiety Serum]

Yeah I guess it is too smooth and polite, like many have mentioned. But either way, for the type of music I tend to play, this amp was just boring and didn't work for me.

curious what type of music

 

[YSM234]

I've got the BE-100 DLX. It is really awesome and the clean plexi channel is amazing

 

[Junk Yard Dog]

We A/B/C'd my 50 DLX, Splawn Comp, & JJ100 through the same cab. I see the BE100s before 2016 as the more polite BE's, but everything after that can cut through well. yes, some need to up the Presence knob a bit, like the JJ100, but Splawn's cut & those two amps hung with it in our experience.

 

[tattooedsailor]

Never played a JJ, but had a Deluxe. Loved the over big feel of the 100 watts and played well at home. The Plexi channel was killer with lots of range. In the end I just preferred my Smallbox overdrive channel. Not as refined and had a better feel. If I was going for modern or metal the Deluxe would probably be the better choice, but for vintage voiced rock, I liked the SB. But that’s just me.

 

[turboblues]

I didn't feel like it was that aggressive, or as much as I was hoping it would be. I liked my buddies JJ 100 much more after playing them both in a span of a couple weeks.

So you liked the JJ more? Maybe you had a problem dialing in the Deluxe? Because Dave Friedman gave settings to make it sound almost identical... Did you use the same cab with the JJ as with the Deluxe?

 

[Will Onyx]

Because Dave Friedman gave settings to make it sound almost identical...

Do you know where to find this? Definitely interested in trying it out.

 

[LP Freak]

Do you know where to find this? Definitely interested in trying it out.

I’m pretty sure he mentioned it on tonetalk.

 

[Junk Yard Dog]

Dave mentioned the DLX settings to sound like the JJ in a thread in the Friedman Forum here on RT. I did some searching & found it for the JJ & the same for the DLX & Slax. See below.

JJ100 & BE100 DLX - https://www.rig-talk.com/forum/threads/be-100-dlx-question.208977/

Getupngiver​

I also found that the BE100-Deluxe sounds a bit "polite" for my liking. Was missing that grind in the mids that I love so much about the JJ100 (which is what I ended buying again, after I sold my Deluxe)

RACKSYSTEMS Well-known member​

um with the right settings the deluxe is exactly the same as the jj.

frequency left
response right
sat on if you want jbe
BE channel
voice center
all other switches off
thump at about 1 to 2 o'clock
rest to taste
try the system volume on 8 and and use channel masters to start
presence a bit higher then a normal jj

Slax & BE100 DLX - https://www.rig-talk.com/forum/threads/butterslax-tones-using-be100-deluxe.215415/

HBLU2022
Curious what the best settings would be to approximate butterslax tones using the be100 deluxe. I would use sat on, c45 off, highest gain but as far as the frequency, response and voicing switches I was hoping for some advice. Thanks and happy New Year to All!

RACKSYSTEMS Well-known member​

BE and HBE channels sat on all other switches on the back off. Frequency switch left, response switch right. Voice switch center get you pretty close

Hope that helps. -JYD

 

[tattooedsailor]

Would be great to have a pinned thread with all of Dave’s advice on his amps. Really is amazing to get so much public product support from a company owner. ?